Modern Repertory

no photo credit

The process of making a group piece is a collaborative one. This repertory class is an opportunity for students to hone their partnering as well as their performance skills. We will experiment with complex partnering work (duets, trios, quartets) as well as work on creating a highly physical dance piece that will challenge you to explore the boundary of your technical capabilities. Although some phrases will be drawn from Foley’s technique class, the partnering phrases will be unique to the rep class. The final work will be performed in the Festival Finale. All participants must be enrolled in the Foley’s Modern V class.

Michael Foley has been involved in the professional dance world for over 20 years. He started dancing at Bates College under Marcy Plavin where he earned a BA in English and Spanish. Michael has performed, internationally, in the companies of over two-dozen choreographers, including Doug Elkins, Kevin Wynn, Seán Curran, Donna Uchizono, Ruby Shang and Eun Me Ahn. He has taught workshops and master classes throughout the US, Europe, Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico, and has taught on the faculties of New World School of the Arts, Bates College, la Escuela Profesional de la Danza de Mazatlan, and Dance Space Center in NYC. He also teaches technique and has set choreography for the Cirque du Soleil organization. Michael has maintained choreographic residencies at over 30 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. His choreography can be found in the touring repertories of dance companies throughout the US, as well as in Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Ireland and Italy. He formed his own company, “Michael Foley Dance”, in 1994 touring the US and Europe. Michael has a 26-year affiliation with the Bates Dance Festival where he has been a student, emerging choreographer, faculty, and co-director of the Young Dancers Workshop from 1996 - 2007. He holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington and is an Associate Professor of Dance at the University of South Florida. He also directs a yearly study abroad program in Paris. In 2009 Michael was a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico working with Delfos Danza.