Getting to Know Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Photo Credit: D. Feller

by Daniel Foner

I recently had the opportunity to ask a few questions to Eva Yaa Asantewaa, an acclaimed dance writer based in New York City. If you’d like to learn more about her, I encourage you to visit her blog, InfiniteBody. For now, however, I’ll leave you with our conversation, which speaks for itself better than any introduction could.

DF: What first interested you in writing about dance?

EYA: I was always a writer, from childhood, writing poetry and satire and creative versions of the television shows I loved (what today might be called fan fiction). I read a lot and wrote a lot, training myself to write, and I was always very good at it. I was one of those introverted kids who expressed herself best in writing--and perhaps I still am!

I have also loved dancing since I was a kid--at family parties with lots of Afro-Caribbean and Black American music and, later, rock and soul and the like. It's only now that I realize that not only was I a talented dancer at that time, I was a choreographer! I'd had limited exposure to ballet classes when I was young but, in the coming years, I would pick up folkdance, modern (Graham, Ailey, even Isadora Duncan), jazz dance and Middle Eastern dance classes but never with a serious thought of becoming a professional. I didn't really have a role model for that, and I had absolutely zero family support for that as a career option!

When I graduated from college, I needed something to relieve the depression that I'd fallen into, and I remembered how good and healing it had always felt to take dance classes. So, I went back--to jazz dance, to Afro-Caribbean--and took up bellydance, which is probably the dance form that I studied for the longest. And it was great feeling to get my authentic energy and my body back. That same summer, I discovered two courses in dance criticism were being offered, and it just made sense for me to put these two interests together. I wanted to share my observations and thoughts and feelings about an art that had meant so much to me as a student and a fan.

At first, it was a complicated task to write about dance performances. As a newbie, I think I overcompensated, struggling to capture too many details, not sure of my authority--especially in a field dominated by white writers, as it still is. A friend said, "You are working way too hard." That stuck with me, and I eventually trained myself to relax, to be discerning about what information was significant and sufficient to tell the necessary story, and to allow the keen observer and the poet in me to come through. Writing for non-conventional outlets like The Village Voice and Gay City News was also incredibly freeing. As I went along, I felt more and more permission to be exactly who I was and to express myself on the page. In fact, I think I caught that kind of courage from the art that I was seeing, and I still do.

DF: Dance is heavily dependent on visual and audio aspects. To face this challenge, what's your process for translating these into prose?

EYA: I don't really see a distinction between perceiving, processing and documenting movement and doing the same for visual and audio aspects of a production. I've been "raised," if you will, on interdisciplinary approaches in the performing arts and feel not only able to process and express the intersection and interaction of multiple elements in a performance but excited by that challenge. I have to weigh the relative impact of each element in the overall context and effectiveness of the piece, but I also have to keep all of my senses open for whatever's incoming. I also do something else, on a professional basis, that's similarly complex--divination using imagery from Tarot and other card oracles, the kind of thing that can be intimidating in its complexity, because there's just so much going on in and around these visual images and symbols--and yet I relish this challenge, too!

DF: What are your favorite styles of dance to write about, and why?

EYA: When I got into this field, I was seeing a wide variety of work--from Ailey and other Black American choreographers to ballet to Graham and various forms of dance from other cultures. Also lots of postmodern dance. So my head was opened up to a lot. I never got stuck in one mindset about what dance could and should be or who the sacred cows were. My first review editor--Tobi Tobias at Dance Magazine--insisted that I stay open to covering many kinds of dance. That was exciting and empowering, and I'm grateful for Tobi's insistence.

I'd say my range was bigger than than it has been in more recent years, since I don't really cover ballet anymore. I consider New York's rich slate of progressive, contemporary dance to be my beat. That world, in itself, is pretty big and diverse. But I also love opportunities to see and cover traditional dance forms from a variety of world cultures because that most often speaks to my spiritual values as well as my love of travel and a broad range of music from around the globe.

DF: You've been writing on dance since 1976. In your view, how has the art and the community changed through the years?

EYA: There are so many valid answers to that question, but the one that most haunts me concerns the impact of money--or, rather, lack of money--on the field. When I started out, there was much more funding available. It was a great time to be in love with dance. I think, in this society, you always have to have noble courage to stand up for dance and dancers, but things were a little easier then. Since the funding has dropped off, I think it's just harder for the individual dance artist or small dance organization--and even some big ones--to stick their heads up and take big risks that could impact their careers and opportunities for funding and presentation. Certainly, it's hard to be the kind of artist who speaks truth to power--and I don't just mean political power, although I do mean that, too. I also mean the power of all those who hold control--the funders, the presenters, certainly the critics and journalists, even arts administrators and individual teachers. There's too much fear of consequences for saying what you're thinking.

I have a triple heritage--Black, feminist, lesbian--from kickass communities with solid histories of not only speaking truth to power but also banding together, hanging tough and building our own resources for the common good. (I should add that the women in my immediate family were all union women in the garment industry.) I especially saw that and participated in that kind of activism in the lesbian community in the 1980s, and I kind of miss that communal energy and determination and get a little impatient when I don't see it around me with the people I care about. But I have to remind myself that a dancer is usually working overtime not only to make excellent work but also to just plain survive on the daily as a human being, especially in an expensive city like New York, to have a viable life. And dance artists give us their very best, for which I remain respectful and grateful every single day.

Good Things

• Congratulations to Zach Galvin on 17 cancer free years to and everyone who celebrated Yahoo Day last month!  An amazing number of good things were done for unsuspecting people around the globe!

• Congratulations to Mara Blumenfeld for her IRNE nomination for The Jungle Book!

• Three of our interns, Danny, Connor and Jacob will be performed in the student run production of Little Women at Natick High School directed by another one of our interns, Marie!  You guys were amazing!

•  Caleb Howe, one of the earliest students from company class and long time friend of Monkeyhouse, has returned to the Boston area!  Congratulations on your new job, Caleb!  We're excited to have you back!

A Few Words of THANKS from Danny

by Danny Foner

Last year we celebrated the THANKS Giving, a month of saying thanks to just a small number of the people who have gotten us to where we are today.  At the time, our then new intern Danny wrote an article that, with the insanity of the ending of the year, is just now seeing the light of day.  (Sorry, Danny!)  So, as we head into 2014, here are Danny's thoughts on thanks, music and collaboration.  -Nicole

p.s.  Congratulations, Danny, on getting into Emerson!  I'm glad you'll still be in the area next year!

As this month of THANKS Giving winds to a close, I’d like to take a moment to express my own gratitude for how Monkeyhouse has impacted me. Namely, I’d like to give thanks for my experiences as a co-leader of Natick High School’s a capella group, Seven’s Not Enough, and our collaboration with Monkeyhouse’s own Nicole Harris. We’ve had the opportunity to work with her on two separate projects, each of which have expanded my appreciation for the powerful relationship between music and dance.

Seven’s Not Enough’s connection to Monkeyhouse began around two years ago, in my sophomore year. I was a part of the fall show at Natick High School, which was to be a musical revue, celebrating the 50-year history of the old Natick High stage. Nicole asked me to arrange an a capella version of “Winter’s on the Wing,” a song from The Secret Garden, which would be set to body percussion. The finished product was an absolute joy to perform. The pure, acoustic nature of a capella combined with body percussion perfectly matched the theme of the song, winter thawing into spring. That experience was one of the most profound moments I’ve had on the Natick High School stage, and for that, I can’t thank Nicole and Monkeyhouse enough.

photo by

However, the story doesn’t end there. The next year, Nicole was back with another project. Combining with a local youth company, TAProject, Seven’s Not Enough sang James Taylor’s “Shed a Little Light,” as arranged by former intern David Makransky and choreographed by Nicole. After a few weeks of practice, we performed the piece at Chelsea High School for Against the Odds. The music, paired with the choreography, told a story of how the “ties between us” can create a community from complete strangers. As a matter of fact, I had never met some of the TAProject dancers in my life, but as the last chord faded, it was unmistakable that we had shared an extraordinary experience. Through that performance, I gained an immense respect for how music and dance, when combined, can send a tangible, powerful message. Thank you, Nicole, for giving me this understanding, and thank you, Monkeyhouse, for connecting us and providing the opportunity for all of this to happen.

So, what are you thankful for? Let us know on Facebook!

Happy Birthday Andrew Palermo!

 by Danny Foner

Andrew Palermo (whose birthday is this month) is the co-founder and Artistic Director of dre.dance, a contemporary dance company in New York City. For nine years, dre.dance has created critically acclaimed works, described by the likes of the New York Times as 'powerful', 'athletic', 'gifted', 'passionate', 'propulsive', 'unexpected', 'weird', 'abstract', and 'wonderful.’ Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with him about his career.

DF: What inspired you to pursue dance? Were there any people or experiences that especially influenced you?
AP: I started dancing when I was 5 years old. I'm from Newark, NY, a little town outside of Rochester. What's crazy was, back then, the local ballet studio didn't take boys! Can you imagine? Everyone kills to get young boy dancers in their ranks now. So, my mom brought me to the next town over to take dance in the home-studio of Diane Ladd (not the Diane Ladd), where I studied ballet and tap for 5 years. I was inspired to dance by watching Fred Astaire. I don't know what movie it was, or if it was more than one (it was a loooong time ago). But I do know that I saw the man glide, and I wanted to as well. 

DF: You've been on both sides of the curtain line, as a performer, a choreographer, and an instructor. How does your experience as an actor and dancer influence your choreography and your teaching style? 

SPRING AWAKENING at UC Irvine
photo by Paul Kennedy

AP: Every day, in every situation, I draw from my years performing as I now direct, choreograph and teach. I think there can be a big difference in both the work and the work atmosphere when the person 'running' the show knows what it's like to be IN the show. I'm very aware of what it's like to be a performer. I consider how movements will feel on the dancer/actors, if they'll feel connected to them or just enjoy the aesthetic, will they be able to sustain the work over a long run. If there are vocals, will they be able to do what they need to do at a 10AM student matinee, etc. I'm also careful in rehearsals to ensure performers are well-treated, getting appropriate breaks, not abusing their time, maintaining as positive an atmosphere as possible. On the flip side, because I performed for quite a while, I may be a bit harder on dancer/actors with whom I work. When I was coming up, I feel like there was much less entitlement in our culture. I was taught to work hard, and do everything you need to do to get the result the director, choreographer or teacher was looking for. Accomplishing that brought a great sense of pride to my performances. So, I hold performers to very high levels of expectation, and expect them to do the work with a smile. As the old adage goes, there are 200 people, very similar to you, right behind you in line.

DF: You co-founded, and are now the Artistic Director of dre.dance. In what ways has the organization grown or changed since it was created in 2005? 

dre.dance - photo by Steven Schreiber

AP: I think, as with any artist or in any career path, your perspective changes, continues to refine itself, maybe broaden, who knows. But I do know that, you've got to keep growing. Taye [Diggs, cofounder] and I are both hybrid kind of 'artists'. We came up equally through dance and theatre, so our aesthetic and storytelling mechanisms either straddle that line or flip flop over it. That said, it's been interesting to me to approach movement and physical storytelling from different angles, and look at the work through different lenses. If the piece I'm working in is more abstract or interpretive, I may yearn to move into a straight dance piece next. If I'm using pop music, I'm probably next looking to work to something that's more left of center, more experimental. Change is good. I like when people say that something looks very 'dre' or 'Andrew' or 'Taye'. That's a compliment I think, to have your own vibe. But within that vibe, if you stop growing, that's death. The company is currently on an extended hiatus as my wife and I recently relocated to California. I'm now Assistant Professor of Drama (teaching dance) at University of California Irvine. It's been a beautiful blessing to be able to bring ALL of my work to my students. One day, I'll give them a dre.dance combination, the next, something from West Side Story, the next just a fun contemporary/jazz piece. 

Fortunately, my work in the theatrical world is keeping me quite busy these days. Right now, I'm in New York rehearsing The Other Josh Cohen, a new musical, at Papermilll Playhouse. After that, UCI is presenting a new theatrical work of mine entitled Nickel Mines, centering on the 2006 Lancaster, PA Amish schoolhouse shooting. Those two pieces are kind of a perfect example of the yin yang that my career has become. Josh Cohen is a hilarious, small, endearing show that utilizes musical staging, less choreography. Nickel Mines is more of a 'downtown' piece that will entail completely interpretive modern dance elements within the choreography. All this is to say that, even when dre.dance is 'quiet', I'm still pulling from my experience with the company and utilizing the aesthetic that has grown from working within that element.


DF: Reading your resume, I was especially fascinated by beyond.words, a piece which "examines the spectrum of autism with sympathy and wonder." Can you tell me more about that? Specifically, where did the idea come from? How did exploring autism through the lens of dance impact how you think about it?
AP: beyond.words germinated from a video made by a woman named Amanda Baggs. The piece is called 'In My Language', and it's a snapshot of 'a day in the life', followed by a description of that day, and a look into this woman's philosophy on autism. Amanda is non-verbal and considered 'low functioning', within the autism spectrum. She speaks through typed text on her computer. The thrust of the video is that, while she 'speaks' differently, interacts differently, and maybe appears different than much of the population, it doesn't mean that her differences make her disabled, impaired or any kind of misfit. She appears to love who she is and how she interacts with her world. In 2007, I found this fascinating. I knew nothing of autism and certainly had never heard this side of the story. So, we embarked on a piece that endeavors to shed some light on autism with Ms. Baggs' perspective as a strong part of the discussion. Beyond.words developed over 2 years through multiple residencies and remains, possibly, our most 'complete' work. In addition, I've become a bit of an advocate, lecturing on the arts and special needs and teaching creative movement to children on the spectrum. As we know, dance is a powerful tool. That's part of what I learned through watching 'In My Language'. Amanda never stopped moving. She communes with her space moment to moment through, what I think, is beautiful improvised choreography. That's the point of my classes with kids on the spectrum; to take an inherent love of movement, maybe harness it a bit, connect it with some concept and a bit of structure, and then empower the kids to tell stories with their bodies. It's been a wonderful journey, working with students across the country, and one that fills me with joy.

DF: What's the next project we can look forward to from you?
AP: Josh Cohen, then Nickel Mines, then Allegiance at The Old Globe, a new musical about the Japanese internment of WWII is looking to land on Broadway in the fall (fingers crossed).

Allegiance, choreographed by Andrew Palermo

Meet Danny Foner!

by Marie Libbin 

You've already read some articles by Danny. Now I wanted to let you know a little more about him. So his fellow intern Marie sat down and had a little chat with Danny about how he came to be an intern and the projects he's working on. Enjoy! -Nicole 

by Joel Foner

ML: How did you hear about/get involved with Monkeyhouse?

DF: I'm not sure when I first heard about Monkeyhouse. My awareness of it just sort of seeped into my consciousness, probably from either working with Nicole in musicals or through friends who were involved.

ML: How has your participation in the arts positively impacted your life?

DF: The arts have had an incredible impact on my life. I consider music, theater, dance, drawing, and others to be core parts of my identity. Without them, I have no idea where (or who) I would be. I think the creative aspect of the arts has encouraged me to grow as an individual, and art continues to be a major source of inspiration, relaxation, and motivation in my life.

ML: I know that college applications are in full swing right now. What are some of your goals for the future?

DF: In college, I definitely want to continue my involvement and growth in theater. Depending on the school, I hope to be either majoring in musical theater or acting, although only time will tell. After that, my plans for the future are a little less defined - right now, I barely have enough time to think about the next weeks or months, let alone the next years!

ML: You're currently involved in Natick High School's Fall musical production. Can you talk a little about the show and your role in it?

DF: Well, I'm currently in Natick High School Drama's production of Once Upon a Mattress. The show is a hilarious musical comedy based on the story of the princess and the pea. So far, I'm really enjoying it - the script is witty and surprising, the music is excellent, and Nicole's choreography is, as always, quite challenging, yet extremely rewarding to learn. I play Prince Dauntless, the hapless hero of the story, who yearns to find love. However, he is thwarted by his controlling mother, played by the excellent Katelyn Sweeney, who refuses every princess who arrives at the castle gates. I won't say much more, since I wouldn't want to spoil the rest, but all signs suggest that this show is not going to be one to miss!

ML: Thanks for your time, Danny! Danny is a senior at Natick High School and is a very talented musician, actor, and dancer. He's such a blast to watch perform onstage. His involvement and passion for the arts is admirable, and his sense of humor is undeniable. We're so lucky to have Danny on the Monkeyhouse team!

Getting to Know Lisa La Touche

by Danny Foner

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Lisa La Touche, an internationally renowned tap dancer. Her career highlights, as she writes on her website, include "New York and North American touring casts of STOMP, the Sophisticated Ladies at Harlem's legendary Cotton Club with Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, A.C.G.I with Emmy Award winner Jason Samuels-Smith, Rumba Tap with Max Pollak, Co-Director and guest artist with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, faculty member of the School at Jacob's Pillow, and guest artist at The American Tap Dance Foundation and The Vancouver Tap Dance Society." If you're interested in learning more, you can visit her website.

DF: How did you start learning tap? What about it made it so interesting to you?

LLT: I started taking tap lessons when I was 8 years old. I had amazing parents, dedicated to finding me a fun extra-curricular activity as a kid. After soccer and piano and gymnastics, which I didn't love, tap dance stuck. My mom also took lessons as a kid, and would sometimes show me steps and I always got a kick out of it. So upon my first class on my own, I was hooked immediately. The fact that I could make sounds and music with my feet thrilled me, while also being able to dance and express myself.

DF: Many dancers and other artists are inspired by their predecessors. Are there any tappers that inspired you to pursue your passion? What do you admire about them?

LLT: Oh man... there are so many that it's hard to narrow down. I've been really blessed and honored to have many mentors and their inspiration and wisdom is timeless and endless. Some to mention: Jason Samuels Smith, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Max Pollak, Barbara Duffy, Martin "Tre" Dumas III, Brenda Bufalino, Dianne "Lady Di" Walker... they are all such lions and lionesses in their craft. They all, to this day, dedicate themselves deeper daily in their contributions to the art form and the community. They teach me so much about what honoring your craft means and what transpires from staying focused and connected to your own passion. Jason Samuel Smiths inspires me always to see how the level of execution can always increase, and to never get comfortable. I'm always hearing "reach" when I think of him. Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards... I never have words... not only the execution but profound wisdom and grace in her dancing and teaching, and also a truly resilient woman and a divine lady always on and off stage. Max Pollak... a prime example of the possibilities of what one can achieve while branching out and simply staying true to investing in what inspires you. He's the pioneer in incorporating Afro-Cuban music and it's legacy as a tap dancer. He has created and mastered his own technique with his in-depth endeavors to study and hone the Afro-Cuban music and culture and earn respect from its homegrown artists.

DF: On your website, you write that you like to stay connected in the NYC jazz music scene. How does your experience with tap dancing influence your appreciation for jazz? Are the two connected in any way?

LLT: To me tap dance is another component of jazz. It's the same language, but different instrument. Tap is to dance as sound is to movement. It goes hand and hand to me. You have to learn how to dance and you have to learn how to play music. I've had the honor of working with some incredible musicians and they have influenced me deeply as much as my dance mentors have. Sometimes it can be a barrier to break through to have musicians be open enough to really work with a tap dancer and respect them on the same level as a musician. But upon meeting those that really do that, it's really fun from both parties to see that we really do walk the same walk... Jazz to me means a freedom to improvise and to push boundaries always in the "music," so to speak. We are composers as well - that would be the musician's term for us as "choreographers". One of the biggest highlights of my performing experiences: being on the band stand as a tap dancer with the Revive Da Live big band directed by Megan Stabile and Igmar Thomas. Having Igmar compose and arrange a song for us tap dancers with a 22-piece big band and then coming up with our own choreography composition within it was the best. And the reaction from the crowd felt like we were rock stars. This craft is truly so powerful and the advantage we have, so to speak, is the fact that we do get to dance while making our music, so music lovers always lose their minds.

DF: You belong to a tap group in New York called Tap Phonics. Can you tell me a little more about that? In other words, what does Tap Phonics do?

LLT: Tap Phonics started as my own "pick-up" company. Right now pick up companies are mostly how dancers function with their own groups. We get dancers together that we like working with on a project basis. This started for me with moving to New York in 2008. I met Brooklyn singer-songwriter Maya Azucena and she invited me to present my own group and open for one of her concerts. So I had to come up with a name, and [Tap Phonics] stuck. From then on, as different gigs came up, I pulled dancers together that I needed and it grew from there. Tap Phonics now, to me, is more of a project than a group.

I'm focusing on new arrangements and compositions and always collaborating with other artists or musicians. I think of it as "phonetically speaking." We are a group that can represent essences of the tradition and legacy of the tap dance art from, yet push past the "straight ahead" regime and find new ways to keep it contemporary. I've worked with spoken word artists, R&B musicians, MCs and electronic sounds in my projects. I'm currently working on curating a show while I'm here temporarily in Vancouver in support by the Vancouver Tap Dance Society. New works are being created as we speak which will funnel into the next Vancouver International Tap festival and I'm really excited about it!

DF: You've performed in dance festivals and on tours all across the world. What's next?

LLT: Next is working on my own conceptualized show as I mentioned before. Taking time to "be still and create." I'm very inspired lately and am composing more than I have in a while and it feels good. I've worked with so many amazing artists worldwide and only hope this will continue. In the meantime it really does feel good to take the time to work out my own ideas and build new platforms for myself and for others as well. I'm working more in Canada as of recently and am trying to bridge more of the gap between my home country, its dancers and the American tap dance scene. New York still resonates as home to me, and my roots ignited also in Chicago. It means more to me than I can express to be considered a contributor and to be respected by my American peers.

DF: And one just for fun: if you could do just one step for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

LLT: Funny as it sounds, you'll find cramp rolls and 5 count riffs in so many of my phrases. But all in all, I think in terms of musical patterns and then let that determine what vocabulary I should use.

Good Things!

 

*  Andrew Mudge's film, The Forgotten Kingdom, won the jury award for Best Narrative Feature at the Port Townsend Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Cambridge Film Festival! 

*  Andy Jacobs, a former student and recent contributor to the blog, can now be found immortalized in the pages of Dance Magazine!  Congratulations Andy and Mazzini Dance Collective! 

*  Welcome to the world J.J. Pillen and congratulations Vanessa, John and Nell!

 

*Congratulations to the Medford Arts Council! They have been doing such fantastic work that the city just voted to add $13,000 dollars to their funding.

*  Longtime supporter and friend Heather Pagella Gant will be moving back to the US with her beautiful family this month!  Can't wait to see you!

*  Congratulations to Tyler Cantanella of Paradise Lost for being selected for Green Street Studios' New Works Program in November

*  Congratulations to Dorothy Christian (a.k.a. Aunt Dot) on her two beautiful new great-grandchildren, Caleb and Grace!

*  Intern David Makransky was recently cast as Jesus in BC's production of Godspell.  Talk about a great way to kick off your freshman year in college!  Congrats, David!  We can't wait to see it!

*  Interns Marie Libbin and Danny Foner have been cast as Winnifred and Dauntless in Natick High School's production of Once Upon a Mattress!  (I'm telling you, these interns are busy little buggers!)  Congratulations, guys! 

 

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

Good Things!

  

*  Congratulations to Courtney Wagner and Jim Peerless on their recent engagement!

*  Monkeyhouse has a new intern, Danny Foner!  Keep an eye out for more information about him soon!

*  Longtime friend and supporter Leon Hovsepian just became a father, TWICE!  Congratulations, Leon!  And welcome twins, Leo & Logan, to the Monkeyhouse family!

*  Speaking of interns, four of our graduates headed off to college last month!  Best of luck to you Laila, Elyssa, David & Katelyn!  We can't wait to hear all about your adventures!

*  In addition to raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for The Jimmy Fund, the amazing Zach Galvin, sang the national anthem at Fenway Park last week!  Check out all the amazing work he's done with the Jimmy Fund Walk and maybe even get your walking shoes on!

*  Luminarium and Monkeyhouse Mused together!  In early August members of the two companies joined together share our creative processes and it was great fun for all!

*  Andrew Mudge's beautiful film The Forgotten Kingdom had its Boston showing last week.  Please go check it out if you can!  Congratulations on a job well done!

 

* Mara Blumenfeld, who gave Karen the original Princess Pamplemousse hat, is costume designing The Jungle Book at the Huntington Theater in Boston.

 

* South African actor, Nick Boraine is also in Boston this month for a five week residency with Global Arts Corps at ArtsEmerson. Monkeyhouse first met Nick when we both were performing at the NYC Fringe Festival in 2001. You can see him in free showings of the documentary, Truth in Translation ,and a workshop of a new project about the peace process in Northern Ireland.

 

* Our favorite palindromist, Barry Duncan was named Artist of the Month by the Somerville Arts Council!

 

*  Monkeyhouse reached over 400 "likes" on Facebook!  Thanks to everyone who spread the word!  We'd still like to keep going, so if you haven't already, tell the social media world why you love Monkeyhouse! 

 

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