WHOLE PROJECT
6th Street Dance Studio
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Brigid Baker director of WholeProject/6th Street Dance Studio in Miami, Fl and I write this as a letter of reference for Michele Kadison.
I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Michele for 15 years and can say unequivocally that she is rare and one of the finest in her field and part of a diminishing breed of sophisticated dance artists from the United States. She has an arts background marinated in disciplines that include jazz dance, contemporary, ballet, theatre, music, writing, directing and arts management. Her current life has taken her deeply into the world of Tango in Buenos Aires, which she adds to her experience as a teacher, writer and choreographer/director.
I met Michele when she was a force to contend with organizing the first performing arts network in Miami., though her reputation had preceded her. She was able to assemble dancers, choreographers, teachers, musicians, theatre artists all under one roof, while managing through writing skills and wit to inspire a city to support the projects. This gave the first home to professional artists here, and many of us New Yorkers found a welcome place to work and thrive. She taught (and teaches now in Buenos Aires) a contemporary jazz class using a technique of her own development - (her class was one of the largest, well attended and most flourishing classes for years in New York City during the dance boom, at the well known Steps studio on Broadway). Her class has been copied endlessly – but never replicated. Her warm-up considers deeply the body, and her center draws from amazing storytelling that teaches the student to inhabit movement with all systems, to direct the flow of artistry and move beyond steps. She has “la juste oreille” when speaking of her musical ear - in that her understanding of the embodiment of music is central to all dance but insistent in the nature of jazz dance particularly. She is a wonderful choreographer and an inspiration to her dancers, and she has organized dance and theatre groups, choreographed and taught internationally professionals, students of all ages and backgrounds.
This letter can not express the broad range of her expertise and career as you will note when reading her CV. But let me say in my way that there is no one more capable, and that she will bring to you and your students the inexplicable experiential world of Jazz dance and art, and all that she has lived. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Brigid Baker dir WholeProject 6th Street Dance Studio
1155 SW 6th Street
Miami, Fl 33130 USA
305 560-1150
Dance Esaias
6th Street Dance Studio
February 15, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
As a current member of Dance Theater Workshop, I am pleased to have the opportunity to express what a talented artist Michele Kadison is and what a great asset she was to my company and studio.
In the 2004 season, Ms. Kadison choreographed on the Dance Esaias Company having been one of four choreographers to participate in WEO (Water Experiment One) our national choreographer’s competition. As a master choreographer she not only created a new work but also helped mentor the emerging choreographers and dancers. Performed to sold out audiences at the Dance Esaias/6th Street Dance Studio Theater, Ms. Kadison's work challenged the dancers and inspired a wonderful response from audiences. Ms. Kadison was on faculty with Dance Esaias/6th Street Dance Studio, from September 2002 through 2004, teaching professional level contemporary jazz. 6th Street Dance Studio, located in the Little Havana section of Miami, is geared to professional adult dancers offering daily classes in Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary Jazz. When national companies come to Miami to perform this was and still is, often the studio they come to for class.
We were honored to have Ms. Kadison as a master teacher and choreographer and we expect great success for her in any artistic endeavor she chooses to pursue.
Regards,
Esaias Johnson
Founding Artistic Director
1155 SW 6th Street * Miami, Florida * 33130
To Mr. Jens T. Larsen
University of Stavanger
Department of Music and Dance
1 October 2009
Dear Mr. Larsen,
I have worked with Michele Kadison for several years teaching at the summer residency at North Carolina School of the Arts. Her understanding of the body, the technique she has developed, and her creative approach to choreography are impressive.
Ms. Kadison teaches with intelligence, humor, and a deep knowledge of her craft. This comes from her deep study of dance and a long, productive career. She would be a great asset to your teaching faculty.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Simone
The Royal Danish Ballet IN MOTION DANCE CENTER
Miami, Florida
To whom it may concern,
Over the course of many years, Michele Kadison taught her very successful Contemporary Jazz classes at my studio where dancers were able to strengthen their technique while honing their skills for both stage and film. Michele also co-founded our company, Aim Higher, choreographing original repertory pieces that were received with great acclaim.
Michele Kadison is an artist of the highest level. Her contributions to the Jazz Dance art form are many as she brings her unique brand of dynamism, sophistication, and vision to all of her projects. As someone who is constantly growing and exploring, it has been a privilege to have worked with her and we hope to do so again in the future.
Sincerely,
Renee Rich
Director, In Motion Dance Center
