Get to Know Mohcine Imrharn

photo by JK Photo

Recently, Aisha was lucky enough to do a few quick interviews with the artists of Fleur d'Orange. Today we bring you an interview with the incredibly talented Mohcine Imrharn, who created and performed the music and soundscape for Identity/Identité.  He also provided music at many of the dance workshops during the Fleur d'Orange residency, and led a music workshop at the Pingree School in South Hamilton. He was kind enough to share a bit about his musical career and his work on Identity/Identité.

AC: Mohcine, what drew you to music? How did you become a musician?
MI: From a young age, I learned to play mandolin and the Guembri, a traditional Moroccan instrument. With time I began to discover other instruments (guitar, flute, piano, drums and percussion), as well as other international styles of music. After my baccalaureate (the French version of senior year of high school and college entry examinations), I worked as a professional musician in the hotels of Marrakech, a tourist city and my hometown. When I finished my studies and found myself in the world of professional music, I began to compose my own pieces, a few of which were very successful. It was then that I decided to become a performer and composer, when I discovered my love of the process of artistic creation.

AC: Have you encountered resistance to your work, both together and separately?
MI: For me the biggest problem was to find a place where I could rehearse.

AC: How has your attitude toward dance and performance changed over time?
MI: Musical ideas tend to multiply when combined with dance, because you have more inspiration to work with. For me, music and dance together creates a more complete environment.

AC: What have you enjoyed most about working on Identity/Identite? What were your expectations verses outcomes?
MI: Identity/Identité is my identity, my self, my country and my culture. For that reason when I started composing music for this piece, knowing it would be contemporary, I wanted to introduce traditional Moroccan styles, although I was somewhat spoiled for choice. Morocco is very rich in folklore and diverse musical styles. Eventually I acted with my feeling toward the piece and used four major styles, Gharnati from the northeast, Zayane from the central Atlass mountains, and Gnaoui which is more internationally known. The words I sing at the beginning of the show is from the Jewish-Moroccan tradition.

Fleur d'Orange Residency Wrap Up (pt 1)

by Isabella Carmenate

by Karen Krolak

Several years ago the Boston Dance Alliance asked me to be a panelist for an event about touring dance. One of the questions that arose during this conversation was, "how do you define success?" Another panelist measured success in the number of people in attendance, the number of shows performed, and the number of cities visited, etc. As I listened to his answer and watched as choreographers and presenters in the audience nodded in response, I felt hesitant to share my own thoughts on the question. When the microphone was passed to me, I almost chickened out of an honest response.

You see, while I do understand the economic reality of touring and of presenting dance in general, the finances are unrelated to my sense of success. I want engagement...genuine connection that sparks curiosity and creativity. My metrics are harder to track and I think that they often frustrate grant makers. My metrics range from stories from participants to new projects that evolve or doors that open in people's minds or careers. They require time to develop and often tenacity to track down.

It has only been two weeks since Monkeyhouse's Fleur D'Orange residency ended but each day I get more evidence of how deeply it has affected our community. There is no question that it has surpassed my dreams for how it could be successful. To illustrate the impact of the residency, I would like to share some stats and stories.

To create this residency, Monkeyhouse began by brainstorming with our long term partners, Luminarium, Impulse Dance Center, Endicott College, the University of the Middle East Project, JK Photo and J.P. Licks. Based on the encouragement of those supporters, we reached out to seven new collaborating organizations: Center Stage, Brickbottom Artists Association, the Center for Arabic Culture, the Arts at the Armory, the Pingree School, BJ's and Not Your Average Joe's. These 13 partners helped us gather together diverse groups of people for all the events that week; more than 50% of whom were totally new to Monkeyhouse. While that is an impressive statistic for a presenter, it does not reveal the depths of our relationships with these partners. so I would like to offer just a few stories to exemplify their dedication to this project:

1. Both Impulse Dance Center and the Center for Arabic Culture, were so inspired by the Hind and Soufiane's workshops that they actually offered to contribute more funding to the residency than we had initially agreed upon.

2. In addition to proposing our residency idea to the Arts at the Armory, inviting their supporters to all the residency events, and helping to guide our post-show discussion, Luminarium's Kim and Russell Holman stayed until the bitter end of the Sunday night strike. They even volunteered to help get our extremely heavy genie back onto the U-haul.

3. Two members of Endicott's dance faculty, Nikki Sao Pedro-Welch and Mariah Steele, did a phenomenal job promoting their campus workshops to Endicott students and people at other local dance studios. When we realized during tech set up that our projector was not working well enough for Fleur D'Orange's performance, Nikki immediately loaned us one from her department. Nikki even drove one of the campus vans down to the performance to help more of her students attend the show in Somerville.

4. Center Stage and the New England Foundation for the Arts were so excited by the artist presenting artists aspect of our residency that they have asked me to be a panelist on the subject at APAP, the world's largest networking forum and marketplace for performing arts professionals, on January 12th!

Check back in a day or so and I will have some more stories on audience reactions and how the residency inspired at least one new project.

THANKS Giving Week 1!

Have you been keeping up with Monkeyhouse's THANKS Giving on Facebook?  Every day from November 1st through the end of the year Monkeyhouse is thanking one person (or group!) who has helped through our first thirteen years.  There are a wide variety of people who have intentionally or inadvertently pushed, lifted, poked or gently nudged us into the organization you see today.   Here's your chance to meet just a few of those folks!  If you come across someone you know, be sure so say thanks!  And keep an eye out for them at the next Monkeyhouse event!  Here is a summary of week one!  (If you want to keep up every day, take a minute to "like" us on Facebook for regular shows of gratitude!)

Jon Keith (self portrait)

JK Photo - Jon has been capturing choreography for Monkeyhouse for the past few years. It’s been great fun to watch his non-Monkeyhouse photographs begin to capture choreography too! JK Photo has a shiny new website that includes info on how you can hire him to capture your next big event! Thank you, Jon, for all that you do for Monkeyhouse!

LuAnn Pagella - Where to begin? LuAnn opened her doors to Monkeyhouse on day one when we were rehearsing for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and has been a rock for many of us personally and professionally ever since. LuAnn is the director of Impulse Dance Center in Natick where Karen and Nicole first met seventeen years ago, where Sarah Friswell, Sarah Feinberg, Nicole and many of our interns over the years (including Rosie, Laila, Elyssa, Ashley, Leah, Gaby and Remy) were once students and where Karen, Nicole and Sarah Friswell were/are members of the faculty. Without the support of this amazing woman many of us never would have had the chance to work together at all. From the bottom of our hearts, Monkeyhouse Loves You, Lu!

Joan Panek - Without Joan it would not have been possible to create Monkeyhouse. Long before there were any dancers in the studio, Joan enthusiastically brainstormed ways to build this organization with Rita and Karen Krolak. She was the very first donor and on our initial Board of Directors. Drawing from her experiences developing programs at the Dover Public Library and teaching in the Ashland school system, Joan guided us through our first outreach programs and helped us to establish a genuine community at Monkeyhouse. She is an outstanding ambassador for Monkeyhouse who has introduced friends to our projects, coaxed her son into videotaping early First Night shows, travelled hundreds of miles to see performances, and devoted thousands of hours volunteering. Monkeyhouse loves you dearly, Joan.
JP Licks - For more the later ¾ of Monkeyhouse’s existence we’ve had the great fortune of having a relationship with JP Licks. They have been our longest corporate sponsor and we are forever indebted to them. Whether donating ice cream for a closing night party, cross promoting events through their FB page or sending their head ice cream maker to judge the Your Just Desserts Bake Off, JP Licks has always been there for us. You’ve had the chance to grab a sundae at many Monkeyhouse events over the years. Take some time today to say a quick THANK YOU on their Facebook page for all that they do for arts in the greater Boston area today! Monkeyhouse Loves You!

Isabel Fine- Have you ever wondering how Monkeyhouse became an organization in residence at Springstep? It was all Isabel’s brilliant idea. She recognized that Springstep had some underused resources and approached us about how to combine forces. Thanks to her, Monkeyhouse was able to have regular rehearsal times, which expanded the number of dancers and choreographers presented in our concerts. We were able to develop pieces with prop elements and costume designs that would have been unwieldy if we had had to transport them each week. Our artists were inspired by the remarkable architecture of the building and have found bold ways to incorporate this into their creations. In addition, she is also the person who encouraged us to apply for the first Dance in the Fells concert. Best of all, she has gone on to join our Board of Directors where she shares her expertise on everything from administration management to curating concerts. Did you know that she currently curates the performances series for the Music Department at Wellesley College and that she use to be the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival? We are so honored by her support.

Zach Galvin - I’m not sure it possible to count the number of ways Zach has ties into

Zach Galvin (by JK Photo)

Monkeyhouse. He is a former classmate of Karen’s. Nicole was a student his first year as an English teacher at Natick High School, where he is now Vice Principal to many of our recent interns… The list goes on and on. And on top of that, Zach has been an active cheerleader for Monkeyhouse since day one. His encouragement and support are overwhelmingly appreciated! If you’re looking for another reason to love Zach, check out all the work he’s doing for the Jimmy Fund! Thank you, Zach!

Kelly Long - For close to the first decade of the 21st century Karen was choreographing musicals for Dover-Sherborn High School. It was there that she first met Kelly, a perky and outspoken young dancer. Kelly quickly began studying with Karen and Nicole at Impulse Dance Center and became a regular at Monkeyhouse company class. She volunteered at Monkeyhouse events (I have a vivid memory of Kelly, Ashley Chandler and Joanna Macone getting themselves horribly lost on their way to a fundraiser in JP then eagerly donning wigs and talking to donors without blinking an eye) and was always eager to engage in conversation about all sorts of big ideas. Since leaving high school Kelly has gone on to study dance therapy and is helping people find the very important meaning in their own movement. She has always been a huge ambassador for Monkeyhouse and because of her word of mouth we were given over $500 in donations last spring! Thank you, Kelly, for always having Monkeyhouse in your heart! We love you dearly!Pam & Steve Harris - Monkeyhouse is an all encompassing lifestyle for those of us at its heart. Many of our families and close friends have taken up the torch too, each in their own way. Nicole’s parents, Pam & Steve, are no exception. You may remember them from their gracious hosting of both Your Just Desserts and the ATO Thank You Luncheon at their beautiful home. (Did you know that Steve completely renovated that lovely house himself?) Pam’s homemade apple pie has been an often fought over auction item at fundraisers and they are both always on hand to lend us anything from a lemonade dispenser for post show events to drop cloths for a site specific performance. A heartfelt thank you to both of you from your daughter and all her Monkeyhouse friends.

Happy Halloween!

My Favorite Things

Photo Credit: JK Photo

by Caitlin Meehan  

I asked some Monkeyhouse folks to share their favorite Against the Odds moments.  Caitlin's favorite things seemed especially appropriate this month right on the heels of Jason Ries (our production manager and lighting designer) winning an IRNE for his work with Company One since his designs feature so strongly in her moments.   -Nicole 

  

My favorite moment at Against the Odds this year would have to be a tie: seeing my piece, DisArmed, performed by Nicole with fantastic lighting by Jason, and getting to perform the blindfold duet with Courtney (incidentally also with fantastic lighting by Jason!)

When DisArmed was performed the first time, at the festival in NH, there was basic stage lighting with no changes. This time was 180 degrees from there- tiny pinpoints of light all over the space suddenly appeared, and began to move and morph around as the piece progressed, contributing to the motif of confusion and unsteadiness. The lighting changed and strengthened as the choreography went on, and generally created a layer of atmosphere that was not there for the initial performance.

Then, after much musing and rehearsal, Courtney and I got to perform our duet in which she is blindfolded and I am not. It really came together for this performance, and the red/green lighting enhanced the experience for us as performers, as I'm sure it did for the audience as well. We were able to include a section of improvisation within the set choreography, which is always exciting and kept the piece fresh each time. Courtney and I work really well together in this blindfolded/not setup, so it was a pleasure to perform this duet.

Mystic River Celebration

by Caitlin Meehan

photos by JK Photo

On October 20th, Monkeyhouse had the opportunity to perform outside in some glorious fall weather during the Medford on the Mystic festival. Organized by the fantastic Alli Ross, this festival included live music, food, hula hooping and various vendors.

Monkeyhouse dancers Courtney Wagner, Sarah Friswell, Sarah Feinberg, Nikki SaoPedro Welch, Nicole Harris and myself arrived on the scene and began to work our magic on a lovely stretch of pathway by the river. We had an improvisation game to play- and audience participation was encouraged!

On our stretch of walkway, we divided into groups and began at either end with various words "labled" on us. "Sneak," "Float," "Twirl" and "Wiggle" were just a few examples- our assignment was then to embody these words while traveling from one end of the path to the other. Partnering and interaction ensued when we met other dancers along the way. The challenge (and fun part!) was having two or more words to embody at once- such as the memorable crossing where I had "Hide" and "Fly," which led to me running and trying to hide behind the one skinny tree nearby!

Some of our audiences were fleeting; families passing by stopped for a moment to watch and moved on. Others really joined in- we had one very enthusiastic puddle-jumping fellow, and another who claimed he didn't want to take part... until he did! Two new Monkeyhouse fans played follow-the-leader with Nikki, and another did a lap with her walker! It was especially nice that there was live music being played in the band shell right next to us, for added inspiration.

We also played a game of "One-Up," in which one member of the group must always be in the air (can't touch the ground!) Both Courtney and Nikki took turns flipping and turning, supported as our group moved from one end of our path to the other. We discovered some interesting new lifts! All in all, it was a perfect day to improvise outside, and to discover new ways to travel from point A to point B!

Monkeyhouse Loves JK Photo!

by Nicole Harris

When we planned the first Your Just Desserts in 2010 I thought, what could be more fun than a photo booth run by someone with an contagious energy and enthusiasm, rivaled only by his love for taking photos?  So, I called up my cousin Jonathan.  Probably my oldest friend, Jon and I went through childhood side by side.  We shared friends, clothes and interests and now that we had grown up I was thrilled to able to share in the artistic endeavors that make us both who we are. 

His photo booth was a huge success and when Against the Odds rolled around we were happy to have Jon there snapping photos.  (Isn't that photo from Eva Dean Dance so sweet?) 

More than a year later, Jon has made a lot of life changes, from his now one year old son and the start of his new photography business.  Whether they're family portraits, wedding candids or beautiful landscapes, Jon has a real knack for bringing out the personality of everything his lens touches.  When I asked him about the start of his new business, JK Photo, he said, "When you posted the photos I took of Monkeyhouse and I saw 'photos by Jonathan Keith' I realized that this was something I could do." 

Well, everyone here at Monkeyhouse is 100% behind you, Jon.  And we are forever grateful for everything you do for Monkeyhouse!  You can catch many of Jon's photos at the JP Licks in Harvard Square, Davis Square and Legacy Place for the next few weeks and don't miss the Moooving for Meaning Photo Booth at Your Just Desserts on September 28th!

Your Just Desserts

All week we will be featuring Against the Odds events in honor of yesterday's opening of ticket sales.  Today we'll be featuring the official kickoff of the festival, Your Just Desserts.  Some of you may remember this event from 2010 when we celebrated our first Your Just Desserts with great success.  When we began planning the festival we knew that there would be no better way to kick off a celebration than with a delicious evening of desserts and dancing.

Friday, September 28th
7pm 

41 Harvard St, Natick, MA

While there you can check out the amazing auction items, including donations from Jon Wye and festival sponsor J.P Licks; get your groove on in the Mooove for Monkeyhouse Photobooth compliments of JK Photo; and enter the Your Just Desserts Bake Off!  And that's just the start of the fun.  More amazing things are being added every day!




This year's judges panel for the Your Just Desserts Bake off will be Donald Hernstrom, head ice cream maker from JP Licks and Susan Warnick of Channel 5, WCVB!  Bring your tasty treat over for the chance to win some amazing prizes!

And don't forget to bring your friends!  What better way to show your love than with dessert!?

Tickets are available TODAY!