MISSION STATEMENT
TRAVESTY DANCE GROUP was conceived to support and produce the creative projects of its founding members, Kimberly Karpanty (CLEVELAND) , Rebecca Malcolm-Naib (PHILADELPHIA) and Karen Stokes (HOUSTON). Enriched by collaborative process, Travesty Dance Group seeks to bring diverse original dance work to a variety of communities. The founders believe in dance as a basic human art, embracing both the complexities of contemporary society and the life affirming essence of movement. The fundamental hope of Travesty Dance Group is to create dance that rises above travesty to inspire and enlighten.
THE NAME
The name, Travesty Dance Group, embodies several concepts. Travesty describes the peripheral status of the arts and culture in the fabric of our society. It also reflects the challenging state of funding in the arts today. On the lighter side, it suggests the necessary humor of three women continuing professional dance careers in a field that traditionally favors youth, while managing a dance company in three different cities.
COMPANY HISTORY
The founders met in 1996 as dance faculty colleagues at Kent State University. Despite differing backgrounds, each shared a long professional performance history, a love of teaching and choreographing and a desire to stay connected to the professional dance world. The differing artistic viewpoints stimulated dialogue about the field of dance at large, and particularly about the craft of choreography. Karpanty, Malcolm-Naib and Stokes found their diverse experiences were enriching the individual process of making dances. Additionally, they found that while the artistic differences expanded horizons, they shared a strong work ethic. Travesty Dance Group was born.
TDG made its debut in May 1997 at Case Western Reserve University’s Mather Dance Center. Since then, the founders have spread apart, with Karpanty continuing at Kent State, Malcolm-Naib to Philadelphia to raise a family and teach at Bryn Mawr College, and Stokes returning to her native Houston to direct the dance division at the University of Houston. The company earned not-for-profit status in 2001, and has performed numerous times in the three “home” cities as well as in Seattle, New York City, Phoenix, and Toronto in collaborative and individual projects. TDG shares a national board and regional boards in Houston and Cleveland. For more information please visit our national website at www.travestydancegroup.org
TRAVESTY DANCE GROUP/ CLEVELAND
KIMBERLY KARPANTY is a founding member of Travesty Dance Group and the director of TDG CLEVELAND. She holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Choreography and Dance Technology from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Dance and Dance Education from New York University in New York City where she choreographed, taught and performed for over ten years. She danced in works by Linda Nutter, David Matiano, Murray Louis, Manuel Alum, Anna Sokolow, Doug Varone, Jennifer Tsukayama, Tommy Parlon, Kora Radella, Joan Meggitt and Cliff Keuter, among others.
Karpanty has created over 40 dances in both modern and jazz genres, and has been an invited teacher and choreographer at numerous universities and dance festivals. Her work has been produced throughout the United States and abroad in Canada, Argentina, Mexico and Costa Rica. Karpanty is an Associate Professor of Dance at Kent State University where she has directed the Kent Dance Ensemble since 1996. Her research includes dance science and performance technologies. She is also a fully certified instructor of Core Dynamics Pilates, specializing in the needs of contemporary dancers.