Ashleigh Leite returns to SPDW Dance Theatre for August Dance Workshop.

(SANEPR.com) July 14, 2008 -- Chicago, IL July 10, 2008 –Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre (SPDW) welcomes back G.A.P. 2007 (Guest Artist Project) choreographer Ashleigh Leite, who will be teaching a Master Class in advanced modern dance technique Monday, August 25 from 10-11:30am. The class, co-presented by SPDW Dance Theatre and the Chicago Moving Company, is $15 and will be held at the Hamlin Park Field house, 3035 N. Hoyne, 2nd floor, in Chicago 60618. Please visit www.spdwdance.org for more information, e-mail info@spdwdance.org or call 773.506.8730 to reserve your place in class.

Ms. Leite joined SPDW Dance Theatre last summer to create Drift League, which they premièred at “10” the company’s 10th anniversary performance in November 2007. The piece was then performed to critical acclaim in SPDW’s Vintage Modern at Links Hall this past June 2008. This past fall, Ms. Leite was an Artist-in-Residence at Dance New Amsterdam and premiered her new work, flawed, at DNA in December 2006. For the 2006-2007 year, she was also be an Artist-in-Residence at Joyce SoHo and will premiere a complete evening of work at Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church for their 2007-2008 season.

Ms. Leite is originally from Scottsdale, Arizona. She graduated (cum laude) from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance Performance in 1997. Upon graduation, Ms. Leite joined Stephen Petronio Company where she served as Assistant Director/Rehearsal Director and a dancer for over eight years (1997-2005). She is a current member of Pavel Zustiak’s Palissimo and has performed in the works of other choreographers including Jamie Bishton, David Allen Harris, and Jeremy Nelson. Ms. Leite has taught technique and repertory at conservatories all over the world and guest teaches regularly at Dance New Amsterdam in New York City.

For ongoing intermediate/advanced instruction, SPDW Dance Theatre has opened their Company Class to the public for second of two, four-week sessions this summer July 11-August 1, Fridays 12:00-1:30 at Rast Ballet, 1803 W. Byron, #201, Chicago 60613. All classes in intermediate/advanced modern dance will be taught by SPDW’s Artistic Director Joanna Rosenthal. Classes cost $12 per class or $10 per class with purchase of a class card. Please visit www.spdwdance.org for more information, e-mail info@spdwdance.org or call 773.506.8730 to reserve your place in class.


ARTIST BIO

ASHLEIGH LEITE is originally from Scottsdale, Arizona. She graduated (cum laude) from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance Performance in 1997. Upon graduation, Ms. Leite joined Stephen Petronio Company where she served as Assistant Director/Rehearsal Director and a dancer for over eight years (1997-2005). Ms. Leite served as Assistant to Mr. Petronio for several international commissioned projects, most notably, the world premiere of Petronio’s Underland (Sydney Dance Company) in Australia, The Human Suite (CandoCo) in London, U.K., and La Presa (A Quo Danza Contemporania Dance Company) in Morelia, Mexico.

Ms. Leite is a current member of Pavel Zustiak’s Palissimo and has performed in the works of other choreographers including Jamie Bishton, David Allen Harris, and Jeremy Nelson. She has taught technique and repertory at conservatories all over the world and guest teaches regularly at Dance New Amsterdam in New York City. This past fall, Ms. Leite was an Artist-in-Residence at Dance New Amsterdam and premiered her new work, flawed, at DNA in December 2006. For the 2006-2007 year, she was an Artist-in-Residence at Joyce SoHo and premiered a complete evening of work at Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church for their 2007-2008 season.

Ms. Leite premiered her most current evening-length work, AUTOPSY, at Joyce SoHo in New York City (2006), for which she was selected for a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space Award. Recently, she premiered two other works: Noon (Kaleidoscope 3, Shaw Center for the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA) and One Tall Blonde (Dancenow’s DancmOpolitan@Joe’s Pub, NYC). In addition, Ashleigh was commissioned by Of Moving Colors Productions (Baton Rouge, LA) to create an excerpt for their spring 2006 production of Lilac Magenta (The Shaw Center for the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA). In 2002, Entreaty (with collaborator, Elizabeth Haselwood), was presented through Danspace Project’s “Out of Space” series in New York.

Rast Ballet (www.rastballet.com) is located at 1803 W. Byron, #201 in Chicago, IL 60613; two blacks south of Irving Park between N Lincoln and Ravenswood Avenues. Take RED LINE to Sheridan and IRVING PARK BUS# 80 Westbound or DAMEN BUS # 50 to Byron.

Hamlin Park Fieldhouse is located at 3035 N. Hoyne, Chicago, IL 60618, at N. Hoyne Ave. and W. Barry St., just west of Damen Ave. and north of Wellington – the theatre is located on the second floor. Street parking is usually available. CTA: Brown/Red/Purple Lines to Belmont and BUS #77 West to Hoyne or Blue Line to Damen BUS #50 Damen Northbound to Wellington.


Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre is dedicated to presenting the most perfect embodiment of dance—dance that is evocative, and that is at the same time both challenging and enjoyable.

SPDW Dance acknowledges that the audience is as important to the dance as the movements and steps themselves. The company presents work that is inspiring, vibrant and relevant. SPDW’s intriguing repertoire consists of work from formidable Chicago artists as well as choreographers from across the nation, with styles that incorporate classical and contemporary modern dance, jazz and improvisational experimentation.

Please make reservations as space is limited. Call 773-506-8730 or e-mail info@spdwdance.org. For more information visit www.spdwdance.org.