All posts tagged Dance
Creative Inspiration

Art, Commerce & Layered Participation: Punchdrunk in NYC

 

Lex at The Firebird, 2005

Me at The Firebird, 2005

The other day I was speaking with a friend who is going to London and I told her about Punchdrunk and their performance of The Firebird Ball in 2005, which is on my list of Top Ten Arts Experiences of All Time, made all the better by the fact that the reason I bought a ticket in the first place was somewhat obligatory. My boss’s niece was in the play and it was mostly sold out … which is why on my last night in London I found myself taking the tube to Brixton and shivering in an alley with a group of around 20 people waiting to be let into a warehouse. Those of you who haveand family in the theater know that an audience of 20 outside a warehouse is not unusual, so I had no expectations whatsoever.

The Firebird

posters taped to easel in dark alley ... what to expect?

CONTINUE READING ]

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W Posted May 03, 2011     w No Comments
Creative Inspiration

Dance, Dance, Evolution …

Back in 2006  when I worked at Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts, the CFA co-commissioned Liz Lerman’s Ferocious Beauty: Genome—a work created with, by and for scientists and students of science that was a cross-disciplinary catalyst for discussions about reproductive technologies, women’s health and social justice; stem cell research, religion and politics; genetics and race; and many other topics.

These days it is de riguer for arts organizations to have some sort of  socially relevant talk accompanying a performance or exhibition. Liz Lerman and the CFA take it up a notch (or five) because they are masters at combining multilevel arts participation and community collaboration with economies of scale, the more deeply you look at this partnership, the more there is to see. The premiere of Ferocious Beauty sparked another idea for collaboration, and last week the Wesleyan Hughes Program in Life Sciences and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange launched Science Choreography, an online toolkit for the embodied exploration of science through dance. CONTINUE READING ]

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W Posted Apr 25, 2011     w No Comments
Creative Inspiration

Sometimes, It’s Okay To Judge

SQUART: Spontaneous Queer Art

On Saturday, October 30th I’ll be one of the esteemed judges for SQUART (Spontaneous Queer Art!) over at The Lab. According to the website, “SQUART was originally conceived by Laura Arrington, out of the desire to foster community and create work without preciousness.”

Process begins at 6pm and the show starts at 8pm. Confirmed Performers are: Peter Max Lawrence, Anna Martine Whitehead, Rachael Dichter, Jorge Rodolfo De Hoyos Jr., Evan Johnson, Minna Harri, Harold Burns, Kirk Read, Jesse Hewit, Jai Arun Ravine, Miriam Wolodarski, Kevin Seaman, Kyra Rice and Liz Tenuto.

I’ve been hearing the buzz about SQUART for a while now so I am thrilled to be playing a role in the next one. Plus, they have a cool-lookin’ poster that reminds me of a cross between Paula Scher and Dia de los Muertos.

You can RSVP here.

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W Posted Oct 12, 2010     w No Comments
Arts & Ethos

Contract Disputes in the Dance World

There are few good resources for thoughtful, specific writing about conflicts between artists and institutions. Plenty has been written about successful collaborations. But when things go awry, nobody wants to talk about how and why on the record. Often it’s very painful, everyone’s afraid of losing money and other support, and there are legal complications. I wish there were a book of case studies about collaborations-gone-wrong and what was learned by all parties. It would be useful, particularly for emerging leaders (on both sides) who know about best practices but have not yet learned from experience when to prioritize a gut feeling or a red flag, when to seek outside help, and when to compromise.

With that in mind, Claudia La Rocco’s New York Times article about negotiations between the 92nd Street Y and choreographer Pavel Zustiak is a fascinating look behind the scenes of a contract dispute.

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W Posted May 12, 2009     w No Comments

Uncovered: The Diary Project ]

Seeing Sean Dorsey’s Uncovered: The Diary Project inspired me to start keeping track of the many artists, exhibitions, performances and organizations I am seeing for the first time. Not long analyses, just a written record, so I remember. This is entry #1.

Little Cities, Observations

Merce’s Ocean: Rock Bottom, or Soaring Spectacle?

I think Graydon Royce’s insightful feature about the process of bringing Merce Cunningham’s “Ocean” to Waite Park, MN is so much more interesting than the reviews . Although … what pops up on the StarTribune’s site after a search is not a review, it is more a collection of sound bites from the audience.

The LA Times offers something a little more substantial , and Minnesota Public Radio touches on the film aspects of the production.

Despite mixed reviews, the production is sold out … perhaps a testimony to the value of deep programming, meaningful partnerships and giant spectacle?

(photo: Cameron Wittig, Walker Art Center)

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W Posted Sep 13, 2008     w No Comments
Friends & Strangers, Little Cities

Friend: David Polon

The fabulous, Hartford-based dancer David Polon makes my job a little easier by bringing his Salsa heat to the Green Street Arts Center’s classes (it’s not too late to register for summer—he teaches ballroom, too). This weekend, David performed at the Green Street Arts Fest. I used my Flip to catch it, along with some of the other performances. Pretty amazing!

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W Posted Jun 16, 2008     w 1 Comment
Art Agenda

Art Agenda: Feet to the Fire

FeetFire

Interview with Ann Carlson, choreographer and participant in the Creative Campus initiative of Association of Performing Arts Presenters. Ann Carlson is participating in Wesleyan University’s Creative Campus project, “Feet to the Fire.”

Interview excerpted from The Art Agenda. Originally broadcast on 88.1fm, WESU, Middletown on May 1, 2008.

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W Posted May 03, 2008     w No Comments