life on the road...

hey everyone...it's me, alex, again. i know i just posted that previous blog about stuff that is goin on now in the studio, and i just thought i would give you some inside scoop on what it is like to travel. i've travelled before with other companies that i've danced for, but nothing to the magnitude of how much we have travelled with CORE.

we normally go to houston a few times a year...yay houston (it's my home...and corian's home too). there we perform at the Bayou City Arts Fest. it's a pretty fun gig to be able to visit home, and perform there on a regular basis. BCAF is an interesting event because we aren't performing in a traditional theatre setting, we are out and about amongst the crowd...but we normally don't look anything like them. for instance, this past spring we were in Memorial Park and underneath our street clothes we had on various bright orange clothing...that before we started dancing we would strip off our "pedestrian garb" and reveal these bright orange
"get-ups." it was awesome because it would really get peoples' attention. also, the BCAF provides the people who attend a chance to witness some "renegade art."

we storm the festival grounds in our wonderous costumes and perform for everyone...this also makes for some pretty amazing photo-ops. i say that because in that setting, and in this day in age where everyone has a camera, people take all kinds of photos...and some turn out pretty amazing...

like this one of MaryJane and myself from photographer Burnell Mccray.

we were talking not too long ago about how it feels to perform in a situation such as that...and i have to say it requires a different kind of focus and attention, as a performer, than normal proscenium theatres that people are more adjusted to. as a performer, you have to deal with ambient noise and business...such as crying babies, or the smell of food cooking...or even hearing the audience whisper about the "weird dance stuff" that is going on. then you have moments like this...captured forever on film...definately a moment that most photographers wouldn't be able to get in a photoshoot at a theatre...plus this was live, and very real. the funny part is...i don't remember him taking this picture...well, of course, because my eyes are closed :)

so that is what it is like in houston....this season before we did BCAF in downtown Houston, we went to Conway, Arkansas! we did a performance at the University of Central Arkansas in the Baum Gallery for an art festival they were having....and we also had residencies and performances at local schools. i don't have many photos from either of those...however, i do have some candid shots from the car ride to Arkansas...

i probably shouldn't be allowed to have a camera on tour....what else is there to do when you're all in one car and people start passing out one by one after a long day of travel. Arkansas was definately a fun tour....during the school shows we left lasting impressions on many kids, during the Baum performance we challenged (in a good way) the mind of many art-goers, during the master class we opened the eyes of many kids to what modern dance can entail. it was a lot of hustle and bustle, going from one performance to the hotel, to rehearsal, to eat, to another performance, back to rehearsal...then dinner, then to the hotel to pass out and sleep (or watch tv...that's what i mostly did). so it can be taxing...but in the end i probably wouldn't have it any other way. plus, i felt like it bonded us as a company...the final evening we all went out to eat at a nice restaurant with the musicians that played for us.

sidenote: on our way to conway we stopped at this restaurant in Hazen, Arkansas to grab a bite to eat. they had good ole'fashioned southern food...which means a lot of fried stuff...YUM! i was one of the few people to get the buffet of the day which was all you can eat chicken fried steak, homemade mashed potatos, salad, fried green tomatos, broccoli cheese, and a complimentary fried pie. i had never had fried green tomatos in my life (i love the movie though)...so i decided to try it...when in Rome (in this case Hazen, Arkansas)! it was delicious...it was one of those small, but infinitely memoriable moments. that is the beauty of being an artist with a company that travels...those small moments that open your eyes to a small sliver of what life is like outside of my own little world. so on that note...thank you Arkansas!this is a picture of my "happy plate"...you can see the fried green tomato in the upper right corner...

alex....OUT!