In Progress is TACAW’s new series offering unique opportunities to witness the creative process behind the Roaring Fork Valley’s finest creative organizations.
Our first installments feature DanceAspen as they pull back the curtain (literally and figuratively) on contemporary choreography and allow you to observe how their upcoming performance at the historic Wheeler Opera House is taking shape through rehearsals.
Ching Ching Wong, repetiteur for Ihsan Rustem, will be rehearsing the dancers in “Mother Tongue” on June 6th.
On June 20th, you will have the privilege to see choreographer Garrett Smith as he creates a brand-new world premiere with the artists of DanceAspen.
This is a fantastic opportunity to experience firsthand the dedication, artistry, and collaborative spirit that goes into bringing dance to the stage. These open rehearsals are a prelude to Dance Aspen’s full production, Shifting Forms, which will be presented at theWheeler.
Shifting Forms features the world premiere by the acclaimed Garrett Smith, the deeply moving “Mother Tongue” by Ihsan Rustem, and the return of audience favorite “Ever After” by Yin Yue. We invite you to join us for these In Progress sessions to experience unforgettable summer evenings of bold and evocative performance.
About DanceAspen
In 2021, in response to the dissolution of the Roaring Fork Valley’s professional dance company, a determined group of dancers led by Laurel Winton established a bold, new contemporary company. Their grassroots effort quickly garnered local support, culminating in a sold-out debut at the Wheeler Opera House. Rooted in the principles of collaboration, community, and artistic excellence, their company has developed a significant reputation, showcasing internationally renowned choreographers and creating 30+ world premieres. DanceAspen has also graced prominent stages at the Vail Dance Festival and Aspen Music Festival, demonstrating their dedication to producing new contemporary dance while enhancing the cultural vibrancy of the Aspen area.
Learn more about DanceAspen: WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM
About Ching Ching Wong
Born in Manila, raised in Los Angeles, and currently based in Montréal. Although Ching is most at home in a studio. She is a performer and choreographer. Currently as rehearsal director for Ballets Jazz Montréal she is on tour worldwide with works by Crystal Pite, Azure Barton, Ihsan Rustem, Annebelle Lopez Ochoa, and Andonis Fioniadakis. As a stager for Swiss choreographer Ihsan Rustem she has worked with companies such as Bern Ballet, Codarts, Rambert School, Taiwan University of the Arts, Theater Altenburg Gera, and Mecklenburg Staatstheater. She credits her early training and connection to dance to her lifelong teacher Alia Harlan.
She is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award in Dance, was named Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch, and is represented by Movement Talent Agency. Formerly she served as rehearsal director for LED, Artist in Residence with Heidi Duckler Dance, and creative director for Brett Perry. Ching Ching also created Project Salamat and The Experience, a global outreach program which toured 17 cities and 11 countries. This season she is thrilled to be premiering her work 502 in collaboration with rapper Jack Harlow for Louisville Ballet (Fall 2024).
After graduating with a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of California Irvine working closely with the late Donald McKayle, her career began at Northwest Dance Project. There she originated roles in creations by Sarah Slipper, Ihsan Rustem, Felix Landerer, Lucas Crandall, Alejandro Cerrudo, Jiri Pokorny, Wen Wei Wang, Didy Veldman, Danielle Agami, Patrick Delcroix, Alex Soares, Kate Wallich, Pedro Dias, Gregory Dolbashian, Yin Yue, Loni Landon, Rachel Erdos, amongst others. As a freelance artist she has collaborated with numerous companies and artists including Roderick George, ZviDance, LED, Brendan Duggan, PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, CARLON, YYDC, OddKnock Productions, Katie Scherman, Adam Weinert, WHYTEBERG, violinist Joe Kye, and SALT Contemporary Dance.
About Ihsan Rustem
Choreographer Ihsan Rustem was born in London, where he trained at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
Ihsan is Artistic Director of the Swiss dance company Cie. La Ronde, founded in 2020 with choreographer Cathy Marston, and the Resident Choreographer for the NW Dance Project in Portland, Oregon USA, where this season he will revive ‘Yidam’ – which return to its Portland home after appearing in the repertoire of the Bern Ballet, Ballett Augsburg, Ballett Cottbus, Codarts and at the Bolshoi – and create his fourteenth work for the company, Piaf.
Further collaborations include the Nederlands Dans Theater 2, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Sao Paulo City Ballet, National Ballet of Chile, Ballet Moscow, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 2, Zurich Ballet, Istanbul State Ballet MDT, Tanz Luzerner Theater, Bern Ballet, Konzert Theater St Gallen, Whim W’Him Seattle, Sacramento Ballet, Ballet Edmonton Canada, Junior Ballet Antwerp, Ballare Carmel, Ballett Augsburg, Thüringer Staatsballett, Staatstheater Braunschweig, Tanztheater, Kazan State Opera and Ballet, Koblenz Ballet, Ballet Regensburg, Würzburg Ballet, Siberian State Ballet, Salt Contemporary Dance USA, Repertory Dance Theater Utah, Staatstheater Cottbus, Arts Umbrella Dance Company Vancouver, Moving Arts Cincinnati, National Youth Dance Company, Palucca Hochschule Dresden, Codarts, ZHdK, Tanzwerk101, Taipei National University of the Arts and the Rambert School. He was a featured choreographer for Russia’s popular TV show ‘The Bolshoi Ballet’.
Nederlands Dans Theater named Ihsan as one of their Up & Coming Choreographers for the 2018/19 season.
His work for the NW Dance Project has been recognised with numerous accolades. State of Matter won the 2012 Sadler’s Wells Global Dance Contest as well as the Public Prize at the 25th International Competition for Choreographers Hannover, and Carmen received Dance Magazine’s 2017 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Collaboration. Rustem was also the 2014 recipient of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s International Commissioning Project.
Rustem is the former Director of the Ballettschule Luzern and in 2021 he joined the jury of the prestigious Prix de Lausanne. He has been a jury member for Concorso Internazionale di Danza Città di Rieti and the Dance World Cup.
From 2000-2014 Ihsan Rustem was a dancer with the Ballet Theater Munich, Introdans, State Theater Bern Ballet, Tanz Luzerner Theater and Adventures in Motion Pictures. He originated roles in creations by Wayne McGregor, Hofesh Shechter, Alexander Ekman, Matthew Bourne, Stijn Celis, Patrick Delcroix, Cayetano Soto, Felix Landerer, Cathy Marston and worked with choreographers Mats Ek, Jiri Kylián, Paul Lightfoot / Sol Leon, Hans van Manen and William Forsythe, amongst others.
He is the former Artistic Director of the Dance Art Studio Ballettschule Luzern.
Ihsan lives in Zurich, Switzerland.
About Garrett Smith
American born choreographer Garrett Smith has established international recognition for his choreographic works. He has created and staged his choreography for some of the most elite dance companies in the world today including Teatro Alla Scala, The Mariinsky Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, New York City Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Houston Ballet, National Ballet de Bordeux, amongst many others. Smith’s choreography is recognized as intuitive and exciting from his creative staging and full visionary approach. Human identity and self reflection are a common theme that can be discovered within a range of Smith’s work.
Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah where he began his formal training. Garrett was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts where he was presented with and award by Mikhail Baryshnikov and honored to meet George W. Bush at the White House. Smith got his start as a choreographer with Houston Ballet Academy, creating five works for the second company. Smith joined Houston Ballet as a professional dancer, where he became a 2 time award recipient of the New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship. Smith later joined The Norwegian National Ballet and worked closely with important leading choreographers of our time.
Garrett has presented his choreography in prestigious festivals and theaters such as The Kennedy Center Washington D.C., The Ziegfeld Theater NYC, Dance Salad Festival Houston, Dynamo Stadium Moscow, and the 100 year anniversary of Festival de L’Art Russe in Deauville France. Beyond Opera Houses, Smith’s choreography has also been seen on television in the original Netflix series “Tiny Pretty Things” Garrett is currently resident choreographer for Vitacca Ballet. His recent creation for the company “Hypnotic Forces” was selected by Pointe Magazine as one of the 12 standout performances of 2023.
Smith has been invited onto different panels serving as a mentor and adjudicator for Youth American Grand Prix, Universal Ballet Competition, and New York City Dance Alliance. His knowledge and experience has stretched the globe hosting dance workshops in India, Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, USA, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Garrett continues to build captivating creations with his main approach in drawing inspiration from the artist in front of him, building tailor made movements that play to the artists strengths, and highlighting the best within the individual.
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