Beth Jucovy

Beth Jucovy, Artistic Director of Dance Visions NY , a non-profit organization since 2011, founded the original Dance Visions Company in 1990. Beth is also founder, director and educator of her school, Children Dancing, since 1988 and a free-lance teaching artist and dance educator. Beth has been an Isadora Duncan dancer throughout her lifetime. She studied with Julia Levien as well as with Anna Duncan since early childhood. Beth joined the Commemorative Company in 1978. While living in Germany and Austria in late 1979- 80, she taught and performed Duncan Dance among other styles with Ameridance International. After returning to the US, she continued dancing with the Commemorative Company and then went on to dance with many NY Duncan Dance troupes. She and Julie M Finch collaborated to form "The Dance of Isadora Duncan" in 1989 with Hortense Kooluris as Artistic Advisor. Beth had extensive individual coaching with Julia Levien and she toured Israel in 1990 performing solo concerts at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem and at the Suzanne Dellal Center in Tel Aviv. She also performed and taught workshops for the Kibbutz Dance Company and at the Rubin Academy.

Beth began Dance Visions in 1990 with the intention of a company that presents both the Duncan works as authentically as possible as well as original works stemming from the company dancer/choreographers individual roots. Julia Levien, Gemze DeLappe and Hortense Kooluris were advisors and they often were guest artists, teachers, coaches and speakers with the company.

Beth has created many Duncan programs with Dance Visions including one of the first narrated programs about Isadora's life, art and times entitled "The Divine Flame", with actress Shirley Romaine. She also created "Isadora and the American Jewish Intelligentsia" that was originally commissioned for the 92nd St Y Sundays at 3 series and performed subsequently as Isadora and the American Jewish Experience at many centers including Workman's Circle. Later she created "Isadora and the Power of Mythology" and the outdoor site specific program for "Midsummer Night" commissioned by Old Westbury Gardens and performed by the company from 2009- 2012. The company performs often in the NY metropolitan area currently has beeb presenting site-specific and tailored works of Duncan repertory and original Jucovy dance pieces at outdoor gardens, preserves and estates.
Beth's original works run the gamut from pure dance pieces to dance/theater works. Her works very much stem from her immersion in the Duncan aesthetic. Ms. Jucovy’s programs have been presented at venues including the 92nd St Y, City Center, Tilles Center, several of the NY metropolitan area museums, centers, colleges, festivals, schools and libraries.

Beth also had been a soloist with the Downtown Ballet Company which had been a NYC based modern-ballet company, with Ameridance International, a jazz dance company in Munich, and a dancer with Andrew Jannetti and Dancers. She was a dance educator in the NY Public school system for nearly a decade, at the Dalton School (2003-2013), and is a Tilles Center Aesthetic Education Dance Teaching Artist since 2000.

Photo by Etyan Stern-Weber from "The Seagull" Brahms Opus 39, #8; 2014 performed at Central Park
Photo by Alan Bassett, Dance Visions performance of "Flames of the Heart" Brahms waltz opus 39 # 14
Photo by Alan Bassett, Dance Visions performance of "Bachanal" (Gluck, Iphegenia in Aulis)

Affiliations

Isadora Duncan Commemorative (Centenary) Dance Company — Company Member (1978—1981)

Dance Visions NY — Director (since 1990)

Dance of Isadora Duncan — Co-director (1989—1990)

Duncan Dance Continuum — Dancer

From the Repertory of Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan Dance Ensemble

Rubato Dance Company — Dancer

Links

The Collection of Beth Jucovy

Children Dancing

Dance Visions NY, Inc.

Videos

Collection Title Date
Beth Jucovy and Dance Visions NY YouTube Collection Dance Visions NY: Schubert Symphony Excerpts 2013
Beth Jucovy and Dance Visions NY YouTube Collection Dance Visions NY: Tribute to Apollo 2013
Beth Jucovy and Dance Visions NY YouTube Collection Dance Visions NY: Tribute to Artemis 2012
Beth Jucovy and Dance Visions NY YouTube Collection Dance Visions NY: Excerpts from Midsummer Night 2012
The Collection of Adrienne Ramm Isadora and the American Jewish Intelligentsia 2000
Catherine Gallant and Dances by Isadora YouTube channel Duncan Dance Continuum performs Chopin's Berceuse 1993
Beth Jucovy and Dance Visions NY YouTube Collection Duncan Dance Continuum performs Waltz Brilliante 1993
Beth Jucovy and Dance Visions NY YouTube Collection Tribute to Isadora Duncan, Hortense Kooluris and Dancers at the World Trade Center 09/14/1987
Beth Jucovy and Dance Visions NY YouTube Collection Julia Levien's staging of Tchaikovsky's Pathetique

Related items in the Archives

The Collection of Beth Jucovy > Photos > Orfeo — Adrienne Ramm, Beth Jucovy — Dance Visions NY — Dec 06, 2015

The Collection of Lynn Armentrout > Programs > Summerdance at Holy Trininty — The Duncan Dance Continuum — Jun 02, 1994

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Riverside Dance Festival — Isadora Duncan Commemorative Dance Company — Jan 24, 1979

The Collection of Barbara Kane > Programs > Riverside Dance Festival — Julia Levien — Isadora Duncan Commemorative Dance Company — 1980

The Isadora Duncan Archive Collection > Programs > Isadora Duncan in the 21st Century — Jan 20, 2017

Related references

Anderson, Jack. "Isadora Duncan's Legacy", New York Times, January 18, 1989.

Mazo, Joseph H., "Duncan, 'Giselle' On LI", Newsday, November 26, 1991, p. 46 (Review of Beth Jucovy and dancers, performing Duncan with the American Ballet Russe).