| |
Steve Rooks
Back
"... a fine
model of a Graham Dancer...electric"
Anna
Kisselgoff
New York Times
".... it displays Rook's finely tuned body and the phenomenal
drive and energy in the use of it."
Kate O'Neil
Journal Correspondent
Steve Rooks
began his dance training in Washington D.C. with Jan Van Dyke and
Greg Reynolds, after graduating with honors from Dartmouth College.
He continued his training in New York City as a scholarship student
at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. Mr. Rooks has danced and
toured with the Greg Reynolds Dance Quintet, the Mary Anthony Dance
Theater, Peter Sparling, Dancer's Eye, and the Alvin Ailey
Repertory Ensemble, where he performed classic works by Ailey,
Donald McKayle, Talley Beatty, and Ulysses Dove. He joined the
Martha Graham Dance Company in the summer of 1981, and was a
Principal Dancer with the company until 1991. Mr. Rooks has appeared
in the Metropolitan Opera House presentation of Martha Graham's
Diversion of Angels televised for "Celebrate! 100 Years of the
Lively Arts at the Met", as well as the "Dancing for Life" AIDS
Benefit held at the New York State Theater in October 1987. He has
appeared in television commercials, and as a featured dancer on the
television special, "The Martha Graham Company in Japan." In October
1989, Mr. Rooks solo, Outside was selected to be presented in
the New Choreographers series during the Graham Company's fall
season at the City Center Theater in New York, and one of his works,
Cool River became a part of that company's 1996-1997
Repertory after its World Premiere at Lincoln Center in August 1996.
Mr. Rooks has
been a guest artist with the Hakodate Ballet in Japan, and toured
with the Morning Star Classical Biblical Theater in their 1996
International Tour to Israel. He has also appeared in Dennis Grey's
1992 musical Black Love Notes, portrayed Joseph in the
1996 International Christmas Television Special of Billy Graham Ministries, and in May 1997 appeared as a guest artist with the
Great Day Chorale in their performance at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Rooks
re-created his role as the Revivalist during a May 1998 Gala
Performance at the Coolidge Auditorium in Washington D.C.,
commemorating the World Premiere of Graham's Appalachian Spring,
and in November 1999 danced in the World Premiere of "Talisman"
performed with the Utica Symphony Orchestra. In December 2000, Mr.
Rooks was a featured artist in Jubal Production's "LIFE -
PEOPLE-TIMES" at the Minkler Auditorium in Toronto, Canada. He was
also the recipient of a Vassar Research Grant for an Artist
Residency in Riga, Latvia in May 2002.
Mr. Rooks is
currently Resident Choreographer and Assistant Professor of Dance at
Vassar College, and was one of the founding faculty members for the
Dance Degree Program at Howard University. He is also a Guest
Instructor at the Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham Schools of Dance.
He was a 2001 Artist-in-Residence at the North Carolina School of
the Arts, and is a member of the International Association of
Blacks in Dance. He has taught internationally at several dance
festivals and as a guest instructor for the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Ballet Nacional de
Mexico, the American Academy of Ballet, the Houston Ballet, and the
Symposium on Dance at Yale University. Mr. Rooks would like to thank
Jesus Christ for all that has happened to him.
|
|
