An Experiment at Art Beat

by Karen Krolak
Remember how I was raving about the joys of living in Somerville, MA and I mentioned ArtBeat? Well, it is today in Davis Square and I will be conducting a choreographic experiment there entitled Chor-i-dor. As part of this process, Nicole Harris, Caitlin Meehan, Sarah Feinberg, and I will be performing at the end of the afternoon.

Chor-i-dor :
An ArtBeat Experiment
Inspiring dances of the not-so-distant future

by Karen Krolak,
2009 Somerville Choreography Fellow
& Artistic Director of Monkeyhouse


Questions and Answers about Chor-i-dor

Q: Umm, what will you be doing?
A: I will be watching unsuspecting people and informed participants (like yourself).

Q: Why are you doing that?
A: Well, I am working on a project this year to see how this city, Somerville, moves people.

Q: So are people supposed to start jumping and twirling like they are on America’s Best Dance Crew or So, You Think You Can Dance?
A: You could but you certainly don’t have to do so. I define choreography as the art of moving with meaning, something you are probably doing right now.

Q: So what are we supposed to do?
A: You don’t have to do anything. However, you can journey along the path under this pergola and respond to the environment around you. If you see signs or instructions, feel free to follow them or ignore them. Oh, and be aware that you might be photographed.

Q: And then what?
A: You can check back later in the day and see if something you did has been commemorated on the path to inspire others or to see an improvised performance based on people’s responses today.

Q: So is that all?
A: No, you could observe how others respond to Chor-i-dor or you could sign up to take a stroll through Somerville with me during the summer.

Q: Hey, that could be fun. Where do I sign up?
A: Send us an email at Monkeyhouseblog@gmail.com and Monkeyhouse will contact you about dates and times. Thanks for your interest!

(Chor-i-dor is sponsored in part by the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.)

Caitlin and Nikki perform with Danny Swain

If you were a fan of Monkeyhouse's Zizz at First Night Boston 2009, then you will not want to miss Danny Swain Dance Company's performances this weekend.

Both of Zizz's fiesty dancers, Caitlin Meehan and Nikki Sao Pedro, are featured "That Which Doesn't Kill Us...”, a collaborative evening of multi-media dance theater. The concert will feature new and repertory works as well as live, original music by local composer Jane Wang, and video by film-maker Greg Shea.


According to Danny, "this year’s concert promises to transport audiences though a rollercoaster of emotions. Wrought with ghosts, scary clowns, images of war, and tales of conflict and death, the program does manage to infuse a few laughs with ironic statements, either visually or verbally, within the heavy subject matter. "

April 24, 25, at 8:00pm, and April 26 at 7:00pm
at the Dance Complex’s Julie Ince Thompson Theatre,
536 Massachusetts Ave - Cambridge, MA
Tickets: $20 General Admission / $15 Students, Seniors & Boston Dance Alliance members

First Night 2009 Online Program

At the end of our three previous performances at First Night Boston, there have been hundreds of programs left littering the theater. So, this year as part of our ongoing efforts to improve our enviromental impact and to focus our financial resources on programming, we are posting out program online.

366
- Inspired by adventures in Iceland, Italy, and England

Presented by Monkeyhouse
at First Night 2009
at John Hancock Hall in the Back Bay Events Center
December 31, 2008

Lighting design by Jason Ries
Costume Design by Karen Krolak

Pochemuchka (premiere)*
Created and performed by Karen Krolak and Jason Ries
Sound design by Karen Krolak

Zizz (premiere)*
Choreographed by Karen Krolak in collaboration with Caitlin Meehan and Nikki Sao Pedro
Performed by Caitlin Meehan and Nikki Sao Pedro
Music: Go! by Uncle Monsterface

Firk II (2005)
Premiered at First Night 2006
Choreographed and performed by Karen Krolak and Nicole Harris
Music: I'm Beginning to See the Light by Ron Surace

Knosp (2001)
Choreographed by Karen Krolak
Performed by Nicole Harris
Music: Mr Pushkin Came to Shove by Combustible Edison

Ingeniculation (premiere)*
Choreographed by Karen Krolak in collaboration with Julia Marx, Caitlin Meehan, Nikki Sao Pedro
Music: Cornelius by Boston Typewriter Orchestra and a sound design by Karen Krolak featuring Marty Allen and audience members from Monkeyhouse's concert, And, What Do YOU Want? in July 2007 at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center

* Pieces were developed with partial funding from Monkeyhouse's Bernie Wightman Dance Building Fund

Special Thanks to...
First Night Boston
WBZ
College Planners LLC
Impulse Dance Center
Arlington Center for the Arts
Google
Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston
Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center
GoodSearch
Exit Theater
Marquette Associates
Uncle Monsterface
Boston Typewriter Orchestra
Jacob's Pillow Choreographers' Lab

Pat and Rita Krolak
Steve Wightman and Peggy Wacks

Freya Bernstein and Dr. Martin Broff

Joan and Robert Parker
Richard Miner and Corinne Nagy

Tim Losch and Brandi Brooks

Susan and Gib Hammond

Tom and Viz Ries

Nicky Felix

Dot and Tom Christian

Joan and Roger Panek
LuAnn and Jim Pagella

Kathryn Stieber

Dr. and Mrs. Owen Bernstein

Jon Schaffrath

Drs. Carlos Estrada and Bita Tabesh

Paul Feiss and Margaret McKenna
Pat and Lizzie Krolak
Michael and Carly Krolak

Dr. Michael Shannon
Dave Pavkovic and Becca Rossen

Stephen, Meera and Cody Werther

Christina Augello
Pam and Steve Harris

Marjorie Freeman

Gillian Brecker and Seth Mason

Donna and James Rosenberg
Mike and Judy Panaro
Penny Penniston and Jeremy Wechsler
Tom and Dot Christian

Karen and Mark Slutsky
Amelia O'Dowd and Brian Eastman
Beth McGuire and Nathaniel Panek
Gail and Rick Fine
Adele Traub
Marty Allen
Eric Phelps
Margaret Hagemeister
Anne Howarth and Rick Frank
Martha Christensen and Neal Smyth
Michael Wissner
Julia Blatt
Suzanne Jenkins
Joanne Dougan
Mark Zuroff
Zach Galvin
Shelley Neill
John Aceto and Natalie Pino
Mara Blumenfeld
Irene Gaetani
Gaby Mervis
Sarah Friswell
Sarah Feinberg
Ashley Chandler
Janine Harrington
Leah Sakala
Michael Maggio
...and of course,
Lynne Anne Blom
Timothy O’Slynne

Please feel free to email us at MonkeyhouseLovesME@gmail.com with any questions or comments, if you don't want to post them here.