ideas in motion 2006 - again

being in the audience at last night's ideas in motion and last week's critical moves performances gave me some hope that things might actually change in this city dance-wise. both of these evenings showed works that were more on "the cutting edge" than what is typically seen in boston. somehow having this work here might give visibility to other boston-based artists that are doing quality work that, despite not being "cutting edge", is worth some notice.
gauging by the quality of the questions asked at both of these performances, i would say that the audiences seemed both engaged and ready to see more.
aces.
by far, the hit of the evening was the piece by bridgman/packer dance. not only was it technologically stunning, but it had a sense of emotion and purpose that had value beyond technically wizardry. maybe working together for so long (28 years) is one of the reasons why the work seems to stand despite the use of video. i had similar feelings (less so, but similar) when i saw last week's pieces by terese freedman and jim coleman. the ideas seem to come first, and then the technology is worked in--not the other way around.

critical moves -- again

apparently it takes a choreographer cleaning up shaving cream after someone else's piece and moveing a piano to get new work seen in boston.
kudos to alissa cardone and green street for making this event possible.

here is a comment from the review in the herald:

Cryptic ‘Moves’ stumbles - but with style
By Theodore Bale
Saturday, April 15, 2006

"Fuller’s “Stations” was one of six innovative dances chosen by curator Alissa Cardone for a new series called “Critical Moves.” The works she chose defy indifference, and the series represents an insightful development in local dance."

...

check out the review to read more about the pieces.

cal performance -- a 100 years of presenting dance

an interesting article at voice of dance on the history of cal performances' presentation of dance.

critical moves -- this friday

CRITICAL MOVES
a new series of contemporary dance

featuring artists from Boston, Western MA, New York & West Africa
Coleman/Freedman
Lacina Coulibaly (from Burkina Faso)
Nell Breyer w/ dancers Joe Seitz and Justin Norris
Zack Fuller w/ live music by Jonathan Vincent & Katt Hernandez

Friday, April 14, 8:00 p.m.

Green Street Studios, 185 Green Street, Cambridge, MA
Directions: http://www.greenstreetstudios.org/about-us/directions/

$16 general admission; $12 students and members of Boston Dance
Alliance.
Reservations at 617-864-3191 or buy at the door (cash only)
RESERVATIONS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

Critical Moves is curated by Alissa Cardone
More information:
www.criticalmoves.com/series
www.greenstreetstudios.org/performances

Coleman/Freedman: Performs three works which all explore the interface of projected video and live dance action and mark a new direction in the work of Terese Freedman and Jim Coleman. “talking heads” offers an elusive debate between one live and 3 virtual talking heads over the virtues and pretenses of contemporary dance; “on turning ten (after billy collins)” is a surreal autobiographical look at the life of 10 year old Zoe Coleman, set to a sound collage score that includes Billy Collins’ poem of the same title; “written in the body” is a collaboration with visual artist Neal Parks exploring the relationship of artist and muse, featuring live drawing, projected video imagery and live dance.

Zack Fuller: premieres “Stations” with live music by Jonathan Vincent and Katt Hernandez. A grotesque/beautiful, spiritual/toxic, collaborative, dance/music/no words theatre performance: medieval in its structure.

Lacina Coulibaly: Hailing from Burkina Faso director and choreographer of the acclaimed La Compaigne Konga Ba Teria, Lacina is in Boston until May 2006 as the result of his ongoing residency at Brown University in Providence, RI. Lacina has been working for years to develop his own unique style that exists at the intersection between the traditional styles of his home country, the expressions that emerge from the exploration of the self, and the techniques of European modern dance.

Nell Breyer: Capoeira’s history molds oppression and self-defense, fight and play out of the same act. As two people approach extreme closeness, their split reactions belie vacillating cycles of trust, betrayal, freedom, suppression, power and helplessness that litter our history, politics and personal experience. (Originally premiered 2002 for the Dancespace Project at St. Mark’s Church)

Dancing for the Greats @ Harvard

a potentially interesting discussion later this month...

Sunday, April 23, 2006 at 3:00 PM

Panel discussion moderated by one of Boston's leading Dance critics, Debra Cash.

Panelists, who will discuss dancing for the great choreographers of the 20th century will be:
* Christine Dakin - former principal dancer Martha Graham Dance Company
* Heather Watts, former principal dancer, New York City Ballet
* Jennifer Scanlon, former dancer, Jose Limon Company
* Jeff Shade, former Bob Fosse Dance Captain and protege

The four master works performed during the Dancers Viewpoint VI program will be performed with the panel discussion.

For more information, see the Harvard Box Office Web Site.

boston arts

gotta love when someone with no "arts background" is put in charge of arts in boston...

Hotline: Changing of the arts guard

Tuesday, April 4, 2006

In a surprise move, Julie Burns has been named Boston’s new director of the Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events. The announcement was made without fanfare on former director Susan Hartnett’s last day on the job. Burns does not have an arts background, but as a former deputy chief of staff for Mayor Thomas M. Menino and as executive director of Boston 2004, she has longheld ties to the mayor. Insiders say Menino is eager to tap her fund-raising skills in the corporate community. Word is that her former high-ranking position on Menino’s staff also will give her authority over sometimes reluctant departments whose cooperation she needs.

- TERRY BYRNE
herald article