Doug Varone
Encyclopedia
Choreographer and director Doug Varone works in dance, theater, opera, film, television and fashion. In 2007 he created three major pieces for his own Doug Varone and Dancers – the full-length multi-media Dense Terrain at Brooklyn Academy of Music
, Victorious, commissioned by Bard’s SummerScape, and Beyond the Break commissioned by Wolf Trap
. In October 2008 his new work Alchemy premiered, set to Steve Reich
's Daniel Variations. Varone takes his inspiration from the Steve Reich score which juxtaposes text from the biblical book of Daniel and the words of Daniel Pearl
, the American Jewish reporter kidnapped and murdered by Islamist extremists in Pakistan in 2002. Reichs music pays homage to all victims who, in the face of violence and cruelty, courageously reveal the dignity and beauty of humanity.
In 2010 Varone will premiere a work entitled "Chapters from a Broken Novel" with a new score composed by David van Tieghem. The work is inspired by quotes collected over the years, and will be performed as an evening length work, as well as in excerpted forms.
Varone was awarded a 2006 OBIE for his direction and choreography of Ricky Ian Gordon
’s Orpheus and Euridice at Lincoln Center for its American Songbook series. That same year, he created works for opera and theater, and many of his dances were staged around the nation by other companies. For New York’s Metropolitan Opera
, Varone has choreographed new productions of Le sacre du printemps
, Les Troyens, Salome, and the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy. Other opera choreography includes Die Walküre (Washington Opera); Il Viaggio a Reims (New York City Opera
); and the American premieres of George Antheil’s Transatlantic, and Ricky Ian Gordon’s debut production of Grapes of Wrath (Minnesota Opera
).
As a director and choreographer, he has staged Gluck’s Orfée et Eurydice and Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Colorado
and Laurent Petitgirard’s Joseph Merrick: The Elephant Man (for Minnesota Opera). Varone’s theater credits include choreography for Broadway, at Baltimore’s Center Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Princeton’s McCarter Theater, Music Theater Group, The Vineyard Theatre, and Via Theater. He choreographed and directed the Aquila Theatre Company’s The Invisible Man.
Choreography for television and fashion include the dance and underwater sequences of the The Planets (for A&E) and designer Geoffrey Beene
’s couture runway shows in NYC. A collaboration with photographer Michael Thompson for W magazine was featured in its February 2004 issue.
Film credits include choreography for the Patrick Swayze
film, One Last Dance. Varone has created works for the Limon Company, Dancemakers (Toronto, Canada), Batsheva Dance Company
(Israel), Uppercut Danse (Denmark), An Creative (Japan), Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Colorado Ballet, and Ailey II, among others. Bern Ballet (Switzerland), Rambert Dance Company
(London) and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
will mount works in 07-08. His dances are regularly staged on college and university students.
Born and raised in Syosset, NY, Varone received his BFA from Purchase College where he was awarded the Presidential Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007. Honors also include a Guggenheim Fellowship
and two New York Dance and Performance Awards (Bessie Awards) for Sustained Achievement in Choreography and for his 2006 work Boats Leaving. His work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts
since 1988.
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
, Victorious, commissioned by Bard’s SummerScape, and Beyond the Break commissioned by Wolf Trap
Wolf Trap
Wolf Trap may refer to:* Wolf Trap, Virginia* Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Wolf Trap, VA* Wolftrap anglerfish , a family of anglerfish* A microbiology experiment of Wolf Vishniac...
. In October 2008 his new work Alchemy premiered, set to Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
's Daniel Variations. Varone takes his inspiration from the Steve Reich score which juxtaposes text from the biblical book of Daniel and the words of Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between...
, the American Jewish reporter kidnapped and murdered by Islamist extremists in Pakistan in 2002. Reichs music pays homage to all victims who, in the face of violence and cruelty, courageously reveal the dignity and beauty of humanity.
In 2010 Varone will premiere a work entitled "Chapters from a Broken Novel" with a new score composed by David van Tieghem. The work is inspired by quotes collected over the years, and will be performed as an evening length work, as well as in excerpted forms.
Varone was awarded a 2006 OBIE for his direction and choreography of Ricky Ian Gordon
Ricky Ian Gordon
Ricky Ian Gordon is an American composer of songs, stage musicals and opera. The death of his lover from AIDS inspired Dream True and Orpheus and Euridice...
’s Orpheus and Euridice at Lincoln Center for its American Songbook series. That same year, he created works for opera and theater, and many of his dances were staged around the nation by other companies. For New York’s Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, Varone has choreographed new productions of Le sacre du printemps
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...
, Les Troyens, Salome, and the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy. Other opera choreography includes Die Walküre (Washington Opera); Il Viaggio a Reims (New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
); and the American premieres of George Antheil’s Transatlantic, and Ricky Ian Gordon’s debut production of Grapes of Wrath (Minnesota Opera
Minnesota Opera
The Minnesota Opera is a performance organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded in 1963 by the Walker Art Center, and is known for premiering such diverse works as Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Frankenstein by Libby Larsen...
).
As a director and choreographer, he has staged Gluck’s Orfée et Eurydice and Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Colorado
Opera Colorado
Opera Colorado is an opera company located in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1981, it presents an annual season of three to four fully staged productions...
and Laurent Petitgirard’s Joseph Merrick: The Elephant Man (for Minnesota Opera). Varone’s theater credits include choreography for Broadway, at Baltimore’s Center Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Princeton’s McCarter Theater, Music Theater Group, The Vineyard Theatre, and Via Theater. He choreographed and directed the Aquila Theatre Company’s The Invisible Man.
Choreography for television and fashion include the dance and underwater sequences of the The Planets (for A&E) and designer Geoffrey Beene
Geoffrey Beene
Geoffrey Beene was an American fashion designer.Beene was born in Haynesville, Louisiana. He studied medicine at Tulane University, but dropped out in 1946, after three years. He moved to New York in 1947 to attend the Traphagen School of Fashion...
’s couture runway shows in NYC. A collaboration with photographer Michael Thompson for W magazine was featured in its February 2004 issue.
Film credits include choreography for the Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
film, One Last Dance. Varone has created works for the Limon Company, Dancemakers (Toronto, Canada), Batsheva Dance Company
Batsheva Dance Company
The Batsheva Dance Company is an internationally acclaimed dance company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was founded by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild in 1964....
(Israel), Uppercut Danse (Denmark), An Creative (Japan), Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Colorado Ballet, and Ailey II, among others. Bern Ballet (Switzerland), Rambert Dance Company
Rambert Dance Company
Rambert Dance Company, is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it would exert a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingdom, and today, as a contemporary dance company, it continues to be one of the...
(London) and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is an American dance company based in Chicago. HSDC performs in downtown Chicago and its metropolitan area and tours nationally and internationally throughout the year....
will mount works in 07-08. His dances are regularly staged on college and university students.
Born and raised in Syosset, NY, Varone received his BFA from Purchase College where he was awarded the Presidential Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007. Honors also include a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
and two New York Dance and Performance Awards (Bessie Awards) for Sustained Achievement in Choreography and for his 2006 work Boats Leaving. His work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
since 1988.