Welcome to the Band of Gypsies, a collaboration of music and dance. In this unique new program, choreographers and composers are paired to create original dance scenes, drawing on the inspiration that art creates in all of us.

Come and join us at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center.

Band of Gypsies is funded by your donations and support of the New York arts community. A portion of all funds raised will support Dréa's Dream, a foundation that helps improve the lives of children with cancer - by using the power of dance.

Band of Gypsies is sponsored by

This project was created and conceived because of the simple fact that our world - financially, environmentally, socially, economically - is falling apart. Read the papers, watch snippets of the news: oil spills, wars, crime, loss of jobs. It's hard not to feel absolutely powerless.

It is music, dance, and creating that gets me through the day amidst all the crises. And the mere thought of not having ANYTHING to work torwards, to exude, to create in my medium of dance made me feel only that much more powerless, meaningless, lost. So, I HAD TO DO SOMETHING. START SOMETHING. SAY SOMETHING.

One sleepless night, listening to Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys album, his lyrics perfectly expressed just how I felt. It dawned on me that I wasn't alone, and that I actually could do SOMETHING.

... And I did! I produced, directed, choreographed and performed the first Band of Gypsies: The Choreographers' Showcase. I banded together 9 up-and-coming choreographers, and we all presented our visions of what dance could be. It was such a success, we all learned and grew so much, that I wanted to take this project to the next level.

When creating movement, it is the MUSIC that most inspires me. So, this time around, I wanted to feature musicians as well as choreographers so we can collaborate and further inspire, share, learn, grow and perform altogether. We randomly paired 8 choreographers with 8 composers from all over the country - and each pair gets to present its original dance scene. Music, from jazz to classical to electronica to alternative to rock to indie folk, and dance, from contemporary to hip-hop to theatre to jazz to tap - they're all live, and all for only one night! Don't miss this chance to celebrate the joy of creating, performing, loving and learning with us! As Jimi said, "with the power of soul, ANYTHING is possible."

- Katrina Phillip, Band of Gypsies Creator

Each original dance for the Band of Gypsies is a collaborative effort between a choreographer and a composer. Groupings were randomly selected, and each pair works together to create an entirely original composition. The pairs are as follows:

After the success of the first Band of Gypsies, presented this past August at the St. Luke's off-Broadway theatre, Phillip is thrilled for this coming collaboration Michael Roderick's Small Pond Enterprises. Over the past few years, Phillip has presented choreographed works for Group Theatre Too's Choreographer's Canvas, Manhattan Movement Arts Center's "Your Move Showcase" and for STEPS on Broadway's Performance Lab. She is currently working on pieces for The New School that will be performed March 23 at the Flea Theatre, and for the New York City Jazz Choreography Project coming on May 20 and 21. Phillip is an International Guest Artist faculty member for E. Quinlan's Centre Stage School of Dance in Waterford, Ireland, and she was last seen performing on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS at the Easter Bonnet 2010 Competition. She is a native of Chicago, and has her BFA in Dance from Western Michigan University. She resides in New York City, and founded "Strong Like Cattle Dancers" in 2006, a theatre-dance group for performing arts professionals who frequent "cattle-call" auditions in the city. For more information, visit www.katrinaphillipdance.com.

Eugene FERTELMEYSTER

Eugene Fertelmeyster is excited to be a part of Band of Gypsies for the first time, and would love to thank Katrina for bringing him into the fold. A New York City-based musician, writer and actor, he is in the middle of a year-long sabbatical from professional theater. Fertelmeyster is actively working to make the world a better place, spending his days heading up a mayoral effort to bring volunteer programs into Harlem Charter Schools. His music is influenced heavily by bands like Frightened Rabbit and Sufjan Stevens, and he works to maintain an overall folk sensibility. He writes in the hopes that others can connect to something for a moment and quit feeling like they're the only ones out there having a time of it. If you want to find him on the web, just use Google. Seriously ... he's the only Eugene Fertelmeyster on the planet.

Valerie SALGADO

Valerie Salgado has worked closely as the assistant to choreographer Joshua Bergasse for several years, where she assisted with choreography for the BC/EFA's Gypsy of the Year opening number and Bright Lights Big City at Marymount Manhattan College. She has also assisted with pre-production for numerous regional shows and Bergasse's Musical Theater Performance Project. As a choreographer, Salgado's work has been performed at the Dance Theatre Workshop, the Band of Gypsies Choreographer Showcase, the New Dance Group, MMAC, Steps and at the JCC for "Dancers Who Care Present 'Ruach' the Energy of Life," a breast cancer benefit concert. She has also taught for many studios, the University of California Irvine musical theater satellite program, Rosie O'Donnell's Broadway Kids, and Broadway Dance Center's Artists in Motion. Salgado received her classical dance training at Le Studio in Pasadena, California, under the direction of Philip and Charles Fuller, and earned her B.A. in dance from the University of California, Irvine. She has performed with contemporary dance companies in LA and NY as well as regional theatre across the country.

Rey SORIANO / (the) ECSTATIC

Ecstatic is a Williamsburg, Brooklyn-based alternative post-rock band with Welsh folk idioms. Coupled with face-melting guitar (á la Hendrix) and minor bass melodies, their storytelling is rooted in love: both bittersweet love and love of watching movies where people kick zombie ass (i.e. Blood on the Walls). Vocalist Gethin Amoss is as smooth and resonant as a Welsh Johnny Cash who has been stewed in the UK but seasoned to perfection in America, accompanied by melodic bass lines from Dirk Lance and a tablespoon of Rey's beats á la Darren and David King. Ecstatic released their first EP, "gung ho," in April 2010 and are working on their next album for early 2011. They draw their inspiration from artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Radiohead, The Bad Plus, Incubus, Killswitch Engage, Tool, Mutemath, Death Cab for Cutie, Cerys Matthews, Deftones, Coldplay, Cake, and Kneebody. Learn more at www.soundecstatic.com.

Chip ABBOTT

Chip Abbott recently performed at the Kennedy Center's celebration of Roger L. Stevens with host Liza Minnelli. His other credits include the 101 Dalmatians Musical (original cast, first national dance captain), High School Musical (dance captain), West Side Story (A-Rab), Never Gonna Dance (Rome-Tone), 42nd Street (Andy US) and the Fire Island Dance Festival. Abbott was also a featured dancer in a fashion spread for British Vogue. He has danced with River North Chicago Dance Company, the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company and the New York City-based Chase Brock Experience. His choreography has been set at the University of Central Oklahoma, San Antonio's NESA and INAside Chicago Dance Company. Abbott was a choreography finalist at Gus Giordano's Jazz Dance World Congress, and has also worked as a master teacher at Oklahoma City University and the University of Tulsa.

Christopher CATHODE

Christopher Cathode is an avant-electronic sound artist who mixes both acoustic & electronic percussion with electro gear such as samplers and retro synth engines. Since mid-2007, he has collaborated with New York-based Teresa Fellion, the artistic director and choreographer of BodyStories / Teresa Fellion Dance. Together, they recently created the 27-minute "The Border Project," a piece that debuted in February 2009, at the Les ReuTeuLeu Festival in Lyon, France. Cathode has been touring in support of "The Border Project" since then, including a return to France in early 2010. In addition to his work with Fellion, Cathode has collaborated with Nicole LePera, Naythen Wilson, Steve MacLean, Walt Craven, Vincent Myrand and Claudette Lyons. Two recordings by Cathode for the ByoMek Synhominoid Robotics audio research division, "Trashcompactor_easychair" and "Lipstick Ring Lick Ionization" are available at www.eMusic.com, Rhapsody and iTunes.

Sue SAMUELS

Sue Samuels studied classical ballet with the Broward Civic Ballet in Florida, where she later performed for six years and was named its first soloist. She also studied ballet in New York with the distinguished Madame Swoboda of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and was trained in jazz under JoJo Smith, Frank Hatchett and Michael Shawn. She has also studied tap with Judy Bassing and voice with William Daniel Grey. Samuels was the co-founder and owner of Jo Jo's Dance Factory in New York City for ten years, which later became the Broadway Dance Center. She has also worked with the Ft. Lauderdale Ballet, New York University's Cap 21 Program, the Broward Civic Ballet, Frank Hatchett's Children's Program, Dance Masters of America Association and the Dance Company of Haiti. She has also taught Master Classes for teachers and instructors in New York, Japan, Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Finland, and is currently teaching on the faculty of Broadway Dance Center in New York City, a position she has held since 1986. Samuels also works on the faculty at the Alvin Ailey Extension program.

Tigran MARTIKYAN

Tigran Martikyan is an Armenian-American pianist, composer and educator who was called New York's most promising young jazz musicians in 2000 by the New York Post. He has performed at venues throughout the Europe and United States, including Carnegie Hall, where he premiered his "Piano Sextet." Martikyan has been featured on Bloomberg Radio in New York and the Armenian radio hour in New Jersey, as well as on the "Bet on Jazz" Jazz Discovery showcase. From 2001 to 2009, Martikyan was the New York resident accompanist to "Wee Dance," a children's ballet institute founded and directed by Susannah Harris. He is currently the house composer of the esteemed New York Film Synergy Group founded in 2006 by director, actor and producer Tom Lassu. He has scored several short films, including "Make a Night," "Lastre," "Cry" by director James Mehr and "Gems and Jewels," an experimental film by Lili White. Martikyan currently resides in Los Angeles, and is a part-time staff member in a LAMA JAMS music program of the Los Angeles Music Academy. Learn more at tigranmartikyan.com

Sidney Erik WRIGHT

Sidney Erik Wright has played numerous roles, including associate choreographer for "Tommy" with The Gallery Players, which was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre award for outstanding production of a musical. Regionally, he has been associated with "Hello, Dolly!" and "The Magician's Nephew" at the Park Maitland School and with Disney's "Aladdin, Jr." at the Orlando Summer Theater. Wright has worked as associate choreographer on "7 Brides for 7 Brothers" at the New London Barn Playhouse. Wright has also worked on a wide range of on-camera projects, performing his own choreography as a robot-dancing science teacher in a Six Flags web promo, staging routines for male strippers in the pilot King of Hearts and created a number of dances for the short film The Expressionists. At Harvard University, he worked on more than 18 student productions, choreographing four, and now holds a bachelor's degree in English literature with a focus on dramatic studies and creative writing. For more information, visit www.sidneyerik.com.

Kevin BOURSIQUOT

Kevin Boursiquot, a first-generation Haitian-American and New York native, began composing at age 16 and started his formal training in guitar at 18. He is currently completing his Bachelor of Music degree in composition at Mannes College of the New School for Music. He placed second in the 2009 Jean Schneider Goberman Piano Trio Competition and was commissioned a piece from CIRICE, the Composer-In-Residence Chamber Ensemble. Boursiquot has written multiple pieces for various ensembles that have made appearances at Mannes, and he received his first orchestral performance of "Time Cycle" in 2009 with David Hayes and the Mannes Orchestra. In 2010, he attended California Summer Music, where he premiered two chamber works. He has studied with Rudolph Palmer, Jennifer Higdon, John Musto and Christopher Theofanidis and is currently working under with Mario Davidovsky. This spring, Boursiquot will be taking part in the Music with a View festival.

Nick KEPLEY

Nick Kepley, originally from Asheville, North Carolina, trained as a dancer with Sandra Miller and at the School of American Ballet and the Juilliard School. Kepley has danced professionally with Ballet Austin and Kansas City Ballet performing works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp and Jose Limon among others. As a choreographer, he has created works for Kansas City Ballet's In the Wings program, Ballet Austin's apprentice company, the Missouri Contemporary Ballet, the Canton Ballet and Quixotic Performance Fusion. In the summer of 2010, Kepley created a summer company comprised of dancers from several major ballet companies across the nation. He is currently appearing in "Mary Poppins" on Broadway.

Rebecca CORDES

Rebecca Cordes is a classically trained pianist, jazz musician, composer, arranger, and teacher. Her compositional styles begin with classical and expand to pop, jazz and everything in between. In 2006, her compositions were featured in "On Our Way," a recording benefiting breast-cancer charities. Her first musical, "The Great White Way," based on the book by and featuring lyrics from David Parr, was presented as part of the 2007 New York International Dance Festival and at the 2011 Dallas Out-of-the-Loop Fringe Festival at WaterTower Theatre. You can catch Cordes playing jazz with her quartet, The Plus One Jazz Group, as well as the Frisco Jazz Society Combo. She lives in Dallas, Texas, where she manages her teaching studio of more than 40 private students.

Marc KIMELMAN

Marc Kimelman is an award-winning choreographer of stage and screen from Toronto, Canada. Recent credits include Seven Deadly Sins with Patti Lupone and the NYC Ballet (asst. choreographer), Jesus Christ Superstar at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (asst. choreographer) and Phish's Madison Square Gardens spectacular (assoc. choreographer). He has choreographed numerous episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation, CTV's Instant Star, and the film Love Letter from an Open Grave. He recently choreographed workshops for an upcoming play called Holiday Diary and a musical featuring the music of Styx. He choreographed productions of West Side Story, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, John & Jen, High School Musical, Company, Assassins and A New Brain. Marc has worked with Katy Perry, Deborah Cox, Neil Young, Kurt Browning and Chaka Khan. Learn more at www.marckimelman.com.

Peter ROESSLER / TOWSLEY

Towsley is a band formed by Peter "Petermere" Roessler in 2010. Roessler is a songwriter, producer and performer, currently in the studio writing and producing an album due this summer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Peter honed his musicianship performing along the West Coast with various bands and artists. In addition to performing, he produced radio commercials for 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles and wrote music for television. In the summer of 2008, Roessler relocated to New York City. He collaborated with singer/songwriter Dion Roy on "The Nearest Light EP" which debuted at #8 on the iTunes charts. Since then, their music has appeared on MTV, VH1, Comedy Central and other channels while they are touring and performing around the country. Roessler also finds time to write, produce and perform with other musicians and artists in the New York and Los Angeles area. Learn more at www.towsleymusic.com and www.petermere.com.

Shelby KAUFMAN

Shelby Kaufman recently danced as a member of the legendary Brenda Bufalino's 'New' American Tap Dance Orchestra in ATDF's 'Soundcheck'. Shelby also dances with world-renowned tap teacher Germaine Salsberg in her company 'Les Femmes', and assists and frequently guest teaches for her at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and the American Tap Dance Foundation. She teaches weekly adult tap classes at the new Peridance Capezio Center in Union Square as well. Other companies include 'The Young Hoofers', 'Sophisticated Sounds' (dance captain), SLURP, and her own company of professional Jewish hoofers, 'Mazel Toes,' for which she is the choreographer. Shelby's choreography was featured in the 2009 and 2010 Tap City 'Main Event,' where she also danced a tribute to Tony nominated choreographer Randy Skinner, the 2009 'Tappy Holidays,' the 21st Annual 'Tap Extravaganza,' the first 'Young Choreographer's Festival,' and 'Band of Gypsies.' Shelby assists tap legend Dr. Harold 'Stumpy' Cromer both in choreography and master classes, has become Chloe Arnold's dance captain for a number of projects in New York, and was the assistant to Joshua Bergasse for his musical theatre choreography showcase. Shelby was recently seen as a guest tap dancer on Sesame Street. Other notable performance venues include the Apollo Theatre, Lincoln Center, and Symphony Space in Manhattan, The George Street Playhouse in New Jersey, and The Duke Ellington Theatre in Washington DC.

Keith JORDAN

Keith Jordan was born in Brooklyn and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York. He went to Hillcrest High School where he was in the chorus and started playing guitar before attending Queens College to study music. While in formal classes, though, he was discovering the local music scene. "I would go to Queens College during the day and get hip to Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven," he says. "Then I would go and hang out and learn about Miles, Trane, and Wes at the Village Door, and in between, play some R&B." After graduation, Jordan continued to write, produce and play music in the New York area. His most recent work has been with playing with Il Collettivo at Boom restaurant, recording an album with them. Jordan works in a variety of styles, from the 3/4 feel of "I Do," the Bebop swing of "Monk and Dem" to the old-school groove of "Out of My Head."

W. Gregory NISSEN

W. Gregory Nissen has had a long and diverse career as pianist, composer, musical director and theatrical presenter. He recently gave a lecture-concert called "What Makes a Melody Great?" with the Joffrey Ballet School dancers demonstrating Swan Lake. He performed as solo pianist at President Clinton's inaugural ball in 1993. In Seattle, his "Parlour Room Studio" hosted 138 showcase readings, concerts and parties. Since graduating from Manhattan School of Music in 1986, Nissen has played piano for practically every dance studio in Manhattan. Recent work includes the off-Broadway show "Dissenters" and the score and script for "The Mandala Maker." Last year, he founded The Invention Company, a collaborative model for film and stage production. He is a protégé of the late Lukas Foss, and attended conducting class at Tanglewood with Leonard Bernstein. His current projects include a shamelessly antiquated Russian gypsy ballet and an opera set to a novel by Jack London. Contact Nissen at artscircle@hotmail.com.

Michael RODERICK

Artistic Director Michael Roderick started Small Pond Entertainment in 2002 to help artists with the production aspects of the creative process. As artistic director, Roderick has produced more than 50 shows since September 2002. He is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded the Independent Producers Alliance of NY and the Program For Launching Arts Entrepreneurs. Michael was an associate producer of "ROOMS: A Rock Romance Off-Broadway" and a producer with R2D2 Productions on the Broadway production of "The Scottsboro Boys." He holds a bachelor's degree in English secondary education and theatre performance from Rhode Island College as well as an master's from New York University in Educational Theatre Colleges and Communities. Roderick has been published three times in Best American Short Plays from Applause Books and is currently at work on a book exploring the intersection art, business and finance. He blogs daily at www.oneproducerinthecity.typepad.com and can be reached at emailingsmallpondenterprises@gmail.com.

Pete @ Grey Dog Catering, 33 Carmine St., New York, NY 10014-4428 thegreydog.com

Michael @ Bikram Yoga NYC, 143 West 72nd Street, between Amsterdam & Columbus www.bikramyoganyc.com

Upper West Side Chiropractic, Dr. Jamie Blau, 2121 Broadway, Suite 401A New York, NY 10023

Bruce Mandelbaum, 2121 Broadway, Suite 401A, New York, NY 10023 www.brucemandelbaum.com

Alexis Andrews @ LaDuca Shoes, 19 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036-2408 www.laducashoes.com

April Cook @ Broadway Dance Center, 322 West 45th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY www.broadwaydancecenter.com

Monica Polanco, Massage Therapist, 2121 Broadway Suite 401A, New York, NY 10023 www.monicapolanco.com

Costas at Gotham Wines, 2517 Broadway New York, NY 10025 www.gothamwines.com

John at The Underground NYC, 955 West End Avenue New York, NY 10025 www.theundergroundnyc.com

Ellen Chapelle @ Bridge For Dance Studios, 2726 Broadway, 3rd floor, NY, NY 10025 www.bridgefordance.com

Mary Boyer MTB Studio, 330 West 38th Street, Suite 504 New York, New York 10018 www.mtbstudio.com

5 Napkin Burger, www.5napkinburger.com

Brent Whitney, Massage Therapist

Joleen Wilkinson, Vocal Lessons

Rey Soriano Jr, Drum Lessons

Gregory Nissen, Piano Lessons

Marc Chelo, Music CDs

Katrina Phillip, One-On-One Fitness Sessions

Bonita Porte, Energetic Juniors

Christopher Cathode, Music and T-Shirts

Nicholas Ziegler Photography, www.beatnikindustries.com

The Band of Gypsies is proud to partner with Dréa's Dream, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children with cancer thorugh the power of dance. The Andréa Rizzo Foundation raises funds to foster Andréa's dream of providing dance therapy to fragile children.

The Andréa Rizzo Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization in the United States that provides grants that fund dance therapy programming exclusively for children with cancer and special needs. Programs are led by trained Dance/Movement Therapists registered with the American Dance Therapy Association.