I had about 20 hours worth of rehearsals this week, a few which overlapped each other and therefore made me have to chose where I should be and what I needed to be doing. I hate that. I hate having to put one rehearsal a step above the next persons as I find all the work I am doing important and inspiring.
The hardest part of the whole process is that I spent a majority of the time in rehearsal for Ledges and Bones Dance Project rehearsals (fri-sun). Not that the rehearsals are hard, but sitting and watching but not performing in the work is hard. I signed on as the administrative director of the company along with company apprentice. Due to injury though- about a month into the work, I was seated in the front watching, not dancing. The work is so inspiring and Holly (the artistic director) creates work that will for sure take the audience breath away. I am deeply honored to be working with her and the company of LA and SF dancers who truly know what it means to make sacrifices. Their bodies are beat up, they travel for little/no money, they poor their heart and soul into this 3o min piece and they dedicate so much time and energy to it. They make me smile, they make me cry, they are some of the most beautiful people I have ever met. They make me want to heal faster, stronger and healthier so I can hopefully soon, one day join them in the amazing spiral of Holly's work. (I am sure I will mention again but it is performing the 20 and 21st of Feb and really is not one to miss if you are in SF!)
The front of the postcard for the Feb show (we are the top image...it's a shared evening performance)
The back of the postcard for the Feb show (we are the top description)
Other inspiration came from my showing of Michelle Fletcher's Here Now Dance Collectives, informal showing of "Grass," tonight. The showing was for all the choreographers and mentor of ODC's Pilot program. We just showed what we had made thus far and received really great feedback. The mentor of the program, Lizz Roman, is an inspiration of herself. She is honest, to the point and yet so insightful. She informed me that she could see me stand in a funky head stand all day (I feel a 45 sec or more in a head stand is enough, but I will not be surprised if next week that head stand turns out to be much longer) The feedback was great as they were receptive and laughed. To perform the work in fornt of a small little audience is helpful as well as it gives us as dancers more inspiration about what we are doing. To know our work is focused, funny in places, rhythmic and physical. I think we all left feeling alive and ready to take the next step in the piece.
This is the poster for HNDC piece in Feb
Last but not least I had one of the 4 long but so fulfilling rehearsals for Erika Chong Shuch's, Love Everywhere. The piece is made up of 50 dancers who will join together Valentines weekend with a 13 piece orchestra and a few lead vocalist (don't get me wrong we are all singing...but there are 2 more trained featured vocalist). Oh did I mention we will be performing at San Francisco's City Hall in honor and celebration of marriage equality. It is an honor, and for sure an inspiration to be moving with 50 people in such a huge space, speaking about something that i feel very strongly about, marriage equality. It breaks my heart that my best friends can't be married because their partner is the same sex as them, therefore I am feeling so blessed to be able to work with the community on a piece that stands up for people I love so much. The piece will take place 15 min (at noon) after a mass of 300 homosexuals come in to City Hall to ask for a marriage license, and get declined. For those of you who don't live in SF, please know that it is a very gay friendly community and yet it has been a debate back and forth for years on whether or not marriage equality should be aloud- it blows my mind that it is even a question, but it is. I am thrilled to be representing a mass of people who love each other and deserve all rights.
This is the company of dancers who are performing in "Love Everywhere" (we are all making hearts with our hands!)
Please visit the website to read more: www.loveeverywhere.org
Needless to say, my steamed broccoli and large glass of warm red wine was a perfect ending to my full and crazy weekend full of definitions on why I am a dancer, and performer and hopefully an addition to the inspiration that these pieces have on me.
No comments:
Post a Comment