PUSHED

Laura Ward is a long-time Hudson Valley force to be reckoned with. She runs Octavia Cup Dance Theater and is, in general, a builder of community. So, naturally, when she asked me at the last moment if I could help her shoot her latest work PUSHED, recently presented at the Arts Society of Kingston for the Choreography on the Edge July 2023 edition, we found a way to make it happen! Laura and I are also working on an all-inclusive one-stop source for classes, performances and opportunities for dancers and movement artists in the Hudson Valley that we’re calling HV Dance Map! Stay Tuned!

Rocks

In the continued theme of “Small Art”, I also happened to find myself in Castiglioncello with Nita Little and Maria Novella Tattanelli, wading into the Mediterranean Sea amongst wild and jagged rocks. Nita had just been telling me about a “Rocks” score she had set for a mountain climber, and I inquired if it seemed transferrable, in some way, to Maria Novella and the rocks in the sea. I’ll make a short video from it that I’m sure I’ll share somewhere, but I’m appreciating these small, emergent opportunities to make a little bit of art with some folks I care alot about, with no strings attached and absolutely no pressure.

Small Art

I had the incredible privilege to be responsible for the introduction between my dear friend Mandy Hackman, and my favorite country, Ireland. We took the opportunity to find some forest and make some art in the form of photo/video improvised movement - but it’s aligned with what I’m noticing is a sort of “small art” offerings or experiences I’m making/having. Since going through the MFA process, the artist in me is hurting, and these “small art” bites are healing. I wonder what they’ll become, but I don’t wonder that too hard - for now I’m just enjoying it.

Pontadera

I commonly support dance artist Nita Little behind the scenes, but this July I had the chance to be very much front and center with her at a Contact Improv intensive in Pontadera, Italy with the WONDERFUL folks at Spazio Nu. To my surprise, I got to dance far more than I thought I would have, so three cheers for working on CI skills with one of the founders of CI! But also, what I took away from these three days was so much more than that - it was relationships with new friends from across the globe, experiences in play and exploration that I’ll cherish, and a delightful new example of what Work / Life balance can feel like! Heeeee!

Big Easy

I count myself so lucky to get “called back” time and time again by the same clients. In the case of Diana Madrigal Barnitz and Peter Barnitz of The Studio Nola and Nola Dance Project, they’ve brought me in so many times I’ve stopped referring to them as my client, because now they’re just friends - family even. And what a joy is that?! To have the kind of community you can work, play, and take care of each other in? Yes please! In the very last week of June this year, I returned to New Orleans (in a heat wave!) and taught aerial silks and contemporary dance to a big group of eager kiddos. We had FUN, and I can’t wait to be back! I’m so lucky to get to have a relationship with these kiddos that is expansive and has longevity - despite the distance!

Troy Night Out - Pride Edition

As part of an alternative marketing strategy, the Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center (I’m in charge of some stuff there) brought in Caroline Wright, Ernesto Lea Place, as well as Mickey Lonsdale and Jesse Cody (of Circus Splendiferous) for a very special performance at a very special series! The city of Troy produces “Troy Night Out” regularly as a way to build art-centric community, and the June “Troy Night Out” was pride-themed! Bonus-fun!!

Lost Boys

New York Academy of Ballet put on a unique production of Peter Pan for their annual recital this year. I captured the performance from behind the video camera, but naturally managed to grab some behind the scenes footage because - hey - I just can’t help myself! It’s too easy!

Tiny Dancers

I only work with one recreational studio on a regular weekly basis - and that’s a very special studio that celebrated its 10th Anniversary this year. Dutchess School of Performing Arts opened under the direction of Denyse Looney for the 2012-2013 school year, and I remain responsible for the Irish and Contemporary curriculum after all this time. I love these kids, I love the process of bringing their progress to light at each recital, and I love being able to capture it a bit on the side!

Clowning around

As part of my role with Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center, I produced Karen Gersch (one of the co-counders of the Big Apple Circus and) a phenomenal visual artist, giving a talk on Circus in Art through time. I picked up an embarrassingly large number of her works for my own collection and laughed a whole lot more than I usually do than something titled “lecture” !

Mountain House

Sharon Penz is a local Hudson Valley based choreographer, dancer and artist with a profound interest in the local and regional history. We did a film shoot at the Empire Railway Museum in Phoenicia, NY and the site of the former Catskill Mountain House in Kaaterskill, NY to create a dance on film project. I look forward to sharing the final draft with you!

gap junction

Katie Messina heads up RogueWave, a dance company presenting a new work ‘gap junction’ this fall at The Tank NYC. Katie and I met while working on a project for another choreographer, and it felt very much like a playdate to shoot with her and her dancers. We crafted a number of promotional films in preparation for the fall presentation. Head over to instagram to view them all!

Circus in the Park

For the last six months, I’ve served as Director of Operations for non-profit Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center, in an effort to bring their summer season of Circus in the Park to fruition. August 16th through 28th featured performances from professional company CirqueUS, a residency for artists to create a new work, kids camp, free workshops for kids, adult workshop, and an immersive dinner experience all under a circus tent! I look forward to what we might do next.

Acrobat of Innocence

In early November, Katherine Duke brought me out to Las Vegas with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company to film her re-imagining of the 1947 Hawkins work “Stephen Acrobat”. The piece features a 14’ Isamu Noguchi sculpture as a set piece. It has been an absolute highlight of my career to be part of this historic project, and there is much more to come! Special thanks to Louis Kavouras and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas for being integral in bringing this project to life.

hypha's open-process

I’ve been working for the last year with collaborative group hypha and at the end of October we offered an open-process showing at 5th Wall Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Thanks to a grant from CityCorps, we were able to offer the showing free of charge. It felt good to be a performing aerialist again, even if it was on an unusual apparatus (you should see our ropey web thingy!). Also, you can view the open-process digitally. Just click here!

Festival Theater Hudson's Inaugural Gala Concert

I’m delighted to hold the title of Director for Dance & Film for Festival Theater Hudson - a new opera company dedicated to the intersectionality of arts and opera. For their first ever concert, I held the role of Executive Producer. Act 1 was a gorgeous violin duet composed by Ittai Shapira and performed by Shapira and Hagai Shaham and Act 2 was actually Act 3 of Richard Wagner’s Die Walkure opera, performed by Jon Morrell, Othalie Graham and Charles Martin. A 32-piece orchestra conducted by Elias Miller, under the direction of Concert Master Elizabeth Silver had audiences delivering three ovations. I look forward to showing you what else we have up our sleeve!

Venus Rising

As part of a longer term film project for Festival Theater Hudson, I had the pleasure of shooting with Heather Green as Venus. I had the challenge of creating a film that shows Venus rising out of the water completely dry. I can’t wait for you to see!

make it worth it

Check out this collaboration with mover Nicki Miller and singer Adar.

Black is the Color of my True Love's Hair

I set this piece on two groups this spring - the music, BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY TRUE LOVE’S HAIR, is an original folk song arranged and performed live by my good friend Brian Coughlin on the stand up bass. One group, Dutchess School of Performing Arts, we also made a film for. It was extra special looking for a place to film - and we found out that our chosen spot was in a habitat for the endangered “bloodroot” plant, which was used in indigenous medicine. The piece, which was built as a statement on climate change, felt extra fitting being filmed (carefully) on this particular land. Please enjoy the film!

Still, Together

“I’ve become increasingly interested in what a stillness-effort becomes when it is extracted from dynamic redirections and worked with as a movement in and of itself.” -clyde forth, Artistic Director 

The Still,Together dance film is an invitation for people to enjoy, study and appreciate the tenderness of sharing space together through dance, even when viewing from outside or through a screen. 

Our aim is to bring the audience and performers into contemplative attention together. Light, time and stillness connect the dancers, the space and the viewer over the twenty-four minute duration of the film, set to a composition by Morton Feldman. On the heels of the pandemic, questions about solitude, space, time and how we share each of these are our focal point in creating this work.

It’s such a joy to be part of this ongoing project. Look out for the complete dance film this summer!

The Illusion of Stationary Stars

Inanimate48 is a 48 hour film festival where artists are challenged to use apparatus in a new or unusual way. I gathered with my new collaborative pals, Hypha, and created The Illusion of Stationary Stars. We received two honorable mentions and a ton of praise that made us feel like we had achieved what we set out to creatively. And on top of that - it felt damn good doing it! Check out the complete film!