ChoreoFest Revisited - Ryan P. Casey

With Luminarium Dance's ChoreoFest applications due next week, we thought we'd take a moment to check in with last year's choreographers and do a quick follow-up on what the last year has had in store for them.  Here's our dear friend Ryan P. Casey!

Photo Credit: Cynthia Griffith Clayton

N: Have you used the piece you created during ChoreoFest? In what way?

RPC: No; it was just for fun. But it was a chance to continue exploring our use of characters and incorporating different styles of dance.

N: What advice do you have for this year's participants?

RPC: Perhaps more so than usual, be willing to run with whatever ideas come to mind right away and be happy with them, whether you love them or not. There's not a lot of time to second guess and change things, of course, so give yourself permission to just roll with whatever your group is developing. "First thought, best thought," as Brenda Bufalino taught me!

N: What is your favorite memory from last year's festival?

RPC: I'm sure I'll never forget editing "Yakety Sax" at some ungodly hour of the night! Only at ChoreoFest!

N: What have you been up to in the last year?

RPC: We've been busy developing a new show, "Unbound," that we'll be touring beginning in October! It's a rhythmic romp through some of our favorite literature.

N: Where can people see you/your work these days? Any upcoming performances?

RPC: I'm hosting (and performing in) DanceNOW Boston at The Dance Complex on June 10; the next day, we're dancing in Harvard Square for Dance for World Community. Later this summer, on July 24, we're performing in Provincetown as part of Cape Dance Festival!

Check out Ryan's interview from last year here!  And don't forget to put ChoreoFest on your calendar for September 10th!

Word of the Day: Choreography

by Nicole Harris

In the spring we talked a bit about Musings and where they came from.  Today I thought we'd back up a bit and talk about a word we use here at Monkeyhouse every day in everything we do:

CHOREOGRAPHY - This may seem like a simple one but there are many ways to look at it.  According to the dictionary choreography can be defined as:  

  

n. the sequence of steps and movements in dance or figure skating, esp. in a ballet or other staged dance.

Recently I have had a number of conversations about Monkeyhouse's definition of this word that is the base of 

our entire organization.  We see choreography as:

Movement with meaning.

Our definition still covers choreography in the traditional sense, in dance concerts, movies, theatres, ice skating rinks and on Broadway.  However, it also covers a much wider range of ways that each of us move every day. Movement is everyone's first language and it helps us create a frame of reference for the verbal language we learn soon after. 

My favorite example of how you (yes, you) use choreography is to think back to your last job interview.  You put a lot of thought into how you dressed and putting your resume together.  Unconsciously, you also thought about sitting up straight, not fidgeting with your pen, making eye contact and the firmness of your handshake.  Each of these movements portrayed a specific message.  You are the right person for this job.  You are confident and self assured.  A people person.  That right there, folks, is choreography. 

More Soon on MM2

MM2 Season Logo by Bill Hebert

by karen Krolak

If you happen to be hanging in Philadelphia today, could you stop by the Performance Garage to see MM2 kick off their 2014 season? After reading about the company on Thursday, I am absolutely itching to know more about their work. 

MM2 seems to have a similar mission to Monkeyhouse. For example, MM2 was created by Steven Weisz to provide "support, space and opportunities for dance artists, who wish to explore the choreographic process, in order to cultivate and introduce new work to new audiences." In addition, MM2 is artist-driven organization that "is also community-centered, recognizing the need to educate, advocate, support and promote artistic vitality in the region." I was so excited to discover another company that is focusing on developing choreographers that I immediately contacted Steven. Be on the lookout for an interview or two about the company this week. Until then feel free to hot foot it over to Philly.

MM2 Modern Dance Company opens its 2014 season, BREATH, 

with four new works by choreographers 

Jessica Bryan, Jennifer Laucella, Alison Liney and Brianne Scott. 

 on Sunday, April 6^th, 2014 at 2:00pm 

at The Performance Garage, 

1515 Brandywine Street, 

Philadelphia, PA  19130. 

Tickets are $10 and available online at DanceBoxOffice.com or cash at the door.