Sam Mullen: How does it feel to set Firk II on new dancers? karen Krolak: Mostly, I am glad that the piece is getting a new life. If there is one thing that I have learned by setting in on you and Olivia and Sarah, it is that my body used to be much more fluid and flexible...seventeen years ago when first built it. There is something humbling about a piece being able to have a long life span in this ephemeral medium. So often pieces just get performed over the course of one or two weekends and then vanish forever.  SM: Can you remind me, how did Firk II get developed? kK: When Monkeyhouse was on tour in the summer of 2001, we became obsessed with the Oxford English Dictionary in the van. We discovered a mutual love of archaic words and when we began applying to festivals in the fall for our 2002 tour, we decided to create a choose your own adventure concert, titled Anablep and Other Oddities, where audience members ordered from a menu of titles based on these outdated gems. Looking back, I wonder how much our interest in obsolescence was related to how fundamentally our world shifted after 9/11. And now, I am drawing parallels to finding solace in a dictionary at a time when the unimaginable happened and thousands of Americans died in 2001 and then how I began the Dictionary of Negative Space in response to the devastating lose of my family members in 2012. I suppose we will probably touch on that in a minute.  So back to Firk. this four letter word has a long and amusing history. Originally it meant to bring or carry then it evolved into urging oneself forward, eventually it became to urge or drive (like an animal) then it meant to cheat or make a living by cheating and was used to describe pick pockets and lawyers. You can see so much about how the collective mind of a culture works through this monosyllabic blast from the past. Audiences all over the country loved the interactive format of Anablep and Other Oddities and often came back to see the shows on multiple nights. If memory serves me right, we never managed to do the exact same show twice, which was great for the way that my brain works.  SM: Wow, I wish that I could have seen that show. I love your Dictionary of Negative Space and I know that there are a few pieces related to it in re{ACT} re{BUILD} re{COLLECT}. Have you considered presenting a choose you own adventure concert of pieces inspired by entries in the Dictionary of Negative Space? kK: Actually, I have thought about creating something like that in the future. People often ask me how they are supposed to explore the online version of the dictionary as if there is one correct way through it. Much like grief itself, though, each individual has to find a way to muddle through it.  SM: Oh, I am so excited about this idea. kK: Developing enough pieces to organize into a choose your own adventure format is going to take a couple of years, however. One of the conversations that has popped up during conversations with DeAnna Pellacchia of KAIROS dance through our I-ARE residencies has focused around how to build ambitious dance theater projects. Residency programs, like the ones at the Dance Complex, are vital to choreographers who want to develop big ideas into productions. The I-ARE residency, for example, has given me two opportunities for feedback from outside artists, an incredible amount of rehearsal space, a chance to test out workshops related to my project, and publicity support. You know that I am a vocal advocate for mentoring and I am so thankful to have time with Peter DiMuro, Rachel Roccoberton, and Daniel McCusker as I create...especially because this project is so personal for me.  You can catch Karen at
re{ACT} re{BUILD} re{COLLECT} on March 29-30th at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, MA Get your tickets today for $5 off the door price!
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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 |
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