Word Orgy
The Classical Studio's annual "Word Orgy," its final project, a celebration of spoken word, song, poetry, and random writings, will take place on Thursday, May 4 and Friday, May 5 in the Cabaret Space at 721 Broadway on the Third Floor @ 7:30.
The piece, directed by Daniel Spector and Choreographed by Renee Redding-Jones, will last just over an hour. Learn more about Daniel and Renee below.
RENEE REDDING-JONES
Renée Redding-Jones is a Certified Movement Analyst with an M.F.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a B.S. from Morgan State University. From 1997-2001, Renee was designated Master Teaching Artist/Artistic Advisor for New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Arts Education Department for dance residences. As a dancer, Renee was a featured performer in the companies of Ronald K. Brown and David Rousseve. In 1995 she received a New York Dance and Performance Award (“Bessie”) for her performance in Brown’s Dirt Road. Renee served as Associate Artistic Director for Brown’s company from 1997-2007. She has also performed in the company of Bebe Miller, in addition to dancing with independent choreographers, Sue Bernhard, Alan Danielson, Andrew Jannetti and Sondra Loring. At present, Renee continues to perform with Cynthia Oliver, which she has done since 1995. In addition to performing internationally, Renee has toured the country teaching, as well as setting and creating work at various colleges, universities, and dance festivals. She served six years as a faculty member in the dance department at Sarah Lawrence College under the direction of Sara Rudner. Her work has been presented at Middlebury College, Colorado College, Dance Theater Workshop and Bergen Community College. As part of the American College Dance Festival, Renee’s On the Pulse of the Morning, was selected to be performed as part of the gala concert. More than fifteen years ago Redding-Jones began choreographing and teaching movement for actors at NYU/Undergraduate Drama in The Classical Studio with Louie Scheeder. During her long tenure with The Classical Studio Renee has choreographed numerous plays, including The Winter’s Tale, directed by Louie Scheeder and performed at The Jack A. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Today, she continues her affiliation with the studio as guest teacher and choreographer. In 1998 Renee expanded her work with actors to include teaching at The Atlantic Theater Company Acting School, which she happily continues.
DANIEL SPECTOR
Daniel Spector has directed or coached actors on 35 productions of 25 Shakespeare plays. He’s even directed a non-Shakespeare play: “Shakespeare’s R & J.” Most recently, he directed “Othello” for the Kinetic Theater Ensemble. Daniel is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and is an alumnus of the Broadway Theatre Project. He has served as the Director of Training for the New York Neo-Classical Ensemble and directed their inaugural production of “Love’s Labor’s Lost” at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. He has served as a consultant to PBS on matters Shakespearean, moderated Artist Talks at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, led workshops for the Oklahoma Arts Institute, and produced many readings of new plays. A frequent collaborator in the classroom, he has taught with Alec Baldwin, Louis Scheeder, and Tim Carroll. Daniel holds a joint appointment with the Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing and the Department of Drama.
Education: B.F.A., M.A., New York University
Courses: The Classical Studio, Workshop in Shakespearean Verse, Heightened Language, Audition/Casting