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2010-08-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

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Anna Halprin Breath Made Visible

2010-08-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

A group of people stand still, equidistant from one another. Slowly and deliberately, as if in ritual, they begin to remove their neat black suits and white shirts until they are stark naked.

Petula Clark's upbeat anthem Downtown plays in the background. The contrast is simply stunning. This is a scene from Anna Halprin's seminal 1965 dance, Parades and Changes, quite possibly the most reverent to the body piece ever created in the canon of American modern dance. The iconic dance pioneer turns 90 this weekend. To celebrate and honor her extraordinary life, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is showing Breath Made Visible, a film by Ruedi Gerber and the sole documentary on Halprin, at 7 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 and 5 p.m. Sunday.

"When we performed Parades and Changes in Sweden I got a letter from a farmer. He said that the nudity reminded him of the innocence of a newborn calf. It was sacred," Halprin says, via phone from her California mountaintop headquarters. "Then I brought the dance to New York, and got arrested for indecent exposure."

Escaping to Cali

Controversy often followed in the wake of Halprin's mind and body expanding work. Early on, she left the New York scene for the broad expanse of the west. In California, she was free to create work outside of New York's sometime domineering trends.

"Had I stayed in New York, I am convinced I would not have done anything," insists Halprin. "I thrived in California."

Over the years, Halprin has investigated such subjects as AIDS, the Watts riots, cancer, aging, grief, environmental concerns and other subjects. Her Planetary Dance, originally created to heal a community when the Mount Tamalpais trailside killer had wreaked havoc on Marin County residents, has been performed in 46 places across the globe. In a strange turn of events, the killer was apprehended days after the dance was performed on the mountain.

Today Planetary Dance is performed all over the world as a form of earth healing. "I am floored by what's happened to that dance," Halprin says.

Early in her life, Halprin studied with the legendary Margaret H'Doubler at the University of Wisconsin. H'Doubler was the founder of dance in higher education.

Halprin took H'Doubler's idea that dance could develop us as people, not just artists, into new realms.

"I added the emotional component," Halprin says. "I may be the only person who continued H'Doubler's legacy." Halprin won numerous accolades for her work, including the 1997 Samuel H. Scripps Award for Lifetime Achievement in modern dance from the American Dance Festival. In addition, the Dance Heritage Coalition named her one of "America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures."

Over the course of her multi-decade career, just about every dance legend made their way to Halprin's famous dance deck overlooking the breathtaking landscape. The dance world came to her. And now this film brings Halprin's life to the rest of the world.

Breath Made Visible has proved a profound experience for Halprin. "The film helped me clarify my approach to dance, and why it's been so controversial all my life," she says. "Ruedi tried to show how I responded to my life through dance."

Do it already!

When Gerber first suggested the idea of a making a film to Halprin, she responded, "Hurry up, I am 83." It took another several years to complete the film. Gerber, a former student and close friend, was perhaps the ideal and the only person to make the film.

"Ruedi lived in our studio for a while, he was part of our family," Halprin says.

The actor-turned-filmmaker sorted through 150 hours of archival footage and family films to create the intimate atmosphere of Breath Made Visible. "When she says 'Enter your body through your hand,' she's talking directly to the audience. She opens up her soul, which has such a powerful effect on the audience. Anna is a performance animal," Gerber. says. "I did not want to make a PBS-style documentary.

"I want the film to be viewed as a performance and show her incredible kinesthetic sense."

Indeed, Gerber's film places the audience right in Halprin's classroom, which is not an enclosed dance studio, but the world at large. The film also covers Halprin's relationship with her husband, the renowned architect, Lawrence Halprin.

When Gerber's film came across Marian Luntz's desk at the MFAH, she jumped on the chance to highlight Halprin's work on the weekend of her 90th birthday.

"I found the film completely captivating, and so eye-opening on her journey," says Luntz, MFAH's curator of film and video. "It's also within the MFAH's mission to focus on creative process. We want to give films like Breath Made Visible a big screen venue like the Brown Auditorium."

Luntz has featured several dance films recently, including The Red Shoes and Movement (R)evolution Africa. To engage the local audience, the MFAH will partner with the Jewish Community Center and Pink Ribbons Project for a special Nia Master Class with Helen Terry and a Pink Alive dance presentation related to the film.

It's been over a decade since I made the winding drive up the mountains to visit Halprin. Hanging out in Halprin's kitchen talking dance and life is a treasured memory.

Today, she's spunky as ever, full of ideas and reflective on her substantial career. Many of us body-focused dance people owe a debt of gratitude to Halprin for daring to chart a course far from the dance fashion of the day.

Looking back, Halprin may have left the New York hub, yet her influence permeates many aspects of dance we take for granted.

"Halprin's belief that everyone can dance and dance is everywhere is part of her legacy," writes Wendy Perron, Dance Magazine's Editor in Chief.

Watching Breath Made Visible, I am reminded of this extraordinary legacy that I am part of. Gerber captures Halprin's life and work with grace and reverence.

"I wanted to make a film about what dance can be without over intellectualizing," the Swiss filmmaker says. Gerber succeeds in creating an artful portrait of a completely original life in dance. "The movie has had its own life; even now, it still speaks to me."

The film is complete while Halprin's work continues. Spirit of Place, her most recent work, exemplifies her ongoing interest in dance in the natural world. "I am interested in helping dancers understand space as related to the environment. When I work on my outdoor dance deck I see the sky, the mountains. I hear the birds. I work within the sum total of life around me.

"I am not an object in space, I am part of it."

Reprinted from Culturemap.

Keeping the Faith: MotherDogStudios and Neighbors adapt to Houston's ever evolving cultural terrain

2010-08-06T05:12:00.000-07:00

John Runnels storms out of MotherDogStudios like the unofficial mayor of the block. As proprietor of one of Houston's most venerable artist-run warehouses, along with his partner in art and life, Charlie Jean Sartwelle, it's a title he has earned. Runnels bolts out the door with the energy of an adolescent ready to sing the praises of the eclectic exterior of MotherDog. A mural of a tank marching towards the city flanks the north wall, while his provocative text-based mural, X-Marks the Spot, covers a good portion of the west wall, along with the scrappy black canine that is the MotherDog. He points out the faded “Dixie Glass Co. Inc.” sign on the building with unbridled pride for the space he has looked after for the past 24 years. Originally built in 1939, the 22,000-square-foot building held the wordy distinction of “the railroad to truck covered cross dock freight terminal.” Runnels lovingly refers to his oasis as his “southern Gothic castle cathedral old warehouse dive.” Sartwelle even received a special “artist warehouse” occupancy permit from the city. “Once you get inside, it's paradise,” boasts Runnels. His now-grown daughter, Sara Katherine Runnels, endearingly described the studio as “almost enchanting” in a college essay illuminating her alternative childhood under the MotherDog roof. It's the “almost” part that most interests Runnels, whose stewardship of MotherDog stands as a shining example of the vital role the artist plays in an urban environment. “We are the early settlers who tamed the area for others,” insists the artist. “We have the vision and take the risks.” He's the first to admit it's not been a journey for the weak, needy or faint of temperature.

Runnels remembers the early years with a touch of nostalgia. “Nobody wanted this neighborhood. It was considered a Mad Max wasteland. The only people here were police, transients and lost people,” Runnels remembers. “It was a no man's land. The police told Charlie Jean not to leave the building without a sawed-off shotgun.” That said the place proved perfect for Runnels and Sartwelle and the first cadre of artists that moved in with them. Artists need a lot of space for little money. At first, the couple heavily scrutinized the tenants for artistic merit. These days they are more interested in artists who obey the rules, which include no pets, no smoking, no moving in and no music. (Headphones are OK.) “We run a tight ship,” Runnels grins. “This isn't grad school.” Turnover in the16 generously-sized studios has been relatively low, with some artists, like Jo Ann Fleischhauer, in her 16th year. “I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere there,” says Fleischhauer, who develops large-scale pieces like the Parasol Project there. “It's been an intellectually positive space and a great physical space. MotherDog is my art home and art family.”

MotherDog provides a serious place to work at affordable rent and few luxuries other than the occasional stimulation of other artists. The words, “sacred, secret, seizure, silence, solitude and sanctuary,” line the stairs leading into the cavernous space. “MotherDog is basically like a library. It's a quiet place where like-minded people come and go,” says Sartwelle as she prepares for an April one-person show at The Cloister Gallery at Christ Church Cathedral. “It's built like an old ship,” Runnels adds, pointing to the elegantly tar-stained rafters. “Plus, we actually have weather inside the building. We call it natural air.”

...Our mere presence was the green flag for gentrification. We followed in a long line of artist citizens who ready the ground for the next inhabitants.

MotherDog arrived at its name through a glib comment by a befuddled reporter. Runnels and Sartwelle collaborated in 1986 on Mantraps: Tales of Fornication, a performance work at Lawndale Art Annex. Runnels trapped himself, sans clothes, inside a constructed black bathroom with tiny peepholes. Eric Gerber of The Houston Post wrote, “Art should try to capture life, but mother dog, nobody ever said anything about holding it prisoner in a big black box afterwards, did they?” On the lookout for a handle, Gerber accidentally gave Runnels a fitting one. The couple promptly quit the performance art biz and began the MotherDog mission of making way for other artists.

The Art Crawl, managed by Runnels and Sartwelle for most of its 16 years, most exemplifies the MotherDog spirit of reaching out to both the public and other artists. Over the years thousands have traipsed through the downtown studios. “The Art Crawl is a gift,” says Runnels with noted pride. “People get to see firsthand where art is made.” In the past, Runnels partnered with Metro, which provided trolleys to easily move the masses from studio to studio. This year the crawl faces some serious transportation challenges. “Metro has since sold the trolleys and the large buses can't make the sharp turns,” says Runnels. “It will be different this year as studios take a larger role in publicizing their own events.”

Over the years the landscape has shifted as artists have come and gone, and the lofts just keep on coming. “Lofts to the right of me, lofts to the left of me,” groans Runnels. “Money talks and artists walk.” There are still plenty of guns around, but they belong to the Metro Police, whose shiny new headquarters sits down the street. Polished sidewalks line the streets complete with pristine starter trees. The character of the area has shifted into gentrification mode with MotherDog's rough-hewn look standing in sharp contrast to the sleek, albeit sterile, residential dwellings.

During his time with DiverseWorks between 1983 and 1995 Michael Peranteau witnessed the entrance of regular people and the exit of artists from downtown. “It was a ghost town then,” says Peranteau, who now serves as the Society for the Performing Arts' Director of Development. “Warren's and La Carafe were about the only places to go, but with that deadness came cheap places for artists to live and work.” Peranteau also observes the upside of residential development. “It's great to have people living here, all of that feels good. On any given night the place is jumping,” says Peranteau. “But I would like to see more affordable downtown housing for artists.”

When DiverseWorks moved from its 214 Travis Street location in 1989 to their present East Freeway address, they were glad to have MotherDog as established neighbors “You can actually walk there, right under the freeway,” says Runnels. “To have such a prestigious alternative arts organization like DiverseWorks move here was a major injection artistically.” Diane Barber, DiverseWorks co-director, remembers the buzz when they started Downtown Stomp Around in 2002. “The dock is our front porch; it's a very social space,” Barber says. “FotoFest and Frank White have always been great neighbors, but frankly we miss that particular energy we had back in the 1990s.” Barber believes a confluence of factors such as better spaces and prices contributed to artist exodus.

Choreographer Sarah Irwin remembers that atmosphere well. “My studio shared a wall with DiverseWorks,” recalls Irwin from her home in the Hill Country of southwest Austin. Irwin created her compelling piece, Rooms, in 1992, a dance that took place in her own studio and DiverseWorks stage simultaneously via a live camera. The piece exposed the potency of shared spaces through humor and Irwin's envelope-pushing movement vocabulary. During her decade as DiverseWorks' next door neighbor, she assumed many roles, from organizing local dancers to perform in visiting shows, to pitching in as ticket taker when necessary. When a visiting artist needed an extra body, Irwin was often that body. “I played death as a boa constrictor for Pauline Oliveros,” recalls the choreographer. “I became the link to the dance community.” Irwin's stature as a downtown artist goes back even farther, with several performances at DiverseWorks' original 214 Travis Street location and Mel Chin and William Steen's Studio One. Irwin and her collaborator Edie Scott worked with the late James Bettison, Don Redman, and Beth Secor. “There were all these amazing visual artists working there at the time like Jack Massing and Michael Galbraith, before they had become The Art Guys, Sharon Kopriva, and Chuck Dugan, and then there was me. I was just so honored to be included.”

Peranteau credits Irwin, DiverseWorks, MotherDog and others as spearheading a golden age of downtown arts activity. Coming and going are part and parcel of any artist's life. His own life has moved full circle as he sees once-emerging artists presented at DiverseWorks on the SPA stage. Sixto Wagan, the present co-director of DiverseWorks, agrees it's a good thing when artists he nurtured go on to larger venues such as Wortham Theater Center and Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. “It's important to remember that artists and arts organizations have cycles,” Wagan states. Today, denizens of the dock seem on the come back trail. Recently, Gabriela Trzebinski and Hanna Hillerova moved in. Currently, DiverseWorks is open for yet another move, possibly to a more accessible area. As for the loft population, Barber holds out hope that they could become DiverseWorks' next audience.

Early on Runnels and Sartwelle considered becoming a non-profit like DiverseWorks. Their motto, “How small can we stay and still accomplish our vision?” guided the MotherDog mission. “We were afraid we would lose control. We always wanted it to be a democratic dictatorship,” jokes Sartwelle. “We didn't want to grow bigger either.” The pair got their chance to try the non-profit route during their ten-year tenure as directors of the Bayou Bend ArtPark from 1993-2003. “That experience prepared us for the work we are doing now in public art,” says Sartwelle. After a decade they were ready to move on and allow others to take the helm.

Being adaptable ranks high on any artists' survival list and Hurricane Ike provided yet another chance to be tested. Runnels inspects the damage with a mixture of amazement and regret. A leak wreaked havoc on the computers while a horizontal torrent of rain crashed in on his plans for WATER.WALL, a public art project slated for 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. “A trickle down theory took place. It's really quite beautiful how the water bled some of these colors,” observes Runnels. Tropical Storm Allison left the couple trapped inside the studio for two days. “The place looked like Venice,” reflects Runnels.

For Runnels, the bayou may just be the link that connects the neighborhoods separated by highways. “The Bayou is geomorphologically a river,” Runnels insists. “On a quiet day I can even hear the bayou from MotherDog.” Water, a frequent subject for the artist, forms the basis of dream.boats, his ongoing collaboration with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. “When you see the sight of silver boats on high your imagination demands the other half,” says Runnels about his gleaming upside down stainless steel vessels. “They trigger a portal entrance to a potential experience. For me it was about bringing the qualities of the water up to the street level.” Anne Olson, director of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, sees dream.boats as a prime example of integrated art and remains dedicated to incorporating public art into all of the organization's projects. Massive pillars created by architects TeamHou and artist Mel Chin gracing Sesquicentennial Park stand as a prime example. Olson is particularly proud of Nights on the Blue Bayou, a collaboration with the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts that placed music and visual arts events in direct contact with the pedestrian public. “We have made a commitment to innovative events,” says Olson. “We want to think beyond beer blasts and rock concerts.”

MotherDogStudios, DiverseWorks, and the Buffalo Bayou Partnership join in a mission to find sustainable ways to boost the city's vibrant downtown art scene. Negotiating the territory with careful attention will determine the future cultural ecology. It's no wonder that Runnels' object of choice takes the form of a boat. As Runnels finishes his final dream.boat in the upcoming months, he contemplates the city's evolving landscape. As for the loft dwellers, Runnels remains unconvinced of their contribution and he wishes they would clean up after their dogs more. Runnels and Sartwelle soldier on despite an uncertain future with a gratefulness for the space MotherDog afforded them and the many artists who created under their welcoming umbrella. They accept their tenuous situation like true urban pioneers. “As artists we adjust. You can't fight the future. We are lucky our space was never considered loft worthy,” admits Sartwelle. “Still, we are always sitting on tender hooks. But then again, I never thought we would be here this long.”

DiverseWorks is now considering another move, while Runnels and Sartwelle take the “last man standing” approach, holding out amidst flux. Their stewardship speaks to the artists' unbending resourceful spirit. “Change is inevitable and I embrace it,” Runnels ruminates. “The moment we landed here we knew our fate was determined. Our mere presence was the green flag for gentrification. We followed in a long line of artist citizens who ready the ground for the next inhabitants.” Runnels ends the tour of his homestead with a visit to his favorite end-of-the-day spot, where mama and papa dog often enjoy a late afternoon cocktail. In the distance looms a stunning view of the shining city rising out of a dusky glow they both still proudly call home.

Reprinted from Downtown Magazine.

2010-08-06T05:08:00.000-07:00

Small Space Love

by Nancy Wozny

Could hotel rooms be good for my health? I just adore those miniature homes away from home. I have an ongoing fantasy where I junk my suburban fake Gothic four-bedroom to live on our Marriott points, write a blog called “Married to the Marriott,” get a book, then movie deal. Meryl Streep will play me in the movie.

Why do I feel so happy and safe in small spaces? Is it because I spent my early years in a tiny apartment above my grandparents’ place? When my parents ditched the urban life for a 1960s style sprawling split level, I asked my mother, “How many families will be moving in?” I remember my first night in our multi-room dwelling. I felt lonely and out of scale with my own body.

“It could be related to the safety and security of the womb,” says Rachel Winer, Ph.D, a psychologist and founder of ArtsEngine. Makes sense, why wouldn’t our first digs have a profound effect on us? Hours after my first son was born, his baby thought bubble read, “Wow, what a big room.” When I told my second son to eat his veggies so he would grow, he promptly quipped. “I don’t want to get bigger, I like being small. I need to fit under the table.”

According to Winer, there’s more to liking tiny spaces. “It could also be related to aesthetic preferences,” she adds. Winer is right. I feel burdened by too much space; it generates too much stuff, which in turn needs to be put away. Winer has similar needs. “I like to see what I need for comfort and survival,” she says. “What brings us security in our dwelling space makes it possible to explore the outside world. Some of us also want to live in close proximity to other people.” She’s got a point there. When I moved to Houston, the master bedroom was downstairs. To me, it was an odd design choice. I wanted to hear my son breathe, but his crib seemed to be in another country upstairs.

I am not the only one that longs for a troll house, the small house movement founded by Sarah Susanka, author of “The Not So Big House,” has garnered the attention of NPR, Time and even “Oprah.” Could it be that people feel happier knowing they are taking a smaller toll on the world’s resources? Winer is not about to claim that your mansion is bad for your health, but living lighter and smaller could generate less stress. There’s certainly a well documented link between stress and auto immune disorders and other diseases.

Winer brings up values and cultural issues. “Preferring a small home may also be a statement of not subscribing to the showiness of flamboyance,” she says. “Space is used differently in less individualistic societies, where there’s a more diffuse boundary.”

Too small spaces don't work either. My former office made me feel trapped. Later on, I learned my office had indeed been a closet. Now, I sound a lot like Goldilocks; the size of my space has to be “just right.”

According to Winer, there’s more to pining for hotel rooms. “I can live with the illusion of being a tidy person,” she says. “There’s also a chance to reinvent yourself and take a vacation from your own house.” And I thought I liked them because they were so small.

As a recovering philosophy major, I turn to Gaston Bachelard’s “The Poetics of Space.”

“For our house is our corner of the world, it is our first universe, a real cosmos in every sense of the word.” I suppose I just need a modest corner. Sadly, Bachelard has absolutely nothing to say about hotel rooms.

In my childhood neighborhood there was one house we called “the castle.” We rarely saw anyone entering or exiting the place, and we concocted all kinds of nutty fantasies about the place and its inhabitants. Years later, my mother confessed that she had actually been inside the mansion. “They mostly lived in two rooms.” Just trying to turn the castle into a hotel room I guess.

Review: Catastrophic Theatre's Hunter Gatherers

2010-06-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

Shelley Calene-Black, Troy Schulze, Greg Dean, Amy Bruce

Photo by George Hixson

Dinner parties with old high school friends are rarely a good idea. Add an animal sacrifice into the mix, and well, things get frisky. The Catastrophic Theatre takes its tagline, “We will destroy you,” to epic levels in their sassy new production of Peter Sinn Nachtrieb’s Hunter Gatherers, now playing at DiverseWorks. Why not end the season with some savory meat and a blood bath? Feels right and, dare I say, yummy to me.

Cat-in-heat Wendy, boring doctor Tom, Neanderthal Richard, and demure Pam gather annually for their collective wedding anniversary. Things go downhill the moment Tom finds a parking place. Wendy can’t control the weather in her underpants, Richard can’t control anything, Pam lives for control and Tom invented control. Therein lies the volatile mix of these four characters stuck in a room for two hours. Nachtrieb turns back-to-nature fools on their heads with his riff on primal urges. Think The Flintstones crashing full speed into Housewives of New Jersey.

Nodler directs with a back-away-from-the-mayhem approach, letting the play’s absurd moments have a glory all of their own. Catastrophic’s artistic director knows his way around a riot, yet this is subtler than last year’s production. Leave to Nodler to find tenderness in the most extraordinary ridiculousness.

The superb cast includes Greg Dean, who puts average cave men to shame with his take on the feral Richard. Amy Bruce imbues Wendy with a manic glee, like Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on steroids. Shelley Calene-Black as the polite Pam singlehandedly proves ladylikeness can kill. Troy Schulze gives Tom an absurdest flare, as if he’s escaped from an Ionesco play and is wondering how he ended up with these insane people.

Kevin Holden’s set and lighting design draw the action closer than his previous version at Stages Repertory Theatre. It’s tighter, sleeker, more in your face, lending a more claustrophobic space for these four to mate and merge. Holden gets us way too close this wayward flock, making the antics feel visceral as all get out. At Catastrophic Theatre it takes just a lamp chop to bring down Western Civilization. As it should be. Trust me, this is full-frontal fun.

The Catastrophic Theatre presents Peter Sinn Nachtrieb’s Hunter Gatherers at DiverseWorks Art Space through July 17. Call 713-522-2723 or visit www.catastrophictheatre.com.

Reprinted from Houston ArtsWeek.

A city on the fringe: There's nothing straight up in BooTown's vision

2010-05-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

When your Italian teacher sweetie dons a pink tie with the words "Barbie" written on it, that could be a good sign it's time to move on. That particular boyfriend and other romances gone bad inspired Jennifer Doctorovich's Lemon Drops, which premieres Thursday at Boheme as part of BooTown's third annual Houston Fringe Festival. (other Fringe events start tonight).

According to Doctorovich, horrendous breakups make good theater.

"I know bad dates have been done a lot, but I have a different hook, in that I am interested in that moment you know a relationship is over and it's time to leave; the spell is broken and you get that cringing quality," she says. "It's fictional, but somewhat related to my own dating history.

"We are so busy falling in love we don't take the time to know who that person really is because we are lulled into a false sense of security."

Doctorovich is part of a cadre of local and out-of-town artists proud to be presenting their work at the Festival this year.

They say you can judge a city's arts spunk by the health of its fringe festival. OK, maybe I said that. But it's true, there's a delicate ecology in the arts; nurturing the artsy edges feeds the cultural stream. We need places for artists to get their feet wet, try out new ideas, succeed, fail and experiment.

I wrote about the need for incubation of new art a few weeks ago. It's crucial to raise the next generation of writers, actors and choreographers, otherwise I will be writing about bath towels.

Emily Hynds, BooTown's smart and savvy director, agrees. "Some of our founding members had been to fringe festivals," Hynds says. "It fits so well with our collaborative aesthetic."

She's right, it does. The vibe at BooTown is relaxed and welcoming, with an emphasis on theater as a social and accessible art.

The Festival is open to artists at any stage of development. It's completely noncurated, which means all an artist needs to do is apply.

"Houston lacks outlets to get new work produced. Finding the venue and marketing is often the hardest part of putting on a show. We fill that need," Hynds says. "Our venues welcome the Fringe Festers. They bring a crowd, so it's mutually beneficial."

You are not likely to see a straight up musical in a straight up theater with the BooTown name on it.

"Our focus is to do totally original theater pieces in non-theatrical venues. I know it sounds cheesy, but we want to have fun ourselves," she says. "We like to work in bars where people can hang out before the show, have some entertainment and continue to hang out some more." BooTown may be most known for Grown-Up Story Time, where anyone can submit a story, which will be read by a local actor.

The popular event goes down the third Tuesday of every month at Rudyard's and returns in July.

This year BooTown opened the Festival to dance artists, which entailed finding spaces with suitable floors.

"Why not open it up to dance? " Hynds says. "There's such a strong dance presence in the city. It was a struggle to make those dance connections, but this year we made it a priority."

Luckily, the local community opened their hearts and studios. The Houston Metropolitan Dance Center and Hope Center are participating venues this season. The Met Dance Company, China Cat Productions, the Colombian Orchid Ballet and Code f.a.d. Company make up the dance portion.

Autumn Mist Belk, artistic director of Code f.a.d., stumbled upon the Fringe Festival when looking for a place to perform outside of their home base in Raleigh, N.C.

"This is a great way to test out the show," Belk says. "It helps me know where to go next." Belk describes Fashion Briefs, a premiere based on the lives and work of eight fashion designers, as upbeat and funny.

For a writer like Doctorovich, the festival fills a needed niche. She plans to develop Lemon Drops into a one-woman show for Mildred's Umbrella Museum of Dysfunction series in December. Having a place to try it out in front of an audience is a crucial step in her process.

"Every city needs a fringe fest. We have to continue to embrace creativity and give opportunities to new talent," she says.

Let it be known that Houston is now a two fringe fest town. FrenetiCore's Houston Fringe Festival gets under way in August.

Yep, they're both called the Houston Fringe Festival. We are just a fringe-y city.

Reprinted from Culturemap.

Yes Men are anything but: Punking the press one story at a time

2010-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

This just in, in a remarkable change of heart, Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs has just announced that he, along with all his fellow looters in loafers, will give back their bonuses to start a fund for those who have lost their homes due to the hijacking scams of the famed Wall Street barons.

Or how about this:

British Petroleum, deeply concerned about the long-term implications of the recent mega oil spill, has donated profits to clean up the devastation. In addition, BP employees will be taking special bird-washing classes so they can spend their vacations cleaning up the Gulf Coast.

Maybe this is more up my alley:

The American Ballet Society has just released a statement of support for American female ballet choreographers, including special funds to commission major new works. They also acknowledged that has been way too long since a woman (perhaps never?) ran a major American dance company and seek to correct that within the year.

Can you tell I spent some time with The Yes Men?

Andy Bichlbaum specifically, during a How to be a Yes Men workshop as part of Keep It Slick: Infiltrating Capitalism with The Yes Men, curated by Astria Suparak and organized by Feldman Gallery at Pacific Northwest College of Art and Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University. The show is up now at DiverseWorks and runs through June 5.

The Yes Men, Bichlbaum & Mike Bonanno, are prankster/artists/identity correctors who are most famous for duping the BBC when Jude Finisterra (Bichlbaum) posed as a Dow spokesperson to announce that Dow was now taking responsibility for the Bhopal chemical disaster. The caper resulted in over 600 articles, drawing needed attention to the still growing health problems of those injured by the incident.

Other fabulous capers include posing as a spokesperson from the Chamber of Commerce, announcing that the not-so-green group has come out for stricter environmental protections, and a fake edition of The New York Times, hailing "The Iraq War is over." Their movie, The Yes Men Fixed the World, headlined the Cinema Arts Festival last fall.

"Corporations never do the right thing," Bichlbaum said to the attentive DiverseWorks crowd. The best you can do is shame them into admitting that they have no intention of doing the right thing. That's what happens when they send out the press release saying, no, we are not doing this or that, as in the right thing.

Bichlbaum wanted to bring the conversation to a local level, so he took ideas from the crowd. Turns out, there's a certain upscale grocery chain (they make that fabulous cheesy bread) that is interested in purchasing a piece of land near another grocery chain in a low-income area of the city. The land would make a great park.

So why not call a press conference, have a person impersonate a spokesperson from that unnamed grocery store announce they are, in fact, turning that lovely stretch of land into a park and community garden.

Not so fast. Bichlbaum advises to do your homework. Who is the target? Is it the city or the store? The goal is to activate voters, to raise public awareness, support and possibly outrage.

"What about legal issues?" asked a Yes Men wannabe. "We will get to that later," sidestepped Bichlbaum.

The Yes Men outlined a step-by-step action plan, most of which is outlined on their website and in their handy workbook. Everything from how to create a fake website, to the timing of press releases, video tips, the total ins and out of punking the press is yours for the taking. You can even have a fake "real" corporate spokesperson come in to stop the whole thing.

"It's even better when the real people show up. That's what happened at the Chamber of Commerce. The real guy came charging in to stop us," Bichlbaum remembered. "We could not have asked for a better prop."

According to Bichlbaum, the press doesn't mind being misled. "They have fun with it, and usually get a good story out of it," he said. "Most get it pretty quickly."

That's where you hit them with the follow-up interview. When they ask why you would do something stupid like impersonating someone, say, "Speaking of stupid", and launch into your talking points. You can even send a come clean press release that points to action plans and activist organizations that are already working on the problem. Keep in mind, those activist organizations may or may not want to be implicated.

"You might want to call them beforehand. Then, send a fake hand-wringing press release from the corporation, where they admit they have no intention of doing such and such. The corporation might send a real one, too. That's the best situation."

Imagine you wanted to throw some attention on a local school board that has eliminated arts funding. So you set up a nice press conference announcing it has restored arts funding, perhaps even added funding. Don't forget to serve beer and food. Once the press gets wind of the fake story, the real fun starts.

The real school board would then have to send a press release stating it has not restored arts funding, often sounding a bit, well, cold and heartless in the process. This situation ends up being your protection from those pesky "legal" issues. It makes them look really creepy by going after you.

Yes Men-ing is not for the faint of troublemaking. It takes considerable planning, tech savvy and access to one kick-ass press list. Sounds like a ton of work to me. I might just go Yes Men lite and crash a Tea Party with a sign reading, "Thanks FDA for keeping arsenic out of my baby formula, or some other gov-lovin' sentiment. I will make sure to misspell something so I blend in.

Workshop participants less lazy than I left scheming and plotting. Watch out Houston! All the details on how to Yes Man-ize yourself are here.

As for the question on getting into trouble — absolutely. Plan on it.

Reprinted from Culturemap.

Kicking and screaming to summer arts program fun: Don't ask your kids, just bring 'em

2010-05-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

I was a bit of a clunky mom, the one you felt sorry for in the Target parking lot with snugglie/stroller issues. Even my own kids suspected they were with an amateur. From time to time they would offer advice.

Once, I baked cookies. My then 5-year-old son pulled me aside, "Mom, you don't have to do this, they sell them at the store."

The one thing I got right was exposing my two sons to the arts. Maybe you don't want to get lost in the woods with my boys (although they would keep you entertained), but they can talk about art with the best of them.

I took a page from my father's book. He never asked, "Who is in the mood for George Bernard Shaw's The Devil's Disciple?" Nah, he just piled us into the station wagon and off we went to the opera, ballet, theater or an exhibit. It works the same way around chez Wozny. Our art road trips are the price of the roof, like church, except they often include a trip to our fave family cheap eats, Tacos A Go Go.

Rule number one: Kids like art better after a tasty meal.

Houston is just jumping with fine children's arts programs. If I listed them all here, your kids would be grown by the time you finished reading this. Instead, I want to highlight a few that have crossed my path during my time as a CultureMap art sleuth.

It's Saturday morning, the kids are rested, in a good mood, and have a belly full of organic Cheerios, what should you do? Pack the tots into the car and head directly over to the Wortham Center at 10:30 am for The Adventure of Baroque Music, presented by Mercury Baroque. The early music troupe has had an in-school outreach program for a while now, but this is the first time they have offered a public concert.

"We wanted to expand the program to everyone," Antoine Plante, Mercury Baroque's artistic director, says.

The very animated Ana Trevino-Godfrey will lead the festivities, which include an adventure across Europe though music and story. Plante even throws some history in there. It's 1704, and England is at war with France, which wreaks havoc when Queen Anne's oboist can't get a hold of any French wood necessary for making reeds. It's no wonder Plante makes children a priority audience; he grew up with two early musician parents in a home with 150 period instruments.

Also on Saturday, you can see what Jane Weiner has been up to with Kid's Play: Skool of Rock at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Barnevelder. Weiner, artistic director of Hope Stone Dance, directs Kid's Play, a program that includes dance, theater, music, photography and yoga.

"The arts offer so many ways for kids to find their voice," Weiner says. "Art strengthens, empowers and heals."

No stranger to working with youth, Weiner directed the Youth Arts Program for at-risk teens at the famed Bates Dance Festival for 15 years. Weiner, who is bit of jokester, suddenly becomes very serious when it comes to young people. "I think children are America's greatest asset," Weiner says. "They are like dolphins in that they are smarter than we are."

Weiner understands. She got hooked on dance watching Pennsylvania Ballet's Nutcracker. " Watching that sea of white tulle, I was zapped then and there," she says.

Kid's Play has been so successful, she's taking it to New Orleans in June.

When pirouettes trump SpongeBob

Getting youngsters to cozy up to modern dance is no piece of cake. Just ask the Wozny boys, who had fully hoped to go to college on major scholarships from the foundation for "Children who have seen too much modern dance."

Karen Stokes thinks we need to leave a few crumbs to better decipher dance, so she created Framing Dance, a snappy intro to dance program for schools. Stokes, artistic director of Travesty Dance Group and head of the Dance Division at University of Houston's School of Theatre & Dance, wants to answer the question "What does it mean?"

"In dance, that often goes unanswered. Dance needs framing because it's the least accessible and most ephemeral art form," Stokes says. Whether it's learning how dance can tell a story or be just about patterns in space, Framing Dance hands children the keys to dance, such that they feel successful in watching it. The response has been huge.

"Laughing, applauding, asking questions, telling us their favorite piece, we just get intoxicated from their reactions," Stokes says.

Anthony Brandt is super proud of Around the World with Musiqa, an interactive program for elementary school children, now in its sixth year. Brandt isn't the only one who's impressed, the program is a three-time National Endowment for the Arts Award winner. "If I have one abiding conviction, it's that music is not elitist," Brandt, Musiqa's artistic director, says. "The people who wrote the music came from every possible background."

Around the World hones in on folk songs, but here's the catch, the children have already learned the songs ahead of time because Karol Bennett traveled to each participating school to teach them. "They count on being part of the show," Brandt says. Today, Musiqa is busy coming up with a middle school program..

InterActive Theater Company's name says it all. If you want kids to love theater, they need to be onstage helping the story get told. "With InterActive you don't just see the story, you are part of it," boasts Angela Foster, InterActive's director. InterActive has adapted everything from Texas history to poetry. Hallmarks of their method include improvisation, original scripts and actors playing multiple roles.

Check out Peter Pan going on right now. InterActive just wrapped up Peter & the Wolf, their first partnership with River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) at the Children's Museum. ROCO deserves kudos for ROCOrooters, where kids get to learn and listen, and the parents get to go out to dinner after the show. Smart move ROCO.

Finally, I can't tell you how much the MFAH has been the Wozny clan's home away from home. The programs for families, students and educators are a lifeline.

No discussion about young people and art would be complete without a shout out to Ray Carrington III and his students at Jack Yates High School. Carrington puts a camera into the hands of high school students, often for the very first time, to document Houston's historic Third Ward. Eye on the Third Ward is now a major archive of this evolving neighborhood. How amazing is that?

So get those kids out of the house and into some art. It worked for me. Plus, I got out of baking cookies. I will never forget the time someone asked, "Who is Jackson Pollock?" within earshot of my then 12-year-old.

He launched into a spontaneous lecture on Jackson's athletic mark making. I thought to myself, "That's my boy."

Reprinted from Culturemap

2010-05-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

The Bodycation: Have an In-Body Experience

“Your body is a wonderland,” croons pop star John Mayer. Well, I hope so. Our bodies are the cheapest playgrounds I know of; where else can you have a totally in-depth experience without moving your car? Vacations are about taking in something new, letting go of working hard and refreshing our neural-wiring. They are also about being able to return to your life rejuvenated with a new perspective.

Everyone already knows about yoga, pilates and the numerous dance classes available in Houston. But there are more off of the beaten track ways to take an in-body vacation. Here are some of my favorites.

Yamuna Body Rolling, developed by Yamuna (she goes by one name, like Cher), uses different size balls that you rest and roll on, lengthening those pesky muscle and stubborn fascial tissues. Yamuna means “river,” so there's lots of flow. Joyce Yost Ulrich, a level three Yamuna teacher, a pilates expert and a former Houston Ballet dancer, leads us through a series of stretches for our hips, flexors, hamstrings and tight calve muscles. “Yamuna is great at getting at the front of the spine, which is often neglected,” says Ulrich. “And the work perfectly complements pilates and yoga. Plus, balls are fun and playing is part of the method.” So, not only do you get a little vacation, but you come back with more space. I left feeling dreamy, loose and very three-dimensional. Ulrich teaches at Hope Center and in her Treehouse studio.

The Feldenkrais Movement is all about going to new places in your body and mind. But the way you do that is by lying quietly on your back, on a soft mat performing tiny and delicate movements in a dark room. You gently re-pattern your body into more efficient functioning. That sounds good, but it feels even better. When you re-calibrate your effort, you feel as if someone took an elephant off your back. People mostly float away after class, or at least I do. “There's an old saying that 'a change is as good as a rest,'” says MaryBeth Smith, founder of the Feldenkrais Center of Houston. “People don't realize that the overall pattern of their lives is 'go go go,' and so even activities we usually view as pleasurable can start to feel stale and stressful. We seem to thrive when we have novelty and variation in our patterns.” Movements are unusual enough to be engaging, but comfortable enough that you feel safe and not stressed. Smith teaches at the C. G. Jung Center, Pilates Houston, the Caroline Collective and MD Anderson.

The Alexander Technique, founded by actor F.M. Alexander in the 1890s, concerns the relationship between the head and the rest of the spine. “Move the head up and forward, and the spine will follow,” is the now-famous motto of the technique, practiced widely by actors, musicians and dancers. Alexander was an actor who lost his voice. When he began to pay attention to what he was doing in his own body that was preventing his full use of his self, he learned how to inhibit unnecessary habits. “We are born with this upward instinct. We just need to stop interfering with it,” says Chris Lidvall, one of Houston's leading Alexander teachers. “Gravity is not the enemy; in Alexander, we move up into gravity.” Lidvall works one-on-one and in group settings helping individuals do whatever they do better, whether that is playing the piano or just getting up from a chair. In a private session, you may in fact just stand and sit while Lidvall gently places her hands on your neck, ribs and hips. You keep your clothes on and your eyes open during an Alexander lesson. Some table work is involved, so comfortable pants work best. Lidvall may completely take over the movement of an arm or leg. That's the vacation part. You get to feel, sense, and take a break from doing. “We are always doing,” she says. “In Alexander, we learn to stop, pay attention and find an easier way.” Plan to feel lighter and more at ease.

Gyrokinesis (the movement component of Gyrotonic) was founded by former ballet dancer Juliu Horvath while on the Island of St. Thomas in the 1970s, so you know it's gonna give you at thrill. Horvath calls his method “yoga for the dancer,” but you don't have to be a dancer to give it a try. Joseph Modlin, a pilates, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis teacher, welcomes all levels of fitness to his Hope Center classes. Using a stool, Modlin leads us through a series of spiral-like moves that flow in and around the spine, which arches and curls continually. Then we hit the mat for more circular fun. The curves add flow, so you don't even notice that it's a bit strenuous. The easy to follow movements keep the class moving, while Modlin gives subtle direction and occasional flashes of his famous wit. The stool makes it accessible for everyone too. “Life, blood and our breath flows in circles, which is why the class is so calming and soothing,” says Modlin, who is also member of Hope Stone Dance Company. “I relate it to waking up in the morning; the class is like a fresh start.” Of all the in-body experiences, this is the most active. Expect to feel energized and very connected afterwards.

Continuum Movement takes the flow concept a step further and deeper, so consider a Continuum class your most exotic body-based excursion. Developed by somatic pioneer Emilie Conrad, Continuum is about restoring the vitality of our fluid systems. “Without water, there is no life,” says Patty Adamik, Houston's sole Continuum teacher. “On a cellular level, all processes within our body occur in a fluid medium. We are basically aquatic beings that carry our ocean within ourselves.” Through a series of breaths and easy to learn movements, elasticity is restored and vitality returns. There's also a strong emphasis on going to new places. You may find yourself hanging off a chair to re-acquaint yourself in gravity. No previous training is required, and Adamik welcomes people of all fitness levels. A Continuum exploration is called a dive that you can go deep into, to discover the depths of your watery birth. “Think of it as a fantastic voyage,” says Adamik, who is trained in several body/mind practices. “It's like shrinking yourself down to notice any tiny shifts and impulses that you are able to pay attention to.” For advanced students, week-long retreats feature silence and sometimes total darkness for a total restoration experience. Adamik introduces students to the premises behind the work at the C. G. Jung Center and Nia Moves Houston.

For a listing of online resources related to this article and links to local training facilities, please visit us online at AbsolutelyInTheLoop.com.

reprinted from Absolutely in the Loop.

Houston Explodes with Motion

2010-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Photo by D. Garson

Marlana Walsh-Doyle and Joe Celej of the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company. Walsh-Doyle is managing director of Houston Met, and Celej is also the choreographer.

Dance is one happening art form right now. So You Think You Can Dance?, Dancing With the Stars, and Glee rule the airwaves. Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post just snagged a Pulitzer Prize for dance criticism, only the second in history. Here at home, Houston Ballet erects its new temple, Center for Dance.

For National Dance Week (today through May 2), the city is literally exploding with motion.

Launching the week in Houston tonight is the upstart troupe Aszure Barton & Artists, presented by Society for the Performing Arts at the Wortham Theater Center's Cullen Theater. Barton, a Canadian, is a perfect match for the Lone Star state.

"I'm a cowgirl allright," says Barton. "I have always wanted to perform in Texas."

Her liquid moves, sensuous and athletic, come to life when danced by her top-notch company. Barton's busy year has included major commissions from American Ballet Theatre, The National Ballet of Canada, Juilliard and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Check out her Dance Magazine cover story and my Dance Source Houston interview.

Homegrown concerts are plentiful as well. Core Performance Company, dually based in Atlanta and Houston, opens its hearts to local choreographers Teresa Chapman, Leslie Scates and Becky Valls, in Let's Dance on April 30 at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Chapman is reprising Shift, a work originally made for three University of Houston dancers. This time Erin Reck, Lindsey McGill and Brit Wallis will do the honors.

"This is the dream team," says Chapman. "I love watching them spin, spiral, leap and catch each other."

Next weekend will be a busy time for Reck, Valls and Chapman because all three of them also have works in Propulsion, the University of Houston faculty dance concert on the same night. "We haven't quite figured out how we are going to do this," Chapman says.

Also on April 30 (It must be Dance Day):

Core member Blake Dalton shows off a freestyle poling piece with Rice Dance Theatre. He explains the new hybrid dance style this way: "Think aerial dance meets pole vaulting."
Students from the Houston Community College Dance Ensemble present their spring show, Eye of the Beholder at Heinen Theater, featuring Cacophony, a new work by director Cynthia Capuch.
At the Cullen, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company presents Mixing it Up Again featuring shiny new works by Pattie Obey, Kiki Lucas, Joe Celej, Kate Skarpetowska and Keisha Lalama-White. Just named one of 25 to watch by Dance Magazine, Lalama-White mixes memory, personal experience and photography. A photograph of the eyes of a soldier in Afghanistan slowly develops like a Polaroid during the piece Lalama-White calls Unsung Moment. "I am exploring the soldier's thoughts in that one moment," she says. "The dancers represent fear, denial and panic."
With Ascending at Barnevelder, Second Generation Dance features dances about women escaping slavery via the underground railroad from Texas to Mexico.

May is just as busy. East Meets West VIII brings world dance into the fun as Dance of Asian America performs ancient and contemporary dances from China at Miller Outdoor Theatre on May 1. For the west part, artistic director Janie Yao has invited Revolve Dance Company, Ad Deum Dance Company and WyldStyL.

"Last year, 4,500 people showed up to see us at the Miller," boasts Yao. "People enjoy being exposed to different kinds of dance, and all for free. Miller is one great place to educate an audience."

Also in May: The young dancers at Houston Ballet II take their talents on tour to Germany while the main company polishes up Mark Morris' Sandpaper Ballet and Stanton Welch's Pecos Bill.

The month continues its dance blitz with Urban Souls Dance Company, FrenitiCore, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Psophonia Dance Company, 6 Degrees, Vault, The Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble, JCC, Hope Stone, Entre Flamenco and India Jazz Suites Katha Master Chitres Das with super star tapper Jason Samuels Smith. The month concludes appropriately with Dance Houston's City Wide Dance Festival.

Whoa! My dance card is full. Even Angelina Ballerina, the spokesmouse for National Dance Week, is on top of the world with a new show.

All things in motion are moving up.

Reprinted from CultureMap.

Opera Moves: Priscilla Nathan-Murphy on HGO

2010-04-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades

Photo by Felix Sanchez

Choreographer/Instructor Priscilla Nathan-Murphy is most known as principal of the lower school at Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy. In addition, she also directs the modern program there. Recently, Nathan-Murphy has contributed her movement expertise to the Houston Grand Opera productions of Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades and Handel's Xerxes. Nathan-Murphy gives us a glimpse of her opera life.

Dance Source Houston: Give us a little history of your time at HGO.

Priscilla Nathan-Murphy: I started about as a dancer in Turandot several years ago. I served as the Dance captain for Aida and even had a little solo. Other productions include Don Giovanni, Rigoletto , La Traviata and Jenufa. During this time, I also taught movement for the HGO studio members. These were all during the David Gockley years. From time to time, I would be called in to work with principals and chorus members. Over the years, I've worked with Renee Fleming, Patricia Racett, Samuel Ramey and Laura Claycomb.

DSH: How did you get involved this time around? You must be thrilled to be working with Claycomb again in Xerxes.

PNM: Yes, I am. It's so great to see her again after all these years. She was a big star back then and she's an even bigger one now. And she has this amazing voice. She has a particular aria that has very specific hand period gestures. It's more body movement than dance. I was working with the English translation and when I got there I saw that they were working with Italian translation so I had to do some thinking on my feet but it all worked out. As for my participation, Mark Lear, Associate Artistic Administrator at HGO, suggested my name.

I am also working with the wardens in Xerxes who are dotted throughout the opera. Michael Walling, the director, wanted a certain style in the way they present themselves, their timing and posture.

DSH: Is there a lot of give and take in the process?

PNM: Yes, especially when working with a principal; nothing can interfere with their voice. If they don't feel comfortable moving you have to acknowledge that and find a better position of the body.

DSH: Tell us about your work in Queen of Spades. It looks visually stunning from the photos.

PNM: Yes, it will be. There is role for an actor in one scene that I am choreographing. It takes place in a gambling den full of men. It has been done by a dancer in the past, but the director, Roy Rallo, thought it looked too polished and slick. It needs to be more raw, more natural. Matthew Redden is doing the part. He's originally from Houston. He has to dance with a scarf and high heels, so that's been a challenge, but he's getting used to it. It's something between dancing and acting. Matthew was a joy to work with. I really like how it's turned out, he's really making it his own now.

DSH: What do you like about working with opera singers?

PNM: More and more, I find they are so open to movement ideas, it shows how much they care about the whole production. It's also such a growing experience for me. I like working one-on-one with an artist. It's been amazing to work with two new directors as well. I have to open myself up to what they want and make that happen. It's been quite an experience.

DSH: On another subject, you must be excited about the new Center for Dance, which will really expand the work you can do at Houston Ballet.

NPM: For me, it's a realization of a dream. The national and global attention that this new and prestigious building is bringing goes beyond what I had ever imagined. Yes it will expand the work I will be able to do. It is an expression of how far we have have come. The connection to the Wortham is going to be great too.

DSH: It's closer to HGO.

NPM: Exactly!

Houston Grand Opera presents Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades from April 16-May 1 and Handel's Xerxes from April 30-May 2 at Wortham Center. www.houstongrandopera.org

Reprinted from DSH.

Aszure Barton on Busking and her Busy Year

2010-04-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Aszure Barton & Artists
Photo by Donald Lee
Courtesy of The Banff Centre

Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton is on one amazing career ride. Lucky for us, she's stopping in Houston for a Society for the Performing Arts show at Cullen Theater next Friday. With commissions from American Ballet Theatre, The National Ballet of Canada and Juilliard this year, along with a major company tour, it's been one busy year. In addition, her work graces the repertory of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Martha Graham Dance Company, Les Ballets jazz de Montreal and others. She's also an artist-in-residence at The Banff Centre and The Baryshnikov Arts Center. She brings us into the whirlwind of her dance life below.

Dance Source Houston: Tell us about one of your newest dances, Busk. What does it have to do with busking, as in street performing?

Aszure Barton: We had this wonderful opportunity to spend a month creating a new work at the DanceWorks festival in Santa Barbara, California, which was fantastic. I didn't exactly get there and think, “let's do a piece about busking.” After I observed the environment, I started to ask a lot of questions about my place as an artist. Santa Barbara has this incredible dichotomy; there are extremely wealthy people along with many homeless Vietnam veterans. There's also this bizarre street life there. I became intrigued with so many people living on the streets and many of them are in their 60s and 70s. I wasn't trying to make a statement; it was more of an observation. Asking questions of where we fit in. The process brought up a lot of questions on what it means to be an artist.

DSH: How do you balance your time with Aszure & Artists with your commissions?

AB: My company is part-time and project-based, which works very well for me now. Houston is the end of a four month tour for us. We just got back from Moscow, which was so fun. It does work out if you create balance, but I had to learn the hard way. I took on four commissions, which I said I'd never do. I learned that was the limit for me. It was incredibly intense and I was happy with each one. Company and commissions feed each other.

DSH: When I first saw your work at around midnight, after clocking in some 25 hours of dance watching at APAP, my first thought was, “Let's get this girl to Texas.” Perhaps it was because there's such a sense of joy in your work, or that you encouraged the audience to hoot and holler.

AB: I have always wanted to go to Texas. I'm from Alberta so I'm a cowgirl. I am also excited to perform in the Cullen Theater, I've heard great things about the space; everyone who has been there has loved it.

DSH: Your work contains such sensual and complex movements, yet you often have a whole stage full of dancers moving in exact unison.

AB: I have always been fascinated with large groups and large numbers of people. I like seeing the stage from a wide perspective, like an organism. We create a collective language, it's really symbiotic. It's such a blessing to have 10 dancers with me. If I had more money, I would have even more. We are such a family and have such a good time.

DSH: Your career took off so quickly, Broadway, big commissions, a Dance Magazine cover story.

AB: It did. I still pinch myself. If your heart is in the right place things happen. I have been so lucky to be an artist-in-residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Their whole mission is so admirable. Misha is always looking for new artists and supporting upcoming actors, dancers, and musicians. It's such a supportive environment to work in. That's how I ended up choreographing Three Penny Opera. Scott Elliot came to watch a rehearsal and the next thing I knew I was choreographing a Broadway show.

DSH: The second half of the program is Blue Soup. What's in the soup?

AB: It's an assemblage of older and newer works. The thread is the power of sound in the body and music. I did the sound design myself.

DSH: What's next?

AB: A new piece for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

DSH: What's something we don't know about you?

AB: My personality is incredibly unpredictable. I am either shy or outgoing. It's always surprising me.

Society for the Performing Arts presents Aszure Barton & Artists on April 23, 8pm, Wortham Center's Cullen Theater. Call 713-227-4772 or visit www.spahouston.org

Reprinted from DSH.

Review: Our Late Night by Wallace Shawn

2010-03-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Mikelle Johnson and Greg Dean
Photo by Anthony Rathbun

Imagine inviting a bunch of people over to a party, say in New York circa 1975, and on the way something in their brains shift so that they lose the ability to inhibit their innermost thoughts, fantasies and telling of their sexual escapades and desires. Wallace Shawn does exactly that in Our Late Night, now playing on the Catastrophic Theatre stage at DiverseWorks.

And what a dishy lot Shawn as conjured. This tribe knows no barrier between brain and tongue; secrets cannot be contained. Tony (Kyle Sturdivant) tells all about his night in the tropics. When Kristin's (Karina Pal Montano-Bowers) plan of applying burning jelly is rejected by Jim (Troy Schulze), she suggests bondage as a second choice. Grant (Jeff Miller) gets off on his daughter's leg hair and Samantha (Carolyn Houston Boone) vomits up bird feathers. These are the best friends of hosts Annette (Mikelle Johnson) and Lewis (Greg Dean), who just may kill each other later that night.

Our Late Night isn't so much as a play as it is a dreamy dip into full-on voyeurism. Director Jason Nodler sets this up exactly with the facade of a modernistic hi-rise apartment. We literally watch the play thought the stunning windows of their sleek digs. We are not the only ones peeking into this naughty world. The characters all listen to each other with an intensity that amplifies the seedy content. Never has doing nothing on stage been this sexy. Gently miked, it's as if the actors are whispering into our ears. Its marvelously creepy and effective.

The cast—superb all—consists of veteran Catastrophic company members along with seasoned newcomers. Johnson evokes a wistful Annette, girlish and devilish in one swoop. Her velvety voice pulls us right into the space of the play. Dean's stern husband, Lewis, projects a rough authority and commanding presence. Schulze imbues Jim, the only one to keep his thoughts to himself, with an uncomfortable awkwardness. If the play had a second act, I imagine he would be next to explode. Schulze manages the tension well. Miller gives Grant, the smarmy doctor, a delicious edge. Sturdivant carries the arc of Tony's tropical adventure with a manic momentum. Montano-Bowers gives Kristin a dark side of Nancy Sinatra vibe, equal parts funny and scary. Carolyn Houston Boone is understated, elegant, and the best listener in the bunch. She holds the space of this strange play with an uncanny grace. We want to know more about why she coughs up feathers.

Nodler's direction holds true to Shawn's brand of deviant realism, letting the silky prose push forward into the intimate spaces, without neglecting the base humor. It's a difficult play made oddly beautiful, even serene and tender in parts. Nodler mines the material's breathing spaces, keeping it authentic, and always human. Dean's set is impressive and monumental for DiverseWorks, while Kirk Markley's lighting design adds to the seductive ambiance. With Our Late Night, Catastrophic lives up to its tag line, “We will destroy you,” with yet another winning night of theater.

The Catastrophic Theatre presents Wallace Shawn's Our Late Night through April 3 at DiverseWorks.

The American Idol of Opera: Forget the large woman in a horned hat

2010-03-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

Opera Vista founder Viswa Subbaraman holds his third annual opera festival Saturday through March 27 at the Czech Center Museum Houston. New works from national and international composers will be voted on American Idol style. There will also be two chances to see last year's festival winner, Line Tjornhoj's haunting Anorexia Sacra at the Live Oak Friends Meeting House.

Recently named an Arts Mastermind by the Houston Press, Viswa Subbaraman is carving his own particular niche in the opera ecology of Houston. The fledgling troupe's big hits include a stellar performance of Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti on the Bayou Bend grounds, performing Amy Beach's landmark opera Cabildo at the actual Cabildo Museum in New Orleans, and numerous outreach programs that make opera seem fun, accessible and unscary.

Next fall, Opera Vista premieres The Silent Prince, a new opera from Thailand, at Hobby Center followed by a Bangkok tour. Subbaraman tells us exactly how he creates an opera-friendly place.

Q: How did you catch the opera bug, and have your parents gotten over the fact that you are not a doctor?

A: I took the conducting route. Almost all great conductors are opera conductors. I did not get interested in opera until I was a sophomore at Duke, where I majored in biology and music. Yes, everyone in my family is a doctor. My mom always says, "You used to be so smart Viswa. What happened?"

Q: Talk about your upcoming festival. New work in any art form is risky, and there seems to be a major drought when it comes to new operas. In Houston, we are lucky if we see a premiere every other year. It's slim pickings out there in the opera factory biz, don't you think?

A: The fear behind new opera on a grand scale is that if it doesn't go well the organization is out a few million. They need to take large risks to produce new work. We are a chamber opera contest with very specific requirements. It's doable. Over the past three years we have looked at over 200 chamber operas, so I have a good idea of what's happening nationally and internationally.

Q: How exactly do you face the opera fear factor?

A: We try to get away from opera's image of a large woman wearing a horned hat singing at the top of her lungs in a foreign language. We have a series called Opera 101, which takes place at Boheme once a month where we do all kinds of activities that engage people. Last month, we wrote an instant opera. We had two ringer singers in the audience, and of course that helped. There was a Vespa in the story, and some guy went and got his Vespa for the performance. I do something different each time. In the festival we give the audience a vote, American Idol style. Audience members can also give comments and feedback along with the jurors. They have some measure of control of their experience.

Q: What's the crowning jewel of the festival?

A: We fully produce the opera that won the previous year. We will be presenting Danish composer and 2009 winner Line Tjornhoj's opera Anorexia Sacra at the Live Oak Quaker Meeting House, which is a perfect space for the opera. It's based on the letters of Clare of Assisi, founder of an extreme ascetic medieval order known as "Poor Clare's." She died of anorexia in 1254. Tjornhoj was also inspired by pro-anorexia sites on the Web and attempts to build a poetic bridge spanning 800 years.

Q: What's your big plan for Opera Vista?

A: My hope is that we are building the next generation of audiences for Houston Grand Opera and Opera in the Heights. We take a more aggressive approach with presenting operas outdoors at Bayou Bend every fall where people can enjoy a glass a wine and walk around, using our American Idol model with the festival, and events that are way less button-down than traditional opera. I hope to make Houston the Cannes or Sundance for new opera.

Reprinted from Culturemap.

2010-03-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

Distraction “R” US: The Myth of Multitasking

If this year didn't have enough disappointments, now we find that multitasking is a bust, or more specifically, a myth. Turns out our brains can't do two things at once. All this time, we thought we were accomplishing so much, but really we were just switching back and forth between activities. To make it worse, all the flip flopping comes at a cost, quality. It's a bit like a circuit overload; an overwhelmed noggin just shuts down.

It doesn't take a genius to know that the person driving in front of me, chatting on their cell phone, is not paying attention to the road. And don't get me started on texting and driving. The science on the failure of multitasking is mighty convincing. Stanford University researchers Eyal Ophir, Clifford Nass and Anthony Wagne at the Communications between Humans and Interactive Media Lab (News.Stanford.edu ) found those who like to juggle activities underperform in comparison to one-thing-at-a-timers. Apparently, multitaskers simply cannot ignore distractions and their memories are impaired as well. So do multitaskers excel at switching back and forth between activities? The researchers predicted so, but guess what? They were wrong again, it appears that multitaskers are also unable filter out irrelevant information. But wait; there's more … Arousing our stress hormones, multitasking can actually be detrimental to our health. Walter Kirn chronicles all the bad news in his piece in The Atlantic Monthly (TheAtlantic.com), “The Autumn of Multitasking.”

Russell Poldrack, UCLA associate professor of psychology (Psych.UCLA.edu), discovered that we actually use a different part of our brain when we multitask. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Poldrack discovered that the hippocampus, the brain's power center for memory, is not engaged when we learned with distractions. Instead, the brain's B team for learning, the striatum, is activated. His conclusion is that there is a distinction between learning a simple activity like exercising to music, which enhances brain function, and learning something new in an environment with distraction, which doesn’t.

This isn’t exactly new information. Way back in 1959, Margaret and Lloyd Peterson published “Short Term Retention of Individual Verbal Items” in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. Their subjects tried to learn something new while counting backwards. As you might predict, it didn't turn out well.

None of these studies mentioned that fact that doing a few things at once is really fun and empowering. I get a sense of wild joy when I try to scramble eggs, make sure the croissants don't burn and brew the coffee, attempting to have everything ready at the exactly the same time. I feel like the conductor of my very own orchestra, or breakfast ensemble anyway. But hasn’t our techno-world has been entirely structured to scramble our attention? In the one minute we check our Facebook feed, we get a sense of thousands of people doing thousands of things. Is that all just useless information that we are wired to soak up? Is there actually a purpose? Or are we just following technology's lead?

In Nicholas Carr's now-epic essay in The Atlantic Monthly, “Is Google Making Us Stupider,” he lays out the reasons for the sea change. Carr chronicles our mental shift occurring as we process smaller and more numerous snippets of information. Technology is actually changing the way our brains work.

Chris Welsh, owner of Mastery of Learning (MasteryOfLearning.com) and an expert on neuroscience, urges us to consider a few key facts. “We multitask all the time,” he says, “like walking and talking. We just need to be more selective about what we pay attention to.” Welsh concurs that doing many things at once can be a brain drain. “Cognitive functions take up the same real estate in the brain. We burn through a lot of energy with all that stopping one thing to do another thing.” Welsh urges us to think of having an attention budget and to practice some form of mindfulness. “We need to exercise our ability to stay focused. As habitually distracted culture, we just need to create new habits of focus. Start with something modest like 5-10 minutes of focusing on one thing and gradually increase the time.”

But that doesn't mean we need to stay glued to a one-thing-at-time lifestyle either.

I'd like to think that the human attention span is a fluid thing, darting and drifting as life comes at us. “We are hard-wired to be curious about what's in our environment,” says Welsh. “A distraction can be something interesting you can learn from. But we don't need to be distracted by every shiny thing; we can be selective about what distracts us.”

As to why we humans seem to cherish task juggling, Welsh has an explanation for that as well. “We like our entire bandwidth filled,” he says. “When we focus on just one thing that doesn't happen, so we look for something to fill it.”

So I guess it's not my fault that while writing this piece I checked my email and Facebook numerous times, watched a snippet of a Canadian TV series on YouTube, read Paul Krugman's New York Times column and sipped a delicious St. Arnold Elissa India Pale Ale. What can I say? I'm just a girl trying to fill her bandwidth.

Reprinted from Absolutely in the Loop.

Review: :Letters You Wrote

2010-03-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

Dancepatheatre
Photography by Sara Draper

Magnolia Ballroom
Houston, TX
March 18, 2010

Dancing to text presents some tricky territory, and Sara Draper's Dancepatheatre presentation, Letters You Wrote, ran into a few of them. Using family letters from post war era 1945-1965, Draper set selected letters to movement along with improvised music by members from The Foundation for Modern Music.

The final offering, Letter #7 from Beth to Friends, was the most fully realized. Here, the family scurries about in a pre-Christmas frenzy. We get a feel of the world of this letter before it actually begins, a chance to know these people and care what they have to say to one another. Nicely danced by Cassandra Shaffer, Sara Draper, Patricia Solorzano and Allison Truax, the final letter allowed enough space and time for the true intimacy of the letter to come centerstage.

Draper, always engaging to watch, lit up the stage in Letters #4 and #5. Even in her 50s, Draper's crisp clarity continues to charm, proving a bright spot in a problematic evening.

The trouble starts with the Magnolia Ballroom, which is way too acoustically live to hold an overly amplified layering of spoken word and live music, already in competition with a squeaky floor. The buzzy visuals of Houston's urban scape, visible from the audience's seats, add to the confusion. Letters are an intimate and long forgotten communication. Placed in a non-theatrical setting such as this, the pieces suffered from a lack of isolation in light, space and sound quality. The formal reading style of narrator Richard Jason Lyders also seemed an odd choice. Why would something as causal as a letter sound like a 1940s radio show? Whitney Adkins' more natural style served the pieces with a lighter touch. The excellent musicians, Nicholas Leh Baker and Maiko Sasaki, offered their own take on each letter, however, as the evening wore on, it began to sound all the same.

Trained in anthropology, Draper did a fine job in selecting letters that revealed the character of the post-war era. Clever vintage costumes added to the nostalgia. In the evening's best moments, Draper played more with the rhythm of dance and text, allowing the words to have a breathing space. But too often, too much was happening all at once. The movement choices ranged from literal interpretations of the words to abstract dancing, often distracting from the content of the letter.

Sadly, this leaves us to conclude that letters are perhaps best meant to be read by the addressee, quietly and all alone.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Review: Houston Ballet American at Heart

2010-03-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Ballet: Hush
Choreographer: Christopher Bruce
Dancer(s): Nicholas Leschke, Kelly Myernick
Photo: Amitava Sarkar

Shhhhh! The marvel that is Christopher Bruce's Hush is still playing on my inner youtube channel. Performed as part of Houston Ballet's American at Heart, Hush reached to even deeper heights of dance-making glory than I recall from its premiere in 2006. Bruce brings us into the life of a traveling theatrical family. Perhaps they are stopping on their way to their next show, and we are glad they did. Original cast members Kelly Myernick (mother) and Nicholas Leschke (father) and Melody Herrera (youngest daughter), Jessica Collado (older sister), Ian Casady (older brother) and Ilya Kozadayev (younger brother) make a perfect if not odd family.

Each adheres to Bruce's idiosyncratic off-kilter style, while adding their own personal spin. Bruce mines every possible permutation in the ecology of the family, letting its subtle dynamics play out in solos, duets and rousing group dances. There isn't an un-thought through second in this ballet. Bruce even ends each variation with tender stage pictures, allowing emotional and visual rests. Set to Bobbin McFerrin's collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma's score, also named Hush, the ballet oscillates between public and private moments that occur within the safe confines of the family.

Myernick tackles her solo, set to the Gounod/Bach Ave Maria, with the soul of a mother, running after little ones, washing the floor, doing the endless things mothers do automatically. She so elegantly captures the relentlessness of motherhood, it's raw instinct and never ending purposefulness. Leschke, moving with a weighted grace, catches her at the solo's finale, bouncing her back and forth to a resting normalcy. Herrera eats her little brother's fly, bounces like a frog on dad's back, dancing up a firestorm of lil' sis energy. Collado's spirals her wrists in sensual curves, embracing a young woman's discovery of self. Her dancing is voluptuous and self-absorbed as it should be. She concludes with an awkward strut back to her place in the hierarchy. Casady embodies the restrained demeanor of a male adolescent, while Kozadayev is all curiosity in his bug-chasing solo.

At the end, the mysterious clan turns toward the star cloth and continues down their path. And don't we just want to follow them there? It was simply a breathtaking performance of a breathtaking ballet. Christina Giannelli's lighting design added to the magic, myth and delight, nicely delineating the inner from the communal moments.

It's always a wonder to ponder Balachine's work, and Houston Ballet did not disappoint with his 1928 pinnacle of modernism, Apollo. It's a role built for Connor Walsh's considerable cluster of talents; his clear, exacting lines and pointed attack matched Balanchine's spare use of effort, shape and form. Amy Fote (Calliope), Sara Webb (Terpsichore) and Myernick (Polyhymnia) made sparkling muses, each their own distinct radiance.

The program took another step back in time with Jerome Robbins' 1944 Fancy Free, a fun romp about three sailors on shore leave, and the precursor to his Broadway musical On the Town. It's a time capsule of a ballet, capturing wartime patriotism at its height. Casady, Jame Gotesky and Oliver Halkowich delivered robust performances, full of boy charm. Gotesky was a hoot in his hip swiveling rumba, while Casady's rough and tumble quality rang authentic. Halkowich's quick-footed spunk completed the trio. Fote and Collado bestowed the passers-by with a sexy polish.

All in all, it was a night of dance history meeting dance magic. Not a bad week for a company that just topped their new digs with its final steel beam.

Review: HGO Turn of the Screw

2010-03-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

_{Andrew Kennedy (Quint) and Michael Kepler Meo (Miles). Photo by Felix Sanchez}

Houston Grand Opera reaches its half-way point of its stellar six-year Benjamin Britten cycle with Turn of the Screw , a series that has so far included Billy Budd and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Based on the 1898 Henry James ghost story, published during the spiritualism craze of the day, Turn of the Screw follows the spooky tale of a governess who arrives at an equally spooky English manor to care for two, you guessed it, two spooky kids, Miles and Flora. And, if you are not frightened yet, there's a pair of ghosts, Miss Jessel, the former housekeeper, and a deceased employee named Quint.

Amanda Roocroft projects the right amount of anxiety as the Governess to sweep us into the thick of the intrigue. Judith Forst delivers a believable performance as the troubled housekeeper, Mrs. Grose. Andrew Kennedy imbues the red-haired Quint with a kind of restrained grace, while Tamara Wilson makes a positively chilling ghost as Miss Jessel. Making his HGO debut, the young Michael Kepler Meo is a total find as Miles, the odd and strangely adult child. Joelle Harvey, as Flora, the older sister, adds a whiff of fresh air in an otherwise claustrophobic opera.

Neil Armfield, who has directed all the HGO Britten operas thus far, directs with an eye for the weird, keeping the intimacy intact. The austere sets and costumes designed by Stephen Curtis conjure a dark and foreboding Victorian atmosphere. With towering walls topped with bronzed children's toys, childhood looks out of reach. The scale is wonderfully off, making us even more unsettled. Curtis creates a prison of secrets where there is no way out. Nigel Levings' lighting design adds to the eerie world at every chance it can with mirrors, shadows and tricky illusions.

But it's in Britten's brilliant music that we really feel the shudder going down our spines. With the HGO orchestra pared down to 13, Patrick Summers navigated the brittle, dissonant ridges of Britten's score with his usual finesse. All in all, Turn of the Screw goes down like a strong shot of Gothic glory.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.

Gemma Paintin of Action Hero on A Western

2010-03-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

James Stenhouse in A Western. Photo by Gemma Paintin

Gemma Paintin and James Stenhouse, otherwise known as Action Hero, make a stop in Texas to perform A Western, a site-responsive theater piece, as part of the Fuse Box Festival on April 24^th at The Historic Victory Grill. The Bristol-based Brits take their myths seriously, and fully intend to have a show down in the Lone Star state. Action Hero considers the audience as collaborators and conspirators, so expect to be free to cheat on cards, love the hero, and, if you must, shoot him down. You can read my Culturemap Art in a Bar rant here. Paintin interviews Stenhouse on their process here. She brings us into the saloon below.

Dancehunter: I am really intrigued by your idea for A Western because a guy walked into a bar in Texas not the UK. The bar thing is our myth. So here we have you two Brits doing a walking into a bar piece in a bar in Texas. What gives?

Gemma Paintin: Well it's kind of our myth too, because that iconography seems so familiar to us, even though we don't come from that place. It's partly about being so influenced by a culture that's not our own. Those stories of cowboys and Westerns are part of our collective memory even though as a British person, I have no real connection to it. Yet, it feels so much a part of my experience of growing up. I think lots of non-Americans feel that way. It belongs to us by proxy through cinema and TV.

DH: What's fun about bringing this piece to the wild west itself, which is Austin?

GP: The first word in the piece is 'Texas,' so it's going to be incredible to perform it actually in Texas. That's pretty exciting for us as all of the places we have performed it have been emphatically not Texas, and that's what the piece is about in some ways. This isn't the wild west, we are not cowboys, this is not the saloon, but we try to recreate this place that feels so much a part of our experience of America and cinematic heroes, and the audience shares that ambition with us and help us make it. So what happens when we will really be in Texas, where those things really are? I guess it will become more about James and I as outsiders, retelling our versions of the Western to you. But I think the audience will still join in the game of remaking our imaginary Western, to shoot the hero and shout “yee hah.” Maybe the yee-hah's in Texas will be more authentic than the ones back home! We'll see.

DH: True, we wrote "Yee Hah" book. Do bar folks know what to do, or does it depend on the bar?

GP: The bar staff always know we're going to perform, we don't just turn up unannounced. And most of the audience usually knows too. Sometimes, we get a few unsuspecting people who just came for a quiet drink, and now there's some kind of stand-off happening beside them, but they often get the most involved by the end.

DH: Do you get there and access what that bar is all about and adapt the piece accordingly? Is there anything you do ahead of time?

GP: All bars have a different feel, and we re-work the show for every new space. We do a bit of work before we arrive with pictures of the bar, but generally you have to go there to get a feel for it. How can this place stand in for a desert, where would the mountains, the long road, the saloon doors be? We try to re-imagine the space as the landscape we describe, and that the audience knows so well from A Fistful of Dollars, or Wyatt Earp or whatever, or maybe they don't remember consciously watching a Western, but the landscape is always there for them, somehow. It's been on a drip-drip their whole lives, always seeing those places and characters via Hollywood.

DH: Does anything ever get out of hand, or is that just the risk you take when you perform in a bar?

GP: Well, it depends, as I say the bar always know we are going to perform and people come along specifically to see the show, so it's not random, but usually people want to collaborate with us to create this epic. We invite them to play a game, and mostly they accept the invitation. People do like to go a bit crazy at the end though; they shoot our hero down. Everyone wants to do that, don't they?

Action Hero performs A Western as part of the Fuse Box Festival on April 18 & 19 through Diverseworks, at Rudyards in Houston and April 24 at 9 pm at the Historic Victory Grill in Austin.

It's a great day in Switzerland for Houston Ballet

2010-02-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

–

Photo by Jean-Bernard Sieber

Emanuel Amuchastegui also won the audience favorite award at the prestigious international competition for dancers between 15-18.

Houston Ballet student Christian-Emanuel Amuchastegui has won the Prix du Lausanne, marking the first time in Houston Ballet's history a student has taken home the top honors in the prestigious international competition.

And that's not all. Amuchastegui, 18, also won the "audience favorite" award.

Wait, there's more. Houston Ballet students Aaron Sharratt placed fifth and Xiang Liao made the top 20.

Amuchastegui, a native of Argentina, wowed the judges with his jumping and serious air-time in a variation from August Bournonville's La Sylphide and an excerpt from Cathy Marston's The Tempest. The young dancer's long lines and perfect-for-ballet feet, give him an onstage elegance.

"Not only is Christian-Emanuel an outstanding dancer, but he is very generous personally. He impressed us during the week with his constant good humor, his kindness to others, coupled with his remarkable ability to focus on his goal and take advice from the Prix's teachers and coaches," said Patricia Leroy, Secretary General of the Prix. "We look forward to witnessing how his career develops."

Houston Ballet associate director Shelly Power credited Houston Ballet II ballet master Claudio Munoz, along with the help of Sabrina Lenzi and Andrew Murphy for the stellar showing. Power and Munoz were in Lausanne for the competition, along with Amuchastegui's father, Gustavo Adolfo Amuchastegui.

"It was so gratifying to watch Emanuel take the top prize, taking his father's hand and leading him to the stage and watching their embrace," Power said. "His father had not seen him dance in two years."

Sharratt danced solos from The Sleeping Beauty and Christopher Wheeldon's Commedia and Liao also danced an excerpt from The Sleeping Beauty and Marston's Traces.

The Swiss ballet competition for students between 15-18 is largely considered one of the best career jump starters in the ballet world. Winning, placing and making the finals opens doors to a professional career in a major company. It's a unique situation in that the dancers are observed in ballet and contemporary classes and in both a contemporary and classical piece. It's not just about flashy technique. judges are looking for intelligent dancers who take correction well, are willing to learn and excel in their artistry.

Reprinted from Culturemap

A Cautionary Tale

2010-02-26T13:58:00.000-08:00

As seen in Dance Teacher Magazine.

Mary Six Rupert remembers the exact day when demonstrating pullbacks in her tap class didn’t quite feel right. The former Rockette

Mary Six Rupert remembers the exact day when demonstrating pullbacks in her tap class didn’t quite feel right. The former Rockette then noticed that walking up the subway stairs caused sharp pain in her knees. In the beginning the pain only occurred during activity, but it soon became so constant that she needed a demonstrator for class. “Six shows a day seven days a week with high heels and high kicking will take a toll on anyone’s knees,” says Rupert, referring to her 13-year stint in the famous Radio City kick line. In her 50s, she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees—an arthritic condition common among dancers where the protective cartilage at the ends of bones gradually deteriorates and the knee loses shock absorption. In extreme cases, bones can rub against each other.

“Think of the treads on a tire—eventually they just wear out. And all the jumping and landing dancers do puts them at greater risk for knee injuries,” says Patrick McCulloch, an orthopedic surgeon at Houston’s Methodist Center for Sports Medicine and consultant for the Center for Performing Arts Medicine. But good news: Proper training and awareness can help your students protect their knees.

Preventive Measures
Marijeanne Liederbach, director of research and education at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in New York, advises teachers to educate dancers on knee-health maintenance. “This means good solid nutrition, taking part in some form of supplemental training, having a strong core and taking care of the neighboring joints, like the hip and ankle,” she says. “Pay attention to fatigue as well, as we know from research that most knee injuries occur during extreme fatigue.” Basic bone health also includes encouraging students not to smoke and to intake enough calories for proper hormone balance.

Your job as a dance teacher is to build and strengthen students’ stamina to endure tough physical technique, says Liederbach, who recently studied the number of jumps dancers do in a typical class—about 200. She also encourages training dancers to see the knee in a broader sense. “From a biomechanical point of view, the knee is the largest joint in the body, located between two of the largest bones,” she says. “Because of this, the knee can fall victim to ankle and hip problems.”

The first step to knee protection, according to Houston-based physical therapist and former dancer Jennifer Romanek, is making sure students execute proper turnout (which involves the ankle and hip). “When you force a turnout from the feet, it puts a tremendous torque on the knees, which can wear down cartilage,” she says. “Don’t push a turnout past the external range of motion that the hip allows.”

Cross-training can help build knee-supporting muscles—as important for teachers as for their students. “Go to the gym and do other types of movement besides dance classes,” Romanek says. “Even if you are just teaching, you need to remember that you are demonstrating all day, which can take a toll on your knees.” She recommends Pilates exercises on the reformer to loosen the iliotibial (IT) band—thick fibrous tissue that runs from the pelvis to the lower leg bone—and quadriceps, which are crucial for knee stability. “A tight IT band and quads will pull excessively on the knee,” she says. “Dancers need long and lean muscles.”

Click here to learn exercises to help release and stretch tight IT bands and quads

Early Warning
Knee pain that feels completely different from the average ache and pain is often the first sign of trouble, says Rupert. Tell students to be on the lookout for joint swelling or catching, and grinding sensations as well. McCulloch, who has diagnosed and treated many Houston Ballet dancers, recommends that dancers (when experiencing unusual, lingering knee pain) first see a doctor to check for any damage. “With an X-ray we can see the spaces between the bones,” he says. “Although cartilage will not show up on an X-ray, we can see the narrowing of that space. An MRI will show the condition and possible loss of the cartilage.”

While Rupert managed to finish her professional performance career relatively injury-free before developing osteoarthritis after age 50, McCullough says he has seen the condition in dancers as young as 20 and 30. If injuries aren’t taken care of at a young age, further damage can occur that might ultimately lead to knee replacement. As Rupert says, “Dancers need to get over working through the pain. The sooner you find out what’s going on, the more options you have.”

Turning Point: Houston Ballet's Shelly Power to judge Prix de Lausanne

2010-01-30T07:16:00.000-08:00

Shelly Power

Photo by Amitava Sarkar

The Prix de Lausanne is the Cannes of the ballet world for young dancers. This week, Houston is about to have a major Prix presence as Houston Ballet associate director Shelly Power heads to Switzerland to judge the prestigious international competition. Power attends every year with competing Houston Ballet students, but this is her first year as a judge.

"I'm honored and nervous," says Power. "It's such an important competition. It's also just amazing to be there. The entire city comes alive with the Prix. You see it advertised on buses."

Over the past three decades, the Prix has become internationally renowned and attracts the best young dance students from all over the world. Attending can springboard a student into a professional career with a top ballet troupe.

Think of the Prix like the NFL football draft. Companies come from all over the world to scout new talent and make job offers. Artistic director Stanton Welch regularly offers a Houston Ballet II slot to anyone who places. "This is just a great place to be seen," Power says.

Hundreds of aspiring dancers between the ages of 15-18 send their DVDs with hopes of qualifying. Only 200 are invited to attend, with 80 in round two and just 20 in the finals. A mere six return with honors. Last year Chilean wonder Sebastian Vinbet, then a Houston Ballet II dancer, was one of the lucky six. Vinet is now a promising apprentice in the company. Other Houston Ballet Prix veterans include company members Emily Bowen, Charles-Louis Yoshiyama and Nozomi IIjima. This year, Houston Ballet II members Aaron Sharratt, Emanuel Amachastegui and Liao Xiang will be taking the Prix plunge.

With her chestnut brown hair, tailored suits, and warm but professional style, Power looks more like a bank president than a ballet school director. She brings a background in studio ownership, business, dancer health and wellness along with decades of helping young dancers blossom under her leadership. She and Welch are credited with elevating the Ben Stevenson Academy to international status.

She's no stranger to the international competition world either, and has served as a judge all over the world. Many of the company's international dancers have come to Houston because of Power's contacts. Her talent-spotting track record is spot-on—consider the number of Houston Ballet II and academy students who have risen through the company's ranks.

As for her judging mantra, "I am looking for potential, not perfection, and that little something special," she says. '"I am also watching how they respond in class."

The Prix is unique in the dance competition biz because the judges observe the students in class (ballet and contemporary) and in a classical and contemporary performance. Dancers choose from a short list of classical variations and will perform a contemporary piece by rising-star ballet choreographer Christopher Wheeldon.

"We get to spend a whole week with these students," Powers says. "So they have many chances to impress us."

Unlike American stages, the European stages are raked, and that takes a bit of getting used to. "Dancers are remarkably adaptable," quips Power. When asked what she intends to wear, a look of panic spread across her usually smiling face. "I know I should think about that," she says. "My daughter will be my stylist."

The finals will be streamed live at 3 p.m. Sunday followed by the awards ceremony.

Reprinted from Culturemap.

Jon Lehrer finds enlightenment in dance

2010-01-30T07:10:00.000-08:00

LehrerDance

Photo by Mike Canale

Every season the Jewish Community Center selects one nationally known troupe to feature during Dance Month. This year it's LehrerDance, a spunky touring company known for its fearless dancers, snappy choreography and headstrong leader. The troupe performs in Houston this weekend.

Founder and artistic director Jon Lehrer has led a charmed dance life. After starting dance late in life in college, he caught up at lightening speed, and enjoyed stints at the Erick Hawkins Dance Company and Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, where he rose to be associate director. Now he heads up LehrerDance, based in Buffalo, NY, where he has a special partnership with The University of Buffalo.

There's been no shortage of fanfare for this busy troupe, which spends about half the year touring. A cover story in Dance Teacher, a Dance Matters interview in Dance Magazine, and consistently strong reviews position Lehrer on the national dance map. He bring us into the world behind the buzz.

Q: I know you are famous in the dance world but this is Texas, and forgive us, we don't know your work here. How would you describe your aesthetic?

A: Organic Athleticism. Expect to see dancers doing feats of strength and beauty. Blending jazz and modern is my signature.

Q: I've had the opportunity to watch your company class and I find myself amazed by how far you stretch movement. Bodies look so elastic in your hands. You are just a beast for flow.

A: I will be a "beast for flow" any day. There are no straight lines in the human body, in nature for that fact. We think arcs, circles and spirals and try to get through a whole day without ever using the word "line."

Q: What did you take away from working and dancing around the legendary jazz pioneer Gus Giordano?

A: The importance of accessibility. You don't need to know a thing about dance to enjoy a LehrerDance show. Gus also stressed classicism, and we train that way. In class we are pure, while in choreography we can be as stylistic as we want to be.

Q. Your company is not for the faint of flying, jumping and falling. Sometimes I find myself gasping when I watch your dances. Where do your risk-taking dance habits come from?

A. I grew up poor in a tough neighborhood of Queens, NY. We made up games with stuff we found on the street. Jumping off fences, running through traffic, and other dangerous acts kept us amused. Risk taking was part of how we had fun. We didn't have a lot of traditional toys so we had to be physical, which, as you mention, is now a huge part of my work. Gasping is good. We want to excite you.

Q. I understand we will see a snippet of your rock opera in the works, An American Siddhartha: The Way Within. What brought you to Hermann Hesse's classic mystical tale? Seems a bit out of the jazz/modern realm.

A. I was searching for a subject for a rock opera and a friend gave me a copy of this book. I never read it in high school like everyone else. Siddhartha goes on a journey, literally walking the earth, trying to find himself. Dancing is about finding a new part of myself that I had not previously known about. Siddhartha is naked for much of his story and any artist can you tell that's exactly the way they feel. Starting Lehrer dance was like Siddhartha crossing the river. Hopefully, one day I will also sit under the tree of enlightenment.

Reprinted from Culturemap.

Review: The Voyeur

2010-01-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

Clare Dyson
photography by�Rachael Parsons

Company Clare Dyson
DiverseWorks Arts Space
January 23, 2010

It feels a little odd to be reviewing The Voyeur, performed by Company Clare Dyson because I had a hand in choosing how I watched the piece. I fully disclose that subjectivity turns in on itself here, and this is as much a review of my own ability to watch as it is their concept.

Let me set the scene. When the audience arrived at DiverseWorks last weekend, they found the seats covered with plastic and a gigantic cardboard box with various size peepholes on stage. Inside the box sit Dyson and Jonathan Sinatra, along with a record player, some records, and other items you might find in a room. Usually the audience is in captivity; here, the performers are the ones in the cage. Headphones labeled "Clare's text" or "Jonathan's text," which consisted of an hour-long recording of various personal and somewhat confessional secrets supplied by Dyson and Sinatra, hang on the wall. Monoculars are also available for closer inspection. The audience selects how and where they watch and listen. They can also see others watching from across the box. So, as you watch the dance unfold, it's framed against a sea of face fragments and eyeballs. Many were faces and sets of eyes I recognized which added to the feeling of audience as an instant community. Dyson speaks to the history of this piece in her Dance Source Houston interview.

Not only do you choose the size of the peep hole, but how you wish to frame what you see. So by moving your body, you re-position what you see. I found myself drawn to the tiniest of square holes, just big enough for one eye. Sometimes I remained still and let things move in and out of my vision. The light changes often, giving more possibilities for framing. I made dark and moody Johan Vermeer-like paintings with Sinatra sitting motionless in the dark with his back at the edge of the frame.

Dyson and Sinatra carry out a mix of dancing and ritual-like tasks inside the box, from writing on their own skin, to a tender scene where she washes his hair. There's a juicy passion fruit eating scene performed with a kind sexy glee by Dyson. They put on records and rock out here and there too. At times they do very little, in a way, asking us to do more.

With a full house, I often had to wait for a pair of headphones. Sometimes I just found myself watching another person listening, carefully watching facial expressions change depending on what they were seeing and hearing. Here, I assumed the role of the voyeur of another voyeur. Easedropping is yet another job of the voyeur.

If you get close enough to the box's walls, you can hear the secrets as a kind of whispered blanket of sound. It's like a box with a past.

When I grew fatigued from peeping, I just walked around the perimeter of the box, Once, I stopped to gaze at the box with all these people stuck to it like barnacles. It's weird and a bit lovely too, as light comes through the areas not blocked by bodies. There could have very well been a person behind me, watching me watch the group watch, and we could end up in a little M. C. Escher loop. It occurred to me that the Dysons consider that very scenario part of the piece.

Mark Dyson's lighting makes a strong presence throughout, changing the environment enough to keep refreshing our vision. Light changes abruptly at times, and we have to reconfigure our viewing. There's a marvelous section near the end, where Sinatra seems to pause to acknowledge the lookers, as if to say, "Oh, you are here, and I see you too." It's a poignant moment. Just about then, the lighting shifts to glimmering little boxes of light, as if to throw a nod to all of us watchers. Regardless of what we believe, we are always just looking through the peephole of our minds' constructs. I wrote more about this in my Culturemap piece. With portals as passage, audience as active and seeing as an art in of itself the Dysons point towards an included watcher. And why not, we bring something to everything we see, The Voyeur gives the audience a seat at the table.

Better Brain, New Body

2010-01-13T05:47:00.000-08:00

Do you lose your keys now and then? Afraid of the ever-increasing senior moments, where you walk into a room and forget why you are there? I started getting those in my teens. My mother would ask me to go down to the basement to get some potatoes, and I would come back two hours later, usually without the potatoes. Do you know that expression, “You would lose your head if it weren’t attached to your body?” My mother testifies that she said it first.

Now that I am a 54 year-old space cadet, I’ve noticed that’s there a growing number of brain fitness programs to come to the rescue. But really, how does the brain get fit anyway? It’s not that different than arm flab, folks. It’s a use it or lose it situation. But it’s the “how” to use it that brain researchers are are honing in on. Spending all day doing crossword puzzles is fine and dandy. You may, in fact, get very good at crossword puzzles; however, we don’t see the same brain action as in learning a new dance step. Apparently, the brain needs a little movement to sharpen itself. But, keep in mind, mindlessly running on a treadmill is not the equivalent of learning a new movement either. Our brain needs challenges, something new; it’s an organ that thrives on novelty. New connections in the brain are most easily established through learning movement, so a dance class, a new swim stroke, or even taking a walk down a different hiking path could forge new pathways in the brain.

MaryBeth Smith, a certified teacher of the Feldenkrais Method and the director and founder of the Feldenkrais Center of Houston, has been helping people increase their neural pathways for the past decade through gentle movement classes called Awareness Through Movement (ATM) and one-on-one sessions called Functional Integration. Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, a mechanical engineer and physicist, first identified that movement was the key to improving the nervous system.

While lying in a quiet room on a soft mat, Smith leads her students through a gentle sequence of movements designed to improve a particular function such as reaching, bending or twisting. The trick is that she throws in some weird moves too, such as the eyes moving one way and the knees going another. “Novelty doesn’t have to mean high risk,” says Smith. “You don’t have to be doing the most demanding yoga class to get the mental benefits.” The movements may be easy to do, but they are often complex and involve a little figuring it out time. The movement sometimes feels strange and awkward; you actually feel the dust flying off those rusty brain gears. Afterwards, you feel taller, lighter and more mentally sharp. It seems our smarts are inexorably linked to our bodies. “We seem to accept that our brain can direct our bodies, but communication goes both ways,” says Smith. “Our body can change our brain too.”

Ericka Simpson MD, a neurologist at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, helps us understand connection between movement and the brain. “Movement activates more your brain at once because it involves spatial intelligence, coordination, strength, visual perception, emotion and joy all at once,” says Simpson. “It forces us to make stronger connections. We call it synaptic density.” Not all movement has that property. “Tapping on my desk is not the equivalent of taking of salsa class, which forces me to learn something new,” she adds. Simpson compares making new neural pathways to road building; with new movements, we go from a foot path, to a dirt road to a busy highway.

The new buzz word in the field is neuroplasticity, which is a fancy way of saying that we can continue to get smarter well into old age. Recent research suggests that even 90 year-olds can increase their vocabulary. Remember that Verdi composed Falstaff at the ripe old age of 79. So take up that tango lesson, drive a different way home from work or try one of Smith’s Feldenkrais classes. “Engage in a lifestyle where you challenge yourself, do things that make your brain work,” advises Simpson. “And don’t worry about being good at it. Novelty is indeed the key to an active brain.”As for forgetfulness, apparently a touch of it is normal, but if you happen to find my keys, will you call me?

For more information on the Feldenkrais Center of Houston, visit Houfeldenkrais.com.

Reprinted from Absolutely in the Loop.

Review: HGO Elixir of Love

2010-01-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

_{Ektarina Slurina (Adina) HGO Chorus. Photo: Felix Sanchez.}

Attention sensitive men of questionable self esteem, sometimes you get the
girl, and if you are lucky, the money too. So it goes in Gaetano Donizetti's
*The Elixir of Love*, a beloved “Melodramma giocoso.” Although Donizetti's
prolific tendencies were legendary, we only know a handful of his operas.
It's no wonder *Elixir* survived, it's short, sweet, chock full of colorful
characters and includes one killer tenor tune that tears at your
heartstrings just when you are least expecting. Houston Grand Opera opened
their season with a rousing *Elixir*, packed with enough star power, charm,
and soaring voices to get any opera lover on board for the treats that await
them throughout the year.

The tale of Nemorino's undying love for the learned Adina contains just
enough of a plot to get us rooting for the smitten underdog. Even when the
narcissistic Belacore woos her with his good looks and spiffy uniform, Adina
can't quite get the heart-on-his-sleeve little guy out of her mind. Enter
the con man, Dr. Dulcamara with his potion for love, and the usual hilarity
ensues. And for added intrigue, Nemorino inherits a boatload of cash from
his uncle.

The cast—all terrific-- are particularly gifted in the comic timing
category, a necessary component for any *Elixir.* John Osborn, in his HGO
debut, bestows the smitten Nemorino with the right dose of bumbling
humbleness, then pulls out all the stops for the famous aria, “Una furtiva
lagrima” (a furtive tear). Osborn digs deep here, looking inward, and
finding the heart and soul of this otherwise rompish opera. Russian soprano
Ekaterina Siurina also makes a stunning HGO debut as Adina, bestowing the
smart, land-owning girl with the confidence and bright sound necessary to
pull off a believable change of heart. HGO studio alumnus Liam Bonner is all
swagger as Belcore, the irresistible man in uniform. Bonner's commanding
vocals and presence make a perfect fit for the self-obsessed soldier.
Renowned Italian bass-baritone Allessandro Corbelli delivers a zesty and
virtuositic performance as the quack conman doctor. Charles Gamble lends
considerable talents in psychical theater as Dr. Dulcamara's assistant,
ramping up the hilarity. Catherine Martin's Gianetta is rich with charm and
substance as well.

Annabel Arden directs with robust pace and an eye for physical comedy. Lez
Brotherston sets his *Elixir* on what looks like a 1950s film set in an
undisclosed quaint Italian village. Giuseppe di Iorio's lighting adds to the
overall “stage within a stage” effect.

Richard Bado, HGO's chorus master, and conductor Edoardo Muller contribute
to the evening's sparkling polish. The curtain goes down on this bel canto
treasure with a shower of pink confetti in a pitch perfect season opener. So
let the meek survive, thrive and party on.

Reprinted from CultureVulture.

Review: HGO Lohengrin

2010-01-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

_{Simon O'Neill (Lohengrin) and Adrianne Pieczonka (Elsa) in Wagner's Lohengrin
Credit: Courtesy of Houston Grand Opera; Photo by Felix Sanchez}

What is it about do-gooders who want to remain anonymous? Whether it's the Lone Ranger, Spiderman, or Lohengrin, the greatest rescuer in all of the operatic canon, they wish to blow into town, fix things, fall in love with the damsel, and remain nameless. After a long break, Houston Grand Opera marks a return to German opera with their dazzling production of Richard Wagner's Lohengrin, a co-production with Grand Théâtre de Genève.

Wagner's tale of redemption involves a wrongly accused Elsa of Brabant, who is rescued by a messenger from the Holy Grail, who agrees to marry her providing she never ask his name and country of origin. Elsa crumbles during her marriage night, asks the question which Lohengrin must respond to, sending him back to his father Parsifal and Holy Grail duty. Somewhere in the middle, the jealous Ortrud and her husband Friedrich of Telramund cause a whole lot of trouble for the otherwise happy couple.

New Zealand tenor Simon O'Neill makes an impressive HGO debut in this role. He's full of the right amount of stranger swagger, and has full command Wagner's nuances. American Soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, also making her HGO debut, is a portrait of innocence and purity as Elsa of Brabant. Her bright sound and convincing acting combine to create a seamless performance. Soprano Christine Goerke endows the wicked Ortrud with a devilish glee. She galvanizes our attention with her powerful sound and presence. Gunther Groissbock bestows King Heinrich with a noble grace, while HGO Studio alumnus Richard Paul Fink delivers a lively performance as the scheming Friedrich of Telramund.

Downplaying the religious dichotomy between Christianity and paganism, director Daniel Slater sets his opera during the 1950s, in an unnamed Eastern European country undergoing considerable political strife. Set and costume designer Robert Innes Hopkins places the opera inside a rather utilitarian library, where ransacked shelves are half empty. Is this a fascist state where all the books are banned? Sure, it's a little odd to have this medieval story unfolding while the women are dressed like Jackie O, but it's also intriguing in a strange way. Why not re-imagine Wagner? Who needs to see that white swan anyway, it's in the music and libretto.

Despite the somewhat controversial setting, it's the music that reached sublime heights. Conductor Patrick Summers stirs an ocean of sound in a triumphant performance by the expanded HGO Orchestra, marking their first-ever Wagner. The on-stage trumpeters also deserve special recognition. Equally impressive are the members of the HGO chorus, under the direction of Richard Bado. HGO proved, without a doubt, that they are on solid ground to launch their much-awaited return to German opera.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.

A Princely Chat with Peter Franc

2010-01-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

Peter Franc in Stanton Welch's TuTu

Photo by Amitava Sarkar

Houston Ballet demi soloist Peter Franc finally gets his night as the Prince in The Nutcracker. Franc been been steadily moving forward and will also be dancing up a storm in the upcoming Jubilee of Dance: 40^th Anniversary Celebration. Franc fills us on what’s on his dancing plate.

Houston ArtsWeek: Tell us about the prince. Why is this such a rite of passage role?

Peter Franc: He’s such a prince! It’s fun and challenging because there are so many different levels to the part. It’s a dynamic role that requires a great deal of control. I also get to add to the character to make it my own.

HA: What about your partners?

PF: Well I have three girls to take care of as the Prince: Clara, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy. With Clara, I am mostly an escort, but I dance quite a bit with Snow and Sugar Plum.

HA: Elise Judson, your Sugar Plum, is also making her debut in the role.

PF: We have great chemistry because we both have been trained in the Academy, are eager to do well, and have strong work ethics. Plus, we are the perfect size for each other. She’s just a lovely dancer too.

HA: You are also in intense rehearsals for the annual “Jubilee of Dance.” What will we see you dancing that evening?

PF: I will be doing the “Blue Couple” in the finale of Stanton’s Tu Tu. It’s all big jumps and partnering. I have a solo in Stanton’s world premiere, 40. I start off the men’s section. I love the music, it’s Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol Op. 34.

HA: Last season you turned heads in Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun. What did that role mean to your career?

PF: I was so privileged to dance Faun. It’s such an iconic ballet, so smart, and there are so many details that make the piece work. Also, I got to dance with Mimi (Mireille Hassenboehler). It has to be my favorite moment in my career so far.

HA: You also got a chance to dance Louis XVI in Marie.

PF: Yes, with Sara Webb too. It was a huge opportunity for me. Last year was a good year for me.

HA: What are you looking forward to dancing in 2010?

PF: La Bayadere, Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, Christopher Bruce’s Hush and Balanchine’s Apollo. I love all those pieces.

HA: Any last thoughts on your adventures in prince land?

PF: Well my mom and other family members are coming. It’s my biggest role yet and I hope to do it well. We have a very high standard here at Houston Ballet. I can’t wait.

Reprinted from Houston ArtsWeek.

Review: Replica

2010-01-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

_{Photo: Michael Hart}

Space is ripe with drama in Jonah Bokaer's Replica, recently presented as part of the RE: NEW RE: PLAY residency series at the New Museum in New York. Replica examines duality, the power of two, suggesting the mythic tension of the opposites. Coupling and uncoupling, joining and parting, edges between bodies, surfaces, and projected images appear and fuse, creating generative new forms. With space comes time, and there's that too, in an evocation of memory, the pull of the past and the push of the future.

In Replica, choreographer and media artist Bokaer collaborates with visual artist Daniel Arsham, choreographer and performer Judith Sánchez Ruíz, composer ARP/Alexis Georgopoulos and video editor Nicoletta Massignani.

Replica features a white cube-like structure with visible fissures designed by Arsham, who also performs in the piece. A fractured, angled set of white walls sets up a tension that becomes a central thread throughout. Bokaer is joined by Ruíz in another potent pairing. To say they finish each other's movement sentences would be an understatement; their duet passages speak to a call and response rhythm—a bodily listening that brings with it an uncanny intimacy. What makes this pairing so curious is that it straddles a fine line between a sensual and functional union. They seem to be answering each other's kinetic questions with an earthbound chemistry. Both move with a refined quality of efficiency and understated elegance. Ruíz, stunning in her solo sections, assumes the role of Bokaer's double and a separate presence. She plays with the lightness of a curve amidst a sea of lines in these luminous passages. Bokaer, also a marvel to watch, dances with an accuracy that doesn't disturb an extra space molecule. He's like one of those Olympic divers who enters the water with the least amount of splash.

Visually, the piece offers much for the viewer to decipher, from Rorschach projections to intricate partnering, to the dismantling of space itself. Bokaer possesses an eye for scale, carefully considering the larger container of the work. Visual ideas are so well framed that a delicate intimacy develops as the piece builds to its final resolution. As with most of Bokaer's work, seamless transitions between film and live performance render a completeness rare for media-based work. For a piece so full of action and image, it's surprisingly uncluttered.

In Replica's lighter moments, Arsham dislodges the cracks in his structure, dropping chunks of wall and creating a cavernous hole in his cube. The wall scraps, possibly pointing to our fondness for making memory concrete, lie strewn on the floor. True, the past is a crumbling thing. The hole beckons, like a vortex, eventually luring Bokaer and Ruíz through its tempting portal.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.

Vitamin F: Friends are Good for your Health

2010-01-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

I always get a boost from spending time with my friends. We enjoy high and low brow chick flickery, theater and wine bar trolling. We laugh, cry, sometimes yell (OK, mostly I do that) and have gone through triumphs, such as the publication of a new novel and the heartbreak of a parent's death. We are our own support group for the grief and joy of the empty nest. I usually leave feeling upbeat and ready to conquer the next challenge. Apparently, I am not alone in this experience because numerous studies report a health boon from spending time with friends. The term “friends with benefits” has new meaning here, benefits like a longer life, a snappier brain, quicker healing from disease and a sense of well-being.

In a study of older individuals published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, researchers found that time with friends significantly delays mortality. The conclusion, “survival time is enhanced by strong social networks,” is enough to make anyone pick up the phone for a impromptu health boosting get together. We need only look at what happened after Katrina to know how important deeply embedded social ties are in creating viable communities. Yet, time with family members, including spouses and children, does not have the same effect; sorry sis! I suspect that's because our friends actually choose to hang around us, where our siblings and family are basically stuck.

Friends not only help us live longer, but keep the old gray matter in top shape too, says a study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health. I can relate. It seems I am attracted to people who are always trying new things; I learn and expand by association. The conclusion, that social integration protects against memory loss and other cognitive disorders later in life, is just one more reason to get more friend friendly.

Before we get carried away; another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine says you have a 60% chance of becoming obese if your friends are overweight. Does that mean, if I gain weight, I am obliged to tell my friends that I have out on a few before our next coffee date?

Rita Justice, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in the mind body problem, finds nothing surprising about these studies' findings. “People are wired to form connections with other people, we actually feel pain when we are lonely,” says Justice. “Social connectivity played an evolutionary role, we would not have survived without people around us.” However Justice believes that there's more to it than just having a gaggle of friends around us. “Some of us get our battery charged from people, while others are depleted,” she says. “We have level of vulnerability on just how much closeness we need. It depends on our genes and our family history.” Since I grew up in a big Italian family, it's no wonder I prefer a good size crowd while my Swedish Lutheran husband is happy enjoying the company of one or two not-so-noisy people. Never-the-less, both groups have some need for social connection. “Loneliness is bad for your health,” Justice insists. “Studies show elevated stress hormones from spending too much time alone.”

Justice has some concerns about the erosion of true friendship. “A lot of people have superficial connections, and fewer real friends,” she says. “In our parent's generation, true friends were more the norm. Today, people have a harder time being real.”

So what about our virtual friends on Facebook? Do they fall into the category of superficial friends? According to Wendy Parslow-Helton, Professor of Psychology at Lone Star College System, social networking resources make it incredibly easy and convenient to stay connected to friends we've made in the real world. “The resources of the past—long distance calling and letters—were not conducive to frequent contact with close friends who live far away,” says Parslow-Helton. “With Facebook, I can stay connected to people I no longer work with or live near whose friendship I value.” Is it possible that I gain health benefits from knowing that Sandy is baking a pomegranate tart, Troy is cruising through Istanbul and Mandy woke up angry at the world? “The format of FB makes it easy to talk about everyday minutiae, almost as if I still worked with or lived near these friends,” says Parslow-Helton. “It's as if we are still talking around the watercooler or on the front porch like we used to. It would not surprise me if people who regularly have contact on FB with their close friends might get even more of a health benefit, both mentally and physically.”

As the original model for chatty Cathy, I enjoy knowing what a cross section of my friends are up to every single moment. If I happen to run into Sandy later that week, I just might ask her for that tart recipe. And maybe it's just full of antioxidants. So there you have it, we actually do get by with a little help from our friends. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go cook dinner for my 1,123 FB friends.

Good Friends ...

Return phone calls

or emails, text messages and smoke signals; we tend to actually hear from tried and true friends.

Listen more than broadcast.

Yes, I do want to know that you got a grant, an award or whatever other achievement is on the tip of your tongue, but maybe after some real conversation.

Up the fun

Sharing a movie, a new wine or a book is often more fun with your best buds.

Show up

Weddings, funerals, poetry readings and award ceremonies, you gotta be there! Garage sales, you can miss.

Reel you in

Spinning out of control? You should be able to rely on your buds to bring you back to the matter at hand.

Keep opening your mind to new ideas

So your best bud is raising chickens, there is a great learning opportunity here.

Share values

You may not agree on everything, but you often share core beliefs.

Let you vent when you need to

We all need to rant, kvetch, whine and complain, it’s better to do with friends than strangers.

Give you a break when you get a flake attack

We all get Cs in budship at times; bute everyone deserves the occasional get out of jail free pass.

Real friends don't just hang around with you because it's good for their health!

Suggested reading:

Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by Dr. John T. Cacioppo

Visit HealthLeader.UTHouston.edu to read more on Rita and Blair Justice’s work

Reprinted from Absolutely in the Loop.

Jane Weiner on Village of Waltz

2010-01-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

Photo by Simon Gentry

Jane Weiner, artistic director of Hope Stone Dance and Hope Center, unveils her newest opus, Village of Waltz, at Cullen Theater Friday and Saturday. Weiner developed her dancing chops with Doug Elkin's company in New York, but began to choreograph here in Houston, where she has lived for the past 13 years. Weiner opens the gates of the Village below.

29-95: What is a “Village of Waltz?”

Jane Weiner: It's an idealistic cockeyed optimist's dream of what I wish the world would be.

29-95: What we would find there?

JW: Everybody is accepted at a gut level. We all have to make compromises to get along, but that doesn't mean we have to change who we are inside, what we believe in and our goals and aspirations.

29-95: How do you do that through dance?

JW: That's the hard part. As a choreographer it always seems so crystal clear. What's clear to me may not be clear to the audience. I want to give room for each person's interpretation. If they don't get my story but develop their own, who is to say I am right and they are wrong.

29-95: What was your choreographic challenge in creating the piece?

JW: I am using all live music (composed by Peter Jones), and that scared me.

29-95: Why?

JW: I am very structured girl, and as I get older I get more structured. What if I didn't like what Peter, created or it didn't work. What if it didn't' come together?

29-95: Obviously it did come together. Jones' music is pretty, lush and very repetitive. Was that ever a concern?

JW: The repetition gives room for the dance to come forward. The piece has a cyclical theme. It's very circular, so he brought that idea into his music.

29-95: The photos of the show depict people flitting about in fields and meadows. They are lovely, but look a bit like an allergy medication ad. What were you trying to convey?

JW: Ha! Are your allergies acting up? I got a strong visual for the start from the 1997 Dutch film, Antonia's Line. When I grow up, I want to be Antonia.

29-95: Why?

JW: She's unconditional. She looks at you and sees that you are Nancy and sees me as Jane.

29-95: You are in your 40s. Aren't you there yet?

JW: Did you have burst my bubble today? I am always working on it. I would like to evolve into that kind of person.

29-95: Usually your stages are filled with stuff, like thousands of shoe boxes, TV sets, or bags of flour. What has David Graeve, your set designer, cooked up this time?

JW: It's a little more minimal. I didn't want to collect a gazillion things this year. It's warm furniture, picture and window frames. There's a notion of creating safety and belonging.

29-95: Let's talk about the dancers. It looks like a mix of old timers and new recruits.

JW: It's so great right now. I love my company, but they are dispersing all over the place right after the show. I feel like the coach of the senior football team. We are winning every game, but they are going off to college. We also have had lots of news, a new pregnancy, a baby and one dancer that ran off to join the circus.

29-95: How do you reconcile your various philanthropic causes (Pink Ribbons Project and Kid's Play for at-risk youth) and your creative life?

JW: We distributed 700 free tickets to kids in Houston's schools to see the show. We are also expanding Kid's Play to New Orleans. I think of Hope Center itself as a village.

Reprinted from 29-95.c0m.

Life is Living: A conversation with Marc Bamuthi Joseph

2009-11-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

Youth show off their decorated bicycle wheels in front of a painted graffiti wall at a Life is Living festival in Oakland, California.

Photo by Scott La Rockwell

Marc Bamuthi Joseph is a National Poetry Slam champion, Broadway veteran, featured artist on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry on HBO and a recipient of 2002 and 2004 National Performance Network Creation commissions. Joseph begins a two-year long residency with University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, which will culminate in a new performance work, red, black, and GREEN, a blues. The project kicks off with the Life is Living festival at Discovery Green on November 7th. Life Is Living is a national campaign that generates partnerships between diverse and underserved communities, green action agencies, local community groups, urban environmental activists, and the contemporary arts world. Joseph fills us in below.

Dance Source Houston: Talk about some of the thinking behind Life is Living.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph: Before action there's thought and conversation to spur thought. As our vocabularies change and we focus on less global and more specific and local efforts, it's an easier mountain to climb. What happens in environmentalism is that it feels above us, often monumental and external. We think about the plight of polar bears and the rainforest, and other things that lay way outside of our preview. Also, Life is Living is not a 100% green event. We don't generate more energy more than we consume. We connect the environmental movement to the urban environment through the arts.

DSH: In addition to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center, Life is Living is partnering with Houston Arts Alliance, the Office of Texas Senator Rodney Ellis, Meta-Four Houston, Aerosol Warfare, The Last Organic Outpost, Project Row Houses, Workshop Houston, DiverseWorks and the University of Houston College of Architecture. Is connecting to the people in the host city a key part of your mission?

MBJ: I rely on the local folks, as it should be. It would be less than strategic if I came and dictated the pathway to success. It's important to illuminate the environmental work that folks are already doing. Life is Living connects the dots.

DSH: So far, you have done Life is Living festivals in Oakland, Chicago, and San Francisco. I imagine each city is different.

MBJ: Absolutely. The festival takes on the character of the city. Part of our plan enables participants to connect environmentalism to what's important to them. For example. in Chicago there was an emphasis on celebrating young people's lives. They had just experienced a year where 36 public school children had been murdered. We held a celebration of life with marching bands and mothers who had lost their children. We planted trees to honor the children. Karen Farber, director of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center came to that festival. That's another thing we do, we invite curators to come see what we are doing, so there's some cross pollination happening.

DSH: I am curious about your background. You were a child tap star and understudied Savion Glover in the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, The Tap Dance Kid. Your style of spoken word seems rooted in dance. Like any hip hop artist, you easily slide between categories. Do you see yourself as still rooted in dance/movement?

MBJ: It's a large part of what I do. I very connected to poetry, and using the body as metaphor. But I don't necessarily adhere to a particular school of movement thought. It's organic to me in terms of communication. I use the body as a means of figuratively complementing the literal speech. I am interested in communicating a narrative. The best way to do that is to be holistic about it, to use everything I have available, which includes a ritual and spiritual grounding in the body as an instrument.

DSH: Describe your training.

MBJ: I studied tap, jazz and ballet. As I got older, I added west African Afro-Cuban. But it wasn't so linear. When I was tapping I was working with Savion Glover; he introduced me to hip-hop, although it was more social than structural.

DSH: The event on November 7th is the kick off for your two-year residency, which will culminate in the development of your new work red, black, and GREEN, a blues.

MBJ: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center is a commissioning pillar for us. I will be collecting interviews, photographs, murals and doing some film work. There's a narrative spine and a figurative spine. The narrative spine focuses on two brothers, Potter and Pocket. Potter fashions miracles, while Pocket hustles miracles. The piece highlights folks' relationships with life itself and the global environment.

DSH: What will you be performing on Nov 7th Discovery Green?

MBJ: I will be performing one or two straight poems and a text and movement piece.

DSH: Describe the day.

MBJ: There's participation and an opportunity to watch. The day is grounded in MC Lyte's performance. She's a pioneering figure in hip hop culture and one of the first women to push forward positive ideas. Aerosol Warfare will be creating live murals, an exhibition of graffiti murals from “Life is Living” festivals in Oakland, Harlem and Chicago, and an open air green market. It will be a day to activate the imagination.

The University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts in partnership with the Living Word Project and Youth Speaks, Inc. will host a “Life is Living” Sustainable Survival Eco-Empowerment Festival on Saturday, November 7th , 11am-3pm, at Discovery Green. Free. Visit www.lifeisliving.org or www.mitchellcenterforarts.org.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Billboards as Art

2009-11-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

Installation artist Karyn Olivier brings her space morphing work to Houston with INBOUND: HOUSTON, presented by The University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. Billboards of images of what we would see if they were not there will line Houston freeways. Olivier, a former Glassell Core Fellow and now a professor of sculpture at Tyler School of Art, sat down to share her ideas behind the project. Inbound: Houston

29-95: Familiar objects, like chairs, tables and playground equipment, often factor into your installation work. How did billboards, another almost too-familiar object in our everyday world, end up your list of things to play with?

Karyn Olivier: I think it comes from the fact that I didn't come from the art world. I majored in psychology and then worked in business and retail. Fashion is a world full of props, almost like a still life. Coming to art late in life, I had to make sense of a world I didn't yet understand. When I moved here it seemed that Houston was all about billboards and sky. So billboards have this presence for me. While I was here I did a billboard project in a park as part of Project Row Houses.

29-95: Is it still up?

KO: The billboard is, but the photograph has changed, which was exactly the idea I had in mind when I did the piece.

29-95: Your work often involves a perceptual puzzle and this piece is no different, in that the work is both additive and subtractive.

KO: I am always trying to do something impossible in that I am trying to catch something that is a bit off and also right as the same time. Depending on how tall you are, the time of day, the image will match up differently. The billboards are both real and artifice.

29-95: How did you choose the time of day to take the photographs?

KO: I thought the morning commute would work best. It's a good time to awaken yourself.

29-95: I used to do the commute grind and arrive at work without any memory of how I got there. I can imagine drivers looking up and wondering, did I just see that?

KO: It will be an uncanny moment. It's a reminder that the sky should be there, but it's by no means an anti-billboard piece.

29-95: David A. Brown actually took the photographs that will be used for the billboards. How did your paths cross?

KO: He came so highly recommended and knew the city so well, he was a natural fit for the project.

29-95: How does your psychology background inform your work?

KO: Certainly in my focus on perception, what's assumed and what shifts. But also in a sense of nostalgia, a kind of pining for time where people can pause. I hope to make work that allows people to be present.

29-95: Did you actually have to buy billboard space? KO:
Yes, I thought I could get it donated but that wasn't possible. But, due to the recession, they were about a third of the cost they would have been in 2005. I worked with CBS Outdoor in securing the billboard space because have an investment of the arts.

29-95: Who knew the recession could have an upside to artists? Logistically, the piece can't have been easy.

KO: That's why it took me so long to actually put it all together. I got the grant in 2005, but I needed to find partners and it just so happened to make a perfect fit for the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center.

29-95: I noticed most of the billboards are on I-59 and not I-45. What's wrong with I-45?

KO: It was too dense already with billboards so there was already too much visual stimulation. Also I was more familiar with 59. When I lived here, it was a road I traveled, and the billboards are more evenly spaced out.

29-95: There's also a music concert with original compositions by UH AURA Ensemble composers Joel Love and Paul Wadle, which also features a film by Grant MacManus. How does this fit into the project?

KO: I wanted to enlarge the event, and music can embellish an experience. Also, the film is shot at night, which will be very different.

29-95: What will happen when the show is over and we see ads back up on those billboards?

KO: It will be kind of poignant when it comes down. I know people are going to miss it, that's often thread in my work.

The University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts Presents INBOUND: HOUSTON: A Public Arts Project by Karyn Olivier, on October 26-November 22, 2009. AURA Contemporary Ensemble will present a concert on Monday, November 16th at 7:30 PM at the Moores School of Music. Call 713-743-3313.

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

America's Favorite Dancer Hits Houston

2009-11-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

Fox Television: Jeanine Mason

America doesn't get that many things right, but the 21.6 million voters that put Jeanine Mason in the American's Favorite Dancer slot on the FOX's So You Think You Can Dance did just fine. Mason wowed the judges, her fellow contestants, and voters with her winning smile, a killer arabesque and uncanny ability to look good in any dance style. The So You Think You Can Dance tour comes to Houston's Reliant Arena tonight. Mason, 18, took a break from her grueling tour schedule to chat. Fox Television: Jeanine Mason

29-95: When I told people I was interviewing you, they hoped I would get the inside scoop on the show. I just want to know what you eat for lunch.

Jeanine Mason: Ha! I try to eat healthy because we dance all day and it can take a toll on your body. I am a cereal freak, so I have lots of those kinds of snacks. Otherwise, I stick to salads with chicken. I am a pretty healthy eater, but I need a tiny little treat at the end.

29-95: You all seemed like best buds, but you were in competition. Was that an act, for real, or what?

JM: It's not an act; we honestly get along really well. We are so lucky to be such a close-knit group. True, we do get a little worked up, loud and crazy. You might not want to be sitting next to us at a restaurant, but it's always fun to ask for a table for 12.

29-95: Was there a moment when you thought I could do this thing?

JM: Not really; I never thought it was possible. I didn't aim to win, but to learn a lot and have an amazing time, and that's exactly what I did. It's so easy to cherish every single minute of this experience when you are around people who love what you love.

29-95: Was there one piece on the show that you felt was made exactly for your considerable set of skills?

JM:Travis Wall's contemporary piece that I danced with Jason, set to Jason Mraz's If it Kills Me would be the one. Travis was like a mentor to us; he told us that he was secretly praying he would get us. It was also his choreographic debut on the show.

29-95: As a former member of the contemporary dancer tribe, I have always found ballroom dance a mystery. So I am always amazed at how well the SYT dancers pick up ballroom styles, with the exception of the dreaded quick-step, which should be banned. You were especially natural in your ballroom numbers. Did you sneak out at night for lessons?

JM: No, but that would have helped. I did get a lot of the Latin dances, and as a Cuban-American, I grew up listening to those rhythms.

29-95: The tour hits Houston tonight. Are you ready for thousands of kids wearing I love Jeanine T-shirts?

JM: I'm not ready for that at all; it still feels kind of surreal to me.

29-95: Phillip Chbeeb, your former partner, is our Houston son. Will you be dancing with Phillip at all for the tour? Houston wants to know.

JM: Yes, Phillip is an incredible dancer and the most amazing mover I have ever met. Because he didn't have a technical base, we had to work really hard to perfect our pieces. There was so much learning going on. We will be dancing our Hip-Hop number to Ne-Yo's Mad.

29-95: Are you still planning to major in communications at UCLA after the tour? Why not dance?

JM: The show has opened so many doors, so I will be doing my dancing outside of school. I will be taking three classes a semester, so hopefully there will be time to do it all.

29-95: You are Dance Spirit's cover girl this November. (I should disclose that I'm also a proud contributor to DS.) Every young studio darling gets that magazine. How does it feel to be in the role model seat?

JM: I am so honored to be on the cover and can't wait to read the story. I hope I sound good in my quotes. I had so much fun in the shoot, the staff was so wonderful to work with. I know it will turn out great. I have been reading Dance Spirit forever, it's my bible.

29-95: I understand you have two mentors at your home studio, Focal Points Dance Studio in Pinecrest, FL.

JM: Yes, Amanda Tae, my choreographer, has been pushing me since I was nine by making great pieces for me to grow in. Ingrid Houvenaeghel, my ballet teacher, is a stickler for technique. Both made me the dancer I am today.

29-95: How was it for them watching you on network television?

JM: They were freaking out.

29-95: In your mind has the show brought concert and commercial dance closer together or further apart?

JM: That's a good question. I would say closer, in its own funny way. Prior to these shows, dancing wasn't as highly regarded as it should be. It's such a difficult art form in that it's a mesh between athleticism and artistry; it's a beautiful mix. The show brought dance right into America's living room. It's both advertising and lifting dance and that's all we were hoping to do.

29-95: What's your ideal dance job?

JM: I would love to be a movie musical.

29-95: Do you know there's never been a SYTYCD audition in Houston?

JM: No way, I will try to pull some strings.

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

Hamlet Goes it Alone at the Classical Theatre Company

2009-10-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

Guy Robertson in One Man Hamlet
Photo by Anthony Robins

Houston's Classical Theatre Company aims to expand your idea of the classics. With The Merchant of Venice performed by prisoners in a concentration camp, and an Antigone that explored the rule of law as rule of religion, the troupe defines itself by shaking up a treasured genre. Next up is its One Man Hamlet, adapted and performed by Guy Roberts. John Johnston, Classical Theatre's artistic director, founder and co-director of One Man Hamlet clues us in.

29-95. What is the Classic Theatre Company's mission?

John Johnston: Our motto is boldly re-envisioning classical drama.

29-95: What defines theater as classical?

JJ: Anything 100 years old or older.

29-95: And your approach?

JJ: We are not putting the classics on display. We try to create a personal experience for the audience. We also play in small, intimate spaces.

29-95: How did you come upon One Man Hamlet?

JJ: It's a piece adapted and performed by Guy Roberts, artistic director of the Prague Shakespeare Festival. He's from Houston, and was here for the Houston Shakespeare Festival. He kindly agreed to stay and do this show. It's his baby. He also did it in Prague.

29-95: I can see how the concept makes sense. Hamlet has to be the most it's all about me character in the history of theater. He's the poster boy for narcissism. I wonder why Shakespeare didn't get the one-man idea. Where do we find your moody prince?

JJ: In an insane asylum under observation.

29-95: Shrinks love to weigh on Hamlet's particular brand of mental illness, and everyone loves a literary nut, so I can see that choice. Yet, it's a curious point of view, because it's Hamlet who sleuths about, over-observing everyone else.

JJ: Absolutely. He knows he is performing for an observing group of doctors. In a lot of ways Hamlet is a play about being observed and observing others. For example, the character Polonius is constantly spying on Hamlet (which in the end gets him killed), and Hamlet himself sets up The Mousetrap Scene to observe his murderous uncle's actions. In this adaptation of the play, we amplify the observation. Hamlet is under a microscope, and his actions and reactions and interactions are at the forefront of our conceit.

29-95: Isn't Hamlet already a one-man play of sorts?

JJ: Hamlet is a play about a character who is indeed totally alone. Even his closest friends are kept at arm's length (and some sent to their deaths). The only character that Hamlet trusts and confides in truly is the audience. Hamlet is a loner, and at risk of exploiting an overused term: a maverick. It is no coincidence that this play has so frequently been converted into a one-man adaptation. It just lends itself in that direction.

29-95: How ever does one man accomplish Ophelia's scenes?

JJ: By the blessed fact that Guy possesses extraordinary abilities. He weaves back and forth between different characters. He also has some basic props like a cot, a sink and some industrial chairs. With that we are able to create Hamlet's world.

29-95: Are you messing around with time?

JJ: No, not really. The feeling is contemporary, but there aren't any period references; Hamlet doesn't have an iPod.

29-95: Glad to hear that. I think we have all seen enough of Shakespeare roaming about history. There's still the problem of the mounting body count in the show. How does Roberts deal with that?

JJ: Hamlet, the patient, is obsessed with words, so that he constantly writing words all over the stage. When a character is killed he writes their name on the floor.

Classical Theatre Company presents One Man Hamlet, adapted and performed by Guy Roberts, based on the play by William Shakespeare, directed by Guy Roberts and John Johnston. October 8-18 at HITS Theatre, 311 West 18th Street. $15; $7 for students and seniors.

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

Review: Night of the Giant

2009-10-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Decker and Amy Warren in Mildred's Umbrella's production of Night of the Giant by John Harvey
Photo by Anthony Rathbun

Kafka was quoted as saying a good novel should be like a blow to the head. Then John Harvey’s new play, Night of the Giant, produced by Mildred’s Umbrella, is at least a blunt object to the frontal cortex. It’s not an easy ride, but one to ponder, wrestle with and puzzle through with all your literary faculties in the ready position.

The play opens with fraternal twins Barbara and Clare, who never quite got over causing their beautiful mother’s death in childbirth, holding their father hostage in their decaying living room. Dad or “It,” bound and hooded, slithers about like a captive pet, while the sisters babble fantasies of their royal lineage. Like a pair of Mrs. Haversham’s distant cousins, they are determined to relive the past and remake the future in a kind of call and response banter.

The two retell the tale of their deformed brother James, their father’s nasty habit of fashioning playmates for James through unspeakable acts, and their eventual choice to bag up James in a dumpster. They tell their tale like a nightly re-enactment ritual. Eventually, the truth comes out and it’s not pretty, but nor is it a garden variety of violence—more the stuff of nightmares and mythology. Think Brothers Grimm, but grimmer.

The three-person cast completely understands Harvey’s idiosyncratic approach to language, which is both formal and detached. Jennifer Decker imbues Claire with a bewitching clarity and shrewd determination. Amy Warren gives Barbara, the softer sister, a wonderful loony edge. She is positively diabolical when she polishes a new light bulb, a hilarious choice considering her housekeeping skills. Decker and Warren’s chemistry provides stability in Harvey’s wildly meandering script. Walt Zipprian as Joe/Dad/It spends the entire play with a burlap sack over his head and still manages to command the space.

Harvey directs with a disciplined hand, letting the more formal notes push to the center. There’s a musicality in his phrasing, which makes perfect sense as a small chamber orchestra sits slightly off to the side, making the setting all the more weird. According to Barbara, it’s a gift to dad who asked for music. What a gal. Elliot Cole’s original score adds a melancholic splendor—somber, nostalgic, and just beautiful enough to lure the listener into this sordid world. The fine orchestra included Melody Yenn (cello), Amanda Witt (clarinet), Lauren Winterbottom (oboe), Molly Marcuson (recorded harp) and Cole on harmonium.

Wayne Barnhill creates a disturbingly squalid living room that feels just plopped down. The play could be placed anywhere like a portable snow globe, largely due to Barnhill’s sense of no boundaries. In fact, Mildred’s Umbrella performed Night of the Giant in three venues. Ratty furniture, an empty bird cage with feathers strewn about and a side table crafted from what looks like old chicken bones conjure a world where something terrible just happened the moment before the lights went up. It’s a fragile world, as if one exhale could turn this whole cosmos into ashes. Kelly Robertson cleverly costumes Claire in a soiled prom dress and Barbara in a 1940s suit complete with a dead animal fur stole. Kevin Taylor’s lighting design blurs the edges just enough to keep us squirming in our seats.

So what do to with this material? You can go on a paradox scavenger hunt: there are gory details told in formal prose, a sense of claustrophobia with no clear container and an unsettling aftertaste soothed by haunting music. You can take the lit-wonk approach and mine influences of various creation myths and the seminal work of Pinter, Beckett and their gang. Harvey also mentions influences from Jose Donoso’s Obscene Bird of Night and Tom Wait’s Alice in his program note. The nod to Martin McDonagh’s work, specicially, The Pillowman, is ever present. That will keep you busy as Harvey operates with a considerable arsenal of references at his disposal. Or you can enjoy the play as a new chapter in Gothic theater, gruesome but strangely compelling and funny, if you allow yourself to see its glorious, absurd contours.

I prefer to look at Harvey’s play in its broad strokes. Who could deny a certain timeliness in a looking at people who take every ounce of their energy to believe false truths in the “news as fiction” era that we have all grown so complacent with. A volatile world held together by a threadbare promise of two disillusioned characters seems a familiar scenario. Don’t societies bag up their crimes all the time?

The lights go down as Barbara and Claire sew dear old dad in a bag, and in a final moment of unity, face each other with ultimate resolve to contain the truth as they know it. Night of the Giant isn’t exactly a play you would want to follow you home down the narrow, dimly lit back alley of your psyche, but chances are, it will anyway.

Reprinted from Houston ArtsWeek.

Music and Motion: A conversation with Richard Alston

2009-10-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

Photo by Dee Conway

Richard Alston Dance Company, London's leading contemporary dance troupe, makes its first stop in Houston. After serving as artistic director of Ballet Rambert, Alston founded his company in 1994. Currently, he also serves as artistic director of The Place, a groundbreaking dance education institution. Alston introduces us to his work below.

Dance Source Houston: What can we expect from a Richard Alston dance?

Richard Alston: There's always this relationship between the dance and the music. I don't think you need to lean on it, but music supports the body. When I worked with Merce we used to rehearse in silence. He made that choice, but he also freed me to make my own choices.

DSH: That make sense seeing you have a show filled with musical giants, like Phillip Glass, Igor Stravinsky and John Sebastian Bach. What attracted you to Glass' "Songs from Liquid Days" for your work Blow Over?

RA: I have seen so many dances to Glass over the years. His work is associated with dance. I enjoy the mix of grandeur and the jazz/pop voices, of Suzanne Vega, David Byrne and Paul Simon. We have added a new Byrne song, "Open the Kingdom" and Houston will be first to see that. I find that the voice is so direct, and I like working with many layered elements. It's like a Handel anthem, very grand.

DSH: Movements from Petrushka seems timely in light of the Diaghilev celebration.

RA: I made the piece in 1994, but it made sense to revive the work now. Liz Reed created the costumes after Alexander Benois, who created the designs for the original piece. I like to have live music as often as possible. The pianist will be both live and on stage.

DSH: I found it fascinating that you worked with Merce Cunningham during the 1970s.

RA: Of course, Merce was a huge influence, but so were the release-based techniques. Steve Paxton was here you know. I worked closely with Frederick Ashton. I love the detail in Ashton's ballets. He is a kindred spirit.

DSH: I found your dancers so light, yet fully grounded. They are truly an embodied bunch. What do you look for in a dancer?

RA: I am glad you noticed that. Yes, I am interested in a deep physicality and flowing movement. But I love lightness too; I call it flying. They need to be very articulate dancers who challenge themselves. They also have to be really musical; we call it singing. They need to internalize the music. I loved Margot Fonteyn, she was that kind of dancer. I also like people with individual personalities. I don't want a company where everyone looks the same. We come in all different shapes and sizes.

DSH: It's quite an international group.

RA: I like that and pursue it.

DSH: There's one piece on the program by Martin Lawrence, your rehearsal director.

RA We are not turning into a rep company. Martin danced with the company for 15 years, and I am glad he can develop his own voice here. We sing from the same hymn book. Martin's piece is fast and joyful, a very uplifting piece.

DSH: You mention your appreciation of Henry Moore's work and have had a considerable amount of training in the visual arts. How does your training inform your work?

RA: It taught me how to see. I have always had a sharp eye and have been attracted to three dimensional sculptural ideas, so there's a touchable volume in my work stems from that experience. It's like a Henry Moore piece but moving all over the place.

DSH: The Place looks like a model for dance education.

RA: It is pretty unique to combine the intensity of a professional studio with an academic program. We also have a small theater. As the resident company, we are in a privileged position in that post grads who have apprenticed with the company, while some of my senior dancers have been able to work on their masters degrees.

DSH: How would you describe the current health of the dance field in the UK?

RA: The credit crunch has hit everyone, yet there's this amazing amount of activity going one. We get to see a lot of European dance here as well. Dance is full of resilient people. So it's steady. It's good.

The Society for the Performing Arts presents the Richard Alston Dance Company on Friday, October 16 at 8 PM at Wortham Center's Cullen Theater. Call 713-227-4SPA or visit www.spahouston.org

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Review: Main Street Theater The House of the Spirits

2009-10-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Chelsea Ryan McCurdy and Eva De La Cruz
Photo by RickOrnel Productions

Caridad Svich’s The House of the Spirits is a noble adaptation of award-winning Chilean author Isabel Allende’s classic novel. Svich’s play doesn’t completely capture the essence of Allende’s enchanting use of magical realism, but she creates a compelling theatrical experience, such that, by the second act, I was hardly missing Allende’s delicate prose. Svich also distills Allende’s massive epic into a workable story.

The House of the Spirits chronicles the ups and downs of the Trueba family in an un-named Latin American Country spanning 1920 through the 1970s. Unlike the book, Svich uses Alba, the youngest member of the Trueba tribe, as the sole narrator, lending a cohesive dramatic thread that works well to bring us in and through the multiple frames of reference found in Allende’s dense writing.

The cast—all strong—is headed up by Sean Patrick Judge, who lends a quiet dignity to Esteban Trueba, a difficult and complex man. Judge gives Esteban a brutal edge and, as he ages, a somber tenderness. Laura Michelle Salas imbues the young Alba with a slight aura of distance, serving to separate her from the brutality of her torture and imprisonment, and sustaining a cool detachment of the storyteller. When she finally enters the action of the play, Salas adds warmth and resolve. Eva De La Cruz’s Clara matures from a magical child to tolerant wife with believability. Luisa Amaral-Smith plays several roles, but is most powerful in her portrayal of Ferula, Esteban’s long-suffering sister.

Rebecca Greene Udden directs with a soft hand, letting the story unfold in its own timing. Nothing feels forced or rushed; it’s a graceful production. Jodi Bobrovsky conjures a lacy all white world, lending a sense of understated elegance. David Gipson’s lighting design add just enough otherworldliness for us to feel thoroughly transported.

Reprinted from Houston ArtsWeek.

Ain Gordon Tells a Forgotten Story

2009-10-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ain Gordon, three-time Obie Award-winner, premieres his one-woman play, A Disaster Begins, at DiverseWorks this weekend, which chronicles the story behind the story of the 1900 Galveston flood. Gordon serves as co-director of the Pick-Up Performance Co(S.), artist-in-residence at the Center for Creative Research and a core writer of the Playwright's Center in Minneapolis. The New York-based playwright popped by for a quick chat.

29-95: What brought you to Galveston's great storm?

Ain Gordon: My interest began in the disaster book industry, which preceded silent films. The American public couldn't get these gory details any other way. I was initially thinking of doing a story about the San Francisco earthquake, but then I found a copy of Muriel Halstead's novel, The Galveston Flood, in a flea market for $3 with the cover ripped off. In Halstead I found a woman I could write about.

29-95: So what happened to the disaster book industry?

AG: It crashed.

29-95: Your work is new to Houston audiences. What kind of stories do you want to tell?

AG: Biting, forgotten and marginalized stories that America doesn't want to tell. There are complicated truths of the 1900 storm. It was the worst natural disaster in American history. It's shockingly un-present in our history.

29-95: We are a culture of amnesia.

AG: The storm is a platform for discussing America's penchant for forgetting wars and storms, then we do it all again.

29-95: Set up the scene for us.

AG: Muriel Halstead (played by Veanne Cox) finds herself in middle age and at the disaster book industry's low-end lecture circuit, where she is to deliver a talk on the Galveston flood. She sets out to give a perfectly normal lecture until she finds herself unable to accept that complacency, wanting something else, to tell all the topical tentacles, to tell the real truth of the flood, to include her personal disaster within the natural one. It's as much a story about how this story gets told and how she comes to write this book, which eventually gets downgraded with a sensationalist cover. Where does a disaster begin?

29-95: Floods wash things up. Look at Katrina, even Ike. What did the 1900 flood wash up?

AG: We were in the midst of the falsely declared Spanish American war, like Iraq, so we were busy looking at disasters somewhere else ignoring the one on our shores. She gives a personalized history of disappointed men who wanted to build in places that were unsustainable.

29-95: Tell me about it. Houston is one big and ever expanding flood plane. How did your play end up opening here to Houston, of all hurricane prone places, never mind its proximity to Galveston?

AG: Sixto Wagan (DiverseWorks co-director) came to a reading. He came up to me immediately afterwards to say he wanted to bring it to Houston.

29-95: When you lose 1/3 of a city's population like Galveston did, the disaster has an enormous longevity and defines the city. And here we are at the anniversary of Ike. What are your thoughts about the timing of your play?

AG: I have fears. There's no blame being laid out, it's an American cycle. Can we get off that cycle?

29-95: How did your path cross with Veanne Cox, who plays the lead character in your one-woman show? She was terrific in Caroline or Change on Broadway.

AG: I've encountered Veanne over the years; she did a reading of a play of mine, and I loved her in it. I always wanted to work with her, so she was at the top of my list for the part. She's an aggressively smart actress who is going to chew up the many things the character is thinking.

29-95: Since I hark from the dance world, you are not going to get out of talking about your famous father, David Gordon, one of my all-time favorite dance theater artists. How did growing up in and around dance shape your approach?

AG: Certainly there's an influence from both my parents, in that I am more interested in character and people and much less interested in story. Dancers have an emotive story, you have the narrative implication, the non-linear story. That is from the dance world.

DiverseWorks presents A Disaster Begins by Ain Gordon, A Pick Up Performance Co (S.) production co-commissioned by DiverseWorks. 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at DiverseWorks. Every performance is pay what you want.

Reprinted from 29-95.com

Review: Red Light Winter Horse Head Theatre Co.

2009-09-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

Amy Burn and Troy Schulze in Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter
Photo by by Anthony Rathbun

Horse Head Theatre Company is launching its first-ever season with Adam Rapp’s grim drama Red Light Winter, not exactly an out-of-the-gate play. But Horse Head has little interest in doing anything aligned with the status quo.

Rapp’s play roughly follows two old college chums, Davis and Matt, first in Amsterdam, where Matt is suffering from a combination of a loss of a will to live, a woman and a successful play. He’s terminally emerging only to submerge. Davis, a cocky but rising book editor, brings home Christina, a prostitute, to cheer up his sad sack of a buddy. What a chum. She falls for the creepy one. Matt, the word nerd, falls for her, and the rest doesn’t turn out well for anyone.

Rapp’s deliciously rich banter drives much of the play. Dialogue, both hurtful and playful, establishes the strained but dependent relationship between these two. Matt may be a walking stereotype and Davis, a feral savage, but these are over-educated men of letters, so when the words fly, they are hilarious.

The second act takes place in the East Village in Matt’s drafty garret. Christina returns looking for Davis, finds Matt still pining for her, and more trouble follows. (A sick girl knocking on the door of a starving artist seems like an odd nod to Rent. Rapp is Rent star Anthony Rapp’s brother after all.)

Troy Schulze (Matt), Drake Simpson (Davis) and Amy Burn (Christina) are perfectly cast in their respective roles. Schulze’s depressed playwright just tears us apart. He’s damaged, broken, yet incredibly endearing as the poster child for tortured poets. Simpson gives Davis a sexual charge that is both repulsive and seductive, stomping on his pit bull character with a manic glee. We hate him but laugh at his jokes anyway. Burn’s gentle performance contains a wide-eyed innocence. She’s positively luminous when she sings for the smitten duo. The potency of this motley triangle carries the play.

Kevin Holden’s close-to-the-nerve-center direction hones in on Rapp’s brand of despair. The claustrophobia is palpable—tension, difficult pauses, jagged edges, all intact and adding to the closed-in hotel room stuffiness. In addition to Holden, Anthony Contello, Frank J. Vela, Elisabeth Meindl, Matthew Schlief, Andrew Harper and Robert Thoth contributed to the set and lighting design, which proved mostly effective. It’s bleak, intimate, in your face, too close for comfort and full of garish lighting effects. How Amsterdam-y.

As for the Horse Head approach, that’s another story. Theater goers are greeted by a party atmosphere found in a holding pen, where they can drink, visit, and listen to Holden’s audience re-education lecture. Tight quarters, in an airless room, prepare us for Rapp’s shut-in world. Next, the audience is led through a narrow hallway complete with Amsterdam ladies of the red light district, and finally into the space where we were encouraged to mingle about the denizens of Amsterdam.

Habit doesn’t change that quickly and most just grabbed a seat. There was no intermission for this two-plus hour play, which meant the audience suffered through a rather clunky scene change. (Rapp’s play could have benefited from a breather.) Actors and designers are listed as “collaborators” and there’s not a bio to be found, which goes against the collective manifesto. Horse Head aims “to create the same amount of ecstasy as the artists that create it,” a noble goal for certain. (The beer menu needs to expand before that happens.) It was all kind of strange, and strangely exciting. Change doesn’t come easy, so bravo to these bold folks who dare to rethink and repackage the way we experience theater.

All in all, Rapp’s play under the house of Horse Head goes down much like the Tom Waits songs that serenade us intermittently, with a bittersweet pathos, a ragged lullaby equally designed to soothe and unsettle.

Horse Head Theatre Co. presents Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp through October 10, at Frenetic Theater, 5102 Navigation Blvd. Visit www.horseheadtheatre.org

Reprinted from Houston ArtsWeek.

John Harvey on Night of the Giant

2009-09-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

John Harvey, Houston's reigning dark prince of indie theater, has unleashed his unruly imagination again in Night of the Giant, a Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company production. Most known for his hilarious horror romp, Rot, co-produced by Bobbindoctrin and Mildred's, Harvey has crafted yet another creepy tale. This one features two scary sisters who tend to their tied-up dad, known as just it, an original score by Elliot Cole and his chamber orchestra playing live on stage and plenty of Harvey's deliciously weird prose. By day, Harvey teaches at Houston Community College and is an artist-in-residence at the University of Houston's Honors College. Since 2001, he has also served as Mildred's Umbrella resident playwright. Harvey helps us navigate his tangled web of a play below.

29-95: How is this play different from your last dark, twisted and highly poetic play, Rot?

John Harvey: I've upped the darkness, poetry, and it's even more twisted. Yet, there's a joy in the darkness.

29-95: We all have strange families, but this one takes the cake. What instigated this story?

JH: The impulse to both project and destroy the child, which comes from being a parent myself. There's a long history of great plays that link to this subject matter from Eugene O'Neill to Sam Shepard.

29-95: Sounds epic, mythic really.

JH: Oh yeah, Oedipal elements echo throughout the play.

29-95: From the very first passages of the play it's clear that there's a formality present: in the sisters' speech rhythms, the stylized movement, and even in the way the music fills in the space. The formality creates a bit of distance with the difficulty of the material.

JH: Yes, I wanted the sisters to maintain formal movement, attempting to hold in the violence and abuse that their stories and interactions indicate, or let's say a formality created through a painstaking attention to word and gesture. The words, sentences are created to form jagged edges and holes through which Joe (the father) crawls through and the sisters smile through. I want the audience in the same place, experiencing a work of art (which is a certain formality) that also implicates the work of art. I want the audience to look for what shatters or refuses to shatter, a type of crucible that will walk home with the audience.

29-95: As a melancholic myself who refuses to be cured, I love the somber tone of Elliot Cole's score. It soothes the jagged edges. Cole understands something about us dark-craving people. Do you agree?

JH: I had Elliot in mind as the composer from the beginning of the project. The orchestra functions as a kind of Greek chorus. Elliot's music finds those notes for the play, a screech, a sweet melody.

29-95: Families are their own kind of prisons for certain, but this one is particularly grim. Yet, visually there's a lot of open space in Barnevelder, so the drama is both contained and not contained. The openness makes the play even more unsettling, these are folks you want to find in a gated community with jumbo-sized locks. Wayne Barnhill's set of a home gone feral feels very exposed. Is this intentional or is it just too expensive to build walls?

JH: I didn't want walls in order to take advantage of just what you noticed with Barnevelder. I talked to Wayne about lightly shaping a space, a room, a house. It's a claustrophobic play in an open space. Kevin Taylor's use of the lights had this intention as well. That which should be behind walls leaks out into the performing space.

29-95: Walt Zipprian, last seen as Ann Coulter in The Tamarie Cooper Show, spends the entire play as the father bound by ropes and with a burlap bag over his head.

JH: Ann Coulter is bound in her own way too. I had Walt in mind from the beginning.

29-95: Talk about the shift from poet to playwright?

JH: There's a long tradition of poets writing plays. I wanted a more collaborate experience, more three dimensional.

29-95: Your plays are funny but it's an odd kind of laugh. We catch ourselves laughing.

JH: Exactly, it's an implicating laugh.

29-95: Let's talk about the actors. An overly natural actor could wreck your work. It seems to me that there needs to be an element of recitation, that is in keeping with the piece's formal style. Jennifer Decker understands this well, which is why she was so great in Rot too. Any thoughts on this?

JH: Yes, actors who feel energy from the style of illusion, from being in step with the creation of illusion and what it opens, those are the actors for me.

29-95: Where do you stand on the disturb to entertain continuum?

JH: Let's say I'd be honored to share the space with Maria Fornes, Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Aeschlyus. Oh, yes, and I love Sweeney Todd. Let me also say that I think putting together "disturb" and "entertain" is a philosophic position. I think it begins questions of how we put together the world, and why we let illusions make us. Why do I go to the theater? Why to be put together in such a way that I'm always awake, that's the effect of "disturb" and "entertain" together. Well, there may also be a bittersweet lullaby effect as well.

Mildreds Umbrella Theater Company presents Night of the Giant by John Harvey on September 23-26, 8 p.m., at Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex; October 2-3, 8 p.m. at Ovations Night Club; and October 8, 7 p.m. at Houston Center for Photography, as part of the national Free Night of Theater event. $13; $7 for students/seniors. The October 8 performance will be free.

Reprinted from 29-95.c0m.

Review: Southern Rapture

2009-09-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

_{Photo: Bruce Bennett}

Stories about the culture wars usually make we weep. No single event in
Unites States history has affected my generation of art makers. Eric Coble's
Southern Rapture, now playing at Stages Repertory Theatre, is first and
foremost a comedy. Face it, theater people who will go down for their
convictions and a bunch of uptight southern church people in the same room
can be funny.

Southern Rapture is based on the saga of the Charlotte Repertory
Theatre's 1996 production of Tony Kushner's Pulitzer price-winning
epic, Angels in America. A seven second full frontal nude scene, crucial to the play's core, set off a firestorm of controversy that put their funding and future
in peril. A snarky local critic fueled the flames, inciting even more
trouble. The themes of Coble's play are also especially timely in light of
recent southern-born silliness in the headlines.

The cast has a blast with this material. Sally Edmundson, as artisic
director Marjorie Winthrop, is spot-on. If ever there was an archetype of a
stubborn theater maven, Edmundson is it. Rutherford Cravens is terrific as
Mayor Winston Paxton, the guy that just wants all the fuss to just go away.
Unfortunately, the Mayor has an election coming up, so he needs to cave into
his base. Sounds oddly familiar. Cravens captures the man on an ideological
edge with a robust performance. Pamela Vogel inhabits each of her four
characters with equal gusto. She lends Allissa, the conflicted board member,
a subtle turn. Vogel pulls out her comedic chops as Laverne, the churchy
lady who objects to just about everything. Jon L. Egging gets to play on
both sides of the aisle as the Rev. Dubree and Mickey, the actor with the
scene in question. Egging steals the scene when he explains exactly why the
nude scene needs to be included as written. David Wald gives Donald Sherman, Winthrop's assistant director, an edgy quality. Wald lets us feel the edge of your seat vibe of the brouhaha. Jovan Jackson is a hoot as the southern-metaphor talking lawyer and a clueless actor.

Stages artistic director Kenn McLaughlin directs with an ear for the
comedy, in an unfussy production that stays focused on the characters and
their compelling narrative. (McLaughlin has weathered through a controversy
or two on his own stomping ground. I am still recovering from the talk back
trauma after Mr. Marmalade.)

Kirk Markley's set consists of several interlocking platforms that produce
a wretched sound when yanked apart, which happens in the opening moments of the play. Although the raised platforms create a bit of a hazard for the actors, it's an effective visual metaphor for the divisions of territory and thought that play out during the course of Coble's story. Chris Bakos' sound design works well in conjunction with Markley's puzzle set. Listen up
people, if you ever wondered what an ideological divide sounds like, this is it.

Back to weeping, there's that too. In the play's final moments, each
character sums up the experience. And we finally get to see the scene that
set the town on fire. In a low light, it's played out with utmost dignity. I
had a little fantasy of some hard core religious Charlotte folk coming to
see this play and becoming transformed by the power of theater. Coble lets
us dwell in dreaming that such a thing is possible.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.net.

Stanton Welch on Elements

2009-09-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

Christopher Coomer in Stanton Welch's Elements
photo by Pam Francis

September 18, 2009

Stanton Welch unveils his fifteenth work for Houston Ballet with Elements, set to Paul Hindemith’s symphony Mathis der Maler, as part of the mixed rep program, “Without Boundaries.” The piece features Connor Walsh as fire, Joseph Walsh as air, Christopher Coomer as earth, Ian Casady as water and Mireille Hassenboehler as the mother of the universe. Welch brings us into Elements.

Dance Source Houston: Which came first, the music or the idea?

Stanton Welch: They came simultaneously about 20 years ago. Sometimes you hear a piece of music and you know what you need to do. There were four sections and they sounded like the elements.

DSH: You let the idea cook for twenty years?

SW: Choreography was my hobby back when I was dancing. I'm revising some of my old ideas. Coming off of Marie, The Core, and The Four Seasons, I was ready to go in the opposite direction by creating a more minimalistic ballet.

DSH: What boundaries are you going without?

SW: All three pieces are minimalist, Jirí Kylián uses Steve Reich's “Drumming,” Twyla Tharp, the queen of that style, uses Phillip Glass. So we have three different choreographers all working in the same genre.

DSH: Talk about the lone female figure danced by Hassenboehler.

SW: She's the beginning of everything, the birth of the universe, who bears four sons, earth, air, fire and water.

DSH: Is there an environmental message?

SW: Not necessarily. I see it as a broader message. Only when these four work together will the world survive.

DSH: You are often inspired by the dancers in front of you. Was Connor Walsh looking fiery one day and it seemed time to do the piece?

SW: I knew I had a collection of dancers who would suit this ballet. I wanted people who are very different, but could work well in unison. Each of the sons/elements has their own personality.

DSH: Hassenboehler mentioned that the Earth needed help.

SW: Earth is the sad one, the earth's power is slower at revealing itself, it takes millions of years to get a Mount Everest.

DSH: Are you a mythology wonk?

SW: I was when I was young.

DSH: Thoughts on Houston Ballet's first go at Tharp?

SW: Here we go..... It's a big complex, dynamic and exhausting dance. Tharp is huge and it would be wrong of us as a major American arts institution if we didn't do her work. Once I saw the piece, I knew we needed to do it. The audience always goes bananas.

Houston Ballet presents “Without Boundaries” on September 24, 26 and October 2, 3, 2009 at 7:30 PM, and September 27 and October 4, 2009 at 2:00 PM Call 713-227-2787 or visit www.houstonballet.org.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Review: Dance Houston City Wide Festival

2009-09-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

NobleMotion Dance Company

Photography by Dionne Noble

Wortham Theatre

August 30, 2009

Houston is becoming a dance festival city, with The Power of Movement last spring and the the upcoming Weekend of Contemporary Dance, Dance Houston's City Wide Dance Festival did its part in keeping the momentum going. Andrea Cody, executive director of Dance Houston, moved here to start festivals and that she did. The 7^th annual City-Wide festival lived up to its name delivering an all over the map tour of Houston's dance scene including contemporary, hip-hop, ballet, ballroom and world dance. The people on the stage represented a diverse group as well, from students to internationally known professionals. As with most festivals, the fun was abundant, the audience enthusiastic, and the quality mixed.

On the contemporary front NobleMotion Dance made a strong statement in an excerpt from Barrier. Set to Argentinean tango master Astor Piazzolla's sultry music, the piece drops us directly down into the world of a steamy romance. Choreographer Andy Noble cleverly enlists the help of a steel gray wall as a container and foil for their passion. The couple, danced by Jesus Acosta and Melissa Needler, shove, push, walk and smash up against the wall in some all out thrilling partnering. Acosta and Needler's fierce abandon bolstered Barrier's strength, leaving even more curiosity about the rest of the piece. Noble, currently an assistant professor of Dance at Sam Houston State University, is relatively new to the Houston scene. After this show, and his recent showing at Big Range, NobleMotion is the new troupe to watch.

Dominic Walsh Dance Theater offered an excerpt of Amadeus for Anita, part of Walsh's Mozart Trilogy to be danced later this month at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Walsh's weighty work, precisely danced by his sleek troupe, anchored the evening with its solid and captivating performance. Houston Ballet II upstart choreographer Garrett Smith got to show off what he's been up to during his time in the company in Den III, a sexy dance set to music by Tielman Susato. Harper Waters' clean attack fit Smith's oddly angled shapes well. Smith is currently an apprentice with Houston Ballet. Harrison Guy's Truth be Told, still in the incubator stage, showed some promising ideas on feminist history and was confidently danced by Urban Souls Dance Company. Although Revolve Dance Company demonstrated their usual flare, yet there wasn't much that challenged them in Wes Veldink's too-mellow piece, Now. Beth Gulledge-Brown's Dancing Days, set to Led Zeppelin's iconic tunes had trouble sustaining the intensity of the music, yet was capably danced by Uptown Dance Company. Ray Dones' robust dancing stood out.

Compania Folklorica Alegria Mexicana brought a festive and thoroughly entertaining energy to the stage in Sones Y Gustos de Guerro. Although under rehearsed, Prem-dance of love of the Sreepadam School of Arts mixed Bollywood flash and Classical Indian vocabulary. Sparkling clear formations characterized Dance of Asian America's polished performance in Peacocks in Flight.

Luckily, the Barbara King Dance Company kept the theatrics to a minimum and allowed their capable dancers to take center stage in The Mystery of Dance. Luna Tango Productions offered a mild mannered tango in Mala Junta. There was no shortage of inventive moves coming from the two hip-hop troupes Wyld Styl and 8^th Edition. Both could benefit from tighter unison and more rehearsal.

A few quibbles: Festivals are all about introducing groups to the city. The show would have benefited from more thorough program notes like music credits, websites, and a calendar of their upcoming shows. You have a captive audience, why not clue them in on the context of each of these works?

reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Rachel Cook Explains "Now that I'm by Myself," she says, "I'n not by myself, which is good."

2009-09-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

Artist, curator and writer Rachel Cook returns to her old stomping ground at DiverseWorks with her first show in the main gallery, quite cryptically titled "Now that I'm by myself,” she says, “I'm not by myself, which is good, which features video, photography, sculptural cutouts and drawings in works by Brian Bress, Wynne Greenwood, Laurel Nakadate and Yuki Okumura. Cook reveals a bit about the title and more below.

29-95: How did the show come together?

Rachel Cook: It started with the work I was making myself. I have been using video and self portraiture in my work for quite some time, and all of these artists use themselves in their work. So this show is more personal and closer to home artistically.

29-95: What does the title, Now that I'm by myself,” she says, “I'm not by myself, which is good,” mean?

RC: I had the title before I knew who was going to be in the show. It's a long winded story. It's a quote from a musician in an interview talking about going out on your own. When you do go out on your own you find other people. So you are alone and not alone. I have always been in that space working with people and working alone, a lot of artists deal with that situation of being isolated in their studios.

29-95: You have a long history with DiverseWorks, right?

RC: I used to work there, and I curated two other projects for the smaller gallery which doesn't exist any more, and one 12 minutes Max.

29-95: Is this the largest scale show you have curated?

RC: No, but its my first in the main gallery, and the first with two site-specific commissions. I wanted to be able to have first-hand contact with the artists. It's like making a dinner party.

29-95: Lets talk about Wynne Greenwood's work since its right in front of us. What are we looking at?

RC: It's a single projection on a monitor and a sculptural cardboard cutout. Even though she is not performing in this particular show, there is a performative quality in her installation. For years she dealt with a pain in her lower back, so she is speaking to that pain and thinking about what's underneath that anxious gut. We also commissioned a new piece for the show called Warfare Over Forever.

29-95: What drew you to her work?

RC: There's this innocence, but at the same time, a really straightforward quality. She really started out as a musician and just fell into making work. I like that she is aware and unaware at the same. She doesn't get super bogged down in making work.

29-95: How did Brian Bress come on your radar?

RC: He has a youtube channel so his work was circulating for quite a while. He grew up working at his family's thrift store surrounded by all these props. His work collapses painting, sculpture and video in that he has made everything you see in his videos. So his work can exist as sculptures and backdrops of his videos.

29-95: Yuki Okumura is the one international artist in the show. How does he fit in?

RC: He has a sense of humor with his body and the way in which he references pop culture. He will be making a site specific video in the gallery, which is very exciting.

29-95: Laurel Nakadate, the only Texas native in the flock, is most known for her films where she asks lonely older men to come home with her and then films them. Sounds confrontive.

RC: Yes, definitely. But her subjects are not forced into the experience, but invited into it. She is totally interested in the border between discomfort and awkwardness. There's something in those moments that we love and make us cringe at the same time.

29-95: Is there something about that feeling in each of these artist's work?

RC: Yes, but they all do it differently.

DiverseWorks presents “Now that I'm by myself,” she says,“I'm not by myself, which is good,” curated by Rachel Cook. It runs through October 24.

Reprinted from 29-95.c0m.

Centre Choregraphique National de Grenoble-Jean-Claude Gallotta Group Emile Dubois

2009-08-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

Ted Shawn Theatre
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
July 19, 2009

_{Photo: Karli Cadel}

Jean Claude Gallotta's *Des Gens Qui Dansent* (people who dance) plays out
like a French romantic comedy, ripe with charm, intriguing characters and an
intangible breeziness that goes down like a fine champagne. Gallotta's
troupe, cryptically called Groupe Emile Dubois (there is no Emile Dubois)
consists of authentic people who dance of all shapes, sizes, ages and
technical ability and therein lies its subtle power. How we love to watch
civilians dance, it reminds us that dance is the domain of the world, which
includes us. And how fitting to see this troupe at Jacob's Pillow Dance
Festival, a place that honors and supports all forms of dance.

Gallotta harks from a background in painting, theater and film, and it
shows that his interests go beyond dance. *Des Gens Qui Dansent* is
structured with duets, solos, and trios that come and go as they might in
real life. Gallotta himself stumbles about on stage, whispering funny things
into a microphone. He inhabits a persona that falls somewhere between
something rapper and ringmaster. At times he looks lost, or in the wrong
dance. He is both of the group and not, much the way of choreographer
functions in a company setting.

The space, open and un-contained, works as a territory for social
interactions to take place, some tender, some gently combative, others
funny. Each dancer is stunningly unique, making them divinely watchable.
When they partner each other, they come from a place of deep knowing,
allowing the dance to become a communal event with the audience as voyeurs.
There's such a rare beauty in witnessing this level of honesty. Strigall's
pulsing electronic score adds a theatrical veneer and at times a pop lift.

A film snippet of Henry Miller on his deathbed talking about his life made
for poignant punctuation to the dancing. His words, “I am alive to the end,”
seemed to sum up the ballet's lingering perfume.

Reprinted from CultureVulture.net

Toni Valle at Fringe Festival

2009-08-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Toni Leago Valle

Photo by David A. Brown

Toni Leago Valle, a prolific choreographer on the rise, will be showing three pieces in the upcoming Freneticore Fringe Festival. Valle freely uses her own life as material, yet manages to stay clear of "journal entry" dances. She gives us a glimpse of the Valle vortex below.

29-95: You danced I am Mother, a Butoh-inspired dance about fertility goddesses, when you were about to give birth. Now, you are a mother of a five year old. What's different?

Toni Leago Valle: Mythological mothers and realistic mothers don't have much to do with each other. But, that said, I can do a lot more than I could than when I was pregnant, like back bends.

29-95: Why did you choose Butoh?

TLV: I studied the history of Butoh in college and have always been interested in the form, although I am not trained in the style. Butoh is a backlash to traditional Kabuki dance, just as modern was to ballet in the West. Butoh sought to move away from Kabuki fairy tales and show the reality of life, hence the often deformed body poses and facial gestures.

29-95: You also will be showing The Victim solo from Tetris, your most recent piece. Why did you choose this excerpt?

TLV: The festival aimed at more theatrical work and I thought Catalina Molnari's solo would stand alone. It's very athletic and performed on top of Thomas Boyd's magnificent set of gigantic boxes. You don't need to know who she is.

29-95: The two excerpts from Cracked, your confessional opus on women, contains your most compelling, and dare I say, disturbing work. Both Interview for a Date” and I Take my Clothes off, show women in a subservient position. The man interrogates his potential date, asking her about her body, her finances, what she brings to the table. Finally she screams "I am good at sex." You seem to be saying women are still second-class citizens.

TLV: Discrimination is still around, it just went more underground. Women are still expected to be thin, beautiful and successful. Now, it's just more subtle and less overt. My mother never told me to be subservient, but told me to find a good man. When I realized that these issues were still there, I was able to fight it.

29-95: What's the second section, "I take my clothes off" about for you?

TLV: I wanted to be able to get up in front of an audience in a bra and underwear and say this is my body and totally except it.

29-95: Give me a break. You have a great body.

TLV: But that's the point. As a dancer, I am always still looking in the mirror. It doesn't matter what kind of body have, the fact that its not good enough is woven into the fabric of our society.

29-95: You have big news: You're starting a company called 6', (a reference to six degrees of separation) and will be sharing a double bill Amy Ell at DiverseWorks in May of 2010. Why start a company now with this dang recession going on?

TLV: I have gone as far as I can as an independent artist, so I am ready to make the next move. I want to grow more.

The Frenetic Fringe Festival presents works by Toni Leago Valle, Mary Ellen Whitworth, Paul Locklear, Eric Fensler and Laura Harrison Aug. 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. at Freneticore Theatre, 5102 Navigation Blvd. Tickets are $18 at the door, $15 advance.

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

Free screenings showcase the Merce Cunningham Dance Company

2009-08-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Merce Cunningham: Courtesy of Menil Collection

As I was taking my seat at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival to see the Merce Cunningham Dance Company on July 26th, a colleague murmured, "This will be probably be the last time we see the company while Merce is still alive."

As it turned out, it was.

Merce Cunningham, 90, passed away later that same evening. The Pillow had been celebrating Cunningham's legacy for that past week, which included a talk with archivist David Vaughan, who told lively tales of Cunningham's early days working with his frequent collaborator Robert Rauschenberg. Earlier in the season, Cunningham received the Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, one among many lifetime honors.

This Friday, Aug. 7, Houston will have a chance to bid farewell to these two titans of the arts. Society for the Performing Arts (SPA), ARTPIX and Microcinema International team up to honor Cunningham and Rauschenberg in a free outdoor film showing of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company performing Split Sides and Interscape. The screening begins at 8 p.m. at the Menil, 1515 Sul Ross.

Split Sides

For those of us coming of age as dancers and artists during the post Martha Graham years, an era has ended. As children of Merce, we benefited from the man who freed dance from the strict confines of narrative, meaning and metaphor. Everything you needed to understand in a Cunningham dance was contained within its boundaries.

Wendy Perron, editor in chief of Dance Magazine, writes in her blog remembrance:

It was never a matter of loving one of his pieces or hating another. It was how he put dances together: based on curiosity, based on what the body can do, and yes, based on chance. It was how he stimulated the mind as he activated the bodies.

SPA brought the Merce Cunningham Dance Company to Houston four times between 1989 and 2005.

"Merce Cunningham Dance Company was one of the first companies that we presented not long after I joined SPA that really gave me an insight into contemporary dance," said SPA Executive Director and CEO June Christensen. "Merce changed our perception of what a dance performance should be, separating the music and dance. He was innovative and visionary, and will truly be missed."

Split Sides (2003) features a score by Britain's Radiohead and Iceland's Sigur Rs. John Cage scored Interscape (2000). Rauschenberg designed the sets and costumes for the latter performance. Both pieces were filmed by Charles Atlas.

Reprinted from 29-95.c0m.

Tamarie Cooper gives us a look inside her brain

2009-08-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

George Hixson: Richard Lyders, Tamarie Cooper, and Christian Holmes from "Sex Me Up Gilligan."

Catastrophic Theatre's associate director Tamarie Cooper is back at it, concocting another summer musical extravaganza. Her newest opus, The Tamarie Cooper Show: Journey to the Center of my Brain (In 3D!), plumbs the depth of her gray matter. It's a big and complicated place, so she's enlisted the help of a small army of actors, composers and musicians. Cooper gives us a sneak peek inside her musical making brain.

George Hixson: Tamarie Cooper as Old and Bitter Tamarie with Kyle Sturdivant.

29-95: What's in that noggin' of yours? Any surprises?

Tamarie Cooper: Not for me, it's my head. The audience can expect brain farts, neurotransmitters, a signing and dancing super ego and endorphins, which are played by cheerleaders.

29-95: Why cheerleaders?

TC: My scientific knowledge is limited to 8th grade science and endorphins seemed like positive people who yell “yippee” while waving pom poms.

29-95: Any regulars in the cast?

TC: Several. Walt Zipprian, who has done a ton of shows with us, plays Dopamine. He's dressed as a surfer along the lines of Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused.

29-95: You don't like typical musical theater types do you?

TC: No, we are a much more motley crew. It's such a thrill to watch regular people burst into song and dance.

29-95: The show isn't just about the brain, but also spends a good deal of its time on the psychology of mind.

TC: Yes, it quickly veers into self-discovery, especially love.

29-95: How so?

TC: Gilligan (from Gilligan's Island) was my first crush, so there's this rousing R & B number called “Sex me up Gillian.” Then the id ego and super ego show up as well.

29-95: People may not know that you are a former member of my tribe. Do you use these summer musicals as a way to reclaim your dancer life?

TC: Absolutely. I was a former bunhead, and then I discovered modern dance at HSPVA. Even though I wasn't majoring in dance at UH, I spent most of my time in the dance department. I'm glad to hold on to those dance roots. Plus, I love choreographing for actors.

29-95: Why?

TC: Actors may not be so limber and technical, but they willingly throw themselves into things. I use a lot of pedestrian and pop culture movement so it works.

29-95: Is there a story in this piece?

TC: From the get-go I am looking for my one true self on the premise of a self-hypnosis made easy CD. It's not linear but that's what takes us muddling through this mess.

29-95: Any particular musical genre you are revisiting?

TC: This one runs the gamut; there's standard musical theater numbers, hip-hop, and when the characters from Pride and Prejudice show up there's some harpsichord action.

29-95: Is it not summer for you unless you are putting on a musical?

TC: You would think so. This is my 13th summer musical.

29-95: What's the most amazing thing about your run so far as Houston's reigning goddess of the wacky musical?

TC: That I have this group of designers, composers, actors and musicians willing to put in this work for me every year to create an original musical.

29-95: You are preggers, so technically there are two brains up there.

TC: True, but one is still forming.

The Catastrophic Theater presents The Tamarie Cooper Show: Journey To The Center Of My Brain (In 3D!), Thursdays-Saturdays July 30-August 29, at Stages Repertory Theatre.

All tickets to are pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $25. For tickets, call the box office at 713-527-8243 or visit www.stagestheatre.com

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

Horse Head Theatre Company gets its Ritual On

2009-08-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Kevin Holden and the co-conspirators at Horse Head Theatre Company are determined to shake up the status quo. To launch their inaugural season they have planned Ceremony, which will serve to train audiences members in the way of the Horse Head. Holden, a well known lighting and set designer, attended UT and UH, studying under the legendary Kevin Rigdon. He has designed for Main Street Theater, Stages Repertory Theatre and The Catastrophic Theatre among others. Holden schools us in Horse Head-ology.

This is a horse head: This wooden horse head was built specifically for Ceremony. It will be lit up with moving lights during the event, creating a theatrical bonfire that serves as the focal point of the event. It is 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

29-95: What's your hope for Horse Head Theatre Company?

Keven Holden: To bring theater back to its origins. It all began as ceremony. The Greeks took that idea to its highest point.

29-95: Following in the Greeks' footsteps, not a bad start. What else got your thinking rolling?

KH: I started going to Mexican wrestling matches and noticed the level of participation in the audience. I began to wonder how we could get audiences to get that involved in what they are watching.

29-95: Like sports?

KH: Exactly. And FYI, there will be no shows on the days of UT games.

29-95: Bless you for that. So, you want the audience to hoot and holler?

KH: Yes, if it's appropriate.

29-95: Audiences are used to sitting quietly on their butts these days.

KH: That's why Ceremony also functions as an audience training session.

29-95: So we have to go to a Horse Head education camp?

KH: Yeah. Kind of. We want to re-invent the level of audience participation, and that's going to take some doing.

29-95: Your first play, Adam Rapp's apocalyptic and uber-intense Red Light Winter, opening in September, is hardly a play I would want anyone screaming through.

KH: Do people scream when the bases are loaded?

29-95: Good point. Besides sports, you mention the influence of Robert Edmond Jones, a big time theater thinker, on your website. He talked about the importance of how all aspects of production, such as sets and lights, advance the plot. How will Jones' ideas manifest in your work?

KH: Mr. Jones lectured (even preached) about a theater that exists only in dreams, that truly awakens the full potential of the relationship between an audience and a theatrical experience. This is our prime directive, and we'll begin creating this new relationship by following Robert Edmond Jones' simple production design rules that mandate a truly collaborated and unified concept (as opposed to a traditional compartmentalized design approach).

29-95: The name Horse Head conjures that bloody bed scene from the The Godfather.

KH: I know people jump to that. That's not it at all. It doesn't mean anything. I just liked the name. It kind of sounds like an English pub.

29-95: Will beer be served?

KH: Yes, possibly sold in the aisles.

29-95: Will there be an actual horse head?

KH: It's being built as we speak.

29-95: Can you give us a tiny teaser on what to expect in Ceremony?

KH: From 9 p.m. to midnight it should be an interesting evening of drinking and ambiance. At midnight, we'll see an explosion of sensory input that should create a euphoric, primal, soul tempest.

29-95: The tag line reads, “exotic. altering. tantric. explosive.” Care to explain?

KH: These are words to describe passionate sex, a good art experience should be quite similar.

29-95: You have created this tremendous buzz and you actually haven't done anything yet. Are you remotely nervous about pulling this all off?

KH: Tremendously so.

Horse Head Theatre Company presents Ceremony on July 31st. Doors open at 9 p.m.; Ceremony begins at midnight, the party lasts until 2 a.m., at Frenetic Theater, 5201 Navigation. Free.

Reprinted from 29-95.com

Recent and Upcoming Thrills at DiverseWorks

2009-07-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Photo by Elaine Mesker-Garcia

Don't expect DiverseWorks to settle into a summer slumber; movement abounds at Houston's favorite Indie art hot spot. Earlier this month, the A-list hipster art-eratti showed up en masse for Luck of the Draw 8: When Art Attacks. The plan is simple: pay your money, when your number comes up, you have twenty seconds to snatch one of the 224 artworks lining the walls. Talk about fast dancing. Curator Nancy Zastudil never misses a DW art event. “Luck of the Draw is a great event that generates true excitement and much needed financial support for art,” says Zastudil, Associate Director Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. “It's always fun and inevitably surprising.” Guests were treated to yummy bites by Culinaire and liquid refreshments came from Real Ale Brewing Co. and Dripping Springs Vodka. The manic festivities were orchestrated by OUTSMART's Nancy Ford. Zombies were among us too. Performance Art Lab, dressed in their best Sunday graveyard garb, entertained the crowd in a suitably grizzly rendition of Michael Jackson's legendary Thriller. And for those that were faint of room temperature, you could hide away in the chilly theater to catch Dawn of the Dead.

Next up, DiverseWorks joins up with Artadia to present $TIMULUS, from July 17 through August 15, 2009, which features new work by the 2008 recipients of the Artadia Awards. Artadia: The Fund for Art and Dialogue, offers substantial artist awards in five cities, including Houston. The $TIMULUS artists include Mequitta Ahuja, Dawolu Jabari Anderson, Katy Heinlein, Lauren Kelley, El Franco Lee II, Lynne McCabe, Delilah Montoya, Katrina Moorhead, Floyd Newsum, and Stephanie Toppin.

There's more to get thrilled about once fall hits. Minneapolis dance maven, Morgan Thorson premieres Heaven in October, an exploration of the emotional and physical manifestations of ecstatic perfection. Thorson collaborates with the band LOW, known for their intense and subtle narrative tunes. Thorson's three- year developmental residency has included visits to mega god spot, the Lakewood Church, and studies in other Christian practices. “Minneapolis seems like the next 'hotbed' of dance for some reason and Morgan is the one who is most ready to tour – because of the strength of the work, the vision and how she works with dancers,” says Sixto Wagan, DiverseWorks' co-director. “She is interested in religious experiences as a type of theater, and also will be doing interviews with people about their own spiritual revelations.”

Early in 2010, DiverseWorks goes down under with a visit from Aussie artist Clare Dyson for the U.S. premiere of Voyeur, an installation focused on intimacy, desire and the act of revealing. Dyson's work takes the title seriously, as each audience member watches from a different viewpoint. It's up to the audience member to choose how they move, and where they choose to watch. “I had been interested in Clare’s work because of the installation-like qualities of the sets she has used and also for her really smart interaction with audiences,” says Wagan. “Like Pat Graney’s House of Mind, there's a much more active relationship between audience and the performance work.”

On the local scene, DiverseWorks begins a partnership with The Catastrophic Theatre, launching later this year with Obie Award-winning playwright Lisa D'Amour's Anna Bella Eema. In 2010, Artistic Director Jason Nodler collaborates with with former Pixies legend Charles Thompson (a.k.a Black Francis) for Bluefinger, about the tempestuous career of Dutch painter Herman Brood. “For decades DiverseWorks has been a leader in presenting progressive arts to Houston audiences,” says Jason Nodler, Catastrophic Theatre's artistic director. “We are delighted to team with them again in that effort.”

There's a lot more happening as the season starts up, but this should be enough to fill your thrill card for now.

Artadia Award Winner Floyd Newsum

2009-07-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ghost Series Sirigu, Janies Apron

Floyd Newsum, Houston's legendary mix master, combines colors, symbols, personal material and images from other cultures in his works on paper. Newsum's work can be found at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi, and many private collections. He is a professor of art at University of Houston - Downtown. As one of top three Artadia award winners, his work will be featured in $timulus, opening this weekend at DiverseWorks. Newsum talks about his work and life.

29-95: Tell us about your new work, Ghost Series Sirigu, Janie's Apron.

Floyd Newsum: Sirigu is a small village in Ghana. I have two friends that live there. It seems the women are responsible for the decorations, and I have always liked the way they make art. Janie's Apron refers to my great grandmother, Janie Graham LaMondue.

29-95: Personal material often finds its way into your work. How did your great grandmother happen to make an appearance in this piece?

FN: She was a domestic worker who was able to save money. I recently received an inheritance check from her estate. She was only one generation out of slavery, yet able to take care of money and bless others. Here is a woman taking care of children's children. I wanted to dedicate a painting to her.

29-95: Combining is a big part of what you do.

FN: Yes. I mix and mingle things. My paintings are complex even in the way they are made. There are many parts to a whole. The title is Ghost Series Sirigu, Janies apron. This has reference to the past, and to my grandmother and the women of Sirigu who paint the images for decoration are a reflection of thoughts in a visual manifestation. I have always put many different images and thoughts together in one composition. There are two paintings in this show with "Ghost series" as part of the title. Some of the images are reccurring and some just appear because they make good compositional visual elements. My work doesn't always have an element in it that has a meaning.

29-95: Talk about your process. Floyd Newsum

FN: I use multiple pieces of paper that are collaged together. I am known for works on paper and multiple pieces of paper that become one composition. I even collage on collage. As for media, I use all kinds of stuff, oil stick, acrylic, even Crayolas.

29-95: Why paper, other than it's great for Crayolas?

FN: That's what I am known for. When I was in undergrad I used to win all the watercolor awards. I like working on paper. It's what I love; it's my passion.

29-95: What does it mean to you to be one of the top three of Artadia award winners?

FN: The jurors really spend time visiting studios. It's a great honor and it's the kind of award you want to win.

29-95: Your work will now be included in the David. C. Driskell at the University of Maryland, which is one of the most prestigious collections of African American artists in the country. Your sculpture will grace the Hazel Harvey Peace Youth Center in Fort Worth this fall, you are designing the windows for the lobby for the new building for Crocker Elementary and you recently wrapped up a solo show at HCG Gallery in Dallas. I know there's more but those are some recent high points. Your career is on a bit of roll, wouldn't you say?

FN: I have been blessed.

DiverseWorks presents $timulus Artadia Awardees Houston 2008, July 17-August 15, 2009. Opening reception Friday, July 17, 6-8 p.m.

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

TUTS' 42nd Street: A Review

2009-07-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Who doesn’t want to hear “We’re In the Money” right about now? OK, so we’re not, but that’s no reason to skip out on such buff fluff as TUTS’ snazzy production of 42^nd Street at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Judging from the endless mob occupying the hill above Miller, Houston is showing. What’s not to like in listening to classic tunes under a rather pleasant-for-Houston summer night, and all for free. Optimism is seldom better packaged than in B’way musicals.

Based on the 1933 Warner Bros film, 42^nd Street is the quintessential backyard, let’s put in a show, chorus girl rises to stardom in 24 hours, musical. And if that’s not enough, there’s an unapologetically thin love story and a hefty dose of sensational tap numbers. Plus, Henry Warren’s memorable songs such as “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle Off To Buffalo” and the bluesy show-stopper “42^nd Street” are always worth revisiting.

TUTS does a fine job with this production as director Norb Joerder plays it close to the legendary Gower Champion’s epic choreography and direction. (Tragically, Champion died hours before 42^nd Street opened on Broadway in 1980.) The cast—terrific all—is headed up by Loretta Swit (“Hot Lips” in the TV series M*A*SH) as the reigning B’way diva Dorothy Brock. Swit, albeit not a natural songstress, still has a luminous presence. With her wide smile, still-svelte frame and throaty voice, she adds a shiny Hollywood touch.

Shannon M. O’Bryan is 100% fresh air as Peggy Sawyer, the small town girl who gets the guy (two of them, to be precise) and the leading part when Brock breaks her ankle. Houston native and TUTS alum Austin Miller gives Billy Lawlor, the know it all boy about backstage, enough spunk to put on the show all by himself. Miller’s smooth tenor combined with his savvy chops on the boards, make him one to watch. (And watch you did. You might remember him as the kid that should have won on NBC’s Grease: You’re the One That I Want.) Miller and O’Bryan are especially mesmerizing in the smokin’ hot tap sequence in “42^nd Street” number.

Steve Blanchard adds a suave polish to his portrayal as the tough and sexy director Julian Marsh, totally rocking the house in his rendition of the triple Oscar-winning song, “Lullaby of Broadway.” Denise Nolin conjured a young Ethel Merman in her performance as the gypsy veteran Maggie Jones. The ensemble delights in their ace tap skills and over-the-top glam. Sitting in Miller’s comfy new seats, whirling fans above cooling the night air, slurpee in hand, taking in a smash vintage show set during the Depression (you know, the other one)—what better way is there to forget the fact that we’re not in the money? – Nancy Wozny

Theatre Under The Stars presents 42^nd Street through July 14^th at Miller Outdoor Theatre. www.tuts.org .

Reprinted from Houston ArtsWeek.

Austin Miller on 42nd Street

2009-07-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Courtesy photo: Austin Miller

Austin Miller, the hometown boy who had all of Houston cheering for him on NBC's Grease: You're the One That I Want a few years back, returns to his TUTS roots to play Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street at Miller Outdoor Theatre this weekend. Courtesy photo: Austin Miller

Set during the depression (the other one), 42nd Street is full of recognizable tunes such as We're in the Money and Shuffle Off to Buffalo. This Prozac-in-tap-shoes extravaganza earned the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1980. With a classic boy-meets-girl-who-becomes-a-big-star plot, it's bound to cheer us up, or at least make us forget the rent is due. Miller took a break from a grueling rehearsal to visit with us:

29-95: I am guessing from your heavy breathing this is not a show for the faint of heartbeat. What's the pace like?

Austin Miller: It's breakneck; the whole things happens so fast, I can barely squeeze in a pee break and then I am bowing.

29-95: How do you relate to the character of Billy Lawlor?

AM: He's a chorus boy. He got pushed, made it, and now he's a juvenile star and quite proud of himself and his emergence into the spotlight. He uses his position to help out his social life. He's prideful and a bit lecherous. So I may have gone into a bar and said, "Hey I'm on TV, can I buy you a drink?"

29-95: Let's talk about TV. You should have won that Grease reality show over Mr. I-already-forgot-his-name.

AM: It's not about who won, but who's still working.

29-95: Amen, speaking of work, 42nd Street is veritable tapalooza. So what happens when you hit the boards? Got chops?

AM: I started tap lessons when I was seven, so yes, it's in my body. I did go back to class to sharpen my skills and clean things up when I knew I was going to do the show.

29-95:You are from Houston right?

AM: Technically Alvin. We have hay and horses there, barns instead of Broadway.

29-95: Is that how you ended up at TUTS?

AM: Yes, my parents graciously schlepped me to classes. TUTS is an amazing place and one of the few schools in the nation dedicated to musical theater training.

29-95:You played Link Larkin in Hairspray on the first national tour. Do you specialize in playing the cad about town kid?

AM: Let's just say I've been playing a 17-year old for a decade or more.

29-95: Aside from your mighty talents, why should we head out in Houston's blazing heat to see a show set during the 1930s depression when we already got one going on at home. With AC, I should add.

AM: Because it's F.R.E.E. And you can drink beer and wine during the show and have yourself a big time. The cast is phenomenal; Loretta Swit (Hot Lips on M*A*S*H) plays the role of prima donna Dorothy Brock. The sets and costumes are spectacular; I change clothes 14 times. This is a top-notch amazing production. It's a spectacle of all spectacles and worth a few mosquito bites.

July 9-14, 8:15 p.m., at Miller Outdoor Theater. Free. Call 713-558-8887 or visit www.tuts.org.

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

Nova Arts Project: Thom Pain

2009-06-22T02:28:00.000-07:00

Sean Patrick Judge as Thom Pain.

Photo by Sarah White.

Thom Pain wants to mess with your head. He's a storyteller, damaged lover, lunatic, loner, whack motivational speaker, lapsed existentialist, comic, poet, monologist, antihero, misguided teacher, philosopher, master of indecision, surreal host, huckster, everyman, entertainer, magician, advisor, rogue sage, ringmaster, confessor, broken optimist and hopeful pessimist. Did I miss anything? Probably, as it's easy to miss the nuances of Pain's personality, or if you prefer, personality disorder, in Will Eno's riveting monologue, Thom Pain, presented by Nova Arts Project at DiverseWorks Arts Space in Houston, TX.

Pain has come to tell a tale of his own life, two to be exact: one about a boy, his dog, its unfortunate demise from electrocution, the boy's battle with a pesky bee hive, and his unremarkable adulthood; another, about the love of his life, the perfect romance, broken but full of promise. At times, it seems Pain goes into a meditative trance in the telling, taking us willingly with him off more than one verbal cliff as the tales get interrupted by quirky distractions, jokes missing their punchlines, random thoughts, raffle news, his fixation on the audience and snippets of solid philosophical truisms.

There's a purposeful drive leading Pain to finish his stories, and he does as best he can. The energy of going on and off topic sets up a rhythm, a predictability that diffuses the anxiety of being in close quarters with a loose canon. He pulls us in with large ideas, then blows us off. He pushes us in with odd requests, then lets us off the hook. Pithy banter eases the sting of the darker moments, and there are many. “The dead horse of a life we beat, all the wilder, all the harder the deader it gets. On the other hand, there are some nice shops in the area.” There's no shortage of push, pull, tug and shove in Eno's play, yet the back and forth energy lends a momentum. It's as if Pain's true pain leaks out despite his best efforts.

Eno's play examines the anatomy of anxiety-based humor with enough emotional oscillations to unsettle, disturb, and disarm. Nervous laughter has never before been this satisfying. His language lulls us into the depth of these strange and non-linear tales, elevating passive aggression to an art form. “In fact you're all so wonderful I'd like to take you home, leave you there, and then go somewhere else.”

Seán Patrick Judge bestows Pain with a sneaky dignity. Dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and over-sized black-rimmed glasses, he comes off as capable, a generic professional with a mission. Is it the warmth in his resonant baritone, or the forgiveness in his eyes, or his sheer diligence to get the job done? Judge inhabits Pain's mania with a well-worn quality, never failing to give the cacophony of sometimes unconnected thought sequences some soul. Even in his most acerbic lashes, he's tolerable, sometimes even likable and always believable. Sure, he gets too close sometimes, yet backs away at just the right moment, taking us to the edge of our comfort. There aren't too many soft edges in Eno's play, but Judge finds and uses them all.

Matt Huff, new to Houston and Nova Arts, directs with an eye for Eno's brand of minimalism, letting the language determine the pace and allowing awkward silences to penetrate and punctuate as places for the play to breathe. Brian White's nearly-there set consists of a largely empty black box space, a small table with a pitcher of water and a glass, and one curious upstage ladder. Sarah White's harsh white light add to Eno's off center tone.

Close to the end, Judge stands dead center in a pool of white light, fists clenched, eyes closed, looking upwards as if in prayer, reciting a litany of human actions. “I sniffed butterflies. I pissed on things, ...I ate scraps, wanted to be a cowboy.” In those dead serious moments, the facade fades, the person emerges, and, through his unadorned vulnerability, we get it. Despite every misstep of his mangled journey, Pain still marvels at life's mysteries. Pain asks, “If they ask you where you've been, please just don't say that you were out somewhere watching someone being clever, watching some smart-mouthed nobody work himself into some dumb-ass frenzy. Please say instead... that you saw someone who was trying.” That we did.

Pain's final humble request aims at the heart, “I know this wasn't much, but let it be enough.” We need to do that too.

Nova Arts Project presents Will Eno's Thom Pain through July 3 at 8pm at DiverseWorks. Call 1-800-595-4849.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.net.

Houston Ballet: Swan Lake

2009-06-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

Sara Webb and Connor Walsh
Photo by Amitava Sarkar

There’s nothing quite like finding out your girlfriend’s day job is being a swan. Siegfried and Odette, in Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake, have the ultimate “it’s complicated” situation, making the trauma of their doomed love the central nexus for his ballet.

Choreographers have been putting their individual stamp on Swan Lake since it premiered at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow in 1877. The ballet was a notorious flop; still, a long line of choreographers have wanted to dance in their own lake. Houston Ballet is already on their third version. All that said, Welch’s 2006 version, inspired by Pre-Raphaelite painter John William Waterhouse’s 1888 painting The Lady of Shalott, updates the story, bringing it more into the realm of the fantastic, with surreal settings and glittery costumes by the late Kristian Fredrikson, and highlighting a love affair with a strong emotional center.

Here, our prince meets Odette as a maiden, so there’s a certain rhythm to the various transformations from human to swan back to human. Welch also plays with the structure of the ballet, giving Act I and II some rousing new dancing by the various princesses and the sea of men, known as the prince’s friends, or various guards. There’s some re-conceiving of Rothbart and his band of glamorous hawk-like swans. Rothbart, equal parts reptile, bat and Darth Vader, is one dark villain, so it follows that he should have a gang of sexy black swans in glittery tutus to keep him company.

Whether you like the updates or long for more tradition, the dancing is what keeps you glued to your seat. Sara Webb concludes her stunning season with a riveting performance as Odette/Odile. Her subtle grace bestows Odette with a contemplative edge. Webb takes a demure approach, allowing a tenderness in her relationship to Siegfried. She’s all air in Act I, almost watery in her fluid torso and liquid arms. As Odile, Webb stretches her wings in Black Swan, letting her bravura come out full force. Connor Walsh has grown in maturity since his last Siegfried. He’s more confident, assured, and well, princely. Walsh and Webb also demonstrate a chemistry that has been a few years in the making, giving added heart to their performance.

Other stand outs include Joseph Walsh as one of the Prince’s friends. Walsh has had a great season and is most certainly one to watch. The always elegant Barbara Bears is a portrait of coy restraint as the Princess of Russia. When Bears dances, it’s not only about what she does, but what she withholds. It’s quite magical and never fails to galvanize the audience’s attention. Whether it’s a turn of her chin or the flip of a wrist, she captivates. Jaquel Andrews gives the Princess of Spain an ample dose of flash and sass. Kelly Myernick’s Princess of Hungary emphasizes old world Slavic charm. Emily Bowen’s lively performance as the Princesses of Naples succeeds in its precision and quick-footed vitality. As Rothbart, Nicholas Leschke holds the stage with the presence of a true fantasy villain, creepy and enticing. Even the red-eyed dragon seemed to be more comfortable in his scaly skin.

Fredrickson’s sets and costumes conjure an otherworldly atmosphere. Lacy white trees in Act I tell us we are in a magical realm, while the Art Deco ballroom recalls the paintings of Gustav Klimt. Jewel-toned costumes, rich with iridescent and shimmery fabrics, add yet another striking layer. Houston Ballet ensemble danced with noted precision and authority. Martin West conducted the Houston Ballet Orchestra in a crisp performance.

Reprinted from Houston ArtsWeek.

Downtown Dance in Downtown Houston: Big Range Program C

2009-06-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

Miranda Jirik and Rachel Lehrer

photo by Bryan Fox

Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex
June 12, 2009

One of the great perks of the Big Range Dance Festival is seeing work from outside of Houston. To see downtown dance in downtown Houston, well, that's even better. Choreographers Lori Yuill (formerly of Suchu) and Anneke Hansen were on hand to give Texans a taste of the downtown aesthetic. Their training and approaches show a integration of a large body of movement knowledge and just warms the heart of this somatic-leaning critic. Their dancers, also well-schooled movement wonks, present fine examples of the merging of dance technique and the body sciences. Both Yuill and Hansen were on the Big Range bill two years ago, so this is another opportunity to follow these artists in their development.

Hansen's we should call it many things, which premiered in March, 2009 at University Settlement on NYC's Lower East Side, proved to be the most fully realized program of the evening. Her opening solo showed off her considerable qualitative palette. A foot reaches for the floor, but not quite, a shoulder shimmers, then retreats, hands caress imaginary objects in space. She and her dancers move with such clarity, space appears fuller, larger, endowed with extra features. Hansen's dance plays with sound, music by Emily Scott and Jack Lawrence, wildly inventive and odd movement choices and relationships that form and disperse in a lulling rhythm. At times, the dancers become the singers, hummers, or quirky chirpers in the piece's lighter moments. It's obvious from watching that the dancers have worked together for a while; in fact, their connectivity makes for one of the most meaningful allures of the piece. There are moments when dancers get thrown out of the pack literally to do their own thing. Miranda Jirik captivates in her sly solo, which concludes with her crawling off stage while whistling. Besides Hansen and Jirik, the dancers included Deborah Black, Rachel Lehrer, Marissa Palley and Yuill. Natasha Manley's haunting singing and stage presence added to the mix. Jeremy Choate coated Hansen's finely defined choreography in side light, punching the warm skin tones against a velvety blackness. Black's playful jumpsuits featured solid blocks of primary colors with dashes of pattern, and added a touch whimsy.

Yuill presented a trio cryptically called A Window into the Lorena Reality, which premiered at The Kitchen in April as a part of the Field's Emerging Artist Residency. With the space defined by a border of pillows, Brian Buck, Hanson, and Palley, duke it out for space, contact, support, perhaps meaning. Sometimes in agreement, other times in competition, the trio reveals the trouble with three-ness. Like Hanson's work, the highly nuanced qualities of the dancers forms the subject of the dance. Buck's aggressive naturalism contrasts Hanson's delicacy, while Palley takes the spunky spot. The choice to move in silence afforded even more focus on the dancing.

Amy Ell's opening of Thread, also danced in silence, contained some stunning moments. Four dancers attached to long billowy skirts tethered to the back of the stage, rush forward. The lights dim as the fabric floats back to the ground. Accompanied only by the intoxicating sound of the swishing of fabric, the minimalism worked well here. Three aerialists enter to share the space and the limelight with the earthbound trio. White silks drop from the ceiling and we are treated to some spectacular air candy dancing. Air dancing comes with its troubles too; unison becomes problematic here, our attention is divided in a small space between the three dancers, and there's considerable work wrapping and unwrapping that feels too utilitarian and distracting. Still, it's hard not to gasp at their skill level, daring and sheer brute strength and grace all happening some 15 ft. in the air. There's no shortage of risk taking with the silks; it's simply breathtaking when they slip down the silks, allowing for quiet moments that unite body and fabric.

Thread feels like two separate dances put together for this occasion. The silence that worked so well in the opening was interrupted by choices that felt very Cirque du Soleilish. All that said, Ell is Houston's chief air pioneer, traveling the world studying various circus and aerial techniques. There's a lot of engineering yet to happen about the dance element in the airspace, and Ell is committed to seriously investigating that territory. The ground dancers included Erica Lewis, Catalina Molnari, Joani Trevino and Brittany Wallis. Air dancers included Ell, Mechelle Flemming, and Polly Patton. Clair Hummel's white cotton pants and tops with matching the long skirts and silks gave the piece a formal edge. Part of the Big Range's mission is all about giving choreographers a place to hone their work. Thread, still finding its threads, is a solid start.

Hats off to Louie Saletan for sticking with the festival's name in the curating process and to Jennifer Wood for her wonderful sampling of dance films in the pre-show entertainment.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

From Madonna to Houston's Met

2009-06-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Photo by Facundo Gabba.

Salim Gauwloos is back at his old stomping ground at the Metropolitan Dance Company (The MET) creating a brand new dance for his old dance buddies. Gauwloos' diverse dance resume includes Madonna's Blond Ambition tour, her 1991 film Truth or Dare, a stint on Broadway in Elton John/Tim Rice's Aida, choreography for the Orlando Ballet and Mia Michaels' R.A.W. Salim Gauwloos in creation mode in May at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company.

But it's Gauwloos' days of dancing with MET predecessor the Delia Stewart Dance Company that brings back memories of growing up in those gritty but authentic quarters. The strapping choreographer even danced with Michelle Smith, the MET's current director. Gauwloos fills us in on life beyond Houston and his brand new ballet created especially for the MET's Summer Sampler of Dance at Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday:

29-95: Tell us about your new ballet, Elevated.

Salim Gauwloos: I have always been interested in the supernatural and the afterlife, the things you do not see. Maybe Elevated is about the calm before the chaos. I am better with movement than words.

29-95: You sound religious, and you made this dance in four days. You beat God.

SG: Ha, I guess I did. I am very spiritual, but attracted to the darkness.

29-95: You have a quite a history in this dance studio. Can you give me a flash history of how you went from a ballet academy in Antwerp, Belgium, to dancing with the iconic Delia Stewart? She was a walking Broadway musical.

SG: Yes, there was only one Delia. I got a scholarship to STEPS in New York City. Delia saw me there and offered me a job dancing with her Houston company. I was only 18. For a time, Delia even let me live in the building. I love this place, the floor, the smell.

29-95: That would be mildew, but you are right, it's a nice beachy smell. How did you end up dancing by Madonna's side?

SG: Again, it goes back to this room. Hinton Battle was here choreographing Delia's company and he told me about the Blond Ambition audition in New York. I auditioned for and made it. Madonna was famous for hiring only classically trained dancers.

29-95: How would you describe your Madge years? You were known as SLAM then, right?

SG: No one could pronounce my name so SLAM just evolved. Those were fantastic years. I was always her partner. I did the Vogue video with her, Truth or Dare in addition to the Blond Ambition tour.

29-95: On a scale from 1-10 how would you judge her dancing chops?

SG: For technique, I give her an eight. For work ethic, she gets a 100 plus. She is intense. I used to go running with her. We would run ten miles, backwards, sideways, then work out, then rehearse. You know Madonna rehearsed right in this very room when Blonde Ambition came to Houston? There was a total press outage so no one knew about it.

29-95: What happened post-Madonna?

SG: The commercial world changed radically when hip-hop became the rage. No one hired classically trained dancers any more, and hip-hop dancers would work for very little. It was awful. I had to go to Broadway, where I was in Aida.

29-95: Broadway? That's not too shabby. Did you have to sing and dance as well?

SG: Yes. A little. I had one line in Aida. It was so stressful.

29-95: How did you end up as a choreographer?

SG: I choreographed the Aida entry for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and won Gypsy of the Year in 2003, which was amazing because usually The Lion King wins. I knew immediately I wanted to choreograph.

29-95: What's next for you?

SG: I am off to teach at ImpulsTanz Dance Festival in Vienna, then back to Belgium.

29-95: Will you be coming back here?

SG: Always. I love this place; I grew up here.

29-95: I hate to break this to you but the MET is leaving this building you so treasure for a fancy new space down the street.

SG: They are saving me a piece of the floor.

The Houston Metropolitan Dance company presents Elevated and other works in its Summer Sampler of Dance at Miller Outdoor Theatre, Friday at 8:30 p.m. Free.

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

Kristina Koutsoudas on Middle Eastern Dance and Memories of Spain

2009-06-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Kristina Koutsoudas photo by Delise Ward

Kristina Koutsoudas, Houston's leading Middle Eastern Dancer, performs in Memories of Spain, presented by Sara Draper's Dancepatheatre on June 20th Hobby Center. If you thought Middle Eastern dance was a small world, Koutsoudas sets us straight.

Dance Source Houston: Tell us about the your participation in Memories of Spain?

Kristina Koutsoudas: I will be dancing the Berber princess solo from Sara Draper's Al Andalus show. It's a contemporary American raqs sharqui style (belly dancing) and has very little if any traditional Berber movement in it at all. The piece was designed to fit the story line of the Berber princess character in the original Al-Andalus production. The character was found by gypsies after a devastating battle in which all of her kinsmen were slaughtered, adopted as part of the clan rather than left to die, and then raised by the clan with their traditions.
The second piece has been choreographed especially for Memories of Spain. The music, "the song of complaint," was composed with the theme of exile in mind. It's intended to illustrate her condition and her feelings about it.

DSH: How long have you been working with Sara Draper?

KK: I began working with Sara in May 2007 in the conceptual stages of Al-Andalus. I contributed knowledge of history, dance, and music in the great era in which Andalusia flourished, and gave a few classes of North African and Middle Eastern dance to her and her cast of the first incarnation of the show.

DSH: Give us a quick geography lesson in the parts of the world that you bring to life through dance.

KK: I have studied dances of the Near, Middle, & Far East, central Asia, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Asia minor/Anatolia, the Mediterranean, Western Europe, and North America. This includes training in Classical East Indian dance, all styles of Middle Eastern dance, classical Balinese Topang mask dance, Afghani and Persian dance, West and South African dance, flamenco, Greek mainland and island dances, Moroccan, Algerian & Tunisian dance, Iyengar yoga, martial arts, fitness training, and a touch of pilates.

DSH: Do you remember your first exposure to Middle Eastern dance?

KK: I do. It was a street festival in Bloomington, Indiana. A dancer performed wearing a hooded cape, character shoes, a feather mask, a classical white and pearlescent belly dance costume underneath it all. She danced with a sword on her head. She was part of the SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) in Bloomington who performed at Renaissance fairs like here in Plantersville, Texas. I had never seen anything like it and have never seen anything quite like it since. Today, a style similar to this can be found in the American tribal style.

She was so beautiful and mysterious, so feminine. I wanted to move that beautifully. She had a sign up sheet for those interested in classes. So, I signed my name.

DSH: Did you grow up watching dance?

KK: Yes, I saw things like ballets and operas. I remember the Nutcracker very well, but my biggest influence was my family. We are Greek and we all dance, especially my mother, my grandmothers, and my grandfather. Everyone would join in the dance, the young, old, thin, fat, men, women and would set aside all differences and all cares when they danced.

The women, especially my mother, taught me to dance. She would take me by the hand in the middle of the living room and dance as if she was on stage with no one watching; she filled and exploded space. She soared and sang with each step, with each beat, and with each moment.

DSH: What kind of changes are made to take a dance from a village to stage?

KK: Village dance was performed for the benefit of the dancers, for the experience of the dance. For the stage, choreography becomes more complex to make it interesting to the viewer. Lighting is added in western performance space and costuming must be rich.

DSH: Can you talk about the process of traveling and learning these dances?

KK: We have a saying in Greek, "to learn dance, you must dance." I have traveled across the globe and the country to study the different dances from master teachers in various styles. I have also studied videos of old movies, documentaries on dance, shows, and instructional videos of master teachers.
It's also important to allow oneself to explore and open tradition, to open oneself to one's own movement and not just the traditions from which they spring.

DSH: Do you have a master teacher?

KK: Several, Amel Taffsout, Ibrahim Farrah, Yoursy Sharif, Tayyar Akdeniz. Artemis Mourat and Mahmoud Reda. I am also highly influenced by Mona Said and Nadia Gamal.

DSH: What are some of the big misconceptions about Middle Eastern dance?

KK: Here are just a few.

That you dance with your belly. You actually dance with your whole body with complex isolations of head, shoulders, torso and pelvic region that are dynamically or rhythmically expressed.

Middle Eastern dance is just for entertainment. It's for prayer, healing, meditation, preparation for battle, courtship, rites of passage, ceremonies, and learning/teaching social rules.

That Middle Eastern dance is all raqs sharqui (belly dancing). There are a myriad of forms both within the classical traditions which include Egyptian Orientale, Turkish Orientale, Lebanese Orientale, Greek Orientale, American Orientale, Danse Orientale (theatrical dance), American Tribal, and folkloric traditions.
That raqs sharqui (belly dancing) came from the Middle East. Yes, it was created from Middle Eastern dance, however, it was not a tradition as it is seen today per se. It was highly influenced by Western culture, especially Western perceptions of Middle Eastern culture. The costuming, the intent, and so on and were developed by western economic interests, foreign policy especially with regards to the Middle East, and the western fascination with the Arabian Nights image, the images of harems, and dancing girls and so on.
That raqs sharqui is something everyone is born knowing how to do. If this were true, why are there so many schools? It is deceptively difficult dance technique to perform.

DSH: Costumes are hugely important in your work. Can you talk about the level of detail in the costumes you will be wearing?

KK: My costume is designed with the intention to accentuate the movement and essence of the dance while keeping as much to the design of traditional dress as possible. Movements must be revealed or seen from a stage, especially in a more celebratory piece. It is very difficult then to stick to the style of Berber traditional costume design with ample drapes and veiling with heavy fabric and headdresses and still be able to perform the raqs sharqui movements. The Berber costume has therefore been altered for the stage to allow for ease and visibility of movement while still retaining a flavor of traditional design, texture, and line. This means the line has been slimmed to one's form so there is no elaborate draping of material or headdress, the midriff has been exposed, and the hips and bust are adorned with jewelry for movement accentuation.
The "song of complaint" costume reveals the other aspect of Middle Eastern dance, the concealing part. Nothing of the dancer's body is exposed and even her face is hidden from view. A great Moroccan burnoose or hooded cape covers the body, gloves cover the hands, and a type of shoe covers the feet. This costume would be typical of a very devout Muslim character.The dancer's mystique is preserved and also enhanced, the essence of the dance.

DSH: Do you consider yourself as a preserver of culture or a person that is moving these dances forward?

KK: Both. I have learned the traditional dances, yet I have has so many influences from different styles and cultures I believe they are inherently innovative. Still, I strive to maintain the integrity of the traditional forms while being self expressive. I can depart from the tradition from a place of strength and not weakness, partly because of the knowledge, but also because of a grasp on the integrity of the form.

Kristina Koutsoudas performs as part of Dancepatheatre's Memories of Spain on June 20th, at 7:30 pm at Zilkha Hall in The Hobby Center, Call 713-315-2525 or visit www.thehobbycenter.org.

Reprented from Dance Source Houston.

Amy Ell dances on Air at Big Range Dance Festival

2009-06-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

Photo by Louis Saletan: Amy Ell, top, and Toni Valle.

Amy Ell, Houston's leading air dancer and aerial teacher, headlines Program C (June 12-13) of the Big Range Dance Festival at Barnevelder, which begins this weekend. Ell has gathered her flying chops from the nation's top aerial and circus performers including studies with Cirque veterans the Gemini Twins, Frequent Flyer Productions in Boulder and Fran Sperling. Ell's impressive range of skills include trapeze, silks and hoop. She gives us the lowdown on the high dancing life:

29-95: Have you always been a daredevil type?

Amy Ell: Anybody who has ever worked with me would say yes.

29-95: Tell us about your first dance flight.

AE: Choreographer Sarah Irwin put me on a bungee in 1989 off the docks at DiverseWorks. The only downside was having the urge to vomit because of all the spinning.

29-95: Did you love being in the air right away?

AE: Yes. I studied gymnastics and had a trampoline when I was a kid. You gain an enormous awareness of your body moving through space in gymnastics. My step-mom put me in dance because she thought I was clumsy. I was always falling. I still fall, just not on stage.

29-95: Doesn't falling work well for aerial?

AE: Actually, yes, but I have a fear of heights. As long as I don't look down I am fine. I can go up 30 ft. and not realize I am up that high.

29-95: What attracts you to aerial dance?

AE: It's about using the stage in a different format. How do we consider the space above our head? It's not just about your feet on the floor. I wanted to move in the entire space.

Photo by Louis Saletan

29-95: Talk the work you are doing at the Big Range.

AE: I am expanding on a piece I did for the UH ensemble called "Thread." It involves 22 ft. long skirts tethered to the ground. I have expanded the piece to include white fabric from the ceiling.

29-95: So the skirts fly?

AE: Yes, but they also limit the dancers. I am interested in working within limits. In aerial you always have constraints. I was thinking of cultural limitations imposed on women.

29-95: How do you explore a social issue while hanging upside down from a white silk?

AE: It's just another limitation. One limitation from the floor, and another from the ceiling.

29-95: Are you dancing in it?

AE: Yes, on Friday night. On Saturday, my daughter Ciri will fill in for me. So it's me and mini me.

29-95: What's up (forgive the pun) next?

AE: I have been working with French choreographer Fred Deb'. She's been coaching me with a new work of mine, which you will hopefully see in the fall.

Amy Ell performs in Program C of the Big Range Dance Festival, which runs May 29-June 14th at Barnevelder Movement Arts. Ticket prices change per performance, but are generally $14-$18. Call 713-529-1819 for more information.

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

Melody Herrera is the new bird in Swan Lake

2009-06-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

Photo by Amitava Sarkar:
Dancers Melody Herrera and Simon Ball perform in Houston Ballet's Onegin.

Melody Herrera, Houston Ballet's youngest principal, finally gets to take flight as Odette/Odile in Stanton Welch's Swan Lake. The tiny ballerina, last seen as the spoiled French queen/party girl Marie Antoinette, makes her debut in this iconic role. Herrera fills us in on life in the greatest ballerina role with feathers:

29-95: So how does it feel to be the newest member of the flock?

Melody Herrera: I am thrilled to be dancing Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. It's such an epic ballet; it's the mothership as far roles for female principals.

29-95: I have heard from other dancers that the role is a bit like having a truck run over you. Then it backs up and runs over you again. Is that true?

MH: Yes, and the truck is aiming directly at my left calf. It runs over and over it again. Then, I still have to do those 32 fouetts on the left leg during the Black Swan Pas de deux. It's the hardest classical ballet, which is also what makes it so fun.

29-95: Describe the fun?

MH: It's an all you can eat buffet ballet, in that you get a bit everything, the best and the hardest, especially in Stanton's version.

29-95: How is Welch's version of Swan Lake different?

MH: You are not just a swan. Odette starts out as a maiden, so I have all these sweeping romantic pas de deux with lots of gutsy acting and storytelling. Then, I have to dance all the swan stuff on top of all that. There are also two transformations, from white swan to black swan, and from human to swan.

29-95: White swan or black swan?

MH: I was afraid you would ask that. In my ballerina soul I love white swan. There's something so tender about her and I love the rescued damsel in distress aspect to her character. Still, I have a blast doing black swan; the part is so full of bravura.

29-95: Let's talk about those dreaded and delicious 32 fouetts that black swan needs to crank out flawlessly. Do you count? I do.

MH: I bet you do. It's in the music and I have grown up around the Tchaikovsky score, so I know it very well. I can't stop turning until the final note of the music.

29-95: Welch created the part of Marie Antoinette in his recent world premiere ballet Marie especially for you. Now you are doing a part that thousands of ballerinas have done before you. How does that situation change your approach?

MH: Since I'm the rookie swan, I am trying not to get too fancy. I want to keep the purity of the ballet so I am going for heartfelt and less frills.

29-95: Did watch other ballerinas in the role?

MH: Yes, I have seen several, some live, on video, and YouTube. I remember watching Natalia Markova's swan a lot. She's such an old world ballerina and there's something special about that. I am trying to maintain that feel, and not get too new.

29-95: Did you observe birds as well?

MH: Yes, always. I grew up around birds in Santa Cruz, California. But just recently I watched a flock of swans at a park near the theater we were performing at in Spain. They have these super long curved necks. So being a bird is all about the neck and back.

If you are trying to be an animal, you better watching them.

29-95: So you think of yourself as a swan while you are dancing?

MH: Oh yes. Technically, I am a woman trapped in the body of a swan.

Houston Ballet presents Swan Lake June 11-21 at Wortham Center. Orchestra side front tickets start at $18. Houston Ballet is offering a 50% discount for select performances for customers who purchase both Swan Lake and Nutcracker. Student rush tickets will be available Sat., June 13 at 1:30 pm. (Student rush tickets are always subject to availability.)

Reprinted from 29-95.com.

Dance People Descend on the Bayou City: Houston Hosts the 2009 Dance/USA Conference

2009-05-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, one of the featured companies at The Power Of Movement

photo by Frank White Photography

Houston may not be considered the center of the dance universe year round, but when the Dance/USA's annual conference convenes from June 3-6, it just might be. The city will fill with dance directors and administrators for the conference, aptly titled, Sustainable Future: Reality Check!, to discuss, share and network strategies for keeping dance going strong in a challenging economy.

The host committee, consisting of the broad spectrum of Houston's diverse dance community, has been working for over a year to make Houston look good for its visitors. Meetings took place at different locations so the host committee could not only get to know each other but also become more familiar with each member's organization. So how did Houston end up as the host for the Dance/USA conference? “We lobbied hard it for it,” admits Jim Nelson, co-chair of the Dance/USA host committee and Houston Ballet's general manager. “Houston Ballet has been active in the organization for years, and we hosted the winter council meeting in the 1990s.” According to Nelson, it's been an amazing bonding process. “We have been a very active group,” he boasts. “The committee's level of engagement and attendance has been truly remarkable. We may have raised the job of the host committee to a new level.”

Sandra Organ, artistic director of Sandra Organ Dance Company, has been a Dance/USA member for the past decade and has served on the board from 2002-2008. Organ finds the individual councils for dancers, support service groups, choreographers and managing directors especially valuable for people to hone in on their concerns. Currently, she's also on the host committee. “Seeing good dance, sharing ground and best practices, what's not to get about this organization? Collectively, we need each other to support the art form. We don't have to re-invent the wheel with the business of dance; someone's been there before and has good advice,” says Organ. “Every year they provide a forum to make connections. You can throw out a question and get an answer from anyone from the executive director of Alvin Alley to Ballet Hispanico.”

Richard Graber, Houston Arts Alliance's director of grants & services has also served on the host committee and has worked hard in securing funds for local artists to attend. Graber, a dancer turned administrator, knows first hand how important it is for a community to come together for a project. “I think bringing the Dance/USA Conference to Houston is a big achievement for the city and very exciting for our local dance community. It's been a delight to work closely with the Houston dance community and also help provide support for dancers locally,” says Graber. “My hope is that locals will take advantage of the conference offerings and turn-out in large numbers.”

Showing off Houston's range of dance talent proved a high priority for the committee so they came up with The Power of Movement, a showcase of Houston's top 11 dance troupes. “We wanted to show our dance community in the best light possible, in a fully produced and curated show at Cullen Theater at Wortham Center,” says Nelson. “We are hoping some presenters attend, and this event can be a springboard to further opportunities.” The line-up includes Dance of Asian America, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Hope Stone Dance Company, Houston Ballet, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Psophonia Dance Company, Revolve Dance Company, Sandra Organ Dance Company, Suchu Dance, Travesty Dance Group, and Urban Souls Dance Company.

Participants of The Power of Movement receive a year-long membership and two registrations to the conference. Hope Stone artistic director Jane Weiner plans on attending the conference. “I am 'Houston Proud' of our arts community, and feel so glad that we get a strong and healthy dose of national exposure,” says Weiner, who will be presenting an excerpt of her newest work, Village of Waltz, set to music by Peter Jones. “I looked at the conference topics and am pleased to have so much knowledge in my own backyard.”

The committee has stayed with the sustainable theme and all the events will take place in the downtown theater district so attendees can take Metro or walk to events. With the conference taking place at the Hyatt Regency Houston and performances at the Wortham Center, participants will be able to take in Houston's impressive collection of theaters. “We want to push Houston as a green city,” says Nelson. The kick-off reception takes place on June 3rd on the roof top of the George R. Brown Convention center, overlooking Houston's stunning skyline, and Discovery Green, where Houston Dance, Inside Out, a free performance showcasing Houston’s dance community will take place later that evening.

In addition to activity planning, the committee also raised funds from local foundations and corporations. The committee also hopes participants take in some Houston sights as well and have organized a special informational packets on the city's best sights. For Nelson, who has been attending the conference since 2000, the opportunities to spend such concentrated time with peers is priceless. “The contacts I have made have been absolutely invaluable,” he says. “It's also great to meet people dealing with the same problems you are. You realize you are not alone and we can all benefit from some fresh thinking on today's dance world.” All that said, when the hoards of dance people leave Houston, a tighter dance community will remain, new friendships forged, and a new awareness of the vibrancy of Houston's dance scene. Nelson adds, “The depth of this community is truly extraordinary.”

Dance/USA presents Sustainable Future: Reality Check! from June 3-6. Visit www.danceusa.org. The Power of Movement, held in conjunction with Dance USA, takes place on June 5th 8pm at Cullen Theater, Wortham Center. Call 713-227-2787 or visit www.houstonballet.org.

For information on HAA funds to attend the conference contact Richard Graber at Richard@haatx.comor call 713-527-9330.

The Power of Movement is generously sponsored by Houston Endowment, City of Houston Convention and Entertainment Facilities Department, Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Downtown Alliance, Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Discovery Green and Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine at The Methodist Hospital.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Maximum Impact

2009-05-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

As seen in Dance Teacher Magazine.

If there is one lesson to be learned from running a small business, it might well be: Things change. For that reason, DT sought the advice of vet-eran studio owners who have learned to build flexibility into their business plans. Here they share some ideas on how to design and use your space in ways that will strengthen your bottom line without tying you down.

Consider Portable Flooring
Whether you outgrow your space, or your rent outgrows your enrollment, nothing could be more painful than to leave behind a custom floor when you move. Maggie Parungao-Ferla, owner of Dance Theatre International in San Jose, CA, preempted that possibility by purchasing a portable Harlequin Liberty floor with Reversible double-sided marley-type flooring laid on top.

“We are happy where we are now, but it gives me peace of mind knowing the floor is portable,” says Parungao-Ferla. Completely free-floating, the floor consists of panels that can be easily moved or added to without creating permanent damage to rental space. “Our portable floors use a special clip system where nothing is permanently screwed into the floor,” says Claire Londress, marketing manager for Harlequin Dance Floors.

There is also the matter of versatility. While DTI offers mostly ballet classes, Ferla needed a surface that would work for jazz and tap as well. She purchased the Reversible flooring with the idea that she could easily take it with her for a performance. “Right now, we mostly use the black side, but it’s great knowing we could flip it and use the white for a performance,” she says. “It’s easy to maintain as long as we occasionally replace the tape.”

The Hedberg family, owners of Summit Dance Shoppe in Plymouth and Wayzata, MN, have been using Rosco Adagio Marley in seven of their nine dance rooms at their two locations. “We recently moved from a mall to our own building, so we just rolled up our Adagio floor and took it with us,” says Matt Hedberg, the facilities manager. “The floor gets great reviews by teachers and students alike. We also expanded into more rooms, so it was easy to just add on more rolls.” Because Summit Dance Shoppe offers a range of classes from pointe to hip hop, they needed a versatile surface. “The floor is even sturdy enough for the high-heeled ballroom dancers who rent the space during the day.”

Look Into Movable Barres
Leslie Updyke shopped around before purchasing portable barres from Stagestep for her two Leslie School of Dance locations in Western New York. “I was looking for a barre that was lightweight, easy to dismantle and sturdy enough to provide support,” says Updyke, who uses portables in nearly every dance room in her studios. “Portable barres also prevent my older students from gripping the barre and the younger ones from using them like monkey bars. I want them to learn to use a light touch on the barre and find their core strength.”

Portable barres also solved her space issue in an oddly shaped room where heaters prevented installing permanent barres, and in a basement studio with cinder block walls. “I want my dancers to have space to dance, and utilizing the center area just makes sense,” she says. “As for the basement studio, portables were a necessity.” Updyke says that her jazz and lyrical teachers use the barres for various stretching activities, and she likes how quickly they can be collapsed and removed for the ballroom renters.

“If you have a growing class, you are going to need more than the barres along the wall,” says Rosco Dance Floor product manager Caroline Rault. “And you also want to consider the changes you make to a rental space, such as permanent barres. Our barres are lightweight and can easily be put up and moved out of the way.”

Find New Uses for Existing Space
When Cory Hunt opened her one-room dance studio, Total Dance Inc., in Durham, NC, she knew tumbling classes would be popular with her younger students. With a roll-out mat, a wedge and a carpet from Carolina Gym Supply, Hunt was off and running with four levels of tumbling for ages 3–12. “I always danced and did gymnastics, and I find they go well together,” says Hunt. “It also opens up my studio to a whole new group of students.”

Patti Jean Spinillo, equipment consultant at Carolina Gym Supply, helps studio owners take their first step in starting a tumbling program, whether it’s just one class or several. “We ask a lot of questions,” says Spinillo. “We need to understand the studio’s goal before recommending our products.”

When Hunt moves into a four-room studio later this year, she will have a dedicated space for her tumbling classes and add on to her collection of apparatus. But for right now, she appreciates how quickly and easily she can transform her dance space into a tumbling room. “All of our products are portable, they come in a variety of colors and they can be put down and taken up in a matter of minutes,” says Spinillo. “A tumbling room can return to a ballet studio easily.”

Share Your Space
To fully maximize your space, you’ll need to find uses for your studio during hours when it’s otherwise vacant. Evelyn Ireton owns Houston-based West University Dance Centre and Houston Academy of Dance. She likes to keep the 6,000-square-foot West University location booked solid
during the day, as well as in the evening, when most of her classes take place. She has found a perfect fit with Ad Deum Dance Company, which rents two rooms every weekday, 9–3 pm. The location is ideal for local dancers because it is convenient to major highways, with both Starbucks and Whole Foods within walking distance. Ad Deum Artistic Director Randall Flinn also takes over the studio to conduct workshops during winter and spring holiday breaks.

“It’s a win/win for me,” Ireton says. “Randall brings new dancers into town, several of whom end up teaching at both of my studios.” She also says that Flinn and his company are gracious about welcoming people who drop by to ask questions. The situation is a good fit for Flinn as well. “Even though we are technically ‘just renters,’ we are treated as if this were our home, and that is exactly the way we feel,” he says. “It makes a huge difference to me and my dancers. And the extra teaching work supplements my dancers’ income considerably.”

Ireton has also built relationships with several former Houston Ballet dancers and ballroom teachers. They use the small studios during evening hours for coaching sessions and private lessons. On Sundays, she rents to an Irish dance troupe and she says that her studio is the place for out-of-towners to hold auditions. “People respond to the vibrancy and activity in the studio; it’s inspiring,” she says. “So many studios look empty during the early daytime hours. Mine looks thriving all the time. There is always something going on.” DT

Keeping It Small

Marjie Major thought long and hard about Happy Feet Dance Studio’s redesign when she rented a 1,300-square-foot space in a strip mall in Cherry Hill, NJ, just outside of Philadelphia. “I had enough space for a small waiting room and two studios. But I thought about my clientele of young parents and went in the other direction with a large waiting room and one studio,” says Major, who has been in business for four years. “The waiting area is almost as large as my studio.” With an open space complete with a play area for younger siblings, a stroller-friendly wood floor and a viewing window, parents can be comfortable while they wait and watch. “There is nothing worse than trying to juggle a baby on your lap while you sit in an uncomfortable chair,” Major says.

“When parents call the studio, the first thing they ask is if there is a place to wait with younger siblings.” Handy bins make cleanup of crayons, trucks and books easy.

“I want to be in tune with my parents and create the feeling of a small restaurant,” says Major, who runs the studio with the help of two part-time instructors. “I know everybody’s name, and I offer a welcoming atmosphere.” Because younger students are more interested in early classes, the studio is often empty after 7:30 pm, when Major rents the space to ballroom and Pilates teachers. On Sundays, an Indian classical dance teacher conducts class, and Fridays will soon be filled with yoga. —N.W.

Review: Armide

2009-05-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Photo: Amitava Sarkar

Trucks don't usually drive through operas, even in Texas. All that changed during a recent performance of Jean-Baptiste Lully's Armide by Mercury Baroque.

Mercury Baroque, a small but well established orchestra based in Houston, specializes in presenting Baroque music played on period instruments, in both traditional and casual settings. Re-imagining Baroque music also plays a large part of their mission. To give Lully's 1686 lyric tragedy, Armide, a fresh spin, Mercury Baroque's artistic director Antoine Plante enlisted French director Pascal Rambert, known for his boundary-pushing work in theater.

Armide's story derives from 17th century Italian poet Torquato Tasso's work Gerusalemme Liberata, which concerns wars between Muslims and Christians. The story captivated many an opera composer, including Handel, Haydn and Rossini. Rambert, riffing off the timeliness of the subject, set his Armide in the “now,” as in today's headlines of torture, religious wars, and the harsh glare of interrogation. For the most part, the opera took place under florescent work lights on an industrial landscape of a bare bones stage. Rambert used a tribe of non-trained camouflage-wearing dancers (with the exception of performer/dance captain Jon Stronks) as people, and they did a good job of not trying to act like dancers. Live camera work conjured a pressured atmosphere of surveillance and transparency. When the back wall lifted to reveal a sleek black Chevy Silverado truck driven by Haine or Hate and stuffed with an army hauling semi-automatic weapons, we knew we were not in 17th anymore. Other odd theatrics included a slow motion golf game complete with a golf cart and series of laptops on work tables that the performers played with during the show. Houston-based artists Frederique de Montblanc (installation assistant) and Jeremy Choate (lighting assistant) collaborated on the visuals.

Rambert's brand of anti-theater has its charm here, but it's nothing new. (For a while, so many people were doing this in Houston, I was getting to know the back wall at the Cullen Theatre a little too well.) But to be fair, for 17th century opera, maybe it is, especially for the Mercury Baroque crowd. And it has its drawbacks, like eye strain from the florescent lights and the visual distractions from all the backstage people wandering around.

Whether Rascal's contribution amused or annoyed doesn't so much matter because in the end the music took center stage. Isabelle Cals' tough as nails Armide possessed a vocal power and command of the stage. Cals' powerhouse performance contained an authority that anchored the show. Zachary Wilder made a convincing Renaud, Armide's captive then true love. Beau Gibson, an Houston Grand Opera Studio alum, probably has never made an entrance like this before, as in driving the aforementioned truck on stage, but he handled it well, and lived up to the drama of the part, sunglasses and all. Tyler Duncan, Lauren Snouffer and Sarah Mesko all gave strong performances. The chorus, under the direction of Albert LeDoux, sounded terrific and melded well with the “people.” The Mercury Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Plante, delivered a crisp and solid performance.

Sure it's fun to have trucks make a rare appearance in French opera, but it's the music I will remember here. As far as bringing Baroque music into the light of the present—mission accomplished.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.net.

Review: Brief Encounter

2009-05-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

Brief Encounter
André Previn
Houston Grand Opera
May 6, 2009

Elizabeth Futral as Laura Jesson.

Photo: Felix Sanchez.

Tortured love affairs make good opera. That's a fact. Houston Grand Opera's world premiere of André Previn's second opera, Brief Encounter, wins on all fronts. Based on Noël Coward's one-act play Still Life and David Lean's 1945 classic film, Previn and librettist/director John Caird re-imagine this soulful tale with stunning results. Previn's lush cinematic score pays homage to Lean's film while also expanding the Brief Encounter canon.

Previn's diverse career has taken him from Hollywood composer (four Academy Awards) to jazz pianist; he's left no genre untouched. He even conducted the Houston Symphony for a brief stint during the late 1960s. Brief Encounter is only his second opera, so there's yet another chapter to be told in Previn's musical history.

Brief Encounter tells the story of the sweet but troubled affair of Laura Jesson, a bored British housewife, and Alec Harvey, a handsome and caring doctor, who come to life once a week on their regular Thursday meetings. The scene opens with a behemoth clock that dissolves to show Laura and Alec at the very end of their relationship. So time has already run out as Alec tenderly reaches for Laura's hand. They sit silently across the table from each other quietly acknowledging the end. Starting at the end sucks us right into the heart of their pathos. Now we are curious, how did they meet, spend their Thursdays, fall in love, become lovers, and return to their spouses?

Baritone Nathan Gunn is positively dreamy as Alec. He not only fills Trevor Howard's shoes but adds to them as he endows Alec with a sensitive edge, powerful acting, and a smooth tonality. Elizabeth Frutal's believable Laura is both demure but willing to take a chance on happiness. Frutal's vocal color brings us straight into her confused interior world. The couple's potent chemistry anchors the opera. Kim Josephson portrays Fred, the lonely husband, with a quiet dignity and has at least one moving turn that makes us rethink Laura's behavior. Comic relief comes through in Meredith Arwady's performance as Myrtle Bagot, the station proprietress.

Bunnie Christie's gray-toned train station is filled with images of time from wall clocks to a gigantic time piece that opens the opera. The monotone hues contain the drama well, evoking the film without being heavy handed, lending a bittersweet tone that crosses the film to opera barrier. Leafless trees add to a sense of pending loss. Paul Pyant's lighting design evokes the bleek London skies, the lonely river, and the cool intimacy of interior spaces. Patrick Summers and the HGO Orchestra give full weight to Previn's melodic score. It's melancholy of the highest order. Thursdays have never been this exciting.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.net.

REVIEW: The Learned Ladies

2009-05-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Learned Ladies
By Molière
Translated by Richard Wilbur
Irish Classical Theater
Buffalo, NY
April 24, 2008

Photo: Lawrence Rowswell

Are you an insufferable intellectual, prone to boring people to tears with questionable prose and other faults of an overly self-interested mind? Alas, a cure is at hand in the way of one polished production of Molière's The Learned Ladies, translated by Richard Wilbur and now playing at the Irish Classical Theater Company, Buffalo's flagship theater troupe. In our current atmosphere of heavy spin, pre-digested sound bites, and other assaults on the word, Molière's satire on academic pretension feels timely. Remember his attack was not on women's efforts to become intellectual equals of men, but on knowledge as a kind of fashionable currency.

The Learned Ladies takes us inside a bourgeois Parisian household overrun by a salon of women who easily swoon for sappy sonnets and other ecstatic pretenses of learning. The trouble begins when the non-intellectual daughter, Henriette, confesses her love for Clitandre to her philosophy loving-sister Armande, who was once courted by Clitandre. Armande tells her to marry philosophy, but the big problem emerges when Philaminte, Henriette's shrew of a mom, reveals she has already selected a mate for her unschooled daughter, Trissotin, her devoted tutor in all things learned. Henriette's hen-pecked father, Chrysale, sides with Henriette and a good tangle ensues.

The cast attacks this play with a brazen spirit. Robert Rutland plays Chrysale, the doormat of a hubby who finally stands his ground, with a keen sense of mania. We never know what he's going to do next. Josephine Hogan's gaze will melt anything in its path in her fiery portrayal of Philaminte, the domineering book-crazed mother. Diane Curley makes a level-headed Henriette, and Kate LoConti is suitably haughty as Armande. Kelli Bocock-Natale is hoot as Belise, Chrysale's loony sister, who secretly believes Clitandre is in love with her. Tim Newell swaggers in as Vadius, the new hot tutor on the block, with a cunning performance. Kelly Ferguson-Moore as Martine, the grammar-challenged maid, Kevin Zak as the obligatory hunchbacked servant and Doug Crane as the stoic no nonsense clerk each add distinct performances.

ICTC's Producing Director Fortunato Pezzimenti directs with an ear for high comedy, keeping the pace moving, the language flying and the satire humming. Ron Schwartz's stylish set provides just enough bling, dazzle and punch to conjure a Parisian salon. Kate E. Palamé’s costumes contain such whimsy as a pair of turquoise leggings, painted bows, and other zany flourishes. Brian Cavanagh's bright sunny lights amp up the over top feel of this production. All in all, the play feels as fresh as the warm-for-April Buffalo breeze just out the door. Should you be prone to dropping Nietzsche or Proust into your sentences to impress and annoy your less heady friends, expect a complete remission.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.net.

Review: Awake and Sing

2009-05-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Moe (Jamie Geiger, kneeling) and Hennie (Natalie Arneson, standing).

Photo by www.RicOrnelProductions.com

A desperate family in desperate times. No, not a story culled from yesterday's headlines, but the scenario of Clifford Odets' masterwork Awake and Sing!, now playing at Houston's Main Street Theater (MST). Set during the depression-ravaged 1930s, Odets' enduring play depicts the everyday life of the Bergers, a struggling Jewish family living in the east Bronx in1935. Bessie, the overbearing Jewish mother of all mothers, loves and smothers her children, ignores her husband, and generally drives everyone nuts with her hyper-reactivity and demands for “respect.” Myron Berger, the beaten down dad, just tries to survive and stay out of Bessie's path. Hennie, the hard-edged daughter, brims with anger over her situation and holds it all in, almost. Moe Axelrod, a war hero and family friend, has wooden leg, a head full of paradise and a killer crush on Hennie. Grandfather Jacob survives on philosophy (Marx), music (Caruso) and giving inspirational advice (“Make something of yourself”). Uncle Morty, Bessie's brother, is the one man with money, but his happy-go-lucky attitude adds tension rather than relief. Ralph, the dutiful son, goes to work every day at as a clerk to contribute to the household and his own arrested development. Folksy colloquialisms fly about the stage as this family finds itself trapped by circumstances and their ideals. Dreams and disappointments play out within the tight container of Berger's cramped flat.

Luisa Amaral-Smith is terrific as the insufferable mother whose heavy-handed love comes over the household like a gigantic cloud. George Brock embodies the stifled husband with a noble grace. Steve Garfinkel imbues Jacob, the calm and all knowing socialist.with a steady presence. Natalie Arneson's Hennie is one girl on the brink. She's particularly believable in her final scenes with Moe. Jamie Geiger portrays the fast-talking wisecracker, Moe, with a mixture of gusto and desperation. Charles Swan gives Ralph a time bomb edge. As the rest of the family is literally paralyzed by their situation, Swan's restless energy penetrates. He's the exhaust valve for this troubled lot, and Swan navigates that volatility well, especially when he collapses in Jacob's arms. During the play's final seconds, Swan is especially potent when he stands to face his future, broken but still wide-eyed and sustained by a shred of hope.

Director Cheryl L. Kaplan keeps close to the period in her treatment, fully utilizing MST's tiny space to create a claustrophobic atmosphere. The audience is literally stuffed inside the Berger's apartment. There's no escape. No need to guess what that feels like. We get it right away. Trey Otis' set design lends a sense of the crumbling dignity of this family and Margaret Crowley's period costumes work well.

Sure, the play is obviously timely, but that's not what necessarily all you take home. Odets' fully fleshed-out characters question the price of materialism, imagine a life that's not “printed on dollar bills” and strive for meaning amidst the most dire circumstances. So it reads in Isaiah 26:19, “Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust,” a potent message for then and now.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.net.

Rigoletto: Houston Grand Opera

2009-05-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Scott Hendricks as Rigoletto. Photo: Felix Sanchez.

Revenge rarely pans out. Just ask Rigoletto. If ever there was a Shakespearian tragedy that's not exactly Shakespearian, it has to be Verdi's 1841 mega hit, Rigoletto. The opera endures because it’s a killer story about a father's obsessive love for his daughter, the daughter's wayward love for a cad, and one persistent curse that the most tragic hunchback in all of opera can't seem to shake. In between, there is some of the most melodic music Verdi ever composed. Based on Victor Hugo's play, Le Roi s'amuse and Italianized to appease the Austrian censors, Rigoletto contains all the necessary ingredients for great opera—broken but full-blooded characters who do all the wrong things for the reasons they believe to be right.

Houston Grand Opera's production is spare in all the right places and opulent when it needs to be. Michael Yeargan sets his Rigoletto in an M.C. Escher-like box that depicts an encroaching storm that expands and contracts. Within the first few moments the atmosphere of menace is clear and we know that things are not going to turn out well for this gang. And what a gang HGO has gathered to pull all this off. Making a stunning role debut, HGO studio alumnus Scott Hendricks imbues his Rigoletto with a generous dose of pathos and an earthy sound. His performance builds in momentum as the piece progresses. Russian soprano and HGO studio alumna Albina Shagimuratova moves into a new level of maturity in her portrayal of Gilda, Rigoletto's smitten daughter. Her bright and vibrant sound just brims with innocence and she's gaining in naturalness on stage. Tenor Eric Cutler swaggers about with suitable moxie as the lusty and lecherous Duke of Mantua. His charisma and velvety tone came through during the famous Act Three aria, “La Donna e mobile.” Andrea Silvestrelli convinces as the evil Sparafucile, and current Studio member Maria Markina is well matched for the role of vixen Maddalena.

Paul Pyant's lighting design amplified the oncoming doom with clever use of ominous shadows in key scenes. Peter J. Hall's richly textured and jewel-toned costumes balanced the otherwise spare set effectively. The HGO chorus under the direction of Richard Bado was most compelling during the haunting storm scene. Lindy Hume directed with a swift hand, keeping the action rolling, the tension mounting, and the emotions exploding. Patrick Summers conducted a crisp performance by the HGO Orchestra.

The final storm finally comes in, taking with it Gilda's life and Rigoletto's soul. So it goes in the land of the cursed.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.

The Learned Ladies: Irish Classical Theater Company

2009-05-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Buffalo, NY
April 24, 2008

Photo: Lawrence Rowswell

Reprinted from Culturevulture.

Core Performance Company: THREE

2009-05-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Photo by Lori Teague

May 2, 2009

Three is believed to be a magical number. It's stock bumped up this weekend at CORE Performance Company's performance of “Three,” which included work by Beppie Blankert, Alicia Sánchez and Polly Motley. Not only were these three outstanding works, each carrying a distinct choreographic thumb print, but combined, made for one of the most satisfying dance concerts of the Houston dance season. CORE—in top form here—includes Blake Dalton, Kimberly Kleiber, Claire Molla, Mary Jane Pennington, and former Houston dancers Corian Ellisor and Alex Abarca. The evening, presented by Several Dancers Core, concluded their Houston season for this Houston/Atlanta based troupe.

Blankert directs Beppie Blankert Danceconcerts in the Netherlands and tours internationally. Her offering Cumulus, perhaps the most traditional in the concert, begins with snippets of text from e.e. cummings' poem “may I feel said he,” while a solo dancer shines a hand held spotlight on a trio of women. Set to various string quartets by Charles Ives, Blankert stays neatly within the post-modern lines, blending gesture and more formal dance vocabulary. Text from cummings' smart poem punctuate Blanket's lyrical tendancies, lending a lightness and wit. Molla's detailed attention to the power of iconic shape stood out. D. Patton White's chic earth-toned costumes added a gentle glamour, and Kris Phelps' lighting design emphasized the sculptural aspects of Blanket's nuanced choreography.

Sanchez directs the Alicia Sánchez y Compañía: El Teatro de Movimiento based in Mexico City. Her work was last seen here in Texas two years ago at the Big Range Dance Festival. In Tus Pasos Encontrados (Your Found Steps) Sánchez plays with the notion of completeness. Four dancers stand in a row in front of their shoes repeating gestures. They lift their shirts as if to check themselves and perform other motions of grooming. Eventually, they strip down to their slips and underwear and are free to move and interact. Somewhere in the middle they play with their clothes as if they have forgotten their function. Shoes become markers, safe places to land, and maps to new places. At one point a row of shoes transforms into line of rocks for a clever game of stepping stones. Finally, the dancers redress, step into their shoes and look up as the lights fade. They are complete. Dalton, Kleiber, Molla and Pennington each add a distinct sensuality to Sánchez's highly theatrical dance.

Motley, originally from Nacogdoches, spent time in Houston in the 1970s and is known here as James Clouser's former assistant at Houston Ballet and Space/ Dance /Theater. Currently, the Vermont-based artist works closely with the New England Foundation on the Arts making work for non-traditional venues.

Motley's Charmed Romantics obeys no traditional ideas of structure or form. Therein lies this spacious piece's power, charm, and breathtaking originality. It's full of movement surprises, yet each feels completely organic. Five dancers wearing gray jumpsuits enter and exit in rhythms and patterns of their own logic. Relationships develop with a pairing here and there, a chance meeting of a trio, while individual dancers occasionally appear lost in their own thought. In one delicious section, Molla and Pennington trade secrets while Ellisor and Dalton exchange caressing hugs and Abarca sits watching in wonder. The piece, chock full of cross sections like this, dwells in the intimacies of both self-absorption and human entanglement. The movement jettisons back and forth between quick, sweeping traveling steps across the stage and endearing passages of self-amusement. The mood also shifts been internal and external, allowing the audience to oscillate between voyeur and participant. Eric la Casa's sounds of the Paris subway along with samples from a wistful Diedra Adams' song, come and go as well. Adams' song sneaks in mid-lift, adding a note of tenderness. Motley's work appears to breathe, as pulses of sound, movement and changing intentions weave in and out. Even the space feels elastic.

Strong performances by Abarca, Dalton, Ellisor, Molla and Pennington, who also contributed to the choreography, give the piece even more dimension. Motley's careful process leaves enough evidence to gather that she spent time getting to know these dancers, how they think, move, and inhabit her work. Charmed Romantics casts such an intoxicating spell that when the lights dim, it feels too soon. Why end now? We were just getting to know you.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and Sarasota Ballet

2009-05-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Dominic Walsh Dance Theater

Hobby Center
April 30, 2009

Mozart conjures a chilly place under Dominic Walsh's choreographic baton. The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by Dominic Walsh Dance Theater (DWDT) and Sarasota Ballet left an icy sting, hauntingly beautiful in some parts, and perplexing in others.

Women in white face donning semi-period frocks of fluffed blue-gray tulle and men in waistcoats make up the denizens of Walsh's ghostly Mozartian landscape. They come and go, alternating between serious and silly moods. (Why are just the women in white Pirot-like make-up?) Domenico Luciano, a body double for Michaelangelo's David, takes the form of the main character, the thread that unites the Mozart pieces. Luciano, always lovely to watch, sweeps through space with grand gestures and contains a larger than life feel. It's hard to watch anyone else when he is on stage. Yet, his domineering presence confounds as much as intrigues. Who is he? A visitor in this imagined kingdom, the ruler? Normally, a little ambiguity works well, here's it's just frustrating.

The ballet springs to life during the opera sections from The Magic Flute and Cosi fan Tutte. The sound of the human voice melts some of the piece's austerity and Walsh goes to town with his usual choreographic flair, finding all kinds of novel ways to partner and create compelling shapes. Clawed hands and slippery ice skating slides, create distinct shapes. The energy during these sections provides needed relief and warmth.

Sarasota Ballet, under the direction of Iain Webb, provided another bright light. This sleek company handled Walsh's sinewy curves with great attack, technique, and a flair for nuance. Webb's fine troupe melded well with DWDT and their polished performance was the high point of the evening. Simon Mumme and Logan Learned stood out during “Amadeus for Anita.”

Libbie Masterson's set of cloth-draped wire resembles icebergs, but never achieves a feeling of substance. The lack of dimension flattened out the space, making the choreography seem less sculptural. Toward the end, the fabric billows from all directions. Moments that might have been visually arresting were marred by technical constraints. Fabric, a fluid material, ended up looking static. Luciano's whimsical fluffed tulle costumes added some needed lightness, and Robert Eubanks' spooky lighting heightened the somber grave-yard feel.

Despite fine dancing by both troupes and some choreographic glimmers the overall effect left me cold. The culmination of these three ballets together just did not add to a very satisfying whole. Not even Mozart's epic music held it together.

Three Choreographers, Two Cities, and One Eclectic Dance Company: Quick Chat with Jean-Philippe Malaty of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

2009-05-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet in Twyla Tharp's Sweet Fields
Photos by Rosalie O'Connor

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, the little gem of a dance company based in the mountains of Colorado, heads for the flat lands of Houston to perform work by three contemporary masters, including Twyla Tharp, Jorma Elo and Moses Pendleton. Executive director Jean-Philippe Malaty tells us about the show and his troupe.

Dance Source Houston: If you had to describe Aspen Santa Fe Ballet in one idea, what would you say?

Jean-Philippe Malaty: We want to be ambassadors of contemporary dance, and we try to advance the dance form into the future.

DSH: Technically, that's two ideas, but then again, you are a two-city dance company. What's the secret to running a double city troupe?

JM: Hard work. I wish there was a secret. Both Tom (Mossbrucker) and I were dancers with the Joffrey when it was based in New York and Los Angeles, so we had hands-on experience with this kind of company. And, in our generation there were several two-city companies. It was a fashion in the 90s. All of the them failed. We tried to learn from their mistakes and find a way to make it work. First, we found two cities that are geographically close, so we did not have much in the way of traveling expenses. And both Aspen and Santa Fe have similar cultures in terms of anesthetics and interests. There is a famous opera festival in Santa Fe and a large music festival in Aspen, so both cities have a strong history of supporting the arts.

DSH: I saw your company dance Sweet Fields at ADF last summer. It's one of Tharp's more lyrical pieces, a bit different for her.

JM: Everyone is doing Tharp these days, but this piece is more unusual for her. Her style is still very much there, but this piece uses choral music, and you don't find that much in contemporary dance. We will be adding Sue's Leg, another rarely seen Tharp piece, to our rep soon. We also have the pas de deux version of Nine Sinatra Songs.

DSH: Houston sampled their first taste of Jorma Elo's work last month at Dance Salad. He's such a rising talent. How would you describe his mark on ballet?

JM: Within three minutes of watching his work you know it's a Jorma ballet. He has his own vocabulary and aesthetic. It's not rehashed Balanchine. For me, his work is very musical and poetic. Since we do not have a resident choreographer, we try to develop relationships with guest choreographers. This is his third work for us and it's very personal and intimate to us. We were only the second ballet company in the US to work with him. We may be the smallest company he works with now. He knows the dancers so well so he developed it especially for us. The dancers have really grown from the experience.

DSH: You close the show with Moses Pendleton's Noir Blanc, a large step away from Elo.

JM: He created this piece for us seven years ago and it has become our signature piece. Everyone wants to see it. It's very theatrical and based in illusion.

DSH: How did this stretch the company?

JM: They had to learn without ballet steps. Also, his work is more image-based than about movement or energy.

DSH: How do you see the synergy between all three pieces?

JM: No synergy. The whole idea is that these three choreographers are all so different. We are an eclectic dance company. We showcase what dance is today and break the misconception of what a ballet is or should be.

DSH: Your company has had a high visibility year with rave reviews, large venues and expansive touring. What gives?

JM: I think we have been building steadily and carefully in small steps. Maybe we started out being in the shadow here in the mountains, but we have be developing for 13 years now. We have a unique identity and style. The word is out.

Society for the Performing Arts presents Aspen Santa Fe Ballet on May 8^th at 8 PM at Wortham Center's Cullen Theater. Call 713-2274SPA or visit www.spahouston.org

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Tea with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange

2009-04-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in Time Has Set the Table for Tea

Time Has Set the Table for Tea with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange was the go-to activity at the Systems of Sustainability: Art, Innovation and Action conference held at the University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts last weekend. Everyone wanted a seat at the table. Lucky me, I got one. The concept, still in the forming, comes from the tea house run by Edith Warner for the physicists at Los Alamos during the early 1940s. All of this is described in Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin's book American Prometheus:The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Apparently, Oppenheimer was quite a fan of Warner's cooking. Why tea now? Because Lerman's next frontier is physics in her newest opus, A Matter of Origins. She recently returned from CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) on an info gathering mission. I'm impressed.

University of Houston Dance Students

Guests were led up the stairs by University of Houston dance students, who dressed in 1950s garb and greeted us with welcoming gestures. At the top of the stairs we were split into two groups, one to learn the rules, the other to watch dancers interact with the film from Center for Land Use Interpretation's, (CLUI) Texas Oil: Landscape of an Industry exhibit. CLUI's smashing footage of the entire length of the ship channel is impressive as it is, but with dancers, it becomes something else, a more peopled landscape.

Meghan Bowden

The rules, presented/danced by Ben Wegman, Thomas Dwyer and Meghan Bowden alternated between extreme formality and "Hi, how are you, relax, enjoy and just don't touch the art." We were led into the main room as the students created a barrier to protect the maps on the wall. People took their places and glanced down to find a notecard. Mine read, "This seat is reserved for you." Tables were elegantly dressed for the most part, but I missed the china. (Teas need fine china.) Nervous chatter ensued, mostly by me. I ranted on about having heard that an expert would be sitting with us. Finally, the dear woman on my left announced that she was, in fact, the expert. Leading us in some clipped conversation our expert made sure we were on target, and set the agenda. There were awkward moments that feel strangely theatrical, and at times, just annoying. Finally the crew of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange appeared with the too-sweet tea. Fabulously tasting chocolate cake appeared later on. (Warner was known for her chocolate cake.)

Thomas Dwyer and Martha Wittman

Dance Exchange company member Martha Wittman joined our table and alternated between being part of the group and dancing at her seat. I love when she whipped her cup into the air mid-sentence. Wittman's presence is a marvel to behold. We all stopped our chatter as if to acknowledge that the art had begun. I glanced over to the next table to watch Robert Harriss from the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) dancing as well. Harriss' full participation was a delight, not just here, but throughout the conference. Lerman likes to play with those boundaries. I felt safe with Wittman at the table, and it relieved us of the forced conversation, an inevitable part of participatory performance. (We don't go to rehearsals.) Some marvelous dancing came and went, as did projections having to do with resource use. At one point Wittman asked me to stand and read the projected text. I obliged. Don't mess with the rules of tea. We watched a duet and had time to discuss ideas that emerged in our thinking and report back to the group. Our report, "Don't be afraid to show the dirt on your feet, the printing press, harnessing energy." You had to be there, but a three-phrase report provided great relief from the too-wordy table reports. I understand that Lerman stepped up the formality the next day. A good idea, after all, tea requires a strict adherence to ceremony.

Eventually, the company found their way into the front space, much like a proscenium, where they performed a sneak peek from Lerman's A Matter of Origins, which begins with tea cups balancing on the dancers' laps. Lerman hopes to include the tea concept into the new piece. As a champion of interaction and audience inclusion, she likes to shape her work through public input. Watching dance in a non-traditional venue wakes us up a bit, in that we share the same space as the performers. It's enchanting and uncomfortable, always a good combo. It will be fun to see where Lerman goes with her teas and I was glad to be part of the testing process.

Systems of Sustainability: Art, Innovation and Action was sponsored by the University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston, in close consultation with Liz Lerman, Founding Artistic Director of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Dr. Robert Harriss, President of the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).

Photos by Pin Lim.
Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.