Frozen, but Fluid

Alana Kirzner; Photo by Amelia Golden

Amid the snow and ice of the last day of February, a day brimming of inspired artistry unfolded with ACD that melted the frozen feelings of a long winter. Inspired by my niece, Alana Kirzner, a stunning dancer with a fierce energy and supermodel look, I loosely wrote a script for a new film short. Amelia Golden, filmmaker and collaborator with ACD, joined our project for a day of artistic discovery in NYC, beginning at Ripley Grier Studios in NYC, and ending at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx.

Alana brought it all to the table with her technical finesse and dramatic edge, portraying a character that oddly came to life once the costume pieces were donned. A spirit came alive; however, when this black, velvet dress and shrug, hung on a pipe in my basement to air out and de-wrinkle after I brought it home form the thrift store. It was then, in the dark shadows, that it swayed side to side, ever so gently, that I could see a mysterious woman from the turn-of-the century living in it, or could it also be the spirit of Madeline from the famous children’s book? No matter the origin, Alana awakened her own spirit to flesh out the character she became that day, both indoor in the studio, and outdoor at the Botanical Gardens, where we choreographed a frosty frenzy of quick-study exhibitions on the snowy, wooded paths. We ended at the gorgeous Haupt Conservatory at the Chandelier Orchid exhibit, where we warmed it up for a supreme finale among the fertile plant-life and blossoming flowers… we were loose, fluid and filled with a taste of Spring in the air! Stay tuned for our new film–coming soon!!

Film shoot day with Amelia and Alana

Treasures of 2014

A year’s worth of creating, polishing and processing new work has come to a humbling end. Placing these fine collectibles into this year’s treasure trunk has me joyfully reminiscing about the many months of studio sweat, theater dust and reams of film footage.

Goddess Danu and Birds Over Lower Lough Erne, a commissioned work by composer, Claudia Howard Queen, began my journey into 2014 and sent me into Celtic motion. Ryan Schmidt rose to a mystical, new level when she danced her fairy good performance in Brooklyn at Triskelion Arts, where we also had a sneak-peak of several of our film shorts, in collaboration with filmmaker, Amelia Golden.

Next was the KoDaFe Dance festival in NYC at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, where Milan Misko and Nana Tsuda performed Descendence, a touching duet about how our ancestry links us to our life’s journey. This was ACD’s 2nd invitation working with the IKADA Contemporary Dance Company.

I was honored to have been able to work with the extraordinarily talented Chris Jackson again,  for the creation of the new solo, Flight, and our new film short, Sea Chapter. Composer, Tamara Wilcox added her musical talent to Chris’s solo with her inspiring piano composition. ACD is proud to now have two scores of Tamara’s in our repertoire. Returning to Triskelion Arts again, Chris gave the most soulful performance of Flight, effortlessly moving through the space, as I wiped away my tears from the front row. We waded our way through the waters of Silver Sands State Park,  making our companion film short to the solo, capturing beautiful scenery, including breathtaking views of the sun setting over the calm ocean waves.

Flipping through the short films I’ve done, with collaborators Benjamin Moss and Amelia Golden, I was aching to be able to work this compendium of films into a production where we could share what we’ve done in a proper screening room. After a brief search to find a venue for my vision, I was able to secure a night at the Producers Club in NYC this December, where we included our documentary, Except at Night: The Making of a Dance, giving the audience insider information into my process of making a dance. The whole evening, entitled, Behind the Lens, tied all the frames together, giving a glimpse of the past five years of seeing things from the camera’s point of view. It was a thrill to know that some of the dancers involved were sitting in the seats, as so many over the years have scattered over the globe. I was lucky to have been able to raise my glass and toast with a few of them afterward, as we celebrated some of our greatest shared treasures.

Benjamin Moss Filmmaker

Amelia Golden Filmmaker

Claudia Howard Queen Composer

Tamara Wilcox Composer

Goddess Danu in Brooklyn

Ryan Schmidt at Triskelion Arts
Photo by Amelia Golden

 

All went well at Triskelion Arts in Brooklyn on May 20th! This was the last dance performance for Ryan Schmidt before  she tied the knot this past weekend! Congrats, Ryan!! Claudia Howard Queen’s music and video footage from Ireland, were the backdrop to the piece I was commissioned to do by her, and was part of her Fellowship at University of North Texas. Her ideas, based on themes of healing, came together in a few short months. Ryan executed the piece with great strength and characterization, creating a feeling of being in an enchanted place, with fairies, mystical waterways, and lichen-covered rocks. Our other works included film collaborations with Amelia Golden, highlighting her luscious sense of capturing story-line with motion, and the mix of humanness that underlines most of our work together. A big thank you to Amelia for ACD’s production of  Playing House and A Piece of Shelter.

Hope you enjoy our premiere of Goddess Danu and Birds Over Lower Lough Erne. 

Enjoying a drink with Amelia and Ryan

 

Mystical Horizons

 

When the curtain came down on the New York International Ballet Competition this past year, I felt a fissure starting in the core of the dance world, but that wasn’t the only news that rocked its foundation. What about the disbanding of the Trey McIntyre Project, or the bankruptcy and closure of Dance New Amsterdam? I realize you need to know when to fold ’em, but I also realize in the midst of all the hardship, there’s sometimes reason to hold onto your hand, even though it may seem inane to the outside world.

I just witnessed a pond that dried up at a National State Park, but fresh new flowers, and plants were growing on its surface. Somewhere there’s  the possibility of new life, but only after a long pause, silence or drought, do we get to reap the rewards of Mother Nature’s grand plan. As an artist, I feel part of the crack and part of the stem of a flower, all at once. The cosmic timing of producing, is always met with news of a death or some tragic press release, but we always continue to march on, and jump back into the studio.

Such was the case with“Goddess Danu & Birds Over Lower Lough Erne.”  This new solo set on Ryan Schmidt, was commissioned by award winning composer, Claudia Howard Queen, who envisioned this work after a mystical trip to Ireland. During my time at Western Michigan University, I met Claudia, who was a visiting artist  at the time. I was completely blown away by her abilities as a percussionist, and her symbiotic way of folding music into the dance. She allowed dancers to experience movement through the rhythms and timbre of the music, like no other accompanist I have known. With her ideas of healing through music and dance, and the inspiring themes of Celtic mysticism, it was easy to say yes  to this commission. 

So as fairies, folklore, Selkes and goddesses enveloped my space, I connected to part of my roots, and drifted into a place that felt oddly familiar. With footage of birds flying over an Irish waterway, and music by Claudia Howard Queen, this multi-media piece will surely take you to mystical horizons. We look forward to our premiere at Triskelion Arts in Brooklyn, where we will also be sharing the collaborative works of filmmaker, Amelia Golden. Please read about our event here, and for now… I think I’ll hold onto my hand!

Claudia Howard Queen Composer

Amelia Golden, filmmaker