HOMEbody 022220 - things to know before you go

Dear Friends,

We're so excited to see you tonight!

Here are some things to know before you go:

1. Where is the show?
KYL/D's CHI Movement Arts Center in South Philly. The address is 1316 S 9th St Philadelphia, PA 19147.

2. How do I get there?
Here's a link with directions to CHI Mac. Click the link and scroll to the bottom of the page.

3. Is there parking?
There's free, on-street parking. If you're driving, please allow extra time to find a spot.

4. How long is the show?
The performance is 60 minutes without an intermission.

5.  Is there assigned seating?
CHI Mac is an intimate space. There is no assigned seating. Please come early to choose your seat.

6. Are tickets available at the door?
At this point, it looks like we're sold out. Thank you!

7. What time is the performance?
7:30pm.

8. Is there someplace to eat/ get a drink in the area?
Yes! There are a lot of places around CHI Mac. Click here to explore the East Passyunk neighborhood. 

9. I'd like to know more about the process!
Please click here for more information about the collaborative team and research process.

Thank you so much! We look forward to seeing you tonight!

Layers of listening

Musician/ composer/ community builder Paul Fejko and I have worked together on several projects. HOMEbody is the second long-form piece that Paul has created for me and I'm so grateful for his insight, the way he listens, and the way he hears.

As I did with the dancers and with videographer Jake Buczewski, Paul and I had many conversations not just about home, but also about aesthetic and audience development and process. The collaborative process wasn't just about the theme of the work, but also about the who we are as artists and why this work is important at this time.

I listen to Paul's soundscore as I'm driving - and I drive a lot. It's allowed me to listen when I'm focused and when my mind is drifting. It's allowed me to inhabit the sound in a way different than when I'm moving.

The score for HOMEbody is layered. There are layers of light and joy and happiness. There are layers of struggle and confusion and constraint. There are opportunities where positive energies and challenging energies coexist. There are moments when it's up to the listener to decide what they hear and to what they'll pay attention.

The more I listen, the more I appreciate how much Paul has heard all of the nuances I wanted to embed into this creative journey.

Thanks, Paul!

Pick of the week....?

Thank you, PhiladelphiaDance.org for making HOMEbody your "Pick of the Week"!! 

Get tickets here. 

More info here. 

Dance Artist Reflection - Home:Love

Home: Love
by Sarena Kabakoff

No sense of place.
No sense of home.
The words sound so harsh and hard as they fall through my mind
They point me to the realization that my homes have been so soft
My mother singing to me before bed each night
The smell of fresh-baked cookies in the over
My dad devouring novel after novel over the rim of his eyeglasses

And this softness,
These memories
Allow me to be soft
Give me the agency to feel safe
To feel helf
To move softly
To breathe
To settle

And that is the mother of self-security
That is the mother of success
It gives birth to belief in myself
To believe in the completeness of the beings around me
To show myself enough to be loved

And I am so grateful to be more into this soft place
Where I was held and taken care of.
Where I could be curious.
So now that I have grown
I can still cradle the memories
Of being loved more than I could ever know.

"My brother and I" by Jake Buczewski

Wheels of Light 2009-2020

Let's take a minute with all of the 2020 memes and jokes about 2020 vision, reflection, insight... (feel free to include your favs in the comments).

Okay.

In all seriousness, I was really excited that Reading Theater Project's 2020 5-Minute Fringe Festival theme was "Mirror" with a focus on women. 

I was also excited (albeit a little aggravated) that their performances coincided with my scheduled performance of HOMEbody in Philadelphia.

But all things that are meant to be will find a way.

Reading-based dance artist Emily Coppa agreed to join JCWK Dance Lab and embody Wheels of Light for RTP's 5-Minute Fringe. (Thank you, Emily!)

And it's with 2020 vision (kinda?) that I return to Wheels of Light. 

This was an opportunity to revisit this solo and the academic and embodied research. The process of Wheels of Light, in 2009, was a catalyst in defining my current artistic vision and philosophy. This process in 2020 is allowing me to realize some of the goals and dreams I began forming 11 years ago - in developing my artistic community and creating opportunities for professional level concert dance.

A mirror allows us to see one version of ourself and each mirror provides a different perspective. A mirror allows us to see what's behind us in addition to an immediate reflection of ourself in the moment.

RTP's Fringe 2020 and HOMEbody 2020 is an opportunity to reflect on what's in my past while simultaneously taking a realistic look at the artist I've become.

Click here for a look back at my original research. 

Pic by Bill Hebert