ergo needles and ruffles

Went to bed having sewn and woke up and back to sewing. If you went to see "Shorts" last night you would have seen my piece "ergo" half costumed. I did not use my very limited time management skills well enough to complete the costumes for the dancers in time for the dress rehearsal/preview Thursday night. So there I was Wednesday afternoon and part of Thursday morning running from the studio to Michael's to Hancock Fabrics then back to the studio then to my storage unit then to Gayle K then back to the studio. All of this in order to get these three tops made complete with ruffle bib. Well, two days of running around with one night and one morning of sewing and they were complete. Yay. They turned out nicely and looked great on the dancers and onstage. Tonight's performance of "Shorts" had something for everyone. Although mostly modern or contemporary the program had such a wide range of emotional and structural approaches that each piece had it's own thing going on. Stand out pieces for me were "Is That All There Is" from Adele Myers and Dancers which was mostly a solo with the incredible Diana Deaver then Adele joined her onstage for the second portion of the piece. This dance had most everything you can imagine. Humor, remorse, suspense, bewilderment, compassion. Ms. Deaver is an amazing technician with beautiful lines, incredible control and remarkable sense of timing. The other stand out piece for me was performed by Good Moves Consort lead by Annette Lewis. This group of five young dancers, and when I say young I mean 11 and 12, performed a piece that was structurally complex and was full emotion and energy with the maturity and focus of much older dancers. They did an amazing job and hold lots of promise for a future in dance. My dance "ergo" turned out nicely...my three dancers Rose Shields, Jena Kovash and Stephanie Johnson busted their butts. The piece was quite fast and extensive. "ergo" begins with a murder scene as we see Rose laying on the ground with a ribbon of blood flowing from her dead body and Jena standing still with her back to the audience as she reveals a knife from behind her body. As the music builds we see Jena's body produce a multi layered full body contraction of emotion. She drops the knife and falls to the floor and straight into a headstand showing complete confusion. Stephanie enters the scene to find a sight she never expected with one of her dead and the other upside down. As the tension builds we see Stephanie try to devour the evidence as Jena starts to come to and see what she has done. At this point I decided to reverse the story to show the scene that led up to the murder. I did this by having Jena pull the ribbon from Rose's body as Stephanie was in the process of removing the evidence even more by way of disposing the body. From this point on there was explosive dance involving rapid foot work, long extended lines and pattern changes onstage. We see the three exchanging aggressive control of passive martyrdom and then betrayal in that. By the end Rose and Jena are in a waltz duel for final destruction. The piece ends with Rose begging for mercy which is actually Jena begging for mercy from herself and ultimately killing herself using Rose as the martyr. Not sure if it all makes since but I found it interesting. I have to give it up to Joanna Brooks for curating this event. She is consistently active in and for the Atlanta dance community and Shorts is yet another testament that dance is alive and well in the city.

Improvisations and other movements

Friday and Saturday night I had the opportunity to create spontaneously in a show called Anthology. It was held at Studio 900 on Dekalb Ave. in Inman Park area of Atlanta. The studio is a photography studio and an art gallery as well with an amazing vibe. I collaborated with Travis Barron as he beat boxed I moved. Complete improvisation entitled "id"and a completely satisfying experience. We performed in a white corner usually reserved for photo shoots which served as a stark contrast for our mostly black clothing. Travis wore a tux and I wore black pants, black short sleeve t and had a mask that completely engulfed my head. I made this one so that it would look a bit like the outside of the Disney Music Hall in downtown L.A. with panels of black foam which began and ended with points. The back of the mask flowed up into a plume much like a sinister rooster and the front of the mask had spikes and a strip of human hair flowing down. Once I completed it it reminded me of a Stealth Bomber combined with a lobster. Very Dali'. The lighting for the piece was up light which forced shadows onto the walls that created another level of dimension which at times superseded the 3 dimensional action that was going on in the foreground. I love that people looked at it through different eyes and each experience was unique and valid without us telling the audience what to think or how to react. The first of two nights was cool but the second night I really felt a connection to Travis and he locked into my motion. I could almost anticipate his sound and felt like he was doing the same with my movement. I am planning to do this again as I feel like we only peeled the first layer off of what we could offer each other in inspiration and collaboration. Thank you to Zerina Serulle and Beth Del Nero for curating this event.

Tonight I went to see the Spelman Dance Theatre's Spring Concert. The concert was made up of choreography by student and faculty as well. Stand out pieces were the solo by Isaac Rose and of course the one and only T. Lang. Isaac began his piece laying face down as his fingers ran along the floor like separate creatures as the drug his body to the center of the stage. His movement was weighted at times then at others light an lifted. He has a super long body so that made the movement more pronounced in it's various manners. The finale of the show was a new work named "Wii Play" by choreographer extraordinaire T. Lang. The piece began with a single dancer in siloette center stage winding her right arm slowly. The music was "Year of the Dragon" by Osso & Sufjan Stevens a violin piece that had intensity and texture. As the single dancer was spinning her arm for a while the other 16 dancers entered from stage left claiming the space. They were wearing bright colored leggings and various shaped tops as they arrived to their positions and faced front staring down the audience with an invitation to play. The single dancer still spinning her arm began a phrase of movement that went shooting through the entire cast and began the game. Spelman dancers are strong, determined and engaged and attacked this piece with a vengeance. Structurally speaking the piece kept unfolding into new sections breathing a fresh breath into the dance with each new phrase. There was a long bench spanning the entire back of the stage which served as a launching point for much of the dance and which T. Lang used quite creatively using it as a backdrop for movement as dance phrases were performe downstage. "Wii Play" ended with an explosion of energy and color that personally drew me to the edge of my seat then propelled me to my feet with applause. This piece marked the end of 7 dancers involvement with Spelman and T. Lang which with roses and tears T. Lang introduced them one by one as they took their final bows on the Baldwin Burroughs Theatre stage. I got to speak with a few of the dancers afterward to see what they had in the future and whether they are going to New York, San Francisco, or Italy these dancers have amazing futures ahead of them and I hope that performing in Atlanta is part of it.

Feelings are intense. Yesterday I got up and went to a meeting then headed went to lunch with a friend then headed to the studio to watch Kevin's rehearsal for Koru. First of all let me say that Kevin's dance is going to be hot. But what I like most about it is his cast of dancers. They come in all shapes, sizes, gender, ethnicity, experience level...they could not be a more diverse group of people. It is what the studio is about and what the show is about. Yay! Kevin and his A-Town dancers aka know as students at dance 101. From there I headed home for a disco nap and a shower. I had tickets to Trey McIntyre Project and could not wait to see them. When I got to the Rialto I felt uneasy for some reason and then it dawned on me. I was nervous. The 18 dancers that were to be performing in the show had had rehearsal that day I knew that they were ready but I was still nervous. I looked around and they appeared out of every angle of my periphery. All dressed in black as requested and possessing an energy of excitement. I was met with my date's and we proceeded into the theatre. Ran into Bren Herrara, chef extraordinaire and aspiring dancer I found to last night. The lights went down and after the usual theatre announcements the red curtain upend to reveal a female dancer mid stage with the mounds rising up to the sky from her chest. Goldfrapp started playing and with the words "Only clowns would play with those balloons" the dance began. First of all I love Golfrapp and secondly I love that song. The dancer was join by two others a female holding two balloons in her hands and a male with a balloon attached to his head. By the end of the piece that was filled with humor with choreography that was fluid and quirky the dancer with the balloon breasts released her implants into the sky. It was a fun way to end the piece. The second piece was entitled "Ten Pin Episodes" and involved 6 dancers. It began with a solo dancer Jason Hartley slowly dancing around the bowling pin as he also manipulated it. He is a strong dancer with amazing control and focus. He was joined onstage by Brett Perry as they danced side by side as one. I mean they were so in sinc it was as though they were the same person. As the piece went on, one by one the dancers joined the dance. At times they would just walk on and place bowling pins in various places then walk off and others they would stay on and dance. Trey McIntyre has a wonderful way of transitioning from one section of the dance to another seamlessly. Ten Pin Episodes I have to say was not my favorite. Mainly because I am so incredibly drawn to the dancers dancing Trey McIntyre's choreography and want to see that but this piece had long moments of very little movement and I was a bit frustrated waiting to see them dance. A lesson in patience I guess...thank you Mr. McIntyre. Now finally the moment I was really waiting for was coming. After intermission came "Wild Sweet Love", the piece that involved the dance 101 peeps. The music began and I was waiting in anticipation for them to have their first entrance. At the moment they were supposed to enter I was so on the edge of my seat I couldn't stand it. Mind you they were mostly only either walking or running across the stage but some of these folks had never even been on stage. The first entrance went great and with each subsequent entrance they did exactly what we had rehearsed and what had gotten them the title of "best group we've had all tour" by some of the TMP dancers. Then was the one entrance where 9 of the dancers had to stand onstage while one of the TMP dancers did a solo. This dance was set to Roberta Flack singing "Do What You Gotta Do" one of my all time favorites. The choreography was heart wrinching and awkward at times which was juxtapose to the music and worked so well together. The dance 101 dancers were to begin with a lead foot type shuffle downstage and then stand there for most of the solo then at one point when the dancer comes toward them move back into a semi circle and watch her for the rest of the dance. I have to say I got misty eyed. I was in awe of their focus and emotional attachment to the dance while just standing there. They did a great job and I was so proud. After the show I was leaving the theatre and saw Trey McIntyre standing across the lobby. Of course I went over an introduced myself and he to said that our dancers did a fantastic job. I have to say that I was a bit starstruck. First of all he's like 6' 5" so that was one things but I was just drawn into his calming energy.He is a true artist and that is something that I have not been around that much while living in Atlanta and that is one thing that I miss about L.A. I of course awkwardly ask for a picture with him and he graciously obliged. Ran into Rose and Travis outside and noshed at Landmark Diner across the street. Headed home for sleep.

Today I went to an early meeting then to breakfast then headed to the studio before I was to go to a memorial service for a friend of mine who lost her partner to cancer. I got there just in time for the start and sat there looking at my friend and feeling her loss. At one point in the service the woman who was leading invited people to speak about the Jimmie, the woman who passed away. I didn't know her well at all but have met her a couple of times. I was sitting there and my chest was full of pressure. My heart was aching for Ann's loss. I had to speak. I said that I was there in support of Ann and that I hadn't know Jimmie really at all but that what their relationship was had created part of what Ann was and that I cherished. I sat down and my chest was back to normal. I guess the feeling I was feeling was emotion building up pressure and needing release. I didn't make either one of my grandparents funerals nor my great aunt Baby Sis. I've only been to one funeral in my life and that was for a high school friend who killed himself. It's amazing to experience the loss of someone through other peoples expression of love for that person. On the way home I got a call from a friend in L.A. and he said hey I have a special someone who wants to say hi. I said OK not having a clue who it might be but excited to find out. The voice said Hello Bubba? It's Giovanni. OMG Giaovanni!!! This is a man that I haven't heard from in over 15 years whom I fell in love with in Rome when I was over there working on a TV show. Amazing. he sounded the same and my heart melted. I cannot wait to speak to him again when we have more time to talk. So needless to say today was an emotional roller coaster. I was exhausted and came home and took a nap. So like I say emotions are intense and I wouldn't live without them. I was so grateful that I could look into Ann's eyes and have my heart speak to her and I am grateful that life has gotten me back in touch with someone that my heart has felt such intensely for. This weekend is, was, and will be.

Went into rehearsal with BCD at 11:30am this morning. Almost finished my piece which now goes by the name of "ergo" which means "therefore". Not sure why but that's what it is. Almost finished with the dance with about :30 to go. I'm still unsure whether I like it or not but not putting too much pressure on it. The dancers are working hard and dancing fast. The timing is falling into place. Costume ideas are brewing and of course in about a week I will have my sewing machine fully puncturing fabric in a frenzy to get three costumes done in time. Tonight was also the night for Trey McIntyre Project masterclass. Around 5:45pm as I was standing at the front desk and doing what one does when at the front desk which was many things tonight, I notice a white van pull up outside the studio and as I look inside the van I recognize Jason from the instructional video that we rehearsed to last weekend in order to train extra dancers to provide transitions during the show tomorrow night. I quickly and perhaps too eagerly whisked around the front desk to meet them at the door to welcome them. It was Jason Hartley, Brett Perry, and Annali Rose who were to lead the dancers through the class and the rehearsal. They were so cute and gracious and oh so amazing. The class was in studio 2 and began with a 45 minute ballet bar lead by Annali with her incredible feet and line, then went to the dance lead by Brett with his amazing energy and rather slender body as he moved with amazing abandon and precise control at the same time. The students were attentive and accepting and worked their butts off. It was funny because the intense ballet barre set up the class to be quite classical but when Brett lead into the first 8 of choreography it was extremely not classical. Quirky, angular, rapid, would some words to describe this Trey McIntyre choreography. Much of his work is just that which actually does take a tremendous amount of technique and control. TMP dancers are amazing technicians but possess the control enough to throw it away in order to execute Mr. McIntyre's movement. After the class the rehearsal with Jason began. Eighteen students I selected from dance 101 made me proud and impressed Jason. The rehearsal went smoothly and we were out of there within hour. I am so looking forward to the show tomorrow night. Three new pieces and getting to see our own dance 101 students onstage with the world class Trey McIntyre Project, who could ask for more.

Went into the studio early today to rehearse my piece I'm doing for SHORTS, Brooks and Company's yearly dance event with dances created by guest choreographers as well as BCD dancers. Before I launched into rehearsal I got a visit from my girl SV for a huge hug and some tomfoolery as only she can deliver. Once we said goodbye it was down to business. I've decided on the working title of "Strohs Gnol" as I'm still having trouble deciding a name for this piece. Usually the name is one of the first things that comes to mind but not this time. The dance is inching along and yesterday that kinda worried me because I only get one rehearsal a week with these three dancers. I know it will come together and I do like how it is shaping up so far. It's seeming like an outer inner conflict with one persons ego so that is interesting for me to see being revealed. Just after that rehearsal and at the beginning of my second quad venti soy latte, I began rehearsal with 18 dancers for Trey McIntyre Project. The Rialto Theatre approached the studio with the collaborative portion of TMP's "Wild Sweet Love" to be performed April 10th at the historic theatre at Georgia State University. Of course I am super excited about the opportunity although the work involves mostly walking. They are using these dancers as transitions between pieces and what a cool thing to be doing in each city they are visiting. I have chosen dancers from first year adults to teens to 30 something and even one 11 year old. Love that there are so many different bodies and experience levels. Rehearsal got off to a crazy start because after explaining and teaching the first section, I go to turn on the music and the CD is blank...uh oh! I call my contact and they think the same...uh oh! Oh well not to worry we just ran it off the instructional DVD although some of the cues were hard to hear for the audience's applause overlapping. At any rate we pushed through and all was well. I cannot wait to see TMP again this year. It is not to be missed...HINT HINT!!! The studio then opened for business and A-Town Funk ruled the house. I'm so busy these days and that feels good although I could use a complete day off with nothing and no one but for now I am grateful.

p.s. The picture above is of Trey McIntyre dancer John Michael Shert. AMAZING!!!