Gratitude for Michael Shannon

by Karen Krolak

Monkeyhouse lost a great friend yesterday when Dr. Michael Shannon passed away in New York en route from a tango trip in Argentina. Having served on the Board of the Boston Dance Alliance with him for the past two years, I was charmed by his gentle guidance of the organization and his tremendous enthusiasm for all forms of dance.

He had an incredibly generous spirit and his loss will reverberate through many different communities in this city. Our thoughts go out to all his family and friends during this incredibly sad time.

We will miss you, Michael.

Roaming on March 8

by Karen Krolak

This will be brief as it is almost time to set my clock forward and I have a 12 hour rehearsal for Coriolanus (lovely article in the Boston Globe about it on Friday) awaiting me in the morning. Sitting in the castle shaped Amory building on this surprisingly warm afternoon listening to all the references to Rome in the play today, I savored memories of wandering around the city exactly a year ago.

Echoes of the man playing his saxophone standing in a cardboard box on an ancient bridge at dusk (one of the sound clips that I wove into the soundscape for Pochemuchka, one of Monkeyhouse's First Night premieres) snuck into my mind several times.

I was on my way to Simone Forti's Logomotion workshop in Orvieto and spent two glorious days meandering about Rome alone without any agenda. Setting off each afternoon from the magnificent Maria-Rosa Guesthouse overflowing with suggestions from Sylvie, I found plenty of adventure and several secret nooks. (It also fueled the idea for my pedestrian project in Somerville.)

It was fantastic precursor to the incredible creative sparks generated by my time in Orvieto surrounded by an exhilarating group of women from all over the world. Simone seemed to know how to unleash the appetite for artistic boldness in each of us. Working in Italian, English, French, Croatian, Greek, Turkish, German, and what ever other languages seemed useful, we investigated unexpected intersections in our lives. The somewhat surreal, tromp d'oeuil landscape on the walls the former castle provided an exquisite backdrop for our daily improvisations.

As a group, we all agreed that we should try to develop ways to continue creating projects together after we returned to our homes. Many of us have kept in touch or visited each other since we dispersed after our ending performance in Rome. So this year, we decided to explore a structure where each of us would devise an 8-minute solo wherever we were and find a way to share it with each other. I am so excited to see what develops that I am still up typing.

Please Vote for Monkeyhouse!

Monkeyhouse is thrilled to announce that we have once again been nominated for one of the Boston Phoenix's Best of Boston awards! This year, you can find us in the Best Dance Performers category. All you need is a valid email address to cast your ballot. So please, show the world how much you love Monkeyhouse.

Psst...Since Jason is Production Manager for Actors' Shakespeare Project and Karen is choreographing Coriolanus with them, we hope you will also vote for them as Best Theater Company.

Moving Into Adulthood

Hi, I just wanted to invite everyone to a FREE upcoming event!

Moving Into Adulthood: Options, Ideas, and Information

On Dance After High School

A Panel Discussion for Parents & Students

Moderated by Karen Krolak, Impulse Dance Center Faculty Member &

Artistic Director of Monkeyhouse

Featuring:

Kristen Lung, DPT Sports and Physical Therapy Associates

Melissa Alexis, Independent Choreographer

Lauren Johanson, Massachusetts Cultural Council

Amanda Page, Impulse Dance Center Faculty & Guidance

Jason Ries, Actors’ Shakespeare Project & Monkeyhouse

Presented by Impulse Dance Center

On Sunday, March 15, 2008 at 2PM

At 5 Summer Street, Natick, MA

This free event is open to anyone interested in pursuing dance or careers related to dance after High School. We will tackle a wide range of topics including:

How do you continue dancing into adulthood?

What does it mean to be an arts administrator?

Do you have to major in dance to become a professional dancer?

Please RSVP by March 1 to 508-653-2171

Impulse Dance Center is dedicated to providing a complete, technically sound, dance education to people of all ages. Since 1987 Impulse Dance Center has been offering a diverse spectrum of classes and summer dance camps in downtown Natick. For more information about auditions, classes and events at Impulse Dance Center, please call 508-653-2171.

Military Movements

by Karen Krolak

Apparently, yesterday's post on Actors' Shakespeare Project's Coriolanus perplexed some people. Rest assured that there will be no random "dream ballets" interrupting Shakespeare's plot. Perhaps it would help if I explained that I define choreography as 'creating meaning with movement'. When working on dramatic plays, therefore, I try to emphasize thematic metaphors through movement, to generate subtext through body language, and to shape the physical narrative.

Coriolanus unfolds through a series of battles between the Romans and the Volsci. Though we don't often think of it, dancing and fighting have a long and tangled history that pre-dates Michael Jackson's Thriller by at least a several hundred years. Just this afternoon I stumbled upon a picture of a Marine break dancing in between training exercises in Djibouti in the latest issue of National Geographic.

The Afro-Brazilian martial art, Capoeira, for instance, was intentionally designed to look like a dance even though it could have deadly consequences. Developed by slaves who were bound at the hands and forbidden to fight, opponents would tuck razor blades between their toes added a lethal edge to their stunning kicks and turns.


Coriolanus' director, Robert Walsh is a proficient fight choreographer who envisioned a production that would explore the shapes and sounds of violence. Together we are weaving martial arts, Viewpoints technique, contact improvisation, modern dance, and gymnastics together to ratchet up the visceral intensity of the plot. Rehearsals have been fairly grueling for the actors thus far but I am really excited by the results.

Karen's Choreographing Coriolanus

by Karen Krolak

Just wanted to let everyone know about a really feisty project that I am choreographing for Actors' Shakespeare Project. Robert Walsh is directing a gritty, adrenaline infused version of Coriolanus set to a driving percussive environment designed by Stephen Serwacki who has performed in STOMP.

Coriolanus opens on March 14 and runs through April 5. It is the first production at Somerville's new Arts at the Armory performance space, a gorgeous old gymnasium nestled into the back of this recently renovated, castle shaped building.

After our first week of rehearsal, I can assure you that the actors in this ensemble are fearless performers who know how to electrify this gigantic space with their powerful movements. If you are in the Boston area, I would suggest getting tickets now.

Thank You Somerville Arts Council!

Monkeyhouse is thrilled to announce that Artistic Director, Karen Krolak was selected to receive a 2009 Artist Fellowship through the Somerville Arts Council. This grant will be used in conjunction with Monkeyhouse's Bernie Wightman Dance Building Fund.

Drawing from her experiences at Simone Forti's Logomotion workshop in Orvieto, Italy and the Jacob's Pillow Choreographers' Lab with Celeste Miller, Karen will take walks through Somerville to spark ideas for new pieces. Please contact us at monkeyhouseblog@gmail.com, if you would like to know more about the project or to join Karen on one of her walks.


Congratulations to Callie Chapman Korn, Nicole Pierce, and Jody Weber who were also awarded Artist Fellowships in Dance and Theater. The Somerville Arts Council is supported in part through the Massachusetts Cultural Council.