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Caterina Rago
Graham Technique
Biography:
Caterina Rago is the Founding Artistic Director, Choreographer and Principal Dancer of the CR Dance Company, a modern dance company based in New York City founded in 2007. Rago is Founder of Tecniche Di Danza Moderna, an educational dance project based in Europe. A native of Italy, she hold a M.F.A. from l’Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome. In New York City she completed the Professional Training Program at the Martha Graham Dance Center. Company member of Danzare La Vita under direction of Elsa Piperno, with choreographer Joseph Fontano and an aerial dancer with Kitonb Extreme Theatre Company directed by Angelo Bonello. In 2006, Rago was chosen to perform Ivan Manzoni’s Simbolo Della Pace at the Inaugural Ceremony of the XX Winter Olympic Games in Turin. In New York, Rago has danced with I Giullari di Piazza, Nu Dance Theatre, Hunter Performance Group, Mare Nostrum Elements, Graham 2 and in 2009 she joined the Martha Graham Dance Company. She has performed work from Robert Battle, Pearl Lang, Virginie Mecene and Lone Kjaer Larsen. Principal Dancer of the Off- Broadway Show Spider Dance directed by Jeff Whiting and toured Italy with the Martha Graham Dance Company in the original cast of Cercando Picasso, directed by Antonio Calenda e Giorgio Albertazzi. After the great success of Cercando Picasso, Rago danced in two Greek Tragedies: Baccanti directed by Antonio Calenda and Prometeo, by Claudio Longhi performed at the Anfiteatro Greco of Siracusa, Sicily. Rago joined The Deborah Zall Project In The Company of Woman. Caterina received an official invitation to the 33rd World Congress of the International Theatre Institute ITA in Xiamen, China. Guest Artist in Kiev, Budapest, Brussels, Montalto Uffugo for the Ruggiero Leoncavallo Gala Opera Competition and for the IX Festival Nostos viaggio di ritorno at the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome, Italy. Named the 2016 Emerging Choreographer for the MET Dance Company in Houston, Texas. She was movement consultant to photographer Sebastian Faena for fashion spreads in V Magazine and Vogue. Rago was invited to present her original work, Eternal Return, for the Graham 2 season 2008 and the company work performed in many festival and showcases throughout New York City and Italy. In 2010 two sold- out performances at the MMAC marked CRDC’s debut season and in 2013 the company premiered their evening-length work, Fall in Autumn, at MMAC. The company’s work was selected for White Wave Rising Series Festival, Kat Wildish’s NYC Showcase at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, and NYC Dance Week at Dixon Place, IDACO Italian Dance Connection, Emerging Choreographer Series, Take Root and Fertile Ground at Green Space, Steps Beyond Foundation, HATCH Jennifer Muller/The Works, The Dance Gallery and choreographed at Jazz at Lincoln Center for the opera La Nave with I Giullari di Piazza.CRDC recently premiered Labir Into at the New York Live Arts in collaboration with the renown set designer, Pier Paolo Bisleri. The company Gala was recently performed at the Martha Graham Dance Studio Theatre on April 19th, 2018. The company was invited to perform at Next@Graham and for the 37th Annual Battery Dance Festival. Caterina has received Company Commissions for Steffi Nossen Dance Foundation, the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome, Italy and Peridance Center. Rago has restaged Martha Graham’s 1935 work, Panorama for the students of the Accademia Nazionale Di Danza, performed on June 2016 for the Soirees DansAnd in Rome and for the American Dream of Karole Armitage for the Ravello Festival 2016. Rago was invited as a panelist for the Emerging Choreographer Series 2008. She continues to be a guest teacher of numerous dance centers in Italy and New York City. Rago has created Tecniche di Danza Moderna in September of 2016 and is a program that aims to promote modern dance techniques in Europe. On the faculty member of Peridance Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet School, Tecniche Di Danza Moderna, CRDC Global Remote Program, and The King Centre for the Performing Art.
CR DANCE COMPANY (CRDC) is a modern dance company founded in 2007 by Artistic Director Caterina Rago. CRDC is known for its visceral use of movement, raw physicality and determined language. The company is comprised of eight woman with international backgrounds. www.caterinaragodancecompany.com
TECNICHE DI DANZA MODERNA (TDM) Launched in 2006, TDM is a year-long training and educational program based in Rome, Paris and Malaga, dedicated to promoting modern dance techniques first created by Martha Graham, Lester Horton and Jose Limon. The goal of the program is to give student precise knowledge, enabling them to analyze and interpret the history of modern dance for a 21st century practice. TDM is taught by major international dancers, choreographers and performers. TDM
Class Description:
Graham technique is rooted in the principles of contraction and release, with a strong emphasis on movement from the core and the limbs simply following the core's impulse. Graham technique is based on "contraction and release", and uses different parts of the body in opposition to one another to create spirals for dramatic tension. It also incorporates formal exaggerations of "natural" movements.