What's New in New York?

Last week it rained. And rained. Everything was dreary and muggy and everyone was soggy and cranky. It was my friend Kay's last week in New York before she moves across the country. There was a leak in my apartment my landlord is still trying to convince me is in my imagination.

Needless to say I arrived to Derick Grant's tap class on Wednesday ready for a vacation.

Somehow by the end of that hour and a half things had begun to turn around. Derick had put a piece of choreography together for some of the dancers in class, myself, Megan Bartula, Di Omiya and Richard Yoder. The piece, Four of a Kind, was then performed in the Faculty Showcase at Steps on Broadway this past weekend next to pieces choreographed by Karen Gayle, Nathan Trice and Jolea Maffei, to name a few.

While the rest of my week then exploded into a flurry of unexpected dress rehearsals, goodbye parties and performances on top of my usual classes and work, the rain began let up and everything started to dry out. Kay has safely arrived in LA and I started rehearsing for a new piece by Lynn Schwab that will be performed at Tap City this July. I think it's safe to say that Spring and all its insanity has finally hit New York City.

Catching up with Monkeyhouse's Nicole Harris

By Nicole Harris

There have been a lot of changes going on in and around Monkeyhouse since And What Do You Want?. It's hard for me to believe that it has been eighteen months (!!) since all four Monkeys were together on stage. Reading all of Karen's adventures and shenanigans from her sabbatical made me take a look at my own escapades for the last year and a half.

I moved to New York City last summer. There were a lot of things that went into my choice to leave Boston, the largest of which being the chance to study more extensively with Derick Grant. I've also been taking classes with Max Stone, Lynn Schwab, Karen Gayle and a number of other people in the city. In addition to developing some new work involving former Monkeyhouse intern Ashley Chandler and music by Pinataland's David Wechsler, this summer I performed with a tap company at the Edmonton Fringe Festival.

I've been trying to see as much dance in the city as possible, including A Quarreling Pair by Bill T. Jones, ShowDown by David Parker and The Bang Group, and next weekend I'll be at the return of Doug Elkins' Fraulein Maria (with an appearance by David Parker! It's really fantastic and everyone in the New York area should check it out!) at Joe's Pub.

Despite all the excitement of living in the Big Apple, I am thrilled to be performing with Monkeyhouse in First Night, and to have Monkeyhouse visiting New York for the Cool New York Festival this winter. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to seeing you on New Years!