Transition
A contemporary dance exploration that delves into the rich tapestry of transition.
In this evocative performance, our dancers navigate the essence of perpetual change.
The stage becomes a metaphorical crossroads, where every step symbolizes a profound shift in time and space.
The fluidity of the choreography mirrors the unpredictable nature of transitions, inviting spectators to reflect on life's ongoing metamorphosis.
Transition
Choreographer: Francesca Antonacci
Dancer: Francesca Antonacci, Megan LeCrone, Luciana Paris, and Jonatan Lujan
Composer: Giovanni Spinelli
​
We are born to be who we are, but life at some point will start to take you away from you; we don’t even realize when that passage happens, but it does. Transition is the journey back to our light to our truth without fear, to discover who we really are.
​
“I know you, yet you don't really know me.
I am always here whenever you need me.
Deep down, I am a part of you.
Connected to a twin soul.
Want to take you away with me.
Just us; alone.
To a secret place inside my heart.
Deep down, close to my soul.
Want to spend an endless day getting back to knowing you.
Please hush now...
everything will work out fine.”
Randa Rue
Dancers have been an incredible part of the choreographic process. Each and every one of them inspired me every day and brought on stage their vision of Transition, and so did the composer.
Photograph by Mary Grace Bernstein
Transition
Choreographer & Dancer: Caroline Brethenoux
​
"Here, at the threshold,
we are stricken with transition.
Here, at the door,
all the dangers, all the promises, all possibilities... There is a minute space, not even a line,
an invisible void that must be crossed,
between two worlds more radically different than we can imagine,
two worlds so terribly distant one from the other that the empty space which separates them is an abyss which we can cross only with great danger for our equilibrium..."
​
Le Havre, Mysteres du Seuil, 2007
Nancy Wilson-Pajic
Francesca Antonacci,
co-founder of KAFRA Collective
Francesca Antonacci originally from Puglia-Italy started her dance training at the age of 4, she obtained her classical ballet degree from the Royal Academy of Dance at the age of 18 specializing in the RAD method, and her scholarship with Dino Verga and Fabrizio Monteverde in Cunningham Technique and Contemporary dance.
After completing her classical ballet degree and scholarship, she transferred to Rome where she lived for 9 years, perfecting her technique in contemporary dance/modern with Giuliano Peparini, Francesco Saracino, and Germana Bonaparte.
She started touring in Italy, with Germana Bonaparte as the assistant choreographer, and as a dancer in theaters with the Company of Biagio Izzo e Claudio Insegno for 2 seasons. Worked on TV, as a dancer for the Fiction “Grandi Domani” Broadcast on “Italia1”.
Francesca graduated in Rome in Literature and Philosophy at The University of“Roma Tor Vergata” and with a Master's degree in Journalism at The University of “Roma Tre”.
​
Certified as a Yoga and Gyrotonic ® instructor in San Francisco. She is currently living in NYC, dancing for Cuartetango/SuarezPazTango Company, freelancing as a dancer and choreographer, and teaching Yoga and Gyrotonic ®.
Caroline Brethenoux,
co-founder of KAFRA Collective
Originally from France, Caroline Brethenoux started dancing at the age of 5. She is a self-taught dancer, with no academic background in dance but who trained in contemporary dance with Nathalie Pubellier and Sophie Daviet in Paris, Lai Tak-Wai, and Bruce Wong in Hong Kong, Barbara Fritsche in Madrid, and Jennifer Archibald in New York.
​
Her professional career in dance started with Complutum Contemporary Dance Company and DaDaDanza Project in Madrid. She also collaborated with Projects in Movement and Company Contexte in Paris as a choreographer and dancer.
In New York, she joined Eryc Taylor Dance Company, Mare Nostrum Elements Dance Theatre Company, BalaSole Dance Company, Arch Dance, and independent choreographers as a freelance dancer and choreographer.
Her work has been shown at Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre, LPAC, Green Space Bloom Festival, The Current Sessions Volume V Issue II, The Dance Gallery Festival, and MOD Hong Kong. She is a certified Gyrokinesis® and Gyrotonic® teacher. She is a graduate of HEC, Europe's first business school, and has a degree in Philosophy from La Sorbonne, Paris.
When she is not dancing, choreographing, and teaching, she is working as a strategist in advertising and consumer research in New York.
Megan LeCrone,
guest artist
Megan LeCrone was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She began her dance training at the age of four at Greensboro Ballet. At age 14, she began studying at the North Carolina School of the Arts. She entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, full-time in the fall of 2001, and in November 2001, she became an apprentice with New York City Ballet.
​
Ms. LeCrone joined the New York City Ballet Company as a member of the corps de ballet in October 2002 and was promoted to soloist in February 2013.
​
​
Luciana Paris,
guest artist
Luciana Paris is a Soloist Dancer with American Ballet Theater. She has been dancing with ABT since 2001 and has been performing as a guest artist throughout the world.
Paris's most recent guest appearances include the Ballet Now Gala 2015 in Los Angeles, dancing The Talisman Pas de Deux with Kleber Rebello, the 5th Buenos Aires International Ballet Gala, dancing Nutcracker pas de deux and Liam Scarlett's With a Chance of Rain, and the Fire Island Dance Festival 20th Anniversary dancing Romeo and Juliet, Balcony Scene Pas de Deux with Marcelo Gomes. She was a guest artist, partnered by Herman Cornejo, at the Dance Open Ballet Festival 2013 (Saint Petersburg) in Alexei Ratmansky's "Seven Sonatas", the Festival des Arts de Saint-Saveur 2013 (Montreal) performing The Black Swan Pas de Deux, and at the Roberto Bolle and Friends Gala at the New York City Center in September 2013 dancing Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite ". Paris portrayed the principal role of Nikiya in a full-length production of La Bayadère in Argentina in August 2013, with Herman Cornejo as Solor, and, partnered by Cory Stearns, she danced Romeo and Juliet, Balcony Scene Pas de Deux at the Brandon Ballet Gala in November 16, 2013.
As a Guest Artist, she danced for Buffalo Ballet in their Nutcracker Production. In 2017, Luciana was invited to participate in the Australian Ballet Gala, Chile Gala of Ballet Starts, and Danzar Por la Paz en Buenos Aires, among others. Luciana was given the Dance Artistic Achievement Award in 2018 by the FINI Dance Festival in New York. In 2012, American Ballet Theatre designated Paris as a Certified Teacher. Since then, she has been invited to teach in Buenos Aires, Misiones, Córdoba, and San Juan, among others. Luciana has been a guest teacher with Charm City Ballet, Central Park Dance, YAJP, AAB, Estudio Domus, Fundación Julio Bocca, DanzayPeru, Steps Studio de la Ciudad de Tucuman, Downtown Dance Factory, among many others. She has been invited to teach at Fiorellos La Guardia High School of the Arts.
In 2020, Luciana co-founded Dance Compañía, a three-week summer intensive, alongside Jonatan Lujan and Amanda Cobb. During the winter and Spring seasons, Luciana was a guest Director of Repertoire for the ABT STUDIO COMPANY. She also collaborated with Chanel alongside the painter Chloe Wise and danced in Duncan Lyle Dance and Creative Genesis by Gabe Stone Shayer. In February 2021, Luciana created her first choreography for the American Ballet Theatre Incubator, a program designed to give dancers within the company an opportunity to choreograph. Her new piece, Nunanu, was aired in April 2021. On July 31st, Luciana produced her first performance at the Westhampton Beach Project, including two world premieres danced by American Ballet Theatre dancers.
Jonatan Lujan,
guest artist
Jonatan Luján, a native of Mendoza, Argentina, began his training at the age of 10 at Jesus Vera Arenas Dance School while also performing with Ballet Folklorico Municipal.
In 2006, he was the recipient of a full scholarship to Julio Bocca’s Musical Comedy School in Buenos Aires, which provided him the opportunity to train with the most prestigious ballet teachers, including Julio Bocca.
Mr. Bocca invited Mr. Luján to join his company, Ballet Argentino, performing soloist roles in some of the most important operas in the world, including the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, where he performed at the Prix Benois de la Danse Awards, as well as in Italy, Spain, Greece, United States, Brazil, Chile, and others. Feature roles were in Carmen by Alicia Alonso, Desde Lejos by Mauricio Wainrot, Cruz y Ficcion and Bocca Tango by Ana María Stekelman, Entre Tangos y Milongas by Oscar Arais, and Nine Sinatra Songs by Twyla Tharp.
​
In 2009, Mr. Luján joined Victor Ullate Ballet Company in Madrid, Spain, as a soloist. His repertory with the company included 2 you Maestro, Samsara, Coppélia, Jaleos, Seguirilla, and Bolero, among others.
In 2014, he joined Ballett Zürich as a Soloist under the direction of Christian Spuck. Some ballets danced include Anna Karenina, Romeo and Juliet by Christian Spuck, Wings Of Wax by Jiri Kylian, Giselle by Patrice Bart, Frank Bridge Variations by Hans van Manen, and A Life by Douglas Lee.
In 2015, he joined Slovak National Theater as a Soloist under the direction of Josef Dolinsky, performing lead roles in Beyond Sin by Boris Eifman, Le Corsaire, Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty.
Starting in September 2018, Luján began his career as a freelance dancer in New York City, working as a guest artist in the most prestigious companies throughout the United States.
To name a few:
Sleeping Beauty Dreams with Diana Vishneva.
Tabula Raza dance theatre. Creative Genesis.
Duncan Lyle Dance
Ballet Frontier, among others
In 2020 Jonatan co-founded Dance Compañía, creating a summer program alongside Luciana Paris and Amanda Cobb.
His Teaching Appearances include American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company, Ballet Frontier in Texas City, Ballet UNC, Mendoza, Argentina, and Studio Roxander, Oregon.
In 2021, he was invited to perform at I Heart Dance, a series of performances created for dancers during the pandemic.
In October 2021, he became a member of Ballet of the Metropolitan Opera House and a guest artist for New Jersey ballet.
Starting the spring season of 2023, he became part of EVITA, the musical.
Giovanni Spinelli,
composer
Giovanni Spinelli is a composer for film, dance, and theater based in New York City. He firmly believes that each story, image, or movement deserves to discover its own unique sonic personality, which may be brought to life through music that is made-to-measure. Born in England and raised in London, New York, Stockholm, and Florence, Giovanni’s multicultural background is also reflected in musical influences as diverse as Arvo Pärt, Joy Division, Brian Eno, Jimi Hendrix, David Lang, Astor Piazzolla, Radiohead, Michael Nyman, Dead Can Dance, Philip Glass, Henryk Górecki, Interpol, Giacinto Scelsi, John Adams, Ryuchi Sakamoto, and Sigur Ros.
​
His film music ranges from the classical lyricism of the award-winning “Bis Gleich” (winner of 30 Best Film awards, including AmPav Best Emerging Filmmaker at the Cannes Film Festival 2015, and shortlisted for the 2016 Oscars), to the Flamenco-infused score for the narrative feature “Before El Finà”, to his live solo electric guitar composition for F.W. Murnau’s classic “Sunrise” (defined by the San Francisco Examiner as an "Astounding mix of Hendrix, Badalamenti, Vaughn and The Edge"), to the highly diverse scores for the documentary features “The Last Pig”, “The Protestants”, “Blind Trust” and the Sundance Channel’s “Pop Star On Ice”.
​
Giovanni’s music for dance ranges from his work with Martha Graham Dance Company and the choreographies of dancers Xin Ying and So Young An, to collaborations with American Ballet Theater and soloist choreographer Zhonghing Fang, to works for Megumi Eda (principal dancer Armitage Gone! Dance) including the experimental work-in-progress “Scintilla”.
