Join us for a captivating series of performances as we celebrate the 24th anniversary of CLD. This momentous occasion brings together the artistry of renowned choreographer Cherylyn Lavagnino with composer Martin Bresnick, celebrating the exceptional talents of her dance artists and his live musicians. This double-billed performance series showcases the artistic collaborations that have defined CLD's legacy within the performing arts.

Thursday, May 30th at 7:30pm EST: Tales of Hopper
Friday, May 31st at 7:30pm EST: Tales of Hopper
Wednesday, June 5th at 7:30pm EST: The Winter's Tale
Thursday, June 6th at 7:30pm EST: The Winter's Tale

Venue details:
The DiMenna Center for Classical Music - Mary Flagler Cary Hall
450 W 37th St (between 9th and 10th Ave.)
New York, NY 10018

Located at the nexus of the Javits Center, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen, Penn Station, and Times Square in midtown-Manhattan, Cary Hall at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music is centrally located near public transportation, parking, hotels, restaurants, and shops.

Program 1: Tales of Hopper
May 30th and 31st

Tales of Hopper Cast
Morning Sun: Emma Pajewski
People in the Sun: Corinne Hart, Justin Faircloth, Erin Gallagher, Arianna Tsivkin, Michael Miles
Gas: Philip Strom
Office at Night: Dervla Carely-Jones and Barrington Hinds
NY Movie: Ramona Kelley and Philip Strom
Sunlight in Cafeteria: Alexis Branagan, and Justin Faircloth
Nighthawks: Corinne Hart, Justin Faircloth, and Alexis Branagan
Automat: Alexis Branagan
Musical artists: Elly Toyoda (violin), Miriam Liske-Doorandish (cello), Lisa Moore (piano)

Tales of Hopper (2020) is the fruit of a collaboration between choreographer Cherylyn Lavagnino and composer Martin Bresnick inspired by the work of American painter Edward Hopper. This theater-dance work casts the dancers as figures plucked from selected Hopper paintings, illuminating human connections through gestural movement steeped in subtext, as Bresnick’s original composition for piano, violin, and cello brings emotional undercurrents to the surface. Transparent set pieces reference Hopper’s environments, contextualizing each of the eight vignettes as they unfold. Tales of Hopper marks a departure for CLD as the company’s first evening-length theater-dance repertory.

Performance run time: approx. 55 minutes, no intermission, no late seating

Program 2: The Winter's Tale
June 5th and 6th

The Winter's Tale Cast
Dance artists: Barrington Hinds, Justin Faircloth, Michael Miles, Philip Strom, Alexis Branagan, Erin Gallagher, Corinne Hart, Dervla Carey-Jones, Arianna Tsivkin, Emma Pajewski
Musical artists: Amir Farsi (flute), Graeme Steele Johnson (clarinet), Elly Toyoda (violin), Miriam Liske-Doorandish (cello), Tristan Kasten-Krause (double bass), Brendon Randall-Myers (electric guitar), Lisa Moore (conductor)

WORLD PREMIERE: Lavagnino and Bresnick’s latest collaboration is based on one of William Shakespeare’s last great plays, The Winter’s Tale is a story of improbabilities, loyalty, love, and forgiveness. At times a comedy and others a tragedy, the plot resides in a patriarchal society in which the role of women is constantly thwarted and limited by male dominance. However, Shakespeare’s female characters contradict the gender mores of the period. These strong, grounded women display thoughtful judgment and compassionate morality. Utilizing gesture inspired by sign language, the movement vocabulary lends itself to the fervent emotional context displayed by the performers' embodiments of joy, madness, betrayal, jealousy, and passion. Several roles are portrayed by gender opposites to the original casting; Lavagnino utilizes this device to speak to the rich and interesting dimensionality of all people and urges the audience to lean into the acceptance of these differences to embrace the distinct expression of each individual.

Performance run time: approx. 80 minutes, no intermission