Blog Archive
Reflections on 2010
In a year when many organizations were forced to make deep cuts in programming and staff, Artichoke Dance Company continued to thrive, even expanding the scope of our work. I am so grateful for those who have supported us both financially and by dedicating their time and efforts over the past year to send us leaping into 2011 with strength and vigor. The creation and premiere of The Human Mapping Project, the first of a series of works examining the impact of plastics on the environment and the human body, grounded us firmly in the community. Performed on New York City shorelines, thousands of new eyes fell upon our work during the shows and on-site rehearsals. One highlight of making the work occurred on a Sunday afternoon in August, the first day that one of the drummers who accompanied the work beat his sticks during a rehearsal at Manhattan Beach. A group of teens having a picnic nearby inquired about our activities, then enthusiastically joined in the dancing. Copying what they saw, they were soon twirling hand in hand and leaning against one another, at times tumbling to the sand with laughter. This, I remember thinking, is why we take the subway to the end of the line and wait for the bus, on the day that public transportation runs most inefficiently, to the beach to rehearse under the blazing sun. It was a magical moment of integration and inspiration that directly speaks to Artichoke Dance Company’s mission of providing participatory arts experiences that build creative, social and cultural understanding.
View excerpts here of The Human Mapping Project.
As director of the work, I was privileged to work with a wonderful group of collaborators on the project, including brilliant folks at the Trash Patch project, who continue to help me navigate through the science and environmental issues affiliated with the work, the American Littoral Society, who provided supplies and recruiting materials for the coastal clean up that preceded each performance, the innovative visual artist Olek, who fashioned costumes from recycled six-pack holders, drummers Melissa Houston and Mark Kassin, who expertly led a group of novice musicians in a drum circle to accompany the work, and the dancers, whose dedication to the work make it possible. I’d like to thank my local pizzarias Pino’s La Forchetta and V&M Pizza Town, who diligently saved the six-pack holders for months on end, the Brooklyn Arts Council and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, whose funding helped to make this work possible, and the volunteers who spent hours cleaning the beach. (During the 2010 fall clean up, collected on New York City shorelines were 32,240 plastic caps and lids, 32,446 food wrappers, 22,861 plastic bottles, 21,563 bags and 21,286 straws, among other items.) Each performance ended with a joining of hands in a ritual walk to the water.
In our outreach programs, 
Senior Art in Action expanded to the Houston Street Center, where over 50 seniors participated in workshops learning to hustle and cha cha, with many more attending a performance of Recession Dances, and so can you! After school programming continued at PS 130, culminating in a performance of works created with the students.
Senior Art in Action expanded to the Houston Street Center, where over 50 seniors participated in workshops learning to hustle and cha cha, with many more attending a performance of Recession Dances, and so can you! After school programming continued at PS 130, culminating in a performance of works created with the students. Other company highlights from 2010 can be found here, including information about the revival of Commuter Connection and a production of Orfeo.
I returned to teach at the Joffrey Ballet School’s Summer Jazz and Contemporary Dance Intensive program, introducing my approach to contemporary partnering to over 130 students. In addition, my work choreographed for a select group was included on the showcase performance at Laguardia High School. View it here. This past year I was also invited to be a Guest Artist at Peridance and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, again sharing my approach to partnering and creating the new work, Baeke’s Land, for UNLV students inspired by the physical nature of plastics and referencing Leo Baekeland, the inventor of plastic.
