Upcoming Events!

by Aisha Cruise

That crisp bite in the morning air leaves no doubt that autumn is almost upon us, and as Boston gears up for the 2013/2014 dance season, September offers up some unique performances and occasions:

Mondays 09/09 - 10/21 @ 9:30-11am
Monday Morning Modern w/Mariah
Green Street Studios
Come invigorate your week with Monday Morning Modern with Mariah!  Each class will include a thorough warm-up (floor & standing) designed to foster expanded range of motion and efficiency of movement, followed by center movement phrases in Mariah's distinctive style. Phrase work is technical, but organic and easy on the body, with a focus on theatricality, subtlety, detail and creative expression.  All levels welcome!

Some other great Boston studios starting fall dance classes:
The Dance Complex (for any dance you can think of)
Jose Mateo Adult Drop-in series (for classical ballet)
Cambridge Center for Adult Education(for ballroom, ballet, jazz and tap)
Brookline Ballet School (mostly ballet, but some fun exceptions)

September 13 & 14 @ 8pm
September 15 @ 2pm
Secrets & Motion
Arts at the Armory, Somerville MA
Last year, Luminarium brought you into the fanciful world of Mythos:Pathos. This September, be among the first to see the company's new feature production, SECRETS & MOTION, combining dance, light, and text to create a performance riddled with contemplative thought, and a little humor. Collaborating with photographer Larry Pratt and installation artist Hannah Verlin (Fun fact: Luminarium met Hannah at this year's Against the Odds festival!), Luminarium presents an evening deeply rooted in the secrets we keep, share, and dismantle, while transforming the space into a breathing work of art. There will be a reception after the Friday performance, so stick around for drinks and discussion about the performance!

September 12-14 @ 8pm
Sunday, September 15 @ 6pm
Lilith
Arsenal Center for the Arts, Watertown
A solo by Wendy Jehlen, "Lilith" explores the story of the first woman, who rebelled against Adam, and fled Eden. We view facets of her from the many perspectives that history, art and religion have viewed her - as the serpent who offers the apple to Eve, as a winged creature, a temptress, as an aggrieved mother a thousand times over. The creation of "Lilith" was originally inspired by the sculpture of the same title by Kiki Smith. The development of the narrative has been inspired and accompanied by the poetry of Keith Tornheim. 

Saturday, September 21 @ 7pm
Boston Ballet's Night of Stars
Boston Common
To kick off the 50th anniversary season, the Boston Ballet is offering this free performance on the Common, featuring the Boston Ballet dancers and the Boston Ballet orchestra.  I strongly recommend showing up early to get a good seat, because this event promises to have an enormous turn out.

September 28th @ 2pm & 9pm

Monkeyhouse 

DUMBO Dance Festival

25 Jay St, Brooklyn

Join Karen and Nicole as they perform two duets from Against the Odds alongside many other wonderful artists in the DUMBO Dance Festival!

Saturday, September 28 @ 8pm 

Sunday, September 29 @ 2pm 
Return
Aerplaye Dance
RISD Auditorium, Providence RI
"Return" features the work and dance of Aerplaye founder Heather Ahern. Appearing in concert with Ahern are Aerplaye's founding dancers: Jamie Arnold, Shura Baryshnikov, Sarah Hopkins, Kathy Gordon Smith, and Brittany Lombardi, with a cameo appearance by special guest Michael Bolger. The performance includes six dances from Ahern's diverse body of work; moving, and at times playful, dipping into performance art and referencing many genres of dance.

Advice About Undergrad & Grad Arts Programs

Knowing how challenging it can be for young dancers and choreographers to navigate through the college admissions process, we were delighted to get an email about an upcoming fair. If you don't live in the Boston area, don't fret. NACAC offers free events all over the country. Find more info here.

Boston Performing & Visual Arts College Fair
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Boston University, Fuller Building
808 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

Free and open to the public

 On Tuesday, September 24th, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) will present its annual Performing & Visual Arts College Fair in Boston. More than 130 of the nation’s premier arts institutions will be represented at the fair, which offers prospective students a first-hand opportunity to ask questions and learn about the nuances of each college program. This is the only college fair of its size in New England that is specifically geared toward arts students, and it only takes place once per year.

Anyone who is considering undergraduate or graduate studies in the arts is welcome and teachers, guidance counselors, family and friends are also encouraged to attend. Schools from across the country offering programs in music, dance, theater, graphic and visual arts will be represented.

In addition to the college fair, they will host a pre-fair workshop from 6:10 - 6:50 pm on the topic of "Navigating the Audition/Portfolio Process at Performing and Visual Arts Schools." This workshop will take place in the BU College of Fine Arts, Room 500, 855 Commonwealth Avenue.

Students should pre-register to attend this fair at http://www.gotomypvafair.com/Registration. Complete information, including a list of attending schools, is available online.

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!”

Where to begin

by karen Krolak

When Monkeyhouse presents Skorts (short showings of works in progress) or Sporks (discussions designed to stir up questions and fork out ideas), I often get asked about

where my ideas for pieces come from. As I was pacing around our site for Dance in the Fells: Wright’s Pond yesterday, I was observing small changes in the space and realized that generally I start by getting to know my materials. Frequently, I have absolutely no idea how the piece will evolve, I just have an intense interest in one of the ingredients. When I am working with new dancers, I will begin with improvisations designed to draw out their strengths. People always surprise me with skills that I would not have assumed they possess and those talents will trigger a direction for the creation.

In the case of a site specific work, I explore the place at different times of day and look for evidence of how other people and animals interact with the space. Over the course of the summer, I have noticed the changes in the view as trees and brush fill out and how that influences the way sounds travel. 

Some of the first things that struck me about our site for Dance in the Fells were that there were fishing hooks, lures, and floats embedded in the ground and that there is a magnificent, broken tree branch begging to be climbed on.  Arriving yesterday I was amused to discover a folding chair had been left facing the water. What had happened to its owner? Was he planning to return and just unwilling to cart the chair down the path again? Had she jumped in for a swim and was out too far for me to see? Could someone just be so absentminded that he neglected to remember he had brought the chair? 

At the base of my tree branch, someone, perhaps the mysterious chair owner, had also gathered a collection of stones that resembled the fungus blooming on the decaying wood. The stones didn't look as though they had come from the nearby shore and they were too clean to have been freshly dug up. Again, I wondered if they were intentionally left as a marker of some kind.

Laying down on the log, I listened to the sounds of overhead planes, dogs barking in the distance (they aren't allowed on the property), geese descending on the opposite shore, the even rhythm of a swimmer crossing the pond, wind rustling leaves, and water dancing up to the rocks. 

I must scurry off to meet Nicole and try out a few ideas before our showing tonight for the festival producers but this is hopefully the start of a series that will demonstrate a bit more how my choreographic ideas take shape. Keep tuning in to see how these threads get woven into the final product.

Colorado Bound!

 by Sarah Feinberg 

Many of you have gotten to know Sarah Feinberg over the past few years as she has become a bigger and bigger part of Monkeyhouse.  You may not know that she will be (temporarily) leaving us next week to attend grad school in Colorado.  I have known Sarah since she was a little girl and I have loved having the chance to get to know her in so many capacities throughout her life.  This summer I have spent a lot of time with Sarah and I know I'm not the only one around here who will miss her terribly while she's out starting this new adventure.  Here's Sarah to share a few thoughts on this big transition! - Nicole

I am off to Colorado for the next 2 years to attend graduate school at Colorado State University where I will be studying Occupational Therapy. The move is most definitely a bittersweet one. Since I graduated with my bachelors from Ithaca College in 2011, I have been working as a teacher for children with autism at The New England Center for Children. It has been a very rewarding and educational experience and I will miss my students very much. I can honestly say that Saturday afternoons spent at Springstep with Monkeyhouse is the thing I will miss the most. Though I was working full time and taking prerequisite courses for grad school, Saturday rehearsals were the most important part of my week. No matter what happened during the week or whatever mood I might have been in, when I walked out of that studio at 4pm, life was good!

I am excited for the new adventure I have ahead of me. I look forward to being back in school, especially in pursuit of my chosen career path and I look forward to a change of scenery (Mountains!). Though I have been told I will have little free time, I plan to check out the Colorado dance scene, continue practicing yoga and my newest extracurricular activity, rock climbing. I can't wait to do some hiking and explore the beautiful sites as well.

I can't say enough how truly grateful I am for having had the opportunity to work with such an incredible company. I have learned so much from each and every person. I look forward to continuing to support Monkeyhouse and possibly work on some projects from afar.

Dancing in Canada!

by Nikki Sao Pedro Welch 

 I was fortunate enough to go to Montreal for a week to take the Transformation Danse Intensive and it was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. The class approaches were refreshingly new and the Montreal culture is so supportive of the arts- it was amazing! I was able to take a body geography class with Isabelle Porier and a Performativity class with Stephen Thompson. I learned so many useful tools for myself as a dancer and as a teacher. While on my dance extravaganza I was also able to see two shows, "Short and Sweet," which comprised of 20 dance companies performing 3 minutes each, and "O Vertigo" a contemporary dance company that used sound manipulation in the flooring and structure on the stage. Both shows were quite different from one another which gave a great example of what Montreal's dance scene is like.  I went to three museums, walked the whole city, and basically did all I could to immerse myself into the city and what it had to offer. I can't wait to go back!!

Monkeyhouse Loves Natick High School!

by Katelyn Alcott

Monkeyhouse and Natick High School are like a peanut butter and dance sandwich eaten quickly in the brief time between classes and rehearsal.  We have had a long standing relationship with the school and its community and are constantly amazed by the things that this wonderful group of students accomplish.  

Monkeyhouse has many ties to the drama program at Natick High School, including alumni, interns and Nicole Harris's choreography for the musical productions.  The students have performed at Monkeyhouse events and both Sarah Friswell and Sarah Feinberg were once part of the drama program. 

Many of Karen's students from Impulse Dance Center have also been NHS students.  This  past year Monkeyhouse had six student interns from Natick High School, Marie Libbin, Rosie Steinberg, Laila Fatimi, David Makransky, Katelyn Alcott and Elyssa Berg.  Laila, David, Katelyn and Elyssa are all graduating seniors headed to college in the fall. Laila will be attending the University of Maine, David will be attending Boston College, Katelyn will be attending Wagner College and Elyssa will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University. Best of luck to the graduating seniors! 

Our ties to Natick High extend beyond the students.  You might remember vice principal Zach Galvin who was the emcee for last year's Your Just Desserts!  And our audiences are always peppered with NHS faculty and staff.

You can see more of these outstanding students throughout the year.  Whether you check out school performances of the drama, band and choir programs, student run groups such as Seven's Not Enough, or their out of school arts adventures which are numerous and wide ranging - you will constantly be impressed by the talent that comes from these young people.  What have you done to show your support of young local arts today?