Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/68908
hottest ticket Doug Elkins' Fräulein Maria island dance A GUTSY NEW EXECUTIVE AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SHAPES A BOLD SUMMER SEASON AT THE YARD, MARTHA'S VINEYARD'S CENTER FOR EXPERIMENTAL DANCE. by jonathan lerner A gentle parody of The Sound of Music, a rafters-shaking festival of tap, a sublimely ridiculous New Vaudevillian constructing a wall of flot- sam and jetsam, plus dance classes, dance films, and public events where everybody boogies—all this takes place at The Yard, a longtime fix- ture of the Vineyard's cultural scene. Celebrating its 40th summer season, The Yard is back, and the dance world has David White to thank for it. White, the highly regarded executive director and producer responsi- ble for the growth of Manhattan's Dance Theater Workshop, took the helm of the Chilmark dance colony last year. In his short tenure, not only has he put together what looks to be a vibrant season, but he also brought The Yard back from near bankruptcy. Thanks to an impressive Rolodex and equally formidable fundraising skills, White and The Yard's board of directors helped stem the flow of the company's red ink, retiring most of the company's debt by the end of 2011. The influx of individual dona- tions was critical for reviving The Yard and its residencies, which have nurtured artists and companies that have gone on to successful runs in New York and other parts of the country. "Everything we do is built on the residency," says White. "That's the real legacy of The Yard." White points out that while most artists' communities serve individual talents, "few places enable companies or groups of collabo- rators to come in and work together," which is essential for choreographic composition. Like art residencies elsewhere, The Yard provides lodging, sti- pends, travel, studio space, artistic mentoring, and the time and freedom to develop new work without interruption or outside obligation—and perhaps as importantly, a venue in which to perform it. In addition to finding new continued on page 64 bostoncommon-magazine.com 63 photography by sally cohn tk; illustration by tk photography by tk; illustration by tk