Her Magnum Opus, a feature film by Marta Renzi
Aileen Passloff has danced as long as she can remember. She joined James Waring’s company when she was 13, later dancing with Remy Charlip, Katherine Litz, and Yvonne Rainer, and acting in the plays of Irene Fornes. She had her own company in New York City for 10 years. She headed the dance department at Bard College for 26 years, where among her many remarkable students were Arthur Avilés, Liz Prince, Dusan Tynek, and Annie Bogart. She was awarded a post-doctoral Fulbright in Spanish dance and taught performance at the Conservatory of Dance in Madrid. Because much of her work has been shown at Judson Church, she considers Judson her artistic home, and it is there that she is artist-in-residence. All of her life she has been passionate about dancing and teaching.
Aileen Passloff died peacefully in the company of Arthur Aviles and Charlotte Hendrickson on November 3, 2020. For more about her life, read this.
Photos: Robert Vergara
Arthur Avilés danced for many years with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane. He is co-founder of BAAD! the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, a nationally-recognized arts organization that brings a queer perspective to the socio-political dialogue in the Bronx. Arthur was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater Bard College. He's been in Renzi work on stage and on screen since they met at Pro Danza Italia in 2008.
Aislinn MacMaster has practiced as an intensive care nurse for the past 10 years. She danced in the companies of Gina Gibney, Paula Josa Jones and the multi-racial,multi-generational Front Porch Dance Company and has appeared in several Renzi films, including Her Children Mourn, Incident at Chekhov Creek and In Search of lost time.
Blakeley White-McGuire was Principal dancer for 15 years with the Martha Graham Dance Company with which she toured internationally, receiving many honors including the Italian Career Achievement Award and the Premio Positano Award. Blakeley taught modern dance at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and American Dance Festival and holds an MFA in interdisciplinary arts from Godard College. This is her first Renzi project.
Andy Chapman has collaborated with Renzi since 2010 on work for stage and screen, notably with Amos in Brother’s Keeper, and with Aislinn in Her Children Mourn. He is a frequent performer in works by the award-winning immersive theater company Third Rail Projects. Andy is also the founder / curator of the Mobile Dance Film Festival at the 92nd Street Y.