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"Mature, commanding artists" - New York Times Founded in December 2007, the unique, artist-driven dance company, OtherShore, is proud to continue its mission of seeking out collaborators and creating new work for its diverse members. Co-founded and directed by dancers Sonja Kostich and Brandi Norton, OtherShore has come to be recognized as a dancer’s repertory company. Unlike many modern dance companies that are led by one choreographer and perform works created only by that individual, OtherShore commissions new works with a variety of choreographers from vastly different backgrounds. In doing so, the company strives to develop a repertoire that is as diverse as its members and one that challenges the traditional model of a modern dance company. With an invitation to be the first artists-in-residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center to be fully produced through its presentation series, OtherShore premiered in the fall of 2008 with sold out performances at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Each dancer involved with OtherShore, including the directors, have extensive professional backgrounds in both classical ballet and modern dance. In addition to a remarkable assembly of talented dancers, OtherShore's history includes collaborations with such phenomenal and diverse artists as opera singer Bryn Terfel, set designer Jack Warren, composer Cornelius Dufallo, lighting designer Jennifer Tipton, artist Mark Kostabi and costume designer Elizabeth Cannon. The opportunity for dancers to collaborate with different artists without the guidance of an intermediary, leads to new perspectives in producing, creating and performing. Sonja and Brandi both strongly believe that the dancer-initiated projects created by OtherShore are unique in their viewpoints and have allowed each artist to naturally contribute their own rich experiences and gifts to the development of new works. To date, OtherShore has commissioned works from choreographers Stacy Spence (formerly a dancer with the Trisha Brown company), Edwaard Liang (formerly a dancer with the New York City Ballet) and Jodi Melnick (Bessie Award winning dancer), as well as the established choreographers Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar. The newest commission from Stephen Petronio is truly outstanding. With a career spanning over twenty-five years, Mr. Petronio brings to OtherShore not only his unique talent and experience, but also his eagerness to work with the OtherShore dancers. This partnership proves an important milestone in the development of OtherShore’s unique repertoire and the company as a whole.
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| SONJA KOSTICH (Founder, Co-director, Dancer) was born in Korea and raised in Minnesota where she received her early dance training at Minnesota Dance Theatre under the direction of Loyce Houlton. She also performed in numerous productions at The Children’s Theatre and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. She continued her dance studies at New York City Ballet’s School of American Ballet and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s School of Classical Ballet (ABT), a full scholarship school where she was one of seven girls. At sixteen, she was invited by Mr. Baryshnikov to join American Ballet Theatre. She continued her professional dance career at San Francisco Ballet (where she was nominated for the Princess Grace Award), Zurich Ballet, and Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project. As a freelance artist she has most notably worked with Peter Sellars and Mark Morris, as a principal dancer in John Adams’ Nixon in China (English National Opera), Mozart's Idomeneo (Glyndebourne) and in Sellars' Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex/Symphony of Psalms for Esa Pekka Salonen's final concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Disney Hall). Her choreography credits include Sung Rno's play Masks for the Miryang Performing Arts Festival in Korea and the assistant choreographer for Dark Sisters, a Nico Muhly opera to premiere in the fall of 2011. Sonja is a certified ballet teacher by American Ballet Theatre and is an ABT affiliate teacher. She has taught at ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in the Children’s Division, ABT's Young Dancer Summer Program, Mark Morris Dance Center, Dance New Amsterdam and Peridance in New York, and at Harvard College. She is also a certified Kundalini yoga teacher. Sonja has contributed writing to Dance Magazine and Dance Spirit magazine and has worked as an assistant to the dance editor at Time Out New York magazine. Sonja dedicates this company to her mother and father. www.sonjakostich.com
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| BRANDI NORTON(Founder, Co-director, Dancer) was born in Kotzebue, Alaska and grew up in Fairbanks. She studied ballet with Norman Shelburne until she went to The Juilliard School, where she earned her B.F.A. in dance in 1996. During this time she also trained at The Alvin Ailey and Paul Taylor schools as a scholarship student. She joined the Trisha Brown Dance Company in 1997 and enjoyed a fulfilling career there until 2006. She was involved in the creation of eight new choreographies with Ms. Brown, including El Trilogy, PRESENT TENSE and Winterreise. She then took part in the Jerwood Bank Project with the Siobhan Davies Dance Company in London. She has since been on faculty at the Stella Adler School of Acting, Moving East, London, Ethical Culture Fieldston School and NYU in the Experimental Theatre Wing. Ms. Norton has set the work of Trisha Brown all over the world, most recently at Vytis Jankauskas Dance Company, Lithuania. Ms. Norton and Ms. Kostich were invited, as co-directors of OtherShore, to be the first artists-in-residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center to be fully produced through its presentation series. Ms. Norton is also an associate preschool teacher in TriBeCa. | |
ROGER MAGGIO (Board of Directors), President and CEO of Fortalent.com |
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| DARIN BASSIN (Board of Directors), General Counsel at CBS Interactive | |
| ALISON GIFFORD (Board of Directors), Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs at Comcast Entertainment Group | |
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