The Philadelphia Dance Blog

Dear friends and colleagues, Here is some writing about my visit to Japan. Please let me know if you would like to continue to receive performance announcements but don't want to receive these writings. I've added subject headings for the various sections, so feel free to scroll down to the topics that interest you. Here's a link to some video of Corrie Befort and I dancing outdoors: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6CAwxVHrs54 Here's a link to her website with details about our upcoming performance in Tokyo: http://www.cbefort.com/ Please note the change in venue.

Best wishes, -Nicole

Intro

I'm here in Japan for two weeks to dance, rehearse and perform with Corrie Befort. This project was funded in part by a professional development grant from Dance Advance. I'm staying this week in Ebina, outside of Tokyo with Corrie. Next week I'll be staying in Tokyo with another dancer friend of mine from Philly, Rebecca Lloyd Jones.

When I arrived on Sunday the 25th, after 20 hours of traveling, I stood transfixed in the Shinjuku train station, waiting for Corrie to pick me up. A man asked in English if I needed help and I said no. I must have looked a mess standing there in the center of the station, people streaming around me, suitcases and bags strewn at my feet, circles under my eyes, slack jawed, mesmerized by three women in pink bunny costumes dancing in a video ad on the side of a building, standing there as if in the midst of a petit mal seizure. I must have looked terrible, but I was actually very happy. I knew that Corrie would come. I called her cell from a pay phone. Of course, she had said take the "South Exit" and I had taken the "New South Exit". Duh.

Corrie lives in an agricultural area, outside of Tokyo called Ebina. She lives on a quiet, pristine street in a very spacious house. Her husband is in the navy and is stationed in Japan. We went grocery shopping on the Army base. There were bowling alleys, bars, McDonalds, grocery stores and movie theaters. Many of these military families live in Japan, but they stayed in America. Corrie and her husband don't live on base. She's been studying Japanese intensively here for the past 3 yrs and has immersed herself in the Japanese dance community.

Aikido

On Monday we went to an Aikido class on the army base, where Corrie has been practicing for a few months with a Japanese teacher. I had studied Aikido for one year, ten yrs ago and a lot came back to me; the rolls and terrible wrist twisting. One guy said I was a natural as he winced in pain from my terrible wrist twisting. I was taught how to bow, how to get up with my left foot first and go down with my right. We practiced rolls and pushing each other up and down and wrist twisting. One guy said, "Don't look down, you've been looking down your whole life", which was a condescending thing to say, especially since he had just been showing me how to place my feet *down* on the floor.

Onsen

The Onsen are natural hot spring baths. We found one hidden in a garden of bamboo trees with wooded pathways, creeks and fire torches. An old man appeared at a sliding door and invited us in. He struck a drum several times as we took off our shoes. For real. We were led to a tea room with Western Classical music playing. It was ornately decorated with chandeliers, and smelled musty. Then we were directed to the hot spring baths where we washed at shower stalls, seated on these tiny stools. Then we boiled in the bath there for awhile. There is an interesting thing about slippers here. They give you slippers to wear indoors, but then there are different slippers to wear in the bathroom, so you're always changing footwear and it's always too small for me. Also many of the toilet seats are heated.

Rehearsal

We've been rehearsing at Corrie's community center, a very short bike ride from her house. The studio at the center has windows that open out to rice fields. In our first rehearsal, flocks of sparrows darted towards and away from us. As they flew towards us they expanded and then they contracted as they sped away, all in unison. We performed solos for one another as a way to become acquainted with each other's movement. As we soloed dozens of birds danced behind us. We also practiced improvised text and movement and contact improvisation. At our 3rd rehearsal we were joined by Yuki Enomoto who will be performing with us next week. We directed each other in impromptu solo compositions. One person would dance, another direct and another watch. We did every configuration between us and learned a lot about our different directorial styles. Yuki directed me to find a place where I wanted to be and to make myself very comfortable, whereas I directed her to perform a previously choreographed phrase over and over while singing a song she could barely recall from childhood, to the point of exhaustion. I was very demanding, but her solo was stunning. Our most recently rehearsal was outdoors on a gorgeous day. You can see footage from that rehearsal here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6CAwxVHrs54

Ohno

Kazuo Ohno's studio is outside of Yokohama. We had to walk up steep hills and stairs to reach the studio. from the top we saw the twinkling lights of the city. Houses were packed very close to one another, but there were still tons of trees and gardens flourishing in the crevices. The studio was tiny, in a house at the top of the hill, filled with chairs, couches and knick knacks. I think there must be a living space somewhere in the house, because Yoshito Ohno seemed right at home.

Yoshito Ohno's class was the most surreal experience I've ever had. An Italian dancer who's been studying with him for years offered to translate for me. He began by asking us to walk slowly. We walked as he played Western classical music for approx 90 seconds. Then he lectured for 5 minutes on the importance of every moment and how it is a gift to be alive. We walked again for 90 seconds. He made postural adjustments with little fans. Then he gave us all artificial roses and discussed the similarity between us and the rose. He touched the crown of my head and said this is the head of the rose and my feet are the roots. He had us run with the roses, asked us to let go of our ego, to disappear and be the rose, have the rose initiated our running. Then he cut a sheet of paper with a box cutter and asked us to cut the space. He said that if we lift our chins we won't have the power to cut the space. It seemed like an Alexander lesson on LSD.

Then he gave us sheet of gauze and asked us to dance with the gauze and to let the light fabric teach us about delicacy. He said all this was very serious, of the utmost importance, that when we get old we won't be able to dance unless we understand this lesson of delicacy. He talked about other dancers who possess(ed) this delicacy: Martha Graham, Pina Baush, his father, Kazuo Ohno. He had us dance to some ambient music, and then some more classical. At one point he thought we were being irreverent and careless, so he told us to dance for all the children in the world who can't sleep.

Dance for all the children in the world who can't sleep.

In other circumstances, I would have laughed because it sounded so heavy handed, but I was exhausted from standing for 2 hrs, listening to him lecture and the ambient music, My nervous system was totally fried. My dance had very little movement. I mostly just stood there with gauze in my hands, crying. After class we had tea and snacks, chatted and laughed like normal people.

At my second class with Ohno, people were already practicing their slow walking when we arrived. He had us dance with just our hands, then walk backwards, then dance just with our backs, then walk around while threading a needle, then push against the wall, then push against the air as if the wall was there. He talked about Buddhist philosophy, existence and nonexistence. I hardly understood a thing. He played Amazing Grace over and over and I cried while walking slowly. Again we had tea and snacks. Yoshito Ohno had a wonderful sweet presence with his students. He exuded warmth and affection. I told him his class was very meaningful to me, though I didn't really understand a lot of it. He said I taught him as well and he gave me a fake rose and a piece of gauze to practice with. I will practice, though I don't even know what I'm doing when I'm dancing Butoh.

General Impressions

Here is where I list all the strange things I've seen so far:

At 5 o'clock there's a song that plays from huge speakers to let people know it's time to go home from work.

The neighbors warn Corrie not to hang up her clothes on Yellow Dust Day, when yellow dust blows in from China and dirties her clothes.

The Japanese are so economic with their design. Corrie's pantry is in the floor. The sink water feeds into the toilet. They leave their bath water for days, reusing it over and over (showering beforehand)

The technology here is astounding. The rail system is extensive and efficient. Everything talks to you, the escalator, the bathtub. And the bath plays a song that chimes throughout the house when it's full. In some places there are fake flushing sounds at the toilets for modesty.

Everyone is so polite and organized. People line up for the train. Corrie lost a bag of new clothes on the train and retrieved it at lost and found. Not one stole it.

Many people wear masks because of the pollution and/or because they're sick.

Everything really is smaller here, I keep hitting my head on the handles on the trains. I haven't seen a single homeless person.

When I up I check my email and correspond with people who are going to bed. It's yesterday in America. When I go to sleep I check my email and they're waking up.

Flashing lights everywhere.

There is a second hand store called "hard-off", and an Americana shop specializing in super detailed beach boy station wagons called "rod sports".

"bottled water" in a can

Excursions

Odawara

We rode a train through the foggy Konagawa mountains - absolutely stunning. We went to Odawara to see the ocean. There were massive concrete dumbbells lining the beach to protect the highway and city from typhoons. The sand was black and there were flying fish. The day was cold and overcast but the water was warm.

The main street of Odawara was lined with colorful translucent balls, strung from building to building
and hyper cheerful folk music played from speakers. I couldn't decide if this was whimsical or creepy.

The next day we rode our bikes along the Sagami river and visited some temples. It's fall here and there were red and yellow leaves falling continuously around it.

More next week!

--
Nicole Bindler, BA, CMT
Choreographer, Bodyworker, Educator.
(215) 389-0211

http://nicolebindler.com

http://www.myspace.com/nicolebindler

DVDs available:
"Rosemary, That's for Remembrance" (2006)
Dance for the camera by Nicole Bindler
and Loren Groenendaal.
$10, to order, please reply to this email.

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New Program Teaches Ballroom Dancing to Hundreds of Philly Fifth-Graders

PHILADELPHIA – November 6, 2007 – Nearly 800 fifth-graders in 14 Philadelphia-area
schools area are learning to foxtrot, swing and tango their way across a ballroom floor in
a groundbreaking new program called Dancing Classrooms Philly.

Over the course of the ten-week program, fifth-graders in eight archdiocesanschools, five
public schools and one charter school receive ballroom dancing lessons twice a week
from dance instructors specially trained for the program. At the end of the instruction
period, the students will perform for their schools, parents and community. The best
dancers from each school will then go on to represent their schools in a citywide
competition on December 15 at the Merriam Theater.

Dancing Classrooms Philly is based on the successful program created by worldrenowned
ballroom dancers Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau in New York City,
where it now reaches more than 24,000 students in 200 schools. The program has also
expanded to several other cities in North America, including Chicago, Dallas/ Ft. Worth,
Omaha, Newark and Toronto.

The Dancing Classrooms program was transformed into a national phenomenon in the
critically acclaimed 2005 documentary film “Mad Hot Ballroom,” which followed
Dancing Classroom classes in New York City through their training and to the dramatic
finale at the final citywide competition.

The inaugural fall 2007 season of Dancing Classrooms Philly has been made possible by
generous support from the Connelly Foundation, the Samuel S. Fels Fund, the Harvey &
Virginia Kimmel Arts Education Fund, the Philadelphia Foundation, The Independence
Foundation, PNC Bank, Glenmede Trust, and the Phoebe Haas Charitable Trust “A.”

N E W S F R O M
CONTACT:
Jane Brooks
610-896-6326
jbrooks7151@comcast.net
Brendon Shank
202-256-2083
brendon.shank@gmail.com

Dancing Classrooms Philly founders Jane Brooks, Joyce Burd and Harvey Kimmel
brought the program to Philadelphia to provide a constructive alternative to the risks that
many of the city’s inner-city schoolchildren face. The program teaches civility, respect
for others, and generates a positive attitude toward school.
“We are thrilled to bring such an exciting, dynamic and positive program to
Philadelphia’s schools,” said Burd, Dancing Classrooms Philly Co-Executive Director.
“We are just now getting started and already you can see the difference in the children.
Not only are they becoming ballroom dancers, they are developing a sense of selfconfidence
and opening themselves up to an exciting new experience. You can see it in
their eyes.”

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has welcomed Dancing Classrooms Philly to teach more
than 300 students in 10 different classrooms.

“Our students love their experience with Dancing Classrooms,” said Mary E. Rochford,
Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Educational Services, Office of Catholic
Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. “This is a great way to encourage our
students to stay physically active and learn more about other cultures, music and dance at
the same time.”

About Dancing Classrooms Philadelphia
Launched in September 2007, Dancing Classrooms Philly works with local elementary
schools to teach ballroom dancing to fifth-graders. Now in its first semester, the nonprofit
group is already bringing ballroom dance to nearly 800 students. The ten-week
program curriculum includes the fox trot, rumba, swing, tango and meringue, all taught
by local teaching artists. At the end of the program, students across Philadelphia
participate in a citywide competition judged by nationally renowned ballroom dancers
and local celebrities.

For more information, visit
www.dancingclassroomsphilly.org.

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Philly Dance Fest is a new festival this year offering a one day showcase featuring a unique selection of area dance companies and inspiring artists, exposing audiences to Philadelphia’s vibrant dance and performing arts community. This year’s festival will take place all day on Saturday, October 6th at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center at 601 N. Lansdowne Avenue in Drexel Hill.

The lineup of artists is very impressive for a new festival looking to establish itself in an already highly competitive market. The Festival’s mission is to provide veteran and newly-established choreographers and dance companies, in the Greater Philadelphia Region, an opportunity to present their work in a professional venue in order to experiment, develop, and refine their repertories, and to build audiences without the burden of self-producing.

Tickets range between $12.50 to $18.00 with discounts for students and seniors. All seating is general admission and advanced tickets may be purchased on line at www.PhillyDanceFest.com or at the theater box office the day of performance. More information maybe obtained from the web site or by calling 610-394-9182 (Option #2).

A dozen modern dance companies will be featured along with new dance works by contemporary choreographers. Amongst the presenting companies are Miro Dance Theater (Amanda Miller and Tobin Rothlein), which creates original work that explores the collaborative intersections of contemporary dance, video, and visual art. Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Co, which is the only Philadelphia troupe to appear twice at the prestigious FIDA Festival, Toronto, Canada. Fusing modern dance, theater, music, technology and art, the company charms, provokes and informs audiences of all ages with its insightful and wacky views of the world. Una Sera di Danza will feature new works by three of the areas independent choreographers – Kate Jordan, Melissa Caterina Chisena and Tara Lynne Madsen.

Several graduates of the University of The Arts, who have since established their own dance companies, will also be highlighted. Philadelphia-based dancer and choreographer, Molly Root will bring to the festival Anomoly of the Heart. John Luna and Kinetic Outlaws offer a vignette entitled The Living Room - four people, a television, and a sofa. The inescapable consequence of waiting.

The festival will open with a performance by React/dance (co-directed by Jacelyn Biondo and Kristen Shahverdian), which seeks to diminish the boundaries between audience and performer, giving the audience more control over their experience.

Music & Motion Dance of Drexel Hill is the only youth/teen-based performance dance company in the festival. They will be concluding their 2007 season with the final performance of RED, after a successful run at the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe.

Recently established companies on the Philadelphia dance scene, which have gained in notoriety, will be highlighted as well - Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble, Alchemy Dance Company, and Vada Dance Collective. Look for Vada's ardent mix of technical precision, dazzling physicality and an innovative yet classic style resonates with audiences, and makes each performance a true experience.

A compete line up of dance companies and performance times can be found on line at www.PhillyDanceFest.com as well as below…

At 1:30PM (two companies presenting)

REACT/Dance
Imaginary Ordinary
Imaginary Ordinary is a work set on five dancers. Originally shown as a works-in-progress at the In Flux Performance Series, this piece was chosen for completion and invited for performance in the final In Flux Performance Series in May 2007. Moderator Curt Haworth, describes Imaginary Ordinary as “an old time debutante party gone wild. It was a wonderful mix of worlds that took us on a fun, obsessive and passionate theatrical ride." In this evening length premier, react/dance will delve into the back-story of the unique characters and will uncover the events leading up to climactic finish.

Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble
Wanting To Make A Social Change
Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble uses the power of dance and spoken word to explore our communities social ills that plague us today. All the while celebrating the positive solutions that can come from making a social change. This show high lights the famed phrase, "it starts with you, it starts with me!"

At 3:00PM (two companies presenting)

Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Co
Dances for Everyday Objects
Float, Crash and Fall
Created for six dancers and six huge inflated balls, this dance examines the interplay between an object and a person. Dancers roll, float, crash, collide, caress, squeeze, toss and interact with the props creating powerful images that reflect basic human desires. The balls are a movable set that at times are connected to the dancers’ bodies creating a sense of space where time is suspended, allowing for multiple interpretations i.e. planetary, nature and fantasy worlds. As choreographer, I became fascinated by the colors, shapes, textures and qualities of the object and how they informed the movement vocabulary and transported me to other imaginative places.

John Luna & Kinetic Outlaws
Living Room
Four people, a television, and a sofa. The inescapable consequence of waiting.

At 4:30 pm (three companies presenting)

ROOTEDancEnsemble
Anomoly of the Heart
Anomaly of the Heart is a repeated duet combining care and frustration creating subtle dysfunction. Accompanied by the soft, yet striking music of Arvo Part, three duets take you on a journey of discovery, sorrow, contemplation, and reality. Through repeating ideas and switching character roles Anomaly progresses by revealing three different honest, beautiful looks at relationships that are both sincere, yet innately flawed.

Alchemy Dance Company
Preconceived Motions
As we move through life, we all develop beliefs, ideas, and experiences which we draw upon to form our opinions, make decisions, and handle situations. Often, without realizing it, we jump to conclusions based on these preconceived thoughts and fail to see clearly, fail to remain open, fail to try new things thus closing ourselves off from one another and the world around us. Preconceived Motions brings to light the judgments we make based on appearance, sound, and movement and looks at where these “motions” come from and whether we will let them continue to rule us. Alchemy teams up with b-boys of Philly’s Illadelph Phlave for an exciting combination of ballet, modern, and breakin’ techniques in a performance that promises to captivate, entertain, and inspire.

Vada Dance Collective
Nightgardening
Vada's Nightgardening blends abstracted images, emotions and sensations capturing the connection that exists between us and the night. The fervent pictures we create and cultivate in and out of our dreams and the fine line between, and the discoveries they burgeon into inspire this rich collection of works by choreographers Rebecca Herrmann Moyer and Katie Skettino.

At 6:30 pm

Music & Motion Dance
RED
Your eye is caught by a single color, RED. It is inescapable and compelling as senses are triggered and emotions aroused. When this color becomes the defining point of a relationship, one is caught up in whirlwind of seduction, passion, anger, romance and joy. Ultimately this color journey leads us to an empowering view of who we are and what is truly possible. Music and Motion Dance's new work RED, offers us an intimate look at relationships through the medium of movement, luscious visual imagery, differing human temperaments and undeniable beauty of self-discovery.

At 8:00 pm

Kate Jordan, Melissa Caterina Chisena, Tara Lynne Madsen
Una Sera di Danza
Dance works by Three Independent Choreographers

Kate Jordan
Una Sera di Danza: Premier of an evocative, dynamically charged solo featuring Philadelphia-based dancer Lindsay Delooze.

Melissa Caterina Chisena
Una Sera di Danza: Wonderfully fierce dancing in collaboration with original music fuse together to create a brilliant union between the dancer and the instruments.

Tara Lynne Madsen
Una Sera di Danza: Tara will be presenting two new solo works performed by Josh Knowlton (NYC Based Dancer) and Tara Madsen. Original music created by Peter Jones will accompany both pieces.

At 9:00 pm

Miro Dance Theatre
Lie To Me and shorter stories
Artistic directors Amanda Miller and Tobin Rothlein collaborate with Frankfurt choreographer Antony Rizzi to create a whirling array of narcoleptics, pyromaniacs, and paper dolls that weave video art, ballet and modern dance into a magic-realism performance that explores the lies we tell each other, the lies we tell ourselves, and the lies we love to be told. Inspired by Franz Kafka's writings, motifs from classical ballets, and stories of geographical displacement, this work combines the choreography of Amanda Miller and experimental media of Tobin Rothlein with Antony Rizzi's unique blend of theater, video and dance, shaped in part by his twenty years working in Germany with choreographer William Forsythe.

BOX OFFICE, INFORMATION & TICKETS

Information and about the festival and presenting artists is available online at http://www.phillydancefest.com or by calling 610-394-9182 select Option #2

Advanced tickets may be purchased online for all shows at http://www.phillydancefest.com - all major credit cards accepted.

Tickets can be purchased the day of the show in the theater lobby starting at 11:00 am. All seating is General Admission. Discounts offered for seniors, students and UDPAC members.

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For Music & Motion Dance, the annual Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe has become a rite of passage. The dancers first performed in the Fringe festival four years ago, when the majority of the group was in their early teens. They were one of the first youth companies to participate in the festival, which provides artists from all over the world with an opportunity to exchange creative energies and ideas, and share their work with audiences and the international arts community.

Now with the 2007 Fringe on the horizon and with most of the original cast in their freshman and sophomore years of college, the group looks back at its own transformation and growth from being a part of the “fringe experience”.

Each year, Music & Motion Dance, a performance based dance company comprised of young adults ages fifteen through twenty-one years of age, spends an average of six months preparing an entirely new dance work for fringe. A typical production is comprised of anywhere between eighteen to twenty individual pieces, and each dancer contributes to all facets in the selection of music, interpretation, and the actual choreography. Everything in the company is done as a group process.

Being able to perform in a professional arena with other major dance companies and artists locally, nationally and internationally pushes the group “to perform at their very best,” according Noelle Tolbert, a four-year veteran dancer of Fringe. She adds, “There is always a lot of pressure in getting ready for Fringe, but out of this experience we have always grown closer as a group. The camaraderie we experience along with the memories from Fringe will be with us for a lifetime.”

Kristen Konski, also a Fringe veteran dancer, will perform for perhaps the last time at Fringe, as she prepares to continue her college studies abroad in Australia next year. Now at eighteen years of age, it is a mix of bittersweet feelings that she moves on, especially in looking back at what she has achieved personally from participating in the festival. “Fringe is a big deal for us, it is a chance to showcase what we have accomplished all season in what tends to also be the largest venue and audience of the season as well,” states Kristen. It has challenged them to “be more creative, think outside of the box and try things we would never have tried before” she adds.

For the entire cast of Music & Motion, there is a nervous energy and excitement with the Fringe festival just weeks away. “Being in Fringe is the realization that we are a part of something much larger, a means of bringing the performing arts to so many people. It builds community, makes performances accessible to all, and truly fosters an environment of artistic freedom and expression,” according to dancer Andrea Piovane. “That,” she is quick to add, “is so in keeping with what our dance company is all about.”

You can catch Music & Motion Dance production of RED on Saturday, September 8th at 2:00 and 8:00 pm at the Concert Hall, Independence Seaport Museum, Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia. Tickets are $10 online at http://www.music-and-motion.com/fringe.html or through the Fringe Box Office at 215.413.1318 . The group will be donating a portion of ticket sales to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

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Philadanco in NYC
Katherine Knight

In the heart of New York City’s Central Park, Central Park Summer Stage premiered Philadelphia’s own Philadanco on Friday August 3rd. The show was shared with up and coming New York choreographer Camille A. Brown. It was a beautiful night in the park with the audience spread across the bleachers in the back and filling the grass up to the foot of the stage. Philadanco was the main attraction and followed the works of Camille A. Brown. In typical fashion, they wowed us with their unbelievable physical abilities. It began with three dancers walking on stage with stiff upper bodies, holding their hands at their sides. They returned to this simple stance throughout the piece to create elegant transitions. The dancers moved in small groups or solo creating beautiful rhythms by combining technical movements with traditional African dance. From deep plies to high extensions, they seem to be physically capable of anything. The movement segments were fast paced and kept the audience wanting more. Concluding the piece, all the dancers entered the stage using the simple walk that was used throughout. They moved together flawlessly, without one dancer standing out among the rest. It was a beautiful movement segment that truly represented what Philadanco does best.

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On Sunday, April 15, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia jointly hosted a ... all » mayoral forum on arts and culture issues. The forum, held in partnership with the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and Dance/USA Philadelphia, was moderated by Steve Highsmith, a political reporter at NBC10 and myphl17's Director of Community Relations. Questions were posed by a panel comprised of the following community leaders: Lorene Cary, executive director of Art Sanctuary and noted author; Dr. Happy Fernandez, president of Moore College of Art & Design; and Steve Wray, executive director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia.

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Hidden Treasures
Katherine Knight

On the 30th and 31st of March, Hidden Treasure debuted featuring the works of various Temple Dance department faculty members. Although the concert featured eight pieces, I will focus on the movement vocabularies of the following pieces, Marion Soto’s States of Gravity and Light #2, Keith Thompson’s Silent Echo, and Philip Grosser’s Embers.

States of Gravity and Light #2, by Marion Soto, featured not only two fabulous dancers, but also four branches. The movement was born from what could be done with, and around these branches. The tempo was very consistent, and movement remained fluid throughout the piece. The dancers glided through gestures with the branches balancing on the arms, legs, or even the top of their head. The movement felt indirect and flowed evenly to offer a feeling of improvisation. They moved circularly in space with a pleasant amount of level changes that left me impressed with the balancing act provided by the branches. Noemi, featured downstage, had very strong angular focus with a branch on either arm or leg. She moved through a passé to find a deep lunge, and then repeated to another angle. She offered a strong repertory of leg extensions, front, back, and side, while balances branches on her limbs. Upstage, Jumatatu offered a steady walk with a slow level change that only the eye would notice by looking away for a moment. One long branch balanced on the top of his head while his focus remained straightforward. At moments, it was difficult to decide if the dancers were moving with the branches, or if their movements were decided around the branches. Ultimately the two dancers came together to share similar movement patterns. Their gestures were slow and focused on the use of the branches. Their arms moved slowly as if through water but were focused directionally by the branches. Their legs provided a demonstration of balancing acts of extensions and passes while their upper bodies spiraled around smoothly. They danced together making contact as if the branches were no longer involved. Their weight sharing was flawless and quiet. At one point, the branches seemed like an obstacle and they showed strength as the branches stood straight up and they attempting to climb up them. The dance was concluded with a beautiful lift where Noemi climbed up Jumatatu similarly to her struggle against the branches earlier in the piece. She appeared weightless.

Keith Thompson premiered Silent Echo, with seven dancers. It began with seven very different dancers moving in unison with the upper stage right as their “front.” Their movement focused on the beauty of their backs moving as if their feet were cemented in place. Their arms and backs glided through space in a circular fashion, with their focus moving in circles as well. Besides some dramatic pauses, the group moved through a constant flow of gestures. The movement had a bounce to it, found in a quick plie throughout the phrases. Keith’s movement is strong and physical but still remains soft and fluid with a sense of grace. The male dancers particularly provide this quality, never losing sense of their masculinity. Keith includes many variations of inversions and floor work with quick rebounds back to their feet. The group splits to leave two males on stage. Their movement is full of arms gestures, leading with the mid-limbs, followed by their backs and through the rest of their bodies. Behind a sheer scrim, dancers walk in a pedestrian fashion, but not to distract from the movers in front. The dancers move together sharing weight and exploring original movement based on the circular gestures of their arms and legs. They share a common strength shown through extensions and jumps. Their weight shifts quickly as they move through space, leaping and bounding, with eye catching level changes. The energy on stage changes when the women enter in a straight line. A series of gestures take place leading with their heads and following through the tail. Their fingers even enjoy the ride, flexing and extending. There is a clear difference between sustaining movements and holding shapes that Keith explores. The women get a chance on stage without the men, moving solo and in partners sharing weight. Their movement pushes and pulls shapes that they share. Once again all seven dancers share the stage and move individually with original shapes born from leading with the pelvis and head, moving through circular paths with amazing arm gestures to follow. The dancers find stillness one at a time in a shape seen in the first section of the dance described as kneeling on the ground with their heads peering through their arms.

Embers, choreography by Philip Grosser, used the music of Shostakovich and featured five dancers. The movement used a consistent element of swing, giving the movement a feeling of weightlessness. The piece had a very peaceful, intimate feel to it that the dancers shared. Their bodies moved fluidly through space as they danced in unison. Philip used a series of leaps and glisads throughout his phrasing. This was featured in the next section when two female dancers moved with speed that gave a more hectic feel. Their feet moved very quickly through a series of small jumps and leaps. Next a male soloist moves across the stage while shaking his upper body then collapsing over. He continues to walk while he shakes his body off balance, as if fighting against some force. The group forms again and they move using body halves and present gestures leading with their mid-limbs. The group hits accented shapes with strong beats in the music. A repeated gesture emerges. The dancers create a tight fist with their hands that point aggressively towards the ground. They focus on that one point as they dance phrases around it, then return to that point. An animalistic characteristic comes out when the dancers exit stage on their hands and feet. They return to the stage in groups moving with Philip’s trademark movements consisting of leaps and turns leading with their distal limbs. We also see beautiful spiraling movements in the dancers emerge. The dance begins to offer a feeling of struggle when the group joins hands and pulls at one dancer that appears to be trying to escape something. This becomes a theme for the remaining part of the piece. The dancers seem to be dependent on each other, pulling and pushing to survive.

While these three pieces appeared very different on the stage, with different themes and emotional intentions, choreographically they seem to share overlapping themes. They all have a circular feel to the phrases and movements that lead with the head and pelvis. I also saw very original shapes emerge in all three pieces. These choreographers continue to produce new work, and elaborating on old work, and I look forward to viewing their work again.

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Instant Upgrade
Katherine Knight

Eight dancers hit the stage this past weekend at Temple University’s Conwell Dance Theatre for Jumatatu Poe’s graduate thesis concert. Altered Egos debuted late last year in Philly’s Fringe Festival and after more development and experimentation, Jumatatu shared the final draft. I caught up with Jumatatu after the show to talk about the piece, and the process.

“Where was Altered Egos born from?”

Andy Warhol’s quote, “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes,” influenced Jumatatu’s concept to emerge. The Internet is giving people their 15 minutes of fame through online communities and websites where you can create an alter ego. Websites such as Myspace.com, Facebook.com, and dating pages give people an opportunity to create a fantasy life. Although it can have a negative connotation, the Internet has also offered new and amazing forms of communicating and ways of developing relationships.
Jumatatu’s passion for caricatures was obvious in the roles that emerge in the piece. Julia plays the main character, a girl who creates an online profile. She leads us through the piece, encountering different characters. The main characters were superheroes, who are a perfect analogy for living this dual life. Superheroes lead the life of fantasy, and also of a common citizen. These lives cannot meet and therefore webs of lies are born to keep their lives separate. Jumatatu says he loves the morbidity and beauty of this challenge and says he’s “always been obsessed” with superheroes and loves how they fit into the concept of the piece. The dancers truly embodied each character, including very amusing facial expressions. Jumatatu wanted the dancers to experience a “whole body experience” while performing. The dancers entered stage in extravagantly colorful outfits depicting different superheroes, designed by former Temple student Abigail Zbikowski. They entered and exited the stage gliding with long, graceful strides. The movement was strong and direct, and at times imitated flying into the air with their capes in the wind behind them. The superhero theme reappeared through the piece and left a strong impression in my mind.
A more realistic character appeared in another section. The scene portrayed a male dancer staring at a laptop indulging in his fantasy life online, while a female dancer sat lovingly next to him dying for attention. This section meant a lot to Jumatatu, saying if it weren’t perfect, it wouldn’t have been put on the stage. It showed a man who felt sexually repressed and his only outlet was the Internet, which offered him an intangible freedom from his real life. This scene showed the fleeting happiness that the Internet can offer, but the physical pleasure can only be imagined.
Altered Egos incorporated a lot of technological elements. The incorporation of technology was always in the works for this piece, and Jumatatu says it’s a great way to bring together the commercial world and the art world. There were multiple videos, edited by Jumatatu, that were projected on the back screen, and also on an oversized wooden desk at stage left. The lighting was done by Sandra Giasulla, and added the appropriate emotion to every scene. As for sounds, the music selection was the “sound of the now” and truly emulated visiting one of these websites. Ultimately though, Jumatatu wishes to work with a live band.
The piece ended with the main character, Julia, sitting at the desk with her laptop. The screen behind her showed different scenes of superheroes saving beautiful young women, while a dancer imitating one of those damsels, ran onto stage and was picked up by her hero, Jumatatu. They exit after a dramatic kiss and the lighting fades to Julia at her desk. She begins to repeat “my hero,” over and over until satisfied with how it sounds. Jumatatu says “she changes her mind and she changes her face, then tries again.” She’s unsure if she’s trying to be the hero, or looking for her own hero.

“Any last thoughts after completing your final show at Temple University?”

Jumatatu shared with me his passion for the fusion of art forms and technology and notes the “intense stimulatory demands,” of our generation and notes this fact while creating the piece. It then became more assessable to the viewers because of the visual and auditory stimulants that it offers. Jumatatu’s only goal was to reach the audience with the information without sacrificing the artistry saying, “That’s why I do this!” Next, Jumatatu would love to continue developing this piece, and is looking for more venues to share it.

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Wed Feb 14, 2:01 AM ET

Music & Motion Dance Productions kicks off its 2007 season with the premiere of a new dance work - RED. Your eye is caught by a single color, RED. It is inescapable and compelling as senses are triggered and emotions aroused. When this color becomes the defining point of a relationship, one is caught up in whirlwind of seduction, passion, anger, romance and joy. Ultimately this color journey leads us to an empowering view of who we are and what is truly possible. Music and Motion Dance's new work RED, offers us an intimate look at relationships through the medium of movement, luscious visual imagery, differing human temperaments and undeniable beauty of self-discovery.

(PRWeb) February 14, 2007 -- So much of being a teenager is about establishing friendships and relationships. While there is lots of advice out there from parents, peers, self-help books and web sites, it can still be quite confusing at times. Relationships are not always easy to talk about, certainly not with parents and sometimes even with peers.

However, one group of fourteen young women has decided to express their feelings about relationships through dance. The members of Music & Motion Dance, a youth group of pre-professional dancers, have collaborated on a new dance work entitled RED. They have used the color red as a defining point for relationships, taking the audience through a journey that involves seduction, passion, anger, romance and joy. Ultimately this color journey leads one to an empowering view of who we are and what is truly possible. RED offers us an intimate look at relationships through the medium of movement, luscious visual imagery, differing human temperaments and undeniable beauty of self-discovery.

Artistic director Steven Weisz acknowledges, "Allowing oneself to be vulnerable enough to just put your feelings out there is what makes the creation of RED more difficult than previous dance works this group has created. Yet, the end results are something that touches all of us with a greater self-awareness."

Music & Motion Dance has been a unique dance company from the start. It is neither a dance school nor a competition team. The dancers themselves come from all over the greater Philadelphia region. Comprised of youths ages 14-19, this group has come together from various backgrounds out of a love of dance and a desire to express themselves through performance. In fact, the dancers themselves have formed this non-profit company and input on every aspect of its operation - from marketing to production and from dance concept to choreography.

The development of RED has opened up a whole new dialogue for the cast members of Music & Motion Dance, but they are quick to add that it has also provided a basis of discussion about relationships in a more open fashion with the audiences they serve.

The opening of RED involves three dance pieces that examines flirtation and infatuation. Dancer Kristen Konski explains, "You know when you like someone. Your heart beats faster, your stomach seems to sink and you struggle for words every time you see them. It's awkward at times but it's also exciting."

As the new dance work progresses, infatuation turns to love. Alex, one of the company's newer members adds, "For a while, this new love occupies all your time, then the obsession settles. With infatuation gone, you start to see the other person as they really are - both their positive and negative aspects. You accept them for who they are unconditionally and want to support and help them. A crush may lead to love, but not always. And sometimes you find yourself falling in love with someone you didn't even find attractive the first time you met."

As many a member of this group has discovered, what they thought was love is not always lasting. And even for such a young group, many have experienced break ups and the emotions that go with it. Senior dancer, Noelle Tolbert adds, "the end of a relationship can leave you feeling miserable, even if you were the one doing the dumping." Together with Andrea Piovane, they created a duet called Lament, which depicts those feelings so clearly that it tends to bring onlookers to tears.

What is remarkable is how insightful the entire group has become as a result of this production. "Relationships mean compromise," according to Andrea. But the group has learned so much more in this journey. As Kate Lubenetski explains, "Feeling comfortable about talking means feeling good about yourself. You need self-esteem to feel assertive. Be as true to yourself as you can. Respect your own thoughts and opinions and be honest about them. Your partner will love you for who you are. Pretending to be something you're not won't work in the long term."

In their final piece, which focuses on resolve and self-fulfillment, the entire cast makes that message so very clear, as one can feel not only the inner strength they have developed, but also with it the grace, beauty and self-confidence they exude as a group.

Be sure to look for their upcoming performances of RED in late Spring of 2007 in the Greater Philadelphia region. You can find out more information about this group and their schedule at http://www.music-and-motion.com.

Music & Motion Dance Productions is a non-profit corporation, which is both owned and operated by teens with mentoring from outside corporations and individuals. It is a group of pre-professional dancers ages fourteen thru nineteen, who have expressed an interest in pursuing dance and the performing arts. Under the artistic direction of Steven Weisz, this group's mission has been to empower young people through dance and creative collaboration in the performing arts, building self-esteem and inspiring self-expression and community action.

2007 Cast Members are: Julie Ann D'Angelo, Bristol, PA; Stacey Folks, Pennsburg, PA; Grace Harman, Philadelphia, PA; Christina Heupel, Newtown, PA; Lauren Mulholland, Aston, PA; Ashley Klemmer, Whitehall, PA; Kristen Konski, Bristol, PA; Jennifer Laucella, Horsham, PA; Kate Lubenetski, Quakertown, PA; Melissa Martin, Schwenksville, PA; Andrea Piovane, Bensalem, PA; Alexandra Ruch, Horsham, PA; Noelle Tolbert, Harleysville, PA; Maria-Teresa Grinneby, Vocalist, Newtown, PA

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Gotham, a festival
Katherine Knight

Living in Philadelphia, I have great access to upcoming choreographers and easy access to New York City. I followed a few dance companies to uptown Manhattan to see Dance Gotham a festival, that housed two Philadelphia based companies. Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers and Koresh Dance Company were my main attractions. Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers opened the show with Crossing, an excerpt of his newest work. It featured six dancers in a scene representing the fast paced lifestyle of city goers. They were costumed in classic business suits, but did not move in the strict limiting movement associated with the business world. In typical fashion, Kun-Yang constructively used a combination of postmodernist pedestrian movement, classic modern technique, and the grace of Tai Chi. The stage offered intricate movement phrases, with brisk entrances and exits. The music consisted of commonly heard street sounds such as car horns, breaks, shoes on the pavement and a murmur of conversation between strangers passing. Divided into three sections, the second featured a single dancer moving gracefully in a way that completely opposed the feel of the other two. It was successful in breaking up the fast paced, hurried feel of the surrounding sections. Kun-Yang’s choreography appeared to be another success and I am anxious to see the full work being shown at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Theatre next month.

Closing the show was Koresh Dance Company, founded in 1991 in Philadelphia. This company, in addition to the dance school, has been up and coming under the direction and choreography of Ronen Koresh. Standing in Tears was a classic showing of Ronen’s work, displaying intense movement accompanied by upbeat music ranging from African music to Spanish beats. The eight dancers were clad in white oxford shirts, females in black shorts, while the men wore black pants. The piece seemed to be centered around one female dancer who initiated the piece in a dominating manner, demanding her dancers to start. The movement was aggressive and filled with technique, featuring high kicks, and ballet pas de bourrees mixed into jazz sequences. As if to break character, the piece was broken up by the dancers yelling into the audience and asking that the house lights be turned on. They talked to friends in the audience and even took pictures with one girl’s camera on stage. The dancing continued once again by the command of one dancer. The ending was just as dramatic as the beginning with all eight dancers strutting to the front of the stage and staring intensely into the eyes of the audience. Ronen offered another very entertaining, visually appealing show, even for the non-dancers in the audience. Ronen’s work can be seen at various venues throughout the city, including showings right in the Koresh studio on Chestnut Street.

My trip to the Big Apple was well worth it. I am always happy to support Philadelphia dance companies and was, as usual, impressed by what I saw. Both works vary greatly from each other, which truly represents the artistry that comes out of Philadelphia. Both were immensely entertaining and left me wanting more. These two choreographers are not hard to find either. Kun-Yang can be found teaching at Temple University on a daily bases, while Ronen can be found at the University of the Arts and at Koresh Dance School. I look forward to seeing Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers perform at Annenberg Center, and Koresh Dance Company perform in fundraising shows throughout the next month.

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At the suggestion of several people in the dance community, I am attempting to establish a Dance Blog. This would feature writings on dance in our region. If you are interested in being an author, send me an email with your name, email address as well as a user id and password you would like for access. Send to philadelphiadance@gmail.com

Once received, I will set you up as an author for the blog.

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