BodyStories - a virtual retrospective

 

Tickets available by clicking here. Tickets are pay what you wish. Thank you for sharing these stories! 

Original photo by Bill Hebert. 

Embedded Layers - Original Program Notes 2013

 These are the original program notes from the 2013 performance of Embedded Layers at Temple University:

As with many processes, this investigation began with questions. I was taking class with a mentor, and observed that she performed her teaching beautifully. Why are you not dancing on stage anymore, I asked? She shrugged - I would, if the right person asked me... I do miss it. Why was this physical and intellectual BODY of knowledge limited to the medium of the classroom? Was it due to her age? Her maternity? Her lived female-ness? Often in dance, the answers are revealed through the process of creation and the live performance. 

As time passed, I continued to question: the seasons changed; political challenges took effect; mass shootings and bombings occurred; natural disasters uprooted populations within the country; families were lost and divided through war... What was my role? I'm a dancer.

And there lies the answer. Movement of the body and mind, integrated creatively creates positive energy and joy within the individual and community. I have learned that dance is a force of positive social change, though community building and joy creation. This desire and need to creative positive social change, specifically as I related to the many different women in my life, led me to more questions surrounding acceptance and beauty. What does Beauty look like? Feel like? Where do we find it? How do we identify it? Can we/ I discover Beauty in between the spaces of terror and destruction? Can and where does Beauty exist in the awkward, the socially relevant, the industrial, the natural, the outcast, the enlightening, the troubling...? Why do I only see certain types of bodies onstage and others in other settings? How do we find value in Age and the Beauty of Time and Wisdom? How is that Beauty revealed? These questions and more are unearthed and collaged in this dance. Taking Lord Byron's poem "She Walks in Beauty," NASA's "Earth as Art" and perceptions studies as inspiration points, through the process of Embedded Layers, we've transformed our lived, verbal, and visual experiences of Beauty into a kinesthetic expression for the stage. 

Thank you to Nanette, the Dance Department, Boyer College and Temple University for this opportunity. Thank you to my dancers for your dedication, trust and energy. Thank you Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers for sharing CHI MAC with us during this process. Thank you to Widener University for the time to workshop these ideas. Thank you to Tracy Scott Silverman for your friendship and music. Thank you to my family, friends, and partner in all things beautiful and challenging for your unwavering support and commitment to my investigations. ~Jessica

Photo by Bill Hebert

Click here to visit NASA's Earth as Art

STEAM and Will Power

In my spheres as an artist, educator and parent, I've been hearing more talk about the application of STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. STEAM has been a point of multidisciplinary integration for several years (you can read more about it here). If you've been reading my blog or following any point of my career, you're aware of my interest in collaboration, interdisciplinary work, and community building. As I sat and watched Alvernia University Theatre's production of "Will Power - Shakespeare Done Live!" in late April, it struck me that STEAM was inherently integrated into the performance and production process. 

(Side note - "Will Power - Shakespeare Done Live!" was an outdoor, weather permitting, theatre and dance performance. Sponsored by the Fine and Performing Arts Department, it highlighted some of Shakespeare's sonnets and famous scenes. The performances were also live-streamed to limit the in-person audience and to provide access to audience members outside of Alvernia's immediate community.)

Here's "Will Power" in an application of STEAM:

• SCIENCE - "Will Power" was an outdoor performance at the end of April. 
  
  We needed to be aware of hourly weather patterns, changes and make production decisions based on those elements. For example, we needed to have an understanding of how the air temperature impacts the body and make necessary adjustments in real time to ensure safety and artistic integrity. It was very cold the first week of the run; very warm and rainy the second week. Decisions about costuming and location were adjusted in respect to the weather and scientific knowledge. We also needed to have knowledge of how different surfaces impact the body and apply that information to ensure safety and artistic integrity. Outdoors, we put dance floor tiles down on the brick pavers to create a smoother, safer surface for dancers. We changed some choreography to reduce the potential for injury from repeated jumps on the hard surface. 
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  TECHNOLOGY - The performances began at 7pm, when the sun was setting. This created a beautiful effect, but also required a knowledge of natural and artificial illumination in an outdoor space. We needed to also quickly make changes to performance delivery a few hours before the final performance because of rain (Shout out to Alvernia's performers and crew for responding to changing conditions so quickly - the show must, and did, go on!). Knowledge of the natural and artificial delivery of sound was also applied in incorporating the spoken word, pre-recorded music, and delivering the performance through a live-stream. Amplification of sound needed to be adjusted to accommodate the engineering of the different spaces of performance (outdoors and indoors). Technological knowledge of internet, live-streaming techniques, camera angles and projection, and the lag-time between the live-stream and in-person performances was also necessary to ensure an effective performance experience for audience members in person and at home. 
• And, Alvernia's community of dancers joined me in continuing my research using Zoom as a choreographic tool. We created a Zoom-dance-for-the-camera that was pre-recorded and live-streamed during the performances. In addition to playing with lighting, sound, bandwidth, and movement, we incorporated text from Shakespeare as translated through American Sign Language. 
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• ENGINEERING. A performance exists in a space and incorporates created elements. 
  
• "Will Power" needed design that 1) used materials and a design for indoor or outdoor use; 2) applied materials and a design that would last over time (several weeks of rehearsal and repeated performances); 3) incorporated materials and design that would allow for movement of actors and dancers that was sturdy enough to support the actors and scenes but light enough to be quickly moved for dance; and 4) materials and design that could be completed with limited resources (money, time, and labor). 
• 
  
• ART - This might seem obvious when analyzing STEAM through the lens of theatre, but let's 
  
  continue with the breakdown. First, the director(s) must decide on theme and material (this might be in conjunction with a larger theme or trend or not; our performances were scheduled around Shakespeare's birthday and outdoors on Earth Day). Casting is a nuanced and carefully deliberated process; as is the rehearsal and mentorship of the performers to understand and embody the material. Directors and performers research the intention of this material and critically apply this research to their performance. Incorporating both theatre and dance in this production was another challenge that required careful consideration and planning (Thank you, Dr. Nathan Thomas, Theatre Director, for including dance!). Then, we made adjustments to costuming based on the SCIENCE (the weather and ability of the body to move in certain patterns or fabrics). Performance delivery was based on TECHNOLOGY. The set design and movement around the set was determined by ENGINEERING. The casting and performance delivery was influence by MATH (read on). The artistry was a creative way to integrate all of these elements. 
• 
  
• MATH - How many people can you fit into a space, ensuring that everyone is 6ft apart? To 

  

  Dr. Thomas providing feedback.

  evaluate and plan for the maximum possible amount of audience members that can safely be in person, based on CDC guidelines, we need math. Prior to starting the process, we need to know how many total cast and crew numbers could be in the theatre based on safety guidelines (for rehearsals and the possibility to move the performance indoors due to weather/ SCIENCE) - this also impacted the ability to cast and rehearse performers. After performances (for Will Power and other performances), math is utilized to evaluate the audience numbers - in person and live-streamed. Audience evaluation also needs to take in account variables based on the SCIENCE (in our case, the weather) and TECHNOLOGY (internet bandwidth, accessibility, etc). Oftentimes, future programming and performances are determined based on the MATH data gathered. 

And then the whole process begins again for another performance! 

How else is STEAM applied in performance? 

How do you experience Art STEMming from one of the other disciplines? Or research in one of the other disciplines STEMing from Art?

Was there something else in STEAMing through "Will Power" that I missed? 

Thank you to the cast and crew of "Will Power - Shakespeare Done Live!"

Thank you to the Fine and Performing Arts Department for supporting the performances! 

Check out more about the cast, crew, and Fine and Performing Arts Department on Facebook and Instagram!

Missed the show? You can still watch a recording of the live-stream on Alvernia Theatre's YouTube Channel. 

Pictures taken by Chris Connelly. 

Spring Updates

Happy Spring! 

May the changing of the seasons bring you light - in all of its positive forms!

Performance updates -

Alvernia University Theatre, where I am Artist in Residence in Dance, is hosting "Will Power - Shakespeare Done Live!" Through this performance, I've continued my research into Zoom as a choreographic tool and mentored young dance artists. Members of Alvernia's Theatre and Dance communities have been diving into Shakespeare's scenes and sonnets this semester. The performance will be live streamed for audiences outside of Alvernia's immediate community. This outdoor performance is approximately one hour and features both in-person and virtual performances. The YouTube Links are below: 

April 21: https://youtu.be/3jXd6O-d9gg
April 22: https://youtu.be/MBk-3lB3CQk
April 28: https://youtu.be/dYDSrEV5E0U
April 29: https://youtu.be/uMy_Hil6rfM

JCWK Dance Lab is being presented by the Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange in partnership with ArtsQuest. 

The Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange in partnership with ArtsQuest present Virtual Dance EXposure April 23-25, 2021. This digital version of our bi-annual showcase event features 17 choreographers from across the U.S. and includes screen dance films, recorded live dance performance, company repertoire and world premiere works. With free admission and offering 2 ways to watch - we invite everyone near and far to join us safely in celebrating these wonderful and inspiring works. Join us for the livestream premiere events on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24 at 7pm EST (for Act I and Act II, respectively) to engage in virtual dialogue with the artists and community, or watch the entire program at your leisure throughout the duration of the weekend. The full program and registration for the livestream premiere events can be found at https://www.steelstacks.org/event/10687/virtual-dance-exposure/

Community, Connection & Creation

 Last month, I shared Absence, a dance for the camera inspired by the moon, reflections, and what we see/ how we see. The work premiered as part of Reading Theater Project's 5-Minute Fringe. 

The Fringe is still online. Each evening featured a different series of artists. You can watch it here. 

I joined RTP's Artistic Director, Vicki Haller Graff, on a highlight of the Fringe by Berks Arts. I always love talking with Meggan Kerber and I'm so grateful to have a local station (BCTV.org) that is invested in supporting community and local art making. In case you missed it, you can watch the 30-minute segment below: 

Dance artist spotlight

 I'm excited to spotlight Sarena Kabakoff and Kalila Kingsford Smith, dance artists for Absence. 

Sarena Kabakoff started her dance training at the age of 8, attending Berks Ballet Theater. Thoughout high school she performed multiple times a year in the local Nutcracker, and at dance festivals across the state. She went on to attend college at Temple University where she had the pleasure of performing with Megan Mizanty, Laura Katz Rizzo, and Janis Brenner and Company. She also interned with Dance Therapist Teresa Benzwie to teach special needs children and academics through movement. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2013, receiving the Benzwie Dance in Education grant for her extensive work with children. After college she went on to dance with Philadelphia based companies including: Jenkintown Dance Company, PIMA group, and FRED Dance Company. Sarena received her 200 hr yoga teacher training and went on to receive an additional 75 hr training with Shiva Rea and an advanced anatomy training with Alex Auder. She started to teach yoga at many Philadelphia studios as well as offering mindfulness at corporate centers such as David's Bridal and New Age Industries. She also taught dance at the Conservatory of Music and Dance, Jenkintown Dance Arts, Beth Jacobsen School of Dance and Imhotep Charter School. Her passion for dance carried her to do outreach programs, using dance/ yoga as a vehicle for healing at Safe Harbor (a program for grieving children), and in the greater Cancer Support Community. She recently attended an Expressive Dance Therapy program entitled "Tampala" in Norther California. Since then, she has been touring her yoga/ dance therapeutic workshop, "Unpacking the Body," around the Philadelphia area. Sarena was a featured dancer in "wretched time," a music video for "The Retinas. She performed with JCWK Dance Lab's "HOMEbody" around southeastern and as part of the virtual Fringe Festival in Philadelphia. Sarena is passionate about movement's capability to heal, to show us the stories we've been hiding from, and to move us forward into our own inner light. Learn more about Sarena by clicking here.  

Sarena in a video still from Absence

Kalila Kingsford Smith is a Philadelphia native, independent choreographer, performer and dance educator. She builds dances that are responsive to the characteristics of the performance space, whether a theater, a museum, a nature trail, or a Zoom call. Informed by her training in modern and contemporary dance, her movement flows between tension and release, momentum and suspension, improvisation and composition, and storytelling and abstraction. Her choreography has been commissioned for Drexel Dance Ensemble, Dancefusion and Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center, and she has independently produced and performed works through Philadelphia. As a dance educator, she teaches courses in modern dance technique, improvisation, choreography, dance history and theory. Kalila is a writer and editor with thINKingDANCE. She received an MA in Dance from Temple University and a BFA in Dance and a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Michigan. She is also a certified Pilates instructor.  Learn more about Kalila by clicking here. 

Kalila in a video still from Absence

Zooming in on Adaptations - Showtime!

This week, we're being presented by Reading Theater Project's 5-Minute Fringe on the virtual stage.  Through January and the beginning of February, I've been deep in process with Kalila Kingsford Smith and Sarena Kabakoff exploring ways that we experience distance, reflection, and metaphors of the moon. Dr. Phillip Tietbohl (poet, engineer, and psychologist) and musician/ composer Paul Fejko have been influential in this process. 

When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 7pm. We're being presented on Saturday.  

Where: Online - Click here for more info. 

What: Creative Adaptations and artistic responses by artists in Berks County and beyond.