U OUGHT TO KNOW LAURIE KANYOK.Byline: - Evan Henerson Profession: Dancer Where U've seen her before: On national tour of the musical ``Saturday Night Fever,'' in films such as ``Lord of Illusion,'' ``Showgirls,'' ``Cinderella'' and the TV series ``Fame LA.'' Where U can see her: Lead dancer alternating in the role of Brenda in Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp's ``Movin' Out,'' through Oct. 31 at the Pantages Theatre There are multiple venues named the Pantages Theatre: Canada
Startin' Up, Hittin' the Road: Kanyok has been with ``Movin' Out'' since its development in Chicago. She danced in the ensemble, understudied the role of Brenda on Broadway and joined the road company, alternating the role with Holly Cruikshank. After three years, ``It's still fresh, still new, still exciting to do,'' says Kanyok. ``Brenda's a dream. She's quirky quirk n. 1. A peculiarity of behavior; an idiosyncrasy: "Every man had his own quirks and twists" Harriet Beecher Stowe. 2. , she's crazy, she changes, she grows up a lot. So it's exciting. Every show can be different. Plus I grew up on Billy Joel's music. I wanted to marry him when I was 6.'' Life with Twyla: ``Amazing'' is Kanyok's first word to describe director/choreographer Tharp. As well as ``driven, devoted, passionate, demanding, inspirational in·spi·ra·tion·al adj. 1. Of or relating to inspiration. 2. Providing or intended to convey inspiration. 3. Resulting from inspiration. . And she can be tough. She doesn't expect anything but your best. Always. And I appreciate that. It's how I trained and what I grew up with. There are still a lot of things I would love to ask her and still a lot of things I'm sure I can get from her.'' The Geography of Kanyok: Once a Valley resident in the early 1990s, when she and a group of dancer friends congregated in Studio City, the Pennsylvania-born Kanyok has spent her non-``Movin' Out'' hours during the L.A. run near the beach. Home base is in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , but work has kept Kanyok bi-coastal for the past 10 years. Her latest haunt haunt v. haunt·ed, haunt·ing, haunts v.tr. 1. To inhabit, visit, or appear to in the form of a ghost or other supernatural being. 2. of choice: Napa, where she's learning about wine making. Ouch!: An anterior cruciate ligament anterior cruciate ligament n. Abbr. ACL The cruciate ligament of the knee that crosses from the anterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the posterior part of the lateral condyle of the femur. strain in her left knee during the third L.A. performance took Kanyok out of action for 10 days. ``We went through the 'Shameless' pas de deux pas de deux (French; “step for two”) Dance for two performers. A characteristic part of classical ballet, it includes an adagio, or slow dance, by the ballerina and her partner; solo variations by the male dancer and then the ballerina; and a coda, or and I knew I shouldn't go on. I had had knee surgery in the past and I just kind of knew. It was lucky I did stop. I was concerned I could have snapped it and been out for a really long time. ``I had a third degree ankle sprain ankle sprain Orthopedics A stretching of the ankle ligaments and/or muscles with swelling back in February. That was bad,'' she continues. ``I had been dancing for so long and you just figure your body will heal. But it will heal when it's good and ready.'' Follow my steps: Returning to New York after her stint on the West Coast, she produced an evening of dance called ``The Gypsy Project,'' which led to the opportunity to be assistant choreographer cho·re·o·graph v. cho·re·o·graphed, cho·re·o·graph·ing, cho·re·o·graphs v.tr. 1. To create the choreography of: choreograph a ballet. 2. of Cirque du Soleil's ``La Nouba'' in Florida. ``I would love to continue choreographing, but I was at the point and age where I wasn't wanting to do that full time. I enjoy the creative process, which was another reason I enjoyed working with Twyla on this show.'' If U want more information: www.movinoutonbroadway.com. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) no caption (Laurie Kanyok) Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer |
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