Union College and Proctors Announce Dance Residency, Performances

(Schenectady, NY) – Proctors and Union College are pleased to announce a two-day residency by Soles of Duende Oct. 16-17, which will include a participatory workshop, lecture/demonstration, and both educational and public performances. The residency is made possible by the partnership of the venue and college, as well as a major gift from Gus (Union class of ’59) and Sue Davis in memory of their daughter Stephanie.

Bonded by their deep love of music and percussive dance, Soles of Duende elevates the joy and music of true collaboration across three percussive dance disciplines in a celebration of the forms they practice. Based in the sounds of tap (Amanda Castro), flamenco (Arielle Rosales), and kathak (Brinda Guha), Soles of Duende’s dancers meld cultures and forms while communicating rhythmically with each other and musicians Ryan “the Arkitecht” Stanbury (trumpet), Okai Musik (percussion), and AJ Jagannath (electric guitar), who perform live with the dancers. A truly collaborative sextet, the ensemble considers itself both a band and a dance group. They celebrate their respective forms and practices while showcasing the power of embracing differences. At a moment when cross-cultural conversations can feel fraught, the group provides a seamless, joyful blend of their discrete percussive dance styles and energies. (See artist bios below.)

This residency will mark Soles of Duende’s first Capital Region appearance. Outreach activities will take place in Old Chapel on the Union College campus Thursday, Oct. 16, with a percussive workshop for dancers and musicians from 6-7:15 p.m. and a lecture/demonstration from 7:30-8:30 p.m.  Both events are free and open to the public. No registration is required for either.

The company will also perform an educational program for students in the Cohoes City School District earlier that morning at Cohoes High School.

This engagement marks Union College’s 17^th annual Stephanie C. Davis Dance Residency.  The residency is funded by a major gift from Gus (Union class of ’59) and Sue Davis to the college in memory of their daughter Stephanie. Residencies began in 2008 and have featured such national and international companies as Ballet Jazz de Montreal, RubberBand Dance, Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Spellbound Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Philadanco, Rennie Harris PureMovement, and Limón Dance Company.  Last year’s residency featured Eisenhower Dance Detroit, with activities taking place on Union’s campus and many other Capital Region sites, while culminating in a performance at The Egg.

“We are thrilled to welcome Soles of Duende as our 2025 Stephanie C. Davis Resident Company. This electrifying percussive ensemble showcases the power of cultures coming together in a celebration of rhythm, movement, and joy,” claims Laurie Zabele Cawley, Union’s Director of Dance. “Their work bursts with energy, blending traditions into a vibrant celebration of community and art.”

The performance in the GE Theatre at Proctors 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 will be the company’s Can We Dance Here program. Deemed “a treasure and a triumph” by The New York Times, this full-length work of rhythmic exchange shines “when they tackle the same rhythm in their own style, showcasing just how many similarities live within their differences” according to a Dance Machine article whose headline proclaimed, “The Cross-Cultural Collaboration Soles of Duende Offers Just the Kind of Art We Need Right Now.”

Tickets for the Oct. 17 performance at Proctors are on sale now. Seating is general admission. Tickets are $45.50 with a $25 rate for students by using the code STUDENT25.  Tickets may be purchased in person at the Box Office at Proctors at 432 State Street in Schenectady, by calling (518) 346-6204, or online by visiting atproctors.org.

Additional funding to support the artists has been received from the New York State DanceForce, a partnership program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

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Amanda Castro is a Puerto Rican-American multidisciplinary Bessie-winning artist rooted in rhythm. Most recently seen in “Rhythm is Life” by Dormeshia Sumbrey Edwards and “Chasing Magic” by Ayodele Casel, Castro is a graduate of California Institute of the Arts, where she studied under Glen Eddy of Nederlands Dans Theatre and Andre Tyson from Ailey Company. Once a principal dancer of the renowned company, Urban Bush Women, she’s gone on to star in musical theatre productions such as “Singing in the Rain” in the role of Kathy Seldon, Jared Grimes’ ensemble in “42nd Street,” “atomic” performances as Anita in Glimmerglass Festival’s “West Side Story” (NYT ‘18) and Lyric Opera of Chicago, among others. Castro has worked for and collaborated on various projects with artists from around the country, including Soles of Duende, Justin Peck, Julio Monge, Caleb Tiecher, Michael Heitz, Jared Grimes, Francesca Zambello, and many more. She’s been fortunate to work with innovative artists in the field and is constantly on the search to be a part of stories that help elevate our collective humanity. www.acastrodance.com 

Arielle Rosales is a Bessie-nominated Performing Artist who interweaves the worlds of Flamenco, Percussion, Theatre, and Improvisation as a means to explore concepts of duende. As a performer, she has graced the stages of Carnegie Hall and The Joyce, been featured on “The Today Show” (NBC) and “Good Morning America” (ABC), and commercials for Nokia and Target. Her choreography has been featured in “Man of La Mancha” (Shakespeare Theater Company, Washington DC), The Latin Quarter Show (REVEL Casino & Resort, Atlantic City), and as the Flamenco Consultant for “Mrs. Doubtfire” on Broadway. Her most recent short film, “Becoming Mother Duende: An Ode to NYC,” premiered in 2020 for Capital One CityParks Foundation SummerStage. Arielle is a Teaching Artist and the 2020-2021 Artist in Residence with Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana. She is a Co-Founding Dancer with the all-women percussive dance trio @solesofduende and a Band Member of the all-women Afro-Brazilian samba reggae and @batalanewyork.   www.ariellerosales.com 

Brinda Guha identifies as a non-disabled, caste-privileged, cisgender, and queer South-Asian American, and is a Bessie-nominated artist based in New York City with roots in the Jersey shore and Kolkata. Her base of training is in Kathak (Malabika Guha; Ashimbandhu Bhattacharya), Manipuri (Kalavati Devi; Bimbavati Devi), Flamenco (Carmen de las Cuevas; Dionisia Garcia), and hybrid contemporary vocabularies (various). In 2010, she co-founded Kalamandir Dance Company, a contemporary Indian dance ensemble. She choreographed for several national stages and self-produced original feature-length dance productions, which earned her artist residencies at Dixon Place (2018) and Dancewave (2019) to continue to develop work. Brinda is represented by CESD Talent Agency, directs Kalamandir of NJ dance school, is on faculty at the Ailey Extension, is a co-founder and lead artist in multicultural percussive trio, Soles of Duende, and is pursuing freelance artistic direction, performance, and arts education. She continues to train in Kathak, Manipuri, and contemporary dance. As a producer and curator, her vision to allow art and activism to collide was realized when she created Wise Fruit NYC in 2017, a seasonal live arts installment dedicated to the feminine divine and honoring select women-led organizations. She is also the lead researcher and curator of NCCAkron’s How People Move People Podcast, Season 4, works at ADC Consulting as a consultant for production & marketing, and works as the Senior Producing Coordinator for Dance/NYC, a dance service organization rooted in values of JEI and serving the NYC metropolitan arts worker constituency. brindaguha.com.

RYAN THE ARTKITECT (Trumpet/Musical Director) is a Jamaican-American composer, music producer, and recording artist from NJ with national/international credits. His production studio, Wilberforce & Annie, is home to his original creations. 

OKAI MUSIK (Percussion) is a Brooklyn-born percussive and DJ musician of Haitian descent with various national/international credits, incorporating his unique multifaceted approach to drumming in all projects.  

AJ JAGANNATH (Electric Guitar) is a mixed-race musician, composer, and sound engineer from PA with national/international credits. Aquarium Sound NYC is his recording studio, where he works as an engineer.