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| Antonio Ramos
Antonio Ramos was born and raised in Puerto Rico and received his B.F.A. from SUNY Purchase. He has danced with Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico, Ballet Hispanico of New York, Stephen Petronio (1995-1998), Luis Lara, Jeremy Nelson, Mark Dendy, Kevin Wynn, Merian Soto, Neil Greenberg and is currently working with Kari Hooas. Ramos has presented his work at SUNY Purchase, Judson Church, Dixon Place, Dance Theater Workshop, DanceNow Downtown Festival, The Painted Bride (Philadelpia, PA), Theatre la Chappelle (Montreal, Canada), BAAD! (Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance), Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts (Ithaca, NY) and all over Puerto Rico. In 2000, he was a recipient of Movement Research/Van Lier Artist-in-Residence grant, in Fall 2002 his dance concert (co-produced by Pepatian at BAAD!/Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance) was selected as a "Voice Choice" and he was selected to receive a space grant at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange in Fall 2003. Mr. Ramos has taught in Europe, NYC and most recently at Cornell University. He is a licensed massage therapist as well as a certified aromatherapist and reflexologist. He will next present his work at Dance Theater Workshops Split Stream series in April 2004.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT My work is inspired by socio-political issues that deal with my feelings of connection and contention with the urban life I live in NYC and with my identity as a gay male mulatto Puerto Rican. I employ humor to cope with the absurdity and beauty of living and try to dance in the space between technical control and wild abandon.
REPERTORY ME, ME, ME (2002)-an autobiography of Antonios childhood in Puerto Rico and his dancing life in NYC, with everything from goats to saints to a favorite chicken to a drag queen. 3-6 dancers. Music by: Carlos Picarro, St. Germaine Tourist, and from Boogie Night, Mary Schneider, The Beatles, among others. RT: 30 minutes. Three excerpted pieces from ME, ME, ME include: Euro-Trash (2003) - pokes fun at the label "euro-trash." 2 dancers. mUsic: Euro-Noble. RT: 7 minutes. Hair Piece (2002)- an experimentation using the idea of hair as willpower and the bodys struggle to move against it. 2 dancers. RT: 15-20 minutes Afro Quartet (2002) focuses on hair to dialogue with many identities. 4 dancers. Music: St. Germaine Tourist. RT: 15 minutes ME ME ME which was first presented as part of Pepatians Bronx Artist Spotlight in November 2002 at BAAD!. The work was further developed at Cornell University with additional support from New York State DanceForce. ME, ME, ME will be presented at Dance Theater Workshops SplitStream series in April 2004. Lost Before Found (2001) a trio combining dance and spoken word performance that speaks to lost meetings and found love. 3 performers. Music: Nine Inch Nails. RT: 15 minutes. Lolita (2001) a solo based on how dancers survive emotionally and physically in NYC. Music: " "I Will Survive" RT:12minutes. Tonia La Negra (2000) a dance tribute to Tonia La Negra, one of the first black singers in Latin America who was criticized for her skin color and her clothing but who sang about racism and its impact. 1 dancer. Music: Tonia La Negra. RT: 10 minutes Vanity (2000) a duet with spoken word and dance that shows the beauty behind things that are not too pretty to the eyes of the society. "Intimacy deflected, filled with strutting street moves and small moments of reflection." Philadelphia Inquirer. Music: MOBY RT:15 minutes. Que Novella (2000) - political criticism of all the presidents. 5 dancers. RT: 20 minutes Trick Me (2000) exploration of dancing on plastic surface. Solo. Music by Tricky. RT: 15 minutes.
RESIDENCY ACTIVITY "Antonio brings a level of professionalism and intensity that is very different from the academic environment. He is completely and totally a movement person-interacting with the world with his mesmerizing and playful physicality." - Jim Self, Dance Department, Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) I offer classes that incorporate practices of dance and bodywork for dancers and non-dance communities. In dance, I offer classes in modern and release technique, movement improvisation/exploration and include a yoga warm-up. I offer bodywork classes in Polarity Therapy and Reflexology, and other bodywork knowledge informed by my studies of Swedish and Shiatsu massage techniques. I can also add chakra work and information on aromatherapy.
Photograph
by
Steven Schreiber ©2004
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