Artists Reach Out: Joanna Furnans

Dear friends,

Welcome to Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. I dreamed this series of interviews out of grief for my work both as a documenting arts writer and curator of live performance. In this time of social distancing, we are called to responsibly do all we can to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. It is, literally, a matter of life and death.

But there's no distancing around what we still can share with one another--our experiences, thoughts, wisdom, humor, hearts and spirit. In some ways, there are more opportunities to do so as we pull back from everyday busyness out in the world and have time to honor the call of our inner lives.

So, let me introduce you to some artists I find interesting. I'm glad they're part of our beautiful community, and I'm eager to engage with them again (or for the first time) in years to come.

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody

Joanna Furnans

Joanna Furnans
Doing Fine at The Yard
(photo: Sally Cohn)

Joanna Furnans is an independent dance artist based in Chicago. Her work has been supported by a MANCC Forward Dialogues Laboratory, an Offshore Creation Residency at the Yard, an Institutional Incubator Sponsorship at High Concept Labs, a Chicago Dancemaker’s Forum Lab Artist Award, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Chicago Dancers’ Fund, the Chicago Moving Company, Links Hall, and the Walker Art Center’s Choreographer’s Evening. Furnans is certified Pilates Mat instructor and a freelance dance writer. She is the co-founder and managing editor of the Performance Response Journal.

Joanna Furnans
Doing Fine at High Concept Labs
(photo: Gonzalo Guzman)

Do you have a current or planned project whose progress is affected by the pandemic?

Yeah, back in February, I built a new piece with students at Columbia College that was supposed to premiere in their Spring Concert. I’m pretty bummed about that, because I love what we made! The fourteen dancers in the piece did an incredible job in the creative process and are super-talented young artists. I was really looking forward to seeing it on stage.

I’m also missing rehearsals right now for a new collaborative duet that is supposed to premiere in November. We’ll see what ends up happening with that.

Lastly, I was in the midst of organizing a DIY tour of my evening-length solo Doing Fine for the fall of 2020, but a chunk of funding for that fell through. Plus, I’m not sure how we will proceed with performances going forward. So, I’m thinking the tour will need to be postponed or maybe cancelled altogether.

Briefly, tell me about how you got involved in the arts and in your particular practice.

I was put into ballet class at the age of 5 or so. I wasn’t great at it but I paid very close attention to the instructions and the rules and the sequence of choreography. It’s a family joke that I was the “first ash out of the fireplace” in my small, suburban studio’s rendition of Cinderella. I guess I was the most serious 5 year-old in my class so the teacher knew I could lead all the other “ashes” to their places on stage.

But I dropped ballet when we moved to a new town, and I began taking jazz instead. A couple years later I added tap, then wove ballet back in, and eventually I was exposed to modern dance at the Hartford Conservatory in Connecticut. That was a game changer because I was a big theater kid too; I loved drama. I was always looking for a way to combine my love of drama with my love of dance but musical theater was definitely not the answer.

One late night early in high school I was mindlessly flipping through TV channels and I came across some kind of performance on an obscure public access channel. It was dance, but it was complicated and layered and used text and projection and there were a ton of different body-types! I was transfixed. I thought, “This is it. This is exactly what I want to do.” I’ve never been able to track down exactly what it was that I saw, but I have a feeling it was the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane company.

Now I make dances, I dance in dances, I write about dances, and I advocate for independent dance artists.

In a more specific way, what are you practicing? And what are you envisioning?

I’m trying to envision a better life for myself and for all of us in this field; our old systems weren’t working, we’ve known this. As terrible as this pandemic is, society seems to be handing us time to resist and re-imagine.

It shouldn’t have taken a global crisis to really wake me up.
I want a life with less economic pressure, more time, more fresh air, and more reflection. Before this happened, I was working almost 70 hours a week between five different jobs, and I could still barely come up with the health insurance money my wife (who is a visual artist) and I needed. It was a nightmare. I refuse to go back to the way it was.

So as the unemployment rolls in, I am practicing making pancakes. I’m practicing exercise by walking with masks and gloves six miles to our studio every other day. I’m practicing getting out of my own head by reaching out to others. I’m practicing being a studio assistant for my wife’s latest installation; cutting and measuring copper wires and detaching magnets. I’m practicing reconnecting with old friends and reading about global policies. I’m practicing sleep. I’m practicing Pilates and a tiny bit of Qi gong.

Every now and then I’ll get the urge to dance, so I’ll throw on some music and have at it. It generally lasts about fifteen minutes and usually sustains me for a week.

I don’t know, maybe I’m more of a thinking choreographer, a mind’s-eye maker, a moving image designer, a weaver of conceptual textures. Whatever is going on, I trust that it is research. And, quite frankly, I could care less about production right now.

How does your practice and your visioning align with what you most care about?

It feels almost impossible to consider what I “most care about.” Unfortunately, it is both too broad and too specific for me to focus on right now. In this time of crisis I toggle between caring about all people and the health and well-being of our societies and caring about almost nothing but my immediate life. I can go from altruism to solipsism in a matter of hours. It’s not cute.

But hey, I think the practices I just described are relatively aligned with that.

How does your practice function within the world we have now?

It functions within and because of its confines.

Crap. Isn’t that how it has always functioned?

Just when I thought I was trying to resist and re-imagine....

******

DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

******

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Artists Reach Out: Peter Sciscioli

Dear friends,

Welcome to Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. I dreamed this series of interviews out of grief for my work both as a documenting arts writer and curator of live performance. In this time of social distancing, we are called to responsibly do all we can to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. It is, literally, a matter of life and death.

But there's no distancing around what we still can share with one another--our experiences, thoughts, wisdom, humor, hearts and spirit. In some ways, there are more opportunities to do so as we pull back from everyday busyness out in the world and have time to honor the call of our inner lives.

So, let me introduce you to some artists I find interesting. I'm glad they're part of our beautiful community, and I'm eager to engage with them again (or for the first time) in years to come.

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody

Peter Sciscioli

Peter Sciscioli
(photos: Anna M. Maynard)

Peter Sciscioli is a Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary performer, creator, educator and producer whose work encompasses dance, music, theater and film. Since 1997, he has been creating performance works through a choreographic lens with a wide variety of collaborators in venues around the world. In 2012, Peter founded the International Interdisciplinary Artists Consortium (IIAC), a network of artists and producers working across disciplines and cultures, designed to share resources. As a performer, he has worked closely with Jane Comfort and Daria Faïn, and with Meredith Monk in various capacities. Peter has taught his approach to Voice as Movement in Central and North America, co-initiated The Sounding Body workshop series at Movement Research (MR) and currently offers private lessons online. He has received recent support of his work and initiatives from MR’s Global Practice Sharing (GPS) program and the U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Each summer Peter also serves as facilitator for a IIAC residency and Moving Arts Lab, a festival meeting ground for interdisciplinary exploration, at Earthdance in Western Massachusetts. www.petersciscioli.com

La Voz Como Movimiento

Do you have a current or planned project whose progress is affected by the pandemic?

For the last two years I’ve been engaged in a group process intended to deepen my research and practice of an approach to the voice and body I call “Voice as Movement.” Initially, I invited a few colleagues to explore some ideas and inquiries, and that process has evolved into creating a work that can eventually be shared with others.

We’d intended to move to a next-stage this spring, but instead have continued meeting once a week online. In some ways, living through this pandemic has allowed us to deepen our process, allowing something to unfold in its own time and in connection to the now, and acknowledging that the process itself has inherent value. Those have been some of the gifts. Much gratitude goes to Sara Galassini, Luisa Muhr and Petra van Noort for continuing to share their wisdom, care and curiosity so generously.

Briefly, tell me about how you got involved in the arts and in your particular practice.

“Voice as Movement” is informed by years of engaging in music, theater, movement and energy work, and has evolved over the last ten years or so. As a child, I studied Western classical violin and performed in musical theater and operas. I later acted in plays and began formal dance training in college. After graduating, I moved to Chicago where I was fortunate to join Chicago Moving Company under the tutelage of Nana Shineflug, one of the city’s matriarchs of modern dance who specialized in activating the chi-body. I also performed, taught, choreographed and was an administrator for Hedwig Dances, directed by Jan Bartoszek.

After moving to New York in 2002 I started working with Meredith Monk, from whom, along with members of her Vocal Ensemble, I’ve learned immeasurably. Later performing with Jane Comfort and Company and Daria Faïn allowed me to grow in both a dance theater practice and in energetic work, respectively.

In a more specific way, what are you practicing? And what are you envisioning?

In a large sense, I think what I’m practicing is integration. The group process combines somatic practices, voice and violin, while drawing inspiration from a theatrical source as well as a companion planting method and a connection with nature (Three Sisters). My ongoing teaching encourages a deepening into the connections between breathing, movement and the voice. This extends to a personal practice of checking in daily on how I’m feeling, using similar practices I share with others, and trying to nurture myself through a variety of means. While a mantra for me during the pandemic has been “one day at a time”, I’m trusting a continuation of these practices and I would like to envision physical spaces that we can return to, in order to experience direct connection, sharing, and learning with others in the near and safer future.

How does your practice and your visioning align with what you most care about?

I’ve always been interested in and curious about what makes us feel more alive. While engaging in the arts from a young age was exciting and liberating, I later discovered and was able to identify an emergent value system underlying all of these practices. While self-expression is a way of sharing ourselves with the world, I’ve found that ego can often get in the way. One of the things I value most is the ability to attune to oneself and others at the same time. These practices have helped me learn how to listen, to trust in intuition, to be vulnerable, to be strong, to feel connection and a sense of community, and to learn how to communicate through the wisdom of the body. Being able to engage in them with others erases boundaries so that we can connect more on a soul level, expanding our perception beyond ourselves. Kindness, care and compassion feel like deepening presences along the way.

How does your practice function within the world we have now?

While I’m very grateful to be able to continue with these practices right now, the shape of them has changed. Nothing can replace in-person-ness, direct exchanges of energy, the sense of touch and being physically affected by being in the same time and place as other people. The shift to teaching online sometimes impedes my ability to perceive what is happening physically in a person’s body, both visually and aurally, though a good deal is still possible, and I think, is of use. In the group practice, we can’t all sing at the same time and hear each other, nor can we obviously explore what’s physically possible between us. There are distinct limitations. At the same time, the fact that this technology is out there is amazing. I also try to remember the simple fact that we are all living in a body and that it’s through the body that we perceive the world. I continue to be humbled by the ability, abundance of inquiry, contemplation and knowledge that is available to me.

******

DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

******

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Artists Reach Out: Kara Gilmour

Dear friends,

Welcome to Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. I dreamed this series of interviews out of grief for my work both as a documenting arts writer and curator of live performance. In this time of social distancing, we are called to responsibly do all we can to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. It is, literally, a matter of life and death.

But there's no distancing around what we still can share with one another--our experiences, thoughts, wisdom, humor, hearts and spirit. In some ways, there are more opportunities to do so as we pull back from everyday busyness out in the world and have time to honor the call of our inner lives.

So, let me introduce you to some artists I find interesting. I'm glad they're part of our beautiful community, and I'm eager to engage with them again (or for the first time) in years to come.

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody

Kara Gilmour

Kara Gilmour and son, Abie Temple
(photo: Tim Sternberg)

Kara Gilmour is Gibney's Senior Director of Community Action and Strategic Initiatives. She brings years of experience developing artistic and public programs as well as education and health initiatives. Kara works to develop community engagement strategies crafted through collaboration and anchored in the artistic process. Her work at Gibney focuses on nurturing innovative partnerships with artists, foundations, city agencies, community-based organizations, and collegial institutions. There is a shared goal of integrating art and creativity into civic conversations and public policies to effect social change, as well as providing new avenues for sustainable artistic careers.

Prior to joining Gibney, Ms. Gilmour served in a leadership role at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy for eight years where she oversaw the development of the Education and Stewardship programs as well as spearheading the Conservancy’s first Capital project. She has also worked with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, Applied Research and Consulting, Education Development Center, Lincoln Center Institute, and Planned Parenthood.

As a professional dancer, Kara was a member of Gibney Dance Company (NYC), Compagnie Marie Chouinard (Montreal, QC), and Paula Josa-Jones Performance Works (Boston, MA). She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and attended NYU’s George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising. Kara was selected as a 2016 New York Community Trust Leadership Fellow and a 2017 Advocate of New York City.

Do you have a current or planned project whose progress is affected by the pandemic?

I feel like everything has been impacted at this point. At Gibney, we have focused on moving programs online which has been successful. That said, there are some programs that will never be the same in digital form, and I am anxious to return to live programming and in-person communication.

I believe that we will collectively emerge from our seclusion with ideas and skills we never could have imagined a few weeks ago. I think that the effects of this time will be a residue that is seen and felt for decades. Without an overt reference, those of us who have lived through this will notice a reference, a framework, a gesture that will evoke a memory of this time of seclusion and isolation. What that will look like, I don't know, but I think that we will all recognize it when we see, hear, and experience it.

Briefly, tell me about how you got involved in the arts and in your particular practice.

I started dancing when I was very young at a small studio in Vermont run by a former Broadway dancer named Ilene Blackman. I was lucky to have connected with such a skilled and special teacher in a very rural area. I just spoke with Ilene last week. She has advanced-stage cancer and is at home with hospice care. It is in times like these that it feels more important than ever to reach out to people who have deeply impacted our lives and say thank you. Ilene opened up the world of dance to me. The creativity combined with discipline, the musicality, the need to be present in the moment, the expression and exploration: these all became part of the foundational weave of my childhood and truly impacted my life and who I am today.

In a more specific way, what are you practicing? And what are you envisioning?

I try to practice an embodied version of those same foundational principals I learned in dance class so long ago. I have a decades-long yoga practice that grounds me, and I add in elements of strength training to counterbalance it. I also spend as much time as I can outside. As I transitioned out of dance as my primary creative practice, I moved into making things. I sew, I build with wood, I build with stone; I am constantly creating things out of found or repurposed objects. There is a sustained complexity to both dancing and building that intrigues me and continually inspires me.

How does your practice and your visioning align with what you most care about?

I am outside of the city for this shelter-in period, and I am working on a large, sculptural fence made entirely of twigs and brambles. This "meditation fence" is a good example of my practice. It is environmentally-friendly and composed of all-natural, found objects. It is a big project (spanning over 100 feet at this point) with a functional purpose and a low environmental footprint. It is meditative and physically vigorous all at once. And it is community building. When friends and neighbors walk by, they cannot help but find a twig and then see a place to tuck it in. Similar to walking by a jigsaw puzzle and seeing a piece that fits, there is an innate desire to add to the creation. Thus the project becomes a community engagement tool as well as a utilitarian and artistic object.

How does your practice function within the world we have now?

In many ways, I am at a loss right now. I realize that so much of my practice is grounded in the creation and celebration of community. I prefer to work collaboratively, I build things that are to be used by others, I host people, I am a nurturer. So while on one hand, I love the time with my family and time to create things on my own, on the other hand, there is an underpinning of sadness to my days because I miss working collectively and in partnership with others.

******

DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

******

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Artists Reach Out: Sara Juli

Dear friends,

Welcome to Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. I dreamed this series of interviews out of grief for my work both as a documenting arts writer and curator of live performance. In this time of social distancing, we are called to responsibly do all we can to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. It is, literally, a matter of life and death.

But there's no distancing around what we still can share with one another--our experiences, thoughts, wisdom, humor, hearts and spirit. In some ways, there are more opportunities to do so as we pull back from everyday busyness out in the world and have time to honor the call of our inner lives.

So, let me introduce you to some artists I find interesting. I'm glad they're part of our beautiful community, and I'm eager to engage with them again (or for the first time) in years to come.

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody

Sara Juli

Sara Juli
(photo: Brett Deutsch)

Sara Juli in
Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis
(photo: Kristofer Alan Thompson)

Sara Juli has been creating and performing comedic dance-theater for two decades and has performed her work extensively around the world. Sara is the 2017 Maine Fellow for the Performing Arts, is a Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation USArtists recipient, a National Dance Project recipient for 2019-2021, and is touring her newest solo, Burnt-Out Wife nationally. Sara is Chair of Bates Dance Festival’s Advisory Board and an Affiliated Artist of Bates College. She is the Founder/Director of Surala Consulting, a fundraising consultancy supporting arts organizations and individual artists. www.suralaconsulting.com www.sarajuli.com @sarajulimoves

Sara Juli in Burnt-Out Wife
(photo: Nick Pierce)

Do you have a current or planned project whose progress is affected by the pandemic?

In 2018-2019, I imagined, wrote, choreographed and built a new solo performance piece about the decay and detritus of marriage over time--Burnt-Out Wife--the largest production of my career. I invested deeply in an incredible collaborative team including a dramaturg (Michelle Mola), set designer (Pamela Moulton), costume designer (Carol Farrell), sound designer (Ryan MacDonald), illustrator/graphics designer (Devon Kelley-Yurdin), co-songwriter (Sorcha Cribben-Merril), and lighting designer (Justin Moriarty). We worked for many months on creating a Pepto-Bismol-pink bathroom, where the character dances, laughs and sings-out her emotions and secrets.

I feel beyond fortunate that I was able to premiere the work in Portland, Maine, thanks to a commission from SPACE and Portland Ovations and additionally grateful I was able to bring the show to New York City through a commission from Dixon Place and American Dance Festival. I was also able to perform the show in Concord, NH and Portsmouth, NH--the latter on March 7-8 when everything was just starting to shut down. However, my tour was just getting started, and my hard work was just starting to pay off.

Thanks to receiving the National Dance Project, I had a robust tour scheduled for 2020 and 2021, which is now either cancelled or tenuous, at best, for the foreseeable future. To have invested so deeply both artistically and financially into the creative process, and to not be able to share/tour the work, nor receive any (much needed) compensation is devastating. This work is my livelihood in every sense of the word.

Briefly, tell me about how you got involved in the arts and in your particular practice.

My parents enrolled me in a creative movement class in New London, CT when I was three years old. My teacher, L’Ana Burton, still calls me her first dance student, a title I wear proudly. A few years later she founded and became director of the Connecticut College Children’s Dance Center where I danced technique and improvisation classes until I was fourteen. L’Ana taught me to find portals into my imagination and to access tools that would form movement thoughts and ideas that had depth.

At Conn College, during high school, I met Martha Myers who encouraged me to attend American Dance Festival where I enrolled as a student for six summers. My undergraduate experience was at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY where I was a Dance major. As a senior, I took a two-week intensive workshop with Deborah Hay.  The workshop was long, slow and meditative. I lost myself fully in her practice of harvesting magic and, literally one day, something clicked. I had an actual AHA! moment where I unearthed an artistic practice and voice (literally) that I have been cultivating and growing ever since.

In a more specific way, what are you practicing? And what are you envisioning?

Currently, I am practicing a combination of parenting, exercising, stress-eating, calling friends and family, cooking for my family of four, and trying to make, find or borrow money to live. A lot of my time is spent on meal planning. How is it that breakfast and lunch are so close together? Why does the biggest meal of the day come at a time when I’m most exhausted?

Envisioning is a difficult practice these days, and I have good days and bad. On a bad day, I envision never being able to perform live for audiences again. As a performer who physically touches audiences heavily during shows, I envision that part of my work not being possible anymore. I envision needing to get a job in a different industry. Maybe I could be an Event Planner? Maybe I need to work full-time as a Development professional and let go of my artistic practice?

On a good day I envision there being a space where my solo work can be performed safely. I envision people’s need for laughter, and my gift for making audiences laugh. I envision writing and performing a stand-up comedy show that gets picked-up by Netflix or Hulu. I envision the Burnt-Out Wife tour resuming. I envision a teaching platform where I can help empower our artistic community to fundraise in a landscape that is primed and ready to donate to the cause. I envision so many things each day, it’s hard to keep track.

How does your practice and your visioning align with what you most care about? How does your practice function within the world we have now?

I most care about my two wonderful daughters. I expend a lot of energy trying to give off the appearance that all is well. And some days all is well.

We are self-isolating in a home that I love, with a yard and fresh air in abundance. We are trying to get a dog. We are so lucky and blessed. We’ve been playing Four Square, Scrabble, dancing in our underwear, watching Broadway musicals, and painting rocks as part of another attempt at a garden. My husband and I are taking long walks together. We argue. We are kind. We are scared. We parent our children as best we can.

I am learning to move slower and to stop and smell the flowers. (No, literally I smelled some daffodils in our yard the other day--who knew?) We are finding silver linings.

I think about the relevance of the arts and my practice during times of crisis. I think about being a housewife. I think about my mother. I think about laundry--all the time. I think about recording myself singing a song in my bathtub. I think about “becoming a digital artist” and get lost every time. I think about my value. I think about death. I think about keeping my children safe. Mostly, I think about finding a new normal for my children and myself, and about a future where dance exists, and I am still a part of it.

Briefly share one self-care tip that has special meaning to you now.

I have been e-exercising with a group of newish dance friends, who I know from Bates Dance Festival, each morning at 10am.  I look forward to seeing their smiling faces, laughing, chatting and then sweating our asses off together.

******

DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

******

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Artists Reach Out: Nile Harris

Dear friends,

Welcome to Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. I dreamed this series of interviews out of grief for my work both as a documenting arts writer and curator of live performance. In this time of social distancing, we are called to responsibly do all we can to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. It is, literally, a matter of life and death.

But there's no distancing around what we still can share with one another--our experiences, thoughts, wisdom, humor, hearts and spirit. In some ways, there are more opportunities to do so as we pull back from everyday busyness out in the world and have time to honor the call of our inner lives.

So, let me introduce you to some artists I find interesting. I'm glad they're part of our beautiful community, and I'm eager to engage with them again (or for the first time) in years to come.

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody

Nile Harris

Nile Harris
(photo: Chloe Bellemere)

Nile Harris is a Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary artist working in the intersections of theater, choreography, and time-based media. His work has been presented at the Palais de Tokyo, Dixon Place, Secret Project Robot, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Movement Research at Judson Church and The Watermill Center, where his commissioned installation, curated by Robert Wilson, was featured in publications such as New York Magazine, W Magazine, Art News, and Vulture. His work has been supported with residencies at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Abrons Arts Center, and Otion Front Studio with funding support from the National YoungArts Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Art, and Pepatián. As a performer, he has performed for various artists including 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Jaamil Olawale Kosoko, Malcolm-x Betts and in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions including The Inheritance and Occupied Territories.

Nile Harris
(photo: Marisol Diaz)

Do you have a current or planned project whose progress is affected by the pandemic?

Prior to Covid-19, I was working on an evening-length installment of my performance series, The Rise and Fall of the Huxtable Family which was to premiere at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance this May.

Briefly, tell me about how you got involved in the arts and in your particular practice.

I grew up a quintessential theater kid. I was fortunate to go to a wonderful magnet high school (shoutout: New World School of the Arts!) where I was allowed to explore the fullness of my identity and creative curiosities at a relatively young age.

I began writing and directing plays. I became obsessed with writing these silent dramas that told stories through activating images through scenography and moving bodies. I’ve never had any formal dance training and at the time never considered what I was making in proximity to what I understood to be “dance.” And then I moved to New York and was exposed to downtown dance and performance communities and folks working in the intersection of forms, and I thought, "This makes sense to me!"

In a more specific way, what are you practicing? And what are you envisioning?

I create interdisciplinary worlds on the stage that manipulate time and perception through the use of the body. I’m interested in making dynamic live spaces and interactive experiences that interrogate the cultural histories we embody. With that, my work questions the often insidious narratives told around those histories that enable the current power structures present in the America project.

Technically speaking, I practice failure. I am in the practice of embodied experimentation and envision a world that values experimentation as a means to radically re-imagine the world that we live in, and I believe that failure and experimentation are kindred acts.

How does your practice and your visioning align with what you most care about?

I believe that I am in a constant state of becoming, so in my practice I value the process as equal to the product. My favorite part of making a show is the collaborative nature of things. And with that in mind, I work with BIPOC individuals who challenge and inspire me, because prioritizing those voices in my work and in the world is one of my deepest priorities.

How does your practice function within the world we have now? 

I’m in the process of figuring that out and trying to be okay with sitting with the not knowing.

******

DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

******

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Artists Reach Out: Katherine Crockett

Dear friends,

Welcome to Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. I dreamed this series of interviews out of grief for my work both as a documenting arts writer and curator of live performance. In this time of social distancing, we are called to responsibly do all we can to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. It is, literally, a matter of life and death.

But there's no distancing around what we still can share with one another--our experiences, thoughts, wisdom, humor, hearts and spirit. In some ways, there are more opportunities to do so as we pull back from everyday busyness out in the world and have time to honor the call of our inner lives.

So, let me introduce you to some artists I find interesting. I'm glad they're part of our beautiful community, and I'm eager to engage with them again (or for the first time) in years to come.

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody


Katherine Crockett

Katherine Crockett
(photo: Adrian Buckmaster)

Katherine Crockett is a New York City-based performance artist. She was a Principal dancer in The Martha Graham Dance Company for 22 years.  She has had works created for her by such diverse artists as Robert Wilson, Yvonne Rainer, Lucinda Childs, Martha Clarke, Richard Move, Larry Keigwin, Maureen Flemming-Odo, Anne B. Parsons and Susan Stroman.

Crockett starred in and choreographed her role as the Queen in the immersive Off–Broadway hit Queen of the Night. She danced as Cate Blanchett’s dancer double in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Crockett was the guest soloist, dancing the role of Helen, alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov with his White Oak Dance Project in The Show--Achilles Heels, choreography by Richard Move. Crockett has been televised performing Graham’s legendary Appalachian Spring (PBS), Herodiade (PBS), and the iconic solo Lamentation (BBC). She also performed Lamentation as a guest artist for the “Return Festival” in Kosovo hosted by Vanessa Redgrave and UNICEF.

Crockett was featured as Helen in the SITI Company’s production of Trojan Women (After Euripides), directed by Anne Bogart. Ms. Crockett is the lead actor of the feature film Fall to Rise, written by Jayce Bartok. She has performed and choreographed for special events and galas worldwide including the Cannes Film Festival with Dame Shirley Bassey, the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, the Gala of the Stars of the 21st century, The FYC/Vanity Fair Emmy’s special event for TV series The Alienist, Paramount Pictures Premiere party for I Am The Night, Ovation TV premiere special event for Versailles, the runways of Alexander McQueen and Victoria’s Secret as well and as dancing as the featured soloist for PRADASS2020 Shanghai.

Her company ExquisiteMuse Productions creates and produces immersive experiences, such as Fetish 67 for Steven Klein and Visionaire Magazine at Art Basel, Cirque Du Nuit for The Knot Gala, Yellow Submarine, an immersive cinema experience, Down the Rabbit Hole for TrueX/FOX, and several other projects collaborating with Comcast, House of Yes, Brooklyn Mirage, BBQ Films, Little Cinema, Brooklyn Museum, Park Avenue Armory as well as individual artists.

Katherine Crockett
in Martha Graham's Cave of the Heart
(photo: Albert Watson)

Katherine Crockett's Icarus
(photo: Mark Moseley)

Do you have a current or planned project whose progress is affected by the pandemic?

Yes, I’ve had several things postponed into the unforeseeable future.  One was an immersive multi media performance called Prisma.  Also, I’d received a scholarship to attend the HERE Immersive Summit in LA which was postponed. Another project which is an immersive experience for the premiere party for the TV series SnowPiercer has been adapted to be a virtual experience. I also have several other pieces in progress that are on hold now.

Briefly, tell me about how you got involved in the arts and in your particular practice.

Both of my parents are artists. My father is an abstract painter, and my mother is a performance artist, so I was surrounded by art all my life.  My mom started me in dance lessons at the age of 4. I trained in ballet and then at The Martha Graham School before joining the Graham Company for which I was principal dancer for 21 years. I’ve performed with other choreographers in both film and theater. I moved into immersive theater creating my role as The Queen in Queen of the Night, which lead me to making more of my own work, inspired by ritual, ceremony and intimate site-specific spaces. I create worlds for audiences to step into and allow them to have their own agency to discover. I often have performance moments created especially for one audience member only. 

In a more specific way, what are you practicing? And what are you envisioning?

The practice that developed from performing these one-on-one moments in my immersive theater pieces shifted my approach to onstage performance, as well. I saw that I had to let go of my own trying and self-judgments in order to allow the creative impulse the space to emerge and unfold, like in improvisational dance. I had to remain open to respond in the moment to each unique person or audience, as they are a partner in the unfolding. To allow oneself to be seen, with full vulnerability, is essential for true connection and communication. This is a practice of being present, despite whatever fears I may have, and regardless of other people’s opinions. I choose to re-interpret that pulsing wildness of my heart beat not as fear, but as exhilaration. I choose to trust my instincts, and to leave space for the unexpected to come in.

How does your practice and your visioning align with what you most care about?

There is something incredible about the act of performance, because it is this living moment experienced and shared together in real-time and only existing in the moment. Therefore, it is fully about being in the present. It is also the way I express my heart and ideas.  It is my voice--my language--the way I communicate and connect. To be able to share and connect through my art and performance is like breathing for me.

Martha Graham said, “Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired." And whether in life or in art, I believe this to be true. I think of the Aramaic definition of perfection, which translates to “ripe." To practice being present so that I am ready, allowing and alive to the impulses, the curiosities, the inspirations, and the spontaneous wonders of the creative process.

How does your practice function within the world we have now?

This is a true challenge, and I’m asking myself this very question. Right now, there can be no group public gatherings, so no live performances can happen until who knows when. I miss performing, and remote digital streaming is not a replacement for that live shared journey. But the necessity to express and connect is much too important for all of us.

I believe this will spark new ways of creating and ways of coming together until we can share physical space safely again. So here is that challenge of entering the unknown and the opportunity for me to practice being present even in the face of fear, and to stay open. To find the connection within myself; my bones, my muscles, my flesh, my limbs, my heart. I am taking daily walks in the park, noticing the spring blossoms change, breathing and letting all that I feel be there, and practicing taking one step at a time.

Self-care tip:

There was a point in my career when I started having a lot of anxiety, and went to see an incredible Biofeedback Performance enhancement therapist. Her name is Dr. Leah Lagos. We worked in particular with specific breathing exercises that through practice help you strengthen the vagus nerve which reduces, stress, anxiety and inflammation by activating the “relaxation response" of your parasympathetic nervous system.

One breathing technique that helped me was to inhale for four counts though my nose and exhale six counts through my mouth--with no pause in between--and repeat this for twenty minutes twice a day. It is recommended to do this for ten weeks straight. It completely changed my performing and my anxiety levels. Perhaps this is a good time to do this as many of us have more time in our days than normal.

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DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

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Artists Reach Out: Dorothy Lawson

Dear friends,

Welcome to Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. I dreamed this series of interviews out of grief for my work both as a documenting arts writer and curator of live performance. In this time of social distancing, we are called to responsibly do all we can to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. It is, literally, a matter of life and death.

But there's no distancing around what we still can share with one another--our experiences, thoughts, wisdom, humor, hearts and spirit. In some ways, there are more opportunities to do so as we pull back from everyday busyness out in the world and have time to honor the call of our inner lives.

So, let me introduce you to some artists I find interesting. I'm glad they're part of our beautiful community, and I'm eager to engage with them again (or for the first time) in years to come.

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody

Dorothy Lawson

ETHEL
from left, Corin Lee, Dorothy Lawson,
Ralph Farris, Kip Jones
(photo: Matthew Murphy)

Dorothy Lawson is the founding cellist and co-artistic director of the string quartet known as ETHEL.  Established in New York City in 1998, ETHEL quickly earned a reputation as one of America’s most adventurous quartets. More than 20 years later, the band continues to set the standard for contemporary concert music. Known for its enlivened playing, blending uptown, conservatory musicianship with downtown genre-crossing, ETHEL has been described as “indefatigable and eclectic” (The New York Times), “vital and brilliant” (The New Yorker), and “infectiously visceral” (Pitchfork). Since its inception, ETHEL has released nine feature recordings (one of them nominated for a Native American Music Award), performed as guests on 40+ albums, premiered 225 new works, won a GRAMMY® with jazz legend Kurt Elling, and performed in 14 countries, 45 states, and 250 cities.


Do you have a current or planned project whose progress is affected by the pandemic?

The pandemic hit just as ETHEL (www.ethelcentral.org) had gone into rapid development of a new multimedia program for the Summer Nostos Festival, in Athens, Greece.  Ideated last summer, it had been pushed dramatically forward after a panel conversation with theater director, William Kentridge, at the Brooklyn Public Library, in December, 2019. It was to be a musical meditation on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on Humanity, a dramatic and rapidly evolving field. We are still tracking it, in this crisis, but are deeply aware that every parameter in our lives is being challenged, and has probably changed irrevocably, so future plans are being held very lightly. We actually cherish these moments, when we’re not in the throws of delivering a project, with time to observe where we really are.

Briefly, tell me about how you got involved in the arts and in your particular practice.

My parents were both passionate about classical music, and our house was full of it from morning to night. My mother was a very fine pianist with very good training, although she assumed her first role should be keeping a house and raising children, which she also did brilliantly. I remember her showing me some basic piano skills when I was about 3, but my parents never pushed me to take lessons. I was lucky that our public school system had a traveling group of music teachers, and that the school, itself, kept a small orchestra of instruments. I was able to choose music for myself, in the company of my friends, and that made all the difference.

In a more specific way, what are you practicing? And what are you envisioning?

The opportunity to create virtual events for the vast homebound audience moved ETHEL into high gear on learning and applying electronic technologies. We are still operating mostly individually, but getting closer and closer to the production of real quartet collaborations, among ourselves, and with others. Without sophisticated editing, every performance is authentic, and the nuances have to be managed in real time, which means practicing and directing. It is an art form in its own right, and we intend to pursue it seriously from now on, in addition to our live appearances.

How does your practice and your visioning align with what you most care about?

My vision for ETHEL has always focused on the experience our audiences receive, more than on the pedigree of the repertoire we perform. I believe in using music as a vehicle for bringing people into an awareness of shared Humanity, raising their interest in each other and their capacity for compassion. Over the years, we have become more and more precise about designing programs that frame that experience around different themes, and we rejoice in that challenge. I hope to help ETHEL find this, moving forward into the world that has been ravaged by this pandemic.

How does your practice function within the world we have now?

Striving for Open-Heartedness and Compassion, through any practice, is Timeless. It takes effort but functions under stressful conditions just as well as in peaceful ones. Living in the moment, honoring the Now, being Grateful--serve beautifully, for the practitioner, and for their community.

Briefly share one self-care tip that has special meaning to you now.

I have practiced cold showers for three years now, for the energizing experience, anti-inflammatory results, and skin benefits. In the environment of restricted movement at the current time, and of dull, repetitive online activity, the sudden change of state afforded by a cold shower can improve one’s stamina and one’s mood remarkably!

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DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

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Artists Reach Out: Nejla Yatkin

Dear friends,

Welcome to Artists Reach Out: reflections in a time of isolation. I dreamed this series of interviews out of grief for my work both as a documenting arts writer and curator of live performance. In this time of social distancing, we are called to responsibly do all we can to safeguard ourselves and our neighbors. It is, literally, a matter of life and death.

But there's no distancing around what we still can share with one another--our experiences, thoughts, wisdom, humor, hearts and spirit. In some ways, there are more opportunities to do so as we pull back from everyday busyness out in the world and have time to honor the call of our inner lives.

So, let me introduce you to some artists I find interesting. I'm glad they're part of our beautiful community, and I'm eager to engage with them again (or for the first time) in years to come.

--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody

Nejla Yatkin

Nejla Yatkin
(photo: Enki Andrews)

Dance artist Nejla Yatkin conducts embodied research and creates storytelling through movement, engaging culturally with her ancestral roots as a German-Turkish-American raised and educated in Berlin, Germany. Working professionally for over 30 years, her career as a performer, educator, and choreographer has taken her around the world. Currently based in Chicago, Yatkin is an independent choreographer. She creates solo and ensemble works for the stage and constructed or natural sites both indoor and out; is an active guest educator at the professional and university levels; and is a sought-after guest choreographer.

The topics of her work explore diverse cultures and histories, inspired by significant dates, places, and cultural figures in the world. Her notable creations include The Berlin Wall Project (2008) and Oasis: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Middle East but Where Afraid To Dance (2013); Dancing with Cities (2007), a site-specific work that took place in New York, Washington, DC and Berlin and Dancing Around The World (2015) which has traveled to 20 cities around the world. In addition to creating for her own project-based company NY2Dance, Yatkin has choreographed works for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dallas Black Dance Theater, The Modern American Dance Company, River North Dance Company and Washington Ballet among many others.

In all her projects, Yatkin seeks what British philosopher and historian Isaiah Berlin refers to as an “awareness of the deep currents”--a comprehension of the connection between all things, an awareness of the present as well as that which transcends time and space. The New York Times says "Ms. Yatkin is after more than choreography. She is a magician, telling tales and creating worlds with understated images and movement." Her skill and depth of feeling has been recognized by numerous awards and grants from entities including the 3Arts Foundation, the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, the National Performance Network, the Illinois Arts Council, The Chicago Dancemakers Forum and many more. For more information visit www.ny2dance.com.

Moving Nature Dreams by Nejla Yatkin
(photo Enki Andrews)

Oasis by Nejla Yatkin
(photo: Enki Andrews)

Do you have a current or planned project whose progress is affected by the pandemic?

Yes, I have been working on a solo entitled The Other Witch with support by the Chicago Dancemakers Forum and the Chicago Department For Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and I had some open showings with critical feedback sessions scheduled at the Chicago Cultural Center for March. For April, I was awarded a 3Arts artist residency at the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France to continue the rehearsal process. After, I was scheduled to travel to Spain, Portugal and Germany for informal sharings of the work. This all got cancelled due to Covid-19 and, like everyone else, I am homebound, but I am grateful to be in the safety of my home and grateful that we have tools like this blog where we can share with each other and learn from each other's experiences.

I was thinking about previous pandemics like the Spanish flu and the Black Death and feeling appreciative that we have the technology to stay connected and even get daily briefings. I am grateful that we can communicate with loved ones through so many channels.

Briefly, tell me about how you got involved in the arts and in your particular practice.

I became an artist because the arts—dance especially—offered so many of the things I wanted in my life. Creativity, cooperation, optimism, humility, grace. Dance allows me to be vulnerable, experiential and curious. I never stop learning, I feel like I am always in process, growing and changing. Dance encourages dialogue, and discipline, strength, and resilience! It taught me patience, and the thing that really brought it all home for me is that it teaches empathy. Dance moves us to want to know the Other.

In a more specific way, what are you practicing? And what are you envisioning?

Currently, I am practicing listening, listening to my body, listening to my thoughts. I follow the impulses of my body and move to the rhythm of my breath in the comfort of my living room. I am listening to my partner, I am listening to my plants and listening to the world. I wake up meditating and envisioning a healed and just world where everyone has healthcare and access to basic human needs and where people are kind and stand in solidarity with each other. I am envisioning more wisdom where people come together to work together and collaborate to find solutions to our current challenges of climate change, equality, racial and social justice.

How does your practice and your visioning align with what you most care about?

I deeply care about humanity, I care about nature and the planet, I care about equality for all, for social justice but I also care about balance. I wake up and reflect on how I can contribute and adjust my behavior so that it aligns with what I care about. I alone can’t change the world, but I can inspire people through my own actions and behavior.

In my art, I am drawn to the power of human connections and, because I care about humanity, I have been focusing on collaborative community-based site-specific performances around the world (see here). They are like planting seeds in places to spark new ideas and empower people to imagine new possibilities. I try to make my dances available whenever it is possible through free presentations in streets, galleries, parks, prisons, theaters and social media.

I care about our environment and other sentient beings so I am a Vegan. How can I practice non-violence if I don’t include or consider other species? I am also a Reiki practitioner, and I daily send healing energy to Mother Earth. I try not to use a car whenever I can. I walk, bike or take public transportation. These actions are like a butterfly flapping its wings, and you never know what string of escalating events it will inspire….

How does your practice function within the world we have now?

In the last couple of weeks, while homebound, I have been connecting virtually with artist friends and family and just talking, laughing, grieving, crying, dreaming together. I also have days where I just use my hands a lot to bake bread, clean my home, knit and cook to be present in the here and now.

In between the daily tasks, I am trying to listen to how best I could share with the rest of the world my movement practice. So I started sharing weekly very simplified short dance wisdom exercise tools on YouTube. It’s for anybody who wants to take a break to explore movement concepts from the comfort of their home. I believe that dancing and moving are very powerful. They connect you to that inner light that lies deep within your core.

Briefly share one self-care tip that has special meaning to you now.

Every evening I hum and sing to myself. Humming not only lifts your spirits, it clears your head. I practice singing in Italian, German, Turkish, English, French and Spanish. By singing everyday, I am tuning my frequency but also practicing languages I have learned and don’t usually get to practice daily.

According to physics, everything vibrates: the chair you’re sitting in, the food you eat, the rocks and trees. Whether or not we hear it, everything has a frequency, a vibration of its own. That vibration is called resonance, the frequency at which an object naturally vibrates. Each part of our bodies has its own natural resonance, and I am practicing this as a daily tuning of myself to send the loving frequency of the world.

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DISCLAIMER: In addition to my work on InfiniteBody, I serve as Senior Curatorial Director of Gibney. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Gibney.

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