Performing in San Francisco!

by Karen Krolak


While at the Jacob's Pillow Choreographers' Lab last summer, Anne Bluethenthal and I tossed around several ideas for future collaborations. I am thrilled that less than a year later, we have already found a way to begin exploring these ideas. This weekend, I will be a guest artist in ABD Production's Pluto in Capricorn at the gorgeous, new ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco.

The concert features new, reconstituted, and spontaneous dances that celebrate ABD Productions 25th Anniversary season. Given how many dance organizations fold in the first 5 to 10 years, I am awed by Anne's artistic tenacity and endurance. I hope that if you are in the area that you will be able to attend.

Friday, July 11 @ 8PM
Saturday, July 12 @8PM
Sunday, July 12 @ 6 PM
ODC Dance Commons
351 Shotwell St
San Francisco, CA

Choreography By Anne Bluethenthal

With Guest Artists:

Cassandra Carpenter
Remy Charlip
Mama CoAtl
Carolyn Cooke
Melanie DeMore
Judy Grahn
Robert Henry Johnson

Ajayi Lumumba
Marc Ream
Louisa Tiesh
Mercy Sidbury
Allen Wilner
Pamela Z

And Performers
Anne Bluethenthal
Alyah Baker
Heidi Buehler
Robert Henry Johnson
Laura Elaine Ellis
Frances Sedayao
Liz Tenuto
Chin Chin Hsu

Oh such sad news...

While many in the world are still reeling from the news of Michael Jackson's recent death, the dance world lost another legend this morning, Pina Bausch.

Seeing her company, Tanztheater Wuppertal, perform at the Sadler Wells Theater in London last year was one of my favorite adventures during my sabbatical. I wish I could be more articulate about how much she has inspired myself and countless other choreographers, but words are all ajumble at the moment.

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.

Boston Dance Alliance Gala

by Karen Krolak

If you are looking to add some excitement to your Thursday night, pop over to Boston Dance Alliance's Gala at the Sanctuary Theater in Harvard Square. Marcus Schulkind, who has influenced many of Boston's finest modern choreographers, companies, and dancers will be named the 2009 Dance Champion.

Thanks to Shoetube.tv, you can also bid on a chance to be featured on an upcoming edition of their reality makeover show, Pimp My Pump! Omid Maxey, Artistic Director of Safar Coiffure Salon, will whisk one lucky winner off a shoe shopping, boutique hopping adventure. Oh, and if you don't feel up to a total fashion overhaul, you could try to win a gift certificate to one of my favorite boutiques, Black and Blues, in Davis Square.

There are still tickets available at the door so feel free to stop by. Hope to see you there!

Sanctuary Theater
400 Harvard Street
Cambridge, MA
April 30, 7- 10
Tickets $40/members $60/non-members

Caitlin and Nikki perform with Danny Swain

If you were a fan of Monkeyhouse's Zizz at First Night Boston 2009, then you will not want to miss Danny Swain Dance Company's performances this weekend.

Both of Zizz's fiesty dancers, Caitlin Meehan and Nikki Sao Pedro, are featured "That Which Doesn't Kill Us...”, a collaborative evening of multi-media dance theater. The concert will feature new and repertory works as well as live, original music by local composer Jane Wang, and video by film-maker Greg Shea.


According to Danny, "this year’s concert promises to transport audiences though a rollercoaster of emotions. Wrought with ghosts, scary clowns, images of war, and tales of conflict and death, the program does manage to infuse a few laughs with ironic statements, either visually or verbally, within the heavy subject matter. "

April 24, 25, at 8:00pm, and April 26 at 7:00pm
at the Dance Complex’s Julie Ince Thompson Theatre,
536 Massachusetts Ave - Cambridge, MA
Tickets: $20 General Admission / $15 Students, Seniors & Boston Dance Alliance members

Groton School Residency

By Karen Krolak

Good morning from Groton, MA! Laurie Sales, the Theater Director at the Groton School invited Monkeyhouse here for a week long residency. With the magnolias about to bloom, it is a glorious time to wander around Teddy Roosevelt's alma mater.

Since Monday I have been moving, writing, and teaching workshops in Groton's Studio Theater. In my first class I worked with 5 theater students who are developing short solo pieces. Inspired by a woman who ran the Boston Marathon blindfolded this year, I broke the group into pairs where one person would guide a partner who could not see. From their experiences exploring the building's water fountains, doors, steps, and corners, they generated short phrases of physical memories. Then we applied tools from The Intimate Act of Choreography's (by Lynne Blom and Tarin Chaplin) chapter on abstraction to create three versions of those phrases.

I was truly impressed by the creativity and boldness of this group of kids. Laurie has obviously introduced them to a wide range of theatrical techniques. Hopefully, I will have time to post some more on the other workshops and events but I must run to teach a Public Speaking class.

Related writing

by Karen Krolak

As I mentioned last in my sabbatical report last fall, I am also a professional shoe blogger. You will be amused to know that I was recently promoted to be Shoetube.tv's Fitness Footwear Guru. 

While I was traveling in the Midwest last week, several people asked me how to find my shoetube posts. Since many of my posts feature dance shoes, projects that I am choreographing, or even my students at Impulse Dance Center, I decided to include a few links for you. 

Dance Shoes:

tap shoes

ballet slippers

roller skates

Choreography Projects:

Coriolanus

Jacob's Pillow Choreographers Lab (part of what inspired my Somerville Walking Project) 

First Night

Other Choreographers:

Gerald Arpino

David Parker

Sutdents:

Jena