by karen KrolakThis is a little peek at one of the guests for the October episode of C2C. Unfortunately, I am about to run out the door to see Frualein Maria at the brand spanking new Paramount Center in Boston and must cut this introduction short. Be on the lookout for a follow up post on tonight's adventure.
karen Krolak: I am really excited about the burgeoning dance program at Endicott College. What are you planning to present at the Cambridge Connections concert at there in November?
Betsi Graves Akerstein: Urbanity will be performing excerpts from our upcoming "alternative" holiday revue, The Story of Stuff, opening on Black Friday and running two weekends Nov 26-Dec 4, 2010.
kK: That is certainly a bold jete away from the Nutcracker. What is the story of Urbanity? How did you decide to launch your company?
BG: In 2007 I choreographed my wedding at Jacob's Pillow (my husband is also an artist and an acrobat)... the process rekindled my passion for making dances. The choreography featured dancers, musicians and poets. I believe that was actually the "seed" for Urbanity; in fact, two of the “wedding dancers” are still dancing for the company. At that point I realized how much I missed creating on adults... I was teaching at several dance schools at the time but felt stifled as a choreographer. I applied for the Emerging Artists Program at Green Street, gathered a few friends... and serendipitously, a producer that saw the Emerging Artists performance asked us to perform at a summer festival. The producer asked me for a company name and website (eek!)- Two days later, Urbanity was born!
kK: Wow, I am quite jealous. How fantastic to have your wedding at Jacob's Pillow! Am I remembering correctly that you also participated in one of the Choreographers' Labs there?
BG: I attended Jacob's Pillow Choreographers Lab in the Summer of 2006. At the time, I felt quite insecure... It was a selective program, and I was the youngest and least-experienced choreographer. After I was able to get over my own insecurities, I began to open up to the experience of learning and growing as an artist. It was an amazing experience - led by Celeste Miller, we focused on choreographing for untrained dancers and community members, several of which were young boys from a juvenile prison, though the choreographers didn't know this at the time.
kK: Celeste is such an inspiring mentor, isn't she? I attended the 2008 session with her and still feel her ideas reverberate in me on a daily basis. How did your experience at the Choreographers' Lab influence your subsequent work?
BG: After teaching at Boston Ballet, I had to untrain my eye for the perfect pirouette or tendu, and instead train my voice to help lead a choreographic experience for the community. It culminated in a moving performance which the community members themselves helped create. It was then that I first witnessed the empowering and healing magic in guiding others to find their own choreographic voice, and this spirit still guides Urbanity. I encourage all Urbanity dancers to create, I believe that it would be selfish to hoard this joy for only myself... and our upcoming Spring Revue is going to feature a dance choreographed by an "untrained" community member.kK: Please keep me posted on your spring concert as I am quite curious about how you are going to develop that piece. How would you describe Urbanity to people who have never seen you before?
BG: Right now we are a large company with 25 dancers, 6 are paid. The style is a Contemporary Fusion- Building on a rich foundation of classical ballet and modern dance, the Aesthetic seeks to combine lyrical fluidity with a jazzy economy of expression. Urbanity dancers are known for their adaptability: the ability to lyrically release through the torso yet also execute quirky, minimalist styles.
kK: I heard that you attended the Boston Dance Alliance Open Call Audition on Sunday? Have you participated in that before?
BG: I actually taught the ballet segment at the first audition back in 2006 -- the last three years I have attended as a choreographer, and always look forward to it! I've chosen a number of dancers in the past and found some true gems... I'm so thankful for this opportunity.
kK: Do you have any advice for the dancers who were there?
BG: I know auditions can be pretty intimidating for the dancers, but I think similar fears abound for the choreographers, ie: "Will the dancers like my work?" My advice for auditionees: Instead of focusing on one company you really want to get into, think about the beauty of being in a supportive space (thank you BDA!) where choreographers and dancers just want to find good "fits" for one another. It's like a big jigsaw puzzle, and we're all trying to find the right fits. The truth is, we all want to improve dance in Boston, we all want each other to succeed and we all want to find good matches. Also, every choreographer is looking for something different. Some like the "wow factor," some like "zen fluidity," others... "odd intrigue." You just never know.... so my best advice is to be yourself and dance from your soul! It's kind of like speed-dating, only better... Think: Which choreographer is going to be attracted to me? Which choreographer am I going to be attracted to? With BDA as a natural matchmaker, I find that those two answers frequently converge...
kK: Which sections did you watch?
BG: Sadly I missed Ballet because I was teaching company class back at Boston Ballet. But I was there for the remaining genres - Urbanity is built on versatility, so I've chosen dancers from all five genres in the past. I love watching dancers in their element! kK: How many dancers are you hoping to find?
BG: I'm particularly looking for apprentices (Click here for more info.) Urbanity already had auditions for our 10-11 Season and had to be more selective than ever to keep the company from getting too large... but I'm always looking for dancers that inspire me.
kK: I know we will be filming C2C next week but is there anything else you want to add today?
BG: Thanks, Karen, for starting this blog and getting conversations about dance and choreography rolling!
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