3/22/13

Feedback from Opening Night


Monkeyhouse's dear friend, Steve Wightman,  sent us a lovely response to last night's performance. We share it in the hopes that it might spark more conversation online and keep the spirit of our sPoRK alive. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

Hi Karen;

Wow! I was fully impressed by all the performances last night. Everyone was terrific! I think I liked the tethered duo most for its creativity and spunk and I loved your open hearted improvisation sharing your thoughts and trials. If you were the luckiest person in the room please count me 2nd for the honor of seeing a phoenix rise again. I thought the overall theme was transcendence. Life hands out a script that’s often impossible to live as written so we rewrite it and then perform it as best we can. The dancers last night broke through with outstanding performances beyond what I thought their bodies ought to be able to do. It was so inspiring to me. It makes me want to write poetry.

Congratulations and warmest regards,

Steve Wightman.
Certified Financial Planner®


PS: You may quote me on any of this on the Web.


ATO Palindrome


We had an amazing first night of the Against the Odds: Imperfect(ive) Experiments with four Monkeyhouse premieres including Mariah Steele's The Name of the Wind,  two stunning solos by Luminarium, three hugely talented hoofers in a suite created by Ryan Casey (who also received a 2013 Pat and Rita Krolak sPoRK award) , and uplifting duet choreographed Janelle Gilchrist. To whet your appetite for tonight's premiere of Back Going No Going Back, we thought you would enjoy Barry Duncan's festival inspired palindrome. 

AGAINST THE ODDS

Now:
Oh, sadness a plan.
I fret. Fades. A rest. I'm ill, late.
So...tap!
ATO set.
All limits erased: after, final, pass, end.
A show on!

Copyright (c) 2013 Barry Duncan

3/21/13

Artists Talking to Artists: Ryan Casey & Karen Krolak PART TWO




Here's the second half of Ryan's chat with Karen!  Don't miss them both TONIGHT at Against the Odds!

RC:  As we know, you have faced some terrific odds in recent months grappling with the loss of several family members, and the festival itself has struggled to get its footing since it was initially scheduled for last fall. How has all of this informed your sense of the festival and of your work?
kK:  Well, that is the million dollar question, isn't it? The week of the accident, I had been working intensely on Back Going No Going Back, my collaboration with Master Palindromist, Barry Duncan. The piece looks at the small moments where you made a decision that seemed trivial but changed your life. It also grapples with the very human desire to want to go back in time to change those decisions for a better outcome. Working on all the reversibility withBack Going No Going Back, can really cause my brain to freeze up sometimes because it is so easy to become disoriented without a clear beginning and ending.

Standing on Nicole's porch talking to the police who came to tell me that my mother, father, and brother were killed when an SUV swerved into their lane, I could feel myself starting to spiral down the rabbit hole of "If I had..." It reminded me of my rehearsals with Barry and I viscerally felt that following that line of thought would only lead me to further disorientation at a time when I desperately needed a mental compass. It is not an exaggeration to say that the lessons I learned from that collaboration helped me to stay sane as I began that awful task of arranging for the bodies to be transported from New York, planned funerals in Boston and Chicago, and faced the reality of a world that no longer contained the three people who were the very foundation of my identity. Naturally, I never anticipated any of this when I embarked on this piece but I think it demonstrates how a seemingly esoteric choreographic idea, juxtaposing retrograde dance phrases with palindromes, can have practical applications in our daily life.

Now, of course, I do not expect that the festival will have the same impact on anyone else's life. This experience, however, has renewed my investment in Against the Odds. It is important to point out that during the last six months, in addition to losing three family members,  I have lived on friends' couches with my husband and dog for months while grieving because we were moving when the accident happened and the deal took much longer to go through, Springstep announced they were selling the building where Monkeyhouse rehearses, performs, and has our office, my husband changed his career, and the nurse practitioner who was overseeing the complex management of my medical condition left her practice. Trust me, if I did not think that learning to face imperfection and adapting around less than ideal circumstances were important topics, I would never be producing a festival like this now. Everyone faces some form of adversity in their life. Seeing all these artists find physical poetry from imperfect bodies with grace and sometimes humor, reminds me that we can choose how we handle these moments.

When I posted something on Facebook about needing help raising money for the festival a few weeks ago, I was stunned that people from all over the country helped up us blow past our goal of $5000. So far we have received over $9000 and people keep sending in more donations. It was really uplifting to realize how many other people believed this was a worthwhile idea. Unlike many artists, I was very fortunate to have a family that really supported my creative endeavours. The last time that I saw my parents, the night before they left, they scurried around looking for a checkbook to give me a donation for Against the Odds. I said over and over, that they could always do it after they got back. How foolish I was to take for granted a safe return. Mom was insistent, though, and they gave Jason a check as we were leaving. When I felt so lost that following week, I kept thinking that Mom and Dad would want me to see this project through. Sure enough when we returned from Chicago, I found another smaller donation from Mom in memory of my Grandma Moffat in the mail at Monkeyhouse's office. It is a though they knew that I was going to need a big reminder that they believed in me.

RC:  What can we look forward to seeing from Monkeyhouse in the festival? 
kK:  Monkeyhouse will be presenting 7 premieres and one Boston premiere. Two of them are from our Outside Voices project to collaborate with other local artists. Back Going No Going Back is solo set on Nikki Sao Pedro-Welch, choreographed by me in collaboration with palindromes by Barry Duncan, and typographical projections by Cynthia Roberts. The Name of the Wind is a quintet set on Monkeyhouse by Mariah Steele. Monkeyhouse choreographers, Nicole Harris, Caitlin Meehan, Nikki Sao Pedro-Welch, and Sarah Feinberg, have created two comedic duets that sprang out of a series of Musings I led on physical attachments. Another duet is performed by Caitlin Meehan with Courtney Wagner blindfolded and shaped by Jason Ries's lighting design. Nicole Harris has built a new group piece that will feature several young dancers from Impulse Dance Center in one performance. Oh, and as a group we were so inspired by Eva Dean's workshop at the 2011 Against the Odds festival, that I built two pieces using exercise balls.

RC:  What are you anticipating the most about "Against the Odds," and what do you hope audiences will take away from the experience?
kK:  Honestly, I love the post show SPORKS, where we fork out questions and stir up conversation. After months of working on a piece, I hunger to hear what it sparks in audience members. Those comments stick with me and often inspire new directions for future creations. Artistically, I am really eager to see what Jason has discovered as more environmentally friendly and interactive lighting options. He is playing with wireless instruments and potentially hand held par lamps. It should be very cool.

Personally, the best moment for me will be dancing with Nicole on Thursday night. Regardless of what happens on stage, I know it is a major miracle that 18 months after her strokes and almost 7 months after the accident, she and I will be able to be together on stage supporting each other's weight.

3/20/13

Artists Talking to Artists: Ryan Casey & Karen Krolak PART ONE



Blogger in Residence Ryan Casey had some wonderful questions for Monkeyhouse Artistic Director Karen Krolak.  Here are just a few of them...  More to come soon!

RC:  I know you received a lot of entries for the festival and have a wonderfully broad range of performers and styles sharing the stage. Were you surprised by the range of ideas that choreographers developed in response to the theme? How have your notions of "Imperfect(ive) Experiments" changed through the process of talking with everyone involved in the show?
kK:  I love the process of curating and this festival brought up a lot of great conversations. Nicole Harris and I enjoyed that idea that the imperfective aspect is used in many languages to describe actions that are ongoing and wanted to give people a space to try something new with their work so some of the guest artists were asked to adapt their pieces for the festival while others created work specifically for this theme. Each application opened up a totally different line of investigation for me. For instance, yours delved into how the prescribed definition of perfection on reality television shows like So You Think You Can Dance alters the contestants afterwards whereas Janelle Gilchrist's made me wonder how the technical precision of a pointe piece could wrestle with our theme. 

One of my favorite aha moments occurred after I reviewed Audra Carabetta's duet. Her application described the piece as being about waiting and learning to have patience which seemed to be somewhat abstract for the festival's theme. I really liked her work, though, and wanted to include it. I contacted her and she mentioned that she was pregnant and suddenly I understood exactly how the piece fit in. Since I have not had children, I had not considered how the sense of expectancy in one's body might evolve into a dance. Being pregnant is of course a very natural event but it brings up tons of questions about perfection especially in our culture but I would not have thought about them before seeing Audra's duet. 

Also, three of the guest artists, Eva Dean, Dance'N Feet, and Mariah Steele, that were going to be included in the festival have had to back out recently. Monkeyhouse will still be presenting Mariah's new quintet but Mariah will not be able to perform her scheduled solo. Each person was so clearly dreading telling me that they she would not be able to participate because of a death in the family, a recent injury, or critically ill family member. In other professions, people are allowed personal time for such events but performers are rarely given such latitude. RIght before Monkeyhouse's first performance in Philadelphia, for example, I destroyed my ACL and was advised not to dance and two days later my close friend, Michael Maggio died. When I called the festival curator, however, to see if there were any options to vary the pieces in the concert or postpone til the following year, she explained that my reputation as an artist could be tarnished if I did not produce the work that had been accepted.

RC:  How did the theme for this year's "Against the Odds" Festival come about? 
kK:  Well, eighteen months ago when Nicole had four strokes. I found myself living through a very surreal nightmare. Nicole could not remember why she, an otherwise healthy 30 year old, was in the hospital. So just like some warped version of Groundhog's Day, we would have the same conversation over and over again. As soon as I explained about the stroke, she would begin to cry, something she really ever did, and it broke my heart to see one of my closest friends and longest running collaborator so obviously crushed. Her first question was always,"Will I be able to choreograph the musical at Natick High School?" and then it was followed by, "Does this mean that we won't be able to dance together anymore?" At the time, the doctors had not identified what had caused the strokes and kept telling her family and I that it was dangerous to let her get too upset or stressed. To calm her down, I reassured her that she would be able to return to both things but I can admit to you now that I was terrified that I might not be able to actually guarantee that either thing would be possible. When I tried to ask questions about her former movement range, the doctors were not encouraging.

Now might be a good time to also explain that I was living with a rather large professional secret at that time. In 2003, I was diagnosed with a very rare condition that doctors colloquially refer to as "rocks in my chest".  Really, what it means is that I have a large mass that is attached to my heart, esophagus, and lungs. The mass had been there for decades but was starting to cause breathing problems that were interfering with my ability to teach and perform. By 2009, I was also having recurrent bouts of unpredictable chest pain, similar to a heart attack.

I was distraught. I thought that if people found out, I would stop getting hired even though LuAnn Pagella, the Director at Impulse Dance Center, and Monkeyhouse were amazingly supportive of me. I have heard about dance studios that reduce teachers' pay if they have an injury but LuAnn has gone to incredible lengths to help me, for example, allowing me to take a week off with almost no advance warning when the Mayo Clinic had an appointment open up. Monkeyhouse often has elaborate strategies for how to rearrange a concert if something happens to me mid show and no one even blinks anymore when I being slithering around the floor choreographing through pain episodes.

So back to the stroke ward with Nicole. One night she awoke from a nap confused again about why she was in the hospital and I was the only one around. Err...by around I mean that I was having an awful bout of pain and did not want her to see that as I knew it would cause her tremendous stress. As she opened her eyes I slid to the floor and began scrounging through my purse for medicine. I told her I was searching for my phone and answered her questions from the floor. Thankfully, she does not remember this incident but it made me realize how often I was using my choreography and improvisation background to find ways to create the illusion that things were ok.

I knew that if we were ever going to get Nicole back on stage that two things were necessary. First, I was going to have to start publicly addressing my own physical issues so that it would be easier for Nicole to do so. Then, we were going to need inspiration from anywhere we could find it. I figured that bringing in other artists who were thinking about what it means to be perfect or imperfect would provide some of that. I know I just revealed a lot, did that answer your question?

Do you have a question for Karen that Ryan didn't ask?  Well then, why don't you ask her here!?  All of the Against the Odds artists and everyone at Monkeyhouse wants to know what YOU are thinking, so let's keep the conversation going!

3/19/13

Cross Discipline Collaboration

by David Makransky



I have had the pleasure of working with high school aged artists in the Natick area in many capacities over the last fifteen years. Last spring I set a piece on members of ensemble of Remember '11 at Natick High School that incorporated an a cappella arrangement of "Winter's on the Wing" from The Secret Garden (by one of my students, Danny) with body percussion. The singers worked hard and hated me for a while at the start, but the final product was quite wonderful. When the student run a cappella groupSeven's Not Enough performed it again at one of Monkeyhouse's Barnes & Noble Bookfairs they shared the stage with another group of young people I've had the pleasure of working with, TAProject, a youth tap company from Impulse Dance Center. This sparked an idea. What if we combined these two groups of incredibly talented young people? Let me be the first to tell you that this was an inspired combination. You will get the chance to see them yourself at Against the Odds, but here is David to tell you a bit about the process. -Nicole 

Several weeks ago, Seven's Not Enough had the opportunity to perform in Chelsea with Impulse's TAProject, an experience both exciting and humbling. As co-director of the a cappella group and an amateur tapper, I had a unique perspective into the collaboration; I knew how much work went into making the song sound good, and I have some understanding of how ridiculously difficult TAProject's choreography was. On top of all that was the obvious out-of-comfort-zone factor: both groups had to learn very quickly to adapt to our new partners. If SNE didn't keep a steady and predictable beat for the dancers, the number would fall apart. If TAProject tapped too loud, we wouldn't be able to hear each other, and the number would fall apart. There were a lot of ways for the number to fall apart. During rehearsals, it often did. But the challenging collaboration was a fun one; we were constantly being pushed to new levels of awareness and musicality. By the end of the process we even crossed disciplines, with SNE adding to the rhythm with body percussion and TAProject singing harmonies in the final cadence.

The performance itself was unlike anything I could've expected. By then the groups had become very comfortable with each other, which was fortunate-a new stage and new acoustics meant significant last-minute adjustments. Awkwardness at that point would have doomed the number to fall apart yet again, and this time during the actual performance. But adjustments were made and the ChelseaHigh School dance concert began. As I sat in the audience waiting for the signal to prepare backstage, I marveled at the courage and talent of these dancers. For many of them dance was a very new art form, and their fearlessness and grace was humbling. When it was time for us to perform I found my greatest hope was that we could measure up to their levels of energy and confidence. As we finished we were hailed by that same energy in the form of congratulation. I hadn't met any of these dancers before in my life, but they had no qualms about supporting us with the same enthusiasm they brought to their own art. They made me truly excited about what we had done. Collaboration with TAProject has been an incredible experience, and with those inspiring students of Chelsea High School in mind, I can't wait to see what's next in our crossover between a cappella and dance.

3/14/13

Tickets, Tickets Everywhere!


It is time to start deciding which night you're going to be attending and who you're bringing with you! As you know, each night is different so you COULD come to all four! Even some of the pieces that are being performed multiple nights have some element of change within them between shows, so if you've got the time, we'd love to have you! 



On THURSDAY, March 21st join Luminarium Dance, Ryan Casey, Janelle Gilchrist, Monkeyhouse & Mariah Steele!!

On FRIDAY, March 22nd join Mariah Steele, Barry Duncan, Six One Seven Dance Collective, Monkeyhouse, Josh Hilberman, Cynthia Roberts, TAProject, Audra Carabetta & Seven's Not Enough! 

On SATURDAY, March 23rd join Monkeyhouse, Audra Carabetta, Barry Duncan, Josh Hilberman & Cynthia Roberts!

On SUNDAY, March 24th join Six One Seven Dance Collective, Janelle Gilchrist, andMonkeyhouse! Stick around after the show for a conversation with the artists and a closing night party featuring festival sponsor, JP Licks!

Be sure to save time after each show to check out the SPORK, a series of post show conversations with the artists and YOU! Don't miss this exciting opportunity to learn more about your favorite pieces and artists and get answers to your burning questions! There are more pre and post show festivities, so keep an eye on Facebook for more information!

3/13/13

Happy Birthday Lacey Sasso!


March just so happens to be the birthday of one of the Against the Odds artists, so what better way to celebrate that sharing a bit more of her interview here? The lovely Caitlin Meehan had a chat with Lacey about jazz, college, performing, inspiration and a whole lot more! You will be able to read the whole article on C2C soon! Happy Birthday, Lacey! We're all looking forward to seeing your piece with Six One Seven Dance Collective at Against the Odds!

C: Do you have a favorite dance form, or a favorite choreographer?
L: My favorite dance genre is jazz. I started taking classes in this form when I was only 5 years old and have always loved the sassy, playful nature of the movement. In more recent years, I have come to mix my favorite jazz elements such as isolations and battements with quirkier gestural based movements. In most circles, this form is called contemporary, but in my world, I just think of it as my movement voice. I am inspired by Trisha Brown, Jose Limon, and Gus Giordano to name a few.

C: I understand that you split your time between Boston and New York, which must be a challenge! Which companies in which cities?
L: Yes, I spend quite a lot of time on trains and buses, but it's been an unbelievable experience. I have been working with Undertoe Dance Project in New York City for 5 seasons. UDP is a jazz and tap fusion repertoire company, which means that the majority of the work contains both genres complimenting one another to create an overall experience and a very unique voice. I have been blessed to be the jazz captain for 4 seasons and have spent this year mainly based in Boston, trying to expand the company's presence in the northeast. The company is a wonderful group of women who are passionate about these often underrepresented dance forms. I have had the pleasure of choreographing for the company on several occasions and hope to continue my work with UDP in the future.

My work in Boston feels like it is just beginning, though I have been in the community for 3 years now. I teach full time at two local studios, and spend my weekends working with Six One Seven Dance Collective. This is my 3rd season as a company member and my 2nd season as a featured choreographer. Six One Seven is a modern based company that creates work inspired by important concepts in life such as the beauty industry and the many meanings of home. This group of women allows me to explore my roots as a modern dancer and to continue to work collaboratively in the dance community. It is a joy to be a part of such wonderful dance companies and to have the privilege of exploring the many sides of my love of dance and movement in general.

C: What led you to Six One Seven Dance Collective?
L: I was first interested in Six One Seven Dance Collective because of its collaborative nature. I love to be involved in the process of creation. I was interested in exploring myself as a choreographer and having an opportunity to work with a variety of movement styles and voices. Each season is a new adventure. Working collaboratively rather than in a repertory company has been quite a valuable experience. I feel that we are always creating new ideas and new works, which is quite a lovely and often crazy process. The company is comprised of great people, who are now great friends of mine. I love knowing that rehearsal is work, but it is also a time to spend with friends and share my life with dancers through our work and our laughter.

C: I have to agree about the collaborative process! Monkeyhousecreates quite a bit of work that way. Looking forward to seeing you perform- thanks for sharing your history and inspirations! And Happy Birthday!

A very happy birthday to the rest of our March babies as well!
Zach GalvinJoseph Wiggan, Josh BergasseKelly PetersDiane WalkerKatherine Ferrier, Emily Hare, Amelia O'DowdMatthew Murphy, Gail Fine, Michael Lawrence, Lara Allard, Aaron Tolson, Kay Wilson, Sarah Weichman, Julia Blatt, Ellen PhilpottArthur Fink, Liesl Garner, Amy Harnett, Anita Lauricella Lacey Sasso, Jillian Panek, and Madeline Krolak.

3/12/13

Monkeyhouse LOVES Josh Hilberman!

by Katelyn Alcott

photo by Liza Voll

Josh Hilberman is a tap dancer out of
Boston, known especially for his jazzy-vaudeville style of dance. Hilberman has featured in over sixty tap and jazz festivals from Boston all the way to Barcelona and Australia. He has performed at New York’s Lincoln Center as well as three years with Manhattan Tap.

Among Hilberman’s many teachers is tap pioneer Brenda Bufalino, with whom he has an on going mentorship. In 2008-2009 the two produced a show, in collaboration with tap dance all-star Drika Overton, called "Off the Beaten Path: a Jazz and Tap Odyssey."

Hilberman learned his famous jazz improvisation
al style through working with several musicians including drummer Alan Dawson and noted pianist and composer Paul Arslanian. His efforts have earned him many an award including: the 2005 National Endowment for the Arts/Dance USA National College; Choreography Initiative Award; the 2006 Premi Claqueta from the dancers of Barcelona,Spain for significant contributions to the tap community; and the 2009 Presidential Scholars Teachers Recognition Award. Hilberman’s many accolades are mere notice of the great quality of work he produces, in his teaching and performing of dance.

Hilberman has been coloring the tap world with his quirky and creative numbers for over twenty years. This year, Monkeyhouse is honored to have him as a guest performer in the Against the Odds: Imperfect(ive) experiments.

3/11/13

Check Out Upcoming Events in March!



by Aisha Cruise

Modern Noir

March 8 & 9
Hailing from Chicago, this will be the Boston premier of Lucky Plush's "The Better Half", which draws inspiration from the noir film Gaslight. Free talks before the performance both nights and talk-back on the 8th.

March 16 & 17
Set in a noir universe at the last call in a dance hall, modern dance set to jazz music explores the search for love.  This is all my favorite things.

Classical Contemporary

Now through March 10
Contemporary ballet infused with classical romance, in the intimacy of the Sanctuary Theater.

March 7-17
Featuring three of Jiri Kylian's most iconic pieces.

Brand Spanking New
These two performances present an opportunity to see engaging new choreography from young and emerging companies and artists.

March 15 & 16

March 22& 23



March 21st-24th
Springstep
98 George P. Hasset Dr, Medford
Monkeyhouse is excited to present this exciting weekend.  Four performances, 40 performers and YOU!


 

Double Feature
On Sunday, Israeli folk dance troupes from across the country will perform at MIT, with an open folk dance party the night before in Brookline.  Both events promise to be family friendly.

Saturday, March9th @7pm

Sunday, March 10th @3pm

(changing) Couples
If you're interested in social dances, these two sites list tons of events happening this month.  You don't need a lot of experience for either of these dance styles, just come ready to have fun!
For Swing
For Contra

Meet Against the Odds Artist, Seven's Not Enough!


Seven’s Not Enough is Natick High School’s student-run a cappella group. Since its founding in 2006, SNE has taken pride in being almost entirely independent of faculty—all music is arranged by the students, all harmonies are produced by the students, all rehearsals are directed by the students, and all pizza is consumed by the students. The members of SNE are always looking for new ideas to add to their music, and since their voices are their only instruments, their creativity is free from the limitations facing other musical groups. Seven’s Not Enough is has had a blast working with Impulse’s TAProject, and cannot wait to continue expanding its artistic horizons.

3/8/13

Free Against the Odds Tickets AND Ice Cream!

Everyone here at Monkeyhouse is forever grateful to J.P. Licks for all that they do for us. We are thrilled that they are sponsoring Against the Odds once again. In celebration of that, we'd like to have this weekend's Against the Odds Promotion feature everyone's favorite ice cream. Here's the scoop:

1.  Head over to your favorite JP Licks location this weekend. (With stores in JP, Coolidge Corner, Newton Center, Brigham Circle, Davis Square, Harvard Square, Legacy Place, Wellesley Center, West Roxbury, Charles Street and the brand new store on Boylston Street there is bound to be one near you!)


2.  Take a picture of yourself.

3.  Post it on our Facebook page


We will choose one entry at random to receive a pair of tickets to Against the Odds!  The winner will be announced on FB on Monday, so check back to see if you won!

Holy Good Things, Batman!

February is a short month, but this year it was jam packed full of good things!  We love hearing from people about all the excitement in their lives! 

* Remember last year when one of our Good Things was that our Production Manager, Jason Ries, did amazing things with Company One and their production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity?  Well, other people remembered it too and nominated him for an IRNE award for best set design!  Good Luck, Jason! 

* Last week was the 16 year anniversary of the final cancer treatment of company supporter, Zach Galvin.  This momentous day was celebrated around the world as YAHOO DAY 2013!  People went out in the name of YAHOO DAY and did good deeds for unsuspecting folks.  Congratulations, Zach! 

* Once again our interns are in performance!  They are busy little buggers, aren't they?  David & Katelyn will both be performing in the student directed show And Then There Where None at Natick High School in the end of March!  Break Legs, kids! 

* Speaking of interns, we are excited to announce two new interns coming this spring as part of the Natick High School senior internship program!  Welcome Laila & Elyssa!  We can't wait to get started! 

* Company supporter and longtime friend, Jeremy Wechsler, and Theater Wit have received wonderful reviews for their production of Itamar Moses' Completeness, directed by Jeremy himself!  Congratulations, Jeremy and everyone over at Theater Wit! 

* As you know, Karen has been building a piece with Master Palindromist Barry Duncan, typographer Cynthia Good and our own Nikki Sao Pedro Welch.  This exciting endeavor has been part of a documentary film by the lovely Michael Rossi, who (with his wife) is expecting a baby at the end of this month!  We are so happy for you, Michael! 

* Last, but certainly not least, we couldn't compile a good things list for this month without mentioning the over 64 amazing people who went out of their way to make OUR month better just in this last week alone.  We are constantly astounded by how generous and thoughtful everyone around us is.  Thank you all for everything you do for us.  

What are your good things this month?  Share with us HERE! 

3/6/13

Artists Talking to Artists: Caitlin Meehan & Lacey Sasso


It's time once again to catch up with one of the Against the Odds Artists!  This time Monkeyhouse's Caitlin Meehan is chatting with Six One Seven Dance Collective's Lacey Sasso.  (Lacey has a birthday this month, so be sure to wish her a good one if you see her!)

C: Do you have a favorite dance form, or a favorite choreographer?
L: My favorite dance genre is jazz. I started taking classes in this form when I was only 5 years old and have always loved the sassy, playful nature of the movement. In more recent years, I have come to mix my favorite jazz elements such as isolations and battements with quirkier gestural based movements. In most circles, this form is called contemporary, but in my world, I just think of it as my movement voice. I am inspired by Trisha Brown, Jose Limon, and Gus Giordano to name a few.

C: I also come from a jazz background! I know that you studied Dance at Missouri State University- can you tell me more about Inertia Dance Company there?
L: Inertia Dance Company is a troupe of dancers from the BFA program that travel to local elementary schools using dance as a vehicle to promote literacy and imaginative movement. Each season, the company chooses a children's story to use as a basis for each performance. The dancers use modern dance and creative movement to bring the story to life. The students participate in group work previous to the performance, and are given roles to act out during the show. For example, one year, my students were suitcases. We created an entire suitcase dance with our group and then performed it within the show. It gets the children involved and expands their minds. Inertia also organized lecture/demonstrations in which the students would have a chance to learn basic steps in ballet, jazz, modern, and tap dance. I was a member for all 4 years I was in school, and a senior rehearsal director my last 2 seasons.
 C: Cool! What was your favorite part about working with them?
L: My favorite part about being in the company was seeing the joy on the childrens' faces. For the most part, the children we worked with had no dance experience, so it was exciting to see them moving and creating for the first time.

C: You were a Psychology minor in college- do you think that this influences your choreography, or the way you look at choreography in general?

L: Psychology plays a large role in my life as a dancer and choreographer. I use choreography as an outlet for many things that are often difficult to talk about. I often ask myself the question "why" when I am looking at work. I have found that this leads to a lot of insightful reflection as well as a plethora of choreographic ideas.

C: Since graduating, you have moved to New York and presented some of your own work. Could you describe some of your choreography?
L: My choreography is quirky, sassy, expressive, and deeply personal. Much of my work comes directly from my personal experiences, often reflecting upon a personal relationship that has had a large impact on my life whether that be romantic, familial or other. For instance, my contribution to "Accidental Trifecta" is a solo that was originally choreographed to help me take the first step towards my future after losing my first love. The concept is about moving on and letting go of the past, a concept that I feel all people can relate to, but the details of the story are quite personal. I strive to create work that is honest and interesting, but also relatable. I use a mixture of popular music and abstract artists, written word, photographs, and more recently the experiences and stories of my dancers. It goes back to my background in psychology; talking about shared experiences is often the best way to process them. My chosen form of communication happens to be movement. I hope that when people see my work they see something honest and something just a touch sassy.

C: I understand that you split your time between Boston and New York, which must be a challenge! Which companies in which cities?
L: Yes, I spend quite a lot of time on trains and buses, but it's been an unbelievable experience. I have been working with Undertoe Dance Project in New York City for 5 seasons. UDP is a jazz and tap fusion repertoire company, which means that the majority of the work contains both genres complimenting one another to create an overall experience and a very unique voice. I have been blessed to be the jazz captain for 4 seasons and have spent this year mainly based in Boston, trying to expand the company's presence in the northeast. The company is a wonderful group of women who are passionate about these often underrepresented dance forms. I have had the pleasure of choreographing for the company on several occasions and hope to continue my work with UDP in the future.
My work in Boston feels like it is just beginning, though I have been in the community for 3 years now. I teach full time at two local studios, and spend my weekends working with Six One Seven Dance Collective. This is my 3rd season as a company member and my 2nd season as a featured choreographer. Six One Seven is a modern based company that creates work inspired by important concepts in life such as the beauty industry and the many meanings of home. This group of women allows me to explore my roots as a modern dancer and to continue to work collaboratively in the dance community. It is a joy to be a part of such wonderful dance companies and to have the privilege of exploring the many sides of my love of dance and movement in general.

C: What led you to Six One Seven Dance Collective?
L: I was first interested in Six One Seven Dance Collective because of its collaborative nature. I love to be involved in the process of creation. I was interested in exploring myself as a choreographer and having an opportunity to work with a variety of movement styles and voices. Each season is a new adventure. Working collaboratively rather than in a repertory company has been quite a valuable experience. I feel that we are always creating new ideas and new works, which is quite a lovely and often crazy process. The company is comprised of great people, who are now great friends of mine. I love knowing that rehearsal is work, but it is also a time to spend with friends and share my life with dancers through our work and our laughter.
 
C: I have to agree about the collaborative process! Monkeyhouse creates quite a bit of work that way. Looking forward to seeing you perform- thanks for sharing your history and inspirations!
 
 Do you have a question for Lacey that Caitlin didn't ask?  Well then, why don't you ask her here!?  All of the Against the Odds artists and everyone at Monkeyhouse wants to know what YOU are thinking, so let's keep the conversation going!

3/1/13

Meet Against the Odds Artist, Barry Duncan!




In the past year and a half, Barry Duncan has received a good deal of attention for his reversible creations. In addition to his collaboration with Monkeyhouse, his other accomplishments include a gallery show in New York (“Making Nothing Happen: The Strange Poetics of Barry Duncan, Master Palindromist, and His Friends”), appearances on the NPR programs Here & Now and All Things Considered, and the publication of his celebrated Greenward Palindrome in the 2012 edition of the literary anthology The Best American Nonrequired Reading.

He was profiled by writer Gregory Kornbluh in the September 2011 issue of The Believer, and he is the subject of Michael Rossi's upcoming documentary film The Master Palindromist (www.masterpalindromist.com).

Barry lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.

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