A Rising Company
10
Aries In Flight
Company Bio: Aries In Flight is wholly dedicated to the preservation and future success of Theater Jazz dance. Our choreography evokes the styles of past Theater Jazz icons and merges them with a contemporary flair. The dance company aims to legitimize Theater Jazz as a valuable player in the concert dance world and educate both our audiences and the dance community in this historically rich tradition, delighting them with show-stopping repertoire. Our long term vision is to strengthen future generations of Theater Jazz dancers through dance classes, educational programming in historical knowledge, performance opportunities, and collaborations within the dance community. Our performance company was founded in September 2012 and had its debut performance at Dance New Amsterdam located in NYC’s Financial District. Catherine draws influence from historical figures including Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Jack Cole, and Michael Bennett as well as from current Broadway productions. The ultimate goal is for the company to preserve the integrity of Theater Dance and allow it to flourish as a valid art form for years to come. Additionally, we believe in creating dancers who are empowered to have long, sustainable, and thriving dance careers.
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1. ABMNetwork NY: Introduce yourself, why you chose your profession, the name of your company and why was it chosen?
Catherine Mancuso: My name is Catherine Mancuso and I am a Choreographer, Dance Educator and Dancer originally from Staten Island, NY. I chose my profession in the field of dance because it is something that has brought me joy from the time I was a child. I cannot imagine my life without dance in it and without it, I’m not sure where I would have ended up. Dance provided me a safe place to express myself and create works of art. I always knew I wanted to have my own dance company so after graduate school I decided to make it happen. I have to thank my husband Anthony for really pushing me to do it. Without his support Aries In Flight would never have happened. The company name was inspired by my birthday. I’m an Aries and my husband said it was this time in my life when I was ready to take flight. Thus Aries In Flight was born.
2. ABMNetwork NY: How long has Aries In Flight been in business?
Catherine Mancuso: Aries In Flight was founded in August of 2012. We produced our first show in December of 2012 and have since expanded to include not just performance opportunities but Holistic Dance Coaching for dancers.
3. ABMNetwork NY: How do you train your dancers?