Choreography — Randolyn Zinn

Perhaps because I am an actor myself, I have a facility for helping actors activate their physical instruments. I like to make a movement language that weaves in and out of the fabric of words and music to illuminate character and dramatize how everything is in flux. I’ve served as choreographer at the Guthrie Theatre, Juilliard, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, New York City Opera, American Music Theatre Festival, Living Room Theatre, Circle in the Square, Hubbard Hall, films starring Harvey Keitel, and on Broadway for Sunday In The Park With George.

“Zinn’s work has the logic of dreams.”

— Robert Pierce, The Village Voice

We were looking for the ancient Greek dithyramb in our contemporary bodies to tell the Tantalus story through gesture and rhythm.

Frank, Frank

The Tone Ladies dance through Frank’s fantasies as the embodiment of wordly success while sending a mixed message of Woman as temptress, property and burden — a 1950s world view.

Sunday In The Park With George

Original Broadway Production

Photos: Martha Swope

In “Color and Light” Dot sits at her powdering table dreaming about not only going to the follies but dancing in them.

Finding the right gestures placed at the right moment, joined to the right words, and not always meant to be performed perfectly epitomizes character.

“Zinn has the keen ability to pinpoint hidden emotions of both fictional and real character. She treats dramatic subjects with color and shading, energy and velocity.” — Jill Silverman, Dance Magazines.

Guys and Dolls

The Guthrie Theater

Directed by Garland Wright

One of the very best American musicals because there is a reason for every song and every dance. Working with Garland again was a pleasure as we crafted our vision of America with Damon Runyon’s stories, Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows’ book and Frank Loesser’s music.

Pictured below “The Crapshooter’s Ballet” and “Take Back Your Mink”.

Photos by Jo Giannetti

“A special note should be made about Randolyn Zinn’s choreography. It’s vibrant, energetic stuff, with an edge that seems to come from a slightly asymmetrical rhythm. Above all, the dancing is fast - and it’s highly detailed, with lots of two and three-dancer vignettes blended into the larger choreographic ensemble. Clearly, it’s some of the most effective choreography to be presented at the Guthrie.” --- David Hawley, St. Paul Press

L’Histoire du Soldat

Music by Igor Stravinsky with members of the New York Philharmonic for Lincoln Center Institute.

Directed by Jonathan Furst

Stravinsky’s music was a joy and a challenge to choreograph. While this music is counted in 9s and 5s, often switching time signatures mid-stream, it is always danceable. The production was a joy to work on. Mark Blum and I rehearsed scenes between the Princess and the Soldier in different ways, playing around until we found what felt real and unexpected. This was facilitated since I also danced the role of the Princess, so our energies merged. I made the decision that my Princess had been asleep for most of her life and only the Soldier’s violin music (a waltz, a tango and a ragtime) finally awakened me to life’s possibilities.

As You Like It

The Guthrie Theater

Directed by Liviu Ciulei

Liviu’s Shakespeare productions completely illuminated the text. A master of the big vision supported by small, human moments of pathos, pain and joy, it was an honor to work with him for the second time.

These Two At A Distance

An untenable relationship moving through duets and solos explores character definitions and incongruities, set to music by George Gershwin and Dave Brubeck. Made with an Affiliate Artist fellowship, performed at Dance Theatre Workshop

Finding Graceland

Harvey Keitel’s rendition of “Suspicious MInds” is not as much an imitation as an evocation of Elvis wherein emotional connection and choreography meet in the imagination of a great actor.

Produced by Largo Entertainment

The Tempest

Pictured below is the Nymphs and Reapers dance during the wedding of Ferdinand and Miranda.

“In this Tempest, the evening’s magic tricks by Randolyn Zinn are splendidly created.” — Frank Rich, The New York Times.

In collaboration with director Liviu Ciulei at the Guthrie Theatre

Antarctica

A full-length dance-theatre poem featuring The Woman and Man in Summer Clothes, the Vulgar Trio and Three Virgins. Characters pursue each other through scenes entitled Mapping out the Ice, The Suitcase Series and the Torso Ballet -- a Praxiteles movement frieze – until the ice melts and chaos gives way to an uneasy finale.

Produced by Dance Theatre Workshop

"Zinn’s ANTARCTICA is…mythic and personal at the same time.” — Dance Magazine

the ice begins to melt…

Music-Hall Sidelights

From Colette’s story, adapted by Jack Heifner, directed by Garland Wright and produced by Lion Theatre Company on Theatre Row in NYC. Starring Kathy Bates as Colette.

CHAPTER NINE after Flaubert’s novel Madame Bovary. With music by Chopin.

I performed this solo first at Washington Square Church in NYC, then at Lincoln Center Institute and on tour in Louisiana during an Affiliate Artists fellowship where I danced on concrete floors, in church basements, outdoors in a rainstorm, and in the lunchroom of a chemical factory where everyone was obliged to wear a hardhat for safety, including me in my lacy Victorian costume. That juxtaposition yielded lesson in a surrealism that I came to appreciate in retrospect.