14th St Y Theater to Launch New Pilot for Contemporary Dance

Y Cabaret is a pilot performance program at the 14th St Y premiering this November 2nd and 3rd , curating seven New York based contemporary choreographers in an intimate evening of drinks and dance. Pieces range from sensual solos, to larger athletic modern works, and to a new dance-theater interpretation of the musical Sweeney Todd.

Choreographers featured in the premier Y Cabaret are: Adam Barruch, Lauren Cox, Omar Romad de Jesus, Ashley Menestrina, Jon Ole Olstad, Summation Dance, and Yin Yue, hosted by Clinton Edward. Tickets can be purchased online for $20, or at the door for $22. Doors open at 7:15pm, with beer and wine provided for all guests.

The performance is a mixed bill of new and existing choreography, and Master of Ceremonies, Clinton Edward, hosts both evenings. Audiences will get to experience the weird, the sensual, the dark, the slinky and the entertaining in our cabaret of dance; and what better way to do that than with free drinks in hand. The Y Cabaret was conceived with the Theater at the 14th St Y as an add-on event for their new Dance series, and aims to further promote the Theater's role as a home for dance makers in the City. If this format is successful with audiences we hope to make the Y Cabaret a recurring event throughout the season, each with a different line up of artists.

"When most people hear the word cabaret they think song and theater, and that it's going to be funny, intimate, sexual and entertaining. Those are not words though most people would in turn give to contemporary dance performance. Our goal with the first Y Cabaret show is to allow audiences another context in which to see, and hopefully enjoy, contemporary dance," Larry Daniels, Bearded Ladies Productions co-producer of the Y Cabaret.

About the Artists:

Adam Barruch- As a choreographer, Adam's work has been presented at City Center, NYU/ Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, The Baryshnikov Arts Center, The 92Y, Jacob's Pillow: Inside/Out, LaMaMa, The Harris Theater, The Yard on Martha's Vineyard, Bates Dance Festival and Theatre Usine C in Montreal. Adam has created works for companies such as Ailey II, Keigwin + Company, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, River North Dance Chicago and BalletX, as well as for dance icons Margie Gillis and Miki Orihara. In September 2015, Adam Barruch Dance was the company-in-residence at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, California as part of the 2015 DANCEworks Residency.

Lauren Cox- Is the artistic director of Humans Collective. As a dancer she has performed with Alicia Keys, Pharrell, Joey Yung (Hong Kong), Cary Nokey, and on Saturday Night Live and America's Got Talent. Lauren teaches at the Joffrey Ballet School and Broadway Dance Center.

Omar Roman De Jesus- Is currently dancing in his second season with Parsons Dance. Omar has presented his choreography at Peridance Capezio Center, Joe's Pub, and Ailey Citigroup Theater. In 2013, Omar received the audience award at the Dance Gallery Festival. Omar's Saakasu, has been produce by Roschman Dance as part of their Summer Season and he was invited to show the piece for the Harlem Arts Festival 2015.

Ashley Menestrina- Dances with BARE Dance Company and Dante Warehouse Dance. Ashley's solo "Always a Creature" embodies her personal journey towards finding an unwavering identity in a completely vulnerable state. It has been performed at the Wild Project for CURRENT SESSIONS' Spring 2015 show, the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Peridance Capezio Center, and Center for Performance Research.

Jon Ole Olstad- Joined Nederlands Dans Theater in 2013. In 2015 he was awarded 1st Prize in the prestigious competition, International Solo- Tanz Festival in Stuttgart. With his solo "and we already knew the names" he was awarded 1st Prize in both Dance and the Choreography category. Jon currently resides in New York City and is on faculty at Peridance Capezio Center and Steps on Broadway.

Yin Yue- After graduating from NYU Tisch's MFA in dance program, Yin has been commissioned and choreographed for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet X and Northwest Dance Project. Her company Yin Yue Dance Company has performed at Jacob's Pillow, Joyce SoHo Theater, Peridance Theater, Lincoln Center Rosh Hall, Peridance Capezio Theater and New York Live Arts.

Clinton Edward (Host)- Currently performs in Queen of the Night, an immersive evening long spectacle in the basement of the Paramount Hotel. Clinton also dances with LubDub. Theatre Co. and Broadway Dance Lab. He is a BFA graduate of Marymount Manhattan College.