Buffalo Rising Online

Aug 14th, 10:40am By Emily Lenihan

Expanding the arts in Buffalo? People moving TO Buffalo for work? These are the results of Jon Lehrer's company LehrerDance, which he started in July 2007. The company is a nationally touring dance company and is calling Buffalo home.

Lehrer is not a Buffalo native, but he did go to college at the University at Buffalo and his wife grew up here. "I thought starting my company in Buffalo would be great because Buffalo is a great city and I know the arts would love it here because it doesn't have a lot of dance companies. It has very good dance companies, but it is not inundated with dance companies."

Lehrer's company is comprised of seven dancers who moved away from other states or cities and into downtown Buffalo. The company has two Buffalonians onboard as apprentices. The dancers, ranging from 22 years old to 28, have moved from Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois, Missouri and other parts of New York.

"They are really becoming a part of the city. In just one year they have really set up their lives here," continued Lehrer. "They all love Buffalo and are all very much a part of Buffalo's culture and Buffalo's daily existence."

LehrerDance practices at space donated to them by Spezio's Dance Dynamics, Walh Performing Art Studio's and Nichols School. He also said that, "in the fall we are starting a very unique long term collaboration with the University at Buffalo's Department of Theater and Dance and LehrerDance."

Lehrer said he and his dancers rave about Buffalo. "We will be touring around the world starting next year and we bring that to Buffalo, and we carry the Buffalo name with us everywhere we go."

LehrerDance is different from many dance companies because Jon Lehrer does all the choreography himself. Lehrer has an extensive background in modern and jazz dance and ballet. "Our style is very unique because it is all just my choreography," said Lehrer. "All my dancers are varied and every dance is different than the next."

"I get fathers of dance students who hate going to see dance, but love seeing our shows because they are extremely athletic and entertaining," said Lehrer. "Then I get dancers from ballet companies that love it because it is extremely technical and artistic, so we pride ourselves on spanning the whole spectrum and attracting a wide audience base."

When asked about his shows at UB in September Lehrer said, "It's our first show [this close to] Buffalo so I'm really curious to see what the general demographic of the audience will be."

Lehrer also mentioned, "The one thing we have going for us as a new company is that we are touring a lot. The show people will see September 13th and 14th at UB will have toured all over the country already."

Lehrer did lament the fact that venues in Buffalo proper are very pricey to rent for a newly established local company who is just building their reputation in the region. "Sheas is awesome but way too expensive to rent. Maybe one day they will come after LehrerDance for their series....wishful thinking can't hurt," Lehrer mused.