Tony Silva's
Music for Modern Dance Class and Performance
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David Dorfman master class at Smith College fall 2007



Tony Silva is an adjunct faculty member of the Five College consortium in western Mass, where he has accompanied dance classes since 2003. Before that he was himself a dancer for 20 years.

The son of two artists, Silva was born in NYC in 1962, and has been involved with music and dance since childhood. He earned a BFA in dance from the University of Massachusetts in 1994, then moved back to NYC to choreograph, perform and teach dance for the next nine years. This experience left him uniquely qualified to accompany dance classes as he understands the needs of the dancers and the teacher.

Tony has been greatly aided by the mentorship of Peter Jones and Mike Vargas in his development as an accompanist. He has played master classes for David Dorffman, Liz Lerman, Marjorie Folkman (Mark Morris), Paul Denis as well as many long-time Five College faculty members.

Tony blends electronics with acoustic instruments to produce a punchy mix that motivates dancers. He creates rich sonic atmospheres with a wide variety of instruments, from synthesizers, percussion and chimes, to guitar and flutes. Having gone through professional dance training himself, Tony is very tuned-in to supporting the class structure created by the teacher.

Contact Tony Silva at
(413) 584-8985
tony@tonysilva.com



Liz Lerman master class at Hampshire College Spring 2010
Tony Silva is available to play for master classes and classes at festivals. Please call (413) 584-8985 or Tony@TonySilva.com

Music for Modern Dance Class CDs will be available soon. Please check back.

Tony playing with Manou (of the Black Rebels) and Donovan in Kalpana Devi's African Dance Class at Williton, Easthampton 2005.
Tony playing with John Sprague in Melissa Alexis Bruce's Afro Rhythms class at Amherst College 2005.
Tony Silva playing for Jenny Bennett's Modern 1 at UMass, Amherst 2005.
Tony playing for Tara Madsen's Modern
2 at Smith College, Fall 2005.
Tara Madsen

Three new pieces of music composed by Tony Silva will be included in the
World Premiere. Friday, October 9, 7:00
MoMA Presents: Joan Braderman's
The Heretics
October 9–15


The Heretics uncovers the inside story of a pivotal force in the "second wave" of the Women’s Movement. Director Joan Braderman, who followed her dream of becoming a filmmaker to New York City in 1971, where she joined the feminist art collective Heresies at the epicenter of the 1970’s art world in lower Manhattan, charts the collective's story for the first time in a feature-length film or video.
Unlike more traditional “documentaries,” the film is framed with striking new digital motion graphics. Consisting of intimate interviews with former collective members, archival footage from the 1970s, and documents of the Heresies collective, which published HERESIES: A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics from 1977 to 1992, The Heretics views the collective in the context of the larger second-wave movement, which was made up of thousands who met in small, private group settings to discuss issues and launch programs and actions relevant to women. The hundreds of Heresies members—now scattered around the globe and working as artists, writers, architects, painters, filmmakers, designers, editors, curators, and teachers—speak intimately about the extraordinary times they shared, challenging the terms of gender and power and re-imagining the lives of generations to come.

Organized by Sally Berger, Assistant Curator, Department of Film.

The Heretics. 2009. USA. Written and directed by Joan Braderman and produced by Crescent Diamond for No More Nice Girls Productions. Print courtesy the artist. 95 min. World Premiere. Friday, October 9, 7:00; Saturday, October 10, 7:30; Sunday, October 11, 2:00; Monday, October 12, 4:00; Wednesday, October 14, 4:00; Thursday, October 15, 7:00. T2

WE EXPECT TO HAVE AN AFTER-PARTY THE EVENING OF OCT 9 AFTER THE FILM: VENUE TO BE ANNOUNCED.

We hope to see you at the opening night screening or at one of the succeeding day or evening shows the following week.

Click here for Heretics web site


Tony Silva's new sound score is featured in the original play by
First Generation.
It premieres on August 7th, at 7PM,
At the Rebecca Johnson School
55 Catherine Street, Springfield, MA
(413) 586-4960


New CD released January 2009

Zen Garage
The Spaces in Between

Shakuhachi flute, Celtic harp and world percussion for relaxing, yoga or deep listening.

Zen Garage fuses deep cultural traditions with improvisation to weave aural poems of imaginary worlds. The musicians realized at their first meeting that there was a rare simpatico. That deep connection is what makes this CD so special.

Perry Yung has studied shakuhachi flute, and makes custom shakuhachis (www.yungflutes.com). Tony Silva is prolific film/ dance composer who also accompanies dance classes and performances on a daily basis (www.tonysilva.com). Jonathan Keezing (BA Berklee College of Music) has performed in a wide variety of genres for over twenty years. He records for the Passion Records Label (www.passionrecords.com).

This CD features Eco Packaging, using less plastic and creating a smaller carbon footprint.

Click here to listen or purchase CD or MP3 downloads.


Tony Silva just completed the original music score and sound design for Island Film's Artists of the Bahamas. The film premiered at the Bahamas International Film Festival December 5th.

Music by Tony Silva
Yoga taught by
Aaron Vega
Live Music and Yoga Experience

@ Valley Yoga
TBA - Westfield, MA

Advanced Beginner Class Level
$20 in advance/$25 at the door/students $15

The incorporation of live music fuses together the energy, intimacy and spontaneity of practicing yoga to the beat. Join Aaron for this invigorating workshop where we will explore the dynamic relationship between postures, physical strength and the opening to the breath within the body. The flowing sequences will focus on hip opening, spinal twists, as well as building stamina. If having fun is an integral part of your yoga practice, than this is the perfect workshop for you.


June 28, 6:30 PM
Motion Devotion

Live at the Art Bridge
DANCE YOUR ART OUT
A dance and art making party

Please come out and let your creativity loose into the spring time night with their new back deck overlooking the fire and stream -

It starts with a potluck at 6pm in the new performance cafe. Then, by 7:30 it will be time for Dance Your Art Out - a combo back and forth as you like it dance and artmaking party with stations around the dance area for several different kinds of art making to music

The party is led by our own world-beat dance band Motion Devotion with Eve on vocals, Tonys Silva and Derricotte, Jonathons Keezing and Barley, new drummer Luciano and others. Bring your instrument and sit in.

Afterwards - a fire by the stream with fire dancing and the rest.
So come on out!!

At the Art Bridge