BALAM Dance Theatre

🎭 La Fiocco commissioned BALAM Dance Theatre to create a new Baroque dance program, 'Sirens, Muses and Fairies'.

Mythic characters in opulent Baroque costumes and masks will cast their spell to the music of Jean-Baptiste Lully, George Friderich Handel, and Henry Purcell in La Fiocco’s October 24 and 25 concerts in Princeton, New Jersey and Solebury, Pennsylvania.

💫Follow us on social media and on our blog for behind-the-scenes news about casting, choreographic discoveries, and costume innovations!

Photo: Rinaldo & Armida 1771 by Angelica Kauffmann
Photo Credit: Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

🎉Good news! 🎻It’s A Baroque Extravaganza. BALAM Dance Theatre is invited to perform in the Gotham Early Music Scene’s 2026–2027 Midtown Concerts season in New York City. The company is proud to join a roster of more than 30 illustrious ensembles and historical music specialists.

BALAM will premiere the new program: A Baroque Extravaganza: Period Choreography and Music from Five Nations.

💃🕺🎶The performance features five musicians, one singer, and five dancers. The exclusive program introduces an excerpt from a Spanish Baroque zarzuela. ¡Olé!

💃Kara-Jane Walker and Adora Singh-Maharaj offered these glowing comments about our new work, Tango Fusion Trio, created for BALAM’s Dance Adventure series offered exclusively at the Marblehead School of Ballet (MSB) inMarblehead, Massachusetts.

“What a pleasure it was to join in on the dream for this Dance Adventure Series’ tango production, Soñemos. The playful choreography, beautiful costuming, and delightful music combined to create a wonderful piece. Looking forward to seeing where we will be transported next!” –Karen-Jane Walker

“Dancing the tango was a transformative experience; it was invigorating to imagine we were in a sultry tango bar swirling around as the beaded shingles on our dress chased our every move! This dance allowed us to embody charismatic personas that played with each other, while also inviting the audience to join in our camaraderie-a real esprit de corps experience!” –Adora Maharaj

💫This month, we rehearse our Rama & Sita Duet in preparation for fall programming. A playful dance, this duet is part of our larger signature fusion work, Ramayana: Abduction of Sita, last performed in 2024.

Inspired by the Hindu epic, our Ramayana is an action-packed story ballet choreographed by Islene Pinder and Carlos Fittante. It features vibrant Balinese fusion costumes and an original score performed and recorded by the renowned Gamelan Semara Ratih of Ubud, Bali.

In 2000, the full work was enthusiastically received by the Balinese attending the International Arts Festival in Denpasar. In fact, the Governor of Bali awarded a certificate of appreciation to Founding Director Islene Pinder and BALAM for the work's cross-cultural artistic excellence!

Photo: Robin Gilbert and Carlos Fittante in Rama & Sita Duet. Photo Credit: Julie Lemberger Photography

Agung Anom

In this remembrance, Luhrs & Associates captures Islene Pinder's remarkable life and trailblazing work beautifully. Thank you.

🎭 Today, Luhrs & Associates honors the legacy of Islene Pinder (1929–2012) on the fourteenth year of her passing. Pinder, the founding director of BALAM Dance Theatre, was a visionary choreographer, dance educator, and movement analyst. She brought the beauty and depth of Balinese dance and culture to audiences across the United States and beyond.

✨ As an associate professor at Lehman College, Pinder conducted pioneering anthropological research in Bali. She created acclaimed choreographic works that captivated audiences worldwide. Among her celebrated pieces were Ramayana—Abduction of Sita, Night Shadow: A Balinese Dream, Vision of Sound, Bird Jauk, Memory, and Fragrance and Pity.

For over three decades, Pinder meticulously documented Balinese culture through film. She captured the work of the region's greatest dancers, preserving daily rituals and festivals for posterity. Her movement analyst eye and deep understanding of Balinese dance proved invaluable. She collaborated extensively with A. A. Gde Anom Putra Anom Baris, the artistic director of the Sanggar Semara Ratih of Ubud.

🎬 She compiled a comprehensive archive that culminated in the documentary Isle of Bali—a vital educational resource sharing Balinese heritage with Western audiences.

🌟 Through her unwavering dedication to cultural preservation and artistic excellence, Pinder inspired generations of dancers and artists.
Her radiance and enduring presence continue to illuminate the dance world, a testament to a life devoted to bridging cultures and celebrating the transformative power of movement.



Robin Gilbert Dance Informa Eugenia Forteza • Mezzo-Soprano Giovanni Simone Marcea T. Daiter
Julie Lemberger Photography
Anahid Sofian
Inma Heredia
Andrew Choreographer
Danisarte
Anna Tonna, mezzo soprano
Carlos Fittante

💫BALAM Dance Theatre remembers Founding Director Islene Pinder on the fourteenth anniversary of her passing. As a tribute, we used an AI analysis of her signature to spark a few remembrances from company members of her remarkable life.

Graphology Points About Islene Pinder’s Signature

1. Legibility and Clarity — Transparency.
2. Rightward Slant — Empathetic.
3. Connected Letters — Analytical & Detail Oriented.
Dancer Remembrances

1. Transparency. “Islene’s commitment to honesty impressed me. Even if it was to her detriment, she always took care to explain the problems of a situation because she wanted a person making an evaluation to feel adequately informed. Her transparency was inspiring.” – Carlos Fittante

2. Empathetic. “Islene was always supportive of my dance. When we rehearsed together, she gave me guidance and encouragement in perfecting my technique, such as conveying emotion through facial expression. She gave me the opportunity to do roles that I was best suited for. She was both a mentor and a dear friend.”
–Nani Devi

3. Detail Oriented. “Islene was such a beautiful mixture of so many wonderful personality traits, but one that sticks out to me was her incredible mind and attention to detail. We could spend hours on one particular movement to try and execute and fulfill the vision she had, whether it was a grand gesture or something very, very small. The moments when the vision was met were glorious! Islene could not contain her excitement and it was an absolute thrill to be a part of that.”
– Robin Gilbert

💫BALAM's vision of contemporary dance shares the beauty of diverse cultures and time periods with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, often for FREE or low cost. Our events entertain and educate people, enliven communities, and bring inspiration and joy, but none of this happens without you.

Your donations in any amount go a long way! As a sustaining partner, donate monthly and help us pay our artists, maintain our costumes and props, and keep our programs accessible for everyone. If you prefer a one-time donation, wonderful. Either way, donating is easy.

🖇Visit BALAM's blog, https://balamdancetheatre.blogspot.com/, and click the DONATE button, or send a check payable to:

BALAM Dance Theatre
319 West 18th Street, 4C
New York, NY 10011.

BALAM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Your interest and support give us purpose and life.

🤝Thank you,

Carlos Fittante
Artistic Director/President

Photo: Robin Gilbert in Folia: Fantasia Español. Photo Credit: Julie Lemberger Photography

🌈BALAM honors Pride through our latest Balinese fusion work, Dragonfly Welcome Dance, set to the company’s arrangement of the gamelan music, Pendet Penyambutan (Welcome Dance). In Bali, the Welcome Dance blesses the performance space so that everyone — people, animals, nature, ancestral spirits, and powerful deities — can enjoy better the dance.

Our Dragonfly wears three-foot bamboo Balinese wings, zips around the stage, and ultimately draws out blue fabric representing water. (Dragonflies like water!) Dancing in the water with an iconic Legong trance movement, the Dragonfly then produces a Balinese floral welcome basket and with one stroke blesses the audience.

💫This choreography presents distinct gender qualities drawn from several traditional Balinese dances, including the sensual femininity of the Oleg Tambulilingan, the vibrant marches of the Legong dances, the verve of the non-binary Teruna Jaya, and the excited strut of the masculine Baris.

Photo: Carlos Fittante

🤝BALAM is a frequent collaborator with other artists and organizations, offering its expertise and skills to further the overall arts scene, a tradition established with the company's founding in 1979.

One such BALAM friend is the not-for-profit Shakespeare Downtown, now celebrating its tenth season. During this time, BALAM donated choreography for their premiere production of Romeo and Juliet in 2016, A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2018, and Lady of the Camellias in 2023. This year, BALAM is assisting with the soundscape for their upcoming production:

💫Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov – FREE. Tickets are available at the venue at 5:45 p.m. June 11–14 & June 18–21 (Thursday–Sunday) at 6:30 p.m.
Castle Clinton National Monument in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Directed by Geoffrey Horne starring Billie Andersson and actors from the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

The Cast from Uncle Vanyah. Photo Credit: Shakespeare Downtown

🎉Find out what’s new at BALAM Dance Theatre in our June newsletter:

🎪 BALAM performs with Marblehead School of Ballet on June 6 at José Mateo Ballet Theatre's 16th Annual Dance for World Community in Harvard Square!
✨Celebrating Pride with a new piece
🙏 Special feature: Remembering BALAM’s Founding Director Islene Pinder and her legacy
💃Rehearsals underway with Rama & Sita Duet
🎭From the Archive: Collaborating with Shakespeare Downtown
📰More News
🖇Get the Details Here: https://tinyurl.com/BALAMJune262




Carlos Fittante Putnam County DANCE Project Julie Lemberger Photography