I am beginning to feel a big rest coming on, now that all the remaining craziness is over.
On Wednesday evening, I gave my last class of the semester to the girls at Salem Academy. They seemed in happy spirits, and we had fun wrapping up our impromptu chair/musical theater/jazzy/holiday dance. Though I look forward to working with the girls in the spring, I am ready to leave them for a while. I can use my time over the break to decide what I will do with them next semester, since I have not thought about that just yet.
Wednesday evening, I went over to the Yoga Gallery, intending to get in a much needed practice. Since Rob's surgery, I have not been to rehearse at the studio in the mornings, and am only getting the exercise I get from teaching. My body is restless and achy. Upon walking in the owner of the studio explains that she needed to make a long drive out of town that night, and asked if I would pick up her class, instead of participating in the practice. I did, and though I did not get to practice myself, I felt like the class was successful and satisfying. This class is one of just a few more classes I will teach in 2010. Come 2011, I won't be teaching any yoga classes. Robert and I are moving to Greensboro early in the new year, and with my growing commitment to High Point U., I can no longer keep up my commitment to teaching yoga. This is scary for me, as I have been steadily teaching for the past four years. I worry that I might loose my edge, but instead perhaps, this will be a time where I can return to focusing on my own practice and finding new inspirations. maybe I can even begin studying with Terry again, the teacher who I was certified through. Furthermore, with the increase of income I'll get soon with HPU, I might even be able to begin pursuing my 500 hour certification again, since I'll be wrapping up grad school within a year and the thought of paying to attend modules won't be quite so scary anymore. Who knows?
On Thursday, I had the most wonderful day with my dad! We had lunch, talked music, and I got to take him to HPU, to see my students give their final exam performance. I was so proud, to see them up on the stage after all of their hard work this semester! And I could tell my dad enjoyed it, too. The president even sat in on the performance for a while! What's more, we had the biggest audience we have ever had for an end-of-semester showing. I got some new faces interested in taking dance, and surely there will now be increased interest for when we stage HPU's first formal dance concert next year! I felt really good about Thursday, and I was glad to see that my colleagues and students did, too.
Today, I am at Laura's, in Charleston. We are working on our final packets for grad school this semester. It will feel so good to push the "send" button. Last night, we watched November's presentation of "Common Threads," performed by the NC State U dancers on DVD, and talked shop. What worked? What needed attention? How will this inform the larger work? All good conversation, and we're excited to be moving forward with the material, slowly but surely. Today we work on scoring a song I wrote. I am working out the harmonies, and trying to decide on how the song should be presented in terms of rhythmic drive and intensity. All in all, a happy feeling with the recent work and activity surrounding my art!
This month, I have eight whole days where I have nothing to do. I plan to take those days to do just that. My thought is that if I can just make it through the eight days doing nothing (very hard for me to do!), I will be so bored that I will be jumping for joy to be good and busy again, just the way I like! Not to mention, those eight days will give me a chance to spend some time lost over the past few months of busyness with my husband. I can't wait. I've missed him so!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
December Already!! With A Happy Week.
What a week it has been! Excitement, progress, worry, and more.
I am writing to you from my husband's hospital bed at Baptist Hospital here in Winston Salem. He has just had surgery on a facial nerve, but is doing quite well now. I spent Friday in the waiting room, hoping to hear only good things from the surgeon, and it seemed like the hours would never pass. After his surgery, we (me and his parents) were allowed into the ICU to visit him for only a few minutes. he was groggy, and sporting a long row of sutures down the back, right side of his shaven head. He was sick from the anesthesia following the surgery, and was in a lot of pain the day following. Despite the pain of the surgery, this event marks a new way of living for Robert, pain free!
Teaching this past week has been such a blessing. I felt like each and every class this week went exceptionally well, and even with those students that I have had a hard time connecting with this year. My contemporary dance class at High Point U has been particularly challenging, however I feel like we have finally found our stride, just in time for our end-of-semester showings. I'm so proud of them, they look great! At Salem Academy, where I teach a lovely group of teens, we made up the most fun holiday/broadway/jazzy chair dance! I asked them what they would like to work on, and they requested that we work on all three! So we did, and we had a blast. I can't wait to continue with our little dance this coming week.
Thoroughly Modern Millie auditions came and went this week in a whirlwind. Monologues, songs, and dancing, galore! The dance auditions were a lot of fun, but it was reiterated that more dance is needed at High Point, if we want to do dance-heavy productions, like Millie. I thought that those who have not had much dance experience did a wonderful job of keeping up and being able to laugh off their mistakes. And I greatly appreciated the few students who do have a lot of experience who were assisting the less experienced students during our activities. I am truly looking forward to working with the students that we have cast in the production, and I'm also looking forward to the coming semester, when I can continue to help create a culture for dance at High Point U.
My last week of work coming up, at both HPU and Salem Academy. I look forward to the rest of December, where I can relax, recharge, and get my creative juices flowing again!
~Cara
I am writing to you from my husband's hospital bed at Baptist Hospital here in Winston Salem. He has just had surgery on a facial nerve, but is doing quite well now. I spent Friday in the waiting room, hoping to hear only good things from the surgeon, and it seemed like the hours would never pass. After his surgery, we (me and his parents) were allowed into the ICU to visit him for only a few minutes. he was groggy, and sporting a long row of sutures down the back, right side of his shaven head. He was sick from the anesthesia following the surgery, and was in a lot of pain the day following. Despite the pain of the surgery, this event marks a new way of living for Robert, pain free!
Teaching this past week has been such a blessing. I felt like each and every class this week went exceptionally well, and even with those students that I have had a hard time connecting with this year. My contemporary dance class at High Point U has been particularly challenging, however I feel like we have finally found our stride, just in time for our end-of-semester showings. I'm so proud of them, they look great! At Salem Academy, where I teach a lovely group of teens, we made up the most fun holiday/broadway/jazzy chair dance! I asked them what they would like to work on, and they requested that we work on all three! So we did, and we had a blast. I can't wait to continue with our little dance this coming week.
Thoroughly Modern Millie auditions came and went this week in a whirlwind. Monologues, songs, and dancing, galore! The dance auditions were a lot of fun, but it was reiterated that more dance is needed at High Point, if we want to do dance-heavy productions, like Millie. I thought that those who have not had much dance experience did a wonderful job of keeping up and being able to laugh off their mistakes. And I greatly appreciated the few students who do have a lot of experience who were assisting the less experienced students during our activities. I am truly looking forward to working with the students that we have cast in the production, and I'm also looking forward to the coming semester, when I can continue to help create a culture for dance at High Point U.
My last week of work coming up, at both HPU and Salem Academy. I look forward to the rest of December, where I can relax, recharge, and get my creative juices flowing again!
~Cara
Friday, November 26, 2010
Musings on the Holiday Season...
So it has begun. The wail of fire trucks and ambulances, the long lines of cars off the interstate, the ridiculous commercials on TV, those dudes with the bells and aprons asking for spare change, and all the stuff we're going to buy, but will have no use for soon. It's the day after Thanksgiving and the "Holidays" have officially turned virtually every city and town in America into a corny, shallow, caricature of itself. Cynical outlook, you say? I can't say I disagree, but I feel like every year, the holidays begin earlier (decorations began to go up the day after Halloween!!), and get more and more geared toward making a buck. Some people would argue, aren't the holidays for spending time with Family, and showing goodwill towards others? I don't think so....
Here are some things that I have heard from those who disagree with my Grinchy outlook on the holidays. I will present these statements, and elaborate on my feelings.
1. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holidays, and gives us a chance to be grateful for all of the wonderful things in our lives.
Thanksgiving is a celebration of one people taking land, life and dignity from another. It marks the beginning of our country's habit of using others to build itself up. Perhaps we should all remember to thank the pilgrims for killing off the indigenous people of this country, so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. Yay! Whats more, we get to over-eat more than we over-eat as it is already. We are without a doubt, the unhealthiest, most gluttonous culture in the world right now. Can we opt for a more modest meal on Thanksgiving?? Why make food for ten, if you're only feeding five? Can't we prepare a meal that says, "we have more than enough, but we don't have to hoard?" Our culture is obsessed with taking more than we need, and this holiday is a prime example. Just think of all the leftover food that gets discarded after Thanksgiving...here's an article from 2007 that gives some food for thought. The articles I found from 2010 boasted similar numbers, but this one speaks to Thanksgiving specifically. "http://www.culinate.com/articles/features/wasted_food"
2. The holidays are for spending time with your family, as it is difficult to spend time with your family otherwise.
I wholeheartedly disagree. I believe that if you love your family and friends, you will make time to see each other. The holidays can be INCREDIBLY difficult to spend time with those you love. Plane tickets are astronomical, traffic is horrendous, and not to mention, many jobs require their employees to work on the holidays, so we can continue to have all of our conveniences, fun and emergency needs taken care of.
It is also my belief that much of the time we force ourselves to spend with our families is contrived. Many people feel obligated to tolerate cousin so-and-so, or that sister they never got along with because "It's the Holidays, and we're supposed to be a family(insert furrowed brow and crossed arms here)!!" Let's admit it: you can't pick your family, and there's no rule saying that each and every one you you has to get along. Let's try to keep the peace, and not play the game.
3. The Holidays are for resting...taking a break from the grind.
Hmm. I have to disagree there, too. For those of us lucky enough to get time off around the holidays, it is too often full of running around, navigating crowds, coordinating family activities and damage control. There is nothing restful about that. What's more, you loose a whole month's worth of productivity! The holiday schedule always puts a wrench in all things work related, and by the time January comes around, I am (and I'm sure many others are, too) pulling my hair out. I love to work. : )
4. Gift giving is rewarding...and it lets people know you care.
Nope. Gift giving (as far as adult to adult gift giving is concerned) is a reason for us to spend more money, on things our friends and family can't use. Does Mom REALLY need another set of 500 thread count sheets? Does Grandpa REALLY need another tie? Does Sis REALLY need another M.A.C Cosmetics compact? What can you possibly get someone (an adult) that they probably haven't gotten for themselves? Or better yet, how can you guarantee that you'll get someone something that they'll like, even if they don't have it already? Just look at all the stuff around your home. What more do you REALLY need?? As for the showing you care part, I'd like to think that actions and words show you care better than a gift. "I love you" are three simple words that get the job done beautifully! A gift only says, "Look, I bought ya something!"
5. The Holidays are a time when we show goodwill towards others.
So, you give the guy ringing the bell a dollar for his red pot. You did your duty, you've helped someone in need. You got a card in the mail to send money to a local charity. You write a check for $25. There. You did your job...goodwill towards others! So, maybe you even took it a step further, and gave one afternoon to volunteer at the food pantry. You're all good for community service for the rest of the year! Oh, then you got on the highway, flicked someone off, then cursed out the lady behind the register at Macy's. Goodwill towards others!!!
This whole notion of goodwill during the holidays is wishy-washy and hypocritical. People are people. I have a hard time believing that one or two months out of the year makes all the difference in how they (we) view other human beings. Same as making time to see your family, if there are people who actually care about being active in their communities, who actually care about being nice to everyone they meet, they'll do it on their own, with no help from the powerful, suggestive powers of mass media.
6. Christmas is about the birth of our Lord, Jesus. That's why we celebrate.
Well, yes, in theory. However, Christmas has become a commodity, not at all concerned with its religious roots. When I have read the story of Jesus' birth in the bible (sorry to get away from the political correctness, and respect for other's religious views), it seems as that though this event was a miracle, the celebration of it was one of more quiet contemplation. The Christmas we know is loud and obnoxious. It makes my brain hurt. Christmas has become such that many people, even those who are not Christian, or are atheist celebrate it. We "Christians" don't even do a very good job! It's the quintessential American holiday, the biggest money maker of the year, the one exciting event everyone is waiting for.
7. New Years is for starting fresh, and making positive changes.
We'd like to think so. But I find New Years to be a reason to act stupid, stay up late, get drunk and do something you regret. And as for the resolution part, hardly anyone sets goals they can actually keep.
Then, here comes the REALLY sad part: After all the over-eating, the running around, getting drunk, aggrivated, and stressed out is over, we're left with the rest of winter. How useless. January and February are the worst months of the year. Not to mention, we're left to pick up the pieces of what's left of ourselves emotionally, physically and financially. Time to get that gym membership, apologize to your aunt for saying those mean things, take a good, hard look at your bank statement, and get life back to normal.
SO NOW THAT I HAVE COMPLETELY RUINED THE NOTION OF THE HOLIDAYS FOR EVERYONE, THERE IS HOPE :) ...
1. Remember to count your blessings each and everyday, not just on Thanksgiving. And maybe next year, plan a more modest meal for your family and friends. This can make the day more meaningful, knowing you have exactly what you need, no more, no less.
2. Don't let the Holiday season be your only reminder to connect with loved ones. Call your little brother who lives overseas. Send your good friend an old fashioned letter. And if you want to see your loved ones, don't make excuses! If you find yourself alone during the holidays, don't panic! Take some time to enjoy the quiet of the season...the snow outside your window (if you're in a place that has snow), the smell of your favorite cake baking (which you can send to friends and family far away), the relief of having nothing important to do. You can also use that time to go through your closets, to get a head start on some cleaning. You'd be amazed at what you'd find, you may even find a reason to call your grandma, and remind her of that funny incident you and she shared one holiday when you were seven.
3. Try to give gifts that are edible, unique, and personal. For instance, a nice bottle of wine does nicely for those who enjoy entertaining. A batch of your favorite cookies, for those with a sweet tooth. Write and frame poem for those you love, perhaps. Drive your husband to work for the week, maybe. Do all the laundry and dry cleaning for your girlfriend for the week. These types of gifts show that you care, but don't cost much, and won't end up in the back of a closet!
4. Be inspired to become more active in your community all year round. Do simple things, like reinstating the words "Please" and "Thank you" back into your vocabulary. Try to be understanding when out shopping this year. Remember that everyone is under stress, just like you. A smile goes a long way. Try one on, and see how it fits. People will notice! When the holidays come around, think of it as a time to continue your ongoing service to your community and a time to think of what you can do to improve your engagement with others, and how you can encourage members in your community to do the same.
5. Remember why it is you are celebrating. Turn off the TV. Turn off the computer. Throw away the ads. Be quiet. Are you celebrating for religious reasons? Are you celebrating your beautiful family and friends? Are you celebrating making it through another year sober, or alive? No matter what you're celebrating, it is important not to loose sight of that celebration, and not to get caught up in the hype.
6. Have fun, but don't go overboard on New Years! Always better safe than sorry. If you're planning a New Years resolution, make sure it is a realistic goal. There is no bigger let-down than a failed attempt at an unattainable goal.
SO WITH THAT, I BID YOU ALL A HAPPY, MEANINGFUL AND MOST OF ALL SAFE, HOLIDAY SEASON, WHATEVER IT IS YOU MAY BE CELEBRATING!!!
~Cara
Here are some things that I have heard from those who disagree with my Grinchy outlook on the holidays. I will present these statements, and elaborate on my feelings.
1. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holidays, and gives us a chance to be grateful for all of the wonderful things in our lives.
Thanksgiving is a celebration of one people taking land, life and dignity from another. It marks the beginning of our country's habit of using others to build itself up. Perhaps we should all remember to thank the pilgrims for killing off the indigenous people of this country, so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. Yay! Whats more, we get to over-eat more than we over-eat as it is already. We are without a doubt, the unhealthiest, most gluttonous culture in the world right now. Can we opt for a more modest meal on Thanksgiving?? Why make food for ten, if you're only feeding five? Can't we prepare a meal that says, "we have more than enough, but we don't have to hoard?" Our culture is obsessed with taking more than we need, and this holiday is a prime example. Just think of all the leftover food that gets discarded after Thanksgiving...here's an article from 2007 that gives some food for thought. The articles I found from 2010 boasted similar numbers, but this one speaks to Thanksgiving specifically. "http://www.culinate.com/articles/features/wasted_food"
2. The holidays are for spending time with your family, as it is difficult to spend time with your family otherwise.
I wholeheartedly disagree. I believe that if you love your family and friends, you will make time to see each other. The holidays can be INCREDIBLY difficult to spend time with those you love. Plane tickets are astronomical, traffic is horrendous, and not to mention, many jobs require their employees to work on the holidays, so we can continue to have all of our conveniences, fun and emergency needs taken care of.
It is also my belief that much of the time we force ourselves to spend with our families is contrived. Many people feel obligated to tolerate cousin so-and-so, or that sister they never got along with because "It's the Holidays, and we're supposed to be a family(insert furrowed brow and crossed arms here)!!" Let's admit it: you can't pick your family, and there's no rule saying that each and every one you you has to get along. Let's try to keep the peace, and not play the game.
3. The Holidays are for resting...taking a break from the grind.
Hmm. I have to disagree there, too. For those of us lucky enough to get time off around the holidays, it is too often full of running around, navigating crowds, coordinating family activities and damage control. There is nothing restful about that. What's more, you loose a whole month's worth of productivity! The holiday schedule always puts a wrench in all things work related, and by the time January comes around, I am (and I'm sure many others are, too) pulling my hair out. I love to work. : )
4. Gift giving is rewarding...and it lets people know you care.
Nope. Gift giving (as far as adult to adult gift giving is concerned) is a reason for us to spend more money, on things our friends and family can't use. Does Mom REALLY need another set of 500 thread count sheets? Does Grandpa REALLY need another tie? Does Sis REALLY need another M.A.C Cosmetics compact? What can you possibly get someone (an adult) that they probably haven't gotten for themselves? Or better yet, how can you guarantee that you'll get someone something that they'll like, even if they don't have it already? Just look at all the stuff around your home. What more do you REALLY need?? As for the showing you care part, I'd like to think that actions and words show you care better than a gift. "I love you" are three simple words that get the job done beautifully! A gift only says, "Look, I bought ya something!"
5. The Holidays are a time when we show goodwill towards others.
So, you give the guy ringing the bell a dollar for his red pot. You did your duty, you've helped someone in need. You got a card in the mail to send money to a local charity. You write a check for $25. There. You did your job...goodwill towards others! So, maybe you even took it a step further, and gave one afternoon to volunteer at the food pantry. You're all good for community service for the rest of the year! Oh, then you got on the highway, flicked someone off, then cursed out the lady behind the register at Macy's. Goodwill towards others!!!
This whole notion of goodwill during the holidays is wishy-washy and hypocritical. People are people. I have a hard time believing that one or two months out of the year makes all the difference in how they (we) view other human beings. Same as making time to see your family, if there are people who actually care about being active in their communities, who actually care about being nice to everyone they meet, they'll do it on their own, with no help from the powerful, suggestive powers of mass media.
6. Christmas is about the birth of our Lord, Jesus. That's why we celebrate.
Well, yes, in theory. However, Christmas has become a commodity, not at all concerned with its religious roots. When I have read the story of Jesus' birth in the bible (sorry to get away from the political correctness, and respect for other's religious views), it seems as that though this event was a miracle, the celebration of it was one of more quiet contemplation. The Christmas we know is loud and obnoxious. It makes my brain hurt. Christmas has become such that many people, even those who are not Christian, or are atheist celebrate it. We "Christians" don't even do a very good job! It's the quintessential American holiday, the biggest money maker of the year, the one exciting event everyone is waiting for.
7. New Years is for starting fresh, and making positive changes.
We'd like to think so. But I find New Years to be a reason to act stupid, stay up late, get drunk and do something you regret. And as for the resolution part, hardly anyone sets goals they can actually keep.
Then, here comes the REALLY sad part: After all the over-eating, the running around, getting drunk, aggrivated, and stressed out is over, we're left with the rest of winter. How useless. January and February are the worst months of the year. Not to mention, we're left to pick up the pieces of what's left of ourselves emotionally, physically and financially. Time to get that gym membership, apologize to your aunt for saying those mean things, take a good, hard look at your bank statement, and get life back to normal.
SO NOW THAT I HAVE COMPLETELY RUINED THE NOTION OF THE HOLIDAYS FOR EVERYONE, THERE IS HOPE :) ...
1. Remember to count your blessings each and everyday, not just on Thanksgiving. And maybe next year, plan a more modest meal for your family and friends. This can make the day more meaningful, knowing you have exactly what you need, no more, no less.
2. Don't let the Holiday season be your only reminder to connect with loved ones. Call your little brother who lives overseas. Send your good friend an old fashioned letter. And if you want to see your loved ones, don't make excuses! If you find yourself alone during the holidays, don't panic! Take some time to enjoy the quiet of the season...the snow outside your window (if you're in a place that has snow), the smell of your favorite cake baking (which you can send to friends and family far away), the relief of having nothing important to do. You can also use that time to go through your closets, to get a head start on some cleaning. You'd be amazed at what you'd find, you may even find a reason to call your grandma, and remind her of that funny incident you and she shared one holiday when you were seven.
3. Try to give gifts that are edible, unique, and personal. For instance, a nice bottle of wine does nicely for those who enjoy entertaining. A batch of your favorite cookies, for those with a sweet tooth. Write and frame poem for those you love, perhaps. Drive your husband to work for the week, maybe. Do all the laundry and dry cleaning for your girlfriend for the week. These types of gifts show that you care, but don't cost much, and won't end up in the back of a closet!
4. Be inspired to become more active in your community all year round. Do simple things, like reinstating the words "Please" and "Thank you" back into your vocabulary. Try to be understanding when out shopping this year. Remember that everyone is under stress, just like you. A smile goes a long way. Try one on, and see how it fits. People will notice! When the holidays come around, think of it as a time to continue your ongoing service to your community and a time to think of what you can do to improve your engagement with others, and how you can encourage members in your community to do the same.
5. Remember why it is you are celebrating. Turn off the TV. Turn off the computer. Throw away the ads. Be quiet. Are you celebrating for religious reasons? Are you celebrating your beautiful family and friends? Are you celebrating making it through another year sober, or alive? No matter what you're celebrating, it is important not to loose sight of that celebration, and not to get caught up in the hype.
6. Have fun, but don't go overboard on New Years! Always better safe than sorry. If you're planning a New Years resolution, make sure it is a realistic goal. There is no bigger let-down than a failed attempt at an unattainable goal.
SO WITH THAT, I BID YOU ALL A HAPPY, MEANINGFUL AND MOST OF ALL SAFE, HOLIDAY SEASON, WHATEVER IT IS YOU MAY BE CELEBRATING!!!
~Cara
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Dismay, Excitement, Too.
Sunday's presentation of Movies By Movers left me feeling a little disappointed. I hate to say it. It should have been a joyous evening, with people enthusiastically supporting this wonderful dance for camera work not often spotlighted in our community. Instead, it was a sparsely attended event with one technical difficulty, and no Q & A. I felt awful, as most of the filmmakers made it out to the event. Some traveled form far away, only to watch their films with the other filmmakers, and a few gracious supporters. Not to say that it was all bad, as those who were in attendance expressed their enjoyment post screening, and I had, at the very least, accomplished the showing. I was dismayed that by the end of the evening, there was no one interested in beginning a dialogue about the films, as I think perhaps the filmmakers were also disappointed with the turnout, and maybe it wouldn't have made sense for filmmakers to ask filmmakers questions. I have it in my mind to try again in the spring, but I'm afraid that I may have lost the support of those who were there on Sunday, and those who weren't even there, who may have asked how the event went. I am afraid too, that I may loose the confidence of other filmmakers, as one who can successfully create opportunities to showcase work in my community. I am left perplexed, as I had such a positive response to the application process, and many expressed an interest in learning more about the dance for camera genre. It leaves me thinking of how I can better market an event like Movies By Movers when I try it again.
On a more joyful note, Monday evening was for meeting with my colleagues from High Point U to discuss the production of the musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie." I am so excited! There is going to be much glitz, glamor and colorful excitement in the staging of this show. This will be my first very large musical with High Point, and I feel up to the job, and ready to show what a good job I can do with the students. At work today, the students are excited to work with me, I am happy to find out. They are asking me questions, and doing their best to prepare for the audition. Last night proved to be a wonderful opportunity for me to get to know the people I will be working with more and more, since I've been appointed to full-time faculty. I feel like I'm "part of the club" now, and so happy to be joining this little community of artists.
Now, for an evening of relaxation with my husband.
~Cara
On a more joyful note, Monday evening was for meeting with my colleagues from High Point U to discuss the production of the musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie." I am so excited! There is going to be much glitz, glamor and colorful excitement in the staging of this show. This will be my first very large musical with High Point, and I feel up to the job, and ready to show what a good job I can do with the students. At work today, the students are excited to work with me, I am happy to find out. They are asking me questions, and doing their best to prepare for the audition. Last night proved to be a wonderful opportunity for me to get to know the people I will be working with more and more, since I've been appointed to full-time faculty. I feel like I'm "part of the club" now, and so happy to be joining this little community of artists.
Now, for an evening of relaxation with my husband.
~Cara
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Benevolent Art: Nervous
Benevolent Art: Nervous: "A lovely turn out last evening at Appalachian State University made for a lovely performance! We could not have asked for a more gracious au..."
Nervous
A lovely turn out last evening at Appalachian State University made for a lovely performance! We could not have asked for a more gracious audience, and our time on stage was a blast! I think now, both Mackenzie and I are looking forward to a short break from performing the piece to enjoy some down time over the holidays.
As always, it comes down to the wire. Last month, it was sound for "Kitchen Table," done just two days before premiere, now it is the compilation of the films for Movies By Movers, which happens tomorrow! After getting home very late last night, I was happy to see the DVD from Brett just under my mail slot. I was tired, but decided to watch anyway. I'm glad I did! There is always more work to do. After two of the films, there is some extended black and silence, that I feel will make our audience fidgety. I hope Brett can clean up those little spots before tomorrow. And for whatever reason, the color on "Kitchen Table" is off...too saturated. If I need to, I'll bring a separate DVD for the film, as it is last on the program (inside show info!). All of the other films seem to look great, and I just hope everything goes off without a hitch. I go to the theater a little later this morning, to test if our DVD's will play in the theater's blu-ray players. Gosh, I hope so!!! I don't know what we'll do, if they don't. I am wrought with anxiety that the show will not go off, that I will have to give everyone's ticket money back, and that I will be a failure at launching my first dance for camera event. I don't like this thought, and I hope I'm being ridiculous.
I'll let you know how it goes.
~Cara
As always, it comes down to the wire. Last month, it was sound for "Kitchen Table," done just two days before premiere, now it is the compilation of the films for Movies By Movers, which happens tomorrow! After getting home very late last night, I was happy to see the DVD from Brett just under my mail slot. I was tired, but decided to watch anyway. I'm glad I did! There is always more work to do. After two of the films, there is some extended black and silence, that I feel will make our audience fidgety. I hope Brett can clean up those little spots before tomorrow. And for whatever reason, the color on "Kitchen Table" is off...too saturated. If I need to, I'll bring a separate DVD for the film, as it is last on the program (inside show info!). All of the other films seem to look great, and I just hope everything goes off without a hitch. I go to the theater a little later this morning, to test if our DVD's will play in the theater's blu-ray players. Gosh, I hope so!!! I don't know what we'll do, if they don't. I am wrought with anxiety that the show will not go off, that I will have to give everyone's ticket money back, and that I will be a failure at launching my first dance for camera event. I don't like this thought, and I hope I'm being ridiculous.
I'll let you know how it goes.
~Cara
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Beckonings and Other Things
As the month of November becomes short, I look forward to welcoming the end of the year, a wrapping-up of fall events and new beginnings.
This morning, I had the pleasure of taking class with Trish, one of my former professors, now dear friend at the UNC School of the Arts. How I enjoyed her brand of careful attention to the body and soul recognition. I especially appreciated her non-stop warm-up, which explored the centers of the body, their relationship to each other while in motion and the relationship between the torso and the efficient, supported use of the extremities. There was breath to be drawn and given away. There was imagination to throw in the mix, and all of this reminds me that we dance not only to entertain others, and to make a living, but to nourish ourselves, too. A world away from the lovely class I took with Brenda last week, this class seemed perfect for the day. I left feeling "put together" and warm. I realize that as the season changes here, my body craves this warmth that only movement and sweat can create more and more. The warmth stays with me all day. I find this movement also, a nice departure from my usual solitary routine, which though it keeps my body warm, and ready to dance, can sometimes get to be too much of routine, if I am not careful to remind myself to play and to explore my body and its movement personalities actively.
Taking these two classes has also opened up some new thoughts in regards to my own teaching. As I become a more seasoned teacher, I can appreciate these classes not only as a student, but as a teacher who recognizes the unique, beautiful gifts each teacher has to offer, and why each different approach and style is of value. The classes make me think about the ways in which I am engaging with my students, and how I might continue to grow in my teaching during the coming years.
This weekend will prove to be a busy one, with the last two 87 Dance Productions events of 2010 happening. Tomorrow, Mackenzie and I will perform on the third installation of the NC Dance Festival in Boone, at Appalachian State University. I am excited that Mackenzie gets to accompany me to this beautiful place. I have performed in Boone twice by myself, and both times, I have been taken with the beauty of the area. Though it isn't somewhere I would think to settle down, it is definitely somewhere worth visiting. I would even relish the thought of a little restful getaway there. Again, we'll be performing 'Words Apart,' and I hope, as always, that we will have a nice reception of the piece. I have found it so gratifying to go through the process of performing on this festival tour with Mackenzie. I have enjoyed sharing with her aspects of this beautiful state that I love! It will be a little sad when our tenure on the tour is over.
On Sunday, my first attempt at a dance for camera festival is happening! I have worked so hard on 'Movies By Movers,' and I hope that it is evident in the evening's events. I'm so glad to hear that most of the filmmakers are coming, which will make our short question/answer session after the showing quite exciting. There's not much more that I can say about it, other than I can hardly wait!
Getting to the tail end of things at High Point U., my classes are polishing up material for their end-of-semester showings. This year, it seems that the showings will be well-attended, and bring us one step closer to having wide interest in a main stage concert for next year. I am very proud of the work my students have done, and I've learned so much from them this semester. I have been challenged, and beckoned out of my comfort zone, and for that, I am grateful. I imagine that next semester will bring with it, many more challenges and beckonings, which I feel wholly ready for. But first, a break! A much needed one, I might add. I have gotten to the point where even putting on my shoes makes me sigh with fatigue.
Thanksgiving day will be for me to relax. I may not even get dressed. Big changes on the way for the new year! more about that as the time comes.
~Cara
This morning, I had the pleasure of taking class with Trish, one of my former professors, now dear friend at the UNC School of the Arts. How I enjoyed her brand of careful attention to the body and soul recognition. I especially appreciated her non-stop warm-up, which explored the centers of the body, their relationship to each other while in motion and the relationship between the torso and the efficient, supported use of the extremities. There was breath to be drawn and given away. There was imagination to throw in the mix, and all of this reminds me that we dance not only to entertain others, and to make a living, but to nourish ourselves, too. A world away from the lovely class I took with Brenda last week, this class seemed perfect for the day. I left feeling "put together" and warm. I realize that as the season changes here, my body craves this warmth that only movement and sweat can create more and more. The warmth stays with me all day. I find this movement also, a nice departure from my usual solitary routine, which though it keeps my body warm, and ready to dance, can sometimes get to be too much of routine, if I am not careful to remind myself to play and to explore my body and its movement personalities actively.
Taking these two classes has also opened up some new thoughts in regards to my own teaching. As I become a more seasoned teacher, I can appreciate these classes not only as a student, but as a teacher who recognizes the unique, beautiful gifts each teacher has to offer, and why each different approach and style is of value. The classes make me think about the ways in which I am engaging with my students, and how I might continue to grow in my teaching during the coming years.
This weekend will prove to be a busy one, with the last two 87 Dance Productions events of 2010 happening. Tomorrow, Mackenzie and I will perform on the third installation of the NC Dance Festival in Boone, at Appalachian State University. I am excited that Mackenzie gets to accompany me to this beautiful place. I have performed in Boone twice by myself, and both times, I have been taken with the beauty of the area. Though it isn't somewhere I would think to settle down, it is definitely somewhere worth visiting. I would even relish the thought of a little restful getaway there. Again, we'll be performing 'Words Apart,' and I hope, as always, that we will have a nice reception of the piece. I have found it so gratifying to go through the process of performing on this festival tour with Mackenzie. I have enjoyed sharing with her aspects of this beautiful state that I love! It will be a little sad when our tenure on the tour is over.
On Sunday, my first attempt at a dance for camera festival is happening! I have worked so hard on 'Movies By Movers,' and I hope that it is evident in the evening's events. I'm so glad to hear that most of the filmmakers are coming, which will make our short question/answer session after the showing quite exciting. There's not much more that I can say about it, other than I can hardly wait!
Getting to the tail end of things at High Point U., my classes are polishing up material for their end-of-semester showings. This year, it seems that the showings will be well-attended, and bring us one step closer to having wide interest in a main stage concert for next year. I am very proud of the work my students have done, and I've learned so much from them this semester. I have been challenged, and beckoned out of my comfort zone, and for that, I am grateful. I imagine that next semester will bring with it, many more challenges and beckonings, which I feel wholly ready for. But first, a break! A much needed one, I might add. I have gotten to the point where even putting on my shoes makes me sigh with fatigue.
Thanksgiving day will be for me to relax. I may not even get dressed. Big changes on the way for the new year! more about that as the time comes.
~Cara
Friday, November 12, 2010
Life is Good.
Loveliness all around these past two days! Beautiful performances, rediscoveries and good news.
Yesterday evening began with a trip to Raleigh to attend the NC State U fall dance concert. But before I head over to the theater, I meet a young woman near campus to make a wedding dress hand-off! I'm delighted that the Wedding Dress Project is taking off. I have amazing pictures from creative ladies, I have secured two (soon to be three!) wedding dresses by donation, and now I only need to move on the third step of the project. The third step of the project will involve creating wearable separates from the dresses (I am collaborating with a costume design colleague of mine at HPU), and find an organization through which we can pair these clothes with women who can use them.
After the hand-off, I made my way over to the theater. There, I stop in at the adjacent art gallery, The Gregg, to kill some time before curtain. The exhibit features mid-century modern pieces for home and for wear. I see beautiful dresses from the 1950's, just like the ones Mackenzie and I wore in "Kitchen Table." I see architectural examples of the era, as well as home objects. This collection of things reflects a time in our country when people were experiencing a new sense of luxury, given the end of WWII. Rationing was over, and society was looking forward to a more modern, stylish, carefree (perceived) existence. Flouncy, full skirts and stylish smoking jackets for entertaining guests in the new suburban culture, buildings with bold, energetic lines boasting a new, strong image for the country and home furnishings in all those easy colors, flowing shapes, screaming of ease and convenience. Yes, the idea of the era sounds lovely. Of course, we know this was not exactly the case. Moreover, one of the first things that comes to my mind is the fact that this new luxury was mostly a white ideal. I wonder how people of color were participating in this new ideal. Given that this period in our history was before the civil rights movement, how were people of color left behind in this ideal? Did a lucky, affluent few get to engage in the activities of the day, or were these consumer-driven activities largely left to the majority race, as a cultural disconnect? I will as my grandparents for their opinions.
After I left the art gallery, it was time for the show to begin! I took my seat right at the top of the arena. The theater, which holds hundreds, looks pleasantly full. Though the peripheral sections of the theater are empty, the middle sections alone can hold about two hundred, as I count rows of seats. The middle sections are full! I'm happy to see so many come out for a dance event. I always feel that it is hardest to get people out to dance events in comparison to other types of events. The show begins with an absolutely stunning piece entitled, "Museum," choreographed by the group of students who danced it, inspired by the current exhibition in the Gregg. The young ladies danced the piece with sensitivity and it was evident that they invested themselves in the project fully. The subsequent pieces in the concert were a mixture of student and faculty work. In the student pieces, I could see the influence of Robin, the head of the program there, in the students' use of gesture and subtlety. There were some lovely offerings. Laura's and my piece, "Common Threads," was left for the final slot in the show. It was wonderful to see the culmination of our work on stage, with all the lights, the costumes and the professional approach of the dancers. Seeing the piece on stage, and hearing our original music fill that large space got my brain brewing on how we can continue to grow the work. The unique space of the theater brought new dimension to the piece in ways that were unexpected, but made me think differently about aesthetic choices I made in the piece. The work is definitely still in process, but the students did such a wonderful job, and the piece looked great!
Following yesterday evening's activities, I decided to take Brenda (a former professor of mine at UNC School of the Arts) up on an invite she extended to me to come and take class with her. On the way over this morning, I was anxious about what being back in class might feel like. Would I leave sore as could be? Would I be bad, or clumsy? After all, it's been years since I've had a Cunningham style technique class. When I got to the school, I went into the studio, and immediately noticed how old I felt compared to the college students there. Though I am not so far away from my experience at UNCSA (almost six years), my recent life and professional experiences have separated me from the students. Once class begins, I am happy to find that the exercises are easily brought forward from the back of my mind. As the class progresses, I am having so much fun! Brenda's class is spot-on, and is like eating your peas (I like peas, by the way) just as I remember it being. She lightens the atmosphere with much humor, while still encouraging her students toward growth. I wasn't worried about how I looked, I wasn't worried about being perfect, and I allowed myself to take the class as a therapeutic opportunity, instead of an opportunity to abuse and scrutinize my body, the way I would have back in college. Today I left with my joints and muscles feeling happy, and no soreness to speak of. A healthy sweat left my skin glowing. I will be back to class during the weeks ahead!
The last little bit of wonderfulness involves my job at High Point U. Finally, after much waiting, it is official, in writing, that I am to be appointed to the position of full time instructor of dance! I'm so excited. I am looking forward to consolidating my efforts into one institution, and being able to focus my energies outside of work, since I won't have to work four jobs. My hope, is that I can get my out-of-work energies more focused on my artwork, and I hope this will mean that I can take my artwork to the next level. The good thing about that desire is the fact that I feel supported by HPU in this endeavor, and that the school may serve, in many instances, as a platform for me to show work, to make work and to experiment.
Life is good.
~Cara
Yesterday evening began with a trip to Raleigh to attend the NC State U fall dance concert. But before I head over to the theater, I meet a young woman near campus to make a wedding dress hand-off! I'm delighted that the Wedding Dress Project is taking off. I have amazing pictures from creative ladies, I have secured two (soon to be three!) wedding dresses by donation, and now I only need to move on the third step of the project. The third step of the project will involve creating wearable separates from the dresses (I am collaborating with a costume design colleague of mine at HPU), and find an organization through which we can pair these clothes with women who can use them.
After the hand-off, I made my way over to the theater. There, I stop in at the adjacent art gallery, The Gregg, to kill some time before curtain. The exhibit features mid-century modern pieces for home and for wear. I see beautiful dresses from the 1950's, just like the ones Mackenzie and I wore in "Kitchen Table." I see architectural examples of the era, as well as home objects. This collection of things reflects a time in our country when people were experiencing a new sense of luxury, given the end of WWII. Rationing was over, and society was looking forward to a more modern, stylish, carefree (perceived) existence. Flouncy, full skirts and stylish smoking jackets for entertaining guests in the new suburban culture, buildings with bold, energetic lines boasting a new, strong image for the country and home furnishings in all those easy colors, flowing shapes, screaming of ease and convenience. Yes, the idea of the era sounds lovely. Of course, we know this was not exactly the case. Moreover, one of the first things that comes to my mind is the fact that this new luxury was mostly a white ideal. I wonder how people of color were participating in this new ideal. Given that this period in our history was before the civil rights movement, how were people of color left behind in this ideal? Did a lucky, affluent few get to engage in the activities of the day, or were these consumer-driven activities largely left to the majority race, as a cultural disconnect? I will as my grandparents for their opinions.
After I left the art gallery, it was time for the show to begin! I took my seat right at the top of the arena. The theater, which holds hundreds, looks pleasantly full. Though the peripheral sections of the theater are empty, the middle sections alone can hold about two hundred, as I count rows of seats. The middle sections are full! I'm happy to see so many come out for a dance event. I always feel that it is hardest to get people out to dance events in comparison to other types of events. The show begins with an absolutely stunning piece entitled, "Museum," choreographed by the group of students who danced it, inspired by the current exhibition in the Gregg. The young ladies danced the piece with sensitivity and it was evident that they invested themselves in the project fully. The subsequent pieces in the concert were a mixture of student and faculty work. In the student pieces, I could see the influence of Robin, the head of the program there, in the students' use of gesture and subtlety. There were some lovely offerings. Laura's and my piece, "Common Threads," was left for the final slot in the show. It was wonderful to see the culmination of our work on stage, with all the lights, the costumes and the professional approach of the dancers. Seeing the piece on stage, and hearing our original music fill that large space got my brain brewing on how we can continue to grow the work. The unique space of the theater brought new dimension to the piece in ways that were unexpected, but made me think differently about aesthetic choices I made in the piece. The work is definitely still in process, but the students did such a wonderful job, and the piece looked great!
Following yesterday evening's activities, I decided to take Brenda (a former professor of mine at UNC School of the Arts) up on an invite she extended to me to come and take class with her. On the way over this morning, I was anxious about what being back in class might feel like. Would I leave sore as could be? Would I be bad, or clumsy? After all, it's been years since I've had a Cunningham style technique class. When I got to the school, I went into the studio, and immediately noticed how old I felt compared to the college students there. Though I am not so far away from my experience at UNCSA (almost six years), my recent life and professional experiences have separated me from the students. Once class begins, I am happy to find that the exercises are easily brought forward from the back of my mind. As the class progresses, I am having so much fun! Brenda's class is spot-on, and is like eating your peas (I like peas, by the way) just as I remember it being. She lightens the atmosphere with much humor, while still encouraging her students toward growth. I wasn't worried about how I looked, I wasn't worried about being perfect, and I allowed myself to take the class as a therapeutic opportunity, instead of an opportunity to abuse and scrutinize my body, the way I would have back in college. Today I left with my joints and muscles feeling happy, and no soreness to speak of. A healthy sweat left my skin glowing. I will be back to class during the weeks ahead!
The last little bit of wonderfulness involves my job at High Point U. Finally, after much waiting, it is official, in writing, that I am to be appointed to the position of full time instructor of dance! I'm so excited. I am looking forward to consolidating my efforts into one institution, and being able to focus my energies outside of work, since I won't have to work four jobs. My hope, is that I can get my out-of-work energies more focused on my artwork, and I hope this will mean that I can take my artwork to the next level. The good thing about that desire is the fact that I feel supported by HPU in this endeavor, and that the school may serve, in many instances, as a platform for me to show work, to make work and to experiment.
Life is good.
~Cara
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Learning My Place
Each and every day, I learn a little more about what it is I am doing with my life, and what my place is in art.
On Thursday, I had a meeting with Ed, the Chair of my department to discuss how the presence of dance at High Point U will be growing and expanding over the next few years. One thing is certain, that I must be patient. I had no idea how many entities and hoops I would have to go through to get things rolling. However, despite my introduction to the world of college inter-workings, my conversation with my department chair went exceptionally well. Ed likes all of my ideas, and by the end of the conversation, we are both happy with the plan we have come up with. The plan is to begin to implement a curriculum for a minor in dance. I'm so excited! During our conversation, Ed and I discuss what kind of students attend HPU, and more specifically, the students that choose to study in the department of performing arts. Ed reminds me that my students, and most of the students in the department are those that will become enthusiasts, not necessarily full-time arts professionals. After our conversation, I think hard about this reminder.
The students who fill out the ranks of my classes represent a spectrum of majors: marketing majors, education majors, political science majors, exercise science majors, communication majors, and more. Yes, I have many theater majors, as well. Most of the students are pursuing minors, in addition to their majors. Some students are double majors. Some students are double minors. And there is every combination in between. Ed tells me that these students who involve themselves in arts activities at HPU will generally graduate to become professionals who are art enthusiasts and supporters. That makes me think of how important it is to give my students a positive experience. After all, these students will be the ones buying tickets to our performances. They will be the ones contributing to our fundraisers, and sending their children to our classes. After my conversation with Ed, I realize what a responsibility I have!
I always thought growing up that I would be involved with dance at the highest caliber in every aspect. I would dance on the biggest stages. I would choreograph masterpieces. I would teach the next generation of world renowned artists. How different adult life turns out to be! I detest performing in large venues. I realize that the making of a masterpiece takes countless experiments, tries and failures. And I have grown to enjoy teaching those students that are 'raw' in their technique, but desire to experience the joy of movement in comparison to those that are training to be professional artists. I think I don't enjoy teaching pre-professionals as much as more 'raw' students, because the pre-professional students remind me of myself as a trainee...over-serious, inflexible(in my philosophy and methodology) and striving for an unattainable perfection. As I move toward deconstructing some of my pre-professional hang-ups, I can better appreciate the unique approaches to the challenge of moving in ways I have come to take for granted.
I can't wait to move forward with the dance minor plans at HPU, and I can't wait to learn and grow as my students do!
Saturday brought with it a day with Mackenzie! We spent the day in Greensboro, for the second show of the NC Dance Festival. When we arrived at our technical rehearsal, I see Mitch, the TD at UNCG, and I am happy. He was such a big help to me during the NCDF in 2007, and I was hoping he would be there! He helped everything to run as smooth as smooth could be, and our tech rehearsal was efficient and painless. I was happy to learn that after a great showing in Charlotte, our piece(Words Apart) was placed last on the program. But knowing that my former NC School of the Arts dance professor, Brenda would be in the audience made me feel nervous! Being last means that your piece is the last thing the audience is going to see, and generally the last piece is supposed to be the most energetic or poignant. No pressure!
Post rehearsal, Mackenzie and I had a bit of a girl's day. We went to Friendly Center, and had lunch. We wandered in and out of all of the shops. We talked and gossiped and generally enjoyed each other's company. Soon, it was time for us to get ready to perform. I hate waiting to get on stage! While waiting backstage, I suddenly begin to sike myself out...over-reviewing parts of the piece I know so well, over thinking the steps...I know this isn't a good thing to do. I know that I can just get on stage, breathe, and let the words guide me through the piece, as always. When our piece begins, all is going great! I'm breathing, enjoying my time out on stage, then suddenly, three steps slip from my memory. I roll...sit on my stool, do something with my arms...who knows! I then realize how short my time on stage is. That took no time at all...and those who have never seen the piece (even those who have) would be none the wiser that I had changed the steps. But the damage is done. The rest of the section, my mind is elsewhere, stuck on those three steps I missed. The rest of the piece goes as well as it could have, some little things here and there, as always in live performance, but I am both disappointed and apathetic (how, right?). After the show, I am met with compliments from audience members mingling in the lobby, and Brenda has only good things to say about the piece. I should be happy, but I don't think I believe her. I would believe her compliments, if I felt like I had done better.
At 5:30 this morning, as I prepare to take Mackenzie to the airport, she says, "Everyone is not out to get you..." I think she might be right, but I have a hard time believing that, as I always feel like people are out to get me! Not like the CIA is monitoring me, and that a secret agent is bugging my calls, but sometimes, I feel like the people I know and meet, and my experiences are always testing me...am I really an artist? Or am I simply an enthusiastic hopeful? Do people around me want me to succeed? Or are people waiting for me to fail? I can never tell.
So, in conclusion, all of my wonderful experiences lately have been absolutely as wonderful as anyone should expect them to be. I think it is my thinking that needs to change.
~Cara
On Thursday, I had a meeting with Ed, the Chair of my department to discuss how the presence of dance at High Point U will be growing and expanding over the next few years. One thing is certain, that I must be patient. I had no idea how many entities and hoops I would have to go through to get things rolling. However, despite my introduction to the world of college inter-workings, my conversation with my department chair went exceptionally well. Ed likes all of my ideas, and by the end of the conversation, we are both happy with the plan we have come up with. The plan is to begin to implement a curriculum for a minor in dance. I'm so excited! During our conversation, Ed and I discuss what kind of students attend HPU, and more specifically, the students that choose to study in the department of performing arts. Ed reminds me that my students, and most of the students in the department are those that will become enthusiasts, not necessarily full-time arts professionals. After our conversation, I think hard about this reminder.
The students who fill out the ranks of my classes represent a spectrum of majors: marketing majors, education majors, political science majors, exercise science majors, communication majors, and more. Yes, I have many theater majors, as well. Most of the students are pursuing minors, in addition to their majors. Some students are double majors. Some students are double minors. And there is every combination in between. Ed tells me that these students who involve themselves in arts activities at HPU will generally graduate to become professionals who are art enthusiasts and supporters. That makes me think of how important it is to give my students a positive experience. After all, these students will be the ones buying tickets to our performances. They will be the ones contributing to our fundraisers, and sending their children to our classes. After my conversation with Ed, I realize what a responsibility I have!
I always thought growing up that I would be involved with dance at the highest caliber in every aspect. I would dance on the biggest stages. I would choreograph masterpieces. I would teach the next generation of world renowned artists. How different adult life turns out to be! I detest performing in large venues. I realize that the making of a masterpiece takes countless experiments, tries and failures. And I have grown to enjoy teaching those students that are 'raw' in their technique, but desire to experience the joy of movement in comparison to those that are training to be professional artists. I think I don't enjoy teaching pre-professionals as much as more 'raw' students, because the pre-professional students remind me of myself as a trainee...over-serious, inflexible(in my philosophy and methodology) and striving for an unattainable perfection. As I move toward deconstructing some of my pre-professional hang-ups, I can better appreciate the unique approaches to the challenge of moving in ways I have come to take for granted.
I can't wait to move forward with the dance minor plans at HPU, and I can't wait to learn and grow as my students do!
Saturday brought with it a day with Mackenzie! We spent the day in Greensboro, for the second show of the NC Dance Festival. When we arrived at our technical rehearsal, I see Mitch, the TD at UNCG, and I am happy. He was such a big help to me during the NCDF in 2007, and I was hoping he would be there! He helped everything to run as smooth as smooth could be, and our tech rehearsal was efficient and painless. I was happy to learn that after a great showing in Charlotte, our piece(Words Apart) was placed last on the program. But knowing that my former NC School of the Arts dance professor, Brenda would be in the audience made me feel nervous! Being last means that your piece is the last thing the audience is going to see, and generally the last piece is supposed to be the most energetic or poignant. No pressure!
Post rehearsal, Mackenzie and I had a bit of a girl's day. We went to Friendly Center, and had lunch. We wandered in and out of all of the shops. We talked and gossiped and generally enjoyed each other's company. Soon, it was time for us to get ready to perform. I hate waiting to get on stage! While waiting backstage, I suddenly begin to sike myself out...over-reviewing parts of the piece I know so well, over thinking the steps...I know this isn't a good thing to do. I know that I can just get on stage, breathe, and let the words guide me through the piece, as always. When our piece begins, all is going great! I'm breathing, enjoying my time out on stage, then suddenly, three steps slip from my memory. I roll...sit on my stool, do something with my arms...who knows! I then realize how short my time on stage is. That took no time at all...and those who have never seen the piece (even those who have) would be none the wiser that I had changed the steps. But the damage is done. The rest of the section, my mind is elsewhere, stuck on those three steps I missed. The rest of the piece goes as well as it could have, some little things here and there, as always in live performance, but I am both disappointed and apathetic (how, right?). After the show, I am met with compliments from audience members mingling in the lobby, and Brenda has only good things to say about the piece. I should be happy, but I don't think I believe her. I would believe her compliments, if I felt like I had done better.
At 5:30 this morning, as I prepare to take Mackenzie to the airport, she says, "Everyone is not out to get you..." I think she might be right, but I have a hard time believing that, as I always feel like people are out to get me! Not like the CIA is monitoring me, and that a secret agent is bugging my calls, but sometimes, I feel like the people I know and meet, and my experiences are always testing me...am I really an artist? Or am I simply an enthusiastic hopeful? Do people around me want me to succeed? Or are people waiting for me to fail? I can never tell.
So, in conclusion, all of my wonderful experiences lately have been absolutely as wonderful as anyone should expect them to be. I think it is my thinking that needs to change.
~Cara
Friday, October 29, 2010
Relieved and Content!!
The end of the week brings with it a wave of relief and contentment! Last evening, we premiered our third work for film, "Kitchen Table" after much worry over if it would be finished in time, or not. The rest of the work needed to put the finishing touches on the film were completed only two days before the screening, but everything turned out just right in the end. Both Mackenzie and Laura were in town to help me with the event. Mackenzie, lending her dancerly skills, while Laura offered her voice. Such fun we had! We presented to an intimate audience of about fifty people, all of whom seemed to enjoy the contents of the evening. From the presentation of the films, to the inclusion of the music, to the glorious cake and Mr. Potato Head making during the reception, everything was absolutely charming!
I think I was most happy to see so many familiar faces in the audience last night, who have made it out to the last few events we have had in town. I love knowing that there are people out there who truly want us to succeed! In addition, there were some whom I know, but have never attended an event of mine, like my colleagues at High Point U, as well as some of my students, and there were even a few faces I had never seen before. I feel like things are finally beginning to roll! I remember just a year and a half ago, when I gave a performance for only one, and how hurt and deflated I felt at my failure to build an audience in my own community. Since then, we have had a rash of amazing events, none of which have been empty!
I had a triumph last evening, too! Laura and I had agreed that I would sing one of the songs with her during the evening. I was beyond nervous, as the thought of singing in front of people is terrifying to me! But, I sang our little song without a hitch, for the most part. Robert (my husband) said he could hear in my voice that I was nervous, and one of the audience members asked if this was my first vocal performance during the Q & A, which leads me to believe that the audience could tell, too. However off it may have sounded, Laura was so gracious and supportive, and having Mackenzie dancing around on stage near me made it all ok. I know that next time I get up to sing, it won't be nearly as nerve racking, and perhaps, I might be able to breathe a little next time!
After the success of last evening, I am so excited to send this film out on the film festival circuit!
Film premiere aside, the week has also consisted of some activity for the NC Dance Festival, on which Mackenzie and I are dancing this season. Our activities this week involved some outreach to some high school students at Weaver Academy in Greensboro. Weaver is an arts magnet school, and I have taught master classes there before for NCDF 2007, so I just knew I would enjoy myself this time around.
On Tuesday, I gave a class for a lovely group of ninth and tenth graders of varying levels. Mrs. Brenner, their teacher said she was looking forward to watching how they interact with another teacher, and how they would take to someone else's movement. They did great! I felt like I really challenged them, but they rose to the occasion with smiles on their faces.
The next morning (after a very late night of delayed flight arrival) Mackenzie and I performed for a full auditorium of students at Weaver. We shared the show with Autumn Mist Belk, who teaches at NC State U and has a company called Code F.A.D., and Lauren Kearns, who teaches at Elon University and directs her company, Kearns Dance project. The performance was interesting. I had forgotten how ruckus high school students are! I was also reminded that most high school auditoriums are pretty interesting places, technically speaking. The sound is what ultimately did us in. Though the dancing went well, we could not hear our music on stage, the EQ was totally off and during Autumn's piece, the sound dropped out completely! However, I thought of this technical issue to be a good opportunity to speak to the students about the realities of live performance! The Q & A session was really great. I was glad to know that the students were engaged, even with the sound issues. There were some fabulous questions asked, and the students had many more questions and comments for us in passing post performance!
All in all, a wonderful week. Battling a ridiculous cold, but I'm sure I will feel better soon. I plan to take it easy this weekend. No dancing. A little teaching, but nothing heavy. Lots of writing...MFA packets are due Monday!!
~Cara
I think I was most happy to see so many familiar faces in the audience last night, who have made it out to the last few events we have had in town. I love knowing that there are people out there who truly want us to succeed! In addition, there were some whom I know, but have never attended an event of mine, like my colleagues at High Point U, as well as some of my students, and there were even a few faces I had never seen before. I feel like things are finally beginning to roll! I remember just a year and a half ago, when I gave a performance for only one, and how hurt and deflated I felt at my failure to build an audience in my own community. Since then, we have had a rash of amazing events, none of which have been empty!
I had a triumph last evening, too! Laura and I had agreed that I would sing one of the songs with her during the evening. I was beyond nervous, as the thought of singing in front of people is terrifying to me! But, I sang our little song without a hitch, for the most part. Robert (my husband) said he could hear in my voice that I was nervous, and one of the audience members asked if this was my first vocal performance during the Q & A, which leads me to believe that the audience could tell, too. However off it may have sounded, Laura was so gracious and supportive, and having Mackenzie dancing around on stage near me made it all ok. I know that next time I get up to sing, it won't be nearly as nerve racking, and perhaps, I might be able to breathe a little next time!
After the success of last evening, I am so excited to send this film out on the film festival circuit!
Film premiere aside, the week has also consisted of some activity for the NC Dance Festival, on which Mackenzie and I are dancing this season. Our activities this week involved some outreach to some high school students at Weaver Academy in Greensboro. Weaver is an arts magnet school, and I have taught master classes there before for NCDF 2007, so I just knew I would enjoy myself this time around.
On Tuesday, I gave a class for a lovely group of ninth and tenth graders of varying levels. Mrs. Brenner, their teacher said she was looking forward to watching how they interact with another teacher, and how they would take to someone else's movement. They did great! I felt like I really challenged them, but they rose to the occasion with smiles on their faces.
The next morning (after a very late night of delayed flight arrival) Mackenzie and I performed for a full auditorium of students at Weaver. We shared the show with Autumn Mist Belk, who teaches at NC State U and has a company called Code F.A.D., and Lauren Kearns, who teaches at Elon University and directs her company, Kearns Dance project. The performance was interesting. I had forgotten how ruckus high school students are! I was also reminded that most high school auditoriums are pretty interesting places, technically speaking. The sound is what ultimately did us in. Though the dancing went well, we could not hear our music on stage, the EQ was totally off and during Autumn's piece, the sound dropped out completely! However, I thought of this technical issue to be a good opportunity to speak to the students about the realities of live performance! The Q & A session was really great. I was glad to know that the students were engaged, even with the sound issues. There were some fabulous questions asked, and the students had many more questions and comments for us in passing post performance!
All in all, a wonderful week. Battling a ridiculous cold, but I'm sure I will feel better soon. I plan to take it easy this weekend. No dancing. A little teaching, but nothing heavy. Lots of writing...MFA packets are due Monday!!
~Cara
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Got Me Thinking...
Here it is, almost the end of October, and I have barely written anything about the activities of the month. How busy I've been, with the most fun a girl could have, I assure you! Where on earth should I begin? Ah. The Wedding Dress project!
The Wedding Dress Project came about on a whim. I was watching "Say Yes To The Dress," a fun show on TLC that documents women as they search for the perfect dress for their (hopefully) perfect weddings. I love it. I just love wedding dresses! And it made me want to put on my wedding dress again, to perhaps relive some of the magic of my wedding day, which got me thinking. First of all, that day is special because it happens only once. Second, we have so many lovely things from the wedding that are keepsakes: cards bearing the well-wishes of our family and friends, our fabulous photo album featuring all of the amazing happenings of the day, our guest book that reminds us of all the people who came to share in our occasion, toasting glasses and a cake cutting set that have the date of our union inscribed on their surfaces, all of the gifts we received and of course, our beautiful rings, which we wear proudly to show that we are committed to each other. The dress, which seemed to me to hold more (perhaps displaced) emotion than any other object concerning the day was now sitting in my closet, shut up in its bag. I remember feeling like a princess in that dress. Which got me thinking again: What if I could put on my wedding dress again? But this time, as a way to transform? A transformation that would free me of this longing to be back at my wedding. A transformation that would free me from hanging onto something that will ultimately become clutter? What if I can keep the magic of the dress alive by giving it another purpose, another life? And that's when it began.
That evening, I got on Facebook, and created an event, encouraging women to put their dresses back on, but in circumstances that were not at all related to the wedding day. For instance, couldn't you go to the grocery store, and buy tomatoes in your wedding dress? After all, it is just a dress. I was happy to find that getting people to play with me was not at all hard. Immediately, a photo appeared, of a woman picking up after her dog in her back yard in her lacy get-up! I just knew if I got a few pictures up of my own, that others would be encouraged to play. I called up my parents. I asked my mother to get on her dress. And she did. My father humored me at first, taking me to the gas station to capture me pumping gas (the most "regular" thing I could think of the do) in my dress. Soon though, he was excited to put ideas for pictures into the pot! After the gas station, we went to the baseball field up the street to take some photos of mom and I getting sporty in our regalia. Dad then suggested that a most striking picture would be us, target shooting in our dresses. And striking it was! I love those photos!!! And not soon after I posted my lovelies, a few more popped up! I am hoping that in the not-so-distant future, many more will pour in!
So, it is my hope that these women who are submitting their photos will also experience some sort of transformation in the act of taking their dresses out of context the way I did (boy, oh boy, it was soooo liberating!) so they can move onto stage two and three of the project.
Stage two involves giving up the dress. This step is one that I don't think will be easy for many, and many may stop their participation in the project after step one. It is my hope though, that some will be willing to give up their dresses, to let go figuratively and literally. I hope that they will recognize that their dresses can live on beyond their wedding day. Step three is the final stage, where the dresses will embark on their new journeys as both unaltered dresses and altered dresses. Unaltered dresses will ideally go to women who cannot afford beautiful dresses, so that they may have the opportunity to feel absolutely beautiful for their special occasions. Altered dresses will become christening dresses, quilts and other objects that can be donated to others for use. I would feel happy knowing that my dress was of use to someone else. So, once I get enough pictures, I plan to implement steps two and three.
Wedding Dress Project aside, there are other things! Today, I sat with a small panel of ladies to deliberate on which films we'll show for the "Movies By Movers" showing that is coming up fast. The evening is to be part of Winston Salem's annual fall celebration of the arts, 6 Days in November. Our evening is November 21st! I really enjoyed watching all of the dance film submissions in a single sitting. I appreciated the work that went into each and every one of them, and was excited to see such a diversity of voices represented. It is a shame that I couldn't show more than we picked, but I am only allowed to program 80 minutes worth of material. Given the amount of submissions I got, and post-deadline inquiries, I am confident that I will be able to curate a second edition of MBM in the spring. How wonderful! I can hardly wait to show the community these films.
Last on the list for immediate attention is the premiere of our newest film, "Kitchen Table!" Thursday is the day the world will be introduced to this film! I'm so excited! Just a few more loose ends to tie up in the edit before Thursday (which I have been assured will be complete, though I am biting my nails). It is my deepest hope that we have a nice sized audience. I would just hate to have an empty house, especially given all the fun activities we'll have going on during the presentation and the reception!
it is getting late now, and I have to wake up for an early yoga class! I hope to have a rash of loveliness to share with you this week! Stay tuned!
~Cara
The Wedding Dress Project came about on a whim. I was watching "Say Yes To The Dress," a fun show on TLC that documents women as they search for the perfect dress for their (hopefully) perfect weddings. I love it. I just love wedding dresses! And it made me want to put on my wedding dress again, to perhaps relive some of the magic of my wedding day, which got me thinking. First of all, that day is special because it happens only once. Second, we have so many lovely things from the wedding that are keepsakes: cards bearing the well-wishes of our family and friends, our fabulous photo album featuring all of the amazing happenings of the day, our guest book that reminds us of all the people who came to share in our occasion, toasting glasses and a cake cutting set that have the date of our union inscribed on their surfaces, all of the gifts we received and of course, our beautiful rings, which we wear proudly to show that we are committed to each other. The dress, which seemed to me to hold more (perhaps displaced) emotion than any other object concerning the day was now sitting in my closet, shut up in its bag. I remember feeling like a princess in that dress. Which got me thinking again: What if I could put on my wedding dress again? But this time, as a way to transform? A transformation that would free me of this longing to be back at my wedding. A transformation that would free me from hanging onto something that will ultimately become clutter? What if I can keep the magic of the dress alive by giving it another purpose, another life? And that's when it began.
That evening, I got on Facebook, and created an event, encouraging women to put their dresses back on, but in circumstances that were not at all related to the wedding day. For instance, couldn't you go to the grocery store, and buy tomatoes in your wedding dress? After all, it is just a dress. I was happy to find that getting people to play with me was not at all hard. Immediately, a photo appeared, of a woman picking up after her dog in her back yard in her lacy get-up! I just knew if I got a few pictures up of my own, that others would be encouraged to play. I called up my parents. I asked my mother to get on her dress. And she did. My father humored me at first, taking me to the gas station to capture me pumping gas (the most "regular" thing I could think of the do) in my dress. Soon though, he was excited to put ideas for pictures into the pot! After the gas station, we went to the baseball field up the street to take some photos of mom and I getting sporty in our regalia. Dad then suggested that a most striking picture would be us, target shooting in our dresses. And striking it was! I love those photos!!! And not soon after I posted my lovelies, a few more popped up! I am hoping that in the not-so-distant future, many more will pour in!
So, it is my hope that these women who are submitting their photos will also experience some sort of transformation in the act of taking their dresses out of context the way I did (boy, oh boy, it was soooo liberating!) so they can move onto stage two and three of the project.
Stage two involves giving up the dress. This step is one that I don't think will be easy for many, and many may stop their participation in the project after step one. It is my hope though, that some will be willing to give up their dresses, to let go figuratively and literally. I hope that they will recognize that their dresses can live on beyond their wedding day. Step three is the final stage, where the dresses will embark on their new journeys as both unaltered dresses and altered dresses. Unaltered dresses will ideally go to women who cannot afford beautiful dresses, so that they may have the opportunity to feel absolutely beautiful for their special occasions. Altered dresses will become christening dresses, quilts and other objects that can be donated to others for use. I would feel happy knowing that my dress was of use to someone else. So, once I get enough pictures, I plan to implement steps two and three.
Wedding Dress Project aside, there are other things! Today, I sat with a small panel of ladies to deliberate on which films we'll show for the "Movies By Movers" showing that is coming up fast. The evening is to be part of Winston Salem's annual fall celebration of the arts, 6 Days in November. Our evening is November 21st! I really enjoyed watching all of the dance film submissions in a single sitting. I appreciated the work that went into each and every one of them, and was excited to see such a diversity of voices represented. It is a shame that I couldn't show more than we picked, but I am only allowed to program 80 minutes worth of material. Given the amount of submissions I got, and post-deadline inquiries, I am confident that I will be able to curate a second edition of MBM in the spring. How wonderful! I can hardly wait to show the community these films.
Last on the list for immediate attention is the premiere of our newest film, "Kitchen Table!" Thursday is the day the world will be introduced to this film! I'm so excited! Just a few more loose ends to tie up in the edit before Thursday (which I have been assured will be complete, though I am biting my nails). It is my deepest hope that we have a nice sized audience. I would just hate to have an empty house, especially given all the fun activities we'll have going on during the presentation and the reception!
it is getting late now, and I have to wake up for an early yoga class! I hope to have a rash of loveliness to share with you this week! Stay tuned!
~Cara
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A Swingin' Good Time and Other Things...
Oh, blog. How I have neglected you! But that doesn't mean things haven't been going on. In fact, there is much to talk about! Last I left you, I was on my way to Charleston to dance for Laura's Beatles, Bach and Beer concert. I have to say, it went incredibly well! Once again in the old Library Society building, Laura and her group of amazing musicians filled the house and rocked the audience into aural submission. Though my dance space for the performance was small and incredibly awkward, everything went smoothly and everyone seemed to really enjoy the addition of movement to the music. I had such fun! How wonderful to perform for a full house, with friends on stage with you, to music that moves you! And what's more, Robert came to surprise me. He drove the four hours from Winston-Salem on his day off to see me perform with Laura. What a wonderful evening! I met so many enthusiastic audience members post-performance and even got a job offer out of the night. Not bad for an hour of work!
The very day after the BBB performance, we began working on the music for my film premier, which happens on the 28th of October. Laura and I practiced "The Doodlin' Song," a wonderful little jazz song from the 1950's. perfect for our 1950's themed evening! It was wonderful working with Laura, mapping out the harmonies we'll sing and getting some coaching from her. She is firm with me about how to commit to the harmony when singing with another person, but I appreciate her candor. The next day, Saturday, I drive home to study with Barbara for the last time until after Thanksgiving! It's going to be a long time, but that will give me time to practice my songs many, many times before I see her again!
Upon being home for the week, I get back to teaching at HPU, the last week before Fall break! I am able to get some much-needed work done with both of my classes, and feel good about where we are with our studies this semester. I am looking forward to finishing out the semester next month! In addition to HPU, I have been working hard on my upcoming event, Movies by Movers. I am curating an evening of dance on film for an evening in November, and I have received the most beautiful films! Though I will have a small panel of people help me to deliberate over the selection of the films that will be shown that evening, I have been watching each of the films as they have been arriving to me, taking notes and thinking about how to craft the showing. As for "Kitchen Table," we are coming down to the wire! As you know, we premiere the film on the 28th, and we still aren't quite done with the sound! We have some places in the film where we have not yet agreed on how to design the sound for those shots. We will get it done, but I'm definitely feeling the pressure!
Pressure aside, yesterday was positively wonderful! On a whim, I decided to drive to Charleston to go swing dancing with Laura. She is great! Both elegant and sassy, she looks radiant and absolutely comfortable in her skin, as she boogies across the floor with a host of different dance partners. I am asked to dance first, by a young man who asks me what my name is, where I'm from, and if I have ever danced before. I tell him that it is my first time! I had no idea what to do, but I soon got into the swing (literally) of things. With each new partner, I learned a little bit more about how to follow a leader, and how to go with the flow. I had such a ball! I danced with young men, old men, men with amazing rhythm, and men with two left feet. I must try this again soon! It was so lovely to see people dancing for fun, enjoying each other's company and common purpose.
So life is full, and moving along as it does. On Tuesday, I leave for NYC for a little vacation to see my sister and celebrate Laura's 30th birthday! I can't wait. It is past time for me to get away and decompress!
~Cara
The very day after the BBB performance, we began working on the music for my film premier, which happens on the 28th of October. Laura and I practiced "The Doodlin' Song," a wonderful little jazz song from the 1950's. perfect for our 1950's themed evening! It was wonderful working with Laura, mapping out the harmonies we'll sing and getting some coaching from her. She is firm with me about how to commit to the harmony when singing with another person, but I appreciate her candor. The next day, Saturday, I drive home to study with Barbara for the last time until after Thanksgiving! It's going to be a long time, but that will give me time to practice my songs many, many times before I see her again!
Upon being home for the week, I get back to teaching at HPU, the last week before Fall break! I am able to get some much-needed work done with both of my classes, and feel good about where we are with our studies this semester. I am looking forward to finishing out the semester next month! In addition to HPU, I have been working hard on my upcoming event, Movies by Movers. I am curating an evening of dance on film for an evening in November, and I have received the most beautiful films! Though I will have a small panel of people help me to deliberate over the selection of the films that will be shown that evening, I have been watching each of the films as they have been arriving to me, taking notes and thinking about how to craft the showing. As for "Kitchen Table," we are coming down to the wire! As you know, we premiere the film on the 28th, and we still aren't quite done with the sound! We have some places in the film where we have not yet agreed on how to design the sound for those shots. We will get it done, but I'm definitely feeling the pressure!
Pressure aside, yesterday was positively wonderful! On a whim, I decided to drive to Charleston to go swing dancing with Laura. She is great! Both elegant and sassy, she looks radiant and absolutely comfortable in her skin, as she boogies across the floor with a host of different dance partners. I am asked to dance first, by a young man who asks me what my name is, where I'm from, and if I have ever danced before. I tell him that it is my first time! I had no idea what to do, but I soon got into the swing (literally) of things. With each new partner, I learned a little bit more about how to follow a leader, and how to go with the flow. I had such a ball! I danced with young men, old men, men with amazing rhythm, and men with two left feet. I must try this again soon! It was so lovely to see people dancing for fun, enjoying each other's company and common purpose.
So life is full, and moving along as it does. On Tuesday, I leave for NYC for a little vacation to see my sister and celebrate Laura's 30th birthday! I can't wait. It is past time for me to get away and decompress!
~Cara
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Screen Dreams
Many good things have been coming about! I am happy to say that things are moving along with my first curatorial endeavor, "Movies By Movers," an evening of short dance films by NC dancers, choreographers and filmmakers. I am excited that I have begun to receive submissions for the event already, and many more people have expressed their intent to submit. As we move closer to the date of the event, November 21st, I begin to fantasize about what this little showing might grow into. A small festival of dance film, perhaps? A quarterly series? A traveling event? I have begun to search for venues across the state that may want to show this evening of dance films in the spring. I dream about being able to celebrate dance on film, by showing new, experimental, innovative films by dance filmmakers like myself, and also show some of my inspirations...Kiss Me Kate, Singin' in the Rain, films by Maya Deren and old school music videos, like Thriller. I dream of presenting seminars on the history of dance on film, and workshops where people get to experiment with movement on digital media. I dream also, of streaming live over the internet, happenings of general ridiculousness...random dances in fun places, and impromptu pedestrian participation. I relish the possibilities!
Last evening, Brett invited me to the Charlotte Filmmakers Meet-up. I was first of all, happy to notice how well-attended the monthly event was. There were plenty of people...directors, actors, producers, shooters, sound people, and more. Generally, the evening is supposed to be a networking event, where everyone has a chance to introduce themselves, and talk with those who might be interested in the work they do, or interested to collaborate. However, yesterday the evening was dedicated to showing the work of a few Charlotte-based artists, as well as discussion with a fellow NC School of the Arts grad, about his current projects (I did not know him personally while I was there). Though we did not have the opportunity to meet any new film buddies, I am excited to go to the meet-up again next month.
Lastly in the world of the screen, I have finally begun to submit my documentary, "Art for the Living," to film festivals around the country. I am apprehensive about what will happen with the film, as I am certain that it looks like a first doc project by an inexperienced documentary filmmaker. However, I have to stay positive, and hope that someone will want to show the film. Of course, going through this process makes me want to make another doc. I am hungry to learn how to make a compelling, technically sound documentary. Creating beauty on the fly is so much different than our meticulously planned dance films. But I think the art of catching fleeting moments, or letting a story unfold will certainly inform my approach to dance films.
What can I say? I have been hungry for so many things lately. I just want to be able to make whatever I put my mind to. Yesterday, I was asked what part of the many things I do is my favorite. I honestly couldn't pick. I can't have one without the others. And I love them all.
Tomorrow, I go to Charleston to perform with Laura on Thursday for her monthly concert series. I am super excited!!
~Cara
Last evening, Brett invited me to the Charlotte Filmmakers Meet-up. I was first of all, happy to notice how well-attended the monthly event was. There were plenty of people...directors, actors, producers, shooters, sound people, and more. Generally, the evening is supposed to be a networking event, where everyone has a chance to introduce themselves, and talk with those who might be interested in the work they do, or interested to collaborate. However, yesterday the evening was dedicated to showing the work of a few Charlotte-based artists, as well as discussion with a fellow NC School of the Arts grad, about his current projects (I did not know him personally while I was there). Though we did not have the opportunity to meet any new film buddies, I am excited to go to the meet-up again next month.
Lastly in the world of the screen, I have finally begun to submit my documentary, "Art for the Living," to film festivals around the country. I am apprehensive about what will happen with the film, as I am certain that it looks like a first doc project by an inexperienced documentary filmmaker. However, I have to stay positive, and hope that someone will want to show the film. Of course, going through this process makes me want to make another doc. I am hungry to learn how to make a compelling, technically sound documentary. Creating beauty on the fly is so much different than our meticulously planned dance films. But I think the art of catching fleeting moments, or letting a story unfold will certainly inform my approach to dance films.
What can I say? I have been hungry for so many things lately. I just want to be able to make whatever I put my mind to. Yesterday, I was asked what part of the many things I do is my favorite. I honestly couldn't pick. I can't have one without the others. And I love them all.
Tomorrow, I go to Charleston to perform with Laura on Thursday for her monthly concert series. I am super excited!!
~Cara
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Love/Sick...Loved it!
October! Who ever would have thought it would sneak up this fast?!
Though I was sad to see September come to an end, Robert and I were privileged to witness a wonderful beginning on the last day of September. September 30th marked the opening night...the world premiere... of playwright John Cariani's new play, Love/Sick, presented at High Point University! Performed by students at HPU and directed by performing arts faculty member Jay Putnam, the offering proved to be an enjoyable evening in an intimate setting. Love/Sick is a collection of funny, but oddly true-to-life vignettes about love and relationships. Immediately accessible, it becomes obvious that John is holding a mirror up to the audience to look through and reflect upon what they see. Through laughter amid audience members, there were also sounds of realization, surprise and agreement that spoke to the level of engagement in the room. I found myself whispering to Robert at times, and Robert cracking jokes about the characters in the play being very much like "someone he knows." What really made the evening was the obvious commitment of the actors. Their timing was spot-on, their on-stage relationships were dynamic and their transitions were seamless! The play will continue through two weekends, and I must say, I might just go see it one more time before it closes!
~Cara
Though I was sad to see September come to an end, Robert and I were privileged to witness a wonderful beginning on the last day of September. September 30th marked the opening night...the world premiere... of playwright John Cariani's new play, Love/Sick, presented at High Point University! Performed by students at HPU and directed by performing arts faculty member Jay Putnam, the offering proved to be an enjoyable evening in an intimate setting. Love/Sick is a collection of funny, but oddly true-to-life vignettes about love and relationships. Immediately accessible, it becomes obvious that John is holding a mirror up to the audience to look through and reflect upon what they see. Through laughter amid audience members, there were also sounds of realization, surprise and agreement that spoke to the level of engagement in the room. I found myself whispering to Robert at times, and Robert cracking jokes about the characters in the play being very much like "someone he knows." What really made the evening was the obvious commitment of the actors. Their timing was spot-on, their on-stage relationships were dynamic and their transitions were seamless! The play will continue through two weekends, and I must say, I might just go see it one more time before it closes!
~Cara
Monday, September 27, 2010
Spontaneous, Special Day
Spontaneity is the name of the game today. Though I felt a little under the weather today, I felt like today would be a special day. And indeed, it was. And continues to be!
After three weeks of no one showing up to my new yoga class, I had my first student this morning! A lovely woman who has just moved to town from the Dominican Republic. She is a recently retired professional dancer. She told me that she stopped dancing two years ago to have her children. She told me also, that she would like to get back in shape (back in shape? She looked amazing!!) to enjoy one last dancing hoorah. She is 41, but doesn't look at all her age (I have always held that dance will keep you young!) and wants to make sure she does a bit more dancing before she cannot anymore. I am happy to introduce her to the NC Dance scene in whatever way I can.
I decide not to dance after teaching this morning, as I was feeling light headed, and took a cue from my body that maybe I could use some rest. So I went home to spend the rest of the morning with Robert. He is such a beautiful man, and a caring husband. I just love him, and never feel like we can spend enough time together. We watch some DVR'd episodes of Family Guy and our new favorite, Boardwalk Empire (HBO, you've done it again...a perfectly addictive, well-crafted show).
Laura calls, and we talk briefly. I posted some videos of the dances I have choreographed for her upcoming Beatles, Bach and Beer concert next week, and I am glad to hear that she enjoys them very much! After getting off the phone with Laura, it is time for Rob to go to work. And almost time for me to meet Suzy, an art acquaintance of mine at the coffee shop for some art conversation.
At the coffee shop, we talk about all manner of things art: projects, collaborations, organization and dreams. I mention that I have always wanted to go on a loooong road trip. She says she would like to do the same. We discuss the possibility of going on a loooong road trip with a purpose. We decide this is do-able. We brainstorm what would go into such a trip, and what we might get out of it. We discuss the concept of having no preconceived notions about what we would make during and after this trip. We agree on that. We discuss how we will gather materials, information and inspiration on our trip. Suzy asks me how long I would like to go for. I say, "In a perfect world, like a month." She says OK. OK...so hence, we begin the process of putting this adventure together.
Later in our conversation, Suzy notices the time, and tells me she must leave, but lets me know that the Woman's Fund is having a social get-together that I should go to. I have no plans, so I go. I meet a friend of Suzy's, who will be sharing an art space with her come December. I meet new women, who are members of the fund. They tell me all about it. It is what it sounds like. Women who work to fund women's initiatives, specifically targeting areas like education, health and the workforce. Hm. Some insight into my current study of feminism.
Well, I'm still feeling light headed. So I'm going to have some tea, take a bath and turn in early. I feel a cold coming on. Boo. I'm hoping I can rest and drink it out before it becomes annoying!
~Cara
After three weeks of no one showing up to my new yoga class, I had my first student this morning! A lovely woman who has just moved to town from the Dominican Republic. She is a recently retired professional dancer. She told me that she stopped dancing two years ago to have her children. She told me also, that she would like to get back in shape (back in shape? She looked amazing!!) to enjoy one last dancing hoorah. She is 41, but doesn't look at all her age (I have always held that dance will keep you young!) and wants to make sure she does a bit more dancing before she cannot anymore. I am happy to introduce her to the NC Dance scene in whatever way I can.
I decide not to dance after teaching this morning, as I was feeling light headed, and took a cue from my body that maybe I could use some rest. So I went home to spend the rest of the morning with Robert. He is such a beautiful man, and a caring husband. I just love him, and never feel like we can spend enough time together. We watch some DVR'd episodes of Family Guy and our new favorite, Boardwalk Empire (HBO, you've done it again...a perfectly addictive, well-crafted show).
Laura calls, and we talk briefly. I posted some videos of the dances I have choreographed for her upcoming Beatles, Bach and Beer concert next week, and I am glad to hear that she enjoys them very much! After getting off the phone with Laura, it is time for Rob to go to work. And almost time for me to meet Suzy, an art acquaintance of mine at the coffee shop for some art conversation.
At the coffee shop, we talk about all manner of things art: projects, collaborations, organization and dreams. I mention that I have always wanted to go on a loooong road trip. She says she would like to do the same. We discuss the possibility of going on a loooong road trip with a purpose. We decide this is do-able. We brainstorm what would go into such a trip, and what we might get out of it. We discuss the concept of having no preconceived notions about what we would make during and after this trip. We agree on that. We discuss how we will gather materials, information and inspiration on our trip. Suzy asks me how long I would like to go for. I say, "In a perfect world, like a month." She says OK. OK...so hence, we begin the process of putting this adventure together.
Later in our conversation, Suzy notices the time, and tells me she must leave, but lets me know that the Woman's Fund is having a social get-together that I should go to. I have no plans, so I go. I meet a friend of Suzy's, who will be sharing an art space with her come December. I meet new women, who are members of the fund. They tell me all about it. It is what it sounds like. Women who work to fund women's initiatives, specifically targeting areas like education, health and the workforce. Hm. Some insight into my current study of feminism.
Well, I'm still feeling light headed. So I'm going to have some tea, take a bath and turn in early. I feel a cold coming on. Boo. I'm hoping I can rest and drink it out before it becomes annoying!
~Cara
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Fall Approaching (With Questions)
Earlier today, I figured I would write this post to tell you about the productive morning I had at the studio, or my brainstorming conversation with Laura. Or perhaps I would tell you about my always amazing voice lesson with Barbara. However, since this afternoon, my mind has been changed...
I have just returned from an early evening walk about my neighborhood, taking in the sights and smells of the approaching fall. There are cherry-red leaved speckled in with still vibrant green ones. There are brown, dead leaves trickled all over the street. And the branches of some trees are beginning to already look bear. I wonder how much of that can be contributed to the heat we've had this summer, or to the changing of the season. Though the weather is still warm, the evenings are beginning to cool. The days have begun to shorten. Soon, it will be dark by dinner time. Soon, it will be time to don our jackets. And what's more, I think I'm ready. Pumpkin cheesecake is in the case at the coffee shop. And the summer fruits are beginning to look less vivid, and become less abundant as farmers ship the last of their sunny season crop to market. Soon, it will be time for the crunch of apples dipped in peanut butter. No longer time for the pungent juice of peaches to run down our chins. I bought squash the other day, and think of all the wonderful, soul warming dishes I can make with fall fodder. If summer tastes light and airy, fall tastes like the earth. Dirt. Beautiful, rich, sustaining dirt. There is spice to be had and immense comfort. I long for the blankets, for cozy toes and the anticipation of winter, where we go inside, literally and figuratively. I enjoy the process of watching the flora and fauna in decline. The animals readying themselves for sleep or departure, grass going dormant, sap flowing from pine trees. It seems that only us humans try to continue as usual, as it is our way to live out of sync with the rest of creation. This year though, more than ever, I feel in tune with the cycling of nature, as I am in transition. This year marks many new experiences and many new directions in my life. Summer was a flourish of activity, love and colorful excitement. This fall, I'm settling in for the new routine. There is brewing to be had, and cultivating my creative harvest. This winter should hold some quiet time for me, with rest for the spring, which already looks incredibly busy. Emergence. New projects. New experiences. My birthday, which will mark the beginning for me, of another year on this planet. It feels good to grow and change as the earth grows and changes around me.
Have you taken any time to see and smell the changing season? Are you attuned to the cycle of creation, or are you in opposition to it? Are you growing and changing in some area of your life, or are you stagnant? What are you looking forward to? Have you made a space for yourself lately, to think and reflect?
~Cara
I have just returned from an early evening walk about my neighborhood, taking in the sights and smells of the approaching fall. There are cherry-red leaved speckled in with still vibrant green ones. There are brown, dead leaves trickled all over the street. And the branches of some trees are beginning to already look bear. I wonder how much of that can be contributed to the heat we've had this summer, or to the changing of the season. Though the weather is still warm, the evenings are beginning to cool. The days have begun to shorten. Soon, it will be dark by dinner time. Soon, it will be time to don our jackets. And what's more, I think I'm ready. Pumpkin cheesecake is in the case at the coffee shop. And the summer fruits are beginning to look less vivid, and become less abundant as farmers ship the last of their sunny season crop to market. Soon, it will be time for the crunch of apples dipped in peanut butter. No longer time for the pungent juice of peaches to run down our chins. I bought squash the other day, and think of all the wonderful, soul warming dishes I can make with fall fodder. If summer tastes light and airy, fall tastes like the earth. Dirt. Beautiful, rich, sustaining dirt. There is spice to be had and immense comfort. I long for the blankets, for cozy toes and the anticipation of winter, where we go inside, literally and figuratively. I enjoy the process of watching the flora and fauna in decline. The animals readying themselves for sleep or departure, grass going dormant, sap flowing from pine trees. It seems that only us humans try to continue as usual, as it is our way to live out of sync with the rest of creation. This year though, more than ever, I feel in tune with the cycling of nature, as I am in transition. This year marks many new experiences and many new directions in my life. Summer was a flourish of activity, love and colorful excitement. This fall, I'm settling in for the new routine. There is brewing to be had, and cultivating my creative harvest. This winter should hold some quiet time for me, with rest for the spring, which already looks incredibly busy. Emergence. New projects. New experiences. My birthday, which will mark the beginning for me, of another year on this planet. It feels good to grow and change as the earth grows and changes around me.
Have you taken any time to see and smell the changing season? Are you attuned to the cycle of creation, or are you in opposition to it? Are you growing and changing in some area of your life, or are you stagnant? What are you looking forward to? Have you made a space for yourself lately, to think and reflect?
~Cara
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Last Day!
Here we are, coming up on our last day of rehearsals at NC State University. We have had a wonderful time here, and we're looking forward to putting the final touches on the piece.
The past few days have been full of both lovely work and lovely rest. During Monday's rehearsal, the dancers worked very hard to learn a challenging phrase for the final section of the piece. I think it came as a surprise to some, given the mellow work for prior sections we worked on. All the sweat paid off though, and now both the quilt section and the finale section are finished. I think having an audience helped boost the morale of the students as they worked through the phrase. Many of the students that came to our arts village session last week attended this rehearsal, which was open for their viewing. Many students that were not at our arts village session came, as well. All that is left for today's rehearsal are the transition sections, which Laura began work on during the first two rehearsals.
Monday was also a day of wonderful activities just for us. Laura and I both got much needed massages, after all that time in the car. We got ice cream, and walked. We had dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Porter's, and we felt great. I am learning both the importance of rest during intense work periods and the art of it, too. It felt great to claim our free time as our own.
Yesterday was a pretty relaxed day in terms of our NCSU obligations, so we decided to play some, and get some work done for our personal art practices, too. We went to IHOP and ate pancakes for breakfast, as Laura's car was getting an oil change. We then decided to head downtown. Laura's sister is getting married shortly, and Laura needed a Maid of Honor dress, which Molly (Laura's sister) left to Laura to select. We went into the bridal shop, and as Laura was getting serious trying on wonderful dresses, I was playing dress up! I have to tell you, the whole thing was my idea...I felt bad at first, knowing I wasn't there to buy anything, but since Laura was, I didn't feel so bad anymore! I tried on some amazing dresses, and some very ugly dresses. However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Laura found the most wonderful dress for the wedding. A deep blue halter with ruffles around the collar. Fit her like a glove!
We spent the rest of the afternoon working on charting songs for Laura's upcoming Bach and Beatles concert. After that, Laura gave me a singing lesson! It was fun to hear her approach to singing after studying with Barbara all these months. Laura is a great teacher, and had me engage in much ridiculousness, which I love and appreciate. I can't wait for my lesson with Barbara on Saturday, as I hope my extra practice will show when I sing for her next.
This afternoon, I teach a technique class for the NCSU Dance Company, another dance group at NCSU, before our rehearsal with the Panoramic Dance Project. Then it's goodbye NCSU, and back on the road to Winston! I'm so excited to be going home. I miss my husband, and my cat terribly!
~Cara
The past few days have been full of both lovely work and lovely rest. During Monday's rehearsal, the dancers worked very hard to learn a challenging phrase for the final section of the piece. I think it came as a surprise to some, given the mellow work for prior sections we worked on. All the sweat paid off though, and now both the quilt section and the finale section are finished. I think having an audience helped boost the morale of the students as they worked through the phrase. Many of the students that came to our arts village session last week attended this rehearsal, which was open for their viewing. Many students that were not at our arts village session came, as well. All that is left for today's rehearsal are the transition sections, which Laura began work on during the first two rehearsals.
Monday was also a day of wonderful activities just for us. Laura and I both got much needed massages, after all that time in the car. We got ice cream, and walked. We had dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Porter's, and we felt great. I am learning both the importance of rest during intense work periods and the art of it, too. It felt great to claim our free time as our own.
Yesterday was a pretty relaxed day in terms of our NCSU obligations, so we decided to play some, and get some work done for our personal art practices, too. We went to IHOP and ate pancakes for breakfast, as Laura's car was getting an oil change. We then decided to head downtown. Laura's sister is getting married shortly, and Laura needed a Maid of Honor dress, which Molly (Laura's sister) left to Laura to select. We went into the bridal shop, and as Laura was getting serious trying on wonderful dresses, I was playing dress up! I have to tell you, the whole thing was my idea...I felt bad at first, knowing I wasn't there to buy anything, but since Laura was, I didn't feel so bad anymore! I tried on some amazing dresses, and some very ugly dresses. However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Laura found the most wonderful dress for the wedding. A deep blue halter with ruffles around the collar. Fit her like a glove!
We spent the rest of the afternoon working on charting songs for Laura's upcoming Bach and Beatles concert. After that, Laura gave me a singing lesson! It was fun to hear her approach to singing after studying with Barbara all these months. Laura is a great teacher, and had me engage in much ridiculousness, which I love and appreciate. I can't wait for my lesson with Barbara on Saturday, as I hope my extra practice will show when I sing for her next.
This afternoon, I teach a technique class for the NCSU Dance Company, another dance group at NCSU, before our rehearsal with the Panoramic Dance Project. Then it's goodbye NCSU, and back on the road to Winston! I'm so excited to be going home. I miss my husband, and my cat terribly!
~Cara
Saturday, September 18, 2010
I Love It.
I love what I do. Even when it strikes my body and mind useless from fatigue. The past few days have presented themselves with a blur of activities from teaching, to performing, to rehearsing, to lecturing. And of course, much time in the car.
On Thursday, Laura and I found ourselves back in High Point for my classes at HPU, albeit temporarily. Laura decides to participate in my tap class. I do not have an extra pair of tap shoes, but I lend Laura my flamenco shoes. Along with my students, Laura concentrates, moves and laughs out loud as we move through our warm ups, progressions and combination work. At the end of class, I give my students an out of class assignment, to be completed while I am finishing out my obligations at NC State this coming Monday-Wednesday. They must each find a piece of percussive music, analyze that music and create a tap phrase inspired by the rhythm of that music. Many of the students seem excited about this assignment, which will soon turn into a larger piece for the class. I have to admit, I am excited to see what they come up with! I then have the opportunity to send my contemporary class away with an assignment, too. The students made some seed movement inspired by some random adjectives, dynamic direction and spatial patterns. I have split the seven students into two groups, and each group must create a large, unison phrase based on the seed movement each individual member brings to the group. I can't wait to see what they've come up with!
Thursday evening, Laura and I conduct a dorm program workshop for residents of the arts village at NC State. We talk to the students about aspects of collaborative work, and we do some on-the-fly arting. The burritos provided for the program are a perk, too! We have a blast getting to know this varied group of students; philosophers, mathematicians, environmental scientists, fashion designers, graphic artists, visual artists and more. They enjoy our easy, but enthusiastic approach to the art of art making, and the benefits of random art experiences. We drive back to Winston on Thursday evening, as Friday was an early start for the both of us. Laura has teaching, wedding and church service obligations (she is a professional church organist, piano and voice teacher), and Friday evening marked the beginning of the NC Dance Festival's 20th season, of which 87 Dance Productions is part!
Friday morning, I drive to UNC Charlotte to conduct a masterclass as part of the NC Dance Festival. Though I have 26 students signed up for the class, ten show. I am happy though, as we have a lot of fun! We engage in technique with a healthy dose of general ridiculousness! We practice foot and back exercises, run across the studio screaming at the top of our lungs, learn combinations for moving big and dart across the diagonal of the studio in a quirky improv where every step is a jump. Immediately after this early burst of energy, I attempt to rush to the airport to pick up Mackenzie, who is in town to perform with me! I stop at the grocery store to pick up salads, goldfish crackers and powerade for Mackenzie and I, as I know it is going to be a long day. I get lost on the way to the airport, and leave Mackenzie sitting at baggage claim for many more minutes than I had intended. Once I pick her up, it is time to get over to the theater to tech out our piece, "Words Apart." We will be performing the piece in five NC cities throughout the fall and winter as part of the NC Dance Festival. This is my second time on the NCDF tour, and I enjoyed it so much last time, that I am very much looking forward to participating this year, and having Mackenzie to share the experience with. Friday evening, after checking into the Microtel and catching a nap, we perform our piece for a nice sized crowd in the Robinson Theater at UNC Charlotte. I feel good about our performance, and the audience responded well. During intermission, we find seats in the audience to watch the rest of the show. It is lovely, and I think over and over in my head, about how much I love dancing, making art and making it my life. Back at the hotel, we eat pizza and try to get a few Z's before getting back to our individual obligations early on Saturday.
This morning, I wake up at about 5am to get ready and drive back to Raleigh for a 9am rehearsal with the Panoramic dance Company. I have four hours with the girls to set two sections. One section is from my piece, "Our Quilt." The company members wait patiently as I alter the choreography, originally for two people, to fit a company of seventeen! That was a huge challenge, given the subtle nature of the movement, and the slow pace. I then move on to choreographing Laura's composition called, "Georgia." It is inspired by her grandmother. It is a beautiful song, which moves in and out of slow, soulful passages and heart-pounding up-tempo sections. Also very challenging to create a section for seventeen people. But I have it in my head that this sections is to be a joyful offering. Working on it. I got about half way done today, and feel confident that I can finish on Monday.
After the rehearsal, I have a hard time focusing on my school work for Goddard. My eyes are bleary and my mind is mush. I try to nap, but am unsuccessful. Tomorrow, I plan to have an easy day spent in my pajamas with a cup of tea, writing at my computer. I'm looking forward to it!
Good night.
~Cara
On Thursday, Laura and I found ourselves back in High Point for my classes at HPU, albeit temporarily. Laura decides to participate in my tap class. I do not have an extra pair of tap shoes, but I lend Laura my flamenco shoes. Along with my students, Laura concentrates, moves and laughs out loud as we move through our warm ups, progressions and combination work. At the end of class, I give my students an out of class assignment, to be completed while I am finishing out my obligations at NC State this coming Monday-Wednesday. They must each find a piece of percussive music, analyze that music and create a tap phrase inspired by the rhythm of that music. Many of the students seem excited about this assignment, which will soon turn into a larger piece for the class. I have to admit, I am excited to see what they come up with! I then have the opportunity to send my contemporary class away with an assignment, too. The students made some seed movement inspired by some random adjectives, dynamic direction and spatial patterns. I have split the seven students into two groups, and each group must create a large, unison phrase based on the seed movement each individual member brings to the group. I can't wait to see what they've come up with!
Thursday evening, Laura and I conduct a dorm program workshop for residents of the arts village at NC State. We talk to the students about aspects of collaborative work, and we do some on-the-fly arting. The burritos provided for the program are a perk, too! We have a blast getting to know this varied group of students; philosophers, mathematicians, environmental scientists, fashion designers, graphic artists, visual artists and more. They enjoy our easy, but enthusiastic approach to the art of art making, and the benefits of random art experiences. We drive back to Winston on Thursday evening, as Friday was an early start for the both of us. Laura has teaching, wedding and church service obligations (she is a professional church organist, piano and voice teacher), and Friday evening marked the beginning of the NC Dance Festival's 20th season, of which 87 Dance Productions is part!
Friday morning, I drive to UNC Charlotte to conduct a masterclass as part of the NC Dance Festival. Though I have 26 students signed up for the class, ten show. I am happy though, as we have a lot of fun! We engage in technique with a healthy dose of general ridiculousness! We practice foot and back exercises, run across the studio screaming at the top of our lungs, learn combinations for moving big and dart across the diagonal of the studio in a quirky improv where every step is a jump. Immediately after this early burst of energy, I attempt to rush to the airport to pick up Mackenzie, who is in town to perform with me! I stop at the grocery store to pick up salads, goldfish crackers and powerade for Mackenzie and I, as I know it is going to be a long day. I get lost on the way to the airport, and leave Mackenzie sitting at baggage claim for many more minutes than I had intended. Once I pick her up, it is time to get over to the theater to tech out our piece, "Words Apart." We will be performing the piece in five NC cities throughout the fall and winter as part of the NC Dance Festival. This is my second time on the NCDF tour, and I enjoyed it so much last time, that I am very much looking forward to participating this year, and having Mackenzie to share the experience with. Friday evening, after checking into the Microtel and catching a nap, we perform our piece for a nice sized crowd in the Robinson Theater at UNC Charlotte. I feel good about our performance, and the audience responded well. During intermission, we find seats in the audience to watch the rest of the show. It is lovely, and I think over and over in my head, about how much I love dancing, making art and making it my life. Back at the hotel, we eat pizza and try to get a few Z's before getting back to our individual obligations early on Saturday.
This morning, I wake up at about 5am to get ready and drive back to Raleigh for a 9am rehearsal with the Panoramic dance Company. I have four hours with the girls to set two sections. One section is from my piece, "Our Quilt." The company members wait patiently as I alter the choreography, originally for two people, to fit a company of seventeen! That was a huge challenge, given the subtle nature of the movement, and the slow pace. I then move on to choreographing Laura's composition called, "Georgia." It is inspired by her grandmother. It is a beautiful song, which moves in and out of slow, soulful passages and heart-pounding up-tempo sections. Also very challenging to create a section for seventeen people. But I have it in my head that this sections is to be a joyful offering. Working on it. I got about half way done today, and feel confident that I can finish on Monday.
After the rehearsal, I have a hard time focusing on my school work for Goddard. My eyes are bleary and my mind is mush. I try to nap, but am unsuccessful. Tomorrow, I plan to have an easy day spent in my pajamas with a cup of tea, writing at my computer. I'm looking forward to it!
Good night.
~Cara
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Excitement at NCSU!!
Laura's and my residency at NSCU with the Panoramic Dance Project began on Monday, and so far, so good! We began with our first rehearsal on Monday evening with a large group of eager dancers. I was happy to recognize many faces in the group from my work with the company the year before. After an energetic warm-up, we begin the process of soliciting material from the students for the piece. As I have mentioned before, we are workshopping aspects of our collaborative work, "Common Threads." Before our arrival, we asked that the members of the PDP write a letter to an influential woman in their lives. We of course, plan to use these words as fodder for the piece. The students put much thought into their letters, and there were many strong words and phrases. There were also tender, loving words, words of admiration, questions, and hard experiences. Laura expertly led the students into a collection of activities to edit down their letters down to mere words, for use as seed material. At first shy about speaking out loud, Laura begins to pull the dancers out of their shells, and after some initial resistance, the dancers are talking and moving out loud. As Laura leads her activities, I observe in her a flexibility and ability to think on her feet that would be valuable to any educator. She has an energy that inspires creative thought, playfulness and desire to move forward. She is lovely with the students. They respond well to her open nature and her quirky demeanor. On the way back to Winston Salem that night, we discuss the arc of the piece. We quickly come to some conclusions about how each sections should play out, and how we should conduct the remainder of our rehearsals. We devise a mental map for the piece, and realize that as far as the "larger" piece that we will perform is concerned, we don't need much more. Everything we have is already at our fingertips. We have all the music we need. We have all of our conceptual elements. We have the bodies to execute our ideas. I'm so glad we are engaged in this opportunity!
On Tuesday, we are back in Winston for the morning, as I need to teach my classes at HPU. I bring Laura along to my classes, and I introduce her to all of my lovely students. As always, I have a lot of fun teaching my classes, but by the end of the day, I am tired. As a very demonstrative, energetic teacher, I often forget to pace myself while I'm teaching, and only when I am done, do I realize how much energy I have burned! But there is no rest for the weary...we are right back on the road to Raleigh for our Tuesday evening workshop, "Performative Painting," in this case, drawing, as we are not allowed to use paint in the studio. We have almost an entirely new group of faces at our workshop, and they look as though they do not fully know what to expect from this workshop, with large pieces of paper lying on the floor and music making objects about the place. I explain that the students are not really there to participate in a workshop, but a collaborative, interdisciplinary performance experience. We begin with some general ridiculousness, which I love, as a warm up. This group of ladies is energetic and immediately ready to play with us! The performance begins: all of us begin by moving slowly in a large clump, moving in and out of each other, as Laura makes a rhythm for us. There are rocking motions and searching motions and sensitivity to the space and people around us. I wouldn't call it careful, but certainly a contemplative start. Soon, the group begins to let loose. A voice sounds out in "Happy Birthday," swirls and colors begin to appear on the large pieces of paper, and the energy is quickly rising. The space between our bodies begins to expand and new sounds begin to emerge. There are times of utter silliness, and times of quiet wondering. After about an hour, I step out of the space to observe the goings-on. There is paper strewn everywhere. There are joyous bodies strewn everywhere...some balancing chairs on their feet, some beating drums, some furiously doodling, some skipping and running about. I ask Laura if she thinks the performance will resolve itself. We wait. But the group continues, and evolves again and again. Finally, I call the performance to a quiet close. I instruct the group to quietly clean the floor and to convene in a circle. During our time in the circle, the members of the performance have positive things to say about their experience, and many expound upon how refreshing it was to play so completely. Many members noted poignant moments in the performance where they observed fleeting moments of beauty, aggression, tenderness, play and uncertainty. How lovely!
We are looking forward to this evening's rehearsal, as we will begin to set some of the larger aspects of the piece today, and continue with the material we began on Monday. Tomorrow, it is back to HPU. As always, I'll keep you updated!
~Cara
On Tuesday, we are back in Winston for the morning, as I need to teach my classes at HPU. I bring Laura along to my classes, and I introduce her to all of my lovely students. As always, I have a lot of fun teaching my classes, but by the end of the day, I am tired. As a very demonstrative, energetic teacher, I often forget to pace myself while I'm teaching, and only when I am done, do I realize how much energy I have burned! But there is no rest for the weary...we are right back on the road to Raleigh for our Tuesday evening workshop, "Performative Painting," in this case, drawing, as we are not allowed to use paint in the studio. We have almost an entirely new group of faces at our workshop, and they look as though they do not fully know what to expect from this workshop, with large pieces of paper lying on the floor and music making objects about the place. I explain that the students are not really there to participate in a workshop, but a collaborative, interdisciplinary performance experience. We begin with some general ridiculousness, which I love, as a warm up. This group of ladies is energetic and immediately ready to play with us! The performance begins: all of us begin by moving slowly in a large clump, moving in and out of each other, as Laura makes a rhythm for us. There are rocking motions and searching motions and sensitivity to the space and people around us. I wouldn't call it careful, but certainly a contemplative start. Soon, the group begins to let loose. A voice sounds out in "Happy Birthday," swirls and colors begin to appear on the large pieces of paper, and the energy is quickly rising. The space between our bodies begins to expand and new sounds begin to emerge. There are times of utter silliness, and times of quiet wondering. After about an hour, I step out of the space to observe the goings-on. There is paper strewn everywhere. There are joyous bodies strewn everywhere...some balancing chairs on their feet, some beating drums, some furiously doodling, some skipping and running about. I ask Laura if she thinks the performance will resolve itself. We wait. But the group continues, and evolves again and again. Finally, I call the performance to a quiet close. I instruct the group to quietly clean the floor and to convene in a circle. During our time in the circle, the members of the performance have positive things to say about their experience, and many expound upon how refreshing it was to play so completely. Many members noted poignant moments in the performance where they observed fleeting moments of beauty, aggression, tenderness, play and uncertainty. How lovely!
We are looking forward to this evening's rehearsal, as we will begin to set some of the larger aspects of the piece today, and continue with the material we began on Monday. Tomorrow, it is back to HPU. As always, I'll keep you updated!
~Cara
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Time Flies!!
I am always amazed at how fast time goes, and lately, more amazed when I realize how many days have gone by without a new post!
Life continues to be as busy as ever. This past week, I taught my first yoga class at Winston Salem State U, and was surprised to have a full class my first day. The class is an extra curricular offering of the fitness department, and it is not required that anyone attend on a regular basis. The students did wonderfully. Only one young woman in the class had ever taken a yoga class before. The rest of the group did beautifully, and seemed to take well to this first experience. After the class, many of the students exclaimed that they felt relaxed, and didn't feel at all like they'd taken a full day of classes. many of the students also said that they had plans to return!
In other yoga news, I am kicking off September with the free yoga weekend at the Yoga Gallery here in Winston Salem. I taught two demo classes this weekend of the class I will be teaching on Monday mornings this fall, "Focus and Flow," which is a powerful practice in both flow and deep alignment based exploration. I had a great time meeting new potential students, and I hope the class will take off soon.
Yesterday, I had a wonderful voice lesson with Barbara. I have begun an exploration into more classical singing, and have begun to practice "Ombra Mai Fu," both in celebration of this new vocal venture and my impending trip to Italy this winter! Barbara as always, is a lovely teacher, and I feel like I learn so much every time I study with her. Singing is such a satisfying art form. I think even if I never perform, I will keep studying voice for the fun of it. I find it is wonderful for finding your voice, literally and figuratively! And music really does make my heart sing!
These past few days at the dance studio have been difficult. Lately, I feel as if I am walking a thin line between great progress and utter burn-out. This past summer, this past year in fact, has been so full of creative projects, I don't know how my brain will be able to keep up to finish out my creative duties into the spring. Yesterday evening, I completely scrapped the idea I'd been working on for the past two weeks, as it was feeling antiseptic and not at all organic. I ended up staying longer than I'd originally planned, to stumble upon a concept that felt much more in keeping with the vein I am wanting to portray emotionally. This afternoon in the studio, all began well, but I soon became stuck. I think I became too judgmental about the material I was working with and I got frustrated. The frustration resulted in me sitting on the floor to stare at myself in the mirror, wondering what I should do next. Just then, Laura called. She told me to get out of the studio, to breathe easy and to have some "me time." Her thinking is, that if you're not ready, you're not ready. I can agree with her, but I feel guilty leaving after only an hour and a bit of work. I decide to go to the park, and sit quietly for a while. It is a gorgeous day, after all. I realize that I cannot for one minute, keep my mind off of dance, and making dance, and teaching dance and performing, etc., etc. So I set the alarm on my iPod to 5 minutes, and forbid myself to think any thoughts about dance. I am unsuccessful the first go-'round. I try again, and I give myself something to think about, instead of focusing on what I ought not to think about. I begin to notice my heart beat. The tension in my jaw, the feeling of adrenaline in my veins. And I begin to recognize those things that bring these sensations to rise. Contemplating my artwork, setting up my adult life, not breathing deeply enough, and not getting enough sleep are some of the things on my list.
After the park I make my way over to the book store, where I stumble upon a book that I might enjoy reading more than the book I have in my possession at the moment. I am supposed to be reading about feminism for my MFA work. The book that was suggested to me by my adviser is one that I am having a very hard time getting into. I hate to say it, but political conversation of any kind truly bores me, and feminist politics are no exception. But I'm willing to give the subject another try, and perhaps the book that I have found today will illuminate the contemporary feminist movement in a way I can relate to. School is yet another worry for the time being. After having such an amazing semester this past spring, I can't see how this semester will measure up. I haven't begun to put together the packet work that is due on the 20th of this month, and I am at a loss of how I should begin. Again, I suppose I should breathe, and let the work come when it is ready.
This evening, I am making preparations for Laura to arrive later, as we begin our artist's residency at NC State tomorrow. What a whirlwind two weeks these are going to be. Oye. However, I will do my best to keep you posted! This residency is a very exciting venture for us both, and despite how crazy these next two weeks are going to be, I am sure they will be more than worth while!
~Cara
Life continues to be as busy as ever. This past week, I taught my first yoga class at Winston Salem State U, and was surprised to have a full class my first day. The class is an extra curricular offering of the fitness department, and it is not required that anyone attend on a regular basis. The students did wonderfully. Only one young woman in the class had ever taken a yoga class before. The rest of the group did beautifully, and seemed to take well to this first experience. After the class, many of the students exclaimed that they felt relaxed, and didn't feel at all like they'd taken a full day of classes. many of the students also said that they had plans to return!
In other yoga news, I am kicking off September with the free yoga weekend at the Yoga Gallery here in Winston Salem. I taught two demo classes this weekend of the class I will be teaching on Monday mornings this fall, "Focus and Flow," which is a powerful practice in both flow and deep alignment based exploration. I had a great time meeting new potential students, and I hope the class will take off soon.
Yesterday, I had a wonderful voice lesson with Barbara. I have begun an exploration into more classical singing, and have begun to practice "Ombra Mai Fu," both in celebration of this new vocal venture and my impending trip to Italy this winter! Barbara as always, is a lovely teacher, and I feel like I learn so much every time I study with her. Singing is such a satisfying art form. I think even if I never perform, I will keep studying voice for the fun of it. I find it is wonderful for finding your voice, literally and figuratively! And music really does make my heart sing!
These past few days at the dance studio have been difficult. Lately, I feel as if I am walking a thin line between great progress and utter burn-out. This past summer, this past year in fact, has been so full of creative projects, I don't know how my brain will be able to keep up to finish out my creative duties into the spring. Yesterday evening, I completely scrapped the idea I'd been working on for the past two weeks, as it was feeling antiseptic and not at all organic. I ended up staying longer than I'd originally planned, to stumble upon a concept that felt much more in keeping with the vein I am wanting to portray emotionally. This afternoon in the studio, all began well, but I soon became stuck. I think I became too judgmental about the material I was working with and I got frustrated. The frustration resulted in me sitting on the floor to stare at myself in the mirror, wondering what I should do next. Just then, Laura called. She told me to get out of the studio, to breathe easy and to have some "me time." Her thinking is, that if you're not ready, you're not ready. I can agree with her, but I feel guilty leaving after only an hour and a bit of work. I decide to go to the park, and sit quietly for a while. It is a gorgeous day, after all. I realize that I cannot for one minute, keep my mind off of dance, and making dance, and teaching dance and performing, etc., etc. So I set the alarm on my iPod to 5 minutes, and forbid myself to think any thoughts about dance. I am unsuccessful the first go-'round. I try again, and I give myself something to think about, instead of focusing on what I ought not to think about. I begin to notice my heart beat. The tension in my jaw, the feeling of adrenaline in my veins. And I begin to recognize those things that bring these sensations to rise. Contemplating my artwork, setting up my adult life, not breathing deeply enough, and not getting enough sleep are some of the things on my list.
After the park I make my way over to the book store, where I stumble upon a book that I might enjoy reading more than the book I have in my possession at the moment. I am supposed to be reading about feminism for my MFA work. The book that was suggested to me by my adviser is one that I am having a very hard time getting into. I hate to say it, but political conversation of any kind truly bores me, and feminist politics are no exception. But I'm willing to give the subject another try, and perhaps the book that I have found today will illuminate the contemporary feminist movement in a way I can relate to. School is yet another worry for the time being. After having such an amazing semester this past spring, I can't see how this semester will measure up. I haven't begun to put together the packet work that is due on the 20th of this month, and I am at a loss of how I should begin. Again, I suppose I should breathe, and let the work come when it is ready.
This evening, I am making preparations for Laura to arrive later, as we begin our artist's residency at NC State tomorrow. What a whirlwind two weeks these are going to be. Oye. However, I will do my best to keep you posted! This residency is a very exciting venture for us both, and despite how crazy these next two weeks are going to be, I am sure they will be more than worth while!
~Cara
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Jelly Belly Week
Another week has begun in a rash of activity that is as varied as a bag of Jelly Belly's.
Brett and I continue to edit and tweak our film in preparation for our October 28th premiere. We've been focusing intently on the color enhancement and correction of each scene, and it is turning out beautifully. Our colors are popping, and I can see an end to our process in sight. For the premiere event, I have been researching party activities from the 50's so that our reception party will be historically accurate. Mr. Potato Head was a hot toy, but apparently, didn't come with the plastic potato when it first came into being...just parts for real potatoes. I LOVE it! I know it's a children's game, but I think it would be appropriate for a just-about-Halloween time-dress up-50's party. And a Hula Hoop contest. I am struck by how simple the toys and activities from the 50's were. It seems in many ways, that the 50's were, at least on the surface, a simple time to exist in. Children could be amused by low-cost toys that forced them to stretch their imaginations, men went back to work, women were back in the kitchen and so on, and so forth. Things seemed cut and dry. However, it is obvious that the simplicity wore on the nerves of many, as the 60's saw some of the most acute change our culture has ever seen.
In other news this week, I have been given the OK to make my curatorial debut in putting together an evening of dance films at the a/perture theater, and independent theater here in Winston. So my job over the next two weeks is to put out a call for submissions, come up with a title for the event, and decide how the evening should go, so I can begin the process of imagining the evening. I'm so excited to officially introduce my community to the art of dance film through showing the films of other artists who have different approaches and view points than my own.
In regards to "Common Threads," the project Laura and I have been collaborating on, I am working on a new song. I have gotten about half way through the song, but am stuck on a lyric, and cannot bring myself to continue writing the rest of the song until I am happy with this solitary line of melody. I hope I can finish the song before next Monday when I see Laura for the start of our residency at NC State U, so I can share it with her.
AS for my studio practice, I have been making some progress with the dances I am to contribute to Laura's Bach and Beatles concert next month. I am a little worried about the lack of time I have to finish the choreography, as this residency will eat up a huge chunk of my time this month. Laura's concert is October 9th, and I want to make sure what I have made is well-rehearsed! In addition to worrying about Laura's concert, I have been working to make sure I am prepared for my classes at High Point University. Especially the tap class, since it is so huge. I'm glad to say that our second week of classes together has begun well. I am waiting to hear if we can have a formal concert near the end of this semester...the first formal dance concert HPU will have had since I have been employed there! I am looking forward to helping expand the presence of movement arts at HPU, and a formal concert will be a first step!
Well, it is late. I don't have to get up early tomorrow, but I would like to try to get some good sleep tonight. It (sleep) seems to have eluded me for the past few days, and I think this night would be as good a night as any to try to catch up a bit before the craziness that will befall me in the next two weeks with the NCSU residency.
Buenas Noches.
~Cara
Brett and I continue to edit and tweak our film in preparation for our October 28th premiere. We've been focusing intently on the color enhancement and correction of each scene, and it is turning out beautifully. Our colors are popping, and I can see an end to our process in sight. For the premiere event, I have been researching party activities from the 50's so that our reception party will be historically accurate. Mr. Potato Head was a hot toy, but apparently, didn't come with the plastic potato when it first came into being...just parts for real potatoes. I LOVE it! I know it's a children's game, but I think it would be appropriate for a just-about-Halloween time-dress up-50's party. And a Hula Hoop contest. I am struck by how simple the toys and activities from the 50's were. It seems in many ways, that the 50's were, at least on the surface, a simple time to exist in. Children could be amused by low-cost toys that forced them to stretch their imaginations, men went back to work, women were back in the kitchen and so on, and so forth. Things seemed cut and dry. However, it is obvious that the simplicity wore on the nerves of many, as the 60's saw some of the most acute change our culture has ever seen.
In other news this week, I have been given the OK to make my curatorial debut in putting together an evening of dance films at the a/perture theater, and independent theater here in Winston. So my job over the next two weeks is to put out a call for submissions, come up with a title for the event, and decide how the evening should go, so I can begin the process of imagining the evening. I'm so excited to officially introduce my community to the art of dance film through showing the films of other artists who have different approaches and view points than my own.
In regards to "Common Threads," the project Laura and I have been collaborating on, I am working on a new song. I have gotten about half way through the song, but am stuck on a lyric, and cannot bring myself to continue writing the rest of the song until I am happy with this solitary line of melody. I hope I can finish the song before next Monday when I see Laura for the start of our residency at NC State U, so I can share it with her.
AS for my studio practice, I have been making some progress with the dances I am to contribute to Laura's Bach and Beatles concert next month. I am a little worried about the lack of time I have to finish the choreography, as this residency will eat up a huge chunk of my time this month. Laura's concert is October 9th, and I want to make sure what I have made is well-rehearsed! In addition to worrying about Laura's concert, I have been working to make sure I am prepared for my classes at High Point University. Especially the tap class, since it is so huge. I'm glad to say that our second week of classes together has begun well. I am waiting to hear if we can have a formal concert near the end of this semester...the first formal dance concert HPU will have had since I have been employed there! I am looking forward to helping expand the presence of movement arts at HPU, and a formal concert will be a first step!
Well, it is late. I don't have to get up early tomorrow, but I would like to try to get some good sleep tonight. It (sleep) seems to have eluded me for the past few days, and I think this night would be as good a night as any to try to catch up a bit before the craziness that will befall me in the next two weeks with the NCSU residency.
Buenas Noches.
~Cara
Friday, September 3, 2010
A Full Week!
This day marks the end of a fabulously full week, of teaching, creating, planning and absorbing!
I have officially begun to teach my classes at HPU this semester, and they are going rather well, if I may say so! My tap class is HUGE, and has every experience level from nil to proficient. I have to admit that the first day of classes, I was thoroughly intimidated by this group of students. Though I had over-prepared for my first lesson, I found myself changing up my plans to fit what I was seeing from the students. I observed as some of my on-the-spot experiments went differently than I had intended. So, given that experience, I returned to my class on our second day of class with a slightly different game plan, and it went beautifully! We worked a little slower and with more pointed focus on the little things. The students seemed to really enjoy it, too. My contemporary class, which happens just after the tap class comes to me as a breath of fresh air. After the many bodies and cacophony of sound, my quiet group of only seven students provides a chance for me to settle down, and return to my teaching comfort zone. The students in this class are all on a similar skill level, which makes my job much easier than the tap class.
Earlier in the week, I continue to plan for our film premiere event. Michael, the curator at SECCA and I discuss how to set the mood for our event. We are having a 1950's themed event, given the 1950's styling of our new film, "Kitchen Table." We talk about how we might decorate, and how we should encourage patrons to dress the part! We discuss some 50's themed party activities, and I speak with Laura to plan a 50's song list. I think this event is going to be a blast! Now, we've just got to get the editing done!
This afternoon, I work on material for Laura's Bach, Beatles and Beer concert that will happen early next month. I have a hard time keeping my mind on one thing at a time, so I decide to give myself some parameters in keeping with the theme of the piece, which is based on the concept of "a gift." More specifically, the gift that a teacher gives a student, which I am making in honor of one of Laura's most beloved teachers. I have decided to take a bit of a literal approach, and use a beautiful box as a prop for the piece. The parameters are as follows:
1. I must keep the box in my hands until further notice.
2. I may not color outside the lines (this parameter give that I will have a limited amount of space in the performance venue).
3. I can peak, but only once.
Given these parameters, I begin to generate material, and am looking forward to continuing my exploration tomorrow.
To sum up my art activities this week, I attend a work-in-progress showing of a fellow NCSA alum, Helen Simoneau. Her work is at first contemplative and hypnotic, then expands into precise physical encounters of tension, tenderness and play. I always enjoy seeing what other artists are working on, and realizing how many different view points there are regarding choreography, performance and its significance.
I am looking forward to going to bed, and having the weekend off! My first in what feels like years.
Until next time!
~Cara
I have officially begun to teach my classes at HPU this semester, and they are going rather well, if I may say so! My tap class is HUGE, and has every experience level from nil to proficient. I have to admit that the first day of classes, I was thoroughly intimidated by this group of students. Though I had over-prepared for my first lesson, I found myself changing up my plans to fit what I was seeing from the students. I observed as some of my on-the-spot experiments went differently than I had intended. So, given that experience, I returned to my class on our second day of class with a slightly different game plan, and it went beautifully! We worked a little slower and with more pointed focus on the little things. The students seemed to really enjoy it, too. My contemporary class, which happens just after the tap class comes to me as a breath of fresh air. After the many bodies and cacophony of sound, my quiet group of only seven students provides a chance for me to settle down, and return to my teaching comfort zone. The students in this class are all on a similar skill level, which makes my job much easier than the tap class.
Earlier in the week, I continue to plan for our film premiere event. Michael, the curator at SECCA and I discuss how to set the mood for our event. We are having a 1950's themed event, given the 1950's styling of our new film, "Kitchen Table." We talk about how we might decorate, and how we should encourage patrons to dress the part! We discuss some 50's themed party activities, and I speak with Laura to plan a 50's song list. I think this event is going to be a blast! Now, we've just got to get the editing done!
This afternoon, I work on material for Laura's Bach, Beatles and Beer concert that will happen early next month. I have a hard time keeping my mind on one thing at a time, so I decide to give myself some parameters in keeping with the theme of the piece, which is based on the concept of "a gift." More specifically, the gift that a teacher gives a student, which I am making in honor of one of Laura's most beloved teachers. I have decided to take a bit of a literal approach, and use a beautiful box as a prop for the piece. The parameters are as follows:
1. I must keep the box in my hands until further notice.
2. I may not color outside the lines (this parameter give that I will have a limited amount of space in the performance venue).
3. I can peak, but only once.
Given these parameters, I begin to generate material, and am looking forward to continuing my exploration tomorrow.
To sum up my art activities this week, I attend a work-in-progress showing of a fellow NCSA alum, Helen Simoneau. Her work is at first contemplative and hypnotic, then expands into precise physical encounters of tension, tenderness and play. I always enjoy seeing what other artists are working on, and realizing how many different view points there are regarding choreography, performance and its significance.
I am looking forward to going to bed, and having the weekend off! My first in what feels like years.
Until next time!
~Cara
Friday, August 27, 2010
From Goddard, With Love
This Friday marks the last day of workshops at Goddard's Fall 2010 MFA residency. We are all tired, but happy to be having our study plans approved, and to be going to our respective homes tomorrow.
Yesterday was a day full of loveliness. Petra, one of the faculty members here and her partner, Niel, gave a participatory performance based on the Berlin Holocaust Memorial, which currently does not have accessibility for disabled people, or people who have trouble walking such as elderly people. Petra, who is from Germany and uses a wheelchair to get around, and Niel, who is an American Jew and uses a wheelchair to get around, gave some context for the piece. During the Holocaust, not only were Jewish people and people of color prosecuted and killed, disabled individuals were, too. And Petra explains how this historical happening is reflected in Berlin today, as being a place that is very hard for disabled people to live as few efforts have been made to create accessible spaces and places.
Olympias is the name of Petra and Niel's collective, and they create participatory scores, or actions that invite the audience to experience art through just that (experience). They work this way, because many of the people in the collective are disabled, and for a variety of reasons, cannot commit to a regular rehearsal schedule. So, off we went. We participated in a ritual performance that was both beautifully simple and powerful. Lots of silence, and contemplation, touching of hands and being with people. The silence erupted into laughter, and back to soft breathing. The ritual reminded us of both the life and death experienced in the Holocaust, and the residual still present today. It reminded us of our own life and made us aware of the lives of others we share our lives with. It was beautiful. I was struck by how simple the ritual was. I think about how we are always trying to make the biggest, best thing, complicated with lots of flash. The more, the better, right? Not always. Being at this performance makes me want to experiment with some participatory dance presentations, and simple rituals. Scores and actions.
It is almost 10, and I have another workshop to attend!
~Cara
Yesterday was a day full of loveliness. Petra, one of the faculty members here and her partner, Niel, gave a participatory performance based on the Berlin Holocaust Memorial, which currently does not have accessibility for disabled people, or people who have trouble walking such as elderly people. Petra, who is from Germany and uses a wheelchair to get around, and Niel, who is an American Jew and uses a wheelchair to get around, gave some context for the piece. During the Holocaust, not only were Jewish people and people of color prosecuted and killed, disabled individuals were, too. And Petra explains how this historical happening is reflected in Berlin today, as being a place that is very hard for disabled people to live as few efforts have been made to create accessible spaces and places.
Olympias is the name of Petra and Niel's collective, and they create participatory scores, or actions that invite the audience to experience art through just that (experience). They work this way, because many of the people in the collective are disabled, and for a variety of reasons, cannot commit to a regular rehearsal schedule. So, off we went. We participated in a ritual performance that was both beautifully simple and powerful. Lots of silence, and contemplation, touching of hands and being with people. The silence erupted into laughter, and back to soft breathing. The ritual reminded us of both the life and death experienced in the Holocaust, and the residual still present today. It reminded us of our own life and made us aware of the lives of others we share our lives with. It was beautiful. I was struck by how simple the ritual was. I think about how we are always trying to make the biggest, best thing, complicated with lots of flash. The more, the better, right? Not always. Being at this performance makes me want to experiment with some participatory dance presentations, and simple rituals. Scores and actions.
It is almost 10, and I have another workshop to attend!
~Cara
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
From Goddard Again
I am slowly getting used to the change in time zones and my sleep is slowly getting better. However, I still have a lot of catching up to do!
These past two days have been colored by time spent with my advising group, which is an intimate group of four students, plus our adviser, Ju-Pong. We've spent much of our time getting to know each other and our individual art practices in a deeper way. We have been checking in, and communicating to each other what we desire from our engagement this semester. Yesterday, we ventured into town. Port Townsend is a charming little port place, with beautiful boats everywhere and a grand view of the sound and the mountains growing into the sky. The sun was shining yesterday, and it was the first day since I've been here that I felt alright with taking off my jacket. Over coffee (tea for me!), we participate in a group activity, involving score writing. These scores are simply tasks, presented visually, and can be openly interpreted by the viewer. Mine has a lot of arrows and little pictures at various points along the trajectory of the score. In my mind, this is a spatial pattern, with exclamations of spontaneous movement sequences. To Mindy, my group mate sitting across from me at the table, it is a story. We all have a chance to interpret another's score, and in my hands is a swirly, soft offering by Dehanna. I decide that it is to be an arm phrase, with specific torso movements involved.
Laura is in my same advising group, and we talk about our feelings and expectations away from the group. At first, I had been thinking that perhaps I'd made an ill-informed choice about which adviser I am currently working with. Though Ju-Pong is a seemingly wonderful person, with plenty of expertise in many areas, I wondered if her unintrusive, soft (though I don't really think soft is the correct word) nature would butt up against my personality. During our individual meeting time, I felt it difficult to gauge our rapport, and how we would actually work together. However, after speaking about it further to Laura, I think there is more good in this new relationship than bad. Laura pointed out that since our main focus this semester is collaborating with each other, we are in essence, acting as an advising buffer for ourselves. Ju-Pong is there to oversee that process, but not to stir it up too much. To pose questions to us, but not to lead us to the answers. And after our fun group session yesterday, I am much more confident that my semester dialoguing with Ju-Pong will be productive in ways that I had not originally imagined.
Back at the campus yesterday afternoon, I attended a boat-building workshop with another faculty member, Seitu. One thing is clear: I cannot follow a diagram to save my life. I hope the boat works when it's finished. I was glad to have Rhonda in our group, to help measure and draw out the pencil lines that will be cut later to make the various aspects of the boat. She reveals to me that she is not a stranger to wood working, like I am. Phew. Maybe the boat will float, after all!
To round out the evening, I show rough cuts of my new film, "Kitchen Table" at our Considered Space presentation, which is basically a critique session. I got some generally good feedback, but felt myself getting defensive about certain aspects of the film. Most specifically, my choice to not show the entire body for the interior shots and my subdued relationship to Mackenzie in the film, who exudes a huge personality. I have to remind myself again that the critique is not about me. That all of these opinions coming from all sides, of vastly different natures, are just opinions. Those that I find helpful, I can use. Those that I don't find helpful, I can thank the people that express those opinions and leave it alone. I think the one that hurt the most was the comment about the adagio section, that it had "Ramada Inn lighting" and that I'd ruined the space with some of the art direction. I'm doing it again. I guess my point is, that no matter how objective you can be, when you are in the room, experiencing a critique, it is hard to let yourself go. Ultimately, the film will be what I decide it will be. And that is that. I was elated about it until yesterday. But I should still be elated. This film is a big step for me!
Late yesterday evening, I help Laura and Mindy make little cheesecakes for a meeting tonight. They are an experiment on Laura's part, who was heading up this baking effort. But, they turn out really well! So, on to some more workshops and academic jargon. It's hump day.
~Cara
These past two days have been colored by time spent with my advising group, which is an intimate group of four students, plus our adviser, Ju-Pong. We've spent much of our time getting to know each other and our individual art practices in a deeper way. We have been checking in, and communicating to each other what we desire from our engagement this semester. Yesterday, we ventured into town. Port Townsend is a charming little port place, with beautiful boats everywhere and a grand view of the sound and the mountains growing into the sky. The sun was shining yesterday, and it was the first day since I've been here that I felt alright with taking off my jacket. Over coffee (tea for me!), we participate in a group activity, involving score writing. These scores are simply tasks, presented visually, and can be openly interpreted by the viewer. Mine has a lot of arrows and little pictures at various points along the trajectory of the score. In my mind, this is a spatial pattern, with exclamations of spontaneous movement sequences. To Mindy, my group mate sitting across from me at the table, it is a story. We all have a chance to interpret another's score, and in my hands is a swirly, soft offering by Dehanna. I decide that it is to be an arm phrase, with specific torso movements involved.
Laura is in my same advising group, and we talk about our feelings and expectations away from the group. At first, I had been thinking that perhaps I'd made an ill-informed choice about which adviser I am currently working with. Though Ju-Pong is a seemingly wonderful person, with plenty of expertise in many areas, I wondered if her unintrusive, soft (though I don't really think soft is the correct word) nature would butt up against my personality. During our individual meeting time, I felt it difficult to gauge our rapport, and how we would actually work together. However, after speaking about it further to Laura, I think there is more good in this new relationship than bad. Laura pointed out that since our main focus this semester is collaborating with each other, we are in essence, acting as an advising buffer for ourselves. Ju-Pong is there to oversee that process, but not to stir it up too much. To pose questions to us, but not to lead us to the answers. And after our fun group session yesterday, I am much more confident that my semester dialoguing with Ju-Pong will be productive in ways that I had not originally imagined.
Back at the campus yesterday afternoon, I attended a boat-building workshop with another faculty member, Seitu. One thing is clear: I cannot follow a diagram to save my life. I hope the boat works when it's finished. I was glad to have Rhonda in our group, to help measure and draw out the pencil lines that will be cut later to make the various aspects of the boat. She reveals to me that she is not a stranger to wood working, like I am. Phew. Maybe the boat will float, after all!
To round out the evening, I show rough cuts of my new film, "Kitchen Table" at our Considered Space presentation, which is basically a critique session. I got some generally good feedback, but felt myself getting defensive about certain aspects of the film. Most specifically, my choice to not show the entire body for the interior shots and my subdued relationship to Mackenzie in the film, who exudes a huge personality. I have to remind myself again that the critique is not about me. That all of these opinions coming from all sides, of vastly different natures, are just opinions. Those that I find helpful, I can use. Those that I don't find helpful, I can thank the people that express those opinions and leave it alone. I think the one that hurt the most was the comment about the adagio section, that it had "Ramada Inn lighting" and that I'd ruined the space with some of the art direction. I'm doing it again. I guess my point is, that no matter how objective you can be, when you are in the room, experiencing a critique, it is hard to let yourself go. Ultimately, the film will be what I decide it will be. And that is that. I was elated about it until yesterday. But I should still be elated. This film is a big step for me!
Late yesterday evening, I help Laura and Mindy make little cheesecakes for a meeting tonight. They are an experiment on Laura's part, who was heading up this baking effort. But, they turn out really well! So, on to some more workshops and academic jargon. It's hump day.
~Cara
Monday, August 23, 2010
Reporting From Goddard
Returning to Goddard College for my third residency has been met with some resistance, like so many other things in my fast changing life lately. Feeling like there is still much work to be done at home, and precious time to be spent with my new husband, I had a hard time pulling myself away to embark on the long day of journeying it takes to get to Goddard.
Journeying aside, my first few days at Goddard have been colored by much stomach discomfort, as my body begrudgingly absorbs food it is not used to. Sigh.
Stomach aside, there have been some lovely instances of light while I have been here. I am so excited to see my friends, Natalie, Alessandra, Stephanie, Roslyn, and Laura, all of whom are my house mates. We make tea and talk through the night. We share music and sweaters for the cold temperatures here. Lily Yeh has been our guest artist these past few days, and has imparted to us a wonderful glimpse into her wonderful community art practice. I can see that she is very passionate about what she does, she is a hard worker, who isn't afraid to get dirty, and engage with those people who many would deem incapable of appreciating or making art. She explains her eighteen-year beautification project in North Philadelphia, where she made abandoned lots and condemned houses into public sculpture gardens with the help of community children and drug dealers. She noted the changes that occurred in the people she's worked with, in particular, a man she called "Big man," who had dealt and done drugs for many years. As the projects grew, "Big Man" decided that as long as he could make this art for his community, he would no longer need drugs. How lovely. She describes her time in Rwanda, working with genocide survivors and the "untouchables" to create dignity and beauty in their village. She is adamant about having everyone's voices heard in the planning and execution of these public works, and people who have never had a voice before have voices now, that will be seen by many. Such dedication.
It is just after breakfast now, and I must attend one of the many workshop presentations during our residency. More to come.
~Cara
Journeying aside, my first few days at Goddard have been colored by much stomach discomfort, as my body begrudgingly absorbs food it is not used to. Sigh.
Stomach aside, there have been some lovely instances of light while I have been here. I am so excited to see my friends, Natalie, Alessandra, Stephanie, Roslyn, and Laura, all of whom are my house mates. We make tea and talk through the night. We share music and sweaters for the cold temperatures here. Lily Yeh has been our guest artist these past few days, and has imparted to us a wonderful glimpse into her wonderful community art practice. I can see that she is very passionate about what she does, she is a hard worker, who isn't afraid to get dirty, and engage with those people who many would deem incapable of appreciating or making art. She explains her eighteen-year beautification project in North Philadelphia, where she made abandoned lots and condemned houses into public sculpture gardens with the help of community children and drug dealers. She noted the changes that occurred in the people she's worked with, in particular, a man she called "Big man," who had dealt and done drugs for many years. As the projects grew, "Big Man" decided that as long as he could make this art for his community, he would no longer need drugs. How lovely. She describes her time in Rwanda, working with genocide survivors and the "untouchables" to create dignity and beauty in their village. She is adamant about having everyone's voices heard in the planning and execution of these public works, and people who have never had a voice before have voices now, that will be seen by many. Such dedication.
It is just after breakfast now, and I must attend one of the many workshop presentations during our residency. More to come.
~Cara
Thursday, August 19, 2010
I am Reminded...
The events of the past few days remind me of so many truths about artwork, and our place in it as artists.
On Monday, I along with a groups of others, sat on the Regional Artist Project Grant panel. All day long, we looked over applications, comparing proposals to budgets to work samples. It was both a long and exciting process. I was excited to help make the decision to grant some very young artists with what were for a few, their first grants. I was happy also, to help more established artists to continue practicing their craft. As we read through the applications, I am reminded, in a big way, that I cannot take rejection of proposals and applications personally. Nor can I take the acceptance of any proposal or application personally. Knowing that a panel of people, or even one person looking at an application cannot possibly spend the time it would take to make assumptions about you as a person, helped me to remember to be more objective when sending off my apps. It isn't about me. It is about the programs they (whatever organization they may be) need to curate. The money they have available to give. Need versus want, and so many other things.
This week brought a small handful of applications to be sent out. However few, these applications required many components. Many DVD's, many, many pieces of paper and a lot of creative thinking and explaining with flare. I was more than happy to put these packages in the hands of the post office attendant today: "Are there any fragile, perishable, liquid or flammable items in these packages?" No, just the future of my career...but given the circumstances of the Monday prior, and my lesson learned, I decide to think differently. It is out of my hands, literally and figuratively. So I breathe easy, and continue about my day.
In addition to the grant panel this week, I make a trip to Matthews, NC, where Brett, my cinematographer and editor now lives to continue work on our film, "Kitchen Table." We spend many hours, pouring over the shots, deciding what should go where, and if it fits with the music, etc. We clean up some shots, we scratch some shots. We discuss color correction, and the addition of Foley noise in certain parts. The film is really beginning to take shape! With this work, I am reminded that patience yields growth. Three years ago, when I began making films, I could have never imagined having the ability to make this film. I wanted nothing more to be good at making films. I just couldn't wait. And as I was sitting there, next to Brett, I realized that three years had taken no time at all to go by. And here we are, preparing for the premiere of our third dance film. I can only imagine what the next five or ten years will bring.
Yesterday, I head over to High Point University, where I will begin teaching again in just over a week. I speak to my boss, who asks for ideas on how we can increase the dance presence at HPU. My wheels are turning, as I do love a good challenge. I am excited to be back, and am very much looking forward to teaching. I see many of my colleagues, and exchange accounts of our summers away from each other. I learn that having a steady place to go is not a bad thing. I guess I just haven't thought of it until now, but it takes time to build things, like relationships, rapport, projects and more. I suppose I have never had the experience of having a long-term job before, and though this one is not officially that yet, Ed(my boss) has many times expressed his interest in making that happen for me. I wonder what that would be like. Will I get bored? Will I feel stuck? Will I feel at ease? Will I feel accomplished? I can't tell yet. But I look forward to what the year will offer.
On this day, I am preparing to return to my MFA program residency at Goddard. That wonderful place on the west coast where I can discuss art deeply, and spend time opening myself up to more possibility. I love it, and I can't wait. I keep in mind that it will be cold compared to our summer of 90 plus temperatures. And that I should probably bring a light jacket.
Tomorrow, I will be reporting from Port Townsend!
~Cara
On Monday, I along with a groups of others, sat on the Regional Artist Project Grant panel. All day long, we looked over applications, comparing proposals to budgets to work samples. It was both a long and exciting process. I was excited to help make the decision to grant some very young artists with what were for a few, their first grants. I was happy also, to help more established artists to continue practicing their craft. As we read through the applications, I am reminded, in a big way, that I cannot take rejection of proposals and applications personally. Nor can I take the acceptance of any proposal or application personally. Knowing that a panel of people, or even one person looking at an application cannot possibly spend the time it would take to make assumptions about you as a person, helped me to remember to be more objective when sending off my apps. It isn't about me. It is about the programs they (whatever organization they may be) need to curate. The money they have available to give. Need versus want, and so many other things.
This week brought a small handful of applications to be sent out. However few, these applications required many components. Many DVD's, many, many pieces of paper and a lot of creative thinking and explaining with flare. I was more than happy to put these packages in the hands of the post office attendant today: "Are there any fragile, perishable, liquid or flammable items in these packages?" No, just the future of my career...but given the circumstances of the Monday prior, and my lesson learned, I decide to think differently. It is out of my hands, literally and figuratively. So I breathe easy, and continue about my day.
In addition to the grant panel this week, I make a trip to Matthews, NC, where Brett, my cinematographer and editor now lives to continue work on our film, "Kitchen Table." We spend many hours, pouring over the shots, deciding what should go where, and if it fits with the music, etc. We clean up some shots, we scratch some shots. We discuss color correction, and the addition of Foley noise in certain parts. The film is really beginning to take shape! With this work, I am reminded that patience yields growth. Three years ago, when I began making films, I could have never imagined having the ability to make this film. I wanted nothing more to be good at making films. I just couldn't wait. And as I was sitting there, next to Brett, I realized that three years had taken no time at all to go by. And here we are, preparing for the premiere of our third dance film. I can only imagine what the next five or ten years will bring.
Yesterday, I head over to High Point University, where I will begin teaching again in just over a week. I speak to my boss, who asks for ideas on how we can increase the dance presence at HPU. My wheels are turning, as I do love a good challenge. I am excited to be back, and am very much looking forward to teaching. I see many of my colleagues, and exchange accounts of our summers away from each other. I learn that having a steady place to go is not a bad thing. I guess I just haven't thought of it until now, but it takes time to build things, like relationships, rapport, projects and more. I suppose I have never had the experience of having a long-term job before, and though this one is not officially that yet, Ed(my boss) has many times expressed his interest in making that happen for me. I wonder what that would be like. Will I get bored? Will I feel stuck? Will I feel at ease? Will I feel accomplished? I can't tell yet. But I look forward to what the year will offer.
On this day, I am preparing to return to my MFA program residency at Goddard. That wonderful place on the west coast where I can discuss art deeply, and spend time opening myself up to more possibility. I love it, and I can't wait. I keep in mind that it will be cold compared to our summer of 90 plus temperatures. And that I should probably bring a light jacket.
Tomorrow, I will be reporting from Port Townsend!
~Cara
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