American Dance Asylum
HISTORY
“American Dance Asylum presents…” first appeared in 1972 on posters for a dance concert coordinated by choreographers Lois Welk, Jill Becker and other graduates of the SUNY Brockport Dance Department. Following a sojourn in San Francisco, Welk and Becker headed back east to study Contact Improvisation with Steve Paxton. Welk was invited by Richard Bull to teach a one week workshop at the Brockport Dance Department, an introduction to Contact Improvisation. The first session was well attended but on the 2nd day of the workshop only two individuals returned - Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane. A powerful collaboration was born.
In 1974, the American Dance Asylum (ADA) incorporated as a non-profit, co-directed by Bill T Jones, Lois Welk and Arnie Zane based in Binghamton, NY. Living a collective lifestyle and challenging regional audiences, the American Dance Asylum quickly earned a reputation for its innovative and often controversial productions. From 1974 - to 1979, the American Dance Asylum produced the early works of Arnie Zane, Bill T. Jones and Lois Welk. Clive Barnes (NY Times) wrote in 1977, “The Dance Asylum shows the value of collective experimentation.” In late 1979, Bill T Jones and Arnie Zane left for NYC to start their own company.
Since 1980, the ADA has been under the sole artistic direction of Lois Welk, producing over forty original works, most noteworthy are the site-specific projects including The Parking Ramp Dances (1978,1980,1981,1984 and 1996), The Train Station Dances (1987, 1988), The Carousel Dances (1990,1993), The Hiawatha Island Dance (1991) and The Pavilion Dance (1989). From 1977-1989, the ADA supported the work of other artists by presenting their work in upstate New York (among them Deborah Gladstein, Richard Bull, Daniel Nagrin, Elizabeth Streb and others) and by providing creative residencies through the Space for Choreography program (1986-1989).
In 1988, Welk became the Executive Director of 171 Cedar Arts Center in Corning NY. Many artists enjoyed residencies hosted by 171 Cedar Arts in partnership with ADA, often funded by the New York State Council on the Arts’ long term dance residency program, among them- Sean Curran Co., Bebe Miller Co., Irene Hultman, and Reggie Wilson’s Fist and Heel.
For nearly twenty years (1984-2003) the ADA’s 5,6,7,8… Dance!, an in-school program linking choreography with music theory, toured to elementary and middle schools in upstate New York providing thousands of young people their first exposure to contemporary dance.
From 2003-2010, the ADA sponsored eight editions of the Ichnusa Festival, a cultural bridge between the island of Sardinia, Italy and New York, directed by Paola Bellu. Ichnusa Festival was a model for integration of humanities, fine arts and community development. In addition to performances and other events, the festival offered opportunities for young people to learn and practice the English language through art activities in a very rural area.
In July 2005, the ADA became the administrator of the NYS DanceForce, a state-wide network of individuals and organizations working to connect artists with communities funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. Curt Steinzor serves as the Director of the NYS DanceForce.
The American Dance Asylum is a performing arts production and service organization that connects artists with communities including, but not limited to, New York State for the purpose of supporting the work of creative artists and improving the quality of life in the communities that they involve.