Saturday, January 30, 2010

Guess who's Reviewing Escargot!?!

(Read very intelligently(No matter how confused you are...))

Yo that was a great time, some real buccness.

I really appreciate what you did just then. I gotta start with a shout-out to the great Louis Falco, Rest in Peace my man...

Louis understood that the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor so progression can be born. 28 years ago, He was playing with forces of nature that common folk are oblivious to, and in a puff of smoke...

The blink of an eye...

He constructed something that pushed the parameters of movement and exuded innovation in modern dance and commercial dance. What i just saw was one of the most immaculate portraits ever to be seen on the dance floor. Your connections were sincere, which made this an authentic homage to kickin' it. When you unfurl yourself like that for everyone to see, you create a dominant submission that provides the audience with a dramatization of life that is authentic in it's synergy. Ya'll were just alive right now-

"Living" if you will...

That shit was bucc.

(Read Very Enthusiastically)

WHhoooOOOO!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Can I have an amen!

Holy Mackerel that was a sight to see!

You all were twirlin' and whirlin' and getting your legs up, throwing yourselves all over each other, and with such control and poise...

Demi, ohmigosh!!!! You're makin' me hot!

Alicia my darling, your solo was fierce! And you were giving yourself entirely to Craig...but who could blame you, look at him!!!! Your chemestry was great, technique was impeccable and your performa-

oh wait...

Do you hear that? I can hear it!

Yes, I can hear it, I hear a train!

I hear a train!

Whoooaaaooooooaaaaoooooaaaoo!!! Whhooooooaaooooo!

Oh my gosh that was fantastic!

You definitely earned 6 tickets this week on the hot tamale train, and it's not just any ordinary train, it's the bullet train tonight!!

Can you believe it? I’m losing my voice!

I wish I could show you how excited I am, but I can't since the botox!!!

So I'll just scream!!!!

WHOOOoooooooo! Whooo!

Did ya hear me English Muffin?


(Read with a British Accent)
That was Tremendous.
Your energy never died! It flowed from dancer to dancer in a whirlwind of turns, lifts, twirling and flying! While operating with outstanding technique and the smoothest control! It was fantastic! You have just raised the bar for dancers to come! I'm glad that you took the time to acknowledge one another...it was very nice to see you having fun...

At times it seemed as though you were children on a playground, and then all of the sudden theres 5 pirouettes and you leap off the ground into someones arms!

Now...

I know I always say that Sonya's work is my favorite, but from time to time I like to stray...

Escargot is hands-down my favorite piece of the season, and it was choreographed almost thirty years ago! Hats off to you Louis, for your incredible feat of modern dance. And just as important, thank you Alan Sener, for maintaining the integrity of this historical work, and keeping brilliance alive.

Outstanding Performance.

I hope to see you all in this competition for a long time!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

My Biggest Surprise Yet...


I love surprises, especially when they are exactly what I've been dreaming of...


The best surprise I've ever received came from a woman by the name of Laurie Eisenhower. Laurie is the Artistic Director of Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, a contemporary dance company based in my hometown Rochester, MI. The company has spent nearly 20 years dedicated to sharing a diverse collection of contemporary dance with the Metro Detroit area and beyond.


I began my dance training at the EDE School, and have always idolized Laurie’s dancers. For at least 12 years I have been observing the company, watching performances, taking pictures during tech rehearsal, and taking class from the company members. I wasn’t very good, but I found these dancers inspirational... I wanted to dance like them. Though I never thought it was possible, I wanted to dance in the company.


I auditioned last May, and I danced my ass off. It felt great!

But after days of waiting, wondering, worrying...

I panicked. I really thought that I wasn’t what Laurie was looking for, and that I'd be cut. I wrote Laurie, to tell her how much her company, dancers, ideas and personal strength has influenced the person and dancer I am today, and how much more I felt I could grow if I was a part of it...

It must have struck a chord with her, because she responded by offering me an apprenticeship!!!

I had worked my tail off for years to dance with the company, and now all the blood, sweat and tears began to feel worth it. It feels so good to conquer personal goals, even though after the initial excitement I realized that to dance with these incredible technicians that make up the company...I’ve got beaucoup work to do.


I hope Laurie knows how much that e-mail meant to me, how honored I am to dance for her company, and how proud I am to be a part of the EDE family.


To better illustrate what EDE does, click on Eisenhower Dance Ensemble here or at the top of this post to check out a YouTube video from last season. It is Fierce!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

What is the purpose of this?!

Writing scares me. When I have to write something down for school I freak out inside! Sometimes I worry I'm not saying the right things, or if I'm missing the teacher’s point completely. Other times I worry that I don’t sound intelligent or academic enough, or I'm using too many big words...


The most difficult fear I have to overcome is that I have nothing of substance to tell my reader. There is nothing I hate more than reading or writing something that doesn’t engage me in thought. In my opinion, academic writing is restrictive and boring. The nature of the beast makes me insecure. I'm concerned that I have nothing important to say, and that I sound boring. I can talk your ear off for hours, but when I speak, I frequently rely on gestures, character and vocal ques to get my points across (it’s the dancer in me :) When I write things down in words, I don’t want to just tell you things and give you facts, I want to have something of value to give you.

That is why I am blogging. No more 8 page essays, just free writing about whatever I wanna say... and I know what I wanna say...


I am an artist, and I love art.

I use the term "Art" loosely. To better explain (or rather, not) to you what I mean, I’m going to begin with a quote from folk rock singer/songwriter Ani Difranco:

Art is why I get up in the morning,

but my

definition ends there...

It doesn’t seem fair

that I'm living for something I can’t

even define.

and there you are right there,

in the meantime.


Art always has the potential to be present. I enjoy all forms of it, including dance, sculpture, photography, music, jewelry, drawing, choreography, stained glass, architecture and many other kinds... I find new ways to be artistic all the time. I intentionally put myself in positions that allow me to exercise my creativity everyday.


This semester’s creative exercise: BLOGGING!


I really love the freedom of expression that both blogging and art share. In this blog I'm going to describe and illustrate for you some of my more noteworthy artistic experiences and influences. I'm also going to show you some of my own art, as well as some work by friends of mine! I hope that documenting some of my artistic experiences with you inspires you to be creative... or at least gives you a greater appreciation of the arts! The world needs more creativity!


As I mentioned earlier, I'm a bit of an animated speaker and I truly believe it’s because I want you to get the very most out of what I'm saying to you. Therefore, the artist in me wants to bring you visual aids! So I'm going to include lots of images, videos(hopefully), and sound clips. I have lots of things to share with you!

I'll try to keep it clear and organized! I'm really excited about this blog! Enjoy!