Collaboration | Residencies | Community Projects

I am so lucky to work with such inspiring artists.  I had the pleasure of attending IPAY (International Performing Arts for Youth) last week with co-founders and artistic directors Mara and Emily of Treehouse Shakers.  I'm going to toot our own horns here and say we really embrace the concept of collaboration.  It was a simple collaboration -- sharing a booth -- but effective.  Not only did we save on costs, but we shared our knowledge and our connections. 

They are the face of the company I represent and I think it's helpful to have that sense of connection to the art - for me as well as for the presenter.  They filled in blanks on the technical specs or could speak of their background and inspiration and thus guide me for future conversations.  Moreover, they have been a part of this member organization and Showcase for 7 years - it's important for them as artists to continue to have a presence, have a voice, and experience the performances and networking for themselves.

There were education and family programmers that knew the ladies but didn't know me...programmers that knew me but not the company...and a few new faces as well.  I cannot say enough wonderful things about how well the conference went.

I address collaboration in my recent guest blog post on Mara's blog -- Mara's Treehouse.  A huge thank you to Mara and Em for believing in me and trusting me -- as a manager and agent and also as a blog contributor.  Below is the link to my honest and ambitious look at the future of family programming.

http://marastreehouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/strong-vision-for-family-arts...

As I discussed Treehouse Shakers' dance-plays this afternoon to a presenter, I mentioned how I was never exposed to modern dance and how by the time I was in my mid-twenties and working in this industry, I was seeing modern dance once a month it seemed. Some I loved, some I loathed. The problem was, outside of a few adjectives, I couldn't articulate why I loved the company or the piece more or less than another. Moreover, I could absolutely love a company and their repertoire but would still leave the experience wondering, "But what was it about?"

It's clear to me now that there are stories and emotions behind the dance and choreography although it still isn't always clear to me afterward exactly what ensued on stage. In some ways I like that I must use my imagination and the piece is open to interpretation. At Performing Arts Exchange this past September, I saw a modern dance piece and it involved two men and a women and quite a bit of back and forth movement between all dancers. It was physical, powerful, and an audience member could feel a sense of raw emotion. Colleagues of mine afterward thought the aforementioned scene was that of rape. Me? Two guys fighting over the girl. There was definitely sexual tension, a need for possession and control, but for me it wasn't as literal as rape.

I'm 33 and clearly the language of modern dance is still difficult to wrap my head around. I'm also not trained as a dancer so even the technique is foreign to me as is the overall vocabulary used by dancers and choreographers. 

I love theater because there is a scripted story (well, at least in good theater). There is a beginning, a middle, and an end, well rounded characters, a plot, conflict, and resolution.  Often I feel empathy toward a character and having the ability and awareness to identify with a situation makes it real.  I get what I need to have it make sense.

I love music, particularly contemporary compositions, because for me, it’s about feelings: Wonder, Love, Anger, Anticipation, to name a few. If there are vocals, I hear (or look up) lyrics and piece together a story. Generally, I don’t have to think – I just have to feel and I can do that pretty easily.

Dance involves expression and feeling too but of what? I have this innate sense there is a story behind the movement or perhaps even the emotion I feel but I lack the glue to piece it together.  What is the glue?  Where do I find it?  Especially when I don't even know what I'm looking for.

There is always a disconnect with dance for me. So I imagine how toddlers, elementary aged kids, tweens and teens must feel. Each age level will digest dance differently. I imagine my two year old identifying the movement and saying, "Mommy, dance!" But I suspect as a child grows and matures, the need for some clarification necessitates itself.

I wish I had seen something similar to the performances that Treehouse Shakers offers when I was young. Having a fully scripted story AND narration AND an opening workshop to introduce dance and further, to clarify dance terminology is helpful to youth, particularly those in underserved communities or for those like myself, while well-off, still didn’t experience a ton of performance art in her early years.

Even now as I develop my own agency, I am very much in tune with what I know and what I believe I can sell, particularly as it relates to youth. I’m not completely comfortable representing a ballet or a modern dance company. I need to know more – for me, for the presenter, for the audience. I cannot get excited about, ergo, sell, what I don't know.  I’m still searching for that something else in addition to the dance – that story, that glue– to which I can grab and have it all make sense. What can we do as an industry for each other and our audiences to create and/or understand a vocabulary of dance?

Here are just a few ideas in no particular order:

• Overall, we need to get away from pigeon holing our series.  How can we blend the genres? 
• Let's look for artists and venues investing in creative collaborations that do cross lines and genres and give them a place - in workshops, sessions, series, and conferences - wherever it makes sense to educate.
• In our series brochures, playbills and programs, let's go beyond the due diligence of listing the titles, the dancers, the founders and ADs and subsequent page after page of biography.  Why not include a talk back - in print and video - about what the piece is about and what inspired it.  Lift an excerpt and explain it in lamens terms.  Save the tech speak for your masterclass.
• Let's get out of our own four walls or our own industry language familiarity and remember most people who need us - our product, service, artform, etc. - are not trained in our area of expertise. 
• Have a face of the program. People connect with people and it's the personalities and values of people that overtime create a brand.  Have your venue's brand be meaningful and identifiable.  Your audience should know who on your staff they can ask an education question, an outreach question, a dance question.  Teaching artists and educators are perfect resources to tap for this.
• A glossary of terms on your website, maybe in the Education section. 

These are just off the top of my head.  The best part is if we start today, everyone will benefit - small children, elementary and teen aged kids as well as adults like me.  At my next showcase or performance, I would love to read a paragraph in the program describing that the movement in piece X was choreographed just so because it needed to convey ABC. 

I just discovered this organization a few weeks ago.  Eary Arts is the largest professional development network for people designing creative learning with children and families.  It is based in the UK.  With events, resources, case studies, and an artist databank, this is one organization I am excited to join.  It recently presented its Unconference - a conference event focusing on creativity and the early years but done in a nontraditional way -- much more participation by attendees, meaningful personlized activities, encouraging networking and collaborations.  Here is a clip from the Unconference.

Earlyarts International UnConference 2010 from Earlyarts on Vimeo.

Zany Umbrella Circus recently returned to the States after a month long residency in Amman, Jordan.  The company returned to Amman this summer through a partnership with the The Children's Museum Jordan.  In addition to the weeks of circus and theater arts residencies, reaching thousands of children, the company also created a new piece that will be available for touring in 2012. 

The images I've seen over the past month probably don't do the residency, the performances and most of all, the connections made justice.  The images below are compliments of the Children's Museum of Jordan - visit their Flickr page by clicking the link below.  Colorful and invigorating...the pictures capture priceless expressions, moments and emotions. 

 More Images - Children's Museum of Jordan - Flickr Page