dancers in dialogue

Congratulations class of 2011!

2011-05-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Listened to the speeches of the graduating seniors at GMU's School of Dance yesterday... Fantastic!

Such beauty and eloquence... I am still savoring their stories about lessons learned, changing definitions of success, and remarkable plans for the future. Faculty member Susan Shields prepares the graduating class for the event through her course called Senior Synthesis and I cannot put into words how much I admire her work and can see her attributes in the ways the students present themselves: poised, confident, reflective, and generous. All in all, a magnificent event.

Many students talked about plans to move to New York, several dancers already have projects and positions in place. In NYC they will join other GMU alumni, like Maya Orchin who just sent an update about a recent audition: "I had a really positive experience auditioning with Trisha Brown. I have always been inspired by the company and her work.

I remember seeing 'Spanish Dance' when I was younger and impressed with how simple and brilliant her concept was. Before the audition you had to apply and fill out an application form. I found the form really personal, and it was a great way for me to explain what I liked about the company and why I would be a good fit. There were about 15 questions we had to answer. I have done auditions before where its like a cattle call and you have a number and it feels extremely impersonal. At the audition it was nice since I recognized a few faces but there were 4 groups of 30 people (insane). In the studio at City Center the whole company was there and they all sat in the front while one taught the phrase. We were lined up and it was slightly difficult to move but after the first cut we had a lot more space. It was really nice how all the dancers were there and everyone had a really positive vibe. Although I did not get the job, it was a good experience auditioning for a company I have long since admired and met some great people at the audition. On a side note, I saw the premier of the Pina Bausch movie by Wim Wenders in Brussels and I'm not sure when it comes to the U.S. but when it does SEE IT! it's amazing. amazing. amazing."

from Shanleigh Philip, GMU class of 2010

2011-04-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

1. Can you describe a typical day in your position at The Joyce Theater assisting executive director Linda Shelton? What are the most exciting (and least exciting?) parts of your job?

A typical day for me begins by quickly glancing through my emails, checking voicemails, and reviewing my boss's schedule for the day. When she arrives, I update her on any changes that have been made or things that have happened overnight that she should be aware of immediately. She lets me know of anything on her end as well. Once we are caught up, I spend about 90% of the day coordinating her schedule for the upcoming days, weeks, months, and even years! The Joyce not only operates their theater in Chelsea 52 weeks out of the year, but also runs Joyce SoHo and DANY Studios. Aside from The Joyce, my boss is very active in the local, national, and international dance community, so it is important for me to help her balance her many lives as efficiently as possible! Because there are so many people she needs to meet with inside and outside of The Joyce, it is my job to make sure that nothing slips through the cracks as well as prioritize her commitments, meetings, etc. It amazes me everyday how busy she is, and one day seems to be busier than the next. I also plan all of her business travels. Since June I have helped in planning trips to San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Baltimore, London, and Cuba. I also help organize materials for our weekly staff meetings and speak with our Board of Trustees on a regular basis. Anytime my boss is unavailable, I usually speak to people on her behalf. The most exciting part of my job is that I am in a theater where dance companies are in and out every week. I get to meet all of the staff, artistic director, and dancers. I still become a bit star-struck! I also get tickets to any performance that is here, and even better, I usually get to bring Chrissy as my date. Since January, we have seen 13 companies here. I would say that the least exciting part, or most frustrating part, is finding enough time in the day for my boss to get everything done. I find that is where my creativity comes into play - sometimes she covers more of the city, going from meeting to meeting, than any tourist could even dream of and it is my responsibility to chart the best course.

2. What was it like to come back and see the current GMU students performing in the Gala in April?

It was such an incredible feeling to see the current GMU students perform. Chrissy and I were quite giddy the whole way down to DC and back to NYC. I felt really proud to go back to a place that gave me the foundation of my career. I kept thinking to myself how excited I am to be associated with GMU's School of Dance. It was fun to come back to The Joyce and tell my boss about the pieces that were performed in the Gala; she was quite impressed! I definitely think the School of Dance instills commitment, passion, and endurance into its students and those are qualities that are useful no matter where your career takes you.

3. What is the most important advice/suggestion you can pass on to someone graduating this year?

Similar to what Chrissy said, it's okay not to have it all figured out just yet. I will embarrass Chrissy a little and say that she has helped me so much with this. I'm not sure what I would do without her constant support and optimistic advice. I am someone who wants a backup plan for their backup plan, and sometimes that's a good thing, but uncertainty and spontaneity have brought a lot of excitement to my life over the past 11 months!

It is much easier to find a job, find an apartment, and budget for city living once you are here. If you are committed to working hard, you will find a way to make it all work. There are tons of GMU alums in NYC who are all very eager to offer help and advice (and their couches!).

4. Are there classes or experiences you had as an undergraduate that prepared you for what you are doing now? or looking back on your college years do you wish you had taken a class or experienced something that would be useful for your career today?

I think that the commitment that the School of Dancer requires certainly prepared me for my career. I also believe that writing about dance, whether it was for a technique class or a class for my Arts Administration minor, helped me to realize my feelings about dance, and also that I have a lot of passion and hope for this field, artistically and administratively.

from Chrissy Tully: "Communication is key."

2011-04-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hearing about the adventures and accomplishments of students who graduate from GMU's School of Dance is without a doubt one of the best parts of teaching. When current students presented the School of Dance Gala last weekend, Shanleigh Philip (in the photo above on the left) and Chrissy Tully (on the right) from the Class of 2010 were in the audience at the Center for the Arts. Their current positions with The Joyce Theater (for Shanleigh) and Ellen Jacobs Associates (for Chrissy) give them an insider’s perspective on how choreographers and companies survive and thrive. I asked Chrissy to answer some questions about her day-to-day life, and also to offer advice to students graduating this semester…. Here are her replies:

Can you describe a typical day? What are the most exciting (and least exciting?) parts of your job?

Chrissy: I know it sounds a bit cliché, but there is no typical day in my position. However, there are standard procedures, such as editing press releases, archiving press on clients, drafting press kits, respecting deadlines, etc. It's the unexpected part of my day that is the most exciting. When I get the opportunity to attend a photo call and see a work the day before its premiere, and when I get to interact with choreographers and artists one-on-one, that's what makes it all worthwhile.

What was it like to come back and see the current GMU students performing?

Chrissy: It was a unique experience coming back to GMU and watching the current dance majors. It definitely seems much longer than a year ago that I was on that same stage. While watching the Gala, it was clear that the students in the School of Dance are outstanding--they're strong, versatile, and above all, powerful movers. That being said, power isn't always art. I know there are students who were not chosen to be in any of the selected pieces in the evening's program, but that does not mean that they are any less of an artist. Some of the greatest works I have seen since living in NYC had little to do with technique. I know from being in their shoes, or lack thereof, that the competitiveness can be discouraging. Some people aren't meant for the most well-known companies out there, but that doesn't mean they don't have a shot at pursing their passion.

What is the most important advice/suggestion you can pass on to someone graduating this year?

Chrissy: Some advice to pass on to someone graduating this year is that you don't always have to have "it" figured out. Life can take you in all sorts of unexpected directions and you just have to go with it and make the most of every situation you're in. A suggestion I have is to see and read about as much of the arts as you possibly can. The more you immerse yourself in the arts world, the more exciting and fascinating it will be.

Are there classes or experiences you had as an undergraduate that prepared you for what you are doing now? or looking back on your college years do you wish you had taken a class or experienced something that would be useful for your careers today?

Chrissy: 9am dance classes Monday-Friday were definitely a preparation for what I am doing now!

Office hours aside, I would not take back the education I received as a B.F.A. dance major. I do, however, often wish I could have done more. There are so many interesting classes offered at GMU in the music, theater and art department that were simply impossible to explore while fulfilling the required credits. Even though other general education requirements were relevant to what I do now, I think all dance majors need to take an accounting class, especially if they are planning to move to a city as expensive as New York. The cost of living is extremely high, and if not properly planned/prepared, it's very easy to lose your love of what you do.

I wouldn't say friendships were extremely significant as part of my education, but they definitely play a big part in networking. Rarely will I go see a performance and not recognize at least one person in the audience, on the staff, or on the stage that I have never interacted with at some point. Communication is key and it's extremely important to be knowledgeable about the field you're in. For that reason, I benefited from Dance History in ways that are crucial to what I am doing now. Daily modern classes aided in embodying some of the history and exploring the creative aspects of dance.

News from Maya

2011-03-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

School of Dance graduate Maya Orchin has spent the year traveling Europe, seeing performances, creating work, and experiencing classes with varied teachers and artists. Here she reflects on performances and an exhibit in Berlin while feeling "very sore" from taking class with David Zambrano, a choreographer who pioneered a technique called "flying low" that is intensely physical and breathtaking - to do and to watch (an interview with Zambrano is above). Maya noticed that being in Berlin - which she describes as "a city rich with a history of misused power" - has led her to think about power and her brief summaries of performances and an exhibition reveal ways performers negotiate relationships on stage and with their audiences.

"In Xavier Le Roy's piece all the performers started the piece with a casual conversation towards the audience and then while nude portrayed different animals in different social settings - lions socializing, bird noises in darkness, and quirky seaweed. The piece was mesmerizing and developed in a very smart way. Andy Holtin had an interesting exhibit at a great art space. In order to view his work of 7 tv screens you could either watch outside the circle of screens or enter into it. The screens portrayed two dancers walking, running, and falling towards and away from each other and themselves. The way the screens were set up was really clever and I found myself hypnotized by the constant chase of the dancers. In Xavier Le Roy's piece he mentioned 'power' and how he was intrigued by who inherits power and who falls victim.
In Ann Liv Young's work it was a very clear 'war-power' of violent verbal attacks that made me truly enraged. Ann Liv Young portrayed a disturbed Cinderella character who verbally attacked the audience, defecated on stage, surrounded herself by knives and enraged people so much they stormed out of the theater."

Hans Op de Beeck

2011-01-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

Saw a magical film today at the Hirshhorn: Hans Op De Beeck’s “Staging Silence.” The write-up in The Washington Post last Sunday was dismissive -- calling the film “little more than a soothing, innocuous diversion” – but the photo that accompanied the article made me curious to see it for myself.

I think there's a lot to be gleaned from these 22 minutes, particularly for people who are curious about choreography and culture. How can arrangements turn tiny pieces of material into fantastical landscapes? How do we, every day, endow gestures with meaning?

What is particularly eloquent in Op de Beeck’s creation is the way he keeps the hand of the artist visible – I see the fingers pick up and change the scenery, but I still feel transported by the results. The film becomes a path through a city street, a theater, a garden, an office, a park, and then a winter wonderland.

I found myself thinking of choreography even though there are no people, no bodies in the film (only occasional hands rearranging pieces). The brilliance is in the simplicity: the specificity in the arrangements transports me to other places. I thought of powerful performances where each movement was a vital part of a whole. Nothing extra, nothing extraneous.

The film also makes me consider the role we play in the worlds we create, when we press so much importance into some actions and events while virtually ignoring others. The details in the film are crucial, changing simple objects into gorgeous settings, yet making clear that this transformation occurs within us as the artist exposes the construction of each scene. I'm reminded of a line from Dance, Rituals of Experience that says: “Dance changes biology into a metaphor of the spiritual body in much the same way poetry changes words into forms that allow meanings that words normally cannot convey. The most curious thing about any human gesture is its power of insinuation, born of the ability of the body to overcome its inherent materiality.”

if you happen to be in Berlin

2011-01-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

The picture above is from Munich (from Maya) but an email from Maya says she just arrived in Berlin. While we wait for photos from this city, here are suggestions of venues and galleries to visit (suggested by Ellen Chenoweth - thank you Ellen!): HAU 1, 2, 3 and Kastanienallee 77 plus the House of World Cultures. Best of all there is an opening on Friday the 28th (if you go Maya, please give us a complete report!) at MMX and features work by Andy Holtin who is a fascinating, super-smart artist based in Washington, DC and teaching at American University while making creations that are being exhibited around the globe... Go see this brilliant artist!

more from Maya

2011-01-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

Above is Neuschwanstein Castle, which Maya says is an hour outside of Munich and "I had to hike up the mountain in the snow!" In Munich Maya studied with a contact tango teacher named Leilani Weis who she descibes as "so amazing. incredible incredible experience ending in a 7 hour jam."

adventures

2011-01-23T10:42:00.000-08:00

More news from Maya who graduated from GMU's School of Dance last year and who has been traveling the world meeting artists, training, performing, and auditioning. Here is her update and more:

"I came into London at the end of December and took classes at Greenwich Dance Academy with Ben Ash. Also took classes at The Place, Pineapple, and yes even the Central School of Ballet. I recognized a bunch of people and ran into some friends from Impulstanz which was great. The dance scene in London was interesting but was not as exciting as Brussels. Next I went to Paris to work with the same woman I worked with at PAF and we are hopefully going to have a showing in October at Studio Regard Du Cygne in Paris and we were asked to perform in Switzerland this August so I'm looking forward to that! I went to Barcelona and took some wild classes with Bebeto Cidra. I also saw Thierry De Mey perform Light Music. I have been really intrigued with all of his videos ever since we saw one in Kate's Dance History class and it was great seeing him live. Now I am here in Munich (see photo), I got workstudy for this contact-tango workshop. Today was my first day and it was very physical and wonderful. One of the dancers invited me to a contact-tango jam tonight so I am on my way. I am here until Tuesday with the workshop then I decided to check out Berlin for a couple of days. I have heard such fantastic things about the dance and art world there so I'm going. I'm really excited. Then I head back to Brussels, my friend from this summer found me a really great and cheap apartment in the center. I will be going to auditions in Amsterdam and Antwerp and pursue other projects in Brussels....."

In her message Maya asked about recommendations of places to visit in Berlin. Here are my suggestions, and if you are reading this and have been in Berlin recently please add a comment with more ideas: Dock 11, Tanzfabrik, and Radial System V. If you have never seen Thierry de Mey's creations, he is the director and composer who collaborated with William Forsythe on the film "One Flat Thing Reproduced"

Thinking about Maya's adventures and her curiosity and courage, I am reminded of another GMU graduate, Kalynn Frome, who I saw on stage recently in a new creation by Susan Shields and Heather McDonald called "Stay." It was performed at the Woolly Mammoth Theater in DC and Kalynn was stunning - her lush dancing exuding a wide range of emotions. It was breathtaking to see her take so many risks, and I love how her performance stays fresh in my memory weeks after it happened. Sometimes it is not necessary to get on plane to explore a world of possibilities.

One of the things I admire most about GMU is how the School of Dance equips its graduates for so many different paths - from traveling abroad to investigating interdisciplinary creations. As a new semester starts tomorrow, I am looking forward to meeting students, watching their artistry develop, and seeing how they thrive.

end of year insight

2010-12-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

A reflection by Caroline Yost who is a senior in the School of Dance at GMU:

I feel there’s a progression the college level dancer endures over the course of their four years of study. When you’re a freshman, your main objective is to please your professor; if Professor X told you “Good, Caroline!” then you did your job for the day. Professor X is the authority figure and he or she already had a career so what they say must be true. In my freshman eyes, any words coming of any professor’s mouth were golden. I held no one’s opinion, not even my own, above any of my professors. When I was a freshman I whole-heartedly believed that if my professors thought I was talented, then I was. If my professors thought I was going to be a professional, then I was. I failed to take any responsibility for my craft or my career.

Naturally, when I received my first technique class “B+,” Intermediate Modern Dance, I was horrified. I couldn’t fathom how if I was doing everything correctly, attending class, and pleasing my teacher he could offer me anything short of an “A.” I found myself recalling all the verbal confirmations I’d heard in the semester, sizing up that number with the awful “B+” staining my transcript.

This class taking strategy lasted through my sophomore year. With a different palate of teachers I found myself hitting dead-ends left and right, trying to please those around me. And still, my mentality failed to change.

More B’s and more frustrations piled up and I found myself considering other career options; options I now realize never fulfilled my true passion (I fondly refer to these options as “copping out” now-a-days). However because they offered immediate and greater validation (an A on a paper I had worked so hard on, receiving an internship with one of the top American modern dance companies in the world) I thought perhaps they were for me.

I can pinpoint when everything clicked for me. It wasn’t a long realization either, it was acute. I recognized… I admitted… I surrendered to the truth, that I wanted to dance. Up until that point the ever-looming cloud of failure had been so dense it had led me astray. Even before my college years I was lost in a labyrinth looking for constant justification. It was after that submission the way in which I took class changed drastically.

I no longer found myself looking at my professors and waiting to hear encouraging words. I was speaking them to myself. I was hard on myself too, getting upset when I failed to pick up combinations at a sufficient rate or messing up things that should have been innate to my technique. Looking back on class and giving myself daily evaluations became a regular routine and regardless if I was spoken to or not, if I felt I had a good class, then I was satisfied.

Taking class became more rewarding as well because I wasn’t in competition with my peers. The thirst to get Professor X’s attention had dissipated. I no longer found myself stressing when the dancer in front of me was acknowledged and I was not. For the three hours of technique class I was in my own world, taking changes, making decisions, and in many ways, falling back in love with the art form. Not every day is perfect and there are some days I really do wish Professor X would recognize how hard I’m working or the fact that I just hit four pirouettes, because that yearning is human, it’s natural. But to be liberated from it after so many years of feeling inadequate because I wasn’t this teacher or that teacher’s cup of tea, well that has been truly magical.

end of year lists

2010-12-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I was in New York City and picked up the "Arts & Leisure" section on Saturday night to see the annual list of highlights in performances and exhibitions.

Reading the critics' analysis I thought about a question I had put on a Dance Appreciation test a couple days before to motivate students to think about the conditions and reception of certain artists: "who is the greater dancer - Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly?"

Some students wrote poetically: "Trying to choose between Astaire and Kelly is like trying to choose between day and night: we need both... They were excellent dancers and the best in their own right. Picking favorites is determined by the personality of the person being questioned. It cannot be denied that both dancers broke boundaries, set standards, and deserve their thrones in the kingdom of dance mastery."

Other students described their different approaches to choreography, the camera, and movement: "Gene Kelly used a variety of camera techniques... Fred Astaire was seemingly effortless and had a certain swagger... In my opinion the best dancer would be a fusion of the many great characteristics of both men... I think the greatest dancer is Michael Jackson."

The response that really made me smile was: "The answer to this question reveals the personality of the answerer. Fred Astaire was a representation of graceful aristocracy and Gene Kelly was slightly rougher around the edges. Myself being more of a jock, I prefer Gene Kelly."

So it comes as no surprise that in The New York Times a similar pattern occurred: Alastair Macaulay wrote about Sara Mearns of New York City Ballet, Alina Cojocaru and David Hallberg of American Ballet Theatre, and Matthew Renko of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet as performers who left lasting impressions. For notable choreographers, Macaulay cited Liz Gerring and Pam Tanowitz. For impressive collaborations, he wrote about Sara Rudner and Dana Reitz.

Critic Claudia La Rocco listed Keely Garfield, Wendy Whelan, Ralph Lemon, Alain Buffard, Rob List and Bruno Beltrao as "top-notch" artists. She also mentioned people who were creating in the 1950s and 1960s and whose works were revived, re-created, or shown on film in 2010: Trisha Brown's "Walking on the Wall," Yvonne Rainer's "Trio A Geriatric with Talking," the documentary "Simone Forti: An Evening of Dance Constructions," and Anna Halprin's tribute to her husband which was performed in September in Portland.

Looking at these two lists, it is not so much the differences in people but the massively different perceptions of performance that intrigue me. I am fascinated by how much our preferences expose our subjective understanding of the world, our desire for things to be a certain way, and our particular beliefs about the role of dance and the arts today.

voices

2010-12-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

The brouhaha set off by The New York Times review of “The Nutcracker,” the follow-up by the critic, and the eloquence of Jenifer Ringer’s reaction on The Today Show exemplifies the way communication has changed in 2010: an artist can not only respond to what a critic writes, but can use many avenues – the internet, print, and television - to transmit their messages. Does this reveal how criticism is no longer confined to an authoritative voice - the expert or arbiter of style - but can engage in a dialogue that includes multiple perspectives and responses? What does this mean for the future of dance and the role of dance criticism?

I am impressed by the insight Jenifer Ringer, a New York City Ballet principal, brings to the situation and her appearance reminded of other dancers who have articled their ideas through writing and teaching. Christopher d’Amboise, also a former New York City Ballet principal and now part of the faculty at GMU, wrote a book almost 30 years ago that contains beautiful revelations about the nature of artists, friendships, and dancing. Here is a passage:

“I have heard people try to describe the feeling of dancing, and it usually ends up sounding religious or mystic. One finds oneself unintentionally using phrases like ‘another world,’ or ‘the ultimate experience.’ The more sincere the attempt to explain, the more apparent is its ineffability. We do not have the proper words for it. It is as if all the senses were fulfilled, and all the desires realized. All fears and disappointments disappear, or rather they are blanketed by the overwhelming force of the positive…”

December 2010 Concert at GMU

2010-12-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Watching Edwin Aparicio’s last week and the dancers of GMU last night I’m thinking about the visceral nature of dance. It challenges our notion that life can be captured and transmitted through images and recordings, and insists on experiences that are direct, immediate, and fleeting. I don’t think any recording of Aparicio’s dancers and musicians can replicate their energy or the electricity of watching their artistry take flight. I got chills. Last night, as the students who are majoring in dance at GMU presented choreography by their classmates and faculty, my eyes were bathed in different notions of beauty.

“A” by professor Constance Dinapoli arranged dancers in duets, a trio, and then an ensemble as their movement evolved from sparse to full-bodied and exuberant. The score complemented their moods: the first piece by Thomas Stanley sounded like noise from a street or public space as two dancers presented gestures and poses that seemed to intersect like puzzle pieces. There were also playful moments when one dancer exaggerated the walk of the other, trailing her like a rebellious shadow. These beginning duets appeared gentle, like studies in cause and effect, which reminded me of Alexander Calder’s sculptures. Bodies made shapes that shifted and transformed, propelled by the impulse of another dancer. By the last section all nine women were on stage. They froze momentarily like statues before returning to their frantic locomotion. Their frenzy reminded me of lives today – all rush with very little respite. I enjoyed the contrast between the more still first scenes and the climax toward the ending when music by Techno 5 caused the dancers’ feet to flutter in skips and prances.

Each of the evening’s pieces featured choreography that highlighted elements of the music. Three of these pieces stood out because of their differences.

“Tambour” by Brianna Kimball started with the dancers standing in silhouette, their bodies making shapes that rocked from side to side as the dancers shifted their heels right and left. This swaying motion served as a kind of beat or through-line to the piece as the choreography progressed into contractions and canons of movement. Matched with music by Steve Reich, the choreography made visible Reich's score, “Drumming Part IV,” which built in a similar fashion with patterns that increased and overlapped. Different in mood but also captivating in its pairing of movement and music was Adam Buss’ “City Rain.” Set to Max Richter’s “Flowers for Yulia” the movement consisted of sweeping gestures and the flowing costumes accentuated the windswept ambiance. Dancers rolled to the floor and swirled up again. The atmosphere was more plaintive and melancholy than “Tambour,” but the energy of the performers was similarly riveting. “Sebagai Perayaan, Kami Menari” by Caroline Yost closed the concert with an exploration of gestures and instruments from Bali. The last section of Yost’s choreography, set to music by Mindia Devi, turned the dancers into glittering deities, their hands and arms making intricate shapes.

absolutely gorgeous

2010-12-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

Legs flicker in rapid rhythms that dive and cut between the singer’s voice. The contrast between the plaintive sounds and driving patterns conjures a feeling of mixed emotions, irreconcilable feelings that burn within each of us. Watching Edwin Aparicio’s concert “Alma Flamenca” today at the Gala Theatre, I was transported by the beauty and eloquence of the dancers and musicians. It was one of the best performances I have seen in DC and reminded me of a flamenco performance I saw just after September 11, 2001 when Noche Flamenca performed in Connecticut. I was living close to New York City at the time and the flurry of the dancers’ feet contrasting with the sinuous flow of their arms and backs seemed to capture the conflicting emotions in the audience, the sadness, anger, grief, and rage that was palpable at the time.

If the audience today seemed more subdued, the dancers on stage were not. The performance was transcendent. It opened with a trio of gorgeous women who commanded the stage with their footwork and fans, then shifted to a more somber solo choreographed and performed by Defne Enç. Dressed in black, she embodied a sense of calm strength as she stalked across the stage and poured passion into virtuosic phrases. The duet that followed, “Seguiriyas” by Edwin Aparicio and Genevieve and Guinn, brought out one aspect of flamenco that makes me cherish this dance form: the women and men take part in the dancing that is aggressive as much as they share the phrases that are more subtle and subdued. I was particularly impressed by Guinn’s performance because Aparicio is a stellar artist who makes it hard to watch anyone else on stage. She matched his power in her own exquisite way and their duet turned the stage into a richly woven fabric of music, dancing, and duende.

In a book I am reading about flamenco, Goethe is quoted as saying: “Duende… a mysterious power that everyone feels but that no philosopher has explained.”

It is the spirit that seems to overtake a great flamenco dancer and it was visible today. It is another element I love about this dancing and music: it’s not only mesmerizing to watch – as bodies and faces paint shapes and emotions on the stage – but it also deeply human and intimate. The dancers appear propelled by internal forces and allow for some play between control and risk, structure and freedom.

This may be why I find it so effective as communication. Although the performance was planned and choreographed it also valued creativity and spontaneity. The artists transmitted messages and ideas directly from body to body, dancers to musicians, and performers to audience. It was a moment that defies explanation. It must be felt and lived.

For more information about Edwin Aparicio, check out this terrific interview from DCist.

24 hours

2010-11-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Between 7:30 Monday night and 7:30 Tuesday night there were three eye-opening events that made me question the role of arts criticism today. The first occurred at "Fly: Five First Ladies of Dance," a performance so stunning that there was collective euphoria afterwards as people smiled and greeted one another on their way out of The Kennedy Center. The second moment came in a class of Dance History when Dance majors asked pointed questions about dance writing and offered excellent observations about the role of critics. The last moment was the most disheartening: The Kennedy Center hosted a panel about arts criticism and Douglas McLennan, Editor of ArtsJournal.com talked about how difficult it is for him to find decent dance writing to post on his site, then pondered if something should be done about theaters that restrict cell phone use since all the young people today only want to attend events where they can use their communication devices constantly. One of the panelists turned to him and asked "are you suggesting we twitter at the opera?" The discussion seemed light-years away from the brilliance of the performance I had attended the night before and the curiosity and insights of the GMU Dance majors that afternoon. Given the power and impact critics have in shaping discourse, I was dismayed by the disconnect between artists and editors. Fortunately there were some thought-provoking pieces published about "Fly" in City Paper and The Washington Post. And I include some thoughts I wrote for my own memory of the performance.

Only five dancers were on the stage of The Terrace Theater last night: Bebe Miller, Germaine Acogny, Dianne McIntyre, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and Carmen de Lavallade. Yet they brought with them the legacy and accomplishments of 50 years of African-American artists.

Their five solos were exquisite expressions of their innermost feelings, their struggles and achievements, and their beliefs and hopes. Each one possesses an extraordinary sense of dignity and grace. These women don't walk on stage, or even take the stage. They command the stage. Although some of the choreography dated back to 1972, the women made the performance a decidedly 21st century affair. The vibrancy and freshness of their solos were testaments to their sincerity and vigor. The evening was aptly called "Fly: Five First Ladies of Dance."

I was with friend at the performance who did not know much about the artists and she asked how I would describe them: I said these are women who have not compromised their visions. As different as each solo may appear, each woman has held fast to their image of a dancer as someone who is creative, resilient and strong. By the end of the night this had been made visible - five times.

Bebe Miller was the first solo of the evening: her "Rain" dates back to 1989 but bears a contemporary sense of exploration and fragility. On stage was a square blanket of artificial grass - its bright green texture contrasted with Miller's red dress and graying braids. She was a fierce performer. When she turned her focus to the audience her look was piercing and absolute. Her body moved in flickers and swirls. At one point she almost crawled under the grass. Her journey seemed to be about a human being who is hanging on, still present, still here.

"If You Don't Know" by Dianne McIntyre presented a different but equally captivating view of a woman. Dressed in a silky, floor length white skirt with a sleeveless top, McIntyre appeared both angelic and statuesque. Her frame is elfin, but the spirit and energy she sends forth have the force of a bulldozer. Her solo was a montage of movement phrases, voice over from a filmmaker (St. Clair Bourne), and live piano music with singing by George Caldwell. At one point the melody of the song "If you don't know me by now..." could be heard and McIntyre stood resolute facing the audience, staring at us. It was as if the image and melody needed nothing else; it was clear that she has made her stamp on the dance world and that we are indebted to her perseverance and generosity. The audience burst in applause and laughter.

It was fitting for Jawole Wille Jo Zollar to follow McIntyre's solo: Zolllar was a student of McIntyre's in New York before establishing her own company, Urban Bush Women. Her solo at the Terrace Theater shared characteristics with the choreographic works she had made for her own dancers: fierce, triumphant, and determined. "Bring 'Em Home" was a solo that began with her lying on the floor waving a white handkerchief. When she stood she began a series of phrases, pacing back and forth staring at us, the audience. She rarely smiled until the end. At one point she shouted "Bring Em Home." I thought of our troops in Iraq. Zollar is someone who has been a beacon pointing light towards the possibility of dance and community engagement. She, like all the "Fly" women, are pioneers.

How Do We Define and Classify Dance?

2010-10-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

The human body is amazing. I love this art form of dance because there is no end to what the human form can express. Tonight, I attended a performance of Companhia de Danca Deborah Colker at the Kennedy Center. The dancers were athletic, precise, musical, sensual, mechanical and superhuman, all in one evening. The concert titled Mix, was a little disjointed due to the nature of the performance, as the program consisted of a “mix” of sections from other evening length thematic concerts.

I appreciated Colker’s choreographic sensitivity to the creation of environments and theatrical landscapes through which the performers explored. I was particularly in awe of the final selection called “Climbing,” during which the dancers fearlessly propelled and repelled themselves up, down, across, upside down, turning and backwards along a huge climbing wall. In the small amount of rock climbing I have personally attempted, I have always worn a harness. These dancers scaled the wall surface, without any safety device, as though they were moving along the floor. In fact, there were times my mind was tricked into believing that I was looking down at the performers from above. They created a new dimension for dancing!

I once again found myself searching for a definition of how to classify dance. Colker’s company is as athletic as it is technical as it is theatrical. Some may say the work is circus, theater, performance art, visual art, sport or dance. I wonder, why do we need a definition?

an interview with Professor Jim Lepore

2010-09-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

If I need to change my mood from stress to joy, I just have to pass by Professor Lepore's Afro-Cuban dance class and watch a room full of students soaking up knowledge like sponges take water. Their skin glistens with sweat, their bodies accent the rhythms and their minds explore the intersections of dance, religion and politics. It's a moment that perfectly captures the melding of mind, body and spirit. Here Professor Lepore answers questions about his education, teaching and unbelievably talented family.

1. what draws you to dance? and to teaching?
I graduated from high school in 1971, during the throes of an international counter-culture that challenged status quo values and celebrated the virtues of “finding oneself.” My undergraduate years, spent hop-scotching around the US and Europe when not enrolled at a university, were dedicated to doing just that. Before I ever took a dance class, I spent time majoring in philosophy, art history, and/or ceramics. None of these subjects, however, engaged me enough (or engaged enough of me) to keep a fire burning after my initial fascination faded.

Luckily, I had a younger sister who studied modern dance and she, inadvertently, opened that door for me. When I finally started taking dance classes, I realized that they rekindled the charge I got from kinetic sensations as a child. (I can still vividly recall being engaged for endless hours in some physical activity, and being appalled by how disconnected adults were from that world; if growing up meant sitting around and talking, then I wanted nothing to do with it.) Dancing also required that I engage my senses in the immediacy of the moment. To dance was—pardon the 60’s cliché—to “be here now.”

The senses, I believe, not only inform us about the world that surrounds us, they also dictate how we experience that world.
Dancing heightens our experience of that sensate world and fills it with nuance. It brings flavor, color, and texture into our lives. I dance to feel this “aliveness,” and I teach because I want to share these sensations. Dance is a powerful antidote to the cultural forces that value virtual reality over actual experience, or the predictable over the unknown (the magical?). On a number of levels, dance teaches us to trust ourselves and to trust our perception of the world that surrounds us. What better preparation is there for life?

2. what inspired your interest in and experience with Latin / Afro-Cuban music and dance? do you know other artists in the modern dance world who share your expertise?
I have always enjoyed moving. When I was young I was drawn to sports, and as I got older I discovered that I loved moving to music—dancing. Dancing is also etched in my childhood memories, as it was an important part of the frequent parties my parents hosted as I was growing up. As I got older, I remember seeking out venues where I could dance--rock concerts, discos, ballrooms, Greek weddings—and I remember being drawn to cultures that valued dance as a means of celebrating life. Nevertheless, I didn’t take my first dance class (a general education folk dance class) until my third year of university studies.

At the age of twenty-two I began to study modern dance seriously, and was struck by the fact that the worlds of concert dance and participatory/social dance almost never overlapped. While these two worlds share many common elements--concert dance grew out of a social dance form--a veritable schism exists between these two worlds. It is a schism rife with outdated attitudes and class biases, and stereotypical (and hypocritical) high art/low art prejudices.

Cultural factors also play a role in the perception of social and concert dance forms. For most Americans, our exposure to vital participatory dance traditions is relatively limited, whereas dance as a performing art is widespread, from concert halls to popular television programs. I gained some insight into the repercussions of this as a graduate student at Temple University where our professor, Helmut Gottschild, asked each of us whether we considered ourselves to be “performers” or “movers.” To my surprise, most considered themselves to be performers. While I enjoy performing, performance is not central to how I see myself as a dancer. I am a mover—a mover who enjoys the vocabulary of modern dance as well as the opportunity to commune with dancers versed in participatory dance forms.

In any event, when I arrived in NYC in the mid-70’s to study modern dance, I was immediately smitten by the vitality of a salsa scene that was in full bloom. For years I dabbled with dancing salsa “on the side,” improving marginally while simultaneously gaining a healthy respect for its complexity. During this time I was also frustrated by the lack of attention paid to this idiom by dance scholars; there was a dearth of resources about salsa, that for me, shrouded this idiom in mystery. Not until I traveled to Cuba for the first time in 1994 did a big picture begin to emerge. That initial trip, to study Cuban social dance, was a revelation—one that continues to resonate. In Cuba I witnessed dance interwoven into the fabric of everyday life in a way I had never imagined. Furthermore, Afro-Cuban traditions—many still vital—could be traced back to specific ethnic groups in Africa. There are Afro-Cuban forms of the Yoruba, the Congolese, and the Fon, to name a few. Generally speaking, the dance idioms of these cultures encourage multiple generations of Cubans to share the same dance floor at the same time. The result is a contagiously joyful celebration of life through dance—a celebration supported by live music that is “choreographed” to move the dancers toward moments of peak experience.

Apart from its intrinsic value, learning—and eventually teaching—Afro-Cuban dance has also informed the modern dancer in me. It has helped refine my musical sense, added to the palette of colors I use to make dances, and taught me about nuance, especially vis-à-vis use of the torso. It has also, surprisingly, revealed information about dance technique that is invaluable. Most Afro-Cuban dance vocabulary, in situ, is performed in night-long venues. In order to accomplish this, sound biomechanical execution needs to be practiced. The principles underlying this are applicable to any dance form.

On a final personal note, the most touching thing about Afro-Cuban dance is the movement/music symbiosis central to its character. Knowledgeable dancers in this tradition are fluent in the language and rhythmic syncopations of the music. When Afro-Cuban drums speak, a good dancer responds in kind. Dancing infused with musical dimensions of this nature is out of this world.

Is this combination of interests unique? Not really, though it is rare. I know two or three Americans who teach modern dance and some form of social dance. On the other hand I have a number of colleagues from Cuba, where participatory dance is pervasive, who teach both modern and Afro-Cuban forms. This reflects the different cultural perspectives I spoke of earlier.

3. Can you explain the incredible talent in your family - producing a dance scholar and world-class fashion designer... did you eat "creativity chips" for breakfast while the rest of us were having "frosted flakes"?

I have three siblings and all of us are “artistic.” For a while three of us were dancers. My younger sister Michele was the first dancer in the family, and my younger brother, Jeff, performed with Mark Taylor, Susan Marshall, and Randy Warshaw. We all considered Nanette, our fashion designer sister, to be the black sheep.

Growing up, my mother was nurturing and tolerant, and while raising four children went back to college to earn a degree in education. She also had a lovely singing voice and I have wonderful childhood memories of her breaking into song whenever. Our house was saturated with visual art. My father was an abstract expressionist painter who hung large canvasses of his work all over the walls. These paintings were frequently the topic of conversation by his beatnik colleagues who often hung around. My boyhood friends also offered their own commentaries, which went mostly along the lines of “I can do that” or “What’s it supposed to be?” We were sort of the resident “gypsy family” (our vacations always required some form of car camping) in a working class neighborhood of second-generation immigrants. While my siblings and I were never presented with expectations laid down by our parents, the modeling was apparent: having art in one’s life gave it meaning, and art-making should always retain a sense of playfulness.

room to soar

2010-09-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

"State of the art" may be so overused that the phrase has become drained of meaning, but the dedication of the de Laski Performing Arts Building last night made these words come alive.

This new structure on GMU’s Fairfax campus is a spacious home for the Schools of Dance and Music. As students, faculty, administrators, donors, and the architects gathered yesterday to dedicate the building, I was mesmerized by the glory of the design. It's a place where imaginations can soar. It is also a testament to both generosity -- a gift from philanthropists Donald and Nancy de Laski made it possible to build this center -- and dedication. The long-term commitment of faculty like Linda Miller who have been stalwart in their dedication to state of the art training and performances for dancers at GMU has turned aspirations into manifestations.

While I enjoyed hearing recollections from Donald de Laski, as well as the President of GMU, Dr. Alan M Merten, and the Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, William F. Reeder, it was choreography by Susan Shields and Christopher d’Amboise that enlivened the occasion. Shields’ duet called “Displaced” was performed by Alejandro Alvarez and Kailee Combs, students who have a stunning purity. Dressed all in white, they melted and folded into one another as if made of rice paper. Shields’ choreography is distinguished by its clarity and emotional nuance; d’Amboise offered a more boisterous celebration. Set to an adaptation of Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” played by GMU's Jazz Chamber Ensemble, his choreography featured 13 dancers grooving to the rhythms. Shields and d’Amboise are artists who imbue their students with discipline and grace. It seems fitting that they can now teach in a building that radiates creativity and innovation.

News from Maya in Brussels

2010-09-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

It has been an eventful couple of weeks!
I am back from ImPulsTanz (Vienna, Austria) and have been taking classes at a studio in the center of Brussels and was babysitting in the evenings. Then I took a two-week workshop with Ultima Vez. The first week was taught by a German named Jauregui Allue and the second week was taught by Inaki Azpillaga. It was Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm with a 20 minute break. It was the most intense and physically demanding workshop I have ever taken. We were rolling and jumping and flying.

We spent a lot of work on partnering and it was so much fun to be lifted in the air and then thrown into another guy who threw me across the room. I had bruises all over and my body was exhausted-but I never felt more alive. It was amazing to have so much time to do all the partnering work. I met a great group of people in the classes and since they were small (around 20 people each week) we really got to know everyone. I have friends now in Sweden, Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and London. I went to a dance festival here at Brigittines (a beautiful old church that has been transformed into a theater) and saw a work 'Love/Death/Devil-The Piece' by Ben J. Ripe (German choreographer). People in bunny masks roamed the stage as one man sang "Moon River" while trying to swallow the microphone. Provocative questions were asked such as 'Are you afraid of dying?' I also saw the world premiere of 'Monkey Sandwhich' by Wim Vandekeybus. It was a 2 1/2 hour film with one performer on stage who was reacting to the characters and events on the screen. I could not help but smile when I saw Davis Freeman in the movie-since I just met him at ImPulsTanz and I feel that I am starting to get to know the dance scene over here. After the film there was a lavish reception (that one would never see in the U.S. for a dance performance) and I even met Wim Vandekeybus! Next week I am taking a workshop everyday with Martin Kilvady and all of the Les Slovaks so that will be great. Kind of frustrating news but I will have to return to the United States October 1st since my visa is expiring. Although I am involved in projects here in November and December, the projects are not through a paying/established company and therefore did not qualify me for my extension. After running (literally) around Brussels and meeting important people from embassies and ministries, it became clear to me that if I want to stay longer than three months, I just have to do my paperwork with the Belgian Embassy in the U.S. This weekend is the Kanal Festival filled with contemporary dance and film showings. Can't wait to come back and really settle in here.

flash of the spirit

2010-09-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

Last night KanKouran West African Dance Company turned Lisner Auditorium into a house of celebration. The performance was aptly titled Circle of Praise: Blessings! and paid tribute to dance scholar Dr. Sherrill Berryman-Johnson who passed away earlier this year.

The first act ended with dollar bills strewn across the stage and the second act featured performers as young as 3 or 4 years old dancing rhythms and beating drums with a multigenerational cast. The walls seemed to shake and the floor bounce. The live music, vibrant costumes, contagious enthusiasm of the performers, the virility of their dancing, and the cheers of the audience created a fiery joy. People from the audience approached the stage to toss money to the performers, but these bills seemed trifling compared to the power of their bodies and drums. It was a manifestation of spirit.

A dedication to Dr. Berryman-Johnson at the beginning of the evening included her ideas about technique and the importance of clarity and conviction. Listening to her words about the role of an institution – a school or company – to give dancers the structure they need to hone their craft, I realized the link between her dedication to teaching and the beauty of choreographers like Ronald K. Brown. They share a commitment to both discipline and grace.

At the end of the evening, KanKouran's company director, Assane Konte, remembered coming to America in 1979 and being asked by Dr. Berryman-Johnson to teach a class at Howard. He laughed as he recalled his answer: ‘I don’t speak English and we don’t take dance classes in Africa.”

Today, 31 years later, he said he missed a dear friend and legend: his company honored her vigilance and her investment in dance with a gorgeous celebration.

The first day of school!

2010-08-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

I love the excitement of the first day of school. This morning, The School of Dance at George Mason University was buzzing with fresh energy. Many students returned with wonderful stories of summer adventures, the freshman class took their first steps of their four year journey into the unknown, the faculty were inspired and the new addition to the Performing Arts Building created quite a buzz! GMU was already blessed with beautiful, sunlight filled, spacious studios. Now there are two new, gorgeous studios accompanied by a student lounge, locker rooms and a physical therapy room added to the mix. I look forward to teaching, creating and dancing in the inspirational spaces. Anything and everything seems possible...we are at the beginning of a new journey, a new school year!

In this photo: The advanced modern dance class on the first day of the Fall 2010 semester at GMU.

den of discussion

2010-08-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Last night’s viewing of dance films and videos brought together a small group of friends at my studio apartment to watch This Is It as well as a documentary on Butoh called Piercing the Mask, a brief clip of an Yves Klein performance, a film by Ludovica Riccardi about the creative process of Pierre Droulers and work by Beijing's Living Dance Studio.

An eclectic group of ideas and artists – what could possibly be shared among creators as diverse as Michael Jackson, Yves Klien, Tatsumi Hijikata, Kazuo Ohno, Wen Hui and documentary maker Wu Wenguang, and Pierre Droulers? What emerged over and over in the lively conversation that followed each film/video were distinct approaches to the body, to movement and to creation. Although the friends gathered are all curious about dance, we came to the discussion from different places; our unique perspectives included those of a writer, a massage therapist, a choreographer and performer and someone passionate about improvisational comedy. It was inspiring to listen to how each of us responded differently – and profoundly - to what we saw.

I thought of this again today when I went to see Mao’s Last Dancer (photo above), a film based on the true story of Li Cunxin's childhood and career. Much has been written about one of the first scenes when Li almost misses his chance to pursue dance, but it was a later incident that really impressed me. A ballet teacher gives Li contraband: a videotape of a performance by Baryshnikov (who has been dismissed in an earlier scene as a filthy defector…). Li is mesmerized and from this glimpse of what dancing can be, dedicates himself wholeheartedly to becoming an artist.

These glimpses we are given of other approaches, other performers, other ideas can be truly transformational. I strongly recommend Mao's Last Dancer as a film or the book and if you have never seen Klein's creations, there is a retrospective at the Hirshhorn until September 12.

Kayak and Choreography

2010-08-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

On July 29, 2010, Karen Reedy Dance performed a site-specific dance at the Torpedo Factory, inspired by resident artists Marsha Staiger and Alison Sigethy. For me, the artist’s joint exhibition in the Torpedo Factory’s Target Gallery, titled “Art in Balance: Rhythm and Repetition,” evoked images of water, summer, relaxation and playfulness. Marsha’s bold use of color was both playful and mesmerizing. As I stood in front of her work, I was taken on a journey and transported out of reality into a magical space. Alison’s three dimensional work continued the layers of depth in theme. Her “Water Wall” (which looks exactly as it sounds) created a serene atmosphere, while her colorful “Fireflies” again referenced the ease and joy of the summer season.

I enjoyed witnessing the artistic process and collaboration leading to the art exhibition “Art in Balance,” while being a part of the collaboration that led to the performance of KRD. From both visual artist’s work, I drew inspiration for the dance. Marsha’s use of bold color and sense of play, combined with Alison’s sensitivity to natural elements such as water, provided ideas as to how the dance might interact. The performance began in the water, continued outdoors on the waterfront, led the audience inside and came to completion in the Target Gallery.

There were many exciting and experimental aspects of this performance for me as a choreographer. The first involved a dance for kayak. Alison Sigethy provided inspiration and expertise not only as a collaborating artist, but also a highly ranked kayak competitor. Not being experienced with kayaking myself, I was challenged and thrilled to learn about how a kayak moves. I found such grace and elegance in the sport, and wanted to learn its movement language. For three weeks. I met Alison at the marina in order to witness characteristics of kayak paddling and rolling, while attempting to apply choreographic principles to the sport. I wanted to transform the sport into an art form. One of the most interesting difficulties I encountered had to do with the changing tide. There are many challenges in choreography for dance, but one of those problematic elements is not a moving floor space! Water provided a variable I was not familiar with. Creating a dance for kayak was an educational experience and will definitely inform my work in dance. I had a blast! Alison is a master of her kayak and is indeed a dancer in her own unique water art form.

Following Alison’s kayak performance, six dancers spread out along the waterfront outside of the Torpedo Factory. The structured improvisation consisted of movement material related to Alison’s kayak dance. The dancers then performed a repetitive phrase traveling from the outdoors to inside, inviting the audience to travel with them. The remainder of the performance involved sections of improvisation combined with staged choreography. The first dance provided images of bodies of water in “Undertow, while the second work was titled “Beach Balls” in response to the colorful balls utilized in Alison’s “Fireflies” along with Marsha’s brilliant use of color.

Musician and composer, Jeff Franca, brought the element of sound to the event. Without his improvised environmental and percussive musical talent, the work would have been incomplete. Jeff utilized natural sounds of the outdoors as well as a broad range of percussive grooves to unite the various artistic elements. This performance was only possible through such wide collaboration of open minds. The live music, dancers, visual artists, space, volunteer support and audience provided a mix of elements unique to that evening. I feel fortunate to have been a part of such collaboration with so many generous and talented artists.

from Maya in Vienna

2010-08-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

After graduating from the School of Dance this spring, Maya (pictured above with choreographer David Dorfman and his son) embarked on an adventure: she has been living, dancing, creating and meeting artists in Europe. Most recently she was at ImPulsTanz, an international festival of performances and workshops in Vienna, Austria. Here is her update:

"Just got back to Brussels from ImPulsTanz in Vienna and it was amazing! I went to ImPulsTanz because David Dorfman said I could be his assistant and take free classes so I took his composition class, Trisha Brown repertory with Shelley Senter, technique with Ori Flomin and I took class with Lisa Race. The next week I took class with Kenji Takagi and Francesco Scavetta. I also auditioned for a dance program in Venice run by Ismael Ivo and made it really far and find out in September if I get in! I saw performances by David Zambrano, Benoit Lachambre, DD Dorvillier, Les ballets C de la B/Alain Platel and Frank Van Laecke. David introduced me to Keith Hennessy, Risa Steinberg, Davis Freeman among others. I also met Meg Stuart and she asked to borrow a euro! (which she returned to me the next day) Also I was talking to a dancer and choreographer Abhilash Ningappa (pictured below), who I met in Brussels, and he invited me to be involved in his project in October and November!!! He already has the residency at an artist workspace in Brussels. Now I'm back here taking dance classes. I'm living with dancers I met at P.A.R.T.S., and Monday I have an appointment with the embassy to extend my visa!"

David Leventhal

2010-08-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

Some dance companies establish a relationship with an undergraduate program as a result of repertory set on students - or a graduate who lands a job with the company - or frequent performances on a particular campus. The special connection between Mark Morris Dance Group and GMU's School of Dance comes from all three of these factors – plus faculty like Dan Joyce and Karen Reedy performed with MMDG and a recent graduate, Shanleigh Philip, works administratively with MMDG. Such connections reveal the multifaceted ways MMDG has inspired students at GMU as well as the diversity of careers School of Dance graduates can pursue.

When MMDG performed at GMU's Center for the Arts in June, I enjoyed watching dancer David Leventhal onstage and was surprised to hear he was transitioning away from performing. I asked if he could share his plans with the dancers-in-dialogue blog and I hope you find his thoughts as inspirational and meaningful as I did. The photo above of Leventhal (right) and Brooklyn Parkinson Group member Martin Thall was taken by Katsuyoshi Tanaka at the Mark Morris Dance Center.

1. When we spoke after the performance of MMDG at GMU you mentioned that you are transitioning away from full-time performing to dedicate more time to a new project. Can you describe this project and your decision to limit your performance schedule?

About nine years ago, my colleague John Heginbotham and I started teaching dance classes for people with Parkinson's disease. The Brooklyn Parkinson Group's executive director, Olie Westheimer, had approached MMDG with the idea about offering a customized dance class, and we decided to collaborate with BPG to offer free classes for people with PD, their spouses, caregivers and friends. Nine years later, the program has blossomed, so that in addition to teaching 50-60 participants a week at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, there are more than 40 classes around the world that are based to varying degrees on the MMDG/BPG model. Dance for PD has become an internationally acclaimed program and movement, and we've seen a sharp increase in demand from dance teachers who want to be trained by us, and from people with Parkinson's who want classes in their local communities. In response to this growth, the program needed someone to manage it day-to-day. Over the past two years, I had been teaching and networking on behalf of the program, and slowly--in spite of having a full-time performing career--I started taking on more of the logistical activities involved with replication and expansion. It made sense for me to become program manager because I believed passionately in the work of the program, knew everyone involved and was interested in developing a new skill set that was quite different from anything I'd done before. At the same time, I knew I was ready to stop performing full-time for a variety of personal and professional reasons. I'd been thinking about winding down my performing career for a long time. So everything just seemed to come together at once, and before I knew it, I had a plan. Mark Morris and MMDG's Executive Director, Nancy Umanoff, have been extraordinarily supportive and open to this transition, and Nancy in particular has worked very hard to put together a combination of administrative time, teaching engagements, and MMDG performing engagements so that I can earn a living as I begin this new venture.

2. What makes dance so attractive for people with Parkinson's? I just read an article on the website that said "Sustained repetitive dance movements strengthen muscles and keep the body supple, which is of particular importance for people who suffer the relentless contractions that characterize Parkinson's." Can you explain more about how you teach and how the teaching benefits people with Parkinson's?

That quote is accurate, but it doesn't capture the whole picture. I think there's so much more to the class than the mechanics of dancing. Some people with Parkinson's do some kind of physical therapy and exercise. But the basis of our class--and the thing that drew BPG's Executive Director Olie Westheimer to the idea--is that professional dancers are movement experts who have lots of valuable information to share with people who have a movement disorder. And the best part is that the delivery of this information is done in an enjoyable, social, stimulating environment with live music. If you think about everything that dance training develops--precise rhythm, strategies for balancing, advanced coordination skills, use of the imagination in the service of movement, knowledge of where all parts of the body are in space, physical confidence and grace--you start to realize how closely those elements correspond to what people with PD have trouble with. Dance training seems to pinpoint the very things that PD attacks, and so there's the potential for a very powerful transformation from rigidity and unease to musicality and flow. The fact that dance is a cognitive and aesthetic activity, and not just exercise, is especially important. Participants learn to think like dancers, and can find ways around some of the physical blocks they experience when they're not in class. I'm reminded of British neuroscientist Semir Zeki's statement that all artists are instinctive neuroscientists. Although I think he's talking primarily of visual artists, I think the same could be said of dancers and choreographers, especially in this kind of setting. But I must add that we don't teach the class as neuroscientists (because we're not--not even close) or as therapists (which we're not). We teach a real dance class because we trust that the elements of dance training are in themselves enormously beneficial to this particular community, and because the classes are a great way to help people with PD think about movement having the potential to create joy and confidence, rather than frustration.

3. And the third question, the flip side, is: how does this teaching enrich your own career and life outside the studios?

It's hard to list all the ways, but teaching this class has entirely changed the way I view teaching and dancing. I grew up as a serious ballet student at Boston Ballet, and then threw myself into modern dance in college. I think this route is fairly typical--perhaps not for a male--but for many of my colleagues. Along the way, you develop very set ideas about what dance is, and who does it, and if you're not careful, your perspective can become very narrow once you enter a professional company. You live and breath your career, and rehearsals and performances take place in a rarified environment in which everyone is highly trained, and everyone is operating at the highest professional level. Mark fights this--his aesthetic and world view is not elitist at all; he's a great humanist at heart and is fascinated by a multitude of non-professional dancing cultures--but it's inevitable in any performing dance institution that the actual working environment is quite cloistered. It has to be.

You can't just have anyone doing anything up there on stage. But this reality is so far removed from the way most people experience dance, and the way people have experienced dance for thousands of years. The Dance for PD classes have made me appreciate the transformative power of people of all forms and abilities dancing together in a connected community and with a common purpose, and I've come to appreciate how important and beautiful the simple activity of learning and dancing together in a collective group can be. Once you open your eyes to this, one person with PD putting all of her intent into lifting an arm with a certain quality can be as stimulating to watch as a highly trained ballerina doing Swan Lake because it's completely honest, completely committed, and unique--no one else moves like that! The class has also spoiled me as a teacher, because the participants come in so focused, so eager to learn that it is a joy to work with them every week. I love teaching all ages and groups, but the PD group is really a teacher's dream. I wish they could lecture my teen students about focus and sustained effort!

4. What is it about dance that drew you to become a performer and teacher?

I dance because I love music. It's really simple for me. I never had the patience to practice to be a musician, and somehow, perhaps because I never achieved mastery of an instrument, I never felt that creating music was as satisfying as embodying music. If I could do it all again, I would probably want to be a great conductor as well as a dancer! My wife always laughs at me because I conduct in the living room. (Of course in conducting, you move your body very slightly in advance of what you want to hear from the orchestra, which is sort of the opposite side of the coin from dancing). But there's no feeling quite like moving your body to music that touches you very deeply. I'm not at all religious, but I imagine that the mysterious but unstoppable power that takes over and makes you move in a certain way is not dissimilar to the feeling of absolute faith and connection with a higher being. And I think it's music's power to inform, engage, motivate and direct that is the basis for both my love of dance and one reason that dancing to music helps people with Parkinson's overcome some of the hurdles that life with a movement disorder throws in their tracks. As the parkinsonian Edith T. explains in Oliver Sachs' Awakenings, "As I am unmusicked, I must be remusicked." For me, a life without dance would also feel like a life without music, and that is intolerable. And now that I think about it, our experience leading the PD dancers is actually remarkably similar to conducting. They watch us teachers closely, and our dancing is cuing their dancing in a mutually supportive circuit. For me, there's no feeling that's more satisfying.

2010-08-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

At a dinner party a couple weeks ago, the question: "What dancer left the most lasting impression on you?" ignited a storm of discussion. Barabra Korengold spoke about people and places in DC that played a crucial role in the development of dance in this city and I asked if she could share some of these memories here on dancers-in-dialogue:

"We talked a little at dinner about Nureyev. I really feel that in my life (so far) he has been the one dancer who has advanced the art more than anyone else. It wasn't just the advance in technique that he inspired, but I think the force of his personality on stage was just as revolutionary. It was the first time (I never saw Njinsky, so I can't compare the two) that a man had command of the stage as an equal to the ballerina. It really was astonishing. He also showed us so much of the classic repertoire that was unfamiliar to us in the west. Ballet in Washington grew up when The Kennedy Center opened [in 1971]. The first time I saw the Royal Ballet... was at the old Washington Coliseum (which was where the circus performed). When I danced with the Bolshoi when I was 12, the performances were at an old movie theater on F Street that has been torn down. The major companies just didn't come. ABT and NYCB sometimes came to Carter Baron in the summers, but there was always the risk of a rain out. When I danced in the Washington Ballet's Nutcracker it was at Constitution Hall (with the National Symphony).... For a long time Mary Day was the only game in town. Freddie Franklin worked with her for a while, but he left and started National Ballet.

This was a fully professional company (Washington Ballet was more or less amateur until she brought in Choo San Goh...). An issue also was the academic schools that both organizations established - first Mary, and then Freddie. Ben Stevenson was at National Ballet for a while also until he left for Houston. Mary Day would import various star teachers every few years... Igor Schwetzoff was one - after he left Washington Ballet he opened his own studio above the Avalon movie theater (in the space that's now the small theater). Oleg Tupine was another one - he left Mary and went to National, and finally opened a school in northern Virginia where Michelle Lees among others studied. She also had Anatole Vilzak and his wife (Ludmilla Schollar) for a few years. The other important school in the city was the Jones Haywood School. They were two black women [Doris Jones and Claire Haywood] who taught black students: aspects of this city were very segregated for a long time..." Alumni of the school include Chita Rivera, Kim Bears-Bailey and Renee Robinson. Claire Haywood passed away in 1978 and Doris Jones passed away in 2006 at age 92.

any experience worth having...

2010-08-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

The more I teach the more I find that there are three key things I hope students will grasp in a course like Dance History or Appreciation: first, the confluence of events that creates great artists and masterpieces; second, the diversity of people who have shaped our definition of dance in 2010; third, the arts, and dance in particular, are essential forms of communication and wellsprings of meaning. I know that a course has planted - or nurtured - that seed of curiosity in a student when I receive an email after they attend a performance that touches upon material we watched and discussed.

Yesterday I opened a message from Jeremiah, a student in the summer Appreciation course I taught at GMU. He attended a version of Macbeth that used elements of capoeira in some of the battles, and I had seen this production when it was part of the Capital Fringe festival in DC and wrote about it for DC Theatre Scene. I mentioned it one evening to the class because I found the show fresh and captivating. Its run was extended after the festival, and the performance that Jeremiah saw took place in McLean at 1st Stage. It makes me smile when I open a message from a student who has taken a course and wants to share his/her perspective on what artists are making today. I asked Jeremiah if I could include his email here on the blog and he wrote: "any experience worth having is worth sharing..." So here are his insights:

"...it was nothing short of fantastic. I did have a little shred of an unrealistic anticipation of how much capoeira would actually be incorporated, but I didn't let it detract from the performance in any way. I haven't been to a play since I saw Romeo and Juliet nine years ago, but I definitely recognized the taste of classical Shakespearean genius while being privileged with an intelligent and refreshing contemporary vision of it. I'm pretty familiar with the play itself and it's one of my favorites, so seeing it performed so well in a new way was extremely rewarding....

I think I liked just about everything about it, the cast and direction were fantastic. The transitions between scenes were all flawless, and though the stage seemed small when I came in they made use of every inch of it without looking like they were trying to. The minimalism of the costumes and stage I felt were just enough to do make characters recognizable by their dress but not being distracting trying to puzzle out messages from them. I particularly enjoyed the actor of the slain King Duncan trading in his baldric/robe for a shoulder cloak. Even if my conscience caught on his previous role, now he stood out completely from all the Scottish Thanes with a minor costume change (in a play with minor costumes!) The performance being held in a small theater with around 50 people, a few of the actors, especially Macbeth made eye contact with me a few different times during soliloquies, and it pulled me into the tragedy so much more than a big theater. Lady Macbeth freaking out at stage front from her nightmarish visions was also an interesting moment of eye contact, haha. The simplicity of the costumes drew me in as well, all of my attention was on the action, words and facial expressions in nearly every scene... The use of capoeira elements was at times almost to the point of hyperbole, which I actually really enjoyed, especially Macduff's leaping stab to kill Macbeth. The cast really made the play, even without the contemporary use of costumes and capoeira I know I would have enjoyed this performance. The witches were outstandingly creepy and sinister, and the scene with Macbeth's encounter with the spirit of Banquo was absolutely superb; eerie isn't really something that I think translates well without a liberal use of props or lighting but the combination of the interaction between the two and the loopy witches was superb. On the personal note, the lack of a third murderer, in addition to one of the two being the same actor that played Seyton, destroyed any hope for an English term paper on this particular performance, haha. Dashing my apprehension of the ballet hierarchy, after the actors all bowed together to our applause they all gestured together in appreciation to the directors in the sound booth behind us, that was pleasing to me! Speaking of sound booth, the music from the jazz-ercise studio next door leaked through the ventilation ever so slightly, thankfully the actors stage presence and projection limited it to being merely annoying and not obfuscating. I am really glad I took the opportunity to see this, thank you for recommending it to the class!"

onstage tonight

2010-08-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

About 60 dancers – ranging in age from elementary to high school – turned the Millennium Stage of The Kennedy Center into an acoustic surface. They had spent one week learning the rhythms and percussive patterns of stepping, taught by members of Step Afrika, one of DC’s dance gems.

In a stellar program moderated by artistic director Jakari Sherman, four teams of steppers divided by age performed polyrhythmic phrases punctuated by sharp freezes. They included boys and girls, which is somewhat unusual since traditionally stepping is performed by university students grouped in fraternities or sororities. Step Afrika is a cultural jewel because it preserves and presents the history, artistry and athleticism of the dance, and provides a phenomenal show.

Sherman explained the similarities – and differences – between South African gumboot dancing and stepping. Step Afrika company members then demonstrated gumboot dancing in a scene that was simply awesome.

Teaching Dance History last semester at GMU we not only discussed dance through time and around the world, but also looked at the intersection of dance and popular media – a hot topic today. When MTV2 hosted the “Sprite Step Off” there was controversy surrounding the judging and in Dance History class, conversations were enriched by Jordan's perspective since she is both a GMU dance major and a stepper. She filled us in on stepping protocol and traditions, and recently sent me this video to show how audiences for stepping are expanding.

One of the best things about tonight’s show on the Millennium Stage (viewable here) is the respect for the roots of the dancing that Sherman honors and passes on. It is something I miss in programs like “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Another great thing about Step Afrika: the performers are extraordinary. Gorgeous movers, crisp technicians and beautiful. There were several older women sitting behind me tonight who (at first) made me think of my grandmother. Then some of the men came on stage shirtless to perform gumboot dancing, and I overheard one tell her friend “I see why they call them washboard abs.”

this weekend

2010-08-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Just received a message from a student who took the Appreciation course I taught this summer:

“There is a smoke dance competition on my reservation this weekend “

When Ashley shared with the class her experiences of life on a reservation, we were fascinated and inspired. She described differences between the Onondaga Nation, which retains its customs and a form of government that includes a traditionally-selected Council of Chiefs, and other Native Americans. As Ashley stated when asked about powwows: "Nations that have reservations maintain traditions on their reservation... These Nations are able to practice their religion with religious dancing within their own communities. Other Native Americans who do not have reservations of their own gather at powwows to share similar traditions and religious practices. It is a place where people share culture, dancing, food and clothing.” If you are near Syracuse on Saturday or Sunday, I strongly recommend a visit to the Onondaga Nation Arena. More information about the events and dancers can be found here.

travel

2010-08-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Going somewhere new mixes a little stress with a lot of excitement.

Last minute details, things to pack, arrangements to make… all balanced by the experience of elsewhere - sights, people, the possibility of experiencing life from another perspective. Perhaps best of all when I return from such a trip, I see anew what was once familiar.

A friend of mine talks about living life like a traveler: meeting everyday events with the mindset we have when we are in faraway places. We tend to be more curious, more energized, more open when we are away from the familiar – and this energy attracts conversations with people and encounters that rarely happen when we are immersed in our regular routine. What would happen if we brought a traveler’s approach into our daily schedule? would we see familiar sights in different ways? strike up conversations with the people we didn’t notice or take the time to engage?

Teaching Dance Appreciation at GMU is a little like a global tour. We look at and discuss dances from around the world, and the students enrich this experience by introducing their own stories of living and traveling in different countries. As I think about this, I find myself looking forward to the start of classes at the end of this month.

unique power and melancholy

2010-08-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Just heard from Maria Ambrose who was in New York City this summer and who will soon begin her senior year in the School of Dance at GMU: "I went to the 'Haunted' exhibit at the Guggenheim this past weekend. It was so interesting and inspiring. It had the coolest combination of film, performance art, and portraits. Merce Cunningham was involved with one part that had 6 screens with a projected image of him sitting in a chair all from different angles and distances. It was called Stillness. I'm glad I caught it before I left and I hope people get a chance to go!"

Stillness (2007) is by artist Tacita Dean and I saw a version of it in Philadelphia when it was part of the "Dance with Camera" exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art. It evokes John Cage's 1952 composition 4'33": in the films Cunningham sits in a chair and is viewed from different angles.

More information about the exhibit "Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance" is available here.

Reality Quest

2010-08-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

Saw Step Up 3 in 3D yesterday. Movies like this make teaching courses in dance a total joy. The acting may be pretty awful, but the film acknowledges the reasons why people dance, the sacrifices they are willing to make and the sense of belonging that they acquire.

It comes as close as I have seen to simulating the feeling of watching dance without a screen separating performer and observer, and it steers clear of the sexually aggressive tone of prior movies like You Got Served (check out its opening scene here).

It creates the possibility for students to come into a class like Dance Appreciation curious about parkour, freerunning, capoeira, the power moves of b-boys, popping and locking - all of which are represented in the film. In one scene where water is spilled on the dance-floor, the 3D technology intensifies the impact, making me wonder how many people in the movie theater know this has been done by artists like Pilobolus (in Day Two) and Dave St. Pierre (in Un peu de tendresse bordel de merde!) - and the effect is even cooler when it is seen live?

My question is: do movies that replicate the experience of seeing dance without a screen encourage people to buy a ticket and see dance in a theater or at a dance-battle, to participate in this unique experience?

Then again, there is a way to enjoy dance on screen without it being turned into a competition or spectacle: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, a web series directed by the same man who directed Step Up 3 Jon M. Chu.

orchestrating emotion

2010-08-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

Students in Dance History at GMU select and develop a research topic during the semester-long course. It's a fascinating project when it engages students' creativity, their ability to explore sources beyond books and publications, and to interview artists, scholars, and experts in a variety of sectors. Many projects uncover ways in which dance both impacts and instigates changes in cultures, politics, and history.

Last semester Maria Ambrose looked at the relationship between Mary Wigman and the policies of the Third Reich, and a month ago I received this message from her: "I was just browsing the itunes trailers online and this was one of the most recent ones. I thought you might find it interesting because of the propaganda lesson in class. A little late for my research paper, but still cool!" The film opens August 18.

Today I visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum where the exhibit "State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda" is on view. Although there is no mention of Wigman and only a brief mention of the "Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art)" exhibit, there are other examples of the extent to which ideology permeated everyday life: a board game in the exhibit called "Der Siegeslauf des Hakenkreuzes (The Swastika's Victorious Course)" and Joseph Goebbels' plans for regular television service (Germany in 1935 was one of the first nations to introduce it). The exhibit says "Goebbels saw the great propaganda potential... but believed it was best viewed by groups." An interesting comment about the power of mass spectacle and the party's determent of independent thinking. I encourage artists to see the exhibit: it made me think again about intersections between politics, art, and how beliefs can be manipulated.

more about music - and love

2010-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Those who have taught (or been in) a Dance Appreciation course may be familiar with the “Dancing” video series and the episode about “Dance at Court.” In it Albert Opoku, Dance and Art Historian at the University of Ghana, says: “If you are taught dancing and you know it properly, when you hear the drums – I don’t know exactly how to describe it, I think the Americans say: it does something to you.”

He emphasizes “does” with a gesture, and adds, “the nearest English equivalent is that inside the head [becomes] sweet, like tasting sugar. There’s a certain kind of pride that you belong to a great people. You are not conscious of it, but it makes you move.”

As someone who loves music – and sugar - this makes a lot of sense. The response is visceral and contagious. It infiltrates the body. And it makes me think of two passages from a book called “We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love” which a friend encouraged me to read. I admit I was skeptical: another new agey/how-to manual for relationships, but some of the first chapters made me curious enough to continue: it takes the story of Tristan and Iseult as metaphor for how we respond to people and expectations.

One passage describes the difference between learning from experience and learning from books: “The bells and music of Christendom have been the only voices by which the West told of the spirit without getting lost in concepts, abstractions, and words; the bells send forth a sound that is pure feeling, that darts past the mind and sets up an involuntary reverberation in the soul. [The bell] has the power to reveal the Dionysian side of spiritual existence, where truth is felt with the senses, felt in the images that flow from the unconscious, felt as a living encounter…”

Here I am reminded of Professor Opoku’s sweetness which bypasses words and explanation. "We" continues:

“The bells are among the few remnants of Dionysus in our Western religion; they call us to music, hymn, dance, feeling – to at-oneness with the cosmic drama…. the bells recall that King David danced before God…”

In relationships, extraordinary moments are balanced by the ordinary, finding “the relatedness, the value, even the beauty, in simple and ordinary things, not to externally demand a cosmic drama, an entertainment, or an extraordinary intensity in everything. Like the rice hulling of the Zen monks, the spinning wheel of Ghandi, the tent making of Saint Paul, it represents the discovery of the sacred in the midst of the humble and ordinary.”

And lastly about religion today: “We take a jaundiced view of religion in our age, partly because of what passes for religion has ceased to have much meaning for many of us. Carl Jung opens up an approach that takes us back to the roots of religion – the experience of psyche as soul, as a reality. He discovered that each person’s psychological structure includes an independent ‘religious’ function. This does not mean there is a need necessarily to follow creed or dogma. But it means that each human being comes with an inborn psychological urge to find meaning in life… Jung saw that most Westerners, although they consciously only believe in what is physical and rational, have dreams and fantasies overflowing with symbols of those very qualities people used to seek in their religious life: symbols evoking a sense of wholeness and a vision of a world larger than the ego.”

a music monday

2010-08-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

Much of Sunday was spent watching dance and thinking about relationships between music and movement. The day started when I opened an email from a friend that had this quote:
"An ecstatic moment in music is worth the lifetime of mastery that goes into it, because it can be shared."
-Keith Jarrett

Then I saw Urban Artistry perform their "silent" piece, and in the evening I went to the movies to see the story of Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky.

The afternoon performance took place outdoors at Meridian Hill Park (aka Malcolm X Park) and advertisements for the free event came with BLUEBRAIN's score available for download. About 100 people were there at 2pm. We received instructions to push play on our personal listening devices at the cue. (Initially it was announced “Get Ready to push play on your iPhone” to which one audience person responded “Droid!”) The dancers were full of energy – popping and locking, grooving and b-boying. Since I like John Cage’s view of the world’s music, I do not own any device for listening with earphones and prefer to hear the sounds that surround us. As earphone people around me bopped and danced to the music, I wondered if the dancers (who were also wearing earphones) could hear the audience when they whooped and hollered or broke into applause for a particularly virtuosic solo... I enjoyed it all but it made me think of how isolating personal devices can be and how much more chance there is for interaction when we share the same sounds. It was sponsored by Pink Line Project, Honest Tea, Ear Peace, and Rogue Squirrel.

“Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky” is a glimpse of the passionate affair between two 20th century greats. Chanel (the stunning Anna Mouglalis) gives new meaning to the phrase fiercely independent. Stravinsky, played by Mads Mikkelsen, seems to be tormented by his desire for her and his music, and at the same time holds onto his male chauvinistic views. It is a gorgeous film: the actors are stellar, the slice of history that it highlights is fascinating and fertile – changing the course of music and fashion in the decades to come. All the adjectives I use to describe Stravinsky when I teach Dance History: ground-breaking, revolutionary – are just as apt to describe Chanel’s designs and scents. Even the opening montage of images that appear to melt and intersect are mind-bending. I highly recommend this movie, especially if you love to think about intersections of dance and music - onstage and off - as much as I do.

our first interview

2010-07-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

Clarence Brooks. the name that may be familiar to you already.

I met him in the mid-1990s when he was dancing with the Nikolais/Louis company. Our paths crossed frequently in NYC and again in 2005 in Boca Raton, Florida where he is the Director of Dance at Florida Atlantic University.

This spring, while teaching Dance History at George Mason University, a video of Nikolais' work included Clarence as one of the dancers. When he appeared on the screen, a student shouted out "That's my teacher!" She had taken his classes at Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. The point I am trying to make: Clarence has been invested in dance for decades and the impact of his thoughtful teaching and dedication to this art-form is widespread. Here's the interview:

Question 1: Why do you teach?

Clarence: I started teaching dance shortly after I started training to become a dancer - which is not something I would recommend. It is something that I really enjoy doing. As a highly kinetic and spatial learner, I obtain a great deal of sustainment observing others challenge their bodies, their imaginations, and their use of space and environment. Watching others learn enables me to have a deeper understanding of what I am doing as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and as a student.

Question 2: During your dancing career you have performed in virtually every state with a range of ballet as well as modern companies, what advice would you give to aspiring dancers?

Clarence: I am so very grateful to this field for the opportunities it has afforded me.
Always educate yourself; place yourself in a learning environment; what you learn can never be taken away from you; learning is never a waste of time, energy or money;
Study the other art forms and the relationships between them;
Study more than one dance form and see as much dance as possible;
Document as much of your training and career as possible; collect a program from each performance you participate in; get a video/DVD; collect photographic images of you in rehearsal and performance as well as you with your peers and teachers; write down your recollections of classes, master classes and performances;
Audition for the sake of auditioning; you are not entitled to get everything you audition for (or apply for) but you should open yourself to the possibility of a new experience as well as to the inevitability of rejection;
Don’t be afraid to fall/fail because the ground is not that far below us;
Don’t be afraid to get up/fly again – do it with grace and humility;
Unfortunately, Life and dance are roses with thorns; things are so much better now than they were and if the youth put their shoulder to the wheel it will get even better; but you have to get involved, and do the right thing, and keep forging newer, better paths for those who will follow behind you;
Above all, be a good person and try to do no harm;

Respect yourself; take real good care of your instrument; treat it well and responsibly.

Question 3: We both admire and miss Kathy Grant (in the photo above with Clarence). How did she contribute to your growth and success as a professor?

Clarence: Kathy Grant was a teacher and mentor and friend to me.
When we were introduced to each other after a performance she noted that because I was the only black person onstage and she was the only one in the house, other audience members thought I was her son. She said since I knew what I was doing she did not disown me nor did she set the appreciative-but-mistaken audience members straight. She guided me through other moments of racism that were not as endearing as our initial greeting.

She was there to offer solace when my sister died of cancer. And several years later, I was able to comfort her when her son, Malik, was killed.

I called on her several times when I was experiencing very tough times teaching. Even though I knew I had information to share with students, she prevented me from throwing in the towel when I wanted to turn away from teaching middle school and run back to the stage.

When I was mercilessly beating myself raggedly attempting to win the hearts and minds of every student in my classes, her mantra to me was if I turned on just one light I did the right thing and fulfilled my duties and responsibilities as an educator. This guided me to see a class not as a monolithic body with multiple limbs and minds, but to focus in on the individuals in that space.

Walking into a private or semi-private session with Kathy could be - and often was - daunting for me. At the time that I worked with her she was teaching at NYU/Tisch in a very small space about the size of 3 large closets. Along with learning, memorizing and efficiently and effectively performing each of the therapeutic series of exercises (some of which were custom-designed and tailored for each individual), there was a good deal of protocol for coming into the space; everything had a place to exist; and there was an order and process for picking up and handling all props, instruments and equipment – even when, where and how to pass by another client working in the space was prescribed. And lo be the poor soul that broke the unwritten rules and procedures; her wrath could be stinging. The equipment in the studio were all hand-built by Joseph Pilates himself and she justly, rightfully, and religiously, managed these items and expected all patrons to do so as well. I fully understood the need for the protocol, rules and procedures and create them for the spaces that I exist in to this day. I do explain the reasons for these as well as the consequences of what can happen (damage to property, facilities and/or bodies as well as loss of usage for repeated infractions) if the rules and procedures are not adhered to.

Question 4: Can you tell us something about Kathy's impact on Dance History?

Clarence: Many folks know Kathleen Stanford Grant as one of THE Pilates gurus, but she was far more influential than that to the dance community. As we chatted in her bedroom the last time we spoke in person, she lamented the fact that folks would only recall her Pilates-self. In her youth, Kathy had aspirations to be a competitive swimmer. But there weren’t swimming pools (or limited access to the few that existed) due to segregation in New England (Boston area) so she gravitated toward her next passion, dance. Dance being such an ephemeral art form and her performance career and administrative endeavors were decades in the past - out of the experience and knowledge base of many folks, she rightly knew that her artistic-self would not be credited when she passed away.

I do not have all of the facts of what all she did; I have tidbits of information. I knew she directed the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in NYC. It was the place where African American choreographers, teachers and companies could find rehearsal space. In her apartment she caught my eye taking in a series of headshots in a picture frame on a wall (Arthur Mitchell, Paul Taylor and hers being the few that come back to mind immediately). The story she related is that this was the dance company that Taylor put together for a performance at the invitation of Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958 for the Spoleto Festival (Italy), the inaugural performance of this renowned festival. During an earlier conversation, I learned that her tenure at DTH was marred in part due to disagreements between Karel Shook and she over teaching methods and discipline. After seeing a Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians showing that I was in at DIA (now Joyce SoHo), she delighted me with her recollections of being in a very small crowd that staid through to the end of some of the early dance-movement-vocalizations of Dean. These are just a few recollections of things she mentioned.

Kathy’s biography and obituary list several of the high points of her career but there is so much that is missing from a life so fully lived in this field during the time that dance was growing and developing in this country:

A former dancer whose background includes Broadway, off Broadway, television, industrials, touring companies, and the concert stage in the U.S.A. and in Europe, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. Has been assistant choreographer to Donald McKayle, Walter Nicks, Arthur Mitchell, and Michael Smuin and codirector and partner with Claude Marchant Dance Company. Has performed with Mary Hinkson, Carmen DeLavallade, Mary Anthony, Donald McKayle, Paul Taylor, Geoffrey Holder, Arthur Mitchell, Bill Robinson, Honi Coles, Cab Calloway, Pearl Bailey, and others. Has served as a dance panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Delacorte Theatre, and Dance Black America. A student and protégé of Joseph Pilates, she is one of the few who was certified by Mr. Pilates in a program sponsored by the University of the State of New York, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Has conducted workshops in the Pilates method in California, New York, Maine, New Mexico; in Tokyo, Japan; and in Montreal, Canada, for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

epiphany in the shower

2010-07-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

The summer course I was teaching at George Mason University ended on Wednesday. Called “Dance Appreciation” the class fulfills a fine arts requirements and students often include those who have danced all their lives as well as people who have never attended a dance class or concert. The diversity of perspectives makes it a fascinating experience. On the first day I ask students to write down their answer – between 2 and 4 sentences – to the question: “What is dance?” I collect these and look at them alongside their answers on the final exam when they are asked to describe at least five different roles that dance can serve. Here is one student’s answer (the same student who had been in Iraq and wrote the review posted 2 weeks ago):

“to act as intermediary between physical and spiritual worlds, which we saw in Native American rituals; to showcase a place in society – as we watched in the courts of King Louis XIV; to tell a story, which we saw in Romantic Ballet – offering ways of showing narrative without speaking words; to teach social graces – as we saw in the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom; to preserve and define a culture as we saw with Flamenco and with Gumboots when people who were disenfranchised used dancing to retain a sense of power and worth; to connect to the spiritual realm – as we saw in the snake ritual in Kerala when the girls destroyed the mandala when they were in trance”

I am posting this today on National Dance Day because people in Congress (Eleanor Holmes Norton) seem to equate dancing with aerobic exercise: Congresswoman Norton states
“National Dance Day and my resolution encourage Americans to live a physically active lifestyle and to have fun doing it. Organizing an annual National Dance Day in the nation's capital and throughout the country is a terrific way to promote fitness.”

While dance does wonders for physical fitness, it does so much more. I remember one Appreciation class at GMU last year when we talked about what makes dance significant and there were conversations about creativity, communication, cultural identity, and Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences. Then one student raised his hand and said:

“This may be way off. But I think about dancing when I get in the shower [giggles from classmates]. No seriously. It's early in the morning and I'm a little sleepy and the water hits my body and I move. It is this combination of energy and motion and the way I move my body that is unique and this makes me think of dance. It is not only a way of expressing oneself, but also tapping into the essential life force that unites all of us and at the same time makes us distinct. Dance is consciousness.”

On view tonight

2010-07-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

Nestled between today's storms Karen Reedy Dance, artist/kayaker Alison Sigethy, and musician Jeff Franca brought rays of light and calm to the waterfront of Alexandria, VA.

Taking place in front of and through the Torpedo Factory, their collaboration offered sounds and sights akin to gentle breezes. There were poetic images and graceful lyricism in the dancers, percussionist and kayaker as they intertwined themes of waves and tides. The creation made me think of a beautifully tuned string instrument: not too tight, not too loose, just right.

Sigethy began the performance in a kayak, coming towards the crowd that stretched along the dock. Rolling in her boat, she turned upside down and right-side up. It was playful and soothing. Ducks passing by seemed to be perfectly choreographed into her swirls and twirls.

Dancers on the dock picked up the curving shapes of Sigethy’s choreography and the waves that enveloped her. Making patterns with their bodies, there was a sense of exploration and harmony: synchronization between the dancers, the warm evening, the crowd that gathered to watch.

The performers were distinguished by their all-white outfits: shorts, dresses, capris. They were stunning: Constance Dinapoli, Karen Dunn, Bobby Sidney, Noelle Snyder, Alexis Thury, and Rachael Venner. Their different ages and body types reflected the diversity of people in the crowd and added to a sense of balance and coexistence (I discovered after the show that Sigethy’s exhibit in the gallery is called “Art in Balance: Rhythm and Repetition”)

The onlookers followed when the dancers moved inside the Torpedo Factory and we climbed the stairs as the performers remained on the ground floor. We watched their movement from above and the impact was brilliant: they were like waves or people or interacting forces. The choreography opened itself to multiple interpretations, and the performers endowed it with a beautiful sense of investment and awareness of one another.

A duet for Alexis Thury and Rachael Venner called "Undertow" emphasized cause-and-effect or give-and-take. When Venner gestured, Thury responded by arching her back or rolling to the floor. Thury is a magnetic performer: my eyes were drawn to her smooth, liquid movements

A trio called “Beach Balls” for Karen Dunn, Noelle Snyder and Bobby Sidney was more mischievous and rambunctious. The dancers sat on, tossed, and rolled over large red balls. The music was rhythmic, interweaving layers of sound which matched perfectly with the dancers’ interactions. Ultimately, all the dancers came together for a final section called “Improvisation.” Movements may have been generated on the spot, but the sensitivity of the performers to one another added a sense of elegance.

Karen Reedy has a sophisticated way of building relationships through choreography and developing these images over time and space. Nothing feels forced or imposed or gimmicky, yet the images are stunning and the dancers are exquisitely trained. She excels at savoring the human qualities of a dancer while revealing their artistry, and this is both rare and beautiful.

She is an artist who honors craft and communication. I think the image of a finely-tuned instrument best captures this sense of grace: not too loose, not too tight.

It was an ideal evening: a sliver of time that was dry in between the rains offering a moment for us to enjoy an impeccable collaboration. I have never seen a kayaker/artist, choreographer, dancers and musician come together to create such a harmonious and exquisite interlude.

guest blogging: Kelly Bond's "Elephant"

2010-07-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Since this is a site about dialogue, it is great to include responses to performances from other people. Here John Lanou creates his own work of art - a poem - inspired by Kelly Bond's performance "Elephant" which took place in the Capital Fringe festival:

by John Lanou
"I tend to get quite hungry, without even knowing it. Then I taste food and realize I'm starving." ~ my friend after the show.
Naked. Acting. On display. Naked. Exposed. Like a gorilla. For all to see. With nowhere to hide.
When I am scared I will cut you. When my back is against the wall, I will be the aggressor, not the victim. You lookin' at me? You lookin' at me? "What, bitch?" You think i'm in here and you're out there? Well, you're behind bars now. I've got you. Do you realize that I am fucking trapped inside this nakedness??? I am completely covered, smothered, in transparency. Well so are you.

zoo. despair becomes flirtation become laughter becomes sadness becomes insanity and inhumanity.

harmonies in android speak. sterile harmony!

tessellation. in and out of suspended disbelief. Like they're performing an Escher print. Mind spinning. Where am i? Am in the piece? Is this a piece?

"It's not real!!!" But it is! That's just it! You saying that makes it so!!!
Contagious herd like laughter like at a Laughter Church. Church. Pews. Sunday morning. Make you do things you don't want to do in order to subscribed to prescribed ways, peer pressure.

The Real Deal.

Tonight

2010-07-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Karen Reedy Dance takes part in a collaboration at the Torpedo Factory. This is one of the essential paths of performance today: sharing ideas and creations between different disciplines. I am also excited to see this event because it is live and site-specific. When I talk to people about dance today they think that what they see on television - So You Think You Can Dance - is all there is. I am not knocking the show - it does a lot to open the eyes of viewers and get them interested, but it does not acknowledge the diversity of dance and performance styles that exist in our world. And I think it makes little to no effort to acknowledge the sources and people who have pioneered these styles and ideas. While I am on this topic, has anyone heard about National Dance Day happening on Saturday?

Can someone out there explain why this is happening? Isn’t there a National Dance Week in April? Why is Nigel Lythgoe our country’s spokesperson for dance? Has anyone listened to his analysis of choreography and performance? Does he support dance as an art form or as flashy and glitzy athleticism? What would happen if So You Think You Can Dance gave 30 seconds of each episode to the creators of dance in this world? Why do we encourage people to think that practicing a dance form for a week makes you skilled enough to compete and perform for millions? Is this why artists dedicate lifetimes to pursuing careers as choreographers and artists? so that their craft can be packaged into a 2 minute sequence of moves to dazzle a massive crowd? So You Think You Can Dance does a great job of turning an art form into a competitive sport, and maybe there are viewers who are excited enough to buy a ticket for a performance and watch dance in a theater or at a site like tonight (although tonight is free!). If the goal of Saturday is to “encourage individuals, families, organizations and communities from across the nation to come together and dance,” perhaps Nigel could share his role as spokesperson with someone who has inspired millions to consider dance as a source of knowledge, fulfillment, passion, cultural understanding and wellness – for body, mind and spirit. suggestions: Jacques d’Amboise, Liz Lerman, Twyla Tharp, Madonna, Kenny Ortega, Bill T. Jones, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ellen DeGeneres. When do we acknowldge people who are important to dance and who promote creativity (not just athleticism and competition)? would it be possible to invite someone who is committed to the multifaceted nature of this art to speak about its importance - maybe a scholar could provide some words of wisdom? I think one of the best spokespersons for dance is Deborah Jowitt. Who do you think it is?

Since Sunday

2010-07-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the full review of Sunday's event at Castleton Festival on a site called Widening the I.

The Washington Post sent the classical music critic to review the event (article here). Since the performance featured stunning choreography it would have been valuable to read a review from the dance critic. I often wonder why we hear so little from DC's writers for mainstream publications about next generations of choreographers and performers....

There are some great up-and-comers in this area: on Monday I visited the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. I had been invited to speak to the International Teen Institute about the intersection of architecture and dance - my two favorite subjects - as they relate to site specific performance and flash mobs. I spoke about Bill Wasik and where/how flash mobs originated: interesting to see how something that started as a comment on consumerism has been overtaken by commercials and advertising (look at the T-Mobile mob here). After the talk, John Borstel, Humanities Director for the Dance Exchange, told me about this hilarious event by Improv Everywhere at Abercrombie.

Unexpected interventions are not a 21st century creation: in 1963 Robert Rauschenberg created a performance called Pelican in a DC roller-rink. His work evokes the idea "Attack Complacency" which could also be applied to flash mobbers. Trisha Brown in 1971 created "Walking on the Wall" at the Whitney: on view again this September. And Bill Shannon makes performances out of his daily travel. These are some examples of fascinating work that brings us into contact with what attracts us to today's flash mobs: spontaneity, engagement, democracy, participation, and new ways of seeing the world -- and people -- around us.

more from Maya in Brussels

2010-07-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

Just heard more from Maya who graduated from GMU this spring: "I've been taking morning classes at P.A.R.T.S. (I even saw Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker on Friday!), so that has been great and I've been meeting a nice group of dancers. I met this artist/composer David Helbich who is a part of the arts scene here and he took me to this opening of a new shop called shop residence. The gallery that started this is nadine. Also David Dorfman said I could be his assistant and take his class at ImPulsTanz so I'm thinking of going to Austria for a week in August."

igor stravinsky and faye driscoll

2010-07-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today I discovered a jewel in the boonies - Rappahannock County - which is an area of farms, vineyards and fields for miles. A wealthy and generous conductor, Maestro Lorin Maazel, and his wife Dietlinde, invite young musicians and artists to develop performances which are made into a festival called Castleton during the month of July. Today's program was Stravinsky's “A Soldier’s Tale” conducted by Maestro Maazel with choreography by Faye Driscoll. It was fantastic. The cast was Philip Taratula, Sean Donovan, Mike Mikos, and Toni Melaas. Also on the program was Manuel de Falla's "Master Pedro's Puppet Show" conducted by Han-Na Chang and created with New York City's Puppet Kitchen. I've written a review which I hope is posted on a website soon so I can share it with everyone here... it was an incredible afternoon.

open minds

2010-07-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight I saw Kelly Bond’s Elephant at the Fringe Festival and I finally understood why so many of my friends have raved about this performance. Was it dance? Not in the traditional sense of shapes and lines transforming in and out of each other to intentional sound. It was much deeper than that. Seeing Elephant caused me to journey into its peculiar world and get lost in moments on stage and in my head. So often I see dance that simply regurgitates the practices that have been handed down since the time of Isadora Duncan causing a disconnect between me and what I am watching. The world is very much the same since the time of Isadora, but we are different people. We strive to remain the same but we push for change. Elephant is about change.

So here is why I liked it. They were beautiful to watch, there was a non-sexual nudity that spoke to a feeling of deep humanity. We are a mostly hairless ape and yet hair was significant as a differentiating factor on nude bodies. They told us stories, I have been told not to tell stories in dance since I started choreographing but good stories are entertaining and they make us use our imagination. It was theater but it was interactive, they talked to us and expected us to talk back and we did. It was self-reflective in that they performed and revealed that they were performing so that no moment was outside of us but everything that happened kept us as participants in the journey.

They made me laugh and they made me scared. They made me question things that I thought were true, which opened my mind and caused me to grow as a person. That is the power of art.

two quotes

2010-07-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

Recently came across two passages that resonate with one another: one from Osho, author of "Zen: the Path of Paradox" and the other from "Miles Beyond" about Miles Davis, written by Paul Tingen, and recommended to me by Reuben Jackson who has an impressive knowledge of music, the arts, and for a long time was the archivist of the Duke Ellington Collection for the Smithsonian Institution.

From Osho: "Art has nothing to do directly with enlightenment, but enlightenment has much to do with art. When many enlightened people exist in the world, they create a different kind of world, they create different kinds of things, naturally. Zen art has a quality of its own. Watching a Zen painting you become meditative; watching a Zen painting you are transported into another world. Listening to an ancient song like Bhagavad Gita, just listening -- even if you don't understand, even if you don't know the language, the Sanskrit language -- just listening, just the tonality of it, just the timbre of it, just the music, the melody of it, and suddenly you feel great silence arising in you, flowers showering inside you, something opening, something blossoming. The world needs enlightened art. But that cannot be managed by teaching people how to create more art. That can be managed only if people start moving towards their inner core of being."

From Miles Beyond: "Great art has more chance of emerging when artists are acutely aware of their strengths and limitations. As an improvisational, here-and-now musician pur sang Miles did not have the inclination, the patience, or the skills to get deeply involved in the time-consuming, laborious post-production process. Moreover one of Miles's main strengths was the freedom he allowed the musicians with whom he worked..."

Onstage today

2010-07-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

one of the beauties of a blog is a chance to write on any topic, any event, any person, particularly those items not covered in mainstream publications. Today I was the Washington School of Ballet to see a performance by students after their Summer Intensive. It was inspiring and full of delight, with 3 highlights being the opening choreography by Kristina Windom, the last piece on the program for the highest level of students by Carlos Valcarcel, and the students’ own choreography. The first piece, which Kristina choreographed for younger dancers to Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was airy and magical: in long tutus and leotards the performers swirled through the steps. A young soloist was dedicated and winsome with her long arabesque lines.

Valcarcel’s choreography for the older students was a stunning closer. Set to Beethoven, his choreography masterfully enlivened the music, spotlighting its canons and peaks. The students rose to the challenge of the creation's speed and intricacy. It would be fantastic to see what Valcarcel could make for the company, The Washington Ballet, and other professional troupes.

Last but not least, the students themselves offered their own choreography, beautifully designed with interesting formations and patterns. And it was a great idea to have different groups of dancers use the same music so that when we, the audience, saw the variety of ways we hear music and create movement to its textures.

Also on view were showings of classes the students took during the intensive: Flamenco by Edwin Aparicio , a phenomenal artist, plus jazz, modern and character dance. There was even a piece created in the style of Bollywood to Jai Ho. This eclectic training will probably serve the students well as they choose between pursuing a career with a ballet company or going into a modern dance company, musical theater, or television and film.

Beyond the dance world, the students I watched today have a specific advantage: they carry themselves with poise and elegance. If nonverbal messages (posture, facial expression) can impact more than 90% of our communication, these students are at a definite advantage.

Ultimately I see this training benefiting the students whether they decide to dance full-time or become doctors, lawyers and CEOs. They also have learned what it takes to dedicate oneself to a pursuit and to overcome physical, mental, and emotional hardship. They have seen the investment of other dancers, not only in the United States, but also from Japan, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic. The Summer Intensive attracts dancers from this country and around the globe. And these students realize the value of dance: it is not about competition, but achieving a sense of grace and harmony. The performers today embodied the subtleties and nuances that are missing in dance made popular on screens. Perhaps some of them will embark on paths that support and promote the arts and sustain live performance.

It was a extraordinary afternoon: I left the Washington School of Ballet energized and optimistic about the generations that will be in charge in years to come.

Onstage last night...

2010-07-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Paul Taylor Dance Company performed at Wolf Trap, bringing back a wave of memories and thoughts about the future of this art form. The company was buoyant and energetic; the repertory included 1988’s Brandenburg, Phantasmagoria (a DC premiere), and 2008’s Beloved Renegade. It is impressive to see a span of 20 years of choreography, and tonight when I teach at GMU the students will be looking at other Taylor works dating back to the 1950s. How many choreographers in the United States have been able to sustain careers and companies for 56 years? Of the performers last night, Michael Trusnovec was particularly stunning. The purity and calm strength of his dancing reminded me of a favorite former company member Patrick Corbin.

But what other dance offerings are available at Wolf Trap this year? Students from the summer Appreciation course I teach have attended Cirque Dreams - Illuminations and Riverdance. This September they have a chance to see Chinese acrobats. When did these spectacle-extravaganzas become such a prominent part of dance programming? If it is economic, meaning the need to fill almost 4,000 seats (The Filene Center at Wolf Trap can accommodate 7,028 total: 3,868 in-house; 3,160 lawn), what impact does this have on the repertory that used to appear at such large venues… where do these companies go?

I remember in the early 1980s – maybe 1981? – seeing The Joffrey Ballet perform at Wolf Trap. The program included The Green Table and it left an indelible impression. It didn’t seem like a ballet from 1932, it was fresh and captivating. I think something is lost when dance history becomes a story of videotapes and DVDs, and live events are about catering to mass entertainment.

Borobudur

2010-07-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

A photo from Caroline Yost who is a student in the GMU School of Dance and spending her summer before senior year in Jakarta. More about her adventures can be read here on her blog. The above photo is the Borobudur Temple - which is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.... Below is Prambanan Temple, Yogyakarta. More images coming soon....

fearless

2010-07-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Performers leaping on cars and rolling on cement may not be the first images that come to mind when you hear the phrase "dance concert," but Liz Lerman Dance Exchange made these images part of an event Friday night in DC. When I reviewed it, I used the word "fearless" to describe the artists, and thought about how any new venture requires risk and courage. Fearless is a word that also comes to mind when I hear about the plans and projects of recent GMU graduates like Maya Orchin.

During her summer before senior year, Maya was in France working with David Dorfman and becoming inspired by the people and ideas across the Atlantic. After graduating this spring, she flew to Europe, first working with an artist at PAF (the incubator for theorists and artists) located in France and run by Jan Ritsema, then traveling to Brussels.

She writes: "So i made it to Brussels!!!! PAF was amazing - an unbelievable place. They turned a huge convent into a performing arts retreat. The rooms have been transformed to studios with unbelievable views. Here's a picture (above) of the PAF inner courtyard from my room... When you walk the halls you hear a mixture of dancers rehearsing, musicians playing, and you see writers and poets outside and painters usually would be in the bell tower. At night there were showings and I saw bizarre dance pieces where a woman just moved her head for an hour and a half. There was a group from Australia working on dance and visual art and combining the two. There was a great Norwegian group who were editing films. I met these fabulous scientists from Paris and I met a dancer from Amsterdam who sat me down and told me everything about the dance scene there. PAF is run by Jan Ritsema-a prominent European choreographer who has taught at P.A.R.T.S. school in Brussels. When the Laban school came I was invited to take their movement, vocal, and Alexander class a few times so that was a great experience. I met some great dancers from Italy and will see their show in London in October.

I was personally working with a choreographer and two other dancers and we were creating a piece about vertigo and the creation of the waltz. When the waltz was first danced, there were medical reports saying it caused pregnancy problems and monster children. My choreographer's idea was to play with the mindset of these women and how they used the waltz as their escape route from their everyday lives. It's in the beginning stages but we worked on writing and creating alter egos for ourselves, choreographing movement and seeing what developed. We ended up with about 25 minutes of material at the end of PAF and had a showing and Jan gave really helpful feedback. We went back to Paris for two days and rented studio space to continue to work. We filmed our last rehearsal and the choreographer is sending the film and paperwork to apply for a grant from the French embassy in September which could mean that we could get paid and tour the piece. Now I'm here in Brussels figuring out the dance scene. I just met with a dancer tonight who gave me the inside scoop and am looking at festivals and looking to get involved."

New York City

2010-07-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Trisha Brown is someone who consistently triggers a stimulating conversation whether it is a Dance History or Dance Appreciation class. I will usually show her Whitney Museum piece "Walking on the Wall" from 1971 and ask "Is this dance?" or "Is this art?" which leads to an intense "What is art?/What is dance?" conversation. Brown inspires us to consider how we define these ideas through the radical way she shifts our perspective, changes the surface of the stage, and uses pedestrian action and actual time. So to walk into the Whitney Museum on Sunday and to see Brown's "Walking on the Wall" projected on a gallery wall was very cool. It was part of the exhibit: "Off the Wall - Part 1" and I recommend it to anyone interested in performance, art and communication through movement. I also made my first visit to the 92nd Street Y in Tribeca, a beautiful multidisciplinary venue where I saw Reverend Billy and the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir. Really fantastic, smart and a lot of fun.

reposting

2010-07-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

When a picture is this stunning, I think it is okay to post it twice. Plus there is more to the story: Nora Hickman graduated from GMU in 2009. She is the dancer directly below the arch with her feet apart, leaning to the left and the whole project is viewable here. Nora says of the experience: "we rehearsed outside in

December from 8am to 10am, 3 days a week for a month. So it ended up being a really beautiful event and a bunch of people were there, but we rehearsed in the rain and ended up getting sick. I've learned that it's great to audition and try everything... once."

This summer

2010-07-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Teaching Dance Appreciation this summer at GMU has been eye-opening. Among the students in the course is Jeremiah Howdeshell, who was an enlisted infantryman in the Active Duty portion of the Army for 4 years. He writes: "my first unit was the 1/24 Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Lewis, Washington from January 2006 - June 2006. Our unit reflagged and we changed to 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment and moved to Vilseck, Germany from July 2006 - August 2007. We deployed to Baghdad and Muqdadiyah Iraq from August 2007 until October 2008. I returned to Vilseck until August 2009 when I was awarded an ROTC Scholarship to end my service early to start the path to become a commissioned officer. This picture is from Muqdadiyah; we don't have a lot pictures from Baghdad because we were shot at on a daily basis and when we were back at base we were too tired to do much beyond sleep, eat and call home. This is a group of us from 'Mustache March' where most of us affirmed that we need to not grow a mustache ever again."

One reason I enjoy teaching Dance Appreciation is because it brings people together to discuss not only different ways of dancing, but also cultural identity, how we express values and beliefs, and how we respond to other cultures and ideas. Jeremiah has been able to broaden our perspectives on what is happening today in Iraq, and is also a gifted dance writer. He attended "Ballet Across America" at The Kennedy Center last month. Portions of his review are here. He says "I chose to see the ballet because I had never seen anything like it before, and as a part of my love of traveling and exploring I always try to give new experiences a chance, and more often than not it has been rewarding." An excerpt of his review:

"The third movement, Shindig, initially surprised me based on the name, and did not disappoint me in being a surprising performance. Dancing to the music of a blue-grass band, six couples burst onto the stage hooting and stomping, the men in jeans and short sleeved shirts and the girls in summer dresses with knee length skirts. The atmosphere of this movement was completely different from the other two [performances by Houston Ballet and The Suzanne Farrell Ballet], but still contained the basic elements and feel of a ballet.
The dancers still did lifts and twirls, kicks and leaps, but incorporated typical southern dance moves such as heel and thigh slap kicks, stomps and jigs, and even hooting and hollering, breaking the trend of non-vocal performers that persisted most of the night. While a couple took center stage to dance together, the other dancers, rather than perform a simpler dance on the outskirts of the stage, would pretend to chat or interact with one another, and it felt like watching a musical at times rather than a ballet. They were so in-character that one of the dancers picked up a slipper that one of the dancers had left behind on a previous dance when the stage went dark, then smelled it and recoiled in disgust before throwing it off to the side of the stage. One particular moment that highlighted my experience as an amateur ballet audience member was when one of the men pretended to be fishing for one of the girls and reeling her in toward him, and she spun the whole way toward him rather than walking, and this was one of the few times the audience applauded mid-performance because of her high number of sequential spins. During Shindig the performers had several solo dances and show-boated to illicit applause, and even instigated applause from the audience during a particularly 'slappy' tune. There also seemed to be an aspect of percussive attack to the choreography throughout the movement, as the men frequently incorporated stomps and slaps in their steps and leaps, particularly in formation dances. Similar to the twirls of the first movement accompanying fast paced violin moments, the dancers in this movement twirled quickly in response to fast-paced fiddling, displaying parallels in the choreography to the music.... I could tell these dancers were really enjoying themselves, while the dancers from the other sections stayed serious throughout their performances. Some of the more entertaining and unique aspects of the choreography were the line and circle dances toward the end of the movement, that continued to mix aspects of southern 'shindig' dancing with classical ballet leaps and twirls. There weren't quite as many high leg kicks as the other two movements, and the performance was much more geared towards getting down and feeling earthbound and natural. One of the most unique aspects of this movement was a dancing maneuver that seemed to be a mixing of ballet and the unique southern flavor of the performance, which was a twirl that the females performed while standing on their heels. It looked almost unnatural and was very interesting to see them do so gracefully. This movement alone made the entire performance of the night worthwhile to me. It was a lot of fun to observe the seamless combination of ballet and southern dance. The encouragement of the audience to participate in clapping along with some of the beats and to cheer for solo performances made it significantly more fun and friendly to a sophomoric ballet audience member."

legacies

2010-07-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Norton Owen, director of preservation at Jacob’s Pillow, recently used a provocative image to capture the importance of dance heritage: in Avatar, there are characters who receive nourishment from a Tree of Souls which is fed by their ancestors. It is a magical, glowing place which director James Cameron says was inspired by bioluminescence that he encountered during night diving. Why is it important to dance? Dance draws it power and creativity from human interaction: this legacy continually nurtures and motivates artists, students, and audiences around the world. Awareness of our Tree of Souls is essential not only for dancers, archivists, and scholars but also for students and our next generation of choreographers.

I thought of this a couple days ago as I was having lunch with a friend who was recently promoted to the role of Projects Manager for Liz Lerman Dance Exchange – Ellen Chenoweth. She is a colleague I admire for her curiosity, her exploration of ways of expanding awareness for dance, and her ability to promote events and ideas that call for recognition and support.

When we met we got on the topic of broader perspectives. She shared a story about Sarah Gamblin, Associate Professor of Dance at Texas Women’s University, who was a member of Bebe Miller Company from 1993-2000. What Ellen recalled was the way that Sarah’s long-time association with Bebe Miller gave her a point of view on creative process and research that enriched the community of artists in Texas – people who may never have encountered Bebe Miller’s performances.

We had been talking about how much of the dance we see fits into a rather small vocabulary of shapes and ways of choreographing. When a college or university brings in people who have had rich experiences with choreographers, company directors and artists, the students’ learning is expanded, their perspectives broadened. When I think of the dance history gathered in the faculty of the School of Dance at GMU, I see how vital - and generative - it is for departments to bring in faculty who have learned from, performed, and worked with accomplished artists, choreographers, and company directors.

There are many dance departments staffed by faculty who, after getting an undergraduate degree and then an MFA, are best known for directing their own companies and have little exposure to other choreographers or ways of working. This ends up limiting possibilities for the students who then become choreographers without encountering the diversity of approaches and methodology that broaden dance as an art form.

It reminds me of this passage by Michael Stone about human development: “…awakening is always set against the backdrop of our culture in which we are participating because culture cannot be erased from our day-to-day life… Awakening refers to the inherent, interconnected matrix that is life, of which we are only playing one part without supreme importance. Awakening refers to waking up from self-centered reality to a world much greater than self-reference."

Students who graduate from GMU have heard stories from their teachers about working personally with Mark Morris or Jerome Robbins or Doug Varone, and these moments enrich both their training and choreography.

To give a sense of dance legacies gathered at Mason: Dan Joyce worked with Mark Morris for ten years, Susan Shields worked closely with Lar Lubovitch and Mikhail Baryshnikov among others, Connie Dinapoli worked closely with Paul Taylor, Karen Reedy worked with Benjamin Harkarvy and Robert Battle, Christopher d’Amboise worked with George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins – plus has a father who is one of the greatest spokesmen for dance as an art form that brings intelligence, fulfillment and richness to all our interactions.

in response...

2010-07-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Thinking about Amanda’s awesome comment below – and before I start sounding like one of those people who never attends performances that I appreciate – here is a list of 10 things I have seen recently which left indelible impressions.

These artists offer vital statements about performance as shared experience - particularly Tino Sehgal’s “This Progress” at the Guggenheim Museum and Marina Abramović’s “The Artist is Present” at the MoMA - and also create vocabularies for the body, mind, spirit which are unforgettable "Fela!" by Bill T. Jones on Broadway, Akram Khan and Sidi Larbu Cherkaoui in zero degrees – particularly for its use of dance as path to identity and communication (a great review is here) , Karen Reedy’s "Path of Attraction," Shen Wei Dance Arts at The Kennedy Center, Kelly Bond’s "Splitting the Difference," at the DC Fringe Festival 2009, Zoe Knights' “Death in the count of 9” for its extraordinary integration of movement, choreography, music, lighting and costume and Les SlovaKs Dance Collective “Opening Night” (these last 2 performances were part of the festival in Salzburg, Austria in 2008 where I worked as a dramaturge), and finally the unclassifiable and unforgettable "Cornfield" by Nancy Bannon at Transformer Gallery in DC.

7 in 48

2010-07-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Over the last 48 hours I have attended 7 performances and reviewed them for the DC Theatre Scene website.

It is Fringe season in DC so there are about 130 shows between now and July 25. The ones I saw were creative and inspiring: a merger of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Capoeira that was fantastic - and The Sleeping Beauty told by puppets - also clever. It is refreshing to see and write about theater as well as dance. I think the borders between these categories are dissolving, and it's interesting to see how the productions categorized as theater tend to be more focused in their intent and design.

I find myself reviewing dance performances and being left with questions like how did the choreographer connect that movement to that topic? As someone who loves dance, studies it, teaches courses in it, watches it, I am surprised by 2 things: how frequently dance is used as decoration - what I call visual display - rather than honoring the intelligence and communicative power of the body's movement. Second I am surprised by the sameness of the movement - whether the topic is multiculturalism, depression, or loss, I see similar steps, phrasing and shapes.

When Karen and I talked about starting this website we hoped to hear from you, from people who read about dance, dancers, artists, and performance. What I have noticed writing for this theatre website is that the choreographers themselves respond to what I write - this is great! They often write to explain the choices they made choreographically and sometimes I find myself wishing their performances contained the clarity of ideas written in their comments. Why is it so rare for dance to be used as its own unique discipline - unlike words or painting or music - that conveys something about knowledge, emotion, and relationships - rather than something used to illustrate a text or fuse some catchy shapes?

In an ideal world, I see dance as a communicative medium, capable of sharing insights, and performances as events where there is a reason why the choreographer invited us to come. I am most inspired by the artists who have ideas about what they intend to present and choose movement and dancers that make these statements perceptible.

What inspires you?

Close to the Glass

2010-07-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

In 2008 I was in NYC and there was an exhibit called "Close Encounter" about Chuck Close and Philip Glass at the Met. While I did not see the works I did take a moment to make a dance a day about it. I don't usually hold the camera as I dance which is exactly why I decided to hold it for this particular video. Sometimes its good to do things another way even if you know the outcome won't be very good. What I found interesting about the video is the connection between me, the glass, the portrait of Philip Glass, my breathing and the sense of mirroring that happened. The portrait is both inside and outside, I am outside but my reflection is inside.

cultural hegemony

2010-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

In this episode of So You Think You Can Dance? two contestants perform a Bollywood number, then the judges analyze their dancing. They compare the movement to hip hop, to “African” and to Georgian State dancers without mentioning any dance form from India such as Bharatanatyam or Bhangra. I posted this a week ago, but then got into a conversation (argument?) with a friend who saw nothing unsettling about the comparisons made by the judges. My questions remain: why do the judges assume they are experts on dance when their comments make the performances into sport-like entertainment and fail to acknowledge any of the cultural history embedded in these dance forms? When one judge compares the ankle bells of the dancer -- in Bharatanatyam they are used to accent the rhythm of the feet and called ghungroos -- to Santa Claus sleigh, his comment makes me think this show is about championing consumption rather than honoring the knowledge that is embedded in these forms. The judges sound amazed by how similar the duet looks to hip-hop, when it is performed by two dancers who have probably had more classes in hip hop than dances of India. Is it really surprising that the routine ends up looking like hip-hop?

Bollywood refers to one part of the film industry in India: a conflation of the words Bombay and Hollywood. In 2002 Bollywood sold 3.6 billion tickets and had total revenues (tickets, DVDs, television etc.) of US$1.3 billion, whereas Hollywood films sold 2.6 billion tickets and generated total revenues (again from all formats) of US$51 billion. Bollywood movies feature elaborate song and dance numbers that draw from India’s dance heritage: Bharatanatyam, Bhangra and Kathak.

India’s dance forms – particularly Bharatanatyam -- are expressive, communicative and complex. They intertwine body, mind and spirit. A student who saw this episode when I showed it in class emailed me a long analysis that reveals the richness of the dancing and the ignorance of the judges’ comments: her family was from India. "The song they use is 'Dhoom Tana' from the movie Om Shanti Om which was released in Bollywood in 2007 and was a remake of a older Bollywood movie. People who keep up with Bollywood are very familiar with this movie as well as this song. It is actually one of my favorites! The actor, Shahrukh Khan is one the more famous older Bollywood actors and the actress debuted with this film is now one of the more famous actresses, Deepika Padukone. After watching this dance over again, I could pick out three styles of Indian dance that were used: Bhangra, Bharatanatyam, and Bollywood film dance. The beginning of the segment is Bharatanatyam, then Bollywood , and then the male dancer does Bhangra steps. The Bharatanatyam steps have extended arms with fast footwork while the Bollywood steps use more the torso and hip action. The Bhangra moves are very strong, rigid, and powerful. When I think about this song, its lyrics and context, it fits in the Bollywood dance genre: the music, the Hindi lyrics, and since it is from a Bollywood film all point towards that direction. As you know Bharatanatyam requires more classical music with certain beats and Bhangra is done to Punjabi (the language of the state of Punjab) music. Each of these styles of dance has it own specific music and moves but it is not unusual for Bollywood to mix them up or the people dancing to these songs to add in many different styles if the steps go with the music."

Cultural hegemony endangers the diversity of dance by denying the roots of certain forms of movement and expression. By making Bollywood's dancing into something “amazingly similar” to hip-hop, it becomes another commodity to be marketed and bought rather than a link to a culture that teems with fascinating dance forms of its own. When Mia Michaels says “It’s awesome to have World Dance on this stage,” I wonder which dance form wasn't created in this world? Aren't ballet, jazz, swing, modern, hip-hop and Bollywood all part of the same world? Or is she suggesting that this is “third world” dance?

When Gramsci wrote about hegemony he was referring to the “process by which a historical bloc of social forces is constructed and ascendancy of that bloc is secured." (from Stuart Hall, "The Problem of Ideology"). I see a link to hegemony in the disregard of Indian culture, but with a facade of representing diversity: Mia Michaels says “It’s so important to show the different cultures of dance,” when this is now nearly the end of her commentary and no mention has been made of any dance form from India. Given the millions of viewers who watch this show, and this being a moment in history when more and more people from all over the world are living and working side by side, this is a missed opportunity.

From The New York Times last week: “…rich, aging countries need workers. People in poor countries need jobs. And the rise in global inequality means that migrants have more than ever to gain by landing work abroad. Migration networks are hard to shut down. Even the worst economy in 70 years has only slowed, not stopped, the growth in migration. And it is likely to grow, in numbers and consequence.”

feedback

2010-07-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have been more than 14 years old, but I remember when a ballet teacher - in a fit of fury and frustration - threw one of his shoes at a classmate. When I see friends who were in the same school we joke about these recollections - recalling the outbursts of the teacher more than the infraction that caused the scene. There are lots of approaches to teaching and giving feedback, and these memories came back as I wrote an article about a DC project for emerging artists who are given three months of constructive feedback and discussion with peers and mentors. Feedback can be invigorating – and also hard to find. Page Carr, an artist and professor who oversaw the project, says these conversations are invaluable because they "promote the asking of questions and generation of ideas, which are central to art-making, no matter what the medium or intent." I wonder if/how choreographers and performers in DC/VA find the discussion, discourse and feedback they need?

Artist Chuck Close says

2010-07-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

“…But I am always looking forward to more and more wrinkles and more and more stuff to paint. The stuff that I love is the stuff that other people hate. And, I think that the face is a road map to the sort of life you have led and embedded in it is the evidence of your life. So, if you have laughed your whole life you have laugh lines. If you frowned your whole life you have furrows in your brow. There is lots of evidence of who you are and what your life has been like.”

from a great interview of Chuck Close by John Anderson. It has me thinking about our different definitions of art and artists. Do we see exhibits and performances because we like to escape to a world where everything is smooth and harmonious? or do we prefer to uncover and examine the ambiguity of life? do we like to be shocked and confronted with grief, anger, aggression?

Some of my fascination with art and performance is in its range: the infinite sea of topics and situations that inspire us, and the creative ways artists present their ideas.

In the same interview, Close says: “In New York City, every time they have a budget cut, the first thing to go is art. Teaching for testing is ruining education, and it is certainly ruining alternative ways of learning because they are so intent on having you know the right facts and things to spit back that it has taken the creativity out of the hands of the teacher. It is terrible! I can’t imagine how depressing it is to get these people out of high school going into the college system who have had such a limited notion of what success can be.”

how do dancers spend the summer before their senior year? an update from Maria Ambrose

2010-07-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Right now Stephanie Locey, Amanda Blauer, and I are staying in NYC and taking various master classes. So far we have taken classes from Amy Marshall, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Elisa Monte, Zvi from ZviDance, Christine Wright, Robert Battle, and Kate Skarpetowska. It is really exciting that a majority of the master classes are taught by people who have either set pieces at or performed at GMU, so they recognize us or have fun talking about all the faculty they know there! They always have great things to say about the faculty, alumni, and GMU dancers that have been taking class for the summer. Amanda Blauer and I also attended the Paul Taylor Company audition just for an early experience. It was a little overwhelming because of the quick pace and 400 other dancers, but having the chance to go and see what an audition would feel like made a huge difference and felt like a great preparation. We plan to attend Amy Marshall's classes in August and audition for her as well just to get as much experience as we can. It is really interesting taking classes around the city and being able to decide as an individual what I want to take or who I want to surround myself with. I can tell already that this is going to impact my senior positively. My favorite is being able to take class with professionals and watch the way they learn and interact. Overall, I think living in the city for the summer before actually moving here has put a lot of thoughts into perspective, given me amazing class opportunities, and increased my excitement to dance! We will be here until mid August continuing with classes and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Summer Reading

2010-07-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

a holiday is a great day to catch up on articles... Below is an excerpt from “A Vision for the Arts at Harvard.” It was published in December of 2008 and is a frank assessment of the school’s support (or lack of support) for the arts. It says “Our peers at Columbia, Princeton and Stanford all outpace us in their graduate and undergraduate degree offerings in arts practice…” They forgot to mention GMU!

The 3 recommendations of the report – for Harvard to create: a graduate degree program in a range of art practices, an enhanced place for the arts in the undergraduate curriculum, and new, innovative art spaces - are already happening at Mason. Check out Amazing Space for more info on the School of Dance’s construction project.

“Harvard values leadership and originality of mind. It has created a curriculum to foster these qualities, in the hope that its students, in their different pursuits, may change the world for the better and make things new. But by sidelining arts-practice, this university has largely left out of its curriculum the most direct training in imagining the new and in exercising the practical cunning required to bring the new into being. Since the end of the Middle Ages – long before originality became the hallmark of great art – people recognized that, in crafting paintings, writing poems, and composing music, they, uniquely among all creatures, introduce into the world something new. This capacity was what gave art its special promise: hand in hand with science, it could – on occasion – change the world.”

Mentors

2010-07-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

for the last 2 days I have been thinking about Karen's "Mentors" post and it has inspired me to acknowledge three people who have impacted my thinking about dance, teaching and artists. The first is Deborah Jowitt, a dance scholar and professor at the Tisch School/New York University who I learned from and think about every time I stand in front of a group of students. She combines generosity, intelligence and creativity in ways that are exceptional.

The second is Susan Shields (pictured above at GMU), not only for her breathtaking choreography and her performances with artists like Lar Lubovitch and Mikhail Baryshnikov, but also for her course called Senior Synthesis. When I watched this year's graduating dancers from GMU deliver speeches that had been crafted in Susan's class, I wrote her a message that said "Tonight's presentations were personal and poignant. I am impressed by how deeply each senior explores own strengths and weaknesses and is able to acknowledge what they love and what they strive for without embarrassment or entitlement. Your Synthesis course is truly magnificent - it seems to emphasize what I hold as the most important aspect of teaching: that the students start to know themselves - honestly and lovingly - thank you for a wonderful evening."

And then there is Philippa Hughes who combines these traits from Deborah and Susan - she is smart, innovative, encouraging - and applies them to DC where she has created an environment for artists that is supportive and explorative. When I asked her recently why she created The Pink Line Project she replied: "I started it because I was looking for resources to help me navigate the DC art scene as an art collector and art enthusiast and couldn't find anything that inspired me and that was easy to use and comprehensive. So I did it myself." In spite of our technology-savvy world, Philippa recognizes that face-to-face conversation can never be replaced by a website or webcam. She holds events that are social gatherings, bringing people together to look at art, performance, interviews with creators, and to discuss their ideas and points of view. She adds "At the end of the day, people use social media so that they can improve and facilitate their ability to interact with other humans face-to-face. It's more satisfying to sit down and talk to someone than it is to email/tweet/Facebook message/comment/like/etc. Even a webcam is missing some basic and necessary human elements - smell, touch - plus it's harder to pick up on subtle visual cues. The ever so slightly raised eyebrow. The quick and sly smirk... I don't have any hard evidence for this. I do know that I have over 3,000 Facebook friends, 90% of whom I don't really know. But one of them sees me in public, they light up and I feel a palpable energy from them. I also know that Salon Contra has been wildly popular and many tell me how much they enjoy meeting other like-minded people and being able to interact with them socially."

Philippa has a point: we write about how mentors impacted us on the web, but the moments when we were in contact - talking, listening, sharing and learning - were the times that left the longest-lasting impressions.

About last night

2010-07-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

Met up with friends and artists for a Dance Film Night at Ilana’s house. A group of us gets together a couple times a year to watch choreography made for the camera and artists who do not often tour to the US. Last night’s menu was Thierry de Mey (based in Charleroi), Shazam by Philippe Decouflé, DV8’s Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men from 1989, Dance for Camera 2 (last get-together we watched 1) and Yvonne Rainer’s Trio A and Volleyball (Foot Film). Not only is it great to see the work, but the discussions that ensue provoke laughter and arguments. It is especially refreshing to hear how each of us defines the purpose of dance, of art, what inspires us and what turns us off. If you have suggestions about cool dance/camera collaborations, please add a comment.

Last night we got on the topic of why DC seems to have so few choreographers working with film and video and Amanda and I remembered that the Dance & Camera exhibit in Philadelphia was curated by Jenelle Porter. I wrote to her after seeing the exhibit to ask if she came from a dance background and she replied: “I don't come from film studies or dance education. I have been a contemporary art curator for many years now, and I was inspired to organize the show after seeing some great works about dance by visual artists-the works I presented in the show.”

Today I was just at Flashpoint and saw Jeffry Cudlin’s By Request which includes a video of his dancing – in a dress and heels – as he visited different galleries in DC. A favorite moment occurs when you see Cudlin through the spaces of a woman’s shoes in the foreground as he dances in the background.

Maybe the growing popularity of crossovers between genres points to a fertile direction for dance and performance: interdisciplinary ventures that ignite the unique capabilities of different ways of communicating. Cudlin’s exhibit at Flashpoint is awesome in its ability to expose the forces and subjectivities that determine value. Philippa Hughes, founder of Pink Line Project, appears in photographs in the exhibit, was one of the art luminaries Cudlin approached to take part in the project, and is someone who inspires me with her ability to support and promote creative thinking in DC. The exhibit runs until July 31.

choreography and writing

2010-07-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

When you think about friends and colleagues, is there someone you enjoy spending time with, never tiring of topics to discuss, but actually share very little in common in terms of life experience? My newest friendship is with a poet and archivist who continually inspires me with his insights and perspective. Although we are both passionate about the arts and teaching, we have little common ground in terms of upbringing and education. Maybe this is what makes our get-togethers so refreshing: we come from divergent places but end up with amazingly similar philosophies and values. His name is Reuben Jackson.

When he talks about poetry I think of choreography. During our first conversation, he talked about teaching writing to students, urging them to “move the furniture around.”

I love this image.

How often have you been writing or making a phrase of movement and you feel yourself forcing the words or actions into a certain relationship? I know too well that urge to impose a particular order on a sentence or phrase – all the while hearing an argument inside the mind/body between “it’s fine like this” and “if you gave this a little more time something incredible could emerge.”

When Reuben expands on this idea, I think of more similarities between writing and choreography: “Writing is a way for you to figure out how you really feel about something. The poem is a negotiation between what you want and what the poem wants. It’s like fish or chicken for dinner. You may think you are having fish, but the poem tells you it will be chicken. I really love this process.”

Another nugget of wisdom: “I see my role as a teacher being like a good personal trainer: you push people beyond their comfort zone.”

When we met a couple days ago I was talking about some reactive responses I had heard from students recently: “I don’t like this” or “that’s boring.” Again he had a great line: “If there’s an enemy of poetry it’s impatience.”

Maybe the same is true for dance? Is patience a crucial ingredient for both dance-makers and dance-watchers?

Mentors

2010-07-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Nora’s post has me thinking of the many mentors I feel lucky to have come across in life. I am so glad she feels supported through her continued dialogue with Susan Shields, as I feel strongly that mentorship a vital component in the life path of any artist or anyone for that matter. In an earlier post, Jessica Moore made reference to Adriane Fang as such a force for her. At many pivotal points in my education and career, I have come into contact with wonderful teachers of life and art. I proudly thank such beautiful souls as Patricia and Lisa Nicholson, Kathleen D. Brown, Eric Hampton and Benjamin Harkarvy to name a few. Each of these people taught me important lessons about life and art, never talking down to me, but rather believing in me and respecting where I was in my own journey. There is no substitute for those wise leaders that cross our paths and help lead the way.

Who are your mentors?

---Reedy

What's life like a year after graduating from GMU? from Nora Hickman:

2010-07-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

As usual, it has not been hard for me to stay busy and active in my daily life. I am a fitness instructor at Physique57 where I teach a Lotte Burke style fitness class 15 times per week. Often I teach the morning/opening shift, 6:30-7:30, 7:30-8:30, 8:30-9:30. It's pretty tiring waking up at 4:30 to yell into a microphone over Lady Gaga to 20 plus NYC women, but it's super fun. Not only am I being paid to workout, but I also share my love of fitness and inspire hundreds of women per week. I make my own schedule and only need to work 15 hours per week.... Leaving adequate time for training and auditions.

From 12-2, Monday through Friday I take company class with Jennifer Muller/The Works in Chelsea. These classes are closed to scholarship students and company members so I get a lot of personal attention. In exchange for these classes I am on workstudy-- tasks varing from cutting gels with the lighting designer to stuffing envelopes for upcoming shows. However while I'm doing these tasks I get to watch company rehearsal and be in the thick of this midsized dance company. Then I try to take another class, usually contemporary at Peridance or yoga. My days are pretty long, so I make sure to leave time to see friends and chillout. Our fave spot... Or maybe just mine... is Benny's Burritos in the west village. $3 margaritas... Need I say more? I'm starting to realize that it's ok to have days off, and find balance so that I don't burn out. I live right by Astoria park/pool, which has been great now that the weather is getting nice.

A relationship from Mason that continues to inspire and motivate me is that with Susan Shields. Susan has always been so supportive of me, yet was always very honest and direct. One particular time that stands out to me was when she told me that I had a strong sense of determination. Of course in order to be successful you need talent and ability, however you also new to be hardworking and goal-oriented. Even when I would be frustrated, and to this day when I doubt myself or feel discouraged, I believe that if I set my mind to do something and if it was truely meant to be, then it will happen. Susan has always pushed her students to be the best that they can be and supported me through my three years at GMU. Now that I have lived in NYC for over a year, I believe that these supportive relationships are what help me to keep afloat and stay positive in this competitive yet fabulous city.

Gerald in The New York Times! an update from Jessica Moore

2010-07-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

Our piece was reviewed by The New York Times on Sunday June 27th: click here. Very nice things were mentioned about Gerald and a few others in the cast, and overall I think the review is good but not very important. We finished the five day festival Tuesday night on the main stage (a change since we had been performing in a smaller space on the audiences seats). It was an awesome experience being sandwiched between some of the most celebrated jazz artists improvising behind us and an audience hungry and excited to share their musical passion with another art form. We did a structured improv that lasted around 20-25 minutes. It was incredible to feel how attached it was to the music. I don't think I've ever quite felt so much like music myself.

gardeners

2010-06-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Just read what Karen wrote (below) and love it. Was at The Dinner Party tonight, a platform for artists in any discipline (or mixture of disciplines) to show work and engage in dialogue. These events are organized by Ilana Silverstein and she, like Karen, are people I admire not only for what they create but also because they cultivate an environment that is nurturing and generative. I love how Karen shared so much of the events and ideas from Dance/USA and Ilana tonight performed and then moderated a thoughtful and engaging conversation about the work presented. These friends are gardeners: they are keenly aware of ways to grow creativity and collaboration. Ilana read this quote tonight: "dependence on a specialized language can also prevent innovation by limiting ideas."

When Karen and I talked about the ideas for this blog, we envisioned it as a venue to share ideas and responses to varied events. So many incredible things happen in this area that go overlooked and un-discussed. This is a place to reflect on creations and artists that defy categorization, that have not yet been picked up by mainstream publications, so that they can grow in fertile soil, be nurtured and thrive.

Dance/USA Annual Conference 2010

2010-06-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Dance/USA 2010 Annual Conference held at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City. This event, that brought together many factions of the dance world including artists and arts administrators, was packed full of information, discussion, networking, and celebration. As the artistic director of a small dance company, my responsibilities currently extend to that of executive director, publicist, accountant, and beyond. When choosing whether to attend a breakout session for artists, managers, or agents, etc, I observed myself gravitating towards panel discussions centering around concepts of collaboration.

I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful pioneers of collaborative enterprises. Jen Abrams spoke of OurGoods “an online community of artists that facilitates the barter of skills, space, labor, and art objects.” This site is intended to help artists to swap talents. For instance, if I am in need of someone to design a poster for an upcoming performance, I might be able to trade a skill of my own that is of value to another artist in need. In her own words, Ms. Abrams spoke of OurGoods.org as “the Craigslist for artists.” This site is just about to be launched to the greater public. Be sure to check it out!

Another inspiring speaker was Jon Michael, the Executive Director for Trey McIntyre Project. He spoke on a panel that was devoted to dance artists and companies working outside of our nation’s “cultural hotspots.” Now situated in Boise, ID, the company has successfully integrated into the community through building a dance space, collaborating with visual artists, and bringing dance into a city where there had been no such presence. They interact on a daily basis with other area artists, community members, and beyond. From what Jon Michael described, the association brings a sense of community appreciation for artists and Boise citizens alike. Other motivating members of the panel included Ruby Lockhart, John Malashock and James Sewell.

The overriding message I came away with is that there is more abundance for all when we choose to work (and play) together. Artists are inspired through contact with other artists in their own and other disciplines. Communities are fueled with energy and community pride, as artists interact with citizens and create an environment for curiosity and discussion. Why then, do many dance artists and dance organizations operate in survival mode? Is this just human nature? Instead of reaching out to formulate partnerships and share resources, much of the opposite seems to occur. There appears to be a sense within the dance community, that there is not enough room for more artistic voices. The resources are scarce, theater seasons are competitive to attain, and artists become isolated not only from other artists and organizations, but also from the communities and audiences they intend to reach. I believe that it is time for us artists to wake up before our art form becomes extinct. Life and art go hand in hand...we must move forward in collaboration.

----Reedy

Onstage last night

2010-06-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was with Amanda, a thinker and dancer who has an article in today‘s Washington Post about a DC neighborhood, and writes about other topics too - like coffee and ice cream (life’s essentials). We went to see Through Their Eyes, an exhibit of photography from Haiti. Many of the images were taken by teenagers in Haiti who, after the earthquake, were given cameras and photography workshops by a non-profit group, Zanmi Lakay. Their images are stunning and I bought one of the prints when I realized all the proceeds go to relief for Haiti. Then we went to Georgetown University to see The Pull of Negative Gravity by the Welders Theatre Company which was harrowing (about a soldier coming home from Iraq) and well-done. We talked about the burgeoning scene for young theater companies and how they are finding a conducive environment in DC, then asked why isn’t the same happening for dance in DC? There seem to be so few companies presenting performances that are about exploration, research and discoveries. A lot of what I see seems to be about decorating (look how nicely this goes with the music!) or illustrating (movement used to imitate feelings and events, which tends to border on pantomime). Makes me think of a trip Amanda and I took to Philadelphia in March to see the exhibit Dance with Camera at the Institute of Contemporary Art (the film above by Joachim Koester was included). The works were idiosyncratic, sincere, thought-provoking. Given the variety of ways our bodies move, how does it happen that so much dance on stages in DC looks similar? I think there are creative choreographers in this city, but somehow their works are not given platforms to be viewed, discussed, promoted or disseminated. I wonder why not.

collaboration is key

2010-06-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

People who have been students in my classes know that I tend to talk quickly (understatement), but may not know that I also type quickly. For this reason I am hired at times to transcribe events, and yesterday’s conference was an all-day session in Baltimore. It was a closed-door meeting so I cannot disclose details but it was incredibly inspiring to hear a room full of brilliant minds discussing how to best educate the next generations and how to make the arts a key part of this process. It made me think a lot about collaboration, and just how fruitful and generative it is to share ideas with others. On Tuesday evening I saw a collaboration at the Source Theater in DC and wrote about it here for dc theatre scene. This made me think again of the collaboration between Susan Shields and Heather McDonald. I found their work-in-process poignant and admired the way the creators integrated movement and dialogue. Then I started thinking of how, historically, collaboration has been key to the success of certain artists - not only the Judson artists who brought together dancers, painters and thinkers from varied walks of life and the performances of the Ballets Russes that resulted from Diaghilev's experiments with collaborative processes, but also Black Mountain College. In Chance and Circumstance, Carolyn Brown writes beautifully about this time. It's a great book about dance, art and life.

guess who's at Tanglewood this summer?

2010-06-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

Shanleigh Philip!

Less than a month on the job with Mark Morris Dance Group, Shanleigh has been invited to tour as the company management intern and will be assisting the Executive Director Nancy Umanoff. Congratulations Shanleigh!

more...

2010-06-24T05:23:00.001-07:00

Quotes added to "IQ: Inspiring Quotations"

from Jessica Moore... Wow!

2010-06-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well there isn't too too much news. I did the Buglisi Intensive with Lauren so you have that update from her and since then I've come back to the city (I live in Washington Heights). It was funny because my 3rd day here I ran into a few of the Buglisi company members outside a cafe by Lincoln Center. They were doing an improv. project for the 15th annual Vision Festival at the Abrons Art Center and invited me to join them (I was actually having dinner with Gerald when I ran into them so he is involved as well!) Gotta love dancer connections! So Friday and Monday there is a group improv. and Saurday and Sunday I'm doing some more individualized improv. at the festival. It's been a blast so far and I'll update you after the performance and let you know how it goes. This is just such a fantastic opportunity to meet people and collaborate. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to work with Adriane Fang. Her explorative and creative nature has been such a blessing and really gave me the confidence and experience to fully participate in this project. Before Mason, and Adriane specifically, I had only experience proscenium dance and her various projects and interactive experiences were a wonderful addition to my life as a dancer and an artist. The experiences she offered those of us lucky enough to have her were invaluable and I hope that the other classes get to experience this kind of work. Aside from this particular project I’m auditioning, taking class, and attempting to find a semi-stable job. It’s funny my first paying job in the city was dancing...what better start could I ask for? I love this blog idea by the way… I think that the faculty should know what has influenced us the most and they should have the satisfaction of knowing that what they do matters. They stay with us and push us…even after we leave.

appreciating more dance

2010-06-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

A message and photo just received from a student of a course I taught this spring at a university in DC. It was similar to Dance Appreciation but called “Understanding the Dance”

Dear prof Mattingly,
I recently arrived home to Miami after spending 8 days in Paris… I wanted to email you after this trip to tell you how much your class altered and positively enhanced my perspectives. There were multiple instances in Paris where dance occurred and my family was shocked at my fascination and knowledge about the dance. Most importantly I want to thank you for giving me the privilege to make my mother’s jaw drop in shock of my knowledge especially after our tour guide asked if we knew why Louis XIV had a sun around his head in multiple statues and paintings and I was able to explain all that you taught me in class. We also toured Versailles, which was beyond incredible and it was amazing to be able to apply the material learned in a classroom to the actual place where the history occurred. I immediately asked if we could see where Louis XIV would perform his court ballets and it was beautiful. Because of your class I was also able to explain to my older sister how Louis XIV's dances were a way for him to enhance his power as a king while simultaneously pleasing the noble class.
This also allowed me to relate other objects in Versailles to the power that Louis XIV aimed to achieve. Another moment in Paris when your class benefited my trip was at an impressionist museum where Monet, Picasso (blue years) and a painting by Marie Laurencin were present. The audio guide informed us that this painting "Les Biches" was inspired and influenced by the Ballets Russes and yet again I was able to impress my parents with my insight on the innovations of the Ballet Russes. Lastly, when we visited the Eiffel tower there were a group of 5 guys playing a boom box and breakdancing while also performing already choreographed dance routines. I began recording on my camera and yet again my parents were wondering where this fascination with dance came from. I recorded the dance because it was not only a way for these men to earn some extra euros but also brought about 70 strangers together in a circle who were all cheering and enjoying this performance beneath the Eiffel tower.
Your class truly enhanced my trip to Paris tremendously and will definitely affect me in the future. Not only did you teach me dance history but also taught me to apply the history to the context of the society during the appropriate centuries.
I just wanted to thank you and let you know that your class made me further appreciate dance and realize how tremendously it reflected and still reflects social classes and societies as a whole.
Thanks again,
Melissa L.

I attached the painting inspired by the Ballets Russes

appreciating dance

2010-06-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

One of the most lively courses at GMU is Dance Appreciation. Students come from all over the globe, bring a wealth of knowledge about dance forms and cultural differences, and can attend shows at the Center for the Arts for free. In one semester, a curiosity about dance can be nurtured and developed, and then the emails come in when the class is over about shows and events that sustain their appreciation of this art-form. Yesterday I received a message from an Appreciation student I taught in the fall of 2009, Sara Masouleh, about The Kennedy Center performance of the Presidential Scholars. Sara knew that Ida Saki would be performing; Ida is the dancer who turned down the invitation to compete on So You Think You Can Dance in order to go to college and join a professional company. Here is what Sara wrote: “All of the students obviously have dedicated a good part of their lives to perfecting their respective art. The musicians and dancers particularly stood out to me. The musicians all seemed so moved by their music and this depth I think really helped make for a more effective performance. The music also allowed the dancing to have much more impact.
There was also some incredible visual arts (via film) incorporated into many of the pieces which also made the performances that much more moving. There was a male cellist who was phenomenal. He blew me away. He performed as part of the music for many of the dance pieces and in my opinion really sealed the deal for the performances. The chemistry among the dancers was incredible, especially considering how they were from all over the country so I'm not sure how long they even had to prepare the choreography together. One performance was entitled ‘Improvisation’ so I was assuming that meant they would be putting choreography together on the spot. But after watching the piece, I am a little skeptical because it was incredible, there was so much harmony between the dancers!! I haven't been to too many dance performances so I don't have much basis for comparison but these kids were truly a gifted bunch. The movement combined with the music made for powerful performances that left me walking out of there SO impressed.”

why writing matters

2010-06-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

Imagine a theater for emerging artists and new choreography that seats 50,000 people. Difficult? When I was writing for The New York Times, the readership for the paper (in the first years of the 21st century) was approximately 1,000,000 people, and even if 5% of those readers looked at an article about dance, that was 50,000 pairs of eyes on dance.

This past week I had three similar conversations with three different people: where are the articles about emerging choreographers and new performances in DC's major publications?

When I interviewed a poet based in the city and asked him about his recent retirement from the Smithsonian after being a curator for 21 years, he told me about a woman at a party who asked him “Didn’t you used to be Reuben Jackson?” He laughed when he said this, adding “This is the Washington-thing, the need for titles.”

How does it impact lesser-known artists if people in DC determine value by titles and labels? When a creator in any discipline explores new forms of communication, they no longer fit into existing categories, yet audiences and critics here make their assessments about quality based on familiarity. For example, the caliber of a dance company is often determined by how frequently they tour or the size of the theaters they fill or the number of zeroes in their budget.

What would happen if the dance critic of DC’s major newspaper decided she’d review the companies that visit the big theaters, but ignore the smaller companies, interdisciplinary productions in lesser known venues, or performances by university students?

Unfortunately, this is what happens in DC. The largest companies in America are currently the ones most often reviewed, which leads to these being the performances people book and audiences attend… Is it any wonder dance audiences are shrinking? What would happen if a dance teacher said “I only correct the students who will dance with the biggest companies?” What happens to students who do not fit the physical mold of today’s performer but want to become choreographers or directors?

Critics shortchange the future when they pay attention to what is popular today and ignore the rest.

The people who will shift the artistic landscape so that dance and performance remain present and relevant are not being acknowledged. Previews and reviews are particularly essential for the live arts because they open conversations about new ideas and provide recognition. Where in DC’s print publications are writers discussing the next generations of performers and choreographers?

It makes me wonder where younger artists find the feedback and discourse they need for growth, sustenance and development. Websites like Pink Line Project and Widening the I (full disclosure: I enjoy writing for both) cover a broad range of subjects and the whole gamut of artists, from emerging to established. Since artists and patrons of art, music, theater and film read the sites, they are expanding audiences for these artists and events. I decided to start this blog with friends from GMU after I sent a message to a national magazine that covers dance, listed 10 shows in DC that I would be seeing -- including a new work by Nancy Bannon -- and asked if the publication was interested in any reviews. I didn't get a reply.

Recognition in major publications is key to artists’ perpetuation. When I was a student in the MFA program at TISCH The New York Times reviewed our performances (of undergraduates as well as graduates) and the paper also covered events at Juilliard. Young choreographers had a review in a nationally-recognized paper which paved the way to engagements and future projects.
In the 1960s Jill Johnston promoted and articulated the ideas of the Judson artists through her intelligent, insightful writing for The Village Voice. Even outside the dance world, publications are essential to success: Greg Mortenson writes in Three Cups of Tea about building schools for children – particularly girls - in impoverished places in Pakistan and Afghanistan. From 1994 to 2003, he was working diligently, then Parade magazine wrote a cover story on him and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and support started piling into his foundation – which was close to bankrupt at this moment: “34 million copies of the magazine reached the nation’s readers… never before had such a critical message reached so many people at one time. ‘If we try to resolve terrorism with military might and nothing else, then we will be no safer than we were before 9/11. If we truly want a legacy of peace for our children, we need to understand that this is a war that will ultimately be won with books, not with bombs.’”

There is no dearth of innovative people and ideas in DC, but the vitality of a city’s culture dissipates when critics are not aware of their role in nurturing and promoting innovation.

Biennale Danza 2010

2010-06-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

amazing space

2010-06-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I was in Wilmington to tour the Nemours Mansion, the massive 77-room home of Alfred and Jessie duPont. It was designed by Carrere and Hastings, built in a phenomenal 18 months, and completed in 1910. Walking through its rooms and gardens was like a trip to a different planet, but yesterday when I was at GMU I received a tour of what is truly a palatial space: the new studios, dressing rooms, training facilities, and gallery of the School of Dance at GMU.

Here are some words from Buffy Price, chair of the School: “Our large light filled studios with their banks of windows along one wall have long been a hallmark of our program. The newly created spaces contribute an even more dramatic sense of generous space and light. The university and architects realize how important a sense of freedom and light are to the study of dance and the two new dance studios, each over 2800 square feet with 20 foot ceilings and large corner windows, certainly acknowledge that. The studios are connected by a long gracious dance gallery with floor to ceiling glass partitions at either end linking to the outside and the lobby area. Also added to the building are a training room and conditioning lab for dancers, student lounge and bathroom and shower facilities. The sweeping curves of the over all design with large floor to ceiling corner windows reflect the rhythm and movement that fill the building each day.”

While the recent graduates may not be able to enjoy these spaces on a daily basis, it is thanks to their grace and achievements that the School has attracted such acclaim and generous benefactors. The expansion of the Performing Arts building is due to a gift from Donald and Nancy De Laski to The School of Dance and the School of Music.

Buffy says “I have been working with the architects on this project for over two years! I have loved every minute of it. In another life I would have loved to have become an architect and this allowed me to indulge my fantasies...” Although the new studios and dressing areas are truly magnificent – I have never seen university dance facilities so spacious -- the number of dance majors will remain 20 to 22 students per class. This reflects GMU's commitment to artistic and educational excellence. Buffy says the plan is to maintain this size of entering classes because it “allows us to focus on supporting individual student growth. The new studios will allow us to augment our outstanding Artist in Residency program and find new ways to connect to the community.”

The dancers of GMU now have studios that match their stunning, breathtaking performances.

1 Thing

2010-06-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Not the Amerie 1 Thing the Csíkszentmihályi 1 thing.

I am looking forward to seeing Nicole Goodson today. One of the last times I saw her I met her man, a former basketball player, which ignited my basketball-is-a-lot-like-dance ideas and I hope we can continue our conversation today. Nicole knows a lot about dance and basketball. But what does this have to do with Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi?

He is the author and professor of psychology who proposes that we achieve great things – and true happiness – through single-minded concentration: focusing on 1 Thing. This applies to artists, athletes, scientists, chefs, researchers. Some people call it being in the zone, others say they’re in a groove. Csíkszentmihályi calls it flow. It’s when your skills match the level of challenge.

You see it when a dancer transcends limitation and when an athlete accomplishes the seemingly impossible. For the person it translates into a combination of indescribable happiness and deep-rooted fulfillment. It is something that basketball players and dancers can understand because both of these pursuits involve full-bodied participation for extended periods of time; mind, body and spirit or courage working as one. As sports and art-forms go, few match the intensity, dedication, perseverance, and creativity intertwined in basketball and dance. On the first days of a new semester when I teach Dance Appreciation I usually show this clip of Shaquille O'Neal not only because it guarantees a smile (or 30 smiles), but also because I saw Shaq play when we were both in college. I drove down to Baton Rouge from Princeton with some friends on our way to Mardi Gras. We stopped at LSU to watch this phenomenon in action. He dominated the court – literally and figuratively – and started my thinking about how our bodies are vehicles not only of expression and communication, but also transcendence. They are what connects us to the invisible powers we call energy, faith, love and freedom.

Shaq is in flow when playing basketball and when dancing. Flow also exists in this testimonial by Joy Esterberg who took part in Dance for PD, the Mark Morris Dance Group program for people with Parkinson’s: “The mind directing the dance movements becomes totally immersed in them; it becomes one with them. It creates aesthetic form using the body, and the total immersion in those patterns often leads to altered awareness and a feeling of awe.”

Onstage last night

2010-06-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

photo by Ian Douglas

This photo is from a performance at Judson by Kelly Bond which took place April 26. The performance I saw yesterday was Ballet Across America II. Hard to believe, but this post will connect these disparate events...

Ballet Across America brought together Ballet Memphis, Ballet Arizona and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Ib Andersen’s Diversions for Ballet Arizona was a regal and ethereal suite of dances to Benjamin Britten’s music, while 3 Movements by Benjamin Millepied for Pacific Northwest Ballet, was set to music by Steve Reich and had the dancers wearing pedestrian costumes in a palette of grey, set against a backdrop of long curtains of fabric in tan, light grey and slate. It's hard to hear Reich's music without thinking of Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker who has created some gorgeous ensemble works – Rain and Drumming - to his scores. There was also a rebounding quality in Millepied's choreography that gave the piece a contemporary feel although the women wore toe shoes. Carla Körbes and Batkurel Bold were breathtaking in a duet and all the women had legs that seemed to extend to infinity. Millepied’s movement was quirky and creative, mixing stylishness with joie de vivre.

The first piece of the evening was Trey McIntyre’s In Dreams to music by Roy Orbison; it was like Dances at a Gathering for the 21st century, but with five dancers instead of 10. McIntyre used Orbison’s distinctive songs (and part of an interview) in ways that were fresh and unexpected. The piece unfolded as a series of group sections interspersed with solos and duets. It evoked feelings of longing, desire, and melancholy. The performers were dressed all in black - cowboy shirts and pants for the men, sleeveless mini dresses for the women – and some of their steps seemed robotic and mechanical. But the contrast between these moments and the more dramatic phrases, emphasized the human-ness of the performers and their emotions. There was none of the heroic posturing associated with ballets of the 20th century. At the end of the piece the man in front of me turned to his wife and asked “was that ballet or modern dance?” Labels can be so irksome. If art continually evolves, just as our ways of interacting with the world change, how can “ballet” or “modern dance” remain stagnant? If you were wondering why or how this post about a ballet performance includes a picture of naked women at Judson Church in New York City, here’s the link. I saw the matinee of the ballet at The Kennedy Center and in the evening met up for a conversation with Kelly Bond. She is one of a handful of artists I know in DC who is pressing against the definition of dance as movement set to music to create a narrative or express an emotion or simulate the spectacular.

She spent seven months of 2008 working in France at Mathilde Monnier’s choreographic center where she collaborated with artists like Xavier Le Roy and theorists like Bojana Cvejic. She was recently invited by Movement Research to perform at Judson Church (which explains the photo), and next month at the Capital Fringe she will be presenting a piece called Elephant. If you are drawn to performances to see dancers sweat, or if you judge the value of a performance by technical virtuosity, this is not the show for you.

Kelly’s last Fringe performance was inspired by the idea of Hans Bellmer: “The body is like a sentence that invites us to reimagine it, so that its real meaning becomes clear through an endless series of anagrams.” Anagrams are usually associated with rearranged words, and there is a rule that every letter must be used, with exactly the same number of occurrences as in the anagrammed word or phrase: “Jim Morrison” is “Mr. Mojo Risin.” In performances I have seen, Kelly typically arranges and rearranges scenes, which the viewer then pieces together in their mind/memory. There is no explicit narrative. There is no music. There is usually no costume, except the naked body.

Her work reminds me a lot of what Yvonne Rainer was exploring in the 1960s: stripping away the trappings to see the body as a phenomenon, and then investigating how the interaction of perception and movement can be subtle and powerful at the same time. Here is an excerpt from an interview with Kelly that was created by the Fringe festival:

Q Speaking as a spectator, what do you look for in performance?

Kelly: I like to see questions, things that make me think.

Q What makes your work unique?

Kelly: It’s direct and open. Specific. Relatable. Bold. Questioning. There is a close relationship with the audience that the work cannot exist without.

Q What does 'success' mean to you?

Kelly: Response. I feel that my work is successful if people have a response, if they find themselves thinking about it afterward, whatever those thoughts may be. If an audience feels neither here nor there, I have a lot more work to do.

Q Why are you doing the Capital Fringe Festival?

Kelly: It’s important for me to feel immersed and engaged in my local performing arts community in order to thrive as an artist here in DC. I want to see what others are doing, and I want the community to know my work as well. Dialogue is essential to creating quality work. We need conversations that continuously ask and answer questions, propose ideas, and relate to the past and future of our field, and our field within our society. Capital Fringe is an organization that makes dialogue possible and that cheers us all on.

Onstage last night

2010-06-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

Another program of ballet at The Kennedy Center Opera House: Red Sweet by Jorma Elo performed by Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Tulsa Ballet performing Por Vos Muero by Nacho Duato (which Dance History students watched this spring semester - begins with men and women in undergarments facing away from the audience, running upstage in slow motion…), and The Joffrey Ballet performing Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence. All three dance-makers have spent years in Europe - dancing, directing or choreographing - and their ballets explore contemporary twists. The first two pieces are done in slippers instead of toe shoes and all three require dancers to sink their weight into the floor, to accentuate the curves of their torsos, to test the limits of their physicality. This was especially apparent in Liang’s work where the performers let some of their effort show alongside the illusions of ballet. Watching the program made me think of risk-takers, not only the choreographers, but also the dancers and directors. Duirng intermission when I ran into Susan Shields and Martin Wechsler this word resonated more deeply. Wechsler is the director of programming for The Joyce Theater and his fall schedule, starting in September, includes Jérôme Bel, Batsheva Dance Company, Sankai Juku, les Ballets C de la B, and Cedar Lake in repertory by Alexander Ekman, Jacopo Godani and Hofesh Shechter. Every week explores a different approach to dance and performance.

Without programmers and artists willing to take intelligent risks, the vitality of dance as an art form fades. A combination of courage and competence allows for growth and development. All the melting, flickering and gliding that happened onstage last night results from a mix of perseverance and possibility. Without opportunities to present their works, artists cannot grow, our ways of seeing cannot expand, and we miss the chance to see how performance continually reinforces and challenges our values.

GMU Got Game

2010-06-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Boris Willis is not only a teacher and choreographer but also our resident guru of web-stuff and technology. He is all over town – in DC and VA – riding around on the bike with whitewall tires and if you search “postmodern dance” on Google, his website appears. Why? Because he’s continually exploring what it means to be a performer/creator and the new intersections of technology, life and art. Dancers in Dialogue seeks to promote innovation whether its on stage or on screen, so this post is a thank you to Boris for being who he is. At GMU he teaches courses in dance as well as game design, a new program at GMU.

If you knew him at GMU please share a comment. If you are curious about the new program check out this article. My favorite line about GMU: “At 38 years old, Mason is also more nimble and more willing to take risks on areas of study than several older academic institutions, said several observers. 'That is one of the advantage of being young, you have some flexibility that traditional schools don’t have. That has proved to be a real strength for us,' said [Dan] Walsch [executive director of Mason’s media relations]. "Our tradition has essentially become our flexibility," he added. [Professor Scott] Martin echoed that sentiment, saying the Mason is unusual for its openness to new ideas and experimentation. 'New ideas and innovation are embraced by the faculty and provosts here more so than almost any other institution that I have ever come in contact with,' said Martin."

2010-06-18T10:54:00.001-07:00

Side "A" from Prentice W. on Vimeo.

Onstage last night

2010-06-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

Karen Reedy Dance at the Lansburgh Theatre in the showcase DANCE: Yes We Can! Her choreography, Path of Attraction, was performed by Christopher K. Morgan and Noelle Snyder and I was intrigued by how much the duet changed with this different cast. I saw it a year ago at Dance Place and remembered the strong pull between the performers, but with Christopher and Noelle there seemed to be an added layer of longing or regret, as if the sensation created between them was no longer available. It had eluded their grasp as life or circumstances separated them, but as they were drawn apart they seemed to sense one another through their skin. Their awareness of one another and the ephemerality of their relationship was exquisite. The showcase was presented in conjunction with the Dance/USA 2010 Annual Conference (the audience was a star-studded collection of performers, directors and teachers) and included nine pieces by nine different companies. Alongside Karen's duet, the highlights included Gesel Mason’s 1 Thing 1 Thing and Oh… 1 More Thing! a trio of frustrated women acting out their anger in their kitchens, and Tribute by Step Afrika, a company that will be performing at the Lansburg this weekend. They are phenomenal.

What do New York City and Jakarta have in common? visits from Caroline Yost

2010-06-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Just received an email from Caroline who you can follow here on her blog as she experiences Indonesia for two months. Ever the intrepid traveler, Caroline had emailed me at the beginning of June after she visited New York City’s Museum of Modern Art and saw the Marina Abramović retrospective. I had seen it when it opened in March and found Caroline's response fascinating because it was so different from my own.

I started thinking about traveling as any experience that takes us outside the familiar or comfortable, and that it is only by visiting these unknown places that we discover our distinct perspective on values and approaches to living life. Caroline wrote that she saw some of Abramović’s reconstructions as “abrasive” and had difficulty with the naked performers: “once i was able to get past the nudity, and even as an artist myself it did take a few minutes, i was able to appreciate the works.”

This makes me smile because there are countless paintings, photographs and sculpture of nudes in big museums, but placing a naked human being in an exhibit triggers reactions that range from acceptance to outrage. Did anyone else see the retrospective and wish to respond? Are there other occasions when performances have prompted a reaction that was memorable and/or uncomfortable? How do you define your comfort zone when it comes to viewing performances? Our email exchange is included if you want to…
from Caroline:
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 12:09 pm
Subject: Abramović
by chance I caught the last day of "The Artist is Present" and other exhibits of her and Ulay's yesterday at the MoMA. Made me think of you- hope you're enjoying summer!

from Kate:
Date Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:16:33 -0400

what did you think?

from Caroline: well, i thought "the artist is present" was...interesting. when i first walked up to the roped off square the girl sitting across from marina was crying and the reactions happening around me spanned across the entire spectrum, so i found it difficult to formulate my own; i was distracted by the crowd. however, when the girl was asked to get up by security (i guess she'd be there for a while?) and exit i saw marina begin crying and slowly wipe away a tear with her handkerchief, which appealed to me on an emotional level. it made me realize that even though marina doesn't speak and there's no canvas, doesn't mean that something isn't happening. which i guess prior to those tears, i hadn't believed. i appreciated the work, and from the labels i understood that marina was aiming to incorporate herself and the audience as a *part* of the art, versus just spectators. however, i did think those who attend the moma because it's the moma and not for the love of modern a rt (like the twin 50+ british identical twins behind me who simply wanted to "see the naked people") didn't get the point, which makes me sad.

from Kate: I like that you wrote and explained your reactions because Abramović is someone who has pushed the boundaries of how we define artists and performances. what i think is crucial about her work is the way it exposes us, meaning our reactions to her creations can be so revealing. second to this, she emphasizes how the moment of interaction between the observer and the object is what we call "performance" or "art." In other words, it is neither the performer/object nor the observer, but the space in between, the exchange that is the event. This is why i think "artist is present" is so powerful. I love also that she makes herself available and open (no selection process, no control, no predetermined outcome) by inviting any person to come and sit with her. I am not sure if you remember the piece from 1974 (Rhythm 0) I described in class with the objects on the table (including a gun), but it was pictured in the first room adjacent to the naked doorway. If you remember from the discussion, her pieces have always explored our edges - when we are passive, when we are aggressive.

from Caroline: Speaking to her other works, the two naked people in the doorway and other various works, i again found them interesting. the two people in the doorway was kind of comical to me. i didn't stand in line to do the walk honestly because i wanted to see as much of the museum as i could, but did stand on the side of people waiting to enter and on the opposite side as they came out, as to compare reactions. most of the younger kids laughed out of anxiety, a typical adolescent response, and most adults were very observant when walking through the male and female; many people caught and held eye contact with one of the nude models.… honestly, i just wonder if there is a lesser way of presenting the same ideas- nevertheless, i didn't hear any screams of panic so i guess the general public appreciated marina's pieces. i will speak to the curation in saying i found the labeling to be *extremely* helpful, when trying to make sense of the different pieces.

from Kate: I agree that the MoMA did a fantastic job of recreating her repertory. There was some hoopla in the artist/theorist community about how it is inappropriate to see these works in a context so different from their creation. To take this argument one step further, what would happen if choreographers decided the bodies and context of the original cast were unique so the piece must never be re-created? This would mean Alvin Ailey's Revelations or Martha Graham's Appalachian Spring must never be performed live because we as people (performers and observers) are so different from the original dancers. One of the key elements of Abramović’s career is how she places the moment of performance or art as the exchange between performer and observer, and this exchange evolves as we evolve, which is why art is so rich and fertile in shaping consciousness. All in all I believe it was a thought-provoking event. I am happy you were able to be there as well. best, kate

from Lauren Goodwin (with video...)

2010-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a month since I've graduated college and I just returned from spending 2 weeks with the Buglisi Dance Theatre during their Creative Residency at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, NY. I went as an intensive student but those 2 weeks were so much more than just an intensive! Our days began at 10:30 in the morning and ended at 8:30 at night. A typical day (and I say typical because no day was really ever the same as the one before) started with company ballet class from 10:30-11:30 taught by a company member.
Afterwards, from 11:30-1:30 we were in rehearsal, lunch break from 1:30-2, more rehearsal from 2-4:30, community class 4:30-6:30, and more rehearsal from 6:30-8:30. The first week I was there, the company had an outreach performance at Martin Luther King Elementary School on Wednesday so most of the daytime rehearsal time was spent with the company being rehearsed by Jacqulyn, and the intensive students were able to sit and watch her rehearsal process.

I was able to go with the company to the school performance and afterwards I was speaking with the school principal and she was saying that all of their art funding had been cut and that Buglisi Dance Theatre was probably one of the last professional performances they will ever be able to bring in for their kids to see. I felt honored to be somewhat associated with that yet sad at the same time that these kids will have to grow up without being exposed to live art.

I was also fortunate enough to be able to perform alongside the company on three other occasions. The first was during the opening ceremonies of the NY State Special Olympics, the second was a site specific performance at the Utica train station, and lastly for the end of the intensive showing in the main gallery of the Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute Art Museum. For each of these performances we performed excerpts from a work titled Under the Buttenwood Tree.com which was originally commissioned and performed outside the Sock Exchange on Wall Street. We also learned three excerpts from a work titled Interplay as well as a scarf dance by Ruth St. Denis. Because the intensive was part of a Creative Residency supported by NYSCA, Jacqulyn was also creating a new work, Letters of Love. The work premiered June 12 and has its NYC premiere tonight and tomorrow night at the Ralph Pucci Penthouse. Letters of Love combines text, music and dance. Jacqulyn uses actual love letters, both past and present, and incorporates them into the music.

While at the intensive both I and the other intensive students were lucky enough to be able to watch and be a part of both her creation and rehearsal process of this work by understudying her dancers and even being asked to go in for them at times and be rehearsed on their movement by Jacqulyn herself. We were also asked to anonymously write our own love letters, pick someone else's and create a movement phrase based on the letter. We then paired up with another intensive student as they read the letter and we danced our phrase. Myself and a few other of the intensive students were asked to perform our solo at the showing at the end of the intensive which you can see here.

I keep calling this experience an intensive, and while I was there as an intensive student, it was so much more than an intensive. It was more so a peek into what it's like being in a company. Other intensives I've been to, you just take class after class all day, learn some repertory and maybe have an informal showing at the end of it. However with this experience, we were treated as professionals and equals rather than students. I was one of only 7 other intensive students, so combined with the 11 company members, it was very small and intimate. I got to know each one of the company members and they got to know me. They did not act as if they were superior to us just because they had the official title of being a company member, but seemed to take a genuine interest in helping us understand Jacqulyn's movement, what she looks for in movement, and how she works. This was by far one of the best intensives I have ever been to and feel like it was the perfect transition for a college graduate who was looking to still go to an intensive but not be treated as a student anymore. Here is a link that describes the Buttonwood Agreement.

Onstage last night...

2010-06-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

at the Opera House of The Kennedy Center was “Ballet Across America II” featuring Stanton Welch’s Falling performed by Houston Ballet, George Balanchine’s Monumentum pro Gesualdo and Movements for Piano and Orchestra by The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Shindig by North Carolina Dance Theatre. The Houston dancers were on fire, tackling the intricacies of Welch’s choreography with lightning fast legs and feet. The cast from North Carolina flew across the stage, propelled by live music from the Greasy Beans. In between Farrell’s dancers were more cool and - to use one of my favorite Dance History words - apollonian. During the post-performance discussion the company directors - Farrell, Welch and Bonnefoux with his wife Patricia McBride - answered the question “What is American ballet?” Farrell spoke about cultural diversity; Welch noticed the regional differences embraced by America which make something like Shindig quintessentially different from music and movement coming from the north. He made the apt comparison that America, the country, is like Europe, the continent, in its range of regional variations: the differences between France and Germany are like those between the north, south, and center of the United States, or even the east and west coasts. Bonnefoux said in his inimitable French accent: American ballet has to with energy and the joy of dancing. So true.

graduates who soar

2010-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ask any teacher what makes their career worthwhile and one of the responses is likely to be following students' achievements and accomplishments beyond the classroom. Shanleigh just sent us an update on her adventures since leaving GMU:

"As a lover of profound and inspirational quotes, I find one to be quite fitting for the beginning of my life as a George Mason University(GMU) graduate. Phil Cousineau once said, ‘Now is the time to live your ideal life.’ After four incredible years spent gaining a very well-rounded knowledge of dance and its many facets coupled with constant inspiration from an esteemed faculty, I approached May without fearing the word ‘alumni.’ I found myself to be rather excited as I embarked upon the continuation of my dreams. The next chapter: New York City. I certainly would not have acquired the incredible internship I currently hold at Mark Morris Dance Center without the help of faculty members Dan Joyce and Karen Reedy - both of whom have danced for Mark Morris Dance Group and have played a crucial role in creating an excellent relationship between GMU and the Mark Morris Dance Center.

Since I have been in New York City, I have also realized the strong presence that the GMU Dance Department has created for itself in this mecca of dance. In just three short weeks, I have seen nearly fifteen current and alumni GMU dancers, two of which, Billy Smith and Rita Donahue, I see every day as they are current members of Mark Morris Dance Group. As I attend performances and meet dancers from around the world who share the same love for the New York City dance scene as I do, it is not often that GMU is unheard of, in fact it is usually quite the opposite. Many people speak very highly of the program, and I feel even more proud of the degree I have earned from such a respected program. Mason dancers are ‘well-trained,’ ‘disciplined,’ ‘respectful,’ and are ‘a pleasure to work with.’ Naturally, I couldn't agree more. Some see New York City as an overwhelming place, where one can easily drown in a sea of talent, but thus far, I have found it tough to feel defeated, knowing that a plethora of fellow graduates are within arms reaching, ready and willing to help you find success. Whether it is informing a friend of an audition, introducing them to fellow dancers or arts administrators, or helping to find an apartment, this mutual desire to promote GMU is comforting and quite admirable. While the realities of excessively high rent payments and many other bills, in addition to the daily cost of living in this extravagant city can become frustrating, it is all worthwhile for the many moments that I realize I am truly living the beginning of my dream life."

photo caption: GMU dancers making quite an entrance! Alumni and current majors taking in a performance by Parson Dance on June 2nd at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center in New York City

Curious?

2010-06-15T05:23:00.000-07:00

When I started teaching dance history at GMU in January of 2009, the class before mine was taught by GMU psychology professor Todd Kashdan. If I arrived early I could see him lecturing to his students through the window in the door. His energy lit up the room. Students sat up in their desks and leaned forward as if wanting to get closer to his teaching. He was speaking from his personal research and investigations rather than regurgitating something he had read or studied. I decided to buy his book, aptly named Curious? Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down: Kashdan proposes that curious exploration is integral to a well-lived life. He explains our attraction to friends and situations that allow us to discover new ideas and perspectives. His writing made me think of spending time with Karen who is constantly exploring, and her searching informs her teaching as well as her choreography. When we talked about this blog we discovered we are both curious to hear how colleagues and students have been spending their summers. Have you seen any performances or exhibits? Has material from courses like Teaching Methods or Dance History resonated with your experiences outside the classroom? Have you taken a class that made you feel invincible or at least energized? We hope to hear from you here….

STAY by Heather McDonald and Susan Shields

2010-06-14T10:27:00.001-07:00

"This is how she writes."

These words of Heather McDonald describe Susan Shields, a professor at GMU's School of Dance, and illuminated a collaboration between McDonald, a playwright and director and Shields, a choreographer.

The performance is called STAY, a curious title for a work that explores impermanence, shifting relationships and interdisciplinary communication. Nothing in the piece stays constant for long and this makes it both idiosyncratic and brilliant. I feel lucky to have attended the June 12 showing of an excerpt during the 10th Annual First Light Discovery Program at George Mason University. I think I witnessed a gem in the making.

The piece dissolves borders between text, movement and images. There are four dancers, four actors, and projections of SLAM Animation by Greg Crane showing photographs layered at different speeds to create a film-like sequence. The dialogue shifts from humor to poignancy to strife while the images in Crane’s creations collapse into poetic and dramatic sequences. I admired the way each of the elements retains its own unique qualities while mixing with the other ways of communicating.

During the post-performance discussion there was a question about the projections and their relevance and I found these to be a powerful part of the piece. Even if they have not yet been fully integrated, they are composed in a stunning way – the collage-ing of still photos that reinforce the subjectivity of memory – the way we hold onto particular moments and assemble them in a selective way. They connect eloquently with the development of characters and images in the text, especially the idea that facades can be misleading. External appearances can contrast with inner persona and desires.

I appreciated the way the characters and interactions are triggers and springboards for associations rather than literal or completed roles. Their fragility and ambiguity intrigue me. In The Book of Tea, Kakuzo Okakura writes: "In art the importance of the principle [of vacuum] is illustrated by the value of suggestion. In leaving something unsaid the beholder is given a chance to complete the idea and thus a great masterpiece irresistibly rivets your attention until you seem to become actually a part of it. A vacuum is there for you to enter and fill up the full measure of your aesthetic emotion."

In both its content and form STAY opens an inviting space for the audience to enter. Relationships are developed so the observer can bring their own interpretations and explanations to the scenes. Subtlety and nuance are prized over finality and closure. Duets between the dancers offer glimpses of passion, attraction, anger and grief. In many ways they exemplify the inadequacy of words. Shields' choreography is gorgeous and the dancers' execution is full-bodied and generous. Kalynn Frome in particular is stunning.

The piece speaks beautifully to the way we develop links with events and people and these links are often influenced by our own past and expectations. I found the coherence of the actors and dancers phenomenal.

STAY is both resonant and relevant. The flexible structure, open form, and interdisciplinary approach come together not only to introduce a new genre of theater/performance but also speak to us as human beings in a deeper way. We live in a moment when interactions take multiple forms constantly – visual, acoustic, kinetic, virtual. To create a piece that captures this simultaneity – and impermanence – of our exchanges and relationships is brilliant. I admire both the creativity and resolve of McDonald and Shields who have made something that speaks so honestly: no imposed narrative or forced structure but a moment that is deeply human, fleeting, emotional, and resounding.