via Past is Prelude.

Zoe Dance presents Somerville Dance Fest featuring a dozen dance groups ranging in style from improvisation to dance theatre to step.

Dancers hailing from Somerville, Boston, Philadelphia, Maine, New York and Ireland, will utilize video projection as its common thread at this free outdoor festival in Union Square. Each group is asked to use the same setup consisting of a scrim being placed in front of the stage with video projecting onto it. This will create an illusion of the live performers having the same “weight” than that of the video in the front. If you don’t know what this dance “thing” is, we encourage you to come on out and see! This is a great way to experience dance—without having to buy tickets!

Current list includes:
Alicia Christofi-Walshe (IRE)
Zoe Dance
Jimena Bermejo-Black and Ali Ross
Luminarium
Aparna Das
Kelley Donovan
Weber Dance
Marcia Rotondo
Loren Grenendaal (PHILLY)
Contrapose
CHIMERAlab
James Runner
+ more

So come on down an enjoy!

Official page for this event: http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/artsunion/2012/dancefest

We are also looking for advertisers to support this event (as well as gain exposure for your business).
Advertising rates are as follows:
$30 for a quarter page or business card size ad
$55 for a half page ad
$110 for a full page
$300 for back page
$500 for sponsor (which includes logo on front of program as well as links from all of our online publicity and logo on any printed materials)

Please email callie@zoedance.org to submit your materials today!

These are the first thoughts that ran through my head when I thought about why people should donate money or support the performing arts.  I mean, it’s not life or death.  But, ahah!  Death it isn’t, but it is indeed life.  It is about exploring life, all aspects of it when we are here on this earth.  Posing that question that you just can’t explain in words.  Maybe not fully answering it, but giving it a little more insight.  Something to make you fee alive.  Some art isn’t pleasant.  It isn’t entertainment.  But it is valuable.

But cancer research is important.  And it is also (as art is) always seeking more funding.  People who work in the field are advancing techniques in treatment and being able to understand the disease that affects almost every single family.  Someone you know is or has been affected.  It’s a life cut short, scathed or compromised.  It’s valuable to make sure people are working on beating this ugly thing that has claimed so many.

Now, for instance think about how the performing arts has affected you.  You listen to the radio.  It’s there.  You participated in the school play when you were 10.  It was there.  Now your son/daughter is participating in one.  You go to a concert (gasp!) .  It’s definitely there.  Maybe the caliber of the different places you find performing arts are not all the same, but there are “professionals” working, researching and exploring every day so that you can have the performing arts in your life.  Maybe they are not researching your ‘type’ of music, dance, etc.  but one avenue always affects the other and some how they all are interconnected.

So, no the performing arts are not life or death.  They ARE life.  Professionals working in their field should be compensated for their time so they can make the time to research and make their contribution with their mind, body and spirit.  It is not a hobby.  It is a profession.  Talk to me later if you would like me to explain why.

We learned about each other a bit more than we already knew and got a glimpse of what makes the other tick.  Also, sharing a physical space was special too.  The open rehearsal/improvisation between the companies was very special indeed, just take a look here: Open Rehearsal on Vimeo

From a less positive perspective, we are still to fully fund this wonderful experience.  We need abut $1000 to cover costs including an additional $1600 to pay dancers.  I always find it a little insane when this happens.

We took over a year to create “LEFT”.  Rehearsal hours are almost endless.  There is the time spent creating the art and then, there is time spent marketing the art: videos, emails, photos, websites, postcards, posters, phone calls, networking.  That time is never factored in because, in the grand scheme of things, we are not viable as a company and it would be senseless at this point to pay for my time.  We would have to charge an arm and a leg if we only depended on ticket sales to meet costs.  That is why so many arts organizations have folded.  If the donations don’t come in, in a traditional non-profit corporation model, it doesn’t work.

But I guess we are crazy.  Crazy enough to still dance for you for less than nothing.  Crazy to put all of my effort into a company where the purpose is to create something, rather than to make profit.  Crazy to give up that 9-5 stable well-paying job and work at a place that I love in order to pay out of pocket to fund my art.  Absolutely insane!  But what choice do we have, really?  This is our calling and we are sharing it with whomever wants to experience it.  It’s giving on two different levels: On stage, in the moment and also with our “chosen” lifestyle (which for us isn’t really a choice anyway).

Please consider all of this and give what you can.  Every little bit helps.  I know people say it, but really it does!  $5 is not too little, $10 isn’t too little…Think about what you could spend it on instead and ask yourself is that  $3 coffee and $2 muffin going to buy you the same feeling as giving $5 to a dance company that will make you feel, think and breath differently?

Thank you,

Callie

In this fabulous line up Zoe will present “LEFT” in its second rendition with some changes and favorites.  And of course all of these exciting things cost money.  Relying on ticket sales is not realistic because all the work we do, costumes that are made, rehearsal space that is rented, sweat that is spent far surpasses the $20 you spend on your ticket to get in.  We want to make our work accessible so it’s not for the super rich…it’s for YOU!  But in order to make that happen we have to subsidize unfortunately.  The government is not doing it and even grant-giving organizations aren’t doing much of it any more, so that leaves YOU (well, and me…my own favorite donor).

So please consider giving to Zoe this holiday season as part of your end of the year contributions.  Please remember that it is also TAX DEDUCTIBLE as well.

We are anxious to show you what we are up to and will be posting rehearsal footage soon!  Can’t wait.

feet photo: Kristophe Diaz

Tuesday, October 11
5pm – 7pm
at Occupy Boston
(in Dewey Square, South Station, Boston)

Still looking for dancers and musicians to participate!

It will go something like this:

Segment 1: Dancers/movers surround Dewey Sq. like pillars. For one hour they simply move.

Segment 2: Attention is directed toward one dancer in the circle/semi-circle and everyone in the group (including protesters) repeats that dancers movement until he/she passes along to the next ‘pillar’ until the circle in complete.

We also need musicians with non-amplified instruments (per City permitting laws)…If we have enough, one could be at each ‘pillar’? That would be really striking!

We will meet by the Arts and Culture tent at 4:30 for everyone to have the opportunity to be familiar with the score.  We will perform at the end of Dewey Sq. (where there is a large open space, rather than amongst tents and people).  This will give us more visibility!

You should plan on wearing RED.  Preferably a solid color, but a print could be OK.

Anyone in? Respond here or on Facebook.  I will be checking both.

callie@zoedance.org

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=256163634424814
http://www.zoedance.org//2011/10/02/occupyboston/

Performers:
Sarah Turner, Naoko Brown, Kate Neal, Sarah Mae Gibbons, Sam Szabo, Alexandra Botti, and 2 Chilean artists , Ivan Korn and Arnulf Becker.

Choreography: Callie Chapman Korn
Set/VJ: Katya Popova
Original Music: Rachel Arnold and Ivan Korn
Lighting Design: Paul Marr
Stage Manager: Jayne Murphy

Share this with your friends!

The first 5 comments will receive FREE tickets to the show.  It’s that simple.

Link to the ticket page: http://www.zoedance.org/performances/
Link to the discount page: http://www.zoedance.org/performances/secret-page.php

The answers to these questions are quite complex.  But rather than giving you all of the answers I will just say that I believe all human history is doomed to repeat itself cyclically.  I believe we can reduce the number of unjust, inhumane and negatively charged instances in the future if we are simply just aware of what happened in the past.  Learn from not only from our own embarrassing mistakes, but also (and most importantly) from those of distant lands or cultures and realize that as a community of the world, we are all one and are connected whether we like to see it that way or not.

I wanted to start a discussion that revolves around “LEFT” and its theme because I have received emails from fans of Zoe Dance that tell personal stories about this time and place from different perspectives.  I’m interested in finding out more.  More about what experiences people have had and importantly, what comes out of such terrible circumstances.  What is involved in healing after such things happened?  Does one refuse to talk about it?  Is that helpful to clear the daemons?  Will the daemons ever really go away?  As a society, as individuals and as a world community, how can we try to avoid crimes against humanity to happen repeatedly?  Can art help inform and provoke people to care enough to make even a small change?

These are the questions that have been floating around in my head and I would like to open this space up to you.  Help me answer them, or ask some of your own.

“LEFT” is more than a “dance piece”.  It’s a reawakening of a time and place so we can learn from it and remember those who were/are affected by it.

Write.