Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Leave no one behind - World Water Day 2019

I've initiated and am facilitating/ co-directing a celebration of World Water Day at Alvernia University.


This year's theme - Leaving No One Behind - struck a significant chord. 2016-2017 was a time rich in investigation for my own "Left Behind" projects.

This performance continues looking into how dance can be performed in non-traditional performance spaces, bridge disciplines, and build community through creating conversation - both in the process of creating the work and in/ around the performance itself.

Personally, I'm sharing a piece called "Ripples". The work embodies cause and effect over time and reveals how concentrated effort can result in joy and release.




Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Local Inspiration, Creative Collaboration

“Celebrating the Fabric of America from a Woman’s Perspective: In Motion” is a dance movement meditation on Michele Byrne’s artwork. Performed and choreographed by dancers from the Alvernia community, they weave personal narratives in communication with the stories presented by Michele Byrne.

Where: Alvernia University’s Miller Gallery in Francis Hall
When: Tuesday, March 12 at 4pm




Here are some of the "ingredients"/ research that create the "soup" of this choreographic process:

1. Michele Byrne's "Celebrating the Fabric of America from a Woman's Perspective". In a program in the gallery, describing some of the work, Ms. Byrne discussed her subjects. Each of them are women with whom she's familiar and many of them local. Each woman also provided a reflection of their process in working with Ms. Byrne, which included reflections on their own background and stories.

2. Musical selections from Jill Haley's National Park Series. These pieces are Ms. Haley's creative reflections on national treasures throughout the United States.

3. White costumes. White light is the absorption of all colors. White as a fabric, when worn by women, has become a symbol of women's rights, in the US.

4. Female performers of various ages and backgrounds from the Greater Reading area.

5. The audience. Our audience is witness to this collaboration and becomes part of the performance - the seeing of, sharing, and embodying stories of local women.


Friday, March 8, 2019

International Women's Day - thanks, Press!

Thanks to Susan Pena and the Reading Eagle for featuring this article (on the front page AND the lead for their Lifestyle section). This is recogination is particularly important on International Women's Day...

Thank you to all of the folks who have allowed me to stand on their shoulder... and thank you to all of the folks who will stand on mine. There's lots of work to be done...

Dance, Joy, Connection, and Wellness

Pic from the Reading Eagle