​The Dance Masters of America is a professional, certified membership organization of artists and educators committed to the elevation of the art of dance and to provide innovative artistic experiences for the advancement of dance worldwide.

This past July at the 2017 National Dance Masters of America Convention held in New Orleans, Kurdziel-Formato was honored with the award presented by DMA President Laura Bostwik Worth.

During this 133rd DMA convention, Kurdziel-Formato also taught 13 classes in musical theatre dance and helmed a session on auditioning for university dance and music theatre programs.

Since its premiere in Fredericia, the show won the Reumert Award for Best Musical performance. The Reumert is the most prestigious National Arts Award in Denmark, and is a Danish equivalent to the TONY Award for Broadway. A Reumert was also won by leading actor Lars Molsted for his portrayal of Quasimodo.

The production was directed by Thomas Agerholm and produced by the Fredericia Teater with Soren Moller as executive/artistic director. Opening night was June 23, 2017, at Det Kongelige Teater GAMLE SCENE in Copenhagen, Denmark where it was both a critical and financial success.

ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Music Theatre students past, present, and future were in attendance at Grand Night on April 1 to celebrate the success of the music theatre program and the wonderful legacy of President Leo M. Lambert.

Cathy McNeela, head of the Music Theatre program, had an idea to honor President Lambert by creating a “book” of collected notes and letters by music theatre students and alumni from every graduating class since Lambert’s first year at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ. McNeela read a speech and one of the letters at the final performance of Grand Night on Saturday night at the 8:30 p.m. show, and six music theatre alumni were in attendance as well. Lambert then invited the entire music theatre program to the center of the stage for a big group hug as a final farewell.

The weekend was also a special one for music theatre students past and present. Ten of the incoming accepted music theatre students visited and attended the special performances of Grand Night, as the graduating senior music theatre majors gave speeches and “passed the torch” to the underclassmen. 

Additionally, the weekend included the award ceremony for the which honored two music theatre alumni Rob Marnell ’06 and Ginna Claire Mason ’13. Mason was unable to attend, as she is currently touring the country as Glinda in “WICKED,” so McNeela accepted the award on her behalf. Marnell, currently in the Broadway cast of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” was able to make the trip down to ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ to accept the award, attend Grand Night and visit Senior Seminar to talk to the senior music theatre majors about careers in New York.

ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ was represented by two Department of Music Theatre faculty members: Assistant Professor Brian Kremer, who presented his cutting edge research on “Training Transgender Voices,” and Associate Professor Lynne Kurdziel-Formato, who was part of an invited panel on “Directing in Scandinavia: Foreign Points of View.”

Conference attendees included representatives from the United States, China, Australia, Italy, England, Germany, Thailand, Sweden and beyond.

The production was directed by Thomas Agerholm and produced by the Fredericia Teater with Soren Moller as executive/artistic director.

Opening night was Oct. 14 at the Fredericia Teater, with the production running through December and reopening on June 23, 2017 at Det Kongelige Teater GAMLE SCENE in Copenhagen.

The production has received both critical and audience acclaim, playing to full houses in Fredericia, with many performances of its upcoming run already sold out. 

As always, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ is featured prominently in Formato’s biography in the published program.

This second edition, released in May 2016, follows the original publication which has been utilized by a multitude of educational programs and young professionals.

Flom is on faculty at the Baardar Akademiet and is the former Music Theatre Coordinator at Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia.

 Associate Professor Lynne Kurdziel Formato presented five days of master classes in Theatre Dance, as well as a four-night Intensive culminating in a performance of choreography at the closing banquet Showcase for Dance Masters of America National Teachers Training School, July 29 through Aug. 2. She joined a faculty of 18 master teachers in multiple dance idioms.

Photography by Søren Malmose

Utilizing elements of theatre dance, the piece “Heaven’s Got Hake-eoke” features 10 dancers. The following program notes give the reader a sense of the work’s intention.

 “HEAVEN’S GOT HAKE-EOKE” is dedicated to the memory of Michael Hake, musical director extraordinaire of hundreds of shows throughout Western New York including many productions here at UB. Hake-eoke was Michael’s live pianist version of karaoke –on Monday evenings in Buffalo many generations of musical theatre performers made their way to the Q and his piano. For this piece I have chosen a mere sliver of music from the long list of musicals we worked on together, as well as his signature closing number for Hake-eoke nights.

The first of the 43 pieces that I set on the Zodiaque Dance Company was entitled “Broadway Beats.” For this concert I had intended to do a new version – exploring beats as rhythm as well as the heartbeat of inspiration – instead, I honor an artist and a friend, although his heart could no longer beat physically, his legacy and inspiration lives on in the hearts of those he touched.

Under the direction of Professors Thomas Ralabate and Tressa Gorman-Crehan, the concert opens at the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts on February 24, 2016.

Also in attendance was ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ alumni Allison Spratt Pearce, Music Theatre BFA class of 2000. Allison earned her MFA at The University of San Diego/Old Globe and is a professional actor and educator residing in San Diego.

At conference close, Kurdziel-Formato headed to Disneyland to catch yet another ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ MTE BFA, Tayler Mettra, class of 2012, in her final performance as Jasmine in the Hyperion Theatre production of ALADDIN. This was truly a historic day, the closing of this beautiful show after a 13-year run.

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