Deborah Hay Dance Company at Danspace Project

As Holy Sites Go/duet--presented at the multiply-holy site of Danspace Project--often reminds me of the time I first saw a baby giraffe fold its spindly legs to sit on the ground. Deborah Hay's black-clad dancers--the sturdy-thighed and light-footed Jeanine Durning and severely-neat, delicately-spidery Ros Warby--also reminded me of marionettes without benefit of puppeteers. Maybe they've come alive at midnight and spied each other across the hushed, gaping yet resonant space (and time, yes, when little or nothing occurs) between lines of slender columns. Maybe their handlers have worked them side by side in rehearsals, but only the most basic inclinations remain in their arms and legs to give a ghostly momentum. They move at and close to each other and make tenuous, offbeat connections that look eerie, even creepy, because they don't seem to be based in conscious intent--or, at least, readable intent. They sing sweetly and incomprehensibly and not at all together and yet overlapping. Hay says the dances perform "catastrophic acts of perception," a thought to chew on while you're watching.

Deborah Hay Dance Company continues its run at Danspace Project tonight and Saturday at 8pm. For information and tickets, click here.

Danspace Project
St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery
131 East 10th Street (at Second Avenue), Manhattan
(directions)

These four guys: Lucy Guerin Inc at BAM Fisher

Here's the link to my DanceMagazine.com review of Lucy Guerin Inc in Guerin's Untrained--running now at BAM Fisher.

Meet pianist André Watts

New York Philharmonic Offstage with André Watts

Monday, December, 3 (7pm)
Admission: Free

Meet this season's artists and members of the Orchestra as they engage in conversation with 105.9 FM WQXR's Jeff Spurgeon, completely free of charge.

New York Philharmonic subscribers and donors may reserve their spot in advance by emailing offstage@nyphil.org.

David Rubenstein Atrium
61 West 62nd Street (at Broadway), Manhattan 
(map/directions)

Tere O'Connor Dance at New York Live Arts

Tere O'Connor Dance (photo by Ian Douglas)

Tere O'Connor is showing handsome new works--Secret Mary and poem--at New York Live Arts this week. Of these premieres, presented in 75 minutes without pause, I'm partial to poem, a language spoken in a dreamscape demarcated by light, faintly remembered but still pulsing in one's tissue and blood. Collaborators Michael O'Connor (lighting) and James Baker (crystalline musical soundscape) and, of course, extraordinary dancers--Natalie Green, Heather Olson, Michael Ingle, Oisín Monaghan and Silas Riener--bring a sense of the expansive, complex, alive Outside inside. Formal structure holds energies in place, long enough for us to appreciate their beauty and strangeness. There is much to see, and we can grasp no one thing for very long. In turn, these pieces and a third will be folded into a work to premiere in 2013. And so it goes.

Tere O'Connor Dance in 2 New Works continues at New York Live Arts through December 1 with 7:30pm curtains tonight, Friday and Saturday and an additional 10pm show on Friday. For information and tickets, click here.

New York Live Arts
219 West 19th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues), Manhattan
(map/directions)

Lois Bewley, 78

Lois Bewley, Multifaceted Ballerina, Dies at 78
by Bruce Weber, The New York Times, November 28, 2012

Post-Sandy: Mertz Gilmore Foundation creates emergency fund for dance

NYC Dance Response Fund

In response to Hurricane Sandy and to early field testimony collected by Dance/NYC and its colleagues in service and grantmaking, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation has established a NYC Dance Response Fund to be administered by Dance/NYC, a branch of Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance.

NYC Dance Response Fund grants, from $1,000 to $5,000,will be awarded to New York City-based nonprofit organizations and fiscally sponsored projects of The Field, Fractured Atlas, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York Live Arts, and Pentacle focused on the creation or performance of dance. Successful applicants will have incurred identifiable costs due to Hurricane Sandy not otherwise covered by insurance or other sources, including:

    Unpaid artist fees (e.g., performance, rehearsal, or teaching fees cancelled as a result of suspended activity);
    Travel expenses (e.g., unplanned airfare, lodging);
    Lost sales (e.g., returned event tickets, class fees, uncollected rental fees); and
    Property damage (e.g., costumes, sets, equipment,space) not covered by insurance.

Applications will be accepted and processed by Dance/NYC, in partnership with the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, on a first-come first-served basis until all funds are expended. Priority will be given to those who articulate a clear need for reimbursement to rebuild. These are discrete funds and will not impact other Mertz Gilmore Foundation giving priorities.

All applications should be submitted electronically to MGFDanceResponse@dancenyc.org and include: a one-page statement of need; documentation of identifiable costs; and proof of nonprofit or fiscal sponsorship status. Questions may be addressed to Leigh Ross at lross@dancenyc.org

O, Hay! Dancers talk about working with Deborah Hay

Watch three dancers--Luke George, Michelle Boulé and Miguel Gutierrez--talk about working with choreographer Deborah Hay in this video from Walker Art Center. Click here.

Free for all: Dallas Museum of Art

Dallas Museum of Art will offer free membership and a return to free general admission starting January 2013.

Click here for more information.

Movement Research seeks Operations Manager

Movement Research is hiring an Operations Manager.

This is a 51 week/year, 25 hour/week position. Compensation is $18/hour. Employee Contribution 403(b) plan is available. Employee receives free classes and workshops. Schedule is anticipated to be 5 hours per day, 5 days per week, alternating afternoons and mornings. 

 Position start date is January 3, 2013

To apply, please send resume and cover letter to  work@movementresearch.org. Interviews will begin immediately, and we will make our decision as quickly as possible.No phone calls please.

Operations Manager oversees facilities and office operations for Movement Research, including studio use and upkeep, daily IT and technology related needs, bookkeeping, overseeing interns, human resources managements, and more. The Operations Manager will work as a team with other Movement Research staff to ensure that classes, programs, and events run smoothly and help troubleshoot any day-to-day administrative and programmatic needs. This position reports to the Executive Director. 

Qualifications Include:

Minimum 3 years (or equivalent experience) in Nonprofit or Arts Administration

Reliability and self-motivation

Exceptional communication & organizational skills

       An acute attention to detail

Technology and Software platforms required: PC and Mac-based Operating systems, with emphasis on PC; Quickbooks; Filemaker Pro; MS Office, particularly Excel and Word

Commitment to Movement Research's mission of serving and supporting experimentation in dance and movement-based forms 

Experience managing others and comfort in instructing co-workers is extremely helpful

Familiarity with Google Wallet, Constant Contact, Wordpress, and social networking is helpful but not required

Position is responsible for:

    Bookkeeping: Handling all Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable through Quickbooks, Google Wallet and MR's Custom Database (Filemaker Pro); Overseeing daily expenditures; Reporting to Executive Director regularly, Reconciling Bank, Cash and Credit Card Accounts in Quickbooks

    Human Resources: Managing Payroll, Health Insurance, 403(b) Plan, Employee and Contractor Records and Tax Forms, Maintaining current contracts with all program participants

    Office Management and IT: Setting office schedules and ensuring orderliness of space with help of staff and interns; Managing and maintaining email systems and office server; Maintaining organizational files, storage and archives; Overseeing and Managing Database; Keeping office and studio supplies fully stocked

    Facilities Management: Communication with landlords at various spaces regarding maintenance, repairs, supplies, etc.; Booking venues as needed for MR programs; Managing studio rental at Avenue C Studio and Eden's Expressway

    Intern program: overseeing interns and their schedules; volunteers as needed; interviewing and hiring interns as needed

 Programmatic assistance: Being available to help run and troubleshoot programs, including being an emergency contact for faculty, performers, etc.

LA poet Wanda Coleman ill, needs funds for care

Wanda Coleman needs your help
by David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, November 26, 2012

Harlem's new cultural center--MIST Harlem--to open Wednesday

New Harlem Cultural Center Ready to Open
by Felicia R. Lee, The New York Times, November 26, 2012

Dance...in support of Ai Weiwei

Some Funny Dancing to Help Ai Weiwei
By Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times, November 23, 2012

Getting better all the time...(dance community-style!)

Members of New York's dance community come together to offer messages of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth through the It Gets Better video campaign.

View the Group Message here.

View the complete playlist of NYC dance community videos here.

Join the conversation on Twitter at #IGBdance #SKYNOVA.

Reboot with Witness Relocation's Summer Bootcamp

Witness Relocation's Summer Bootcamp

for pre-professional and professional artists

June 10-22, 2013

A two week intensive dance/ theater workshop conducted in a newly renovated dance studio and the surrounding environs of a 23-acre former horse farm in the picturesque northeast Catskill Mountains.

    Create dynamic, genre-defying dance and theater.
    Learn techniques that focus on what is happening in the room, building material from what is on hand and spiraling out from there into surprising and endlessly inventive territory.
    Explore task based, problem solving methods that eliminate the pressure to “be creative” and simply allow you to work and make discoveries.
    Make sure what you do is continuously fun and exciting, as well as a little scary.
    For pre-professional and professional artists.

For complete details, including application information, click here.

Also on Facebook

Cynthia Oliver on choreography

Why I Choreograph
by Cynthia Oliver, Dance Magazine, December 2012

Happy 70th, Meredith Monk!

I'm wishing a grand, happy birthday to Meredith Monk who got the surprise of a charming little cake last evening at Danspace Project but really gave us all the most beautiful gift.

The special program, Pioneer Days, part of Danspace's PLATFORM 2012: Judson Now programming, included a screening of filmmaker Robert Withers' reconstruction of Monk's breakthrough 16 Millimeter Earrings Judson Memorial Church performance of 1966, filmed excerpts from the transcendent site-specific Songs of Ascension (2008), and reworked selections from pieces from the early '70s, constructing mosaics out of choice, unearthed shards from the past. The early Monk prepared the way for artists who now readily cross boundaries of genre and modalities and for audiences hungry for immersion in total experience and stimulation of all modes of perception.


Her art is more than voice, but even just her voice--or, rather, voices swooping, stretching, ululating, mewing, fluttering in rapid succession--can entice listeners to journey. Monk reminded us that her project is to heal the unnatural rifts between the arts unique to the modern Western approach and to counter our tendency to rely upon secondary experiences through cyberspace. Instead, she would have us engage with the "blood, guts and nerves" of live art where "we're all in the same space at the same time."

"Nothing can substitute for that," says this sage and shaman.

Dance Umbrella director will resign after 2013 season

Director of Britain’s Dance Umbrella to Step Down
by Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times, November 19, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Greenacre basket (c)2008, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

With gratitude for your friendship and support,

I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Eva Yaa Asantewaa

InfiniteBody

Watch this: There is a Place

From Essential Dance Film by TenduTv

Winner of the 2011 San Francisco Dance Film Festival, There is a Place combines the exquisite movement of renowned Tibetan dancer-choreographer, Sang Jijia, with the stunning landscapes of the Scottish highlands.

Meshell NdegeOcello's new tribute to Nina Simone

Me'shell NdegeOcello - Pour une âme souveraine - A Dedication to Nina Simone
by L. Michael Gipson, Soultracks.com, November 18, 2012

Dispute over the fate of a Cuban ballet school

Cuba Debates a Ballet Star’s Dream Project
by Victoria Burnett, The New York Times, November 15, 2012

Martin Fay, 76

Martin Fay, Fiddler With the Chieftains, Dies at 76
by Douglas Martin, The New York Times, November 16, 2012

What makes (a) Kelley Donovan dance?

What makes Kelley Donovan dance? And what makes a Kelley Donovan dance? Find out a little of that below, and find out more on Friday, December 7, when Kelley Donovan & Dancers presents Entwined--an evening-length dance exploring connection and interdependence--at Gibney Dance Center.

From Kelley Donovan's Entwined (2012) Photo by Randall Collura

This new work has a greater emphasis on partnering and relationship, exploring the gray area between the extremes of purely classical modern dance and theatrical narrative. I am very interested, through this work, in exploring how abstract dance can be expressive. I am also interested in the musical qualities of the moving body, and in the energy the individual performer projects whether tentative, aggressive or somewhere in between and finding sounds that emphasize that person's energy so you see them as an individual. I am curious about the progression of that energy and how that can create a sort of organic or visceral movement narrative that emerges within the work simply from the range of dynamics and shifts of dynamics as the work progresses. -- Kelley Donovan

from Kelley Donovan's Made of Paper (2010) Photo by Di Zhang

I am most interested in dance that expresses the intimate self through movement, ranging from soft fluidity to athletic physicality. A non-linear series of images and serpentine movement gathers strength in its accumulation of details, gestures and exchanges of energy with one another. -- Kelley Donovan

Among other notable dance critics, Boston-based Marcia B. Siegel (The Phoenix) hailed an earlier work by Donovan: 

The piece transcended the ordinary… Donovan's movement…is lush and lyrical. Few choreographers today have such a clear sense of space and continuity.

Kelley Donovan & Dances in Entwined
Friday, December 7 (7:30pm)
For information, click here or call 617-388-3247.
 
Gibney Dance Center
890 Broadway (at 19th Street), Manhattan (5th Floor)
(map/directions)

New York Public Radio to archive August Wilson plays

New York Public Radio to Record August Wilson’s Plays
by Felicia R. Lee, The New York Times, November 14, 2012

Post-Sandy: Brooklyn indie music benefit for Occupy Sandy

Indie Bands Join Forces for Hurricane Benefit in Brooklyn
by James C. McKinley Jr., The New York Times, November 14, 2012

Post-Sandy: New York's art galleries fight to recover

Amid Recovery, Reports of Sandy’s Damage to Art Institutions Keep Coming
by Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, November 13, 2012

Post-Sandy: Klaus Biesenbach and the Rockaways cleanup

Curating a Relief Effort on the Beach 
by Julia Chaplin, The New York Times, November 14, 2012

Alf Kumalo, photographer, 82

Alf Kumalo, Whose Photography Indicted Apartheid, Dies at 82
by Bruce Weber, The New York Times, November 14, 2012

National Book Award goes to Louise Erdrich

Novel About Racial Injustice Wins National Book Award
by Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, November 14, 2012

Will Barnet, 101

Will Barnet, Visionary Artist, Dies at 101
by Ken Johnson, The New York Times, November 13, 2012

A celebration of Apollo Theater history

The Apollo Theater to Relive Its Storied Past
by James C. McKinley Jr., The New York Times, November 13

Globalfest producers announce multicultural music lineup

Zimbabwean to Headline Globalfest 2013
by James C. McKinley Jr., The New York Times, November 13, 2012

Jeu d' Esprit...indeed!

I need a little break...and so do you!

So, I'm posting a link to a lovely dance film, Jeu d' Esprit, by Amelia Golden, shot live at the Baryshnikov Arts Center.

soloist James A. Pierce III
choreography by Mitzi Adams of the Adams Company Dance

Click here.

Isaiah Sheffer, 76

Isaiah Sheffer, a Founder of Symphony Space, Dies at 76
by Douglas Martin, The New York Times, November 10, 2012

Book Awards go for glamour

Book Awards Seek a Bigger Splash, Red Carpet and All
by Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, November 11, 2012

Aileen Passloff: Dancing, the deepest speaking

It’s essential that people have something in their heads besides dancing. When you dance, you have your history behind you—where you’ve come from, who your friends are, where you ate dinner last night, your dreams. All that is part of the person who is dancing. I am frightened by looking at a dancer in whom there is only dancing going on.

I have known from when I was quite tiny, long before I ever trained at all, that dancing was a powerful speaking from inside oneself, and that it mattered and changed things. Dancing is the deepest kind of speaking we can do.

Aileen Passloff, from "Teacher's Wisdom: Aileen Passloff" 

by Michael Bloom (Dance Magazine: December 2010)

Vera List award goes to Chicago's Theaster Gates

New School Prize Goes to Theaster Gates
by Randy Kennedy, The New York Times, November 11, 2012

related:

In Grand Crossing, a House Becomes a Home for Art
by Rachel Cromidas, The New York Times, April 7, 2011

Meet CollectiveDWNM's new Executive Committee members!

Former CollectiveDWNM/Leadership Circle interns Hayley Muth and Dale Amanda O'Reilly have accepted founder Eva Yaa Asantewaa's invitation to join the Executive Committee in recognition of their demonstrated talent, initiative and commitment to the mission of this organization.
Meet Hayley and Dale here and, we hope, at many future events:

Hayley Muth graduated with a BFA in dance, summa cum laude, in 2010 from the University of Colorado - Boulder.  There, she fell in love with modern dance and dance writing while studying primarily under Gabe Masson and Erika Randall. Since she moved to New York, Hayley's curiosity for movement has ensued. She has studied with as many teachers as possible (Doug Varone and company, the Trisha Brown company, Zvi Gotheiner, and more) and performed around the city (Triskelion, The Kitchen, Dance New Amsterdam). She has acquired a yoga teacher certification through OM Yoga.  Hayley currently works as the Assistant House Manager at the Joyce Theater.

In 2008, Dale Amanda O’Reilly received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with Honors from Columbia College Chicago. There she studied dance technique, choreography and criticism under Liz Burritt, Richard Woodbury, Peter Carpenter, Banu Ogan, Paige Cunningham and Carrie Hanson. Since then she has had the pleasure of working with The Seldoms, a Chicago-based contemporary dance company, independent choreographer Lisa Gonzales and Orlando based independent choreographer McClaine Timmerman.

What's the next stage? A residency at Pittsburgh's Kelly Strayhorn

Pittsburgh's Kelly Strayhorn Theater announces a call for applicants for the 2013 Next Stage Artist Residency Program. The Next Stage Residency supports the creation of new work by choreographers. Next Stage gives talented choreographers the opportunity to explore and develop new material in the historic and beautiful Kelly Strayhorn Theater.

Application Deadline: Friday, November 30, 2012

Selected choreographers receive a one-week creative residency with a presentation showing of the work at the end of the residency week. Choreographers are required to participate in all residency activities.

For complete programmatic and application details, click here.

Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele virtuoso, to play NYU Skirball

It is rare for a young musician to earn comparisons to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. It is even harder to find an artist who has entirely redefined an instrument by his early thirties. Jake Shimabukuro has already accomplished these feats and more on the ukulele. Yes, the ukulele.

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts will present An Evening with Jake Shimabukuro, the blazingly talented musician who has turned the traditional Hawaiian ukulele into a sensitive instrument capable of channeling any music thrown at it--from rock to jazz to flamenco.

If you're not already hip to Shimabukuro, here are some lovely YouTube videos:

Official Jake Shimabukuro EPK

Blue Roses Falling

Official Jake Shimabukuro YouTube channel
See him on Friday, November 30 (8pm). Click here for details and tickets.

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
566 LaGuardia Place, Manhattan
corner of LaGuardia Place and Washington Square South

(map/directions)

Ted Curson, jazz trumpeter, 77

Ted Curson, Trumpeter of the New and the Blue, Dies at 77
by Nate Chinen, The New York Times, November 8, 2012

Post-Sandy: Asia Society helps Staten Island students and families

Dear Members and Friends of the Asia Society,

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, we hope our greater New York members are safe.  We have been assessing how best to assist those who are still without power, heat or homes.  Thanks to a close and profound connection, we have found the answer.  The College of Staten Island High School for International Studies, or CSI for short, was founded as a partnership between Asia Society's International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) and the New York City Department of Education in 2005.  It’s been a great success, by every measure.  Now the CSI needs our help, in a very different way.

As many of you know, the storm took particularly brutal aim at Staten Island.  While the CSI school did not suffer significant damage, fifteen of its students lost their homes to the storm, and the homes of many more students suffered damage, the loss of utilities and other hardships.  Many families have been displaced from their homes – and it’s not clear when it will be deemed safe to return.

Asia Society’s Brandon Wiley – who has worked with CSI over the years – has been in touch with the school principal and superintendent.  Yesterday the superintendent told Brandon they have received some donations, and she was particularly supportive of our wish to help.  She suggested we work with the school to determine the greatest needs.  So with the help of Asia Society board members, we are setting up a fund for the children and families of the CSI school.  Brandon Wiley will shepherd our efforts to help gauge the most pressing needs in that community.  Asia Society will also contribute to this effort from cost-paring at this week’s awards dinner.

Many Asia Society staffers and trustees have already donated their time and money to help; and some colleagues have suffered the effects of long power outages and gas shortages and the like.  Still, once we arrive at our offices at the Asia Society headquarters – by long walks, or bikes, in car pools or jammed buses - we cannot help but feel the disconnect.  Here we are along an unscathed and never-blacked-out patch of Manhattan; a few miles to the south and east, so many people are suffering.  So we hope our fund will make a difference, for a group of children and their families with whom we already have a great bond.  We ask that members of the Asia Society "family" consider a gift.  All donations will be administered to those who need them most.

A few more words about CSI: In the mold of all ISSN schools, CSI holds to the mission of graduating globally competent and college - and career-ready students.  With approximately 526 students, CSI is one of New York City's top ranked 20 public high schools, and # 1 on Staten Island.  The CSI faculty and staff provide a rigorous and globally-focused learning experience for all who pass through their doors.  Asia Society is a proud partner of CSI, supporting their development and growth since its inception.

Asia Society prides itself on being a global organization, as well as a place of intellectual engagement and an important part of New York’s cultural landscape. We are committed to assisting the local community during this time of need. 

If you wish to contribute, please make checks payable to Asia Society/Hurricane Relief. Checks should be sent to Asia Society/Hurricane Relief at 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021.

As always, we appreciate your support.

With thanks,

Henrietta H. Fore, Co-Chair, Asia Society
Ronnie C. Chan, Co-Chair, Asia Society
Tom Nagorski, Executive Vice President

Kyle Abraham awarded residency by New York Live Arts

Kyle Abraham Gets New New York Live Arts Residency
by Felicia R. Lee, The New York Times, November 7, 2012

Wetlands' Larry Bloch, 59

Larry Bloch, Built the Wetlands Club, Dies at 59
by James C. McKinley Jr., The New York Times, November 3, 2012

(How) Do we value dance and dancers?

How does the current climate affect our lives and artistic work, and vice versa? What creative insights and understandings, structures and alternatives, have manifest during this time of financial challenge. 

Movement Research held its third annual town hall last evening at Joyce SoHo, hosted by Diana Crum (MR's Development Manager) and MR's Artist Advisory Council and moderated by Dana Whitco (Director, Center for Creative Research). The roughly three-hour discussion forum encouraged artists to share perspectives on the impact of the US recession on their personal and professional lives. Offering an overview of the evening's theme, choreographer Kathy Westwater spoke of "living in the worst economic environment of our lifetimes" but also noted that the arts have often flourished in times of economic crisis. "Does that create an opening for us?" she wondered.

In a structured forum--five minutes per speaker--Jen Abrams, Ilona Bito, Daria Fain, Jill Sigman and Enrico Wey shared varied experiences and ideas. These ranged from remarks on how both trust and fear are lodged in our kidneys and the necessity of changing our paradigms (Fain) to Occupy Wall Street as "performance score" (Bito) to a cautionary tale of how landing an apparently stable Broadway gig--thereby becoming "one of the 1%"--doesn't necessarily promote well-being (Wey).

Sigman--decrying the prevailing scarcity-mindedness of artists--redirected our attention to "what we do have" and described how a sudden awareness of the ongoing potential in trash led to her notable series of site-specific works, The Hut Project built around all kinds of recycled, re-purposed garbage. She spoke of how this new approach shifted her attention from conventional dance audiences and their expectations to people who share her values, who care about the same things. She found herself to be "not interested in meeting budget projections" but connecting to existing subcultures such as dumpster-diving meetup groups. She pondered how to "choreograph your values." Abrams--a co-creator of the bartering organization for artists, OurGoods--also chose to turn away from conventional channels of exchange and validation where, she says, artists experience a paucity of respect and acknowledgement. "How I know that my work is valuable is through the relationships I have forged with colleagues."

Underlying all of these sharings, and the subsequent contributions by others in attendance, was an often internalized conflict of values. In a money-driven society, artists feel pressured to fit their work--how they define it, package it, promote it--into a narrow, consumerist framework in which their only value, and the purpose of their creative labor, lies in growing into a strong economic engine for their communities. Fain noted our society's fixation on "stars." She said of more process-oriented artists, such as the ones drawn to Movement Research, "We're not perceived to be affecting culture."

The conversation circled back to issues of getting paid vs. not getting paid-- there are bills to pay, after all, and they can't be bartered away--and the fear of asking for what you need and deserve. How many artists feel empowered to ask about pay before they commit to a project?

Side discussions with Dance New Amsterdam's Catherine Peila during the break and, afterwards, with Peila and Fain led me to the conclusion that none of the opportunities hidden in crisis will be seized until dance artists reclaim a power ceded to others--presenters, funders, media--the power to name their own work and uphold their own values. I wish there had been time to begin this process last night. Perhaps Movement Research or some other community organization can hold a forum to create new language and tools to make this transformation possible.

Post-Sandy: The Kitchen sustains severe damage

Statement from The Kitchen

Dear Kitchen community,

Like thousands of others in New York and New Jersey, The Kitchen was impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Four feet of flooding filled the building’s theater and lobby spaces, severely damaging the floors, walls, doors, box office, lighting, and sound equipment required to house performances. Initial estimates of the loss are between $400,000 and $500,000, if not above, depending on how much material The Kitchen is able to salvage.

In the spirit of artistic resolve, The Kitchen is currently doing everything in their power to keep this season’s program intact, beginning with Richard Maxwell’s Neutral Hero, and Matt Keegan and Eileen Quinlan’s exhibition in the gallery. But at present they are simply unable to say precisely when they will be able to reopen.

The Kitchen’s Benefit Auction, which was slated for Monday, November 12, will be postponed to Monday, November 26, either at The Kitchen or at a to-be-determined alternative location. The proceeds from this annual benefit are essential to The Kitchen’s program and operations in general, but particularly today as they face the rebuild.

While there are countless others in even greater need after Hurricane Sandy, we ask that you keep the benefit in mind for any arts fundraising coverage you may do in the coming days.

The Kitchen’s Executive Director and Chief Curator Tim Griffin says, “As we do our best to reopen, our thoughts are with the people of New York and New Jersey hit so hard by the storm. And we look forward to welcoming artists and audiences back to The Kitchen as quickly as possible.”

We will update you on any schedule changes for the rest of the Fall/Winter 2012 season, including the next installment of The Kitchen L.A.B., Adrienne Truscott's Too Freedom (a dance show), and Camille Henrot and Joakim's Psychopompe (music/performance).

Workshop on press and media relations

The Field presents

Press and Media Relations

with Jodine N. Dorce

Tuesday, November 13, 6:30-9pm

at The Field
161 Sixth Avenue (at Spring Street), Manhattan
14th Floor
(SUBWAY: C, E to Spring Street; 1 to Houston Street)

$40/$25 for Field Members

This workshop will show you how to create an integrated press and social media strategy, highlighting differences between traditional marketing practices and digital media communications. Learn how to build media relationships and measure the effectiveness of your communication efforts.

To register, click here.

Post-Sandy: We still love New York...and got the t-shirt to prove it!

Artist Lets Public Wear Concern for Storm Victims on Their Sleeves, and Chests
by Liz Robbins, The New York Times, November 5, 2012

Paradise Theater, Bronx icon, damaged in fire

Fire Badly Damages Paradise Theater, a Bronx Landmark
by THE NEW YORK TIMES, November 5, 2012

Elliott Carter, 103 [UPDATE]

Elliott Carter, Composer Who Decisively Snapped Tradition, Dies at 103
by Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, November 5, 2012

Elliott Carter, Master of Complexity
by Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, November 6, 2012

Post-Sandy: Dances for the Day of the Dead

Gathering to Dance Amid Tragedy
by Julie Turkewitz, The New York Times, November 5, 2012

Keeping time with Geri Allen and Maurice Chestnut

Jazz Standard 

presents

 Geri Allen’s Timeline Band

Wednesday-Sunday, November 28-December 2, 7:30PM and 9:30PM 
(additional 11:30PM set on Friday & Saturday)


Geri Allen – piano
Kenny Davis – bass
Kassa Overall – drums
Maurice Chestnut – tap dancing

In 2009, Geri Allen recorded performances at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio and Reed College in Oregon to create the first live album of her stellar career. For these shows, Geri led a truly unique group that combined the kinetic talents of her piano trio with those of tap dancer Maurice Chestnut, “who brings magical footwork and musicianship in the vein of the late Gregory Hines and contemporaries Savion Glover.” (Mark F. Turner, AllAboutJazz.com) The resulting CD, simply titled Live and released in 2010 on the Dig imprint, was hailed by The New York Times as “the rewardingly bold new statement from Ms. Allen, a wise and dynamic pianist, and Timeline, her sharp young working band.” Jazz Standard welcomes Geri Allen and Timeline for four gala nights in the great jazz/tap tradition – make your reservations now!

About Maurice Chestnut: One of tap's brightest young stars, Maurice Chestnut is an original member of the New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble. His extensive list of credits includes his appearance at Carnegie Hall and throughout Europe with the Geri Allen trio as a featured soloist, and his performances in productions with Savion Glover such as Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring In 'Da Funk, Improvography, Classical Savion, Tappin' Into Monk, Invitation to the Dancer and on ABC-TV's Dancing With The Stars. At the turn of the 21st century, the Newark Star Ledger's arts reviewers named Maurice "one of the twenty New Jersey faces to watch for in the new century."

Straight from Newark, New Jersey, Maurice Chestnut introduces tap as an instrument. Maurice takes from his classical rhythm tap training and infuses hip-hop, funk and soul. Maurice Chestnut began dancing at the age of 5, under the direction of Mr. Alfred Gallman. At the age of 9 Maurice joined his first professional dance company; New Jersey Tap Ensemble. Under the direction of Ms. Deborah Mitchell with NJTE. He is currently principle dancer and choreography with the ensemble. Maurice brings us the soul which can only be inspired from the Hoofing greats, watching him dance is like walking through Harlem in the 1940's. Maurice has performed at many prestigious events such as; The Apollo Theater, where he was crowned Top Dog performer, Carnegie Hall yearly Jazz Festival, as well as the Playboy Jazz Festival. He was also featured on Sally Jesse Raphael's My Kid's a Star. At the age of fourteen Maurice was named one of New Jersey’s artists to watch in the "New Millennium". He was also a gold medalist in the NAACP's Act-So competition and was featured on the TV special. He has also had the opportunity to be on tour in the Tony award winning Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk, with Savion Glover. Maurice is working with Savion again, currently touring with his Improvographgy tour. His off- Broadway credits include Shades of Harlem, The Wiz, as well as Bubbling Brown Sugar, directed by illustrious George Faison at Atlanta's Fox Theater, where he played the role of Bumpy Johnson. Mr. Chestnut is now fusing tap as a live instrument in a band, he is touring with a show entitled Can I Hit That.

To purchase tickets, contact Jazz Standard at 212-576-2232.

Jazz Standard116 East 27th Street (between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue), Manhattan
(map/directions)

Post-Sandy: LMCC's list of emergency resources

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council offers resources for artists and others impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Click here.

Post-Sandy: Emergency resources for artists and others

Grantmakers in the Arts's Web site offers a good list of emergency resources for artists and others affected by Hurricane Sandy. Click this link:

Emergency Readiness, Response & Recovery
HURRICANE SANDY RECOVERY RESOURCES

If dancing's in your DNA, then dance at DNA: Special post-Sandy class discounts [UPDATE]

See below for an important update: 

Now you can EXERCISE at DNA, too!

Dance New Amsterdam invites you to cure your cabin fever, now through November 17!

It’s been a rough few days, thanks to Hurricane Sandy. But we’re ready to get dancing again, and we’d like to make it a little easier on your wallet to say goodbye to Sandy.

From Nov 3-10, we’d like to offer you a buy one get one half off deal on classes. Buy one class at the regular price, get another one for half off that day. We will be running on a limited class schedule, so try a new teacher or genre. Anything to get moving again, right?

From Nov 11-17, we’re bringing back our 11 for $11 class card deal. We think everyone needs a little break at this time, so we’re going to open this one back up to nonmembers as well as members. DNA members are eligible to purchase TWO class cards; nonmembers can purchase ONE.

Purchase your 11 for $11 card November 11-17
Not a member yet? Purchase a membership now to be eligible for TWO 11 for $11 class cards!

Click here to see our full member benefits

*Both BOGO classes must be used on the same day. All BOGO classes expire on November 10, 2012. Limit one 11 for $11 card per nonmember, two cards per member. Two month use from activation date. One month extensions are available for a fee. Cards must be activated by January 1, 2013. Sale ends Saturday, November 17 at 11:59pm.

Complete information here

UPDATE: Step right up and meet DNA's new partner, FitEngine!

Fitness @ DNA is designed for the 9-5er, always on the go and always wishing for a little more time. Who can take an hour off to go to the gym? Not you. So DNA is offering 20- and 40-minute classes designed to tone, stretch, and shape your body but not take up your entire day.

Get a schedule of classes and complete information here.

Movement Research: Moving right along...but carefully!

Post-Sandy, the intrepid Movement Research folks have postponed their Studies Project event, Jill Johnston and the Critic as Subject, originally scheduled for this afternoon at The New Museum. However, the following events are still on:

• Studies Projects
  November 5, 6:30 pm
  Movement Research Town Hall Meeting
• Studies Projects
  November 6, 6:45 pm
  JUDSON THROUGH THE EYES OF FILMMAKERS
  $10; $8 students/seniors/Friends of MR; $6 Anthology Members
  MR in Partnership with Anthology Film Archives

For complete details on these and other Movement Research programs, click here.

Contemporary visual art from India

Indian Images Reflect the Present
A Review of ‘Goddess, Lion, Peasant, Priest,’ in Ewing
by Tammy La Gorce, The New York Times, November 2, 2012

DFA is moving men...on screen

On Wednesday, November 7, Dance Films Association presents BEYOND THE STAGE: MOVING MEN ON SCREEN at 7:30pm at Dixon Place.

Riffing on Dixon Place’s popular series, Moving Men, DFA curates an evening of men dancing on screen for Beyond the Stage: Moving Men on Screen. Hosted by Vernon Scott, the evenings will transition from live performance to a collection of films created by, featuring, and celebrating the male dancer.  DFA will screen films by some of our fiscally sponsored projects alongside short dance films and other works in progress. The Lounge, the friendly, neighborhood LES bar in Dixon Place, will be open before at 6:00pm, during, and after the performance until midnight for theater patrons.

For ticket information (including discounts for DFA members), click here.

Dixon Place
161A Chrystie Street (between Delancey and Rivington Streets), Manhattan
(map/directions)

Bill Viola retrospective

A Sea of Solitary Islands Coming Together
by Hilarie M. Sheets, The New York Times, October 26, 2012

Casting call for "Then She Fell" [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Please note that applications are still being accepted and the audition has been pushed forward to November 11 (as updated below).

***** 

I'm just able to get to a lot of email requests and information now. So, please forgive me for getting the word out late about this casting call. Due to post-Sandy conditions and delays, I would suggest that if you're still interested in this project, contact TRP and find out if you can still apply.

Third Rail Projects is looking for performers for the extension of their immersive work, Then She Fell, as well as future site-specific projects slated for 2013.  It is important for performers to be available from mid-December until mid-March to be part of a second cast for Then She Fell.

We are seeking performers with: a strong contemporary dance background and at least three years of professional performance experience; comfort and experience  moving in a site-specific context, for example on architecture (furniture, walls, tables, staircases); the ability to move athletically in aggressive, heightened choreography as well as an ability to execute simple, uninflected pedestrian actions; experience with dynamic partnering;  a willingness and comfort using voice and speech; and the ability to embody a character and interact personally and in close proximity to audience members.

Although we are looking to meet a range of dancers and performers, our most immediate needs for Then She Fell have specific requirements. We are currently seeking two female dancers with shoulder length (or longer), medium to dark brown hair and one male dancer with excellent partnering skills. If you do not meet these criteria, you are still encouraged to apply as we are also casting for future projects at this time.

Please send your resume (can also be in bio format) and a photo that best represents you as an artist to jennine@thirdrailprojects.com .  We will also accept links to online videos of your work.  Please include your height and hair color, as well as any blocks of time that you would be unavailable between December 2012 and July 2013.  We will select and contact the first round of candidates for a workshop with Third Rail Projects Artistic Directors on November 11 from 10-4pm.

Jennine Willett Millman
Co-Artistic Director
THIRD RAIL PROJECTS

Queer: "those of us who listen to the unknown...."

How does the idea of queerness relate to your work and process?
by Kris Wheeler, STANCE: The Journal of Choreographic Culture, October 22, 2012

Help New Jersey recover

Want to help out New Jerseyans impacted by Hurricane Sandy? Here's a good Facebook link to find out how:

NewJerseyNeeds

Post-Sandy volunteer opportunities, Lower East Side: Fourth Arts Block

Fourth Arts Block is accepting and providing information on assistance and volunteer opportunities in the Lower East Side community.

Visit the FAB site to find out how you can help or to post you or your organization's needs and requests.

Sandy: How did the dance community fare?

How are you doing? If you're in the dance community, check out the Twitter hashtag #sandydance and contribute your story.

Yvonne Rainer "flashlight matinee" cancelled

Danspace Project UPDATE: All Yvonne Rainer performances have been cancelled, including the "flashlight" matinee scheduled for Saturday, November 3rd. Please visit http://www.danspaceproject.org/ for information on the January rescheduling of these events.

Chelsea art galleries take a hit in Sandy crisis

Chelsea Art Galleries Struggle to Restore and Reopen
by Roberta Smith, The New York Times, November 2, 2012

Historic loss for Graham company in hurricane crisis

Martha Graham Sets and Costumes Damaged by Hurricane Sandy
by Daniel J. Wakin, The New York Times, November 2, 2012

"From There to Here" event postponed

Collective for Dance Writing and New Media's "From There to Here" event with Rashaun Mitchell, Silas Riener and Nancy Dalva, scheduled for Monday, November 5 at Dance New Amsterdam, has been postponed due to post-Sandy conditions.

We wish the very best to all people affected by this devastating storm.