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Photo by Paradise Photo. Graphic by Nicole Harris A conversation between the two choreographers for this years choreographic mentorship program; Elizabeth Powers and Elyssa Berg. EB: You just recently finished school at Roger Williams University this past May, what have you been up to since graduation? EP: I am currently living in Providence, RI and working as a teaching artist in a middle school where I work with teachers to integrate arts into the academic curriculum. I'm taking classes and dancing in various projects around the Boston and Providence areas. I'm also working on creating some new work that pushes me into a different mode of creating movement. EB: So now that you have a chance to pursue new ideas what are you finding yourself most interested in exploring as a choreographer? EP: As a choreographer a lot of my interests come from thoughts. I am really interested in people and how they work. I think that dance and movement facilitate exploration of these sorts of topics. I am also interested in exploring the possibilities of improvisation. I like to create improvisation scores that involve challenges or problems that have to be solved by doing the improvisation. Personally I use this method as a way to get myself to create movement that is different from what I usually do. I find that improvisation allows dancers to constantly be pushing the limitations of movement without getting stuck in a pattern, or at least provides the option of editing a score to create an escape from the pattern. I am also interested in using improvisation within the structure of a final piece. I get sick of doing the same thing all the time and am interested in the ways that a piece can be different every time that it is performed while it is still the same piece. EB: It sounds like you are trying to push yourself to constantly change and try new approaches and tools, where do you find most of your inspiration for these new ideas comes from? EP: A lot of my inspiration comes from watching dance. When I need to come up with an idea for a piece, going to see a good show always brings me into that mindset and gives me ideas to play with. I'm also inspired by relationships and observations throughout daily life. I find that the movement that is constantly occurring everyday is often as interesting as any movement that we classify as dance, when it's put in the appropriate context. EB: You are about to begin the process of creating a piece for NACHMO, as you start this process and other processes what would you say is your biggest challenge in creating a new work? EP: My biggest challenge when creating work is probably choosing what to focus on. I often have a lot of completely random ideas and so choosing which ideas to focus on is a challenge. I like to let ideas develop and pull my work in a certain direction, but before I can do that, I have to choose which ideas to give that power to. Sometimes I'll let a piece go in one direction for a while before deciding that isn't where it is supposed to go, so being open to giving a piece multiple chances to identify itself is important to me. EB: Do you have any plans for the near future? Are there any goals or things you would like to accomplish in the next five years or so? EP: Honestly the only thing that I know I still want to be doing in five years is dancing. I want to be creating and sharing work regularly. I want to work with populations who have varying abilities as well as share the power of movement with anyone who could benefit from it. I want to be moving in a different way than I am right now. There are so many different ways to move and in my 22 years of life I have just scratched the surface. EB: As you have had a long relationship with Monkeyhouse what would you say is your favorite part about working with the company? EP: I love that I get to work with people who are so willing to try and to support. I can go into a musing with a weird idea or a hand gesture and come out with something really interesting. Also working with people like Karen and Nicole who have been teaching me dance since I was a kid is amazing because I know that they won't hesitate to push me out of my comfort zone but they will also help me make sense of things when they seem to be going nowhere. So, my favorite part of working with Monkeyhouse is being able to work with a community of dancers who will accept crazy ideas and make something out of anything that they are given. by Nicole Harris We have been so lucky over the last seventeen years to have former students from Impulse Dance Center, Dover Sherborn High School, the Dancing Arts Center, Natick High School, Groton School, Endicott College and beyond who have returned to be part of Monkeyhouse in some way. They've been board members, funders, company choreographers, audience members and guest artists. They have participated in Musings and company class as well as been invaluable advisors to us in and out of the studio. We are forever grateful to each and every one of them! This past summer we created a series of Musings at Impulse Dance Center to give the alumni an opportunity to dance at a more professional level and to play with choreographic ideas in a low stakes setting. (We'll be talking more about that particular program in a future blog post. Keep an eye out!) During that process we were inspired to create a new Choreography Mentorship for emerging choreographers. Many of our former students have gone on to complete dance programs at the college level and came home with inspiring new skills, ideas and goals. We want to help these emerging choreographers as they transition from an academic dance life to a professional one. We are starting this program with two of our Impulse Dance Center alumni, Elizabeth Powers and Elyssa Berg (who you might also remember as being a choreographic intern during her senior year of high school and a guest artist at Monkeyhouse's Misplaced/Displaced concert). These two dynamic choreographers will continue to lead Musings for December and January as they refine a choreographic idea. During the month of January, they will each create a piece of choreography for NACHMO (National Choreography Month) using dancers from Monkeyhouse. This is an exciting opportunity for emerging choreographers. They receive studio space for both Musings and rehearsal; mentoring in choreography, design and all the administrative work involved in producing a new work; the opportunity to set work on a company and a whole lot more. You will hear a whole lot about these two ladies and the work they are creating over the next three months. But first, here's a quick introduction: Elizabeth Powers graduated from Roger Williams University in May 2017 with a BA in Dance and Performance Studies and a double major in Psychology. Elizabeth grew up dancing at Impulse Dance Center in Natick, MA where she studied a variety of dance styles before finding contemporary-modern and improvisation techniques to be her passion. Nicole Harris and Karen Krolak were two of Elizabeth’s teachers at Impulse who encouraged her to find her creative voice and push boundaries. They continue to do so today. Throughout college, Elizabeth had the opportunity to study with and perform in works by Heather Ahern, Hilary Easton, Ori Flomin, Kellie Ann Lynch, Fritha Pengelley, and Christina Robson. She was graced with the mentorship of Michael Bolger, France Hunter, Cathy Nicoli, and Gary Shore. She was also able to spend a semester studying dance and performance in London, UK where she worked with choreographer Katie Lusby. Elizabeth is currently working as a teaching artist in Providence, RI, where she works with middle school teachers to integrate the arts into their academic curriculum. She is also performing and choreographing for various events throughout the Boston and Providence areas. She is extremely excited to be exploring a new idea with Monkeyhouse. Elyssa Berg began her dance training at Impulse Dance Center in Natick, Massachusetts. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Dance andChoreography. In 2016, she studied abroad with the University of South Florida’s Dance in Paris Semester Program, under the direction of Michael Foley. During her time at VCU, Elyssa performed in works by Scott Putman, Melanie Richards, Judy Steel, as well as guest artists; Doug Varone, Liz Lerman/Dance Exchange, and Dawn Bazemore. In 2015, she performed in the official music video for Victor by Prinze George, a finalist in the LA Music Video Festival. Outside of VCU, Elyssa has studied at Bates Dance Festival’s Young Dancers Program as well as their Professional Training Program. Elyssa has been commissioned twice by Monkeyhouse to create work and has presented choreography in the Boston area as well as Richmond, Virginia.
Be sure to take some time to read Josh's conversation with Sarah the Intern and pick up a copy of Dance Magazine! (It's the choreography issue and there are several articles that we enjoyed!) Then get your tickets to see Josh's choreography in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opening at the end of the month! Originally posted on 11/23/2011. Check it out here! As you know, this year we kicked off our C2C Intern program. (You've been hearing from our Bloggers-In-Residence Ryan Casey and Sarah Friswell for a few months now!) Here is the first interview done by Sarah Grace, a high school senior and student of mine in the Natick High School Drama program. Sarah has a strong interest in dance and theatre so when I heard that Josh was once again doing fabulous things I asked if he could take time out of his busy schedule to chat with Sarah. After you read about her conversation (and enjoy the day of the turkey!) head on over to Natick High School to see Sarah and the rest of the wonderful cast of Remember '11 as they take the stage to pay tribute to the NHS auditorium this weekend. Enjoy! -Nicole
SG: Do you have any favorite styles of dance, to perform, or to choreograph? Are there any particular dancers or choreographers that have inspired you?
JB: I love so many styles of dance. I don’t really have a favorite. I have some that I’m more proficient in or better trained in, such as jazz or theater. Some of my inspirations: Robbins, Fosse, Astaire, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Jack Cole, Balanchine, Hermes Pan,Michael Kidd. SG: How did you first get into the professional dance world? JB: My first professional job was a national tour of West Side Story. I played BabyJohn and was the Dance Captain. SG: Since West Side Story, what was your favorite project? JB: One of my favorite projects was being in the original cast of Hairspray on Broadway. I was a swing which is a great way to learn the inner workings of the show. It wasn’t bad to be in such a hit show either. SG: Do you have any advice for aspiring dancers? JB: My advice for dancers is to study all styles, learn to sing, find out what you’re good at and market it. SG: And aspiring choreographers? JB: My advice to young choreographers is to choreograph as often as possible and get your work out there... it’s no use if nobody sees it! Currently, Josh is serving as the choreographer for NBC’s new television series, “Smash.” This fictional series revolves around the creation of a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe, and is set to premier in February, 2012! SG: How did you get involved with Smash? JB: I became involved with Smash through Michael Mayer, the director of the pilot and episodes 2 & 3, as well as one of the creative consultants for the series. Michael and I worked together years ago in the out of town tryout of Thoroughly Modern Millie (he directed, I was ensemble/dance captain). SG: You've done a lot of work on stage, so what are some of the challenges of choreographing for a camera instead of an audience? JB: Smash is true to the theater world it's set in, so there aren't many obstacles in choreographing for the camera, more like bonuses. My assignment is to choreograph great numbers that stand on their own on stage, then we film them beautifully and make them multidimensional. I think the biggest challenge would be working with the schedules of all the different departments, not to mention shooting an episode at the same time that you're prepping another episode. SG: Do you have any other projects besides Smash going on right now? Where do you see yourself in a year, in ten years? JB: I do have other projects that I’m prepping for in the future, but Smash is taking 99% of my time right now. In 10 years, I’d like to see myself relaxing on a beach in the Caribbean islands, or maybe Hawaii! Thanks, Josh! Spring is beginning to sprung, and dancers are springing onto stages all over Boston. Seriously, this is a fraction of the incredible shows happening this month, check them out! Thurs- Sat, March 2-4 @ 7:30 pm Sat & Sun, March 4 & 5 @ 1 pm William Forsythe's Artifact Presented by Boston Ballet At the Boston Opera House, Boston $35-$165 I have it on excellent authority that the Boston Ballet has truly brought William Forsythe's masterpiece to life. If you've been itching to see some brilliant contemporary ballet, catch this show before it's gone. Fri & Sat, March 3, 4, 11 & 12 @ 8 pm Invisible: Imprints of Racism Presented by Anna Meyer and Dancers Presented by ArtsEmerson At the Semel Theater, Boston $35 General / $25 Students The website tells you all the reasons I think you should go see this show: "Invisible is an hour-long piece that explores the embedded psychosocial and racial challenges that permeate life in America. This deeply thoughtful and multidimensional production features nine dancers who mesh their various styles of movement, creating a kinesthetic language influenced by the upbeat energy of Hip Hop and Krump with the alignments of modern dance. Merged with this dynamic group of dancers is a trio of Boston’s top poets whose stories weave simultaneously alongside the movement. The work is followed by a facilitated discussion with the audience. We want to inspire viewers to think deeply about the challenges or racism but also our shared humanity." Sat, March 11 @ 7 pm MAD WORLD Presented by Aurora Borealis Dance Company At Endicott College in Beverly, MA Reserve tix via email: abdcdirector@gmail.com Aurora Borealis Dance Company presents its Spring concert Mad World this March, and has invited Luminarium and BoSoma Dance Company to be it's annual guest artists! From the event page: "Through dance, we raise our voices. The show explores terrorism, gun control, racism, societal conformity, climate change, abuse, mental illness, and many more aspects of our mad world." Fri - Sat, March 10 - 18 Axis Dance Company BDA/ MADEO sponsored Workshops at the Dance Complex Residency at Boston University BU events FREE/ Workshops $28/$115 "AXIS Dance Company exists to change the face of dance and disability through three pillars of activity: Artistry, Engagement, and Advocacy." Everything about this is pretty incredible. Through BU, AXIS is offering a Symposium on the 13th, a lecture and demonstration on the 15th, and a public performance on the 18th, at 8 pm. Through the Dance Complex and Boston Dance Alliance, they are offering two workshops: a teacher training in physically integrated dance, and an integrated dance composition workshop. If you can make any of these events, go learn how you can help promote disability advocacy in dance! Sun, March 19 @ 6:30 pm Talk About Dance Presented by Jose Mateo and Dance for World Community At the Sanctuary Theater in Harvard Square, Cambridge Free I have attended previous Talk About Dance discussions, and have always found them to be interesting, rewarding and powerful. I encourage you to come and talk about race and diversity in the dance world in the beautiful Sanctuary Theater. Fri & Sat, March 24 & 25 @ 7:30 pm Urbanity Next Presented by Urbanity Dance At Green Street Studios in Central Square, Cambridge $25 I have come to greatly enjoy Urbanity's shows, and I'm excited to see what their company does with up and coming choreographers: "Six works by emerging voices in Boston’s dance scene. Four Urbanity choreographers and two guest choreographers develop their work under the mentorship of established Boston choreographers to push the bounds of contemporary dance and widen the voices in the Boston dance Scene. Choreographers will work with Urbanity’s professional Company, as well as top dancers from Urbanity’s Creative Class programs." Fri, March 31 & Sat, April 1 @ 8 pm Sun, April 2 @ 7 pm The Opulence of Integrity Presented by Cristal Brown and The Dance Complex At the Julie Ince Theater, Central Square, Cambridge $12 student/ $21 general/ $29 VIP Do you want to see an evening length dance show about the life and career of Muhammad Ali (because I certainly do)? Well then do I have news for you: "Inspired by the life and legend of Muhammad Ali, the performance incorporates elements of boxing, hip hop, martial arts, and modern dance to an original sound score by Farai Malianga, and include artistic exploration with the Boston dance community. Students from Boston Arts Academy, Brookline High School and Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School will showcase their work prior to each The Opulence of Integrity performance."
Fri & Sat February 10 & 11 @ 8:00 pm Sat February 11 @ 4:00 pm PASSAGE THROUGH BLUE WITH CONTINUUM DANCE PROJECT Presented by the BCA Choreographer's Residency At the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, Boston $20 General Admission The BCA Choreographer's Residency Program continues with a new multi-media piece from Continuum Dance Project. "Immerse yourself in the world of Continuum Dance Project, where dance, sculpture and projection come crashing together with dynamic results. Audience and performers will meander through this premiere performance installation created at Boston Center for the Arts in collaboration with artist/writer Soyoung L. Kim." The event is standing room only, but chairs can be provided at request. Fri & Sat, February 11, 17 & 18 @ 8:00 pm Sun, February 12 @ 7:00 TINY AND SHORT: A DROP IN THE BUCKET Presented by the Dance Complex At The Dance Complex in Central Square, Cambridge $20 Student/ Senior, $25 General Admission Some of the most interesting dances evolve out of rigorous and challenging constraints. Adapted from Ten Tiny Dances out of Portland, Oregon, the pieces in this show are constrained by space, built in a 4'x4' floor plan, or time, coming in at 10 minutes or less! And The Dance Complex has added another interesting facet: "Upon arrival, each audience member will be given one voting ticket. At the end of the show, the audience will be asked to drop their ticket in the bucket of whichever artist they would like to support. A portion of the ticket revenue will be awarded to whichever artist you vote for!" Sat, February 25 @ 5:00 pm SANKOFA: Past, Present, and to our Future Presented by Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts At The Strand Theatre on Columbia Road, Dorchester $25-$30 February is Black History Month. With that in mind, I strongly encourage you to go see Sankofa, a show written and performed by Black artists, about Black people, Black history, and Black culture. Per the event site: "A Black History performance in dance, voice and spoken word depicting the struggles and successes of African Americans from slavery through current times."
Sat, January 28 @ 8:00 pm SOMETHING ELSE!!! Presented by Subject: Matter and the Factory Quartet Deborah Mason School of Dance, Somerville Dancer /musician collaborations are one of my favorite things, and if jazz and tap are your cup of tea, definitely go check this out. From the site: Somethig Else!!! is a new evening length collaboration between tap dance company Subject:Matter and the Factory Quartet. The work will deal with music by jazz legends like Ornette Coleman and Thelonious Monk as well as original compositions by the dancers and the band. The show's format will be malleable to give the artists the opportunity to reimagine the show each night. This means that no two performances will be the same and this will be a truly unique performance experience. January 14-15, 20-22, and 27-28
CATALYSTS Presented by The Dance Complex At the Dance Complex, Central Square, Cambridge $30/ $24/ $18 student The Catalyst Performance series is back! Featuring performances by this years batch of artists-in-residence: Ryan Casey, Lorraine Chapman, Junichi Fukuda, Yosi Karahashi and Doppelgänger Dance with Danielle Davidson and Shura Baryshnikov. Each weekend features a different grouping of artists, so be sure to check out the site for performance specifics! by Aisha Cruse Want a break from the usual Nutcracker Avalanche? See some wonderfully wintry (nut-cracker free!) performances! Thurs & Fri, December 1 & 2 @ 7:30 pm Endicott Student & Alumni Choreography Showcase Presented by Endicott College At the Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts in Beverly, MA $5 An evening of dances choreographed by Endicott students and Dance program Alumni, built under the tutelage of Emily Beattie and Monkeyhouse friend and favorite Nicole Sao Pedro-Welch. If you're north of the city, go see some young dancers performing new work! Fri & Sat, December 2 & 3 @ 8:00 pm Running in Stillness Presented by Marsha Parrilla and Danza Orgánica At Hibernian Hall in Roxbury $25 general, $15 student/ BDA member This is the world premiere of this project, which I think is well worth your time. From the site: "Running in Stillness is a dance theater piece that delves into the human condition of being imprisoned, and how this affects people imprisoned, their families, and all of us in the community. Through a close collaboration with formerly incarcerated women and daughters of incarcerated parents, we are creating a project that sheds light on this often-ignored topic." Fri, December 9 @ 8pm Sat & Sun, December 10 & 11 @ 11am & 3pm Sat, December 10 @ 7:30pm Cirque Dreams: Holidaze At the Boch Center Shubert Theater $43-$103 Okay if you're looking for Rockette Holiday Spectacular level family entertainment, see this. There are circus acts, musical numbers, and the costumes look amazing and ridiculous and sometimes that's all you want at the holidays.
December 14-18 & 28-30 Gumdrops & The Funny Uncle December 14 - 18 At the BCA Black Box December 28 - 30 At the Dance Complex Presented by Peter DiMuro/Public Displays of Motion, Theater Offensive, and the Dance Complex $12 floor, $33 regular An illumination of adapted holiday traditions with families of choice from an LGBTQ perspective with an inter-generational cast. Its been a long rough year, and a long, long month. If you or some people in your life could use a reminder about what it means to be different, what it means to belong, and that family is what we make of it, I would recommend this show. Okay, okay, if you've got to see the Nutcracker, try one of these:
Fri, December 2 thru Sun, December 18 The Nutcracker Presented by Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre At the Cutler Majestic thru December 4 At the Strand Theatre in Dorchester thru December 18 $20-$75 Jose Mateo's tagline is "ballet up close", and they have a reputation for stripping down the bells and whistles to deliver a performance that focuses on the dance and the dancer. Their Nutcracker is all about the nuance of the choreography, and the miraculous feats their dancers perform. By Aisha Cruse It's fall, and that means that for most of your favorite Boston dance companies, the performance season is just beginning! I've rounded up a few events to keep in mind between now and December, but I'll be back in October with monthly picks. Let's dive into dance like dogs into leaf piles! Friday, Sept 30 - Sunday, Oct 9 Artweek Boston Presented by Highland Street Foundation and Citi Performing Arts Center Greater Boston Price varies, often free! So much dance, and so much of it free! Check out Around the world in 80 Dances at the Puppet Showplace Theater, Argentine Tango at Dance Union in Union Square, Urbanity Dance Open Rehearsal at Urbanity Dance in South End Boston, Street Pianos, and of course the opening night pARTy! Go to the website to check out the full list of events, and you can sort by dance, music, visual art, or their special series, Art of Food. There's really something for everyone. Friday & Saturday, Oct 21 & 22 @ 8pm Stakes is High, a shared evening of dance Featuring Jacksonville Dance Theatre & James Morrow/The Movement At the Julie Ince Theater in The Dance Complex Central Square, Cambridge $15 students/seniors, $20 bda, $25 general I'm excited pretty excited to see theses two companies working in one place. From the Dance Complex press release: "Stakes is High will feature a variety of works from James Morrow, JDT resident choreographers Rebecca R. Levy (a Boston native) and Tiffany Santiero, and other notable artists." Saturday, Nov 5 @ 8pm Planted by Exit Dance Theater At Green Street Studios, Central square, Cambridge $20 general This company hails from Newburyport, MA, and they've been dancing for 30 years. I've never seen them and they've been given such a glowing review that I'm pretty keen to see them for myself. Get tickets while you can, and check out the review at the link. Friday & Saturday, Nov 11 & 12 @ 8pm Portal: stories from the edge Presented by Luminarium Dance At BU Dance Theater, Boston $22 students/seniors, $27 general Luminarium is at it again, bringing us an evening-length show of their stunning work at Boston University Dance Theater. This year's offerings include musical collaborations with composer Christos Zevos and singer/songwriter Mali Sastri of Boston-based band Jaggery. Come watch this Monkeyhouse favorite in action. Mark your calendars for December! 12 Dancers Dancing and the Winter Wonder Festival will be returning to the Dance Complex with a new fun line up of wonderful companies and choreographers! Friday & Saturday, Dec 16 & 17 @ 8pm Tuesday, Dec 27 - Friday, Dec 30 @ 8pm 12 Dancers Dancing Winter Wonder Festival Performances
At the Dance Complex in Central Square At the Dance Complex in Central Square N: What is your affiliation with Endicott College? AC: I attended Endicott for four years for undergraduate studies and received a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management with a concentration in Event Management and a minor in Dance. I still attend Endicott now as I am perusing my Master's degree in Business Administration. I took as many dance classes as I could on top of what was required for my Hospitality degree. As a result of this, I finished my Minor by my Junior year but continue to take dance classes at Endicott because I enjoy them.
N: What is your affiliation with Endicott College? EL: I am a Junior at Endicott currently in the undergraduate program.
N: What is your favorite performance you've been part of? EL: Getting to perform in the opening number at the Arts in Motion Invitational in New York City was pretty spectacular. Performing in New York gives you this crazy adrenaline like no other.
N: What is your goal as the "choreographic guru"? kK: I just want to be able to offer another set of eyes and ears for the choreographers. Having participated as a choreographer in Choreofest, I understand how overwhelming the process can be and know that sometimes all a person needs is a friendly voice to say, "This looks amazing." My early experiences as a pee wee cheerleader in Nashville and Atlanta are great assets over the course of the night. However, if somebody needs more, I am happy to help sort through tangled up moments too. I think it is important, however to respect the each choreographer's creative process and not to impose my own onto them.
N: Why is mentoring so important to you?
kK: I have been really fortunate to have found many wonderful mentors in my life several of whom have since passed away. Can you imagine what quagmires I would still be stuck in without them? More importantly, my mentors did not try to mold me to be like them or to create the same way that they did. They nudged, cajoled, and sometimes kicked my toukas but they let me discover my own voice, own weird way of wrestling with ideas. Passing on their ways of guiding people and sharing their advice is my way of keeping their legacy alive.
N: This is your third ChoreoFest but the first as choreographer. What are you most nervous about regarding this year's ChoreoFest? AC: I'm always pretty anxious about setting my work on other people. When I'm the one performing, when I'm inside my own work, I'm not nearly as self concious about how the movement and ideas read. When I'm putting on the director's hat, I get so much more critical of my ideas. I'm definitely nervous that I'll trip myself up. N: What's your favorite memory of a previous ChoreoFest? AC: Oh my gosh that moment when the yarn ball hit Sam in the head during dress rehearsal my first year. It was too perfect. There was no way to reproduce it, so we sort of accepted it as a one time perfect moment. N: ChoreoFest is a controlled situation to create work in in terms of time and topic. What the first thing you hope to do once you get your dancers in the studio? AC: Get comfortable. Really though, I'm going to be focusing on getting everyone comfortable with each other and with me. The parameters of the festival make it so that the more comfortable we are and the more trust we have in each other, the faster we can get things done.
N: Karen Krolak will be on hand as "choreographic guru" for the entire festival. How have you incorporated outside voices/mentoring in the creation of new work in the past? What's a question you often have about your work for someone outside of the creation process?
AC: Karen has given me constant feedback in the time we've been working together, but coming off the Pilobolus workshop I think the thing I'm going to ask the most is "What do you see?" In the past I've been very precious with my work, and I'm hoping Pilobolus has broken me of the habit. I want to ask about the moments that stand out and and build on them, and it will be interesting to see whether what I think is interesting and what Karen thinks is interesting matches up or diverges. N: If you could pick any performer from any time to set a piece on who would it be and why? AC: I'm reinterpreting this question because what I actually want is for Martha Graham to set a piece on Pilobolus (any iteration, really, they're all pretty spectacular). Her dancing has such an intensely sculptural element; even though they're vastly different schools I feel like they would have made amazing choreography together. So I guess I'm saying I want to set a piece on Pilobolus, but as Martha Graham. #lifegoals N: Who are your mentors? AC: Karen Krolak and Nicole Harris have been such driving forces in my life, I don't think I would ever have done ChoreoFest as a choreographer if they hadn't asked. To be fair, Karen and Nicole are less "you can do this" coaches than "can you do this by friday" coaches. They know you can do it, or they wouldn't ask. N: What's something that you feel you learned from them that you want to pass on to people you mentor? AC: Perfection is boring. If your choices are perfect or unique, pick unique. There are no mistakes. They're usually the best part of a dance. N: Where can people learn more about you and your work? AC: Monkeyhouse can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as here at MonkeyhouseLovesMe.com. I can be found on Instagram and Twitter as well as on my Dance Every Day YouTube channel! In celebration of Laura Neese's birthday here's the interview we did with her back in 2014 I have met some incredibly interesting people in the process of these interviews and Laura Neese doesn't disappoint! You can catch her work at the CoolNY 2014 Dance Festival on Friday, February 7th at 9:00pm & Sunday, February 9th at 6:00pm. All performances are held at the WHITE WAVE John Ryan Theatre, 25 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY and are FREE! -Nicole N: The piece you'll be performing at the CoolNY Dance Festival involves "shoe-less" tap dancing combined with modern vocabulary. As both a modern and tap dancer myself I am always excited to see work that combines the two! I also saw that you have a background in Irish dance. Can you talk a little about ways you work to combine these backgrounds as you create new pieces? LN: I find something inherently individually expressive about tap/percussive improvisation. If you ask me to just dance, I’ll spiral my torso and explore spine articulation like a good modern dancer, but my feet will probably start a nonmetred, illegitimate, un-time step… (something to do with the mixed up tap and Irish dance history in my training, and the natural inclination of people to tap their feet to music..) I’ve noticed in processes and improvisations, (& on the ferry) that my feet really want to speak up. For this new work, I wanted to listen and explore this impulse as a part of my creative work. Though it reads differently than the emotionality of shape, audio imagery – the mathematical logic or illogic of rhythm, spontaneity, and the way that reverberates in the body – I think can create an experience just as rich with feeling. Right now I’m experimenting to see how I can incorporate this part of me into my work. My work with Darrah Carr Dance, and guest choreographer Sean Curran, has also been influential in opening me up to the possibility of combining elements of dance forms. Darrah’s work combines traditional Irish and contemporary modern dance, and Curran’s work for the company is always imbued with strong rhythmic sensibility.
We met at Dance New Amsterdam, actually. Without having previously known each other well, we started to make a dance -just to make one- which led to more dances, which snowballed into a regularly meeting company or “collective,” and bringing other dancers in along the way. It has been a remarkable baptism by fire. We all contribute our resources and talents to make it possible to offer each other not only consistent involvement in a rehearsal process as a performer, but also the opportunity to explore choreographic ideas with a company of supportive bodies. We pass the choreographic baton in rotation, and capitalize on our individual skills to keep the organization going- hence our nifty titles… though we each may do a little bit of everything. Claire (our “master schedule machine,” and an arts administrator in her other life) is one of the most detail-oriented people I’ve ever met; Joanna (“mathematician,” our financial manager) has a gift for data and numbers – and a math degree. Katie (“body whisperer”) is a Pilates instructor with remarkable knowledge of the body and intelligent recommendations for various dancerly ailments- a gem in rehearsal. As “wordsmith” I write and edit text for company use… I’m somewhat fastidious about apostrophes. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work with these remarkable women and for their having fallen into my life, (or I into theirs?) N: We had a very brief conversation about the insular-ness of many dance communities. While struggling to acquire very limited resources it's easy to take on a "me against the world" attitude. What are some ways that you have tried to fight against that mentality for yourself and those around you? What do you see as the benefits of creating a broader, more communicative and sharing dance community? LN: KitchenSink definitely helps ameliorate some of the “me against the world” feelings… though as an outer borough dwelling artist (of that obscure, “pretentious,” modern dance kind of art) the issue can become quite pernicious. However even in Staten Island, the borough most underserved in arts education and venues, I have found a resilient though somewhat fragmented arts community. Knocking on doors, finding out about and participating in creative events (especially those that bleed outside of your own discipline) I have found to be invaluable in a) meeting new, interesting people, with new, interesting perspectives, b) leading to new opportunities, c) finding people really do appreciate your strange art form if they have a reason and chance to see it. d) new reasons to share what you do with other people and to help people share what they do…. And it keeps going. Diving into explorations of other arts- taking workshops in different things- helps me to recognize the continuity of the creative process across mediums, recognize strengths and weaknesses of different modes of working, and to remember to not take myself too seriously (though to take the craft seriously). Some of my most interesting dance related experiences as a performer, choreographer, and otherwise creative conspirator have occurred in non-traditional dance settings: collaborating with musicians, filmmakers, theatre practitioners, photographers, and “normal” community members. I believe it is important to not only keep dialogues going within the dance community, but also to extend the invitation beyond the dance regulars. Face it, we get esoteric, we get stuffy, we get into patterns of what is “in” and “isn’t.” We get stuck in ruts. And we get frustrated when no one shows up. If we individually want to improve our art making – and stay interested & interesting - I believe it is vital to experience many other kinds of art as a spectator or participant. (Maybe art is painting, or storytelling, or a craft, or acting, teaching, computer programming?) If we, individually, invite other people who would or could be interested in dance -if they were exposed to it- into the conversation, would the field not be richer indeed?
Now as an educator myself I function as a mentor at times for specific dance students, (and academic tutees). For these individuals, I usually find myself acting as a confidence coach. Whether they are performing on stage or on an exam I recognize that students need to find the desire and determination within themselves to put in the necessary work, and then trust their own abilities to do it. This sort of consistent engagement with students is a reminder to appreciate process in general.
1. Being in the work prevented me from seeing the overall piece, its structure, spatial
design, cohesiveness….and also from being able to give dancers prompts / feedback for nuanced performance. 2. I sadly realized that although I had a powerful performance presence, my little body had too many anatomical limitations to achieve the look I wanted. I would focus so hard on extensions and pointed feet, thinking I had really done well, and then I would see myself on video and cringe. This is still emotional and deeply personal for me to discuss; in fact, I’m not sure I should be disclosing this fact as I don’t want it plastered all over the web. I chose to work with dancers who had the technical capacity and performance aesthetic that I wanted for my works. NH: What are you most nervous about regarding ChoreoFest? NL: Well, I suppose keeping tensions down as we all become more sleep deprived, especially since I am working with some of my dancers for the first time, and this group is definitely working together for the first time. So I am unfamiliar with their personal triggers and preferred learning styles. Working with new people in a new group is always challenging for optimal communication, and this setting adds much deeper challenges due to its nature. Keeping calm and gentle communication open is key to a successful and enjoyable experience for all. On a humorous but very real note: I am concerned about bringing too much stuff and the horrors of trying to get all the stuff from my little Mazda into The Dance Complex on a traffic filled Friday evening. I’m one of those people who thinks it best to bring something “just in case” rather than to be caught without. NH: Since this is a very controlled creative space (in terms of time and topic) where do you see yourself starting when you get in the space? NL: I will most likely start with some guided improvisation to help all of us get more comfortable with each other. Depending on the topic, I may ask the dancers to engage in a written exploration as a means of movement generation. Writing or no writing, unless I have an extremely strong personal connection to the theme, I would like the initial movement generation to come from each of the dancers. We tend to better remember and most fully execute that movement which naturally emanates from within our own bodies. NH: In creating a new work, what is the relationship between you and your dancers? Do they participate in the creative process? If so, how? NL: Please refer to the information provided in response to the previous question. Additionally, I like to verbally engage with the dancers as to their thoughts and valuable insights about the creation of meaning in the work. Often I will ask the dancers what feels most comfortable or natural when finessing the details of the movement. NH: Knowing that Karen Krolak will be on hand as "choreographic guru", what things do you hope she can help with in the overnight process? NL: Probably technological assistance with computer audio editing. I have a new laptop that I really don’t know how to use with its Windows 8 platform (grrr), and an old laptop that (at best) functions at the speed of a snail trying to get up a molasses covered hill in winter. NH: Who are some of your favorite choreographers? NL: Oh boy…Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, Mark Morris, Alonzo King, Jill Bahr, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Bill T. Jones, Ulysses S. Dove… is that enough? NH: Who are your mentors? How are you paying forward the things your mentor gave you? NL: Oh my god, I could go on forever here…but first and foremost I must honor the memory of my recently departed mentor and colleague, Dr. Jan Van Dyke of Greensboro, NC. I can’t believe she is gone. She is being honored with a memorial this coming Sunday August 22nd, held at the UNCG Dance Theatre and livestreamed on the web. I can’t say enough about or adequately summarize how much I learned from Jan as a teacher, choreographer, administrator, and woman of dignity in the arts and academe. Last week I was teaching young student choreographers during an intensive at The Dance Academy in Fall River. I gave them the same first day lesson that Jan used in Choreography II, The Craft at UNCG, for which I was twice her TA. We wrote rhythms on the board and discussed time values of different musical notes, and how many beats per measure, and how to vary rhythm and apply it to movement to create new and interesting variations. It’s actually a very difficult concept to grasp for most of us, but invariably successful in the end. The school director was impressed when she saw the material and commented that they were learning so much from me. I told her that it was all Jan, or JVD as we lovingly called her.
Eu me apaixonei quando conheci a Heather. Sua doçura, sua humildade e o jeito com que ela ensina sapateado e música me inspiraram para realizar um curso intensivo de verão em NY. Dois meses antes de viajar, decidi vender meu carro e me mudar para os EUA. E desde então, estou aqui. N: Você cresceu estudando outras modalidades de dança além do sapateado americano. Você continua fazendo essas outras aulas? Você sente que ter estudado outros estilos de dança colaborou com seu sapateado? FG: Eu cresci vendo e dançando samba como a maioria dos brasileiros. Estudei jazz, sapateado, ballet e contemporâneo. Nunca fui um grande bailarino, mas a dança me ajudou a desenvolver habilidades básicas, como os giros e o equilíbrio. Além disso, me ajudou a considerar meu corpo como um todo no sapateado, e não só os pés. N: Recentemente, você me contou a história sobre o seu primeiro par de sapatos e sua primeira aula de sapateado. Você pode dividir essa história com a gente? FG: Claro! Quando eu tinha 14 anos ganhei um dinheiro de presente de aniversário da minha família e decidi comprar meu primeiro sapato. Eu "praticava" em casa e até fiz uma performance na escola, mesmo sem nunca ter feito uma aula. Então, quando eu tinha quinze anos, finalmente encontrei uma escola de dança que tinha sapateado na grade. Eu me lembro que não era muito barato, mas meus pais apoiaram a minha vontade. Quando cheguei na aula a professora me perguntou se eu já havia sapateado antes. Eu disse que sim, e ela me pediu se eu poderia mostrar meu passo favorito. Fiz um estilo único de dança, que até hoje não me lembro o que foi, mas sapateei (risos). Anos depois ela me lembrou deste fato e rimos muito. Seu nome é Valeria Petroni, e ela foi uma excelente professora nos meus primeiros anos de sapateado. Sou muito grato por ter aprendido tanto com ela.
Honestamente, meu inglês ainda não é perfeito, e ainda tenho que aprender bastante. Por exemplo, na aula de hoje, a única maneira que encontrei para explicar o que queria foi dizendo: “Imagine você usando uma fralda”. Depois, eu afirmei: “Hora de colocar a fralda!”. E, claro, no final da aula, eu lembrei: “Não esqueça de trazer sua fralda na próxima aula”. É divertido!
BDT: We are keenly aware that we will be working within a creative space that is controlled by both time and subject matter. Our areas of concern are A) the structure of the choreographic process itself and B) time management. Our work incorporates many artistic mediums (dance, text work, writing, and multimedia), which would normally be layered into a performance piece one by one at comfortable pace. What would normally be a multi day process will now be shaved down to a multi hour process. N: Since this is a very controlled creative space (in terms of time and topic) where do you see yourself starting when you get in the space? BDT: After we pull our prompt we plan to discuss thematic material as a group, using the ideas generated to put everyone to task. The company will then be divided into subgroups of writers, dancers and technicians to begin gathering kernels of material that will provide the foundation of the performance piece.
N: Karen Krolak will be on hand as "choreographic guru" for the entire festival. How have you incorporated outside voices/mentoring in the creation of new work in the past? What's a question you often have about your work for someone outside of the creation process? BDT: We love and respect outside voices! Having a different individual with an informed set of eyes reviewing your work is critical to the process and success of a piece. Typically, we like to receive “blind feedback,” meaning that anyone viewing our rehearsal process for the first time will not be given much, if any, direct information regarding our vision for the piece. This gives the opportunity to truly see the work without pretense, allowing us to find out where we have clear moments, distortion, other potential avenues to utilize, etc…Only after feedback has been given will we divulge our intention for the piece. N: Who are some of your favorite choreographers? BDT: Top 6: Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Bob Fosse, Alvin Ailey, Paula Josa-Jones, Bill T. Jones, Dada Masilo, Lamine Thiam. Ok, we lied…that’s a top 8…and Pilobolus has to be thrown in just for fun!
BDT: Jenn: Alvin Ailey because I admire the strength, grace, athleticism and incredible storytelling experience of this company.
N: Who are your mentors? How are you paying forward the things your mentor gave you? BDT: Jenn: Chuck Brown, Janet Taisy-Craft, Robb Fessler, KJ Hubner, Carolyn Jepsen, Craig North Carolyn: Laurel Browne, Wendy Dwyer, Doug Ingalls, Peggy-Rae Johnson, Bob Lawson, Jenn Webb The people in each of these lists have many common threads connecting them to one another. The overarching theme that we keep returning to as we discuss their work and influence is “Let your passions overwhelm your fears.” We’ve inherited an element of bravery and grit that directly informs our work as performers and teaching artists, and we pass this on to anyone who works with us. Over the years we have been given many lenses to work with, resulting in a fierce passion for the body stories that are capable of scouring the soul for truth. We put that truth in non-linear form within the body, with as much authenticity and transparency as possible. We have been taught to give value to and to hold space for voices and stories that might not otherwise be touched. It is our goal to continue to pass on the tools we have been given to any who find them useful. N: What other events do you have coming up? BDT: We are currently in pre-production for an evening-length work featuring the music and writing of Jim Morrison, to debut in the spring and summer festival circuits in the Greater New England area. We are also currently rehearsing a work featuring emerging youth writers that centers around children who have been caught in the folds of war throughout history, premiering in early 2017. N: Where can people learn more about you and your work? BDT: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
N: What is your favorite memory from last year's festival?
NL: The Ah-Ha moment of using old TV show themes, namely Peanuts and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood...and having them work when we tried them with the movement! N: What have you been up to in the last year? NL: I have been deeply blessed. The Choreofest kicked off an unprecedented string of opportunities for Freedom Dances that truly re-birthed the company here in RI / Boston. For one, I met a fabulous dancer, the incomparable Whitney Cover, in the mandatory workshop with Peter DiMuro. Not only did she perform with me for the 24 Hour Choreofest, but I have been lucky enough to continue working with her, and to have her dance the lead role in a very emotional and challenging work - in 2 different sets of performances. The work would not be the same without her! We did the Dance Works in Process at AS220 in October 2015. In January 2016, Freedom Dances and Heather Brown Dance co-produced a 3-show concert as part of a Production Residency at AS220 in Providence. In February, 2 of my works were performed in the Boston Regional Youth America Grand Prix. In June we performed "Ruffled" at Dance For World Community in Harvard Square and the Festival of Us, You, We, and Them at the Dance Complex. July was spent re-staging "Verge - Part 1 - Greatness", and "Verge - Part 2 - Despair" for the Providence Fringe Festival in which we performed 2 evenings. I am starting my certification training in the Feldenkrais Method in Newton onAugust 19th - something I have wanted to do for years! N: Where can people see you/your work these days? Any upcoming performances? NL: Adrienne Hawkins invited us to dance in the upcoming Friends and Family shows at the Dance Complex. We will be presenting "Ruffled" on August 19th and 20th. I am honored by the invitation!
Originally Posted 08/15/2013 Earlier this summer I spent some time in New York City working on Tap It Out with the amazing Lynn Schwab and the folks from the American Tap Dance Foundation. While there I had the opportunity to get to know an brilliant young tap dancer and a all around fabulous guy, Felipe Galganni. Since moving to New York from Brazil three years ago Felipe has been busy teaching, choreographing and performing all over the city. While in town I got to see the premiere of his piece "Reverie in Rio", performed by Felipe himself alongside Lynn Schwab and Chikako Iwahori and singer Jackeline Ribas. Here is a little conversation with Felipe about his work, moving to the United States and dancing in a foreign language! Also, Felipe celebrated a birthday last week, so make sure you send your love! N: Who are your favorite choreographers (tap & otherwise)? FG: Chikako Iwahori, Brenda Bufalino, Max Pollak, Lynn Schwab, Michelle Dorrance. I love Bob Fosse. N: I know that meeting Heather Cornell had a big influence on your life. What is it about her work/dancing that speaks to you? FG: I met Heather in January of 2010. I am from São Paulo (BRA), and she was teaching a workshop in Rio, so I flew to take that. São Paulo is not the most tap dancing city in Brazil so every time someone came to the area I tried to go. When I met Heather I instantly felt in love. Her kindness, humbleness and the way she talked about tap dance and music inspired me so much that I decided I wanted to take her summer intensive, here in NY. I think it's a Master thing, this power of inspiring people! Two months before I come I decided to sell my car and move to USA. Here I am since then. N: I know you grew up studying other forms of dance besides tap. Do you still take any of those classes? Do you feel like having studied jazz etc. has had an effect on your tap dancing? FG: I grew up dancing samba like most Brazilians. And academically taking jazz, later tap, ballet and contemporary. I was never a strong ballet dancer but I feel it was very important to develop some basics, like turns and balance. And even to "awake" the upper body as a tapper. N: You recently told me a wonderful story about your first pair of tap shoes and your subsequent first tap class. Can you share that story here? FG: Sure! When I was 14 years old I got some money from my family as a birthday gift. So I decided it was finally my chance to buy a pair of tap shoes. I was always putting them on to "practice" and even to do performances at school. Without having ever taken class at that point. So when I was 15, I finally find a school that I could go by myself and take a tap class. I remember it was not very affordable for my family, but they know I really wanted to do that. So they supported me. When I got in class the teacher came to me and asked: "have you ever tap danced before?" and I said , very confidently "YES!"..."oh, so please show me your favorite step"... And I started my very unique style of tap. Later on she told me that it was the most funny experience she have ever had. Her name is Valeria Petroni, and she was an amazing instructor for those first tap years. I am very thankful of all I learned from her.
N: It has now been three years since you moved from Brazil and in talking to you you would think you'd been speaking English for much of your life. Can you tell me about teaching in the early years in New York when your English was much shakier? What sort of tools did you use to communicate in moments where language failed you?
FG: I remember the fist class I taught here in US. It was for Lynn Schwab at Steps. It's hard when you have to communicate in a foreign language to native people, and explain stuff that you're so use to in your first language. It was a little frustrating, but I had to work on that, not been afraid to say the words wrong, and also asking the students in the class and learning from them. But honestly my English is still pretty shaky, and sometimes language does failed on me. Like in today's class the only way I found to tell my students what I wanted to express was "imagine you're wearing a baby diaper" and then later on I said "put your diapers on"... and of course by the end of the class I reinforced: "Don't forget your diaper for next week". LOL. It's fun! Fri, August 5 @ 6 pm & 8:30 pm ON TAP - Beantown Tapfest Faculty Showcase Presented by Julia On Tap At the BU Dance Theater, Allston $36 "Presenting tap masters and emerging artists side by side in a variety of performances from riveting solos to full company pieces." Every year, Beantown Tapfest delivers some of the best Tap classes and performances you can get, and this year is no exception. Go to the site to check out the full line up and buy your tickets ASAP! Mon, August 8 @ 7:30 pm More Than Moves Festival Presented by Paradise Lost: A Movement Collective, Transition House & Featured Artists! At Central Square Theater, Central Square, Cambridge $15 Wed, August 10 - Sat, August 13 @ 8 pm Thurs, Sat & Sun, August 11, 13 & 14 @ 2 pm ETM: Double Down Presented by Dorrance Dance and Jacob's Pillow At the Ted Shawn Theater, Jacob's Pillow $39/$59/$75 Fri & Sat, August 19 & 20 @ 8 pm Student / Faculty and Friends Showcase - 2.0 Presented by Adrienne Hawkins and the students and faculty of the Dance Complex At The Dance Complex, Central Square, Cambridge $15 advance/ $20 at the door This is a great opportunity to see some of the companies that rehearse, perform, and teach out of the Dance Complex, and get to know your dance community a little bit better! Featuring companies Impulse Dance Co., Off Beat, Freedom Dances, Present Day Dance Theatre ,Mystique Illusion Dance Theatre, and performances by Repertory Classes taught by, Brian Crabtree, Erin Washington, Jody Weber, Johara, and Adrienne Hawkins. Wed, August 24 @ 6:15 pm Women Making Work Presented by the Inside/Out Performance Series At the Marcia and Seymour Simon Performance Space, Jacob's Pillow FREE! This awesome free performance features work from three women-led companies based out of New York City. Tiffany Mills Dance Company will be presenting excerpts from their work After the Feast; Nadine Bommer Dance will be showcasing their work American Cinema, which uses the film Team America as a jumping off point to explore movement through dancers and marionettes; Yin Yue Dance will be premiering a new piece featuring their signature precise movement and intricate soundscape. We are so excited to share the first interview with one of the 2016 ChoreoFest choreographers! Gracie Novikoff and Natalie Schiera are the co-directors of Nozama Dance Collective. They took a moment out of their preparations for a show in mid August to talk to Nicole about who they are and their thoughts on ChoreoFest! Interested in learning more about ChoreoFest or purchasing your tickets? Visit LuminariumDance.org!
ND: To begin a new work, we take the concept and the piece of music and ask ourselves how those two make us want to move. We improvise to the music and picture ourselves in the time and place the concept lends itself to, and we build choreography based on the improvisations. Each new piece is a new world. We think about how choreography would naturally fit in this world, and who the dancers are portraying in this world. At times the dancers are humans, and in other worlds they are not. We think about if and how the dancers would interact, and if it makes sense for the dancers to be aware of one another's existence. When all of the elements come together into a cohesive world, we have a piece we are excited about.
ND: In college, Natalie and Gracie were dancers and choreographers with Dance Theatre Group, a contemporary company directed by Micki Taylor Pinney. In choreographing new works for Dance Theatre Group, Micki along with other faculty would give constructive feedback throughout the creative process. We were encouraged to think through the aesthetics of the piece, as well as how the choreography fit and how we could push the movement to be bigger and bolder. We greatly appreciate Micki's assistance during those years, and since the creation of Nozama Dance Collective in 2013, we have asked Micki for her guidance. Natalie and Gracie were the Choreographers in Residence at Green Street Studios in January-February 2015, and during those months we asked Micki to assist us with the creation of our two solos, "Vortex" and "Nightmare". We were encouraged to take a concept and create not just one, but multiple worlds in which that concept could live. We improvised movement, and then built variations of those movements. As a result, we have successfully created four pieces based on the movement created during those residencies. We are ever in debt to Micki's expertise, and we continue to seek her guidance. ND: Whenever we are lucky enough to have a mentor assist with our work, we ask whether or not the movement that we are presenting makes sense with the concept, the music, and the world in general. We want everything to be cohesive and make sense. We don't necessarily want to direct the audience to an exact emotion or an exact instance in time, but we want to create a world that the audience can relate to that can be easily followed. We want to take the audience on a journey that they will enjoy and be excited about. We also ask our mentors, "have you seen work like this already?", because we are consistently striving to create new choreographic experiences.
N: Who are some of your favorite choreographers? If you could pick any choreographer from any time to set a piece on you, who would it be and why? ND: We are both currently obsessed with the work of Jaci Royal, the director and choreographer of Royal Flux based in Los Angeles. Her movement is raw, athletic, bold, daring, and exciting. Her larger group pieces are captivating, and the stage pictures that she creates are incredible. As we create works that portray women empowering one another, choreography like Jaci Royal's is inspiring. We would be honored to have Jaci Royal set a piece on us!! N: What other events do you have coming up? ND: We have our first full-length production, "Pushing Past Impulse" at Green Street Studios on Friday, August 19th at 8pm. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students/children. We are thrilled to produce our best works since our inception! Here is the Eventbrite link for tickets, and our post in the Boston Calendar. N: Where can people learn more about you and your work? ND: Here are our Facebook page, website, and Twitter page. Check out what we are all about! We would love to hear from you about how you're celebrating! Having a dance party? Taking a class? Seeing a concert? Donating to your favorite arts organization? Tell us all about it!
N: What is your favorite memory from last year's festival?
ODC: There were so many favorite memories from last year. Just the experience of spending that much crazy quality time with my dancers was a real treat. But at one point one of our dancers was teaching us a really complex Bollywood-inspired movement phrase that was a challenge for the rest of us. The moment we all nailed it, we screamed so loud in celebration. It was a high-point of the night! N: What have you been up to in the last year? ODC: We have been up to so much this year! We've wrapped two performance seasons since our last ChoreoFest, expanded our Repertory group, created a Residency program at our studio, and have help hundreds of classes. OnStage is on a roll! N: Where can people see you/your work these days? Any upcoming performances? ODC: We've had a ton of performances over the past few months but our next ones are: The Festival of Us, You, We & Them, The Southern Vermont Dance Festival, The OnStage | Repertory Fall Showcase and the 12th Season of OnStage begins in October. A few years ago our then intern David Makransky wrote a short article about Edgar Degas in celebration of his birthday. We wanted to move the article over to our new blog in celebration today! Happy Birthday to Edgas Degas by David Makranasky Edgar Degas was a French painter and sculptor, largely credited as a founder of the Impressionism movement of the mid-1800s. Though his work bore many of the characteristics of Impressionistic art, Degas preferred to refer to his style as Realism, and often degraded the art of other Impressionistic painters of the time. He specialized in painting contemporary life from the point of view of the laborer, and often chose unusual croppings or viewpoints for his work. Hat-makers and laundresses were common subjects, allowing him to present psychological paintings of working women who were otherwise unnoticed by those around them. A particular focus of Degas' was dance and ballet, but he never strayed from his psychological, working-man style. The vast majority of Degas' paintings of dancers depict rehearsals and preparations for rehearsals, emphasizing their roles as professionals in a job. His juxtaposition of art and work closely paralleled his own situation as a working painter, a connection often highlighted by art historians. Yet Degas was clearly excited by the beauty of dance, even as he portrayed dancers as workers in a profession. He spent large expanses of time at the Paris Opera and Ballet, attempting to capture their classical beauty on the canvas. The ballet presented him with the opportunity to depict fluidity and suppleness of motion just as art was adjusting to the modern technologies of electricity and photography, guaranteeing that painting would continue as an appreciated art form in the modern era. The pale beauty of the ballerinas also allowed Degas to work in pastel, a style he returned to life in France. Many of his works featuring dancers, including "Danseuse Assise" and "L'etoile" can be found on display in art museums in Paris, St. Petersburg, and across America. |
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