THANKS Giving Week 2!

Here's the summary of THANKS Giving Week 2!  Send these amazing folks your love and be sure to say hi next time you see them!  (If you want to keep up every day, take a minute to "like" us on Facebook for regular shows of gratitude!)

Denise Sao Pedro - When Denise loves you, you are always aware of it.  Her giant heart and bounding enthusiasm are a constant source of encouragement to all of us.  Since Nikki worked on her first project with Monkeyhouse over six years ago we have loved having her mom as part of the Monkeyhouse family.  She is an eager and articulate participant at SKORTs, an engaged audience member, and fabulous volunteer. Thank you for being such a rockstar, Denise!

Susan Warnick - I’m guessing Susan is asked to host or emcee more events than any one person could ever do, so Monkeyhouse was thrilled and honored when she agreed to be a judge for the Your Just Desserts Bake Off last year.  Hailing from Natick herself, Susan is constantly giving her support to causes, groups and organizations that are doing good in the Natick area.  She has a giant heart and we thank her for sharing some of it with Monkeyhouse!  Next time you see her around town send her some love from Monkeyhouse!

Seven's Not Enough - Nicole has been working for Natick High School almost as long as she has been part of Monkeyhouse.  She has loved watching her students grow and take on new challenges over the years.  When they started a student run a capella group a few years back she was excited to find ways that Monkeyhouse could help the group find new opportunities.  In the past few years they have performed at events and even collaborated with another youth company in town (TAProject) to create a whole new piece for Against the Odds.  Seven’s Not Enough has allowed for a whole new generation of young artists to create and show work and they never shied away from cross disciplinary challenges.  This exceptional group of performers has been an inspiration to Monkeyhouse and the other groups they’ve worked with.  Thanks for sharing your art with us!

David Makransky - David joined NHS Drama his freshman year as an eager, excited young actor, ready to take on the world.  As he progressed through the program his enthusiasm only grew and he was always willing to take on any challenge Nicole threw his way.  When she came up with the idea of creating a work/study internship for young actors looking to expand their dance education, David was one of the first students she thought of.  During his time as an intern David was an active contributor to the newsletters and blog, volunteered at events and took the lead on collaborations with Seven’s Not Enough, the student run a cappella group at his school, and TAProject for Against the Odds.  Thank you, David, for being a part of Monkeyhouse!  We love you!

Gail Fine (by JK Photo)

Gail Fine - Better known as “Auntie Gail”, Gail has been a cheerleader for the members of Monkeyhouse (and her favorite niece (Don’t tell my cousins!), Nicole) since the early days.  She has shared her Thanksgiving table with Amelia, was on the committee for Your Just Desserts both years and helped arrange the reception after services for the Krolak family last summer.  She’s a great example of how Monkeyhouse helps to build community.  Her investment goes beyond the organization to support the individual members she has gotten to know over the past decade.  Thank you, Gail!  Monkeyhouse Loves You!

Mara Blumenfeld - Mara once transformed Karen into a killer chicken using only a few silk rags, a sports bra, and a kickass mask. (Oh, yes, somewhere there are incriminating photos.) Admit it, that alone is a great reason for Monkeyhouse to love her. As it turns out, though, she is also the reason that Karen purchased the iconic Princess Pamplemousse hat. It was originally intended for a Lookingglass Production called The Zoo King when Karen was Mara’s assistant costume designer. Oddly enough, Mara is also responsible for getting Karen hired at Impulse Dance Center. When LuAnn Pagella noticed a crushed lilac chapeau meandering around in the hallway, she stepped out of class and introduced herself to Karen. Without that birthday gift from Mara, LuAnn would never have offered the crazy lady a job. Mara is a member of the Tony Award winning Lookingglass Theater Company and somehow still finds time to bounce around designing for productions in Chicago, Portland, Boston, Princeton, Berkeley, New York, Italy, England, and Japan (I think that is just where she is going this year!).  We  love you Mara,  wherever you are!

Courtney Wagner (by Al Cripps)

Courtney Wagner- I first saw Courtney at the Boston Dance Alliance’s Open Call Auditions but I didn’t know she belonged at Monkeyhouse until 86 seconds in to her first Musing with the company in the courtyard outside the Multicultural Arts Center. That is when the convicts in the Cambridge jail started shouting colorful advice about how she could make the improvisation more exciting for them. (Ask Nikki Sao Pedro for some of the specific suggestions those men shouted.) Even though Courtney could have dropped that bottle off of her head, easily darted over to Lechmere station, and avoided ever seeing us again, she did not break her concentration. She didn’t start laughing or dissolve into a puddle of tears. She just kept dancing. In that moment, I realized that she was uniquely qualified to pick up glass shards with tweezers while being tied to Nikki for the inaugural Dance in the Fells festival. Witnessing her resolve under pressure, I know she will be a fabulous Physician’s Assistant when she finishes her degree this spring. We are so fortunate that she is part of Monkeyhouse and our lives! Thanks, Courtney!

Happy Halloween!

My Favorite Things

by Courtney Wagner

Months later, we are still hearing about people's favorite moments from the Against the Odds festival. This one came from company member Courtney Wagner!

My favorite part of ATO this year was getting to perform the blindfold duet with Caitlin. After working on the idea and some of the material for over a year and a half it was great to see it come together for performance. Since we first started work with the blindfolds in September 2011, I have loved being able to explore the possibilities I feel they offer. There is something about working with the blindfold that I find relaxing and very freeing. Not being able to see where I am or what I am doing helped me let go and be less afraid to just explore and create, especially when I had a partner in Caitlin or Nikki to guide me. Caitlin and I developed a nice chemistry through rehearsing the piece, and I think we were able to keep the choreographed movement fresh while still being able to improvise. Because I couldn't see, even well rehearsed and choreographed phrases had the potential to be altered in performance, and I liked the edge this gave to my performance. I also liked hearing the feedback and response from audience members about how it looked, especially with our costumes and Jason's lighting (which I'm sure was fantastic!). We got a lot of positive feedback and I am excited to be able to perform it again someday!

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! 

Good Things!

It's amazing how many good things we can find if you just stop for a moment and look for them.  We are always excited to share your good things too, so please let us know what sort of stuff is going on in your life!

* Our Production Manager Jason Ries won an IRNE and a NORTON Award for set design for his work on Company One's The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity!  Congratulations, Jason and everyone at Company One!

* Three of our interns, Katelyn, David & Marie knocked 'em dead in Natick High School's production of The Drowsy Chaperone at the beginning of the month!

* Speaking of interns, Laila & Elyssa performed the pieces the created with us at Natick High School last week!  Congrats, ladies!

* Caitlin premiered her piece at Endicot College's Dance Ensemble show last weekend! 

  

*  Courtney has finished her first grad school semester.  She has been such a busy woman!  We're proud of you, Courtney!

*  Blogger in Residence, Ryan Casey, in addition to performing all over the place this month (including two Boston performances!) is graduating from NYU!  Congratulations, Ryan!

* David Parker was awarded the 2013 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship. The John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship award winners are given the opportunity to use creative freedom to their full advantage. Each year, the winner of this award is given to a person who has moved their profession forward. David's comical but beautiful choreography got him one of the 200 fellowship awards.  

To learn more about David Parker and the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, click here!  

* This year, Michelle Dorrance was awarded the annual Jacob's Pillow Award. Every year, one lucky choreographer is given $25,000 to use towards improving their, already amazing, dance company. Michelle is the founder of a tap company called Dorrance Dance, where she was recognized for her classic-modern fusion. To learn more about Michelle Dorrance and the Jacob's Pillow award, click here! 

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

Good Things from 2012!

It's that time of the year where we look back on the past year and begin planning for the future.  We thought we would share with you just a few of our good things for the year to get you in the spirit!

January:
Caitlin Meehan had work presented and Courtney Wagner performed for the first time as part of the Cool NY 2012 Dance Festival!  This was Monkeyhouse's fourth year at Cool NY and we have loved being able to participate!

February:
Sarah Friswell, Sarah Feinberg and Aisha Cruse, who had been joining us for Musings (a time before company rehearsal dedicated to improvisation and exploring new ideas) over the previous six months or so, began joining us for rehearsals and became Monkeyhouse Guest Artists!

March:
Mariah Steele began setting a new work on Monkeyhouse!  She used Musing time to develop new material based on input from dancers over series of weeks.

April:
Monkeyhouse partnered with the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and held the first of two Skorts (a showing of works in progress) at their wonderful space in Harvard Square.  This Skort showed the start of a new project (affectionately known around the company as "the palindrome piece") that is a collaboration with Master Palindromist, Barry Duncan and was filmed for a documentary of which Barry is the star!

May:
In continued collaboration with both Mariah Steele and the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Monkeyhouse held another Skort which showed the beginning stages of the piece Mariah set on the company.  Karen Krolak, Nicole Harris and Mariah Steele also participated in a Gonson Lecture at CCAE.  These fascinating lectures cover a wide variety of topics and are always attended by even more fascinating people.  We have loved being part of them!

June:
Monkeyhouse had it's first art exhibit in collaboration with our Spring Barnes & Noble Bookfair!  Featuring photos of the company and the work of our favorite photobooth photographer, JK Photo!

July:
Nicole, almost a full year after suffering a series of strokes, was cleared to begin dancing again.  What more is there to say?

August:
Monkeyhouse had performances in two different states going on simultaneously one weekend in August.  Caitlin and Nicole were up at Cultivate! in Bethlehem, NH while Jason, Nikki and Sarah Feinberg were at 24 Hour Choreofest in Boston!  It was such an exciting weekend!

September:
Your Just Desserts brought together fans, friends and family of all ages to celebrate Monkeyhouse over cake, cookies, pies and many more tasty treats.  It was an exciting and encouraging night for all involved.

October:
Happy Birthday to us!  Monkeyhouse turned twelve!  That's a whole dozen, folks!

November:
Monkeyhouse learned about the impending closing of Springstep and the potential loss of our artistic home.  While we mourned a lot of loss this year, we are also filled with thanks.  We wouldn't have gotten to where we are without so many of you and the outpouring of love throughout the second half of this year was truly astonishing.  Thank you for always being there for us.

December:
Monkeyhouse looks to the future and begins planning the rescheduled Against the Odds Festival.  That's right!  It's official!

Against the Odds Imperfect{ive} Experiments

March 21st-24th

at

Springstep

98 George P. Hassett Dr., Medford MA, 02155

Join us for this celebration that includes work from all sorts of amazing artists.  Keep an eye on the blog for more information soon and SAVE THE DATE TODAY!

Share with us your good things for the year here or on Facebook!

Win a Palindrome!

By Courtney Wagner

As if you needed more reasons to attend Your Just Desserts, let me give you one more...

Among other things Your Just Desserts will include an auction where you can win all sorts of amazing prizes, including a belt by Jon Wye, some goodies from JP Licks, some cupcakes or dance lessons.  What hasn't been mentioned is your very own palindrome!

Barry Duncan is a Master Palindromist, and has created a palindrome specifically for Monkeyhouse.  Barry has been working with Karen and Nikki all year long and the palindrome is part of Back Going No Going Back, an incredible collaboration of dance, spoken word, and projection art.

Barry will be at YJD tomorrow night, and he has even written a special palindrome about the event.  Better yet, you can WIN a palindrome by Barry!  Barry gets ideas from all kinds of things and has written lots of specialized and personalized palindromes in the past.  Don't miss the chance to meet such a unique guy!

See you tomorrow night!  You can also learn more about Barry Duncan by reading my interview series with him coming soon to C2C!

See Monkeyhouse for FREE!

Don't miss Caitlin and Courtney in Pygalgia 

TONIGHT at 7pm and Saturday at 9pm

AND

Caitlin in A., B., C., D., All of the Above 

TONIGHT at 9pm and Sunday at 6pm

at 

CoolNY 2012 Dance Festival

White Wave John Ryan Theatre

25 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY 11220

All shows are FREE!

Outside Voices

by Courtney Wagner Eva Dean Dance joins us for Against the Odds! Photo by Jonathan Keith Remember how I mentioned how important musings are and how so many great ideas come out of them?  This has included the chance to work with other artists during guest-led musings like Eva Dean, Risher Reddick, and Lynn Schwab  as part of last year's Against the Odds.  Since it was such a success, Karen decided to make Season 11 about including Outside Voices, citing that it would be good for the company to work with other established artists and broaden our horizons and repertoire.   Nicole performing a piece choreographed for Against the Odds by Lynn Schwab Photo by Jonathan Keith What an exiting opportunity to have new works set on us!  For the upcoming season we already have several works in mind with some Outside Voices.  This includes Mariah Steele, who met with Karen after the January 2010 installment of Movement at the Mills and subsequently performed with us for with her company Quicksilver Dance in Against The Odds.  While she's been secretive with the details of what she has in store for use, she will be setting a new work on the company and it may or may not be based on some of the work she was creating for her thesis project.  Risher Reddick opened our eyes to the world of choreographed combat which proved to be a fun an enlightening study in body language, tone, and communication with the audience.  Who knew that the same simple movement performed in two distinct ways could have such a different read within the audience.  We look forward to delving deeper into this.  Happily cleared for dancing again, Nicole is excited to start working with Josh Hilberman on a new solo.  Meanwhile Karen and Nikki have been working on a piece dedicated to reversibility and a movement palindrome to be set to Master Palindromist Barry Duncan will even be featured in a documentary! Karen's and Monkeyhouse's support for Outside Voices can be seen not only in bringing in guest artists for new work, but also the C2C positions and residencies and mentoring programs.  We are happy to announce we are looking for new interns for the C2C internship for 2012 and Nicole and Karen are excited to continue to develop this program.  As you can see we have lots of exciting things in store for Season 11 and Outside Voices will definitely be playing a key role.  However, all of these extra influences will require some extra support. If you are interested in seeing more collaborations with area choreographers and opportunities for us to develop and expand, then think about supporting Outside Voices as part of our new Yearly Campaign Program.  This program is designed to allow supporters to have their donations funneled toward a certain part of the organization.  This can include infrastructure and keeping us in our beautiful Springstep home, individual company members, special projects like Nicole's work with PD, or fostering creativity and blossoming with musings and visiting artists.   For less than a dollar a day ($25/month to be precise) your donation could help directly support and fund future projects with fabulous people.  Although the Yearly Campaign is designed for recurring monthly donations, the recur option is not required and information about personalizing your donation is available on our website.   Click HERE to be redirected to our website for further information about the Yearly Campaign.  You'll find descriptions about the other facets of Monkeyhouse to sponsor as well as links and instructions.  And keep an eye out for future posts about more facets of Monkeyhouse!

Thanks 2 YOU (part 1)

by karen Krolak

As cornucopia begin popping up on doorways all over town and Christmas music starts sneaking in on the radio, I find myself reflecting back on all the Monkeyhouse events of the past year. Thanks to our loyal crew of donors, we have accomplished several major goals this year. To celebrate, I thought it would be nice to share some personal photos of highlights and fun memories. This goofy gem was captured during a warm up for First Night but it reminds me of all the Saturday afternoon musings at Springstep that keep Monkeyhouse's creativity flowing.

The process of developing pieces is often longer than expected and filled with dead ends. I feel very fortunate to be able to work with such patient, inventive dancers who fill our rehearsals with laughter. Even though you can only see their lower limbs, this photo shows the clear personalities of each of my four favorite dancers. Nicole Harris ever ready to launch someone else into the air. Courtney Wagner boldly bounding on to her back. Caitlin Meehan, the only dancer I have ever met who slides less in a pair of socks, gracefully leaning away from a counterbalance with our acrobatic powerhouse, Nikki Sao Pedro. I truly cherish these simple exchanges in the studio together. Thanks to everyone who contributes to Monkeyhouse and keeps this creative ritual thriving.

Musing Photo of the Day

Even while blindfolded we still find a way to turn ourselves upside down!  Luckily Caitlin was on hand (with eyes uncovered) to keep everyone safe!  

Springstep was all decked out for a wedding that night so we had an especially sassy rehearsal space with the paper lanterns on the ceiling!

Musing Photo of the Day

We've been doing a lot of improvisations where one person is blindfolded during Musings lately.  I took lots of photos this week!

Courtney could hear the camera clicking so came over to investigate.  Check back tomorrow for another sneak peek into Monkeyhouse Musing time!

A Little Bit of Improvisation

Last weekend Monkeyhouse headed out into Medford for a little blindfolded improvisation.  Led only by the information given to them by their partners, Karen and Courtney were blindfolded and let loose to climb, shuffle, hang, roll and otherwise discover the neighborhoods around Springstep in a whole new... light? 

Getting to Know Amelia O'Dowd

I am very excited to share with you this conversation between Monkeyhouse's newest member, Courtney Wagner and one of its founding members, Amelia O'Dowd.  (Amelia was the Against the Odds Rockstar of the Day not too long ago!)  They have a lot of interesting and exciting things to share so I'll let you get right to it! 

CW:  As a founding member of Monkeyhouse, how do you feel the company has grown and changed over the past decade?

AOD: Monkeyhouse has shifted focus since the beginning. It has become more focused, clearer in its identity. When we first started, we were looking at these big nationally/internationally touring companies and trying to fit into that model, which was really the only model available at the time. Over the years, Karen and the board of directors have done a great job of taking parts of the model and changing it. They recognized that there were all these niches that no one was filing. Monkeyhouse has been adapting itself to fill those niches, constantly evolving, finding new ways to survive and meet the community’s needs.

  

CW:  Your background is in visual art - how did you transition into dance and performing arts?

AOD:  Gosh, it was a long slow process. I don’t know if it ever fully happened. I think in terms of shapes and textures - even sound is a texture for me. I’ve played in a variety of materials. I was always jumping from one “category” of art to another – ceramics to drawing to fibers to slides to story telling. When I was in art school, that was a little bit of a problem because the school was divided into departments based on materials but I’ve never been in a monogamous relationship with a single material. Monkeyhouse, on the other hand, is all about working across disciplines. I had to learn the new big discipline of using my body as a material. I remember very early on that I had to consciously stop and think about the shapes I was making with my body, trying to get the image in my head out into the world. It was really hard. Over time, that process became more smooth, less conscious, but I still never became monogamous with dance.

CW:  You seem to be known for your more zany side of choreography (both in Ramafeezled and something about a bustling skirt in Pygalgia?) - where do your inspirations for these pieces come from?

AOD:  My mind. That probably comes across as a dismissive answer and it sounds silly and probably isn’t very helpful, but I think in a different way than a lot of dancers and choreographers. I assume that I think differently because I wasn’t formally trained. I draw from all the other ways I have experienced and learned about the world. It all seems normal inside my head.

CW:  What do you think of some of the adaptations and translations Monkeyhouse has made to pieces, including adapting your Ramfeezled, in addition to Firk and Pygalgia?  Is it fun to see different interpretations of the same work?  How are they different and changed?  How are they the same?

AOD:  I haven’t actually seen the new Ramfeezled and I understand that there is yet another Firk that has been added to the repertoire. I’d like to see these pieces, but I don’t feel like I need to. It’s not mine; it never was. Work is constantly changing. Even the same performer performs it differently one night to the next. I love that Monkeyhouse embraces that constant change. I read On the Origin of Species last week, so I’ve got evolutionary theory roaming around in my mind right now. If we take one lesson from Darwin, I think it should be that adaptation to our environment is a requirement for survival; it’s when we are no longer capable of changing that we force ourselves into extinction.

CW:  What kind of work have you been doing (dance theater and otherwise) since leaving the Boston area?

AOD:  Well, I worked out solutions to a couple of pieces that I had been working on before I left Boston. Unfortunately, I’ve worked those out in my mind and haven’t been dancing, so I think they will probably never see a stage. Other than that, I’ve been restoring a brick Victorian home, learning to grow food, going to school and working with my community. I live in Dayton, Ohio, a rustbelt city that is still experiencing population loss. America has a dozen or so cities like this, the most well known of which is Detroit. Unless you’ve spent time in one of these cities, it’s hard to understand what it’s like to live in these types of communities. Dayton is frequently referred to as a dying city, but it’s not. It is a living, breathing community, but it is not what it used to be. Manufacturing is not coming back, and the city is changing. I like to think that I am helping my community identify niches and removing/moving around obstacles that are getting in the way of our evolution.

 

CW:  Tell us a little bit about the pieces you are sending our way to display and sell at the festival?

AOD:  I sent several crochet necklaces made from a variety of fibers I’ve collected over the years – some are even from yarn pitstops made during Monkeyhouse tours. They are organic, bubbly shapes, intended to be worn as a necklace or scarf. I also sent some clutches made from upcycled men’s suit jackets and dress shirts and a couple of potholders made from upcycled felted sweaters.

CW:  A theme of Monkeyhouse is bringing people together and encouraging communication.  How do you think your visual arts background has helped and changed the company and vice versa?  Does Monkeyhouse influence your art at all?

AOD:  Monkeyhouse influences me everyday. I had a teacher when I was at Walnut Hill, Mr. Carver, who said that the greatest artists practice the art of living. At seventeen or eighteen I didn’t get it. Truthfully, that statement probably means something different to every person who reads it. For me, right now, I think it means that living is hard work, but if we understand it as an art, as a way of constantly creating beauty and raising awareness, it is more fulfilling. Monkeyhouse was never easy for me, but it was always fulfilling. I think we shortchange ourselves and the arts when we try to suggest that the arts are separate from our lives or when we suggest that the arts are luxuries. We Americans believe very firmly in a rational world, but people, and the world we build, are irrational. The arts help us to trust ourselves make necessary irrational leaps, evolutionary jumps, that lead us to insight that we can’t find just by rational, logical methods.

The Inside Scoop -- Subluxation -- Part 3

MEETING COURTNEY WAGNER
by Nicole Harris

I first met Courtney at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center's Boomtown Festival this past summer.  At her first Monkeyhouse rehearsal she was shouted at by inmates but did she flee?  No!  She and her giant cup hat continued dancing and has since joined us for performances at Dance in the Fells, Movement at the Mills and First Night.  Courtney was an incredibly supportive voice in convincing me to apply to the Green Street Studios Emerging Artists Program and I am THRILLED to have her dancing in Subluxation!

NH:  What was your first professional performance?

CW:  My first professional performance was "A Holiday for Hope," performed at the Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford CT.  The performance was a Christmas benefit show for the "We Are The Children Foundation", a local charity which sought to provide Christmas presents and cheer for under-privledged Hartford area kids and their families.  My dance studio was chosen to perform as the ensemble which meant we got to both sing and dance.  The first year (2002) I wasn't actually old enough to perform, but I acted as assistant to the choreographer, and I was a paid dancer my junior year (2003).  It was a very unique experience to get to work with professional Equity actors and choreographers from New York as well as perform in front of a large audience in a well known venue.  While we were there, we also got to meet the cast members of "STOMP!" who were performing on the mainstage. 

NH:  What is your favorite performance experience?

CW:  It's hard to pick a favorite performing experience!  Each one and every group I've performed with has its own memories.  My favorite Monkeyhouse performance experience is First Night Boston thus far.  I also have fond memories from my annual dance shows at home, especially as I got older.  The year that stands out the most is my junior year, the show was "Hook." I was Smee, and my good friend, Josh Feder, played Hook.  We always had so much fun at rehearsals during that year and I loved the dances and the script and improvising we did for that show.

NH:  How do you think your dancing helps/changes/adds to your medical profession?
CW:  Blending dance with medicine and science has always seemed natural to me, and combining the two has helped me grow and become better in both.  In school, I could apply or reinforce things I learned in the classroom (anatomy, kinesiology, physics) to my dancing, or vice versa.  Cardiology may not be as applicable to dancing, but I think having something else I am so engaged in helps me interact better with my patients.  One of the doctors once told me I was unique for being actively involved in something so opposite of medicine (strict/logical left sided brain vs. creative right side) and better off for it.  I think it keeps me well rounded.

NH:  Who are some of your favorite choreographers?

CW:  Some of my favorites include (in no particular order) Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Melissa Jean Feder, DeAnna Pellecchia and Bob Fosse.

** This post was re-posted from http://GSSEmergingArtists.blogspot.com **

The Inside Scoop -- Subluxation -- Part 1

by Nicole Harris

In 2006 I premiered a solo called Subluxation at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center as part of Monkeyhouse's Are You Lucky?.  The piece, named after a medical term meaning "the state of being almost dislocated" showed the struggle between fixing what you have or starting over new and asks the question 'what are you willing to sacrifice to make things better?'

This past year I set out to re-set the original solo on someone new and used a Monkeyhouse Musing to play with Nikki Sao Pedro, Bari Rosenberg and Lisa DeBassio (Thank you ladies!!) on a series of basic improv structures from the start of the piece.  Watching all three of their waiting improvs led me to realize that Subluxation could make an interesting group piece.  When I learned about the Green Street Studios Emerging Artist Program I applied with the goal of figuring out what a group Subluxation could be.

Instead of imposing my own story, each of my performers (Caitlin Meehan, Courtney Wagner and Bari Rosenberg) came up with situations in their life in which they felt "slightly dislocated" and the structure pulled itself together almost overnight.  As each of their tales unfold I'll be keeping you updated with photos, interviews and more!  I know you are eager to find out about the lovely ladies I've been working with so keep an eye out for interviews with them coming soon!

** This post was re-posted from http://GSSEmergingArtists.blogspot.com **

Monkeyhouse @ First Night Fun Fact of the Day

by Nicole Harris

Monkeyhouse @ First Night 2011 Fun Fact of the Day:

Courtney Wagner versus the gray and black striped pants.

Courtney began performing with Monkeyhouse at Boomtown this summer at CMAC.  After being yelled at by some inmates while wearing a teacup on her head without even blinking she was immediately welcomed into the companay as though she was meant to be here.  Since that show she has performed with us at Dance at the Fells, Movement at the Mills and now First Night.  Whether she was wearing a silver space helmet and delivering post-it notes or collecting glass with a pair of tweezers there has always been one thing in common for every one of Courtney's performances.  The gray and black striped pants.  Courtney has yet to do a performance with Monkeyhouse without them.  Don't you worry, she's looking adorable in them for First Night too!

Maybe some day we'll give her something else to wear on the bottom half of her body....

Courtney Wagner Chats about the BDA Open Call Audition

by karen Krolak

If you attended the BoomTown festival or Your Just Desserts, you probably noticed a rather adorable new dancer, Courtney Wagner, bopping about in polka dots and stripes (she's the one on the left). Courtney's bold choices at the 2009 Boston Dance Alliance (BDA) Open Call Audition immediately snagged my attention. I was thrilled when she began attending Monkeyhouse's Musings in the spring and look forward to weaving her into future projects. If you haven't met her yet, don't miss Monkeyhouse's newest site-specific creation, AE, at Dance in the Fells on October 9th from 1 - 6 at the Middlesex Fells. She and Nikki Sao Pedro will be attached at the hip as they gather glass around Wright's Tower. Admit it, you are curious... As a thank you to the BDA for introducing Monkeyhouse to this charming performer, Connect 2 Choreography will be running a quick series of posts this week to lead up to 2010 Open Call on Sunday, September 19th from 11AM til 5 PM at Brookline High School. I decided to check in with Courtney about her perspective on the process to start things off.

karen Krolak: Perhaps we should start by telling people a little bit about your dance background?
Courntey Wagner: Ok, my dance training growing up was at a small suburban dance studio near my hometown in Connecticut. My dance teacher (and the studio’s owner/founder/director) focused on making dance fun for her students and creating a familiar, comfortable, and familial atmosphere and environment. Although she offered a variety of classes and styles, her primary focus was jazz, and most of her choreography reflected this. I trained in mostly jazz throughout elementary, middle and high school, though I did take 8 years of ballet, as well as tap, character ballet, partnering, and Broadway.

kK: And, what lured you up to Boston?
CW: After 10 years at the studio I graduated high school and went on to Boston University to study exercise science with dance as my minor.

kK: Having seen a few shows at BU, they seem to have wonderful dance department even though they don't offer dance as a major. How did it expand your dance training?
CW: At BU, modern was the focus of the dance department, so I began taking modern technique classes and adapting my training and style to modern choreography. Over my 4 years at BU, I continued taking jazz classes, as well as a few tap and ballet classes. I was also an active member of the Dance Theatre Group, a student run, faculty advised performance group on campus. Through Dance Theatre Group I was exposed to the process of choreography and having work shown and critiqued. I performed in 7 student and faculty choreographed shows, including choreographing for 3 of them. The repertoire was mostly modern or ballet, with the occasional modern/jazz, or structured improvisation piece. After I graduated, I continued to take classes in Boston/Cambridge, and went to a lot of auditions trying to find a way to keep dancing and performing.

kK: Excellent segue, had you ever attended the BDA Open Call before last year?
CW: I attended my first and only BDA audition last September. I had heard about them while at BU, but never went. I googled it after graduation and registered.

kK: How did you feel that the audition went?
CW: I looked at that audition, as well as most of the auditions I went to in the fall, as a way to take class, keep moving, and hopefully meet people and teachers who could help me keep dance as a part of my life. I went to the audition expecting to be able to take classes with a bunch of new teachers and be further exposed to new styles. My expectations were met, as I went to four out of the five segments. It seemed very well organized and efficiently run, and BDA did a nice job providing water, snacks, etc to the dancers. It was a good experience to be exposed to new teachers with new teaching styles and combinations, and a challenge to learn and perform combinations in front of the choreographers present. Personally, I felt some sections went better than others, but it was a learning experience.

kK: That is a great attitude to bring to an audition. From your perspective as a dancer, was there any advantage to attending BDA's Open Call as opposed to going to auditions for individual dance companies?
CW: I think one of the biggest advantages to this audition is the chance to be exposed to so many dancers and choreographers all at once. Having never been to one, it was a little overwhelming at first, but it was nice to be able to take class from multiple teachers, learn multiple combinations, and get to meet other dancers as well as choreographers/company directors all in one day! Physically, it was a nice challenge to learn, remember, and perform the combinations, especially knowing I was being watched by so many people. Interpersonally, it was a great way for me to network a little and talk to other dancers about where to take class in the city, what teachers to try, etc since I was fairly new to the Boston (non college) dance scene. Looking back, it was great to be able to be seen by so many choreographers at once and get noticed and contacted by groups I may not have auditioned for independently (because I didn’t know where to find out about their auditions, or just wouldn’t have assumed I should try that style). The BDA audition takes that kind of pressure off of the dancer by allowing them to just dance and move, letting the choreographers decide if what they see could be adapted to what they want specifically.

kK: Finally, as you know Monkeyhouse adores you. How have you felt about working on Monkeyhouse projects?
CW: Working with Monkeyhouse has been a fantastic experience for me. It was such a welcome surprise to be contacted for a Musing and such a unique experience to be thrown into the process. It has been a nice challenge for me to not really know what to expect and be pushed a little outside my comfort zone in terms of movement and vocabulary. It has also been wonderful to meet new people and learn about different backgrounds and how they all come together to create and maintain the company. I’ve been happy to be a part of it.. Additionally, it has been so nice to receive positive feedback and to be working with people who seem so open and accepting. The Monkeyhouse ideal of wanting to make choreography accessible to everyone, and bringing dance into the community is one I find refreshing. It reminds me a little of my old teacher’s beliefs and attitudes about dance and that background has made Monkeyhouse feel that much more familiar to me.

kK: Thanks Courtney. As reminder, the BDA's Open Call Audition is free for dancers. Choreographers must be BDA members to attend. For more information, click here.

Your Just Desserts -- Part Three!

by Nicole Harris

So many awesome people helped out to make Your Just Desserts such a success.  

There were volunteers like Anne and Rick 

(who you might remember from the Moving Day photos!)  

[p.s.  Happy Birthday Anne!]  

(Or maybe you saw Anne playing her french horn during our show at Art Beat!)...

The newly married (Congratulations!!) Jon & Lucie...

Caitlin and Courtney who looked so cute in their dots and stripes!  (You will find them both performing with us at Dance at the Fells in October!)...

My amazing sister Renee...

And my sufficiently ferocious cousin Andrew...

MONKEYHOUSE LOVES YOU!

Your Just Desserts -- Part One!

By Nicole Harris

Looking around at last night's amazing Your Just Desserts, 10th Anniversary Celebration I keep thinking how great it was to have such a wide variety of people there.  From new dancers (and kickass volunteers) like Caitlin & Courtney...

To having so much of my family there to volunteer and support Monkeyhouse like my cousins Jonathan and Andrew (who have been some of my biggest personal supporters for as long as I can remember) and new family like Annie who has embraced us all with open arms and that beautiful smile of hers...

 To Monkeyhouse supporters who have been around with us for a while like Freya, who is a former board member (and the mom of Gaby the Intern!) and Margaret Hagemeister and Zach Galvin who were on the Your Just Desserts committee and who make my life (and all the lives around them) a better place...

 

And of course old friends, fellow artists, people we admire and people we wouldn't be here without!  Thank you to everyone who made Your Just Desserts (and the past 10 YEARS of Monkeyhouse) such an amazing success!