About
The duo of Nicoll + Oreck began dancing together in 1983, and since 1995 have performed duets by Ann Carlson, Gerrie Glover, Pamela Harling, Phyllis Lamhut, Beth Leonard, Claire Porter, and JoAnna Mendl Shaw, in addition to performing their own work. Nicoll + Oreck, described by Elizabeth Zimmer (The Village Voice) as “contained and free, rhythmic yet casual, conjoined but independent,” present a striking image of contrasting body types who move with a remarkably unified physicality. Susan Yung, in The Dance Insider, says “Nicoll and Oreck have a rhythmic understanding, despite their 13″ height difference, even seeming to breathe at the same pace.” Their diverse repertoire blends biting humor, poignance, and athleticism and has been presented at the Dancespace Project, dancenow/nyc, Rivertowns Dance Festival, D.U.M.B.O. Arts Festival, Wildroot Arts in Brattleboro, Vermont, and the Local Produce Festival and the Boulder Fringe Festival where they were a winner of 2007 and 2008 Fringe Encore presentation.
Before their duets engagements, Jessica Nicoll and Barry Oreck performed with the companies of Kei Takei, Stephan Koplowitz, Spoke the Hub Dancing, and MoMoMo, among others. Nicoll’s choreography has been presented at PS 122, The Kitchen, and the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center and has been awarded an Off-Off Broadway Review Award for Excellence (1999). Oreck, a cofounder with Gerrie Glover of New Mexico DanceWorks, also performed in New Mexico with Elizabeth Waters and Lee Conner.
In addition to their performing careers Nicoll and Oreck are nationally and internationally known teachers whose educational philosophy and methods have been developed over 25 years working with children, young adults, arts educators, academic classroom teachers and administrators.