Movement as a Primary Language

The Labyrinth Project

2011-08-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my first site rehearsal for the Labyrinth Project with two Mendana Productions dancers. We used the labyrinth at St Paul's Episcopal church in Seattle as it is open to the public and we mostly had the courtyard to ourselves. And, in true Seattle fashion, it did rain on us, but only a little bit.

I am relatively new to labyrinths. I went to a labyrinth workshop earlier this spring and learned about how this concept stretches across centuries, across cultures, across religious traditions. They are meant to be a meditation practice, a personal journey into the unknown, a time for self reflection or soul searching. Then, last Saturday, the labyrinth was introduced in my birthing class as a metaphor for going into labor. (Perhaps I will write more about that another time!)

Now, I am bringing the labyrinth practice together with my dance practice.

In rehearsal, we played with the InterPlay concept "Dancing on Behalf Of". The invitation to the dancers is to hold an intention, a question, a concern, while moving. This gives us something bigger than just ourselves to relate to while doing what we do best: dance. We danced on behalf of our own question. We danced on behalf of each other's questions. And we ended by dancing on behalf of the abuse of power in the world. These intentions give our improvisations a sense if immediacy, a way to relate to the world and each other in our abstract expression.

Please share your own labyrinth experiences. What kind of questions do you hold as you walk a labyrinth? Has it been a transformational experience for you? Have you learned something new or gained a new insight? This project is in the very earliest stages of exploration. I would love to hear your labyrinth stories!

Contemplative Dance Practice

2011-07-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

This morning I went across the street to participate in Contemplative Dance Practice at Joan Hanna's barn. This is a form developed by Barbara Dilley that begins with seated meditation, personal warm-up time, Open Space (during which participants can enter and exit the circle, as they feel called, improvising movement) and finishing with time to write or draw in response to their experience. Today, there was a children's camp happening in the space upstairs above the dance studio. Here are my reflections on my experience:

Contemplative Dance Practice downstairs. Young boys masquerading as elephants upstairs. I smile as I realize this is what my future holds. ENERGY. What do I choose to do with it? I begin to dance. And I surprise myself with more than I thought possible. More stability and balance on one leg. More quickness than I expected. And the solo becomes a duet, then a trio. And I have a brief moment of sadness that I cannot roll around on the floor like they can, like I'm used to. That I cannot take weight and do partnering like they can, like I'm used to. But the jealousy is brief because look at how much I can still do/move!

Is the baby still while I am dancing or can I just not notice the simultaneous dance? He was so busy during my stillness, like the boys over my head. And it makes me think about the phrase "Movement as a primary language." My baby moves. Some days I think he is swimming, diving off the high board, turning tricks and landing in the pool below. Other days, he is an acrobat in the circus. By moving, he is letting me know that he is there and he is healthy and I am grateful for the language of movement. Like I am grateful for the trio of women, moving together, sharing touch, creating a dance together without words, sharing our common language of physicality and movement.

Welcome Home

2010-11-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

We made it. T and I bought a house and moved in! It's been a little lonely, moving to yet another new community. But something has shifted for me this week. Just today, I was bringing in the mail, the trash can, the recycling bins, the sky is overcast and the air is breezy and chilly, and I was looking out at our forest, thinking "This is home." It has been very windy over the last week and our forest has dropped most of its leaves. Lots of tall alder trees with bare branches. I spent a little time in town today, browsing at the local artisans' shop, checking out home repair books from the library, and eating an amazing scone while sipping fantastic coffee at The Monkey Tree, which, by the way, will be closing for good on December 27. I have only been in there three times now, but I am so sad that such an amazing bakery is closing its doors and before my father-in-law will ever get to try its goodness! Two nights ago, T and I finished putting together our dining room table. We obtained this beautiful piece of furniture off Craigslist for free. The legs were a little unstable, so we filled the holes with wood putty, re-drilled, and put them back together. Such a small project that fills us with a sense of accomplishment! I am looking forward to serving our first Thanksgiving meal in our new home on our beautiful table. Today I feel hopeful and grateful to live in this home and to be part of the Vashon Island community.

Finding a place called home

2010-06-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of thinking about developing a new choreography. One that explores themes of displacement. Many people around the world are displaced from their homes by war, natural disasters, foreclosures, or by choice. What do we cling to when we are displaced? What gives us a sense of who we are and where we belong? How do we make “home” when we are immersed somewhere else? I want to explore ideas of belonging, determination, persistence, coping, longing.

I am inspired by my recent research on refugees in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as my own relocation from San Francisco to Seattle. Their displacement is much more violent than my own. Yet there are some human similarities: yearning for familiar routines, familiar surroundings, familiar faces. In no way is my displacement by choice the same as their displacement by war. Yet can we find common emotions in our disparate circumstances? I am interested in the themes that link disparate people, using the language of movement to express our common humanity.

Do you have a story of displacement or relocation in your life? How do you answer the above questions for yourself?

A Welcoming

2010-06-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Seattle, I have been out and about taking in as much dance performance as I can stand. In the last week I have seen about 16 Seattle modern dance choreographers. The breadth of style and diversity of expression is exciting and energizing! I am astounded by how much the modern dance community has grown since I moved away ten years ago. Last weekend I went to Northwest New Works at On The Boards and I have been going to Beyond the Threshold: Seattle International Dance Festival all week. My brain is buzzing when I get home each night processing all of the images and ideas I have just seen.

Last night in particular. Cyrus Khambatta (festival artistic director), Eva Stone, and Donald Byrd had a Q&A or Talk Back after the show. Each of them curated an evening of Seattle choreographers this week and they talked about their intentions in creating these evenings. What stays with me the most from that discussion is Byrd's articulation of the value he places on diversity of expression and the need as a dance community to foster and nurture those voices. The attitude I heard coming from him is the more dance the better! He exudes openness and acceptance and support for dance artists at all points along their professional journey. Both Byrd and Stone were incredibly approachable after the show. Neither of them has ever seen my work nor seen me dance, but they welcomed me to town as if I were a long lost friend. And that kind of welcome makes me more excited then ever to start choreographing and presenting work here.

Thank you Cyrus, Eva, and Donald for your generous welcoming of me last night. Thank you to all of the Seattle choreographers presenting work over the last week for your evocative images and tenacious creativity.

Transitions

2010-05-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

The other day I read Gretchen Wegner's blog post entitled "How to be a Sensuality Slut" and it started a chain reaction thought process about my current transitional phase. If I may dare to sum up her post in my own words, it was about slowing down and taking time to appreciate life. (As a coffee enthusiast, I love to appreciate the smell and the ritual of it and love that Gretchen took time to notice the steam coming off her morning cup!) Then, for some reason, I began to contemplate my own definition of productivity.

In my life in San Francisco, productive meant running around to three different jobs in a day plus managing to squeeze in a household chore and a little computer time to work out logistics for upcoming gigs.

That's part of the reason for this transition, this relocation from the Bay Area to Seattle. Whether or not it's true, my perception of life in Seattle is that the pace is more manageable (already I notice I can get places in 15 min instead of an hour!), the cost of living slightly lower so that I don't have to run around like a maniac, and I can take more time to enjoy the sensory experiences of life. Like sitting in a friend's living room on soft lambskin rugs listening to the gentle fall of light rain and writing in a journal.

In choreography, the transitions are the key to the flow of a piece. When I make a dance, I know this in my core. As a dancer, when the transitions are awkward, I feel disjointed from the piece. And so, here I am, in a transition between the dance of life in San Francisco and discovering the dance of life in Seattle. Some times it's hard to have faith that the transition will work itself out. Yet, as a choreographer, I know I need to give the transition it's due time and not rush the next idea.

Transitions are the brewing pot for the next great idea. Give the tea time to steep, the coffee time to percolate. Listen to the spring rain, and lest I be too cliche, stop and smell the lilacs.

(Pictured: Liz Fong and Elizabeth Mendana in Trolley Dances 2008. Choreography by Kim Epiphano. Photo by James Frye)

I can talk about...

2010-05-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

I can talk about backpacking with my sister-in-law, Hilary Shaw.

In InterPlay settings, we practice a form called "I can talk about..." We don't actually talk about the subjects we list, we just list topics we could talk about at some future time. It is a great form for conjuring ideas when, perhaps, I think that I don't have anything to say.

I can talk about being inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert over breakfast this morning.

I can talk about auditions, how similar it is for me to audition as a pilates instructor and as a dancer.

I can talk about my impromptu trip to Bainbridge Island for the first time last night.

I can talk about my current struggle to structure my transition time.

I can talk about my coffee shop choreography idea.

I can talk about some of the "tight" movement vocabulary in Amy O'Neal's choreography last weekend.

I can talk about how "tight" means awesome rather than rigid.

I can talk about Gretchen Wegner's blog posting about "How to be a Sensuality Slut."

I can talk about wanting to learn to play mandolin.

I can talk about singing harmony with my husband in the car on our drive to Seattle.

I can talk about the difficulty of obtaining a Washington Driver's License and the ease of obtaining a Seattle business license.

I can talk about the creative and funny 10 and 12 year olds in the house where I am staying.

I can talk about planning my honeymoon.

I can talk about kayaking on Lake Washington on Sunday.

I can talk about the canoe that flipped over.

I can talk about people watching, laughing when I probably shouldn't.

I can talk about my epic quilt project.

I can talk about my trips to the hardware store.

I can talk about spilling coffee on my computer keyboard first thing Monday morning.

That's probably a good list for today! What are some topics you can talk about?

"How Have You Changed As A Performer?"

2009-12-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

This week I taught my final InterPlay Performance Technique class. (The class will continue with the awesome leadership of Gretchen Wegner! Read more about our last class and our F-ing Great Art.) As Gretchen and I took some time to reflect on the past three years of teaching this class together, she asked me, "How has InterPlay changed you as a performer?" What a great and profound question! Several answers came to mind fairly quickly:

1) InterPlay has given me access to a full range of expression. I used to be scared to death to talk or use my voice in front of people. Ask me to move? No problem! I could do that for hours. I did not know at the time that I wanted more possibilities than that. But now that I have those possibities, I can't imagine dance-making without it! This has come in handy specifically when performing with Epiphany Productions Sonic Dance Theatre and when I played the role of Miranda in Shakespeare's Tempest.

2) InterPlay has awakened a passion for integrating story and choreography. When I first moved to San Francisco in 2002, I choreographed a solo as a response to my overwhelm with homelessness and panhandling. I had never lived anywhere with so many homeless people. The dance was abstract and perhaps a little indulgent (debatable, I'm sure) and I did NOT speak onstage. In 2008, I interviewed female WWII veterans to use their stories and their words as inspiration and as text for In Remembrance Of. All of the dancers (me included) sang, spoke, and danced our hearts out onstage.

3) I have new visions of gathering stories from the street, partnering with some organizations that are helping people on the margins, and creating more dance theatre--not about indulging my desire to express my overwhelm, but truly trying to bridge a gap in our society. Ambitious--I know! InterPlay has unlocked some big visions. There will definitely be some smaller projects along the way to fruition. This one could take a few years.

4) Through the InterPlay community, I received so much affirmation and validation of myself as an artist and the art that I create. I feel a little squeamish admitting this one. I shouldn't need external validation to claim myself as an artist, right? But in a little way, I do. I need to hear, every once in awhile, that what I am creating or what I am offering the world is valid and valued. I have the deepest gratitude to the InterPlay community and to the co-founders, Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil Porter, for their continued support and affirmations.

Thank you, Gretchen, for asking. And thank you for being such an incredible co-teacher. Thank you to all of the individuals who have been "regulars" to this class at various times.

Small Art

2009-11-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

Art Every Day Month

Last night T and I visited our friend Gretchen Wegner. She pulled out her collection of simple art supplies, recently purchased while visiting Leah--founder of Art Every Day Month, and we made small art. In this case, small=2 1/2" X 3 1/2". So fun to sit in her new living room, chatting and creating things together! We talked about art tools and feeling intimidated by not knowing how to use them. With permission to create Bad Art, I tried a new-to-me tool: watercolor crayons. I love how the colors smear and mingle as I add water to the paper. And then Gretchen pulled out some glitter glue. I am not ashamed to admit that I LOVE glitter! For some inexplicable reason, I feel so satisfied with my two little pieces of art and I have no idea what to do with them now.

Art Every Day Month has turned into Art On Some Days Month. My original vision was to commit an hour a day to art every day, and that worked for the first few days. But then my Pilates certification process began and I took a trip to Seattle and I said yes to working on the tech crew for Smuin Ballet for their Christmas season... I feel a life lesson lurking in here somewhere. Perhaps my vision was too big to sustain and I could practice in smaller incremental ways. Or, perhaps, I could learn something about prioritizing and if I want to accomplish big art visions, I need to not take on so many other activities. Both could be valid lessons for me to learn!

Painting with Light

2009-11-12T23:27:00.000-08:00

Art Every Day Month Day 12

A lighting designer paints the stage and the dancers with color, light, and shadows. I love this quote by lighting designer Jean Rosenthall:

“Dancers live in light as fish live in water. The stage space in which they move is their aquarium, their portion of the sea.”

I spent 10 hours at the theatre today in tech and dress rehearsal for Shared Space 3. The choreographers, Todd Eckert and Nol Simonse, are two of the best artists to work with. Their creative vision is inspiring and they are incredibly great individuals. Who wouldn't want to spend the day with these guys?

The show includes a Greek myth, love stories, and a wake. The lighting is simple yet evocative--at least I think so. I enjoyed playing with deep saturated color to evoke Hades and hell. The love stories are accompanied by gorgeous operatic music and crisp clear light. The last piece feels dreamy and I played with different blues and purples for the various sections.

Today's images are captured with my oh-so-consumer level camera.

Art Every Day Month--Nov 11th

2009-11-11T22:27:00.000-08:00

Ack! The month began to slip by without documenting my art making!

A quick recap of the last few days:

Nov 7--I performed with WING IT! Performance Ensemble for our InterPlay celebration and fundraising event. I had a friend take some video for me during the event, but then lost the camera on my way home. Nothing to post. :-(

Nov 8--I spent the day at my Pilates training, met up with friends for Tiki drinks, met up with other friends for a late night cup of tea. The tiki drinks were very creative! Does that count even though I didn't make them?

Nov 9--I spent the day in the theatre hanging lights for Shared Space 3. I am designing the lighting for this dance show this week. If you are in San Francisco this weekend, I highly recommend coming to see it!

Nov 10--Spent the day working in the InterPlay office and then taught my InterPlay class. We practiced different vocal techniques for storytelling. We did some small mini performances at the end--Three sentence stories to be exact.

Nov 11--TODAY! Well, you can see I finally went back to painting again. I felt a little out of the groove and am not satisfied with the final product. Maybe I will revisit it again in a few days and see if I feel inspired to alter it then.

And there you have my series of Three Sentence Stories covering the missing days of art making on this blog!

Nurture

2009-11-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

On Monday evening of this week, I went to a performance by Marc Bamuthi Joseph. (Spoken Word artist--incredibly inspiring to say the least!) During the Q&A after the show, Bamuthi answered a question about creative blocks by saying "Be kind to yourself." I have been reflecting on these words a lot this week. I have been hearing this message from others as well over the past month. "Be kind to yourself."

This morning, two words popped into my head: Nurture and Challenge. This became my abstract mantra for the day. I have recently started going to Yoga classes on Friday mornings. It is challenging for me--physically and mentally. I am a dancer, yet the yoga postures require a different kind of muscle use than dance classes. My brain tells me that after 30 years of dancing, I SHOULD be able to do it. "Be kind to yourself."

For my Art Every Day project, I tried something new again. I took paper and pastels to Julie's Tea Garden, ordered a cup of coffee, and made art, right there in public. I sat at the table right next to the entrance not realizing initially that everyone walking in and out of the cafe would watch my art unfold. Ack! This is my first pastel drawing and I can't draw and I'm letting all these people see that I can't draw!!!! "Be kind to yourself."

Feeling inspired by Chris Zydel's process of letting the painting lead her, and with nothing more than the word "Nurture" to guide me, I let the image reveal itself.

Creative Sailing

2009-11-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I played hooky and went sailing in Berkeley. Sailing on a small dinghy is exhilarating and terrifying for me. I can't quite explain why. I am not usually a scaredy-cat. Often quite the opposite! (Well, I was a LITTLE scared during the white out on Mt Rainier last year.) Put me out on the water and all my edges get tested!

I love how fearless I feel jumping into Art Every Day Month. I realized that this is the first time I have made art just for me. My whole life has been making art as a career. All of my dance classes and degrees and supplemental training has been single focused on being a performer, creating art for others to enjoy. And I love that! Making art for myself (painting, photography, collage so far) is something new and different.

Here are some images from the pier. My attempt at documenting nature's art.

Creative Space

2009-11-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

I dream someday of having my own creative space in my home. Living in a shared apartment, space (like time) is a hot commodity. So far for Art Every Day Month, I have taken over the kitchen table and we have been preparing and eating our meals on top of and around my art works and supplies. This is OK given that it is only for a finite amount of time. The rest of my life, I have unfinished projects stuffed in boxes, nooks, and crannies without the space to leave something out to work on it over a lengthy period of time. My unfinished quilt moves from basket in bedroom, to couch in living room, to frame in corner of bedroom, back to couch in living room. It always feels in the way. Once I finish it, it can live on my bed and be beautiful and be in its place. Until then...

I was a little stuck today on what to do for the Creative Space theme. After cooking a very creative and scrumptious dinner, I decided to pick one area of my home to make beautiful--my dresser. My dresser has been an easy dumping place for papers out of my purse or backpack and all kinds of random small items. It has been a mess since I moved into this apartment over two years ago. Until tonight! I took everything off, dusted the top, cleaned my little mirror (a gift when I was three years old), put a fabric (gift from Africa) over the top and then just put the beautiful items I want to keep there back on top (like the jewlery box that belonged to my grandmther). My earring and necklace storage could use a little beautification in the future, but for now, it is a beautiful and calm corner of my home (aka Creative Space).

Bad Art Day!

2009-11-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

Something was unlocked today! Invite a perfectionist to make bad art, and she strives to outdo everyone else. "Bad Art" began in my InterPlay class tonight where I growled and made faces and swore to the group I would not create anything beautiful for the whole class.

Throughout the day, I visited some blogs of other artists participating in this Art Every Day Month. I thought to myself, "Their art isn't very bad. Self, you can do better than that!"

When I got home tonight, I grabbed all the wine corks out of the drawer that I have been saving "for some art project someday", grabbed my art box that has mostly beading supplies, but some other very gaudy items that I didn't have the heart to throw away because "I might use them someday for an art project," as well as a piece of cardboard from the pile of art sized pieces of cardboard that...you guessed it..."I might use for an art project someday."

I turned on some "Bad Art making" music and set to work. So much fun!

Art Every Day Month--Nov 2nd

2009-11-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

Today is Day of the Dead. Upon completion, this image reminds me of the marigolds I saw in the Mission District in SF this morning. It wasn't my conscious intention while painting to create a marigold, but it seems like that is what came out of it!

I tried to attach some small thin ribbons to the painting during the process to make it more textured and to have a more 3-D quality. But then the inner critic yelled, "That looks stupid!" so I took it off. What was it I wrote yesterday about not needing the art to be perfect or even good? Oh well. More collage-ness on another day. That's one of the great things about this Art Every Day Month project! Whatever idea I don't use today, I can use tomorrow or the next day!

Yesterday I made a false claim that these paintings are 3x3. They are actually 4x4. I know there are no art police out there to catch me in this misprint, but I just wanted to make right. :-) I do also have some 3x3 canvases to use this month.

Art Every Day Month--Nov 1st

2009-11-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

The challenge has begun! I am participating in Art Every Day Month hosted by Leah Piken Kolidas. I am committing to making art every day for the month of November. It won't be perfect. It may not be any good. However, I am committing to the creative process. I am secretly hoping for new inspiration from this process to infiltrate my dance making and storytelling. Shhhhh!

Movement has been my primary language since before I could speak. (See some videos of recent choreography.) I will probably dance some this month as part of this challenge. (Watch for some video postings.) But I am really excited to try new things. Like today! Today's project is my first ever painting (except for whatever I did in school growing up). This piece is 3"x3" and I used Acrylic paint. I haven't given it a title and I haven't signed it yet. These just add to the imperfection of it all!

It's not about being perfect.

2009-10-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

On Monday this week, I went sailing at the Cal Sailing Club in Berkeley. The wind was calm enough that Theron recommended I try driving...my first time at the tiller! The wind was so calm that the boat barely responded to my steering. All of a sudden, a gust came out of nowhere (apparently very common behavior on fall evenings on the San Francisco Bay). I completely freaked out! 3 seconds of sheer terror at maybe 8 knots. The wind subsided just as quickly and then I was completely embarrassed by my level of fear.

I am taking great comfort in the phrase "It's not about being perfect, it's about being human."(My perfectionist could use this reminder on a daily basis!) Phil Porter said this to describe what we do in WING IT! We dance, we tell stories, we sing songs, all made up in the moment and out of the content of our lives. As a performance company, we're not perfect, we're human.

Part of my intention for the Art Every Day Month in November is to try new styles of artistic expression. This is a great way for me to practice new things with their own gusts of wind! With my heart racing, I went to the art store and bought acrylic paints and some small square canvases (ranging from 3" to 6"). I have never used acrylic paints before. I have not made two dimensional visual art since junior high! Perhaps these pieces of art will live on my wall. Perhaps they will be Christmas presents. Or, perhaps they will go in the box to give to Goodwill.

Another favorite WING IT! phrase is "Get on. Get off. Get over it!" Perfect for improvisation. Start something, mess with it, end, move on to the next thing.

Improvisational Performance

2009-10-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evenings, Gretchen Wegner and I teach a performance skills class based on the improvisational system of InterPlay. I love the integration of voice and movement, of personal content with group expression. I find that InterPlay provides a unique system for ensemble creativity.

In last week's class, I explored internal inspiration alongside external connection. Tuning in without checking out. It's challenging to pay attention to my internal impulses while paying attention to the greater whole of what I am creating with my partner! And yet, I find those moments of group body and group mind so satisfying when they occur.

This week I am performing with the WING IT! Performance Ensemble. The company is celebrating 20 years of ensemble improvisation. Wow! I have now been in the company for 7 years. Before I joined this group, I was scared to death to use my voice in front of an audience. The use of the InterPlay technique has helped me to integrate my voice and my movement. It has been an inspiration for the dance-theatre work I do with my dance company, Mendana Productions.

For anyone in the Oakland vicinity, here are the details for the show:

WING IT!
Oct 23-25, 2009
Friday & Saturday 7:30 pm
at InterPlayce
2273 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612
Tickets=$15

Art Every Day

2009-10-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last week I signed up for the Art Every Day Challenge in a split second decision. It felt rash in the moment. "I am not going to deliberate about this decision. I am just going to do it!" And then I realized that it is still early in October and the challenge does not begin until November. Oh well. Now I am thinking about how to prepare my space for making art everyday. My apartment is already crowded without many clear surfaces on which to work and without a large open space in which to dance. But this is why it is a challenge!

I have signed up for this endeavor with the intention of trying out new artistic expressions and with the hope that these creative days will inspire my dance making. I feel the need to try some new things to get those creative juices flowing. This blog will be the venue for sharing some images and videos and thoughts along the way.

Affirmation

2008-10-20T22:41:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I performed in Trolley Dances. (This was my fourth time performing in this San Francisco event and its fifth anniversary.) We did 16 performances in three days! As Theron and I reflected on the experience, we noticed that everyone gets in a tizzy (myself included) when we know a "critic" is going to be in the crowd. If a Critic criticizes, what would you call someone who affirms?

What if InDance, the Bay Area dance publication, had an affirmation column. Anyone could be a contributing writer! Go see a dance performance and then write down everything you loved about it. Maybe the dancing was superb. Maybe the music was amazing. Maybe the ushers did a great job. My grandfather always judges an art exhibit by the food the serve at the opening gala. Maybe there were excellent refreshements at intermission. There is always something positive to be said. The question is, will anyone say it?

Never underestimate the body's need for affirmation! Imagine what we could do for each other as a dance community if we practiced affirmation. We have been critiqued our entire lives: stand up straighter, point your toes harder, kick higher, use more repetition in your choreography, use less repetition in your choreography, and so on and so forth.

I am not saying boot the critic out. I am saying, that if we are a supportive dance community, let's boost the morale. Tell the public about being moved by movement. Tell the choreographer and performer what they did right for a change.

And so, here are my affirmations for Trolley Dances:
Kim--You created an epic choreography to fit the grandeur of the architecture that was fun to do
Daryl + musicians--Your music fed my spirit every time we performed the piece
Dancers--You are among the most talented and, above all, kind fellow performers I have had the honor of dancing with.

Kudos and congratulations!

Countdown!

2008-08-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

The week of the show is finally here! I am confirming all the details of schedule, rentals, costumes, program, music, acknowledgments. This is the word oriented part of the production process. (Maybe I can fit a dance class in among the details this week!)

I doubt that "Cousin Lu" realizes the extent of impact her casual mention of her time in the Women's Army Corps last year had on me and on this artistic process. What started out as an idea for a ten minute piece has now turned into hour+ evening work. I wish she could be here in San Francisco to see it. (She lives near Detroit, MI.)

I have loved the stories these women veterans have shared with me...most recently the story of turning Gene Kelly down when he invited her to join him for cocktails. "I could kick myself. My husband has never forgiven me for saying no to Gene Kelly!"

Yesterday was the anniversary of suffrage in this country. This year we have had a woman running for the Democratic presidential nomination and now there is a woman running for vice-president alongside McCain. These stories of women turning gender expectations on their heads seem so timely and I wonder how much more will happen in my lifetime.

1940s Fashion and Attitude

2008-07-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

The last month I have been completely absorbed by the “line” of 1940s clothing. I have been pouring over images from vintage Sears Catalogues. A couple weeks ago I went shopping at Old Navy and TJ Maxx, looking at modern day dress for any resemblance of WWII clothing. Women’s blouses currently look remarkably similar—sleeves have the slight puff on the shoulder, the shirt is fitted for the torso. Slacks, however, couldn’t be more different with the waistband way down on the hip bones instead of up near the ribs.

I am laughing at myself, getting so immersed in “fashion”. I am thinking fondly of my dear friend Cheryl from high school who went off to get a degree in fashion design and how more often than not, I am caught in “sweaty dance clothes” from taking class, teaching class, or coming from rehearsal. The other day, I enjoyed pulling out my sewing machine (wishing it was my grandmother’s vintage machine that I used to sew on before inheriting my mother’s more modern one) to mend borrowed vintage dresses for our photo shoot. (Mendana Productions photo by lola a. katie)

There is something about the 1940s women that captures my imagination more than other decades in history. I am drawn to the stories of independent and self-sufficient women of the time, perhaps because I am continually surprised to find them, even though there are so many! Somewhere in my growing up, I got the notion that women were not independent and self-sufficient until the liberation movements of the 1960s.

On Monday this week, Theron and I took our bicycles to SF to ride along the Embarcadero to look for any of the “tall ships” leftover from the weekend’s extravaganza we missed. I watched the bicycles while Theron went inside to get us some dinner. A young woman in fatigues walked into the restaurant. I have discovered/realized that I am intimidated by anyone in a military uniform. So, I worked up my courage to try to get her attention when she left. When she came out of the restaurant, I said, “Excuse me”, but she had her headphones on and didn’t hear me. As I watched her walk away, I wondered “Where did she grow up? How did she decide to join the military? Has she been in combat? Has she had to do things she wished she didn’t have to do? What music is she listening to? What brings her to the San Francisco waterfront on this cold windy evening?” I desperately wanted to hear her story, yet did nothing to try harder to get her attention.

Creating art is a learning process. It is about asking questions and looking for answers, whether or not the answers get found. I am learning the creative process does not necessarily help me to make sense of the world as much as it reinforces again and again the complexity of the human race.

Love, Joy, Greed, Selflessness, Selfishness, Sorrow, Doubt, Confidence, Pride, Arrogance, Humility, Righteousness, Compassion

Reflections on "The Goose Girl"

2008-07-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

In the novel “The Goose Girl” by Shannon Hale there are three gifts:*

People-speaking—Many people listen to them, and believe them, and love them.
Animal-speaking—These people feel more comfortable near the mountains, among the trees and places where animals are not in cages. Others are suspicious of those who can speak with wild things.
Nature speaking—The third is lost or rare. Someday, someone will discover how to hear it again.

The main character of this novel does not have the gift of people-speaking. Words get caught in her throat and she struggles to defend her perspective/experience. I find myself relating well to this character, as my primary language is that of movement and words challenge me at every turn.

Right now (or, at least at the moment I closed the book this afternoon) the main character finds herself desperate to stop an imminent war between two nations. Yet she wonders how can she compete with those who have the gift of people-speaking who desire the confrontation.

I began thinking about my current choreography project, gathering and presenting the stories of women of WWII. “Why WWII?” some ask. “There is already too much out there about it.” Well…yes…and, no. Others ask, “Why WWII when there is a war in Iraq right now?” That is true. It is also true that there are military regimes and fighting in so many places in the world right now.

This evening I rode my bicycle, looking at the sun sparkling on the waves in the San Francisco Bay and watching the fog blanket the hills on the peninsula across the water. People are laughing and playing in the sand and walking their dogs and flying kites. The very concept of war feels distant and difficult to comprehend in this moment.

When I go for a walk or ride my bicycle, I feel my muscles contracting and releasing, I feel my heart beating, I feel the trickle of sweat, and words seem to come easily in my mind. I plan grand essays and speeches on the most important aspects of life! As soon as I sit in front of the computer or open my mouth to converse… the words flitter away leaving me feeling flustered, flabbergasted, and frustrated.

And so, as with any skill, if I want to get better, to find more ease and confidence with language, I must practice. And that is my goal with this blog: to strive to articulate my inspirations, instigations, ambitions, aspirations, and passions. I may not always be eloquent, but I will strive to relay in words the musings of my spirit.

*above I have paraphrased the descriptions of the gifts which can be found with more details in Chapter 1 of Hale’s book. I highly recommend reading this novel!