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| HAPPY NEW YEAR (Posted December 31, 2014) |
| Have a safe and fun New Year's Eve, and a wonderful 2015! |
| IT'S CHRISTMAS (Posted December 24, 2014) |
| Have a Very Merry Christmas! |
| MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT COUNT! (Posted December 22, 2014) |
 December 31 at midnight is the deadline to make a donation to ODANCE and be able to claim it on this year's taxes. Please, seriously consider a donation as part of your holiday giving. Donate today! |
| THE HOLIDAYS CONTINUE! (Posted December 16, 2014) |
| Happy Hanukkah! |
| LET THE HOLIDAYS BEGIN (Posted November 27, 2014) |
| Happy Thanksgiving to all! |
| DRACULA OPENS TONIGHT (Posted October 31, 2014) |
| Dracula OPENS tonight at the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College -- for a Halloween weekend run! |
| DIRECTOR WORKS WITH CINCINNATI BALLET (Posted October 21, 2014) |
| Director Jerry Opdenaker just spent several weeks at Cincinnati Ballet in the role of Guest Ballet Master helping with rehearsals for Peter Pan. He taught company class and worked daily with the dancers. He says about the project “I was ever so humbled by working with this amazing company and tremendously talented artists. Thank you for some beautiful memories! I am eternally grateful.” |
| THE FALL JEWISH HOLIDAYS (Posted September 24, 2014) |
| L'Shanah Tovah The very best over Rosh Hasahnah and Yom Kippur. |
| DIRECTOR FEATURED IN WORLD OF DANCE MAGAZINE (Posted Septem ber 16, 2014) |
| Director Jerry Opdenaker is featured in a comprehensive full page article in the September/October Edition of World of Dance Magazine. |
| "IMPRESSIVE NEW DANCES AT REACH/I DANCE HEAT WAVE" Posted August 14, 2014 |
| Jerry Opdenaker receives RAVE reviews in Palm Beach Arts Paper for his works in "Heat Wave." |
| UPCOMING THIS SEASON -- SO FAR Posted: July 20, 2014 |
| SUMMER INTENSIVE: Florida Dance Intensive PERFORMANCE: Heat Wave PERFORMANCE: Dracula |
| JERRY OPDENAKER AT THE INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION IN JACKSON (Posted: July 3, 2014) |
| Jerry Opdenaker had the honor to be selected as a to teacher during the USA international Ballet Competition this year in Jackson Mississippi. This auspicious event held every four years was filled with the who’s who of the dance world and the phenomenal ballet stars of tomorrow. Set up the IBC was like the ballet Olympics with opening ceremonies yielding a torch from the current men’s gold medalist in which Opdenaker found himself sitting next the to icons of dance like Lauren Anderson, Wes Chapman, Susan Jaffe, Ashley Wheater, Edward Villella, Nina Ananiashvili, Andre Lewis and many more. Although very exciting, the work was very intense teaching Classes in Technique, Pointe, Pas De Deux, and Variations daily with performances of the competitors very evening. Each performance gave us the new level of the barre to which dancers would be judged, finally culminating in the bravura of the final round. The training of these dancers today far exceeds that of Opdenaker’s generation for what these dancers are capable of is truly amazing. It seemed that 10 pirouettes is the new norm for the men with elevation that exceeds their own height. The women are the same with their limberness and their incredible command of the balances, not to mention their turning ability. Coming away from this experience has left Opdenaker wondering if he can maintain the inspirational momentum given to him during that time as well as to continue to remain in touch with his new compliment of iconic friends with in the dance world and hopes that he will be back again to teach in 2018. |
| JERRY OPDENAKER CREATES WORK FOR FLORIDA YOUTH DANCE GALA (Posted: January 25, 2014) |
 A new work created by ODANCE Director Jerry Opdenaker for Florida School for Dance Education will be premiered at the Florida Youth Gala at the Duncan Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth on February 8. This is a fast paced, dynamic work for three talented young ladies -- Morgan Aumick, Felicia Montgomery and Julia Vinez -- who attend Florida School for Dance Education. Dropin/out, is a high energy, speedy piece is set to amaze and showcase the beauty of these dancers. Set to The Piano Guys Rockelbel's Canon -- Dropin/out -- promises to entertain and delight the audiences at the Gala. ... For ticketsALSO Mr. Opdenaker has been working with the Florida Dance Association on developing a ballet intensive at FSDE! |
| NEW YEARS (Posted: December 31, 2013) |
| Have a wonderful and prosperous New Year! |
| LAST DAY TO CLAIM DONATIONS (Posted December 30, 2013) |
| Tomorrow BEFORE midnight -- is the last day to be able to claim this year's donation to ODANCE on tax forms in April. ...DONATE NOW! |
| SEASONAL AND HOLIDAY WISHES (Posted: December 24, 2013) |
| Have a very Merry Christmas! |
| SPECIAL OPEN CLASSES OVER THE HOLIDAYS (Posted: December 20, 2013) |
| The Florida School of Dance Education is closed for Winter Break until January 6, 2013. O DANCE's Jerry Opdenaker and FSDE's Michele Zehner will be hosting open classes on December 23, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, Jan, 2 at 9:30 am and December 27 at 10:30 am Mr. Opdenaker is also preparing students for their upcoming Competition at the Youth American Grand Prix. Florida School of Dance Education is at 4100 PGA Blvd Palm Beach Gardens, Fl 33410 Classes are $10.00 Cash/check only |
| JERRY OPDENAKER PERFORMS in THE BELL (Posted December 15, 2013) |
 Jerry Opdenaker will be performing the role as the Conductor in Dance Theater of Florida's production of The Bell December 20 and 7, 21 @ 7 and 23 @ 2 at the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens.The Bell is a contemporary ballet interpretation of the classic children's story The Polar Express. Tickets are $18/adults and $15/students & seniors. Call 561-627-9797. |
| HOLIDAYS (Posted: November 28, 2013) |
| Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving AND a Happy Hanukkah! |
| CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS Posted November 16, 2013 |
| O DANCE and REACH created and performed a new multi layered children's dance theatre ballet for five hundred Palm Beach County middle school students along with the Palm Beach Symphony at the Eissey Campus Theatre on Nov. 14. A new original dance version of Camille Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals was created entitled Nat's Island based on Wendy Or's children's book Nim's Island. Written by Jerry Opdenaker and Choreographed by Opdenaker and Maria Konrad, seven dancers portrayed different animals illustrating the musical selections ranging from a scorpion to an ostrich, to a manatee in this performance. With a moving bed that converted into a boat, Nat's Island featured a Grandfather figure that served as the narrator for the story who happened to be the Board President of the Symphony Dale McNulty. But the true star of the show was a dance student from the Florida School for Dance Education in the title role of Nat, Katherine Smith. This talented young girl brought life to the character of Nat and danced wonderfully next to the professionals at REACH and O DANCE. ... Read more ,,, See PostPix |
| UPCOMING PERFORMANCE SET FOR MID NOVEMBER (Posted: October 28, 2013) |
| Dracula is barely just over and O DANCE, along with REACH is on to the next project having been contracted to re-imagine the Carnival of the Animals for the Palm Beach Symphony on November 14. This will be an educational outreach collabrotive with the performance geared towards 2nd thru 6th grade students. |
| AND THE COMMENTS ARE COMING IN - DRACULA Posted: October 12, 2013 PM) |
| The comments have been coming in from excited audience members who attended this past weekend’s performance of Dracula. Here are just a few: “Awesome performance...” - C.F. “It was a fantastic show, great music, great dancers, the lighting was perfect and the elevator touch was AMAZING ...Congratulations” - M.C. “O bring it to San Antonio!” - A.F. “Thanks so much Jerry - a world class show in the making.” - P.R. “I'm so glad I was in town and could see Dracula! Congrats on a fantastic show!” - M.G. “Absolutely wonderful - all of it: CAST, DANCING, COSTUMES, music, lighting and a great remake of a great story! You (and Maria) are to be commended for a fantastic production.” - D.W. “Congrats!!...” - M.W. “Bravo to you all! I thoroughly enjoyed it - completely entertaining!” - C.R.S. “Congratulations...” - A.D.S.H. “Congrats...” - T.L. “Wonderful, delightful, fantastic... not enough great adjectives! Loved every minute!” - D.W. |
| A MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ABOUT DRACULA (Posted: October 14, 2013 AM)
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| Dracula was born to a wonderfully supportive crowd this weekend at the Eissey Campus Theatre. Both Maria and myself are very proud parents. It was a jam packed six weeks of intense creativity which was exhausting but truly inspirationally satisfying and artistically fulfilling. We would like to thank everyone who pitched in to lend us a helping hand for making this production a bona-fied success. Mostly, we would like to thank our amazing dancers for sharing their talents with the both of us so, we could create this marvellous production. We were so honored to have each and everyone of you as the canvas in which to paint upon. Shannon Smith, Susan Fulks, Dani Giustino, especially brought those characters to life, confirming what we already knew about their professionalism and vast artistic depth. Because all of them and their talents, we can generally say that this venture was a complete success, creatively and financially. REACH and O DANCE are basking the euphoric joy from the creative magic that was produced by all in our first full-length Dracula! Bravo! Original Broadway Cast! Sincerely, Jerry Opdenaker |
| DRACULA PREMIERE -- OPENS TONIGHT (Posted: October 12, 2013) |
Dracula Opens tonight . Tickets are available at the door.For the Sunday Matinee, come in costume and get $5 OFF at the door! |
| DRACULA MAKES "THE LIST" (Posted: October 9, 2013) |
 ODANCE Artistic Director and Choreographer Jerry Opdenaker speak on-camera about Dracula for The List. The List is
a television news magazine that finds the intersection between the news
of the day and pop culture on a nightly basis. The show is founded
around something we all use to stay on track – lists – to look at daily
consumer issues and the hottest news trends. ...See The List Online Report Watch Facebook video of Dracula star Shannon Smith as he rehearses. |
| PREMIERE OPENING THIS WEEKEND! (Posted: October 6, 2013) |
 Dracula opens this weekend at the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens,Don't miss this slightly blood chilling -- family oriented event, just in time for Halloween. A full-evening original story of the love that a vampire has for his co-star and the antics which happen at a movie premiere gala party in a grand hotel one night. Truly an innovative and fresh adaptation of Dracula's early dealings during the 1920s, this dance production promises to get your toes a tapping with a full jazz score that pays homage to Duke Ellington. The choreography is by ODANCE's Jerry Opdenaker and REACH's Maria Konrad. ... More Information |
| ANOTHER PREMIER IS ON THE WAY (Posted October 1, 2013) |
| Rehearsals are underway, The sets are being built. The costumes are being sewn. Yes, another incredible premiere is on the way as Dracula is getting ready to hit the stage. With choreography by Jerry Opdenaker and Maria Konrad, this production will prove to be a wonderful family oriented event. ...See More |
| JEWISH HIGH HOLIDAYS BEGIN (Posted: September 4, 2012) |
| HAPPY ROSH HASHANAH! |
| HOLIDAY WEEKEND (Posted: August 30, 2013) |
| Have a great Labor Day Weekend! |
| UPCOMING PREMIERE (Posted: August 29, 2014) |
 Another interesting collaborative project between ODANCE and REACH Dance Company will premiere in August. Dracula as a glamourous silent film premiere, will *premiere* in October -- right before Halloween....More show information. |
| EXCERPT FROM REVIEW OF WHITE HOT DANCE (Posted:August 20, 2013) |
| Here
is an excerpt from Palm Beach Arts Paper about ODANCE Founder and
Director Jerry Opdenaketrs work as part of White Hot Dance, a program
on August 11, 2013. “A bounty of premieres at Reach/O Dance summer show” Written by Greg Stepanich on 13 August 2013. “...Opdenaker’s Triptico, set to music by the French nuevo tango group The Gotan Project, started cute, with a group of girls coming on from the left in Sugar Plum Fairy style, to be interrupted by a boy (Cameron Jackson) who interrupts them and starts to teach them other moves including dancing while joining their hands together to make big circles. ...The finest dance on the program opened the second half: Opdenaker’s Othello, a précis of the Shakespeare tragedy (to my mind, the saddest of them all) for three characters — Coachman as Othello, Nicholas Garlo as Iago, and Tara Langdon as Desdemona. This was a beautiful dance, choreographed to Ennio Morricone’s score for The Mission, and one that demonstrated Opdenaker’s large and inventive dance vocabulary. This was pure classical ballet, with two gorgeous pas de deux (to the “Gabriel’s Oboe” music) for Coachman and Langdon, and a Loki-like trickster identity for the excellent Garlo, whose kinky, sneaky moves the dancer fully involved himself in, making first-rate contrast with the doomed couple. Opdenaker knows how to match movement to music, with the fatal handkerchief, in blood-red, presented by Iago — who had carefully picked it up while Othello and his bride were otherwise engaged — with a dramatic fall back to Othello accompanied by an ominous note of bass punctuation in the music. The ending of the dance, which requires a blackout so that Othello can appear in all red with a sword to kill himself with, needs a little adjusting so that the momentum isn’t lost. Other than that, it was lovely and moving. Best of all was Langdon, a Juilliard student who was superb as Desdemona, all liquid, all grace, all femininity, draping herself with total trust on her partner, and embodying the light-as-air otherworldliness of the prima ballerina. She is a dancer to watch, and one hopes to see her again soon, especially in things like this Othello, which in its thoroughly traditional orientation showed its audience why this art form remains so spectacularly unique.” ...Read the entire review of White Hot Dance |
| BALLET LEGEND DIES (Posted: August 11, 2013) |
 The
dance world morns and has become a little dimmer today... we lost an
beloved icon. David Howard has died. Mr. Howard was one of the most
incredible teachers and coaches the ballet world has ever known!...More |
| WHITE HOT SUMMER OPENS TODAY Posted: August 11, 2013) |
| Today is the day! The dance event of the summer, WHITE HOT SUMMER hits the stage at the Eissey Campus Theatre
at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens -- at 3pm. Online
tickets can still be purchased until NOON saving $5.00 per ticket. Starting at at 2:00 pm, you can purchase tickets at the door ...But come early there is going to be a long line. Don't miss this important performance with seven
premiering creative works featuring local artists and dancers including
Jerry Opdenaker's Othello.
|
| A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR -- SUMMER INTENSIVE (Posted: August 10, 2013) |
| Regretfully, our O DANCE and REACH
Summer Intensive is now over for another year. This season's intensive
was wildly successful on so many levels, as well as, a blast to host. We would like to again thank our master teachers that shared their vast knowledge and expertise with our students, for you truly enhanced and elevated this Intensive to the highest level of dance training. We would thank our students that attended the Intensive for committing to our program and trusting us with your educational development in the field of dance, Your attendance assures us that we are making the right decisions regarding your artistic growth and progression. We are going to continue to improve and diversify our roster of faculty members for the betterment and expansion of your dance training. However, mostly, our hearts are singing with joy and pride because of the commitment you made to yourself and the art form of dance. Strive to keep your passion for the dance as you venture out into your world and we look forward to seeing you all at the next REACH & O DANCE Summer Intensive. DON'T FORGET: WHITE HOT SUMMER ...AND THE PREMIERE OF OTHELLO -- TOMMORROW! Yeah DANCE!!! Jerry Opdenaker |
| PREMIERES - WHITE HOT SUMMER (Posted: August 1, 2013) |
 Jerry Opdenaker re-images Shakespeare’s trtagic love story of Othello on August 11, 2013 at the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens in conjunction with REACH Dance Company. REACH Dance Company will also be premièring Ballet's Child on the same program.Local artists have worked to create a magical evening
of dance that inspires, excites and thrills. WHITE HOT SUMMER is going
to be the Dance event that will create a buzz that will have everybody
talking! Don't miss this important event! This is an incredible
production -- not to be missed.
... More Information |
| YOUNG CHOREOGRAPHERS COMPETITION (Posted: July 10, 2013) |
 In an effort to support and cultivate young artists and in conjunction with REACH
and ODANCE's Summer Intensive, we are proud to announce the Young
Choreographers Competition LAUNCH – to find the next great
choreographer. The competition will be held on Friday August 2 at 7pm at Florida School of Dance Education (FSDE). Competitors will show their work before a panel of notable dance educators and audience members. The winner of the competition will have their work presented at the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College, as part of the White Hot Summer performance. PLEASE NOTE: Rehearsal space will be limited on a first-come, first-served basis during the first week of the intensive at FSDE. It is strongly suggested that students have their pieces conceived and sketched out prior to attending the Intensive. So, stretch your choreographic minds this summer and come to the intensive prepared! |
| PERFORMANCE (Posted: June 15, 2013) |
| Local artists are gathering to share their talents in dance and cinematography with an exciting evening of new creations at the Florida School for Dance
Education on June 28 and 29, 2013. This jammed packed evening is
promised to touch, inspire and excite everyone with its diverse
presentation of professionals and students from Florida School for Dance
Education's Summer Intensive in new works by established and fledgling
choreographers. |
| SUMMER IS HERE (Posted: May 24, 2013) |
| Happy Memorial Day Weekend! |
| SEASON TO BE ANNOUNCED (Posted: May 18, 2013) |
| O DANCE will be announcing its 2013|2014 Season -- VERY SOON! Be prepared for another season of creative and innovative performances, along with exceptional outreach and educational programs. |
| MR. OPDENAKER GRADUATES WITH MFA (Posted: May 1, 2013) |
| Throughout his incredible and lengthy career, education on every level has always been of the utmost importance to O DANCE’s Founder and Director Jerry Opdenaker. It is now with pleasure and with complete pride. Mr. Opdenaker announces his graduation from Jacksonville University with his MFA in Choreography! |
| NEW SEASON - NEW NEWS |
| For past news listings, please feel free to look in the Archives . |
Photos Copyright Janine Harris, Jerry Opdenaker. Design: III Content copyright 2021. odance. All rights reserved. 
