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

Getting to Know Ninette Paloma

I am fascinated by aerial dance so I was thrilled to interview Ninette Paloma of La Petite Chouette aerial dance company.  They are coming to the CoolNY 2014 Dance Festival from Santa Barbara for performances on Friday, February 7th at 7:00pm & Saturday, February 8th at 9:00pm.  All performances are held at the WHITE WAVE John Ryan Theatre, 25 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY and are FREE! -Nicole

photo by Onno Sweep

N:  As a tap dancer I find myself constantly facing the challenge of venues who do not want us to use their floors with tap shoes on.  I can only imagine finding venues open to aerial dance is infinitely harder.  How do you work around those issues in applying to festivals and creating your season?

NP:  Ah yes, working in the genre of aerial dance means the first thing you will always do when walking into a room is look up. We’re constantly suffering from height and structural beam envy. Having a solid working knowledge of your rigging needs and an extensive back of house vocabulary is key when taking your work outside of your studio walls. There’s nothing a Tech Director loves more than to work with an artist who knows her way around a grid and stage battens, rolling up her tights to secure span sets when other artists might be powdering their noses. As a director, I make it a point to visit every stage before signing a contract and establish a very quick relationship with all of the stage hands. Back of house techies have a special place in my heart, they geek out as much as we do.

photo by Onno Sweep

N:  The mainstream popularity of any art form can both help and hinder the growth of that art form.  How do you think the world of aerial dance has changed with the popularity of circus shows like Cirque du Soleil in recent years?NP:  I believe Cirque du Soleil played a fundamental role in ensuring that the tradition of circus arts lived on for a new generation to experience. Although their focus on musicality and physical theatre may have echoed the work already being created by smaller companies throughout the world, their popularity encouraged artists to explore even broader ways of re-defining this ancient art form. Our aerial dance company focuses specifically on the relationship between floor and aerial movement, whereas another company might blend commedia dell’ arte with acrobatics. Like Ballet is to Modern Dance, so too are our fundamental roots firmly recognized. Our roots just happen to be steeped in red noses and pachyderm poop. This is not necessarily a bad thing. 

N:  It sounds like the circus arts have been in your life since you were a teenager.  What got you started?  What do you recommend for people interested in the circus arts but who aren't lucky enough to live near a school like yours in Santa Barbara?

photo by Onno Sweep

NP:  Come now, who wouldn’t want to learn the intoxicating art of aerial dance in 75 degree weather against a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez mountains? We’re hosting the 2014 Santa Barbara Contemporary Floor to Air Festival next month, where eight international  aerial dance companies will join us for a week of workshops and performances. The disproportionate number of snowbirds heading to our Santa Barbara shores is both charming and telling, and I don’t blame them one bit, it’s freezing everywhere else! 

 

As for how I got started, picture a whisper of a girl, barely eighteen, disenchanted with competitive gymnastics, and bored as rocks. I walked into an open audition for a local Midwestern circus and everything shifted for me in that moment. Fast forward to 2014 and- what’s the opposite of bored as rocks- because that’s what I am today. Everything about this art form speaks to my well-being, even the painful, trying, tedious moments. That’s when you know you’re leaning into the right thing.

 

photo by Onno Sweep

N:  People in the arts often develop strong mentor/mentee relationships.  Did/do you have a mentor throughout your career?  Do you have a person or people that you have taken the mentorship role for now that you're a more established artist?  How do you feel those relationships change your work? NP:  I’ve been turning this subject over in my head for the past few months as I prepare one of my longest standing students for a major audition. Eight years ago, she walked into my studio without a dance, gymnastics, or athletic background, only a fierce determination that today, seems to burn brighter than ever before. If I step back to take in the role I’ve played in her development, observing her evolution from a shy and careful girl to the bold and confident performer that she is today, I am filled with more joy than I could possibly ever contain within the span of a sentence. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with innovative pioneers of the aerial dance movement, and though my time with them was invaluable, it was also short-lived because during those days, aerial studios and companies were spread out thinly all over the world. To be able to work one on one with a student, observe their strengths and challenges, and tailor your approach to their evolving needs is both hard work and wholly rewarding. In a sense it’s a consistent reclamation of passion, as I am reminded every day how invaluable this developmental process is.

Getting to Know Laura Neese!

I have met some incredibly interesting people in the process of these interviews and Laura Neese doesn't disappoint!  You can catch her work at the CoolNY 2014 Dance Festival on Friday, February 7th at 9:00pm & Sunday, February 9th at 6:00pm.  All performances are held at the WHITE WAVE John Ryan Theatre, 25 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY and are FREE! -Nicole

KitchenSink Collective-
L to R Caroline Martin, Laura Neese, Claire Baum, Katie Vason
photo by Bryan Winter

N:  The piece you'll be performing at the CoolNY Dance Festival involves "shoe-less" tap dancing combined with modern vocabulary. As both a modern and tap dancer myself I am always excited to see work that combines the two! I also saw that you have a background in Irish dance. Can you talk a little about ways you work to combine these backgrounds as you create new pieces?

LN:  I find something inherently individually expressive about tap/percussive improvisation. If you ask me to just dance, I’ll spiral my torso and explore spine articulation like a good modern dancer, but my feet will probably start a nonmetred, illegitimate, un-time step… (something to do with the mixed up tap and Irish dance history in my training, and the natural inclination of people to tap their feet to music..)

photo by David Cruse

I’ve noticed in processes and improvisations, (& on the ferry) that my feet really want to speak up. For this new work, I wanted to listen and explore this impulse as a part of my creative work.

Though it reads differently than the emotionality of shape, audio imagery – the mathematical logic or illogic of rhythm, spontaneity, and the way that reverberates in the body – I think can create an experience just as rich with feeling. Right now I’m experimenting to see how I can incorporate this part of me into my work.

My work with Darrah Carr Dance, and guest choreographer Sean Curran, has also been influential in opening me up to the possibility of combining elements of dance forms. Darrah’s work combines traditional Irish and contemporary modern dance, and Curran’s work for the company is always imbued with strong rhythmic sensibility.

N:  You are a founding member of KitchenSink Collective. When I was reading your website I notices that each of the co-founders has a title (mathematician, wordsmith, body whisperer, master schedule machine). Can you tell me a bit about the collective, its founders, and their titles?

 Darrah Carr Dance Company-
Laura Neese, Timmy Kochka
photo by Erin Baiano

LN:  KitchenSink Collective is a creative experiment that keeps the members grounded in the process of creating and performing contemporary/modern dance while we each attempt to navigate our individual artist & human lives. In an environment in which our artistic work -unpaid, as a general rule- is usually project-based, inconsistent, competitive, and of course expensive to make if you want to do it yourself, we have found a means of working together to help keep us all engaged and motivated to dance, despite chaos of our “other lives.”

We met at Dance New Amsterdam, actually. Without having previously known each other well, we started to make a dance -just to make one- which led to more dances, which snowballed into a regularly meeting company or “collective,” and bringing other dancers in along the way. It has been a remarkable baptism by fire.

We all contribute our resources and talents to make it possible to offer each other not only consistent involvement in a rehearsal process as a performer, but also the opportunity to explore choreographic ideas with a company of supportive bodies. We pass the choreographic baton in rotation, and capitalize on our individual skills to keep the organization going- hence our nifty titles… though we each may do a little bit of everything.

Claire (our “master schedule machine,” and an arts administrator in her other life) is one of the most detail-oriented people I’ve ever met; Joanna (“mathematician,” our financial manager) has a gift for data and numbers – and a math degree. Katie (“body whisperer”) is a Pilates instructor with remarkable knowledge of the body and intelligent recommendations for various dancerly ailments- a gem in rehearsal. As “wordsmith” I write and edit text for company use… I’m somewhat fastidious about apostrophes.

I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work with these remarkable women and for their having fallen into my life, (or I into theirs?)

photo by Laura Neese

N:  We had a very brief conversation about the insular-ness of many dance communities. While struggling to acquire very limited resources it's easy to take on a "me against the world" attitude. What are some ways that you have tried to fight against that mentality for yourself and those around you? What do you see as the benefits of creating a broader, more communicative and sharing dance community?

LN:  KitchenSink definitely helps ameliorate some of the “me against the world” feelings… though as an outer borough dwelling artist (of that obscure, “pretentious,” modern dance kind of art) the issue can become quite pernicious. However even in Staten Island, the borough most underserved in arts education and venues, I have found a resilient though somewhat fragmented arts community. Knocking on doors, finding out about and participating in creative events (especially those that bleed outside of your own discipline) I have found to be invaluable in a) meeting new, interesting people, with new, interesting perspectives, b) leading to new opportunities, c) finding people really do appreciate your strange art form if they have a reason and chance to see it. d) new reasons to share what you do with other people and to help people share what they do…. And it keeps going.

Diving into explorations of other arts- taking workshops in different things- helps me to recognize the continuity of the creative process across mediums, recognize strengths and weaknesses of different modes of working, and to remember to not take myself too seriously (though to take the craft seriously).

Some of my most interesting dance related experiences as a performer, choreographer, and otherwise creative conspirator have occurred in non-traditional dance settings: collaborating with musicians, filmmakers, theatre practitioners, photographers, and “normal” community members.

I believe it is important to not only keep dialogues going within the dance community, but also to extend the invitation beyond the dance regulars. Face it, we get esoteric, we get stuffy, we get into patterns of what is “in” and “isn’t.” We get stuck in ruts. And we get frustrated when no one shows up.

If we individually want to improve our art making – and stay interested & interesting - I believe it is vital to experience many other kinds of art as a spectator or participant. (Maybe art is painting, or storytelling, or a craft, or acting, teaching, computer programming?)

If we, individually, invite other people who would or could be interested in dance -if they were exposed to it- into the conversation, would the field not be richer indeed?

photo by Eric Bandiero

N:  People in the arts often develop strong mentor/mentee relationships. Did/do you have a mentor throughout your career? Do you have a person or people that you have taken the mentorship role for now that you're a more established artist? How do you feel those relationships change your work?

LN:  My first, and perhaps most influential mentor in dance was my first teacher Rosemary Cappozalo. She was passionate about clean, healthy, refined technique, but also about the idea of generosity in performance. Performance without love behind it didn’t mean anything.

I didn’t know at the time, but she instilled in me a subconscious understanding of this at an early age. She trained me in basics of teaching, and inspired me to take the art form seriously, and notice the positive impact arts can have in communities if allowed to thrive. Although she’s no longer here, I often think of her when I’m stuck, or frustrated, or need guidance.

Now as an educator myself I function as a mentor at times for specific dance students, (and academic tutees). For these individuals, I usually find myself acting as a confidence coach. Whether they are performing on stage or on an exam I recognize that students need to find the desire and determination within themselves to put in the necessary work, and then trust their own abilities to do it. This sort of consistent engagement with students is a reminder to appreciate process in general.

Getting to Know Kora Radella

Kora Radella of boomerang recently answered some questions about her work and their upcoming performances in Brooklyn!  They'll be at the CoolNY 2014 Dance Festival on 

Friday 2/7 at 7 p.m. & Saturday 2/8 at 9 p.m.  All performances are held at the WHITE WAVE John Ryan Theatre, 25 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY and are FREE! -Nicole

photo by Mark Davis

N:  It appears that boomerang is a company of three with vastly different backgrounds. How do you create work together? Is your process collaborative? If so, what are some of the processes you've found to work well? What perhaps didn't work so well?

KR:  boomerang is comprised of myself, Kora Radella, Matty Davis, and Adrian Galvin. My work with them together started after casting them in a quintet that eventually was performed at Kennedy Center. They both had taken beginning modern dance technique class with me at Kenyon College for their first dance classes ever. Davis worked with me his junior year and Galvin joined when they were both seniors. After the quintet, we really wanted to continue working together more intensely via duets. They both had full and eclectic movement histories including a common link of aggressive roller-blading and an inherent love of motion. What I value most about them is how vulnerable they allow themselves to be in the work. That openness within our creative research offers depth and dialogue that keeps us engaged. We all contribute to the movement language for each piece. I am the choreographer of the work with input from them. I’ve also choreographed solo work in collaboration with Davis. We’re currently working on a solo that we are really excited about sharing. The three of us work well together with some adjustments of how to share feedback within the rehearsal process. The biggest challenge is that Davis and I are more enthusiastic about boomerang and making time for it to thrive. Davis does much of the administration and writing to get our work out. We are all juggling passions, schedules, locations, and responsibilities. Davis is a visual artist and Galvin is a musician with Poor Remy and Yellerkin.

photo by Mark Davis

N:  You're presenting a duet called Boomerang at the CoolNY 2014 Dance Festival. Can you tell me a bit about the piece and where it came from?

KR:  We are presenting the first duet we made together, Boomerang, like our company but with a capital B at CoolNY 2014. For that duet, one of the things I had been thinking about was putting what one would normally be at the end of the piece, right at the beginning instead. Thus, they start out thrashing and shaking, which is reminiscent of Davis on the dance floor at a party! This compact duet shows the breadth of their abilities as movers in exciting ways while allowing an empathetic relationship to develop in front of the viewers’ eyes.

We are also super excited about premiering our first evening length performance entitled Shred January 31st at 7:30 p.m. at the beautiful IrondaleCenter (85 S Oxford St., Fort Greene, Brooklyn) as part of the dance festival FLICfest 2014.

N:  You are also part of a company called Double-Edge Dance. I love the idea of a company formed by a choreographer and musician equally. Can you tell me a little about how you guys work together? How did you meet?

KR:  Double-Edge Dance was co-founded by myself and composer/saxophonist, Ross Feller. During the process of the first piece we made together, he noted that I was having much more influence on the music than he was on the dancing. He had come into the studio and recorded the dancers rhythms and all sorts of things. After that observation, I had him come into the studio and fall all different ways via his own methods. I then learned his falls, made a phrase of them and taught them to the cast. He hasn’t really complained about that imbalance of influence anymore, perhaps because he doesn’t want to be asked to fall over and over again anymore! We work all different ways depending on the project but most often I work without music during at least the first third of my rehearsal process. We both are also improvisers within our own art forms so we often have set works juxtaposed with improvised pieces in our programs. We enjoyed that most recently in our October ’13 show at Roulette in Brooklyn.

photo by Mark Davis

N:  People in the arts often develop strong mentor/mentee relationships. Did/do you have a mentor throughout your career? Do you have a person or people that you have taken the mentorship role for now that you're a more established artist? How do you feel those relationships change your work?KR:  I have moved around too much to have a really strong mentor. I was fortunate to study with Bessie Schoenberg one summer. She saw a private showing of my solo work and was surprised at how it contrasted with how fun loving she observed me to be in my social interactions. She surmised that I was afraid showing my humor in my choreography would make me lose powerful performances. She locked eyes with me and said, “It is impossible for you to lose your edge.” I’ll never forget that, though I don’t tend to do lighthearted fun pieces still! I was lucky to go to SNDO (School for New Dance Development) in Amsterdam and create work in that city for four years. That was a big growth time for me as was when I lived in Brussels and Basel. I think the influence of those places and the fact that art is like food there versus something extra, was really helpful (though frustrating in that art is not treated the same way in America usually). There are a few dance artists who ask me to give them feedback and keep in close contact with me. I enjoy that process. One of the ways mentoring changes my work is that through offering feedback, I articulate ideas I often find problematic in my own work and art form. Such dialogue helps me examine and deconstruct underlying assumptions to get more breadth of choice and clarity.

Getting to Know Jordan Rosin

The choreographer, Jordan Rosin, performing in The Ume Group's
"Facet" at the 2013 WAVE RISING SERIES at WHITE WAVE;
photo by Anton Martynov.

Our next interview in the CoolNY 21014 Dance Festival series is with Jordan Rosin of The Ume Group.  You can see his work on Friday, February 7 at 9:00pm & Sunday, February 9 at 6:00pm.  All performances are held at the WHITE WAVE John Ryan Theatre, 25 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY and are FREE! -Nicole.

Rehearsals for "Isis Variations aka Of Love /
Of Silence" (set to premiere at
CoolNY 2014), featuring Marie Putko
& Dave Herigstad, photo by Jordan Rosin

N:  Butoh is such a distinct movement style. How do you find it blends with the other movement styles you experiment with? Are there things that you struggle to meld due to the nature of Butoh?
JR:  While from the outside eye it may appear that there is not much in common between butoh and some of the other physical disciplines we practice (like gymnastics or kung fu), there hasn't yet been a movement style we've hands-down failed to meld with Butoh. Mostly, I think this is because of the fact that we view Butoh more as a philosophy and as a physical / spiritual discipline than as a movement style in and of itself. There are certain characters and situations in drama where our most self-sacrificial Butoh practices may seem out of place in performance, but things like embracing the physical hardship of a choreography or offering our dance to the benefit of others can really only deepen the resonance of a given performance (in any style).

N:  Your company, The Ume Group, is called a physical theatre company. Can you talk a bit about what that means and how it differs from dance or dance theatre?
JR:  Primarily, our core ensemble has come from the world of theatre. All of us have trained in method-based acting and a realistic approach to telling stories onstage. The word "physical" comes in because we aim to train our bodies and to practice our art with the self-discipline and dedication characteristic of athletes or dancers. Every 2nd & 4th Tuesday for example, our core ensemble and community of followers join together in a free & open-to-the-public event known as "Open Training" where 3 teachers share 3 radically different approaches to training the physical body of a performer. I'm excited that in February we'll also begin our first weekly "Company Classes" which will focus (at least initially) on tightly goal-oriented training in gymnastics, yoga, and butoh for our most frequent performers. Many would say that the work we do is like dance, but not coming from that world myself, I wouldn't really know.

N:  It looks like your work is a very intense and hands on. How do you find the people you work with? How much say do they have in the creation process?
JR:  In the last year or so we instituted a physical training program known as the Training Ensemble, where for three months at a time one day each week a group of 6 artists gather to learn a variety of physical disciplines, create new work together, and practice their own skill as teachers. From this program - now in its third quarter - most of our principle dancers have emerged, including Marie Putko and Dave Herigstad whom you will see perform when you join us at the CoolNY Festival on Feb. 7 and 9. In our first two years as a company, membership was all about participation in our flagship martial-arts / butoh-dance epic, BUTOH ELECTRA which we produced at numerous venues and for which casts of actors and actor/dancers selected from extensive rounds of auditioning trained and rehearsed for months at a time. That's how we met Yokko and Hannah Scott, who still teach and dance with us on a regular basis. Now we've begun - through the Training Ensemble - to develop a more formal, but still remarkably organic way of initiating new artists into our creative process. As far as that creative process is concerned, it is always truly varied and highly ensemble-based. As a "choreographer", I pick a few of the landmarks (sometimes themes, music, words; occasionally the body positions) which I think will render the most interesting or resonant journey for the artists to undergo in front of an audience and then I ask the artists to practice that journey, discovering their own landmarks with sometimes similar, sometimes different destinations. Their commitment to moment-to-moment honesty with themselves and with the universe around them is more important than any combination of poses or words, which I think of as part of that final destination.

N:  People in the arts often develop strong mentor/mentee relationships. Did/do you have a mentor throughout your career? Do you have a person or people that you have taken the mentorship role for now that you're a more established artist? How do you feel those relationships change your work?
JR:  Awesome question. I believe that mentor-ship is fantastically important. I was lucky enough when I was in acting school to have a teacher by the name of Steven Cross who truly pushed me to explore alternate ideas of what "theatre" could mean. As one of the school's two "movement" teachers in the acting program, he not only advised all of my directing work, but was also the first one to introduce me to the tools-of-the-body I use on a regular basis today... yogic asanas, whole-body listening, handstands (which are a fabulously useful trick for anyone to explore), and centering myself with breath. From these seeds I developed a whole variety of interests in disciplines as diverse as butoh and competition-style gymnastics, but perhaps more importantly, he helped me develop an awareness of my body as a playground and a temple, across which my spirit is thrilled to dance and play in new ways every day. That's what I aim to cultivate in the artists I mentor when I am blessed to teach in The Ume Group's workshops and Open Training sessions.

Getting to Know Micheline Heal!

I also quite enjoyed talking with Micheline Heal about being a young choreographer in New York City.  You can see her work on Friday, January 31 at 7:00pm, Saturday, February 1 at 9:00pm, Friday, February 7 at 9:00pm & Sunday, February 9 at 6:00pm at the CoolNY 2014 Dance Festival.  All performances are held at the WHITE WAVE John Ryan Theatre, 25 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY and are FREE! -Nicole

N:  You participated in something called the "Stages of Healing" program.  Can you tell me a bit more about it?

MH:  Yes! “Stages of Healing” is a wonderful presentation series at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that is curated by Dr. Micah Sickel. He brings artists and companies into the hospital to do programming with current patients (active duty, retiree and dependents), patient families and hospital staff. Sourcing artists from grantees of National Endowment for the Arts and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (I was a grantee in 2011), they have curated artists such as Dance Exchange, Michael Rohd of Sojourn Theater, Grammy-nominee Christylez Bacon, and Poet Laureates Linda Pastan and Joseph Bathanti, amongst others.

N:  You used to be here in Boston.  Can you talk a bit about your work with the American Chinese Arts Society's Traditional ChineseDance Troupe?  How does that work translate to what you're doing today? 

MH:  I grew up in Boston and danced with the American Chinese Arts Society’s Traditional Chinese Dance Troupe for ten years. My introduction to the troupe happened when I was seven years old; my grandmother saw an ad in the Chinese newspaper for the audition and being the dutiful granddaughter I auditioned, got in, and wound up staying until I left Boston for college. It was an incredible link to my Chinese heritage that I am profoundly grateful for and most certainly influences my choreography & movement vocabulary. My use of props (especially fabric), fluid & spiraling phrase work, acrobatics, and thematic focus on spiritual and metaphysical subject matter are each direct but subtle displays of my training in Chinese dance. The dances I grew up performing filled the stage with lush costumes, dramatic sets and backdrops, and movement that explored props such as fans, ribbons, drums, and the iconic long water sleeves. My goal is to integrate these influences seamlessly, interpreting them in a western context so that they come through in their essence and not as cultural appropriation. Of course I do, on occasion, dip directly into my wealth of training and make a dance that is recognizably Chinese but I only do so to draw the audience’s eye very intentionally through an Eastern cultural lens.

N:  Your company, Mich-Mash, relocated from the DC area to Brooklyn, NY in 2012.  How did that move work?  Did you have dancers who moved with you or did you begin working with new collaborators once you moved?MH:  When I relocated Mich-Mash from the DC area to Brooklyn it was because I, for personal reasons, had to make the move. The dancers with whom I was working with in DC did not come with me; my company still works on a pick-up basis and though I have dancers who have worked with me on many different projects, the core group of dancers who I was working with at the time also had other commitments to other companies and were not in a position to move with me. Over the past year and a half I have gathered (through a myriad of avenues) a group of dancers in New York who I collaborate with on an increasingly regular basis.

N:  People in the arts often develop strong mentor/mentee relationships.  Did/do you have a mentor throughout your career?  Do you have a person or people that you have taken the mentorship role for now that you're a more established artist?  How do you feel those relationships change your work?

MH:  I don’t have a single mentor but I would say that I have several in a kind of mentorship circle. Ironically none of them are choreographers – I wish I had a strong artistic mentor who could give me concrete and specific feedback on my work. Calling all mid-career/established choreographers: I would LOVE to speak with you about mentorship! Marcus Kyd, Artistic Director of the Taffety Punk Theatre Company in DC, took me under his wing shortly after I landed in DC and has provided invaluable advice & counsel to me over the years. Laura Colby, Founder & Director of Elsie Management, who I have assisted in various administrative capacities, has taught me more about the business of the dance field than I think I could have learned in an MBA course comprised exclusively of case studies in dance. John Gingrich, of John Gingrich Management, has generously shared with me a lifetime of experience as a dance audience member, classical music manager, and is a dear friend.

I really do wish I had a mentor who was a more established choreographer. Because I started choreographing professionally at such a young age, I never joined a company where traditionally dancers establish that kind of relationship. I also never did the summer programs, the other place where such a relationship would have naturally emerged.

To learn about good choreography, I watch dances. I’ve spent hours watching videos, and regularly attend live performances, trying to sponge up as much as I possibly can. In my book the mark of a good performance is when I stop doing my homework and just get swept up in the work.

To critique my work, I turn first to my dancers & collaborators, then to my audience. I very intentionally maintain a relaxed rehearsal environment and urge anyone that I’m working with to feel comfortable giving feedback on both the work itself as well as my methodologies. Collaborative dance-making is all about listening throughout your leadership without losing sight of the vision. It’s a delicate balancing act, one that I think I’ll spend a lifetime striving to perfect.

Once the dance has been performed, it doesn’t mean that it stops evolving. Little things change and morph over time, new dancers bring new ideas or a fresh insight to the material, feedback from audience members can lead to subtle shifts or entire re-workings of sections. I become more like a playwright watching my ideas be interpreted and reinterpreted – a process that is truly beautiful to witness.

N:  Monkeyhouse is really big on celebrating a birthday.  When is your birthday?  (Don't worry, you don't have to share the year!)

MH:  My birthday is June 14, 1987. And you can put that wherever you want! I’m young by some people’s standards, old by other's – so in turn you could say that I make very good dances for a young person or very bad dances for someone my age.