Nani Devi, BALAM Dance Theatre's Resident Balinese Artist, teaches and performs several Indosnesian dances from the Indonesian islands of Bali, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Sulawesi. Born in Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia, she began dancing at the early age and was noticed for her naturaln government to perform in the palaces of Bali for visiting heads of state, she has performed in Russia, Japan, China, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States, among grace and sweet expression. Selceted by the Indonesiaothers. Her Balinese dance roles include the Legong, Oleg Tambulilingan, Margapati, and Terunajaya.
Toshinori Hamada, BALAM principal dancer and Japanese dance and theatre expert, originated the role of Rahwana, the demon king in BALAM’s Ramayana, and choreographed Sunda Upasunda, which toured Bali with the Semara Ratih gamelan. Schooled in Buddhism as a boy in a monastery in Japan, his love for traditional Japanese culture led him to study and perform as a Kabuki actor, and later Noh Theatre under the direction of Master Junosuke Watanabe. He also holds a black belt in Kyokushin Karate. In NYC, he studied Martha Graham Contemporary Dance technique and has performed extensively as a modern dancer throughout the United States. An independent film maker, he received several awards for his productions Dream on Flatbed and My Master, and presently writes and composes original Japanese/American musical dramas, such as Wind Chime, created as a tribute to the 2011 Fukashima Nuclear Disaster.
Barbara Romero, BALAM Dance Theatre Spanish dance expert, specializes in Spanish dance, especially the Escuela Bolera School, while having background and experience in other forms. She began her Spanish dance studies with Ramon Ramos de Vigil and Jose Molina but considers Mariano Parra and Jerane Michel her most influential teachers. Ms. Romero has also studied in the US and Spain with others such as Luis Montero, Orlando Romero, Estrella Morena, Paco Romero, Maria Magdalena, and Fernando Romero. Her dance studies began with ballet and character at the ABT school, and modern with Dorothy Vislocky and Billy Siegenfield. Ms. Romero is a licensed massage therapist and a certified yoga teacher.
Yumiko Niimi, Dancer, made her debut with BALAM Dance Theatre in the title role of Sita in 2015, as well as performing as the Golden Deer. She has been featured in the ballet pas de deux from the Romantic ballet Giselle in company’s Out & About community service touring program and more recently in the salsa dance duet, Fantasia de Amor. She has worked as a principal dancer and performer in several operas and Broadway musicals including, Washington National Opera’s production of Norma, The King and I at the MUNY theatre, A Chorus Line, Evita, New York Theatre Ballet, Japanese Folk-Dance Inc.
Inma Heredia, BALAM Dance Theatre’s resident actor and host, brings vitality and joie de vivre to each of her appearances. A native of Seville, Spain, Inma has been showcased in a variety of entertainment settings ranging from acting and comedy to dance. She has performed in shows, plays, movies, and ceremonies around the world as an actor, singer, flamenco dancer, comedienne, master-of-ceremonies, and voiceover artist. Recognized as the first – and only – flamenco comedienne in the world, she created her one woman show, Divas de España and received the "Latinos Unidos" Press Award. Other New York City credits include Dulcinea in The Adventures of Don Quixote at the Hudson Guild Theatre, the Statue of Liberty in the musical, Dan versus the Statue of Liberty, Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, and as the host in the New York hit, Latinas Don't P.M.S, which premiered at the world-famous Apollo Theatre. She has been a guest performer at the United Nations, Central Park, and numerous Off-Broadway theatres.
Carlos Fittante, Artstic Director, Baroque and Balinese dance specialist, has received critical praise from the New York Times, Village Voice, and Dance Magazine for his performances and choreography. Some highlights from his diverse performing career include the Metropolitan Opera, New York Theatre Ballet, Semara Ratih Gamelan, Joan Miller and Dance Players, Danzas Españolas, and several prominent Baroque ensembles including Apollo’s Fire, Juilliard 415, and the Boston Early Music Festival. A graduate of the School of American Ballet, he has a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Queens College: City University of New York, where he teaches Ballet and Introduction to Dance.
(Photo Credits top to bottom: Julie Lemberger, Dave Tierney, Neil Sapienza, Maria Gueros, Yumiko Niimi, Michael Morris, Kathy Whitman)
INTERVIEWS WITH THE ARTISTS...
Nani Devi (ND), Balinese Artist
CF: As BALAM's Balinese Artist, your presence brings
an air of authenticity to the company’s Balinese inspired work. How do you feel about this?
ND: BALAM’s repertoire has a nice blend of movement
styles that includes martial arts, ballet, modern, and Baroque dance. The addition of my classic Balinese dances
enhances the beauty and uniqueness experienced by audiences in a BALAM
event.
Toshinori Hamada (TH), Principal Dancer
CF: You have added Japanese Noh theatre dance and
singing to BALAM’s repertoire, as well as works from your distinctive east/west
fusion aesthetics, such as Sunda Upasunda,
the role of Rahwana from Ramayana: Abduction of Sita, and the music-drama Wind Chime. How do you create eastern inspired work in a
contemporary western locale like New York City?
TH: I just use the skills and ideas living in me to make
a work. Sometimes the result is good,
and sometimes it falls short of my vision. The hardest aspect of creating new cross-cultural
work is there are no models. But this is
also freeing and inspiring.
Robin Gilbert (RG), Principal Ballerina
CF: As BALAM’s long-standing principal ballerina, you
worked directly with our Founding Director Islene Pinder to help define the
company’s fusion of point work and Balinese dance seen in works like Eden and Tigerlily and the Dragonfly.
How does the fusion technique inform
your work as a performer?
RG: When I joined
BALAM, I was very much a classical ballet dancer, and I confess the sort of 'bending
of the rules' to create the fusion made me uncomfortable. Trying to understand how to dance on point,
while my body was being asked to be in positions that were not conducive to
point work was quite a challenge.
Yet, this challenge was exciting. With Founding Director Islene Pinder's enthusiasm
and encouragement, I experienced movement discoveries and accomplishments,
which were thrilling! Without BALAM's
fusion work, I may not have gone outside of the boundaries of the classical
ballet world. Because I did, my mind and
my body opened to moving in so many ways, which has made me the versatile
dancer I am. In today’s dance world,
diversity and versatility are essential.
My approach to dance and my dancing was
forever changed by the fusion of the ballet technique and the Balinese
dance. I am forever grateful! It opened up endless possibilities that I am
still discovering today.
Yumiko Niimi (YN), Dancer
CF: As BALAM’s newest company member, you have already
performed in a variety of pieces from the repertoire, including the Act 2 Pas
de Deux from Giselle, the roles of
Sita and the Golden Deer in Ramayana:
Abduction of Sita, and now in a new salsa duet, Fantasia de Amor, commissioned for Dances of Love: East and West. What about you as a dancer makes this
possible?
YN: Dancing is the
love, joy, and beauty of my life’s journey.
Each character or style I perform reveals a new dimension about the art
of dance. Because I am passionate about
dance, I always have patience, interest, and commitment to go deeper.
Lisa Terry (LT), Guest Artist
CF: Johann Sebastian Bach is the go-to composer, when
people think of period music. His cello
suites define, in part, the instrument's voice. Is there a quality you like to embody when
playing these works?
(LT) I try to imagine what Bach was enjoying about
the music: the sound of the cello, the mood of each dance. It’s like playing a role - I want to play each
movement in a stylish and danceable way, delivering as best as I can what I
imagine was in Bach’s mind.
Photo Credits (top to bottom): Julie Lemberger, Dave Tierney, Neil Sapienza, (a selfie), William Wegman
