Administration

Dances Patrelle's dedicated staff help bring innovative dramatic dance to the stage.

Francis Patrelle, Artistic Director

Francis Patrelle, Artistic Director
Francis Patrelle, Artistic Director
Drama has always been the primary source of inspiration for choreographer Francis Patrelle. The joys and sorrows of everyday life have inspired him to create ballets for Lynn Aaron, Merrill Ashley, Frank Augustyn, Medhi Bahiri, Mary Barton, Peter Boal, Robert Conn, Duncan Cooper, James Fayette, Lindsay Fischer, Judith Fugate, Espen Giljane, Lynn Glauber, Suzanne Goldman, Fabrice Herrault, Alan Hineline, Gen Horiuchi, Darla Hoover, James Jordan, Karen Kain, Katrina Killian, Lourdes Lopez, Miriam Mahdaviani, Jared Matthews, Douglas Martin, John Meehan, Daniel Mejia, Leda Meredith, Carlo Merlo, Owen Montague, Louise Nadeau, Donald Paradise, Francois Perron, Kevin O'Day, Johnathan Riseling, Jenifer Ringer, Christine Spizzo, Jock Soto, Miranda Weese, Tim Wengerd, Donald Williams, Deborah Wingert, and Prima Ballerina Cynthia Gregory.

Born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Francis began his dance training in Philadelphia, under the watchful eye of Jean Williams. He went on to receive his BFA from Juilliard, where he studied with Alfredo Corvino, Jose Limon and Antony Tudor, and was mentored by Martha Hill.

Beginning in 1980, Mr. Patrelle choreographed 'Eugene Onegin' and 'La Traviata' for the Sante Fe Opera, 'Turandot' for the Vienna State Opera, and 'Willie Stark', a production directed by Harold Prince, for the Houston Grand Opera; which was also performed at the Kennedy Center and televised on PBS's Great Performers Series.

In 1988, Dances Patrelle was founded as a new outlet for his choreography. Since then he has created dozens of new ballets, including an entire series based on American music. 'American Dreamer', 'Rhapsody In Blue', 'Jazz/Fools', 'Come Rain/Come Shine', 'Glad to be Unhappy', and 'Pop' all take their inspiration from American popular music.

Francis has also made considerable contributions to classical ballet. During his ten-years (1974-1984) as resident choreographer for the Berkshire Ballet, he created two full-length classics, 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Firebird', as well as more than twenty concert works. In 1995 he created a full-length 'Macbeth' for Dances Patrelle, and in 1996, 'The Yorkville Nutcracker'.

Patrelle has been privileged to work with a wide range of companies, including — St. Louis Ballet (where he is the principal guest choreographer), Manhattan Ballet, Central Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet, Israel Ballet, Julliard Dance Ensemble, Joffrey II Dancers, and Wes Chapman's American Ballet Company. He is also currently on staff at Manhattan School of Music, and the Director of Choreographic Development at Ballet Academy East.

Mr. Patrelle and Dances Patrelle are recipients of grants from Dance Magazine Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, the Selz Foundation for Dance, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Inc., and the Chase Manhattan Bank Arts & Culture Program.

In 1999, Francis was awarded the Arts Recognition Tribute Award (the ARTY), presented by the Long Island Arts Council, in honor of his outstanding commitment and contribution to the arts on Long Island and throughout the region.

Lynn Garafola of Dance Magazine once wrote — "Unlike most of his peers, (Francis Patrelle) makes dances that answer to a personal vision. This vision is both classical and populist: classical because it is rooted in metaphor and symbolic language; populist because of its legibility and broad cultural resonance. The combination is unusual, harking back to styles of the thirties and forties and unmistakably winning."

Leda Meredith, Rehearsal Director

Leda Meredith, Rehearsal Director
Leda Meredith, Rehearsal Director
Leda's career spans contemporary dance, classical ballet, and theater. She has been a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre II, Edward Villella, Manhattan Ballet, San Francisco Opera Ballet and others. She was a principal dancer with Jennifer Muller/The Works for eight years, returning as Associate Director for the company's 25th anniversary season, and as guest artist for the company's 2004 New York season. She is currently Adjunct Professor for Adelphi University's Dance Program. Ms. Meredith is a charter member of Dances Patrelle, for whom she originated roles in many of Mr. Patrelle's ballets including Jazz Fools, Anyone Can!, Black Forest Carousel, The Yorkville Nutcracker, POP and her acclaimed portrayal of Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Leda teaches internationally at Carolyn Carlson's Atelier de Paris, Henny Juriens Foundation in Amsterdam, the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet, Western Washington University, Artist Trust International and others. Her choreography has been presented by Jennifer Muller/The Works at The Joyce Theater, and by Malaparte Theater Company, Dixon Place, Danse Atelier Rotterdam and others. Her work is currently in the repertory of Wong Dance and appeared in the American Dance Guild's 50th Anniversary Gala. Articles and reviews written by Ms. Meredith have appeared in numerous publications including Pointe Magazine and European Dance News. Ms. Meredith is also a certified ethnobotanist and instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. For more, please visit www.ledameredith.net.

Kristen Arnold and Hana Ginsburg, Co-Managing Director

Bios coming soon!

Justin Allen, Administrative Director

Justin Allen, Administrative Director
Justin Allen, Administrative Director
In addition to being Dances Patrelle's administrative director, Justin has for the past ten seasons been a principal character dancer in Francis Patrelle's The Yorkville Nutcracker. He also dances with Eidolon Ballet in Concert, and formerly danced for Idaho Dance Theatre. Outside of dance, Justin is a writer of imaginative literature. His first novel, Slaves of the Shinar, was published in July 2007 by The Overlook Press, and his second novel, Year of the Horse, will come out this November. Justin is likewise the author of the story, Murder at the Masque: The Casebook of Edgar Allan Poe, now being adapted for ballet with original music to be composed by Patrick Soluri and choreography by Francis Patrelle, and slated to be featured as a part of Dances Patrelle's 2009, 20th Anniversary Season.

Praise for SLAVES OF THE SHINAR (The Overlook Press, July "07)
"With a driving plot and an excellent eye for living, breathing, tactile detail, author Allen brings immediacy to this modern version of the Gilgamesh legend while keeping it in context with the rest of the not-necessarily-white world of thousands of years ago." ? The Seattle Times

About YEAR OF THE HORSE (The Overlook Press, November "08)
Best described as "spaghetti western fantasy," Year of the Horse is the story of sixteen-year-old Tzu-lu, a recent Chinese immigrant and one of a band of treasure hunters heading West to recapture stolen gold. Along the way they encounter historical and mythical figures, and discover what it means to be American. Leading them is the gunslinger Jack Straw, a figure who is as much legend as reality and as much magic as lead. Ultimately, this band of outsiders finds it must learn to live together, trust and care for one another. If they make it across a wild continent, they'll be rich. If they don't, they'll surely be dead. (Ages 12+)