Featured Events

You may have noticed that we've changed things up with the Monkeyhouse newsletter, which we're now putting out quarterly rather than monthly. This means I'm also looking at events three months ahead of time, picking what I think will be the best of the best. I'll still do a monthly event post, with shows that don't get announced until closer to the performance date, but I thought the advance-planners among us might appreciate a spotlight post of the next 3 months. Here are my picks!

Fri, July 31 @ 8 pm
Sat, August 1 @ 8 pm
Bittersweet 

with Carey McKinley, dance theatre and Carolyn Lewenberg, sculptor
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, Back Bay

$15

I'm a big fan of the BCA Dance Residency program; it affords choreographers and dancers the opportunity to create stunning interdisciplinary new works. Carey McKinley has created a new work with sculptor Carolyn Lewenberg in which they will "create and ultimately destroy, an environment using bittersweet vines, bodies and moving images." I'm kind of excited by the description because even though it tells you what's going to happen I still have no idea what the piece is going to look like. Go see it if you like being surprised.

Sat, August 1 @ 8 PM
Sun, August 2 @ 2 pm
Mon & Tues, August 3 & 4 @ 7:30 pm
ECHO
B. Dunn Movement Dance & Theater Company
At the Multicultural Arts Center, Lechemere
Free!I have a lot of feelings about this show. This is an interdisciplinary dance performance exploring the effects of displacement of black bodies from the African Diaspora of the Trans Atlantic Slave trade through generations until contemporary times. It's goal is to open a dialogue about cultural knowledge and lineage. This is the kind of dance that seeks to transform the audience far beyond the span of its time on stage. You have to reserve a seat to see the show, but it's completely free.

Fri, August 7 @ 8 pm
On Tap! Beantown Tapfest Faculty Showcase

Presented by Beantown Tapfest

at the Arsenal Center For The Arts, Watertown

$36

Started 6 years ago by Julia Boynton, Beantown Tapfest is a week-long festival of workshops, classes, and events, including talks and student showcases, all at the Deborah Mason School of Dance in Somerville. The faculty show, featuring all the instructors from the festival, is a who's who list of amazing of tap dancers: Michelle Dorrance (NY), Josh Hilberman (Belgium), Sarah Reich (LA), Barbara Duffy (NY), Sean Fielder (Boston), Khalid Hill (NY), Ian Berg (Chicago), Rocky Mendes (Boston), Aaron Tolson (NY), Ryan P. Casey (Boston), Demi Remick (NY), companies Speaking in Taps and Boston Tap Company, and the tap-savvy jazz trio of Paul Arslanian-p, John Lockwood-b and Ron Savage-d.  

Wed - Sat, August 19-22 @ 8:15 pm
Sat & Sun, August 22 & 23 @ 2:15 pm 

Liz Gerring Dance Company
At the Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob's Pillow
$35, $25 ($19 if it's Friday and you're under 35)

Liz Gerring Dance Company performs Glacier, their evening length performance that has received glowing praise from The New York Times and the dance world at large. Winner of the 2015 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, choreographer Liz Gerring creates beautiful, captivating work, and I expect this show to be nothing less. And a friendly reminder that Jacob's Pillow  festival ends in August, and I strongly encourage you to check out the full list of performances and the schedule of Inside/Out events, which are always free.

Fri & Sat, September 18 & 19 @ 6 pm
2015 US Championship and Provincetown Dance Trophy

Presented by Kalin Mitov
At Provincetown Town Hall, Provincetown MA

$25-$35

Thinking about an end-of-summer escape to Ptown? Check out these two same-sex partner Ballroom Dance Tournaments. The goal of these tournaments is inclusiveness, along with all the flashy costumes, thrilling footwork and incredible grace of ballroom dance. And what with the Supreme Court decision, audience and competitors alike have a little extra reason to cheer this year.

Fri & Sat, October 16 & 17 @ 8 pm 

Doug Varone and Dancers
Presented by World Music/CRASHArts

Institute for Contemporary Art Boston, Boston Waterfront

$48

Doug Varone and Dancers present, among other works, the Boston premiere of ReComposed, inspired by the pastel drawings of Joan Mitchell and set to Max Richter's newly constructed version of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. Check out the pre-performance talks with BDA Executive Director Debra Cash, and stick around for the post-show discussion with the company on the 16th.

Tues, October 27 @ 8 pm

Thurs - Sat, October 29-31 @ 8 pm

SPEKTRƎL

Presented by Luminarium Dance

At Multicultural Arts Council, Lechemere

Monkeyhouse loves Luminarium! We got a sneak peak at their upcoming evening length work during their 5th anniversary gala, and it was as eerie and ethereal as the title implies. Don't miss it!

October 22 - November 1st

Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler, a ballet by John Neumeier 

Presented by Boston Ballet

At the Boston Opera House, Downtown Crossing

The Boston Ballet will be the first North American company to perform John Neumeier's contemporary ballet. Set to the entirety of Mahler's Third Symphony, the dance is meant to capture the intensity of the music, while using it to explore life, death, grief, beauty and love. 

August Events!

Fri, July 31 @ 8 pm
Sat, August 1 @ 8 pm
Bittersweet 

with Carey McKinley, dance theatre and Carolyn Lewenberg, sculptor
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, Back Bay

$15

I'm a big fan of the BCA Dance Residency program; it affords choreographers and dancers the opportunity to create stunning interdisciplinary new works. Carey McKinley has created a new work with sculptor Carolyn Lewenberg in which they will "create and ultimately destroy, an environment using bittersweet vines, bodies and moving images." I'm kind of excited by the description because even though it tells you what's going to happen I still have no idea what the piece is going to look like. Go see it if you like being surprised.

Sat, August 01 @ 6:30 pm

It's...A Summer Cosplay Celebration!
Presented by Penumbra:Exchange
At Arts at the Armory
$15 adult /$10 child
For anyone out there that has a costume of their favorite character, come do something awesomely nerdy with your Saturday night. This anime and video game themed costume party includes performances from several local dance companies, including Calamity Co Dance, Concept Artists, Intimations Dance, Move And Inspire, and Paradise Lost. I can't speak for everyone, but I know Paradise Lost has an amazing piece inspired by a popular video game; I also happen to be performing in it!  Anyone in costume is automatically entered in a raffle to win prizes from local video game developers Demiurge Studios, as well as prizes from other local businesses. See you there!

Sat, August 1 @ 8 PM
Sun, August 2 @ 2 pm
Mon & Tues, August 3 & 4 @ 7:30 pm
ECHO
B. Dunn Movement Dance & Theater Company
At the Multicultural Arts Center, Lechemere
Free!
I have a lot of feelings about this show. This is an interdisciplinary dance performance exploring the effects of displacement of black bodies from the African Diaspora of the Trans Atlantic Slave trade through generations until contemporary times. It's goal is to open a dialogue about cultural knowledge and lineage. This is the kind of dance that seeks to transform the audience far beyond the span of its time on stage. You have to reserve a seat to see the show, but it's completely free.

Fri, August 7 @ 8 pm
On Tap! Beantown Tapfest Faculty Showcase

Presented by Beantown Tapfest

at the Arsenal Center For The Arts, Watertown

$36

Started 6 years ago by Julia Boynton, Beantown Tapfest is a week-long festival of workshops, classes, and events, including talks and student showcases, all at the Deborah Mason School of Dance in Somerville. The faculty show, featuring all the instructors from the festival, is a who's who list of amazing of tap dancers: Michelle Dorrance (NY), Josh Hilberman (Belgium), Sarah Reich (LA), Barbara Duffy (NY), Sean Fielder (Boston), Khalid Hill (NY), Ian Berg (Chicago), Rocky Mendes (Boston), Aaron Tolson (NY), Ryan P. Casey (Boston), Demi Remick (NY), companies Speaking in Taps and Boston Tap Company, and the tap-savvy jazz trio of Paul Arslanian-p, John Lockwood-b and Ron Savage-d.  

Friendly reminder that Jacob's Pillow  festival ends August 31, so if you've been meaning to go, now is the time! Check out the full list of performances and the schedule of Inside/Out events, which are always free.

Wed - Sat, August 19-22 @ 8:15 pm
Sat & Sun, August 22 & 23 @ 2:15 pm 

Liz Gerring Dance Company
At the Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob's Pillow
$35, $25 ($19 if it's Friday and you're under 35)

Liz Gerring Dance Company performs Glacier, their evening length performance that has received glowing praise from The New York Times and the dance world at large. Winner of the 2015 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, choreographer Liz Gerring creates beautiful, captivating work, and I expect this show to be nothing less. 

Wed - Sat, August 26-29 @ 8 pm

Thurs, Sat, & Sun, August 27, 29 & 30 @ 2pm
Martha Graham Dance Company

90TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

At the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob's Pillow
$75, $65, $45 ($19 if it's Friday and you're under 35)

There is a part of me that gets so excited at the prospect of seeing Martha Graham's company that I found myself smiling involuntarily at the Jacob's Pillow event page: "This spectacular program includes Martha Graham's dramatic classic work Embattled Garden, Echo by Greek choreographer Andonis Foniadakis, Depak Ine by Nacho Duato, and the momentous world premiere of AXE, by the eminent choreographer Mats Ek." At least click the link to look at the photographs, which are stunning.

July Events!

Did you know that Cambridge and Somerville are hosting a bunch of free, outdoor events all summer? July turns out to be a great month for dance in the great outdoors, so check out these awesome free shows!  

Fri, July 10 @ 8:30 pm
Dancing In The Streets: Chun Jou Tsai
Presented by Somerville Arts Council
At City Hall Concourse, Somerville

Free!
Chun Jou Tsai, a native of Taiwan, will be presenting an original piece of work: The Dream Project.  Combining traditional Chinese long-sleeve dance technique and Western improvisational modern dance technique, the piece explores the beauty of the brushwork of Chinese calligraphy and the dream-like sentiment of a Buddhist poem.  Chinese long-sleeve dance technique is not something Americans get to see very often, so if you have the time, don't miss out.

Sat, July 11 @ 8:30 pm
Dancing In The Streets: BoSoma Dance Company
Presented by Somerville Arts Council
At Foss Park, Somerville
Free!
BoSoma Dance presents The Pursuit, Quanta, Lost It To Trying and Ex-Pired. These pieces are being developed with David Dorfman, and will explore the pressures and influences of technology on our daily lives and on our work-life balance.

Sunday, July 12 @ 11 am – 5 pm
Sandrine Schaefer
Exercises in Proximity - See/Sea
At the ICA, Boston Waterfront
Free with admission to Museum
"At the ICA, Schaefer will perform a series of ephemeral actions in and viewable from the ICA’s John Hancock Founders Gallery that engage the view and concept of an infinite horizon." Monkeyhouse has done a lot of site specific work, and I'm always interested to see ambitious performance art, so if you feel like spending a day at the ICA, this is the day to do it. She will be re-mounting the piece in August, which presents an awesome opportunity to see how a piece changes every time its performed.

Tue, July 21 @ 10 am

Summer in the City: Luminarium Dance 

Presented by Cambridge Arts 

At Bergin Park, Cambridge

Free!
Monkeyhouse loves Luminarium! The company will present an outdoor performance/class combo that's fun, family-friendly, and encourages child participation. Come to Bergin Park to get in on the fun! Luminarium is celebrating its 5th anniversary, and will be performing at The Southern Vermont Dance Festival Gala on July 17th, which is not free, but is pretty awesome! Check out the website for details.

Wed, July 22 @ 7 pm
Reach Performance: Urban and Suburban Teen Dance Program Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Presented by Boston University Dance
At Bishop Allen Drive Parking Lot, Central Square

Free!

The Reach Program allows 15 talented young Boston area dancers to spend 5 weeks working alongside a group of professional inter-generational dancers.  At this 45 minute outdoor performance, the students and the company will present original choreography in an eclectic mix of dance styles to show off what the students have learned during the summer intensive. This is a great opportunity to see young dancers grow, and maybe inspire a few young dancers in your life.

Jacob's Pillow Festival is in full swing and July is choc full of amazing artists.  I have included two of their many shows, and you should definitely check out the full list of ticketed performances and the schedule of Inside/Out events, which are always free!

Wed, July 1 - Sat, July 4 @ 8pm
Sat & Sun, July 4 & 5 @ 2pm
Dorrance Dance with Toshi Reagan and BIGLovely
Ted Shawn Theater at Jacob's Pillow
$39-$69; $19 if it's Friday and you're under 35
Monkeyhouse loves Dorrance Dance and so should you! If you couldn't see the show at ICA Boston, you're in luck! Dorrance Dance returns to Jacob's Pillow this year with their stunning show The Blues Project. And to my fellow Bostonians for whom the Fireworks on the Charles have lost their charm, I present this event as an excellent alternative for the 4th of July.

Wed, July 22 - Sat, July 25 @ 8pm
Sat & Sun, July 25 & 26 @ 2pm
Daniil Simkin's INTENSIO
Ted Shawn Theater at Jacob's Pillow
$39-$75; $19 if it's Friday and you're under 35
Featuring the stars of the American Ballet Theater, and boasting the work of four incredible choreographers, I will admit that a large reason that I want to see the show is because the cast list includes James Whiteside, formerly of the Boston Ballet, who is a beautiful dancer and a lovely human being, and Celine Cassone, from Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal. And frankly, Daniil Simkin is riveting to watch.

June Events!

By Aisha Cruse

Fri & Sat, June 5 & 6 @ 8 pm
Sun, June 7 @ 5:30 pm
going forward...some digression
Presented by Across the Ages Dance Project
At Green Street Studios (185 Green ST Cambridge, MA)
$25
Across the Ages Dance Project is dedicated to bringing together new and established choreographers to set work on an inter-generational group of dancers. Their 5th annual concert features work by Adriane Brayton, Peter DiMuro, William McLaughlin, Lynn Modell, James Morrow and Erica Schwartz. Monkeyhouse pretty firmly believes that you should never stop dancing, and ATAD seems to wholeheartedly agree.



Sun, June 7 - Sat, June 13
Dance for World Community
Presented by Jose Mateo Ballet Theater
In and around Harvard and Central Square

Free!
The Dance for World Community festival is pretty awesome, and brings dancers from all over Boston to stages in Harvard Square for showings that are open to the public and totally free. The exact performance schedule isn't posted yet, but in the past they've had everything from Ballet to Tango to Hip-hop featuring dancers of all ages. The Festival performances are on Saturday; Sunday will have a TalkAboutDance discussion, and the Dance on Film festival will happen Monday through Thursday at 8pm. The whole thing culminates in a dance party on Mass Ave between Central and Harvard, so if you can't make anything else, at least come dance in the street!

Jacob's Pillow summer-long dance festival kicks off next week and I strongly encourage you to check out the full list of performances and the schedule of Inside/Out events, which are always free. But for June, I personally recommend:

Sat, June 13 @ 8 pm
Sun, June 14 @ 2 pm
Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host
Ted Shawn Theater at Jacob's Pillow
$45- $75, limited quantity of $19 35-and-under tickets
If you ever listen to NPR, then you've probably heard This American Life host Ira Glass. This show came to Boston last year and I unfortunately couldn't go, but if I can find my way to Jacob's Pillow I would go for this show. Dance and Radio are sort of mutually exclusive art forms, but dancers Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass have come together with Mr. Glass to build a show around the one place where these mediums overlap - story telling. Let them sweep you away with their humor and grace.

Fri, June 19 @ 8:30 pm
Dancing in the Streets: The Team
Presented by the Somerville Arts Council
At Conway Basketball Court (Somerville Ave & Central Street, Somerville, MA)
Free!
The Team, headed up by Michelle Marroquin, will be preforming two 20 minute pieces, Business Casual and Mammals Dancing, which they describe as "two dances about control, desire and comfort." Not gonna lie, the full descriptions are weird, but in exactly the sort of way that makes me want to go see them.
Also, this is one event in a series, so definitely check out ALL THE EVENTS because they are ALL FREE.

Fri & Sat, June 26 & 27 @ 8 pm
The Good Parts of Being Alive
Featuring Anna Reyes Dance
Presented by the BCA Dance Residency
Mills Gallery at the BCA
$15
If you've ever been to a Movement at the Mills show, you might have the barest inkling of what this evening entails. Dancer and Choreographer Anna Reyes has teamed up with Video Artist Tamara Al-Mashouk to explore how outside influences change the behavior of two people in love. The audience builds their own experience and relationship to the piece by walking through the Mills Gallery and exploring the installation and the performance from different angles, creating a completely unique, totally subjective experience. If you're drawn to immersive art, this is the show for you.

Michelle Dorrance Takes the Pillow by Storm

Photo by Christopher Duggan

by Nicole Harris 

This summer Michelle Dorrance took the Pillow by storm.  Again.

Now, anyone who has ever talked tap dance with me knows that I am a huge Michelle Dorrance fan.  I think her work is thought provoking and technically inspiring.  Most people will tell you that she's one of the hardest working people they know, not to mention humble, generous and sweet as can be.  I am honored to have been one of a relatively small number of people who had the opportunity to see both last year and this year's Jacob's Pillow concerts.

Last year Michelle was the recipient of the Jacob's Pillow Dance Award.  With the award money she created a brilliant evening length work alongside musician Toshi Reagon and co-choreographers Derick K. Grant and Dormeshia Sombry-Edwards.  The overall work was beautifully crafted, visually stunning and musically captivating.  On top of that, each individual piece had the strength and integrity to stand alone.

Michelle and Nicholas in The Blues Project.
Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Much like last year, this year's show sold out weeks before Dorrance Dance hit the Massachusetts border.  I purchased the last available ticket and convinced my friend Patrick to come up from New York to go with me.  We drove out to western MA and ogled over the incredible landscape the Pillow calls home before we were ushered into our seats at the Doris Duke Theatre.

ETM: The Initial Approach was created by Michelle and Nicholas Van Young and performed by Michelle, Nicholas, Warren Craft, Karida Griffith, Demi Remick, Caleb Teicher, Leonardo Sandoval and b-girl Ephrat "Bounce" Asherie alongside musicians Donovan Dorrance, Aaron Marcellus and Greg Richardson.  One of the things that amazes me about Michelle is her ability to train so many talented dancers.  Her company, Dorrance Dance, has had more members than I can count over the last few years.  But instead of the work turning into a generic mash of talented tap dancers, her shows always maintain a true sense of "Michelle" while she simultaneously coaxes her dancers to find their own personality and voices within the work.

Nicholas Van Young in "ETM: The Initial Approach";
photo Christopher Duggan

Nicholas Van Young, a brilliant tap dancer and choreographer in his own right, has been cooking up some amazing electronics that he calls his "Compositional Tap Instrument."  If you saw Dorrance Dance here in Boston back in 2012 then you saw Nicholas' first solo using the ingenious tap board technology.  Not only can he change the sounds of the taps as they are amplified but he can record, loop and playback  phrases in real time while he's dancing.  This is the basic concept used in ETM: The Initial Approach.  Only image it being done with a whole ensemble of dancers and you might begin to get the idea of the sort of night we were in for.

Throughout the evening all lines were blurred.  Tap dancers played the drums, musicians looped and played back their riffs while accompanying their recorded selves, your traditional metal on wood tap sounds turned into electronic noises of every variety and the stage was constantly transformed as tap boards were moved in and out of the space in very well choreographed transitions.  Just when you thought that the electric tap boards were all you were going to get Michelle and Nicholas dug into their STOMP background and dancers were using metal grating and lengths of chain to create additional music.  It was an all out carnival of music and dance that you really didn't want to end.

Michelle Dorrance in "ETM: The Initial Approach";
photo Jamie Kraus, courtesy Jacob's Pillow Dance

While last year's show The Blues Project had a very clear setting and style for the entire evening, ETM ran the gamut of emotions.  There were definitely technical and sonic through lines to the evening but what really held it together for me was the sense that this show was incredibly personal.  Every person on that stage was going through something that we were simply being given the gift to catch a glimpse of before it moved along.

My favorite piece in the show was a duet performed by Demi and Caleb.  It had all the intimacy you find in a modern or contemporary duet with the quiet intricacies of two talented young tap dancers.  Personally, I often struggle with how to take the compositional tools I use in modern and transfer them to tap and I feel that Michelle accomplished this perfectly during this gorgeous duet.

I am always a fan of Ephrat, who is also an incredible choreographer, and her duet with Michelle towards the end of the show was another highlight for me.  Ephrat filled the show with a contagious sense of playfulness and her movement was a natural fit for Michelle's full bodied tap choreography.

I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Nicholas tap dancing and towards the end I was beginning to tire of some of the vocals.  But across the board I give this latest Dorrance Dance adventure a HUGE thumbs up.  I just wish the didn't sell out so quickly so more of you could get the chance to see it.

Hey Michelle!  Come up to Boston more often, okay?

Getting to Know TPO

This summer Monkeyhouse has been honored to interview some of the incredible artists performing at Jacob's Pillow.  Here is our first interview with the artists of TPO.  Check out their interactive performance at Jacob's Pillow today!

NH:  I love interactive work.  I am very curious about what you’ve noticed about how different communities react to and interact with your work.  I know you are primarily geared towards children, however I would assume many adults also take part in your work.  Is there a difference in how those two groups behave?  What are circumstances that get adults involved that differs from how you work with young audiences? 
TPO:  There are some differences in behavior, of course.  Adults (apart from dancers) have less spontaneity or agility in moving on the ground, but they seem to feel comfortable interacting together with their children. Sometimes indeed it is important for the kids watch adult acting or playing with sensors [in the work] since they don’t like to be just observed.  In any case we consider our works oriented for kids. 

NH:  Your work has traveled all over the world.  Have you found that different parts of the world interact differently?
TPO:  Yes, kids could be quite different.  Generally speaking there are kid that act naturally without thinking so much and other that need to “understand” how the relationship of cause/effect is working.

NH:  Since your work is so multidisciplinary, how do you get started in the creation of a new work?
TPO:  Our process is reminiscent in some aspects to cinema. We work as a team, we starts from a storyboard than we develop the concept of any single scene considering the limits or the potentiality of the devices we are using. So, first we discuss a lot about the interaction images/sound and how it could work then we do many improvisation sessions with dancers and kids. So normally we need four months to prepare a new show.

NH:  What is your collaborative process between the disciplines?
TPO:  We are a polyhedric team: directors, engineers, video maker, musicians, scenographer.  We all work together without any hierarchy

NH:  You are performing at Jacob’s Pillow.  Can you tell me a bit about BLEU! and where it came from?
TPO:  This story of the sailor’s encounter with the forces of nature is inspired by the legends and mythologies that the Mediterranean Basin has treasured since the beginning of time. Two dancers take their place on stage: he is a Sailor, She is a magical character. 
A few at a time groups from the audience will be invited into the stage space, as little sailors, to take active part in the games that mark various situations arising during the narration of the story.  The mysterious woman figure is at times the sky, at others the wind, wave, sea. She will lead the Sailor – and the many little sailors in the audience – on a journey through landscapes of nature and of fantasy. 

Andy Jacobs' Pillow Debut

Everyone on the faculty at Impulse Dance Center in Natick, MA is extremely proud of Andy Jacobs. He was an incredibly enthusiastic student with tremendous potential who performed in both the Connecting Point Dance Company as well as TAProject.  None of us were surprised that he was scooped up by two professional companies within days of earning his BA in Dance this year. We invited him to write about the his debut at Jacob's Pillow in August and to give us a glimpse into the start of what is sure to be a very promising career.

by Andy Jacobs

Photo Credit: Christopher Duggan
Courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow Dance

It’s weird, I didn’t think I’d be where I am today after my college graduation. First off, when I started my freshman year at Adelphi, my initial goal of being a dance major was to improve my technique more and audition to be one of Lady GaGa’s back-up dancers. It wasn’t until sophomore year that I had a sudden change in direction, when I had the privilege of being cast in Paul Taylor’s Esplanade and got to work with his second company, Taylor 2, and its artistic director and former Taylor Company member, Ruth Andrien. Since working with them, my eyes and mind were opened to what’s really out there in the dance world. Since then I’ve gathered more interest in the artistic side of the dance world and not just the commercial side. Being a back-up dancer for Lady GaGa would be great and I still have it on my audition list, but right now I’m on a different path in my career.


Today I’m a dancer for two NYC based dance companies, the Mazzini Dance Collective (who’s artistic director and choreographer, Annmaria Mazzini, is a retired Paul Taylor dancer.) and the Amy Marshall Dance Company (who’s artistic director and choreographer, Amy Marshall, is a former Taylor 2 company member.) This summer was my premiere with both companies. I traveled to Allentown, Pennsylvania to perform in the Allentown Freakout Fringe Festival with MDC. I also traveled to Becket, Massachusetts to perform at the Jacob’s Pillow Festival on the Inside/Out stage with AMDC.


This was first time ever being at Jacob’s Pillow and I have to say it was one of the richest experiences I’ve ever had so far in my dancing career. Knowing that we performing on the new stage was such a plus, it was sprung, had bars on the sides and back of the stage, and had one of the best back drops I’ve ever seen. We were told that half the stage was slippery and the other half was a bit sticky cause of the tree sap, but it honestly didn’t phase me or any of the other company members. All we could do was get our warm up gear on and make our way to the stage for a run through.


That afternoon we performed two of Amy Marshall’s original pieces, Riding the Purple Twilight and Dvija. We were told that 700 people were in the audience and that only pumped us more to go above and beyond. One thing that I specifically remember is that during the final section of Dvija the sun was beginning to set and the rays were shining through the trees. That literally completed the picture of what we were performing on that stage that evening. Having that element of nature and surprise was so fulfilling and perfect for the dancers' spirit and the audience's eye. At the end of the performances there was a Q&A session with the choreographer and company. One person asked “Because of the setting of the stage and being outdoors, does that change the interpretation of the movement?” I wanted to answer that question, so Amy handed me the mic and I responded with, “It definitely frees the movement more with being outside. You don’t have the three walls surrounding you, like you would in a theater. By having all this open space you’re able to broaden and expand the movement to a much higher level!”

Am I A Dancer Who Gave Up?

by Shawn Lent

I recently came across this article posted by a friend to Facebook and felt that it was a perfect voice for many of my friends and much of what we talk about here at Monkeyhouse.  When I contacted Shawn she was kind enough to let me share it with you here.  Enjoy!  -Nicole

In 2006, I met the real Twyla Tharp for the second time in my life. The first time was at Jacob's Pillow where I got the opportunity to perform front row in The One Hundreds. My nickname growing up was "Lil Twyla" and I wanted to be a smart, sassy choreographer/dancer like her. When we met in 2006, we joked, posed back-to-back, and discussed the role of humor and wit in modern dance. Then I brought out the handwritten invitation that she sent to me when I was 16. I never made it to her studio, but getting that letter in my mailbox was one of the greatest moments in my life.

Twyla (left), Shawn (right)

In 2010, I went back to my alma mater, Millikin University, as one of two alumni selected to speak to the then current theatre and dance undergraduate body. I spoke about working with a child with cancer, leading an arts project with juvenile offenders at a community center in East London, and the role of arts in public schools. This speech was before my projects in Bosnia, Egypt, etc.

After my talk, I opened the floor to questions. One of the undergraduates asked me the following, seriously,

"Did you have any sort of breakdown when you gave up on your dreams?"

It took me a moment to process her question. For her and her peers, dance and theatre students focused on training, headshots, audition skills, and getting their big break, my career trajectory as an artist seemed to be a failure, a major detour. I composed myself and explained that I had not given up on my dream; my dream had gotten bigger.

I am dancing, with and for others. I am and will always be a dancer. I take that with me, in the ways I think, develop ideas, collaborate, move. I haven't been on a professional or semi-professional stage in six years, but I am a dancer. Yup. Because I say so. I am an artist who had decided to join tables off the professional stage.

When it comes to diplomacy, an artist needs to be at the table.

When it comes to the Board of Directors or a School Board, an artist needs to be at the table.

When it comes to sustainability policy, an artist needs to be at the table.

When it comes to facing death, an artist needs to be at the table.

Artists need to be in on...

    *    Cancer research and treatment

    *    Conflict prevention, mediation and resolution

    *    Inter-religious and Inter-cultural dialogue and education

    *    Military training and homecoming

    *    Youth development

    *    Addressing racism and bigotry

    *    Community development and organizing

    *    Divided and insular communities

    *    Hospitals, prisons/detention facilities, corporations, public schools

    *    City planning, housing and urban development

    *    Policing and crime prevention

    *    Parades and festivals

    *    Education and professional development

    *    Elder care, day care...

The artistic contribution to these areas can be revolutionary. And I am writing from Cairo, Egypt, so I do not use that word lightly.

The dream is huge.

Dancing with the children of 57357 Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt

Dancing with the children of 57357 Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt

Scott Walters says in his latest article, A New Education for a New Theatre, "So much of our education in the arts is focused on artistry as a product to be sold in the marketplace. I think we also need to teach young artists that part of their responsibility is to share the process with others. Instead of seeing themselves as special and separate from their community, instead of seeing their role as 'saying it to their faces' young artists need to commit to using their talents in service of others."

I decided to be an artist in the world. I teach dance, I lead dance experiences, I choreograph, I manage and evaluate programs, consult, share, think, write. I'm a professional and a dancer, but you probably wouldn't call me a professional dancer. I read and join projects relating not to Broadway but to cancer, death, green cemeteries, cultural diplomacy, religion, genocide, geography, databases, divided communities (from Belfast to Bosnia).

And it certainly feels like fulfilling a dream, rather than giving up on one.

Truth is, I never truly pursued the traditional path of a professional dancer heartedly. I was sick of being told what to do, where every part of my body should be at every moment. A career as a professional dancer focuses on one's faults, not one's contributions. I have always been a pretty smart dancer, picking up on movement quickly. And I can really move, travel, jump, turn, extend, flip, and perform. I'm a good dance artist. My choreography is accessible and provocative, empowering even a beginner dancer to find a sense of agency and abandon. As a teacher, I help my students learn to rely on themselves for focus and self-correction, find the joy in their own movement, empathize and grow in a community of learners.

But because my legs and back were less than flexible, my plie' less than adequate, my feet less than articulate, my extensions far from impressive; I was judged but those elements mostly. And they would be a block in any audition, including Cirque du Soleil who flew me to New York to audition nearly a decade ago.

If I had worked hard to improve those faults and had somehow succeeded in an audition, I would have found myself in the back of a music video, donning feathers and fishnets in Vegas, shuffling in a non-singing Broadway ensemble, getting seasick as a cruiseline performer, or being directed to dance someone else's contemporary vision.

Those directions work for thousands of dancers, including my dear friends. They are respectable and impressive careers. But not for me. A couple months ago I found a title that made sense in my head... social practice dance artist and manager. This works for now.

My former colleague gave me the honor of saying the following, "Shawn is the rare individual that excels at both the visionary and operational work of running a program. She is trained as a dancer and choreographer and is also a consummate, professional manager. She can access the best from both worlds and offers an expansive new model of leadership well suited to the needs of the culturally diverse global economy." Cynthia Weiss, former Assistant Director at the Center for Community Arts Partnerships, Columbia College Chicago.

And now I'm looking to build a new chapter in my life that incorporates all of this. Maybe the University of Chicago, or UN, or Make-A-Wish, or the British Council, or a city headquarters, a community arts program in some country, revolutionizing dance and theatre education...   I am realizing the job hunt can only be truly successful at this point by reaching out, throwing my arms open, and seeing what I find.

No, I never gave up on my dream. Do you agree?

My bio and CV can be found here.

Upcoming Events!

by Aisha Cruise

If you've been fretting about how to spend your precious final summer weekends, rejoice! There's tons of dance happening just outside Boston this August, so if you've been meaning to plan a weekend get-away, feel free to use these events as impetus to get out for the end of summer!

Sun, August 11 & Sun, August 25 @ 2pm

JMBT School Open House
Presented by Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre
LOCAL! Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre (400 Harvard Street Cambridge, MA)
Join the Jose Mateo Ballet Theater for an afternoon of free trial classes for children ages 3-9 and adult beginners, refreshments, and a chance to win tickets to José Mateo Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker! 

August 11, 12, 14, 17 & 21

Eva Dean Dance's Peter Pan & Stardust Dances

NYC FRINGE Festival, 14th Street Y

The impetus for Peter Pan and Stardust Dances comes from an interest in magic, joy and wonderment.  Featuring a variety of dances from the Eva Dean repetoire, they will also be premiering a new piece, Peter Pan (Shadow), set to music from David Khane's Peter Pan Ballet score.  Eva Dean and David Khane plan to work together on a full production of his Peter Pan Ballet, so consider this an advance-preview of magical larger work. If you were looking for an excuse to visit the north east's other major city, this is it!

August 15-18 

Cultivate 

Bethlehem, NH

This incredible dance festival is a grass-roots effort, designed to nourish and support community by 1) creating a space for contemporary dance to take root, develop and flourish, and 2) encouraging a conversation to develop between artist and audience.  Check out the web page for an adorable video and more information, and then plan a day trip to Bethlehem, because these people are awesome.

Thurs, August 15 @ 8:00

Sat, August 17 @ 6:30

Hapless Bizarre, Doug Elkins Choreography

The Yard @ Chillmark, Martha's Vineyard

Doug Elkins (Fräulein Maria) returns to The Yard with a merry band of dancers, actors and clowns to explore the sharp intersections between physical comedy, choreography, flirtation and romance. Expect near misses of physical action and attraction with high flying kicks and turns eliciting a range of emotions. This new work will be paired with "Mo(or)town/Redux," an homage to Jose Limon's "Moor's Pavane" set to a top 40 sound score, first previewed at the Yard in 2011. Do you need a better reason to head to Martha's Vineyard?

Sat, August 17 @ 2:00 & 4:00

24-Hour ChoreoFest 2013
Presented by Luminarium Dance
LOCAL! Dance Complex (536 Mass Ave Cambridge, MA)

Monkeyhouse loves Luminarium!  Our own Nicole Harris will be participating in this year's choreofest, which promises to be every bit as wild and wonderful as last year! Dancers stay up all night building short pieces to perform the next day, and come up with some brilliant pressurized dance!

This year's Jacob's Pillow Festival is coming to a close, and they're going out with a bang!  I could seriously just list everything on the website for August because it all looks wonderful, but the final performances promise to be truly spectacular. 

Don't forget their free outdoor performances are continuing every week in August!

FREE! http://www.jacobspillow.org/festival/insideout-schedule/

Ticketed http://www.jacobspillow.org/festival/events/ticketed-performances/

August 21-25

Martha Graham Dance Company

Jacob's Pillow, MA

"In honor of the 100th anniversary of the original iconoclastic dance The Rite of Spring, created by composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky, America's most celebrated modern dance company re-stages Martha Graham's acclaimed interpretation." This is worth every minute of the 3 hour drive.

August 21-25

Abraham.in.Motion in Pavement

Jacob's Pillow, MA

"Kyle Abraham is a dancer, choreographer, Artistic Director of Abraham.in.Motion, and recipient of the 2012 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award.  In his newest work, Pavement, he layers urban and classical dance influences, bold imagery, and gripping, voluptuous movement."  Also totally worth the drive, and probably a good reason to take a long weekend in western Mass.  

August 24

Jacob's Pillow Festival Finale

Jacob's Pillow, MA

The penultimate performances by Martha Graham Dance Co. and Abraham.in.Motion will be followed by a Finale after party with the dancers, drinks and an awesome DJ.  Tickets range from $50-150 and will get you in to either show and the Finale party.  And fits perfectly into an extended weekend away.  (You're welcome)

Do you have an upcoming event you think our folks would like?  Click here to contact Aisha!

Tap the Yard 2!

by Ryan Casey 

 

    When I talk to my non-dance friends about tap dancing, they are perhaps most surprised to learn about the proliferation of tap festivals. They cannot believe that international locales from Montana to Stockholm, Hawaii to Taiwan, host an annual event just for tappers. And now, luckily for us, another alluring area has been bitten by the festival bug: Martha's Vineyard.

 I was fortunate to attend the island's inaugural tap event last summer at The Yard, a kind of miniature version of Jacob's Pillow that trades mountains for beaches. (Seriously, how did Massachusetts luck out with not one, but TWO dance meccas?!) "Tap The Yard: A Vineyard Festival of Rhythm and Beats" was an infectious week of workshops and performances featuring some of this year's returning artists, like David Parker and The Bang Group and Michelle Dorrance and Dorrance Dance. The Yard's small staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the island itself is so relaxing and picturesque that it's the perfect setting in which to be creative and to be surrounded by artistic minds.

    This year's Tap The Yard installment promises to be even better than the last, encompassing a full two weeks, including a gala celebration, and featuring not just tap dance (Derick Grant, Jason Samuels Smith), but also Irish step dance (Trent Kowalik), hip hop (The Wonder Twins) and contemporary dance (Camille A. Brown). In this way, it's something greater than a tap festival, because it encompasses other styles of dance and embraces the universal notions of rhythm that unite them. It is wonderful to see a festival not just supporting terrific rhythm dance, but encouraging interdisciplinary work and creating opportunities for otherwise unrelated artists to work together.

    Tap isn't just an annual occasion at The Yard, either. As part of their community outreach program, they are busy developing a tap curriculum to launch in schools on Martha's Vineyard as early as this fall. Along with Amber Sloan, a member of the Bang Group, and the Wonder Twins, I went to The Yard this spring for the first phase of this project, performing in local schools and community centers and educating students and teachers about tap. Kids and adults alike were enthralled by our presentations; one first grader with a hearing aid said, "The rhythms were pleasing to my ears." Another child remarked, "You guys are amazing." A teacher in the school district who saw our presentation at least four times in the span of two days had a genuine grin on her face every time she watched us.

    There are a plethora of dance festivals, intensives, workshops and classes to consider each summer, but The Yard has crafted an event that is surely unique, bringing together some of the best talent from the Northeast. Did you really need another excuse to visit the Vineyard? If so, this is it - and best of all, each performance during the festival is different from the others, with varying casts, plus a tap jam and a benefit concert, not to mention daily classes. It's worth the trip to expand your rhythmic repertoire and see some of today's finest dance talent all assembled in one magical place.

Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS 

by Aisha Cruise

July is the time of cookouts, fireworks, and fabulous outdoor dance.  Get out and see some of these performances!

June 15- August 23 

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

Jacob's Pillow is in full swing, and with performances Wednesday through Sunday every week this summer, we're spoiled for choice with amazing companies.  So here are some of the better kept secrets about performances at the Pillow.

Inside/Out

The Inside/Out series takes place on the Henry J. Leir stage Wednesday-Saturday at 6:15pm every week of the festival, and it is completely FREE!  In case of inclement weather, the event is moved to a small indoor performance space, so be sure to call ahead if it looks like rain.  

Under 35 Fridays

At every Friday performance, a limited number of tickets are sold to individuals under 35 for just $19.  Tickets sell out fast, so if there's something you're dying to see, call the box office to reserve your tickets ASAP!

July 6th @ 8pm
"Transitions" - An Evening of Tap Dance
Hey New York!  Don't miss another chance to see the amazing Ryan Casey along with Kelly Kaleta and a host of lovely ladies at the Marjorie S. Dean Little Theatre!

July 8th-13th
Tap City
It's that time of year again when tap dancing takes over New York City!  There are tons of events from boat rides to talks to performances for you to take in.  You might even catch our own Nicole Harris tapping in Times Square on Saturday, July 13th!

July 25th - August 3rd
Tap the Yard 2
Join Michelle Dorrance, Derick Grant, Jason Samuels Smith, David Parker and so many more wonderful rhythm makers on Martha's Vinyard!

And my personal recomendations for concerts at the Pillow:

July 3-6 @ 8pm, July 6 & 7@ 2pm

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

July 10- 13 @ 8pm, July 13-14 @ 2pm

Companhia Urbana de Danca

July 24-27 @ 8pm, July 27 & 28 @ 2pm

L-E-V

July 17 @ 7pm

Reach Outdoor Performance

The Reach program is putting on a totally free outdoor performance, featuring intergenerational dancers made up of professionals and students from Boston University and teens from Cambridge and Boston. Check it out!

July 29 - Aug 1

BOOMTOWN Festival

Multicultural Arts Center, Cambridge

Monkeyhouse loves the BOOMTOWN Festival! We've done interactive performances and workshops at BOOMTOWN in the past, and we're excited to be back again this year!  You can come join the workshop from 5:30-6:30 on July 30 and 31, and be sure to check out the hip hop workshop on Monday the 29, Tango Concert on Tuesday the 30, and DiverseCity Dance Party with MetaMovements on Thursday August 1. 

Do you have an upcoming event you think our folks would like?  Click here to contact Aisha!