Weaving Culture into Dance

CORE Performance Company is set to perform Corazón Abriendo (Heart Opening) in Miami, Florida on May 13th for the Miami Dance festival. I was able to sit down with CORE Performance Company member, Alex Abarca to get his take on the the piece.

SS: Talk a little bit about Corazón Abriendo.

AA: It’s about the Mayan people and their culture and how weaving is integral to all aspects of their life. I try to find a common thread (ha-ha, common thread) to link all of the sections together. Each section deals with life and living, and throughout the piece I try to think about how all life is interconnected.

SS: You had to take a trip for this piece. Where did you go? What was it like?

AA: We went to Guatemala. It was inspiring. It was eye-opening. It was humbling. It was very personal. Because of this experience, I think about color. I think about heritage and history. I also think about how magical and mystical everything is. There’s so much mythology involved in the Mayan history and how they explain how the world works.

It is always a treat to hear thoughts from a company member about the work that he is performing. Feel free to post questions in our comment section about Corazón Abriendo for the dancers to answer.

Check out our website for information on our upcoming events. There, you will also find links to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Happy dancing,

Sharon

So Close

We are just hours away from "In the Mood...for Dance." To get your engines revved up, here are some new pictures from rehearsal.




We hope to see you at the Miller Outdoor Theatre tonight at 8pm, for this free dance concert.

'til next time.
Sharon

Socks!

We missed last week's version of "Name The Owner," so this week you get to name two owners. Who owns these socks?



Who is the owner of these socks? Here is a hint. The owner is a boy, and he (and his snazzy tap shoe) is getting ready for "In the Mood...for Dance" at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston on April 29th at 8pm.



As always, you can post your answers on our Facebook page in the comment section.

'Til next time.
Sharon

Getting in the mood

one, two, three, four... one, two, three, four. "What foot am i supposed to pivot on again?" I asked myself this question as rub my lower back and wipe the sweat off my forehead. Sweat? I don't remember social dance being this hard. "Well... sometimes dance is hard," says Patton White, our instructor for today's company class. Patton White, the Company's manager, CORE's production manager, and an Artistic Associate, has been teaching social and Latin dances during this week's company classes to assist CORE Performance Company for "In the Mood...for Dance," a free dance concert at the Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday, April 29th in Houston. (By the way, April 29th is World Dance Day.) Patton White has 22 years of social dance experience and has spent the last 6 years teaching social dance at Emory. His experience has been as a source for the Company in the same way that a writer uses a dictionary and thesaurus. Company members, Corian and Alex, informed me that the Company is aiming to use social dances, such as the fox trot, swing, tap, and the American tango, as inspiration to create a contemporary dance piece. White explained to me the methods used to achieve this goal. He says that all dancers have been learning both the roles of a leader and a follower. He and the Company have been discussing the importance of being and leader and a follower in social dance. There are specifics in each role that dancers have to embody to meet the needs of his/her partner. Alissa says, "As a dancer, it is sometimes harder to be a follower because I know the music and the timing. Following requires listening and allowing your leader to lead even if it means I may miss the beat or step. Being a leader is nice when I am confident in what I am doing. I have to constantly be ahead of my partner, so that I don’t trip over my feet and make us look bad." Also the Company has been 'playing' with each of the social dances and their structures, by allowing themselves to manipulate the timing and where they place their body spatially with each step. Both changing the role from leader to follower and 'playing' with the dances are methods being used by the company to create a contemporary piece using social dance as an inspiration. For more details about "In the Mood...for Dance" and other upcoming performances and events, check out our website.

blow out!

to gear up for the miller show, the dancers are competing amongst themselves to see who can dance the hardest. these are the impending results...



to learn more about this performance, visit coredance.org

The members of Core Performance Company are at it again! With another exciting performance of "The Moment Between"; the critically acclaimed choreographic collaboration between former CORE member, and independent dance maker, jhon r. stronks and artistic director Sue Schroeder. Join us this Saturday, April 16th, 7 and 9pm at the Marcus JCC in Dunwoody, GA for the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival (MAD)

Who is the owner of these socks?

It's Tuesday again. So, it's time for another game of "Whose socks are these?" Can you name the owner of these socks? Let us know in the comment section. As always, check out our website and Facebook page for updates and events, and if you want to talk to us, send us a tweet on Twitter (username:coredances).

Happy Tuesday,
Sharon

Barefoot Dance Party

CORE company members, staff members, and members of the community gathered at the Atlanta CORE studios for the Barefoot Dance Party. We kicked off our shoes and boogied in honor of TOMS One Day Without Shoes. TOMS is an organization that donates one pair of shoes every time you buy a pair of shoes from them. This event was chocked full of family fun, and I was so excited to see young dancers showing off their skills. Below are some pictures from the event.































If you like what you see, then feel free to leave us a comment on our blog, or drop us a line a Twitter (username: coredances). Also, check out our website (www.coredance.org) and Facebook page for information, pictures and events.

Sharon

Whose feet are these?

Today is TOMS' "One Day Without Shoes" Day. TOMS is an organization that gives one pair of shoes to a child in need every time you by shoes from them. (For more information, check out www.toms.com) We are so pleased to be a part of the celebration and host an event today at our Atlanta CORE studios. So, if you are in the Atlanta area come by the CORE studios today from 3-6pm for our Barefoot Dance Party. In honor of today's event, let's play "Whose feet are these?" instead of playing "Whose socks are these?"


Can you identify the owner of these feet? Let us know in the comment section. Also feel free to check out yesterday's interview with Alex Abarca, posts, events, and photos on our Facebook page.

Happy Tuesday!
Sharon

A Moment with Alex Abarca

A dancer's day can be busy, so it's always a treat to have some time with a CORE Performance Company member for a quick interview. Today I was able to snag Alex Abarca to talk about his thoughts concerning The Moment Between a piece choreographed by former CORE Performance Company Member jhon r. stronks and Sue Schroeder


What was it like working with jhon r. stronks on The Moment Between?

It was a welcomed challenge. The improvisational technologies can get really heady, but once I understood how to translate them physically it became easier. Because it was improvisation, sometimes it was challenging to remain focused. All in all, I feel that jhon was an ideal choreographer to work with because he understood what information (even if it’s too much) the dancers need to accomplish a task.


What is improvisational technologies?

It’s the William Forsyth thought process of using points and lines in space as an entry into moving improvisationally.

(For more about William Forsyth's improvisational technologies, check out this link.)
http://greatdance.com/thekineticinterface/2009/01/visualizing-movement-with-will/



Last question and this is just for fun, what music are you listening to these days?

Right now, Adele, Lupe Fiasco, and Janice Joplin.

Preparing For Houston!

Today we opened the windows and let the spring into the studio as we work! The morning contained a contact improv inspired class hosted by Alex and Corian. Next we moved into the Forsyth technologies for continued work on 'The moment between..'
Our main focus today is work on the Bayou City Arts Festival in Memorial park in Houston. We are creating site specific and event specific adventures for moving through the park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We often use this festival as an opportunity to take whatever processes we are currently working on and turn them on their heads. Each dancer is the 'Ogre' or lead choreographer on a section drawing from recent choreography in 'The Point', and the Forsyth improvisation technologies we sweated over with JHon Stronks in 'The moment between' except we are exploring color instead of white.

"The Unstable Nature of Color" is the title for the work at Bayou City. We are already inspired by the work of Carlos Cruz Diez that is now showing at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. This is also a live laboratory lead in (say that 5 times fast) for our upcoming performance in May at the Museum in and around the work of Carlos Cruz Diez.

Lunchtime...in the studio

Howdy all...thing have been whirlwind crazy...

Trips & performances to my hometown of Houston...then back to ATL; only to gear up to go back to Houston for the Bayou City Art Festival (BCAF) next week! Yesterday was our first day back in the studio after our Houston engagements...it was mostly occupied with meetings because we were so busy with performing.

Now we are back & today is our Lunchtime in the Studio highlighting: The Field & Fieldwork. Instead of CORE dancers performing, we are showcasing another part of our programming & other local artists (and Fieldwork participants): musician Daniel Aguilera and dancer/choreographer/poet Louise Runyon. Our sponsors for today's lunchtime are Sammiches 'n stuff, Johnny's pizza , and Starbucks. It is free and open to the public.

It will be a nice change to finally be able to sit back, relax and finally be able to enjoy the lunchtime since we usually have to perform. I also like being able to eat the free food & drink free coffee!

All the Stage's a World

Being in the theatre is like walking into the middle of outer space....time exists, but not really. The performers are surrounded by darkness; we feel our way through the vast emptiness, slowly discover lights, and our place within the madness. It is tedious, it can be tiring...then there is the exhausted laughter and various distractions. The powers that be are calling cues, asking the dancers to go back & do that "again."

The notes during this time become more detailed...the work is never done. The pieces continue to evolve: notes on performance quality, focus, & intention are mingle with specific directions on spacing, or remembering to stay "in the light." Offstage the dancers worry about being seen from the wings...remember your sight lines. Fatigue is fought on all sides...from after lunch drowsiness, to recuperative catnaps in hidden spaces in the theatre, stretching & of course idle chatter helps keep us on our toes (no pun intended).

The premiere, or the performance, of any work is like watching a bird attempt flight for the first time. Then, as the lights go out and the dancers take their places; we are all faced with that challenging leap of faith and we ask the audience to take that journey down the rabbit-hole with us. Hopefully we all leave unscathed, more aware, and maybe even moved.

Alex

So...

I want to play a little game called "Who's socks are these?" Socks are an important part of the life of a CORE Performance Company member. One will rarely see a company dancer without his or her socks. Can you identify who is wearing these socks? Let us know in the comment section.

Also, be sure and check out our Facebook page for new photos of "The Point" and "The Moment Between."

'Til next time.

Sharon

The First Time

There is nothing like the first time. The first time you ride a bike. Your first time on a plane. Your first kiss. There's always the build up of anticipation, followed by the torrent of questions. What is it going to be like? Will I like it? Will I want to experience it again? How am I going to be affected? Funny enough this is what was going through my head today right before I saw "The Point" and "The Moment Between."

As the dancers were putting on their costumes and preparing for the run, I noticed their settled and even breathing and their focus. The studio's atmosphere was charged, and perhaps this was lingering energy from the class that was taught by jhon r. stronks this morning. There were few onlookers besides myself, but even so they seemed to possess the excitement of a full audience.

I could describe in detail both of the pieces that I saw today, but I'm hoping that you will come and see them performed at Barnevelder in Houston, TX on Friday and Saturday, March 11 & 12. I wouldn't want your first time to be marred by mine. Instead, here are a few pictures and words of meaning for each piece.

The Point by Sue Scheorder

tension, community, lines,

build up of energy, embrace,

discord, humanity, together, apart

The Moment Between by jhon r. stronks and Sue Schroeder

fire and ice, love,

forbidden desire,

elation, striking, a hideaway

Experience your first time of the "The Point" and "The Moment Between," and afterwards we'll talk about it.

'Til then,

Sharon

Holiday cheer at the studio

 

Ok, so you may not celebrate Christmas, but I just thought this red decoration looked too nice with our new red logo to pass up! So here's some holiday cheer and a happy new year! 

(And by the way, the dancers are off until mid-January, so look for more posts starting up then!)

To Stone Mountain! (in the cold)

Did Blake walk on the moon??

Oh no, I see now, it's Stone Mountain!

Despite the oh-so-brisk weather, the CORE folks went on a journey outdoors yesterday to the big piece of granite to the east of here. Sue and two of the dancers took visiting German composer, Christian Meyer, for an expedition to find inspiration for work on "The Point."

See, Blake's got inspired thoughts he's making sure he doesn't forget.

Here are Sue and Christian!

Singing in the studio...

If you would have come by the studio today, you would have been surprised to hear a vocal orchestra (or voicestra) coming from upstairs. To gear up for Corazon, we are working on our singing with help from Elise Witt. Personally, my singing is left for the shower, the car, or with enough courage...maybe karaoke with friends; so it is unsettling and scary to know that we will have to speak and sing in front of a theatre full of strangers.

I once had to sing in front of people and forgot all the words to the song. That is in the top ten worst experiences of my life!! Afterwards, my parents took me to dinner, told me it wasn't that big a deal, and said I did a great job (that's what parents are for, right?!?). However, it was fun to let loose and not have to worry about my anxiety. I am looking forward to how this will work out. Besides, there is a reason we are dancers...most of us prefer to look pretty and be seen, and not heard. Going back to the idea of challenges; I think we can work through this and make it a great experience. This time I hope not to forget the words :)

Oh, by the way...we have a free Salon performance tonight in our downstairs studio from 6 to 7:30. There will be free drinks and snacks for those who attend. We will be working on/showing material for our upcoming show: Corazon Hope to see you there!

New life

We are back in the studio after a week off, from a very long and exciting bunch of Houston performances. First days back are always difficult because you have to get back into the groove of things. Add to that challenge that we all woke up to lightning and rain this morning...talk about not wanting to get out of bed! However, once we began moving our bodies in class; it was apparent that we were all yearning to move our bodies and get cracking! It was infectious...I always love those studio days!!!

Some of you know that we have an upcoming performance of Corazon Abriendo at the Balzer in downtown Atlanta, November 19th & 20th. There have been previous incarnations of this dance, but this is not the same show. Almost everything is new! Today we jumped head first into really finding the new life in this dance. Remounting a previous work is difficult, but if the stars align...it could be a breeze. With clarity and precision, Sue started shaping sections of Corazon to better suit the chemistry of this newer cast. It helps to have the wisdom and energy of those who have experienced Corazon previously. Juana and Blake can understand some of Sue's references from prior trips to Mexico; while we newbies can draw upon our Guatamala experience. It is a great blend of old and new.

I guess Sue's challenge is to find the middle ground. Today, she left the studio happy because not only did we rise to the occasion, but we had fun doing it. We laughed every time someone forgot a step or did the wrong movement. Corian burst into hysterical laughter from getting dizzy because he was spinning too quickly. It was a wonderful day in the office. Work isn't work if you are having fun.

So it begins, the road to performance...the task of bringing a dance to life!

Hello all!

It's day five of our Houston adventure and already we have done so much! The Bayou City Art Festival went great, the weather was warm, the crowd was enthusiastic and we got to splash around in the fountains on Saturday after workin' up a sweat!
We are now in the second stage of our trip and working on Navigating the Hallways. We are in a beautiful space at the CAMH and working with wonderful people. The beautiful dancers of KDNY are here and everything is going off without a hitch (mucho thanks to Theresa Chapman, our project coordinator, and fellow dancer beauty.) We have the afternoon off tomorrow after a master class taught by Corian at U of H.
Well, Claire is giving a fashion show, and I'm off to see what other goodies Patton has in his costume grab bag.
Bye for now!!!

CORE on the go...

Howdy everyone...from deep in the heart of Texas, this is Alex reporting on our current tour to Houston. We have an action-packed tour with performances at the Bayou City Arts Festival tomorrow and Sunday, a performance (with many Houston choreographers & a New York-based company) next Thursday at the Contemporary Arts Museum, and a performance next Friday at an outdoor theatre in downtown Houston (Discovery Green).

We arrived yesterday, had lunch then rehearsal. This morning many of CPC members took a fabulous dance class with Jane Weiner at HopeStone. We just finished eating delicious food and sipped on some well-made coffee at Brasil Cafe in the heart of the Montrose area (right down the street from my alma mater...Lanier Middle School, go Purple Pups)! We will have rehearsal soon, so some members (Corian, Claire, & Alisa) are using this little free time to have a quick shopping spree in the many nearby, trendy resale shops & boutiques! Oh the life of a dancer...trying to look fabulous on a budget! Well, I am about to check my bank account so that I may join them...hehehe!

Peace, love, & chicken grease!
CORE...OUT!

Houston get Ready!

We are gearing up for Houston!

Claire Molla and Blake Dalton performed the 'push up Pact' to be in top physical readiness.

We ran "Cumulus", which we will perform at Discovery Green. Now "In the beginning there was a word and the word was love" is being sweat through by Alex Abarca and MJ Pennington. Choreographed by CORE member Corian Ellisor, we will show this at Discovery Green also. Today we will also work on Navigating the Hallway for the Contemporary Arts Museum, and a new work for the Bayou City Arts Festival.

We are busy! If I can figure out my technology there will be some video today, too!

Lunchtime in the Studio, September 30th, 2010!

Today we are hosting our community in our downstairs studio. We have show some snippets of dance and we'd like to share some of what we recorded via video tape.

Signs are finished!

Here's the updated look at the studios and offices with our new pretty signs painted by Michelle Black of acoloraffair.com (designed by our graphic designer, Jon Scott Weaver.)
Here's the back parking lot and the silhouette of Claire jumping that looks great from up when you turn into the alleyway/entrance to the parking lot. 

 Here's that same one a little closer up:

 The front of the studios and offices with their new signs. I had no idea how much went into getting a sign permit, let me tell you, but we worked it out and here they are!

 Another silhouette on the front of the office. It had to be 8 ft. square by the regs, so she couldn't be huge and fill up the whole front.

 The front of the studios is a little more understated without a dancer on them, but it still looks good!

 Sign showing where to go from the back parking lot--no longer faded and no more old logo!

 Back door to the offices. Should help with the "where am I going" factor, don't you think? Now I just have to price the equivalent size stickers to go on the glass of the studio door. It may be too expensive in this size, so we'll see what we can do.

Rainy Days and Mondays

Hanging around...nothing to do but frown...It's Monday and it's rainy...Good thing we are inside dancing! This morning we are tackling a run of Cumulus for one of our many performances in Houston next week. This particular performance is sort of a retrospective performance that we are sharing with Ad Deum dance company. We are both celebrating anniversaries. Ad Deum is turing 1o, and CORE is now considered over the hill with this being our 30th season. The Show is Friday October 15th at Discovery Green in Houston Texas.

Also on the bill, we are presenting a piece that I (Corian) choreographed titled, "In the beginning there was a word and the word was love." I am honored to have the opportunity to show this dance in a different venue in Houston again. A new crowd will be exposed to my choreography. Being a young choreographer, that is all you can ask for...people coming out and seeing your work. When you are choreographing it is sort of a cathartic experience; almost a birthing process. Everyone wants a cute baby that people compliment; not those ugly babies (there are ugly babies) that people lie and say are cute! So you hope when people come and see your work that they are actually moved by the whole experience and honest with what their feedback.

Finally, we are presenting a new piece that we are in the process of making. "Room" is something we are creating in conjunction with our performance at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston. It will be quite interesting to see how we will adapt the dance for two completely different spaces. In CORE we are always up for the challenge!

Wednesday Corazon and other Adventures

We are delighted to have Juana Farfan back with us for Corazon Abriendo! She was with us for the original development of Corazon and then was busy having baby Luke. Now she is back for the November performance of Corazon and she looks great!

This afternoon we will work on 'Navigating the Hallway'. This is an exciting new work that we will perform at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston with Houston Choreographers and KDNY from NYC. Alisa is a new dancer in town joining us for this project.

And then we will see you tonight from 6:30 - 8pm ! at Jill Celeste gallery ( formerly Palate)

Monday CUMULUS!

Corian started us off with a vivacious high energy sweaty class. We worked the slyly humorous text in Cumulus, re connected with the elegant fluid lines choreographed by Dutch Choreographer Beppie Blankert and dove back in to the aggressive almost pro wrestling partner work.

In mid October we will perform outdoors in Houston at Discovery Green. Joanna Futral is once again deftly stepping in to Kim Kleibers role ( Kim just had baby Evan, GO KIM!). Alex is finding a little machismo for the intense fight partnering.

Wednesday evening 6:30 - 8pm is our kick off event at the Jill Celeste gallery/Mcgowan's ( formerly Palate Wine Bar)

Studio renovations

So we didn't get a "before" to go with the "after," but if you've been to our studios, you'll see the transformation (still in process in several places.)
So in the alleyway, they removed the awning that ran the length of it and painted everything our fantastic new blue color. 

 

And in the downstairs lobby, there's a shiny new floor and a working kitchen with plumbing and a fridge and everything!

  

We even have a newly wired, working doorbell by the back door to the office (the wireless one we were using was very, very unreliable! Sometimes it didn't work at all, sometimes it got stuck and wouldn't stop ringing...)

 

We got a new front and back door to the office so that they fit better and will close all the way so they won't leak air so much etc. We still have to get new stickers and/or paint the new logo on them.

We also got a new door to the studio so no more confusion on which one to enter through, and also a nicer seal.

Also painted the front of the studio the base blue, and soon to have "CORE studios" on it in the new red.

A lot more stuff to do with the logos and stickers on doors. They're also rewiring the front windows of the studio so the displays are more visible at night. Oh and the best news for the dancers, they redid the floor upstairs in the studio so it's sprung and isn't lumpy any more (no photo of that, though it might be hard to see the difference as much as feel it.) Stay tuned for more when we get the finishing touches done!!

week two

hello again. we are in the thick of week two of our 30th season. there is a lot of activity in the studio and in the building. we have a new dance floor in our upstairs studio, new flooring and a kitchenette in the foyer space downstairs, and a paint job including the new logo on the building to come in the next couple of days. we have been taking advantage of our new studio floors with company classes (which rock and are open to the public) and lots of rehearsals. core is very happy to be working again with Juana Farfan on the remounting of Corazon Abriendo which will be in our performance schedule this season. we are also busy working on In the beginning there was a word and the word was love, a duet choreographed by Corian Ellisor, which will be performed at Discovery Green in Houston next month. Cumulus, choreography by Beppie Blankert, will also be presented in the Discovery Green performance. we are really excited about our upcoming trip to Houston, which will include performances at Discovery Green, Bayou City Art Festival, and the Contemporary Arts Museum alongside KDNY and Houston dancers, Teresa Chapman, Leslie Scates, Becky Valls. pretty sweet!

And we're back...

Howdy everyone! We are back and ready for some dancing! Our first official day back in the studio was yesterday. Our day started with class taught by the one and only Sue Schroeder. Can I just say that after a whole summer of living in the real world, working a customer service job, trying to make ends meet...it feels good to get back to the grind of dancing! My body is happy (albeit sore), so therefore my general mood has lifted...no pain, no grain, right? Getting our repertory back to performance is a challenge, but a much welcomed one.

Despite having been on hiatus since May, we have had quite a busy summer. We had the amazing pleasure of traveling to Sweden to perform in the ABUNDANCE festival. We were one of three U.S. Companies to perform in the festival. We adapted our newest work, The Point, to be a site specific work in Karlstad, Sweden. Then, most recently, in August we performed in the Houston Frenetic Fringe Festival. Many of the company members created our own work that was presented with various other artist for a full evening of eclectic performances.

I would have to say, that because I got a taste of what life is like to work in the "real world," I would much rather dance for a living. I am able to interact with my fellow dancers, choreographers, etc in a very relaxed, personal, and professional level that is extremely satisfying. Who wouldn't like to go to a job that not only is a great personal escape, but allow you to laugh
, be productive, and stay active? I feel very blessed to not have to sit in a cubicle all day! Besides, it isn't work to me...it is play! Simple put...I am very glad to be back, and I can't wait for this actioned packed 30th season to unfold!

To Guatemala We Go...

***disclaimer: i am copying this (and paraphrasing) from my journal of the trip...so it may be a little more stream of consciousness than usual***

so we are well on our way to guatemala. i am tired, but excited & also THANKFUL...PRAISE, because we almost missed our flight! it is funny how in extremely important situations...everything either works with you or against you! in this situation, it was a little of both...but no middle ground. we were running late...then the MARTA decided to act crazy, then we had to rely on our charm (and the amazing powers of persuasion from our company manager Patton White) to get our butts on that plane!

no matter how much we believe or think we are in good shape, when you have to run the entire length of an airport with luggage in tow...it makes you very winded, tired, and sweaty! so now we are on the plane...and i will probably nap :)

after much sleep...we have landed, again...PRAISE!!! i hate turbulence...it is frightening...

YAY...i got the very first stamp on my passport!!! i always hear horror stories about customs, etc....but that was rather quick, easy, and painless.

upon leaving the airport we get the first pleasurable experience of the Guatemalan climate...dry, breezy, sunny, blue skies...and also the immediate realization that there is a definate hustle and bustly of a city...we are in Guatemala City, Guatemala. there are lots of folks outside the airport...women breast-feeding their kids, familys sitting on the curb of the street...and we are greeted by the smiling face of our tour guide Roberto! off we go...

if you thought riding in normal traffic is scary...i suggest you go to latin america where all logical rules of transportation go out the window (literally)! luckily our hotel is close by...once we drop our stuff off...we go eat at Las Palmas...yay...food, yay...yummy food! from there it is time to go to the bank to get money, then off to the museum where Roberto took us through a "brief" historical overview of the Mayans...their culture, their art, their beliefs, etc as we walk through the museum...

i had to pay to be able to take pictures...that is odd, but hey...i want to document everything.
(pictures will follow...i'm writing this blog on a time crunch...sorry)...it is really funny how all of a sudden we go from beautiful pottery and other handmade objects full of detail & cultural significance into the last room which is full of catholic artifacts. it was strange to see how there was just a huge shift in culture, belief, and pretty much a way of life.

it is strange...the human need to conquer and impose their way of life on others. to justify their slaughter & overthrow of the Mayan empire...the church said that if they consider the Mayans as "savages" they they could kill & conquer because they are spreading the word of God & the gift of salvation to a people who are deemed as "un-Godly," "savage," and just in need of "saving."

thus begins the beautiful and odd marriage of the pagan ways of the Mayans and the Christian beliefs of their conquerors.

roberto said, "Guatemala is a land of contrasts."

i am moved by the beauty of the landscape, the climate...the air is thick with history, i think we all notice it...we aren't in kansas anymore. we are in for a journey of a lifetime...change is palpable...i feel it in me already.

i live my life as a Latin American...with no real connection to who i am in this crazy world, when it comes to history & heritage...i have been so "American-ized." it sounds cheesy...but i am in the land of my people...same skin, same native tongue (that is still very foreign to me)...i long to have that zest for life that they have...despite their economic conditions.

i can't help but think...what would my life be like if my grandparents didn't make that tough decision to leave their home, their history, their lives (as they knew it)...in search for something better...in search for the American dream!

in short...i realize...we are no longer talking about going to Guatemala...we are here...and i am thankful...life is amazing & beautiful...you just have to open your eyes...and realize & accept that!

and now it's time...

after a small break from blogging, we are back...kinda. we have entered the last week of this season. we dancers can now give a small sigh of relief knowing that we all put in the hours...did the work, and the fruits of our labor have paid off. we have paid the price in sweat, fatigue, and love! that being said, now we will have a little time to rest our bodies...but the end is not in sight because we still have to perform is Sweden, and we also have some other things lined up during our "time off."

tonight we will have a fundraiser to end this season with a bang, but most importantly to usher in the next chapter...our 30th season!!! fear not faithful CPC blog readers...i still have to tell you what we have been up to, and explain what we were up to during our absence. in the 2 weeks that we were gone...we travelled to my beloved hometown of Houston, Texas to work in senior centers (that was a first for me) but also to share the stage with some amazing talent for our shared bill with Becky Valls, Teresa Chapman, Leslie Scates, and our very own Blake Dalton & Sue Schroeder all presented work in Let's Dance. despite crazy weather & many dance events scheduled at the same time...our devoted fans braved all of that to support us (for that...MANY, MANY thanks)! in addition to that we also performed at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston & i celebrated my 27th year on this planet!!!! so after all that, we flew back to Atlanta for one day of rest, but there is no rest for the weary because after that one day of rest (or running errands) we were off to Guatemala!!!!

i am not going too much into detail about that life-changing excursion, because on my one day off i broke down and bought a camera that i took full advantage of during the trip. also, i made it a point to chronicle our adventures in Guatemala old-school style...by carrying around a notebook, a pen and scribbling down any and all wonderful events that took place. so stay tuned for a day-by-day recap of everything that went down, including some photos and video!!!

so since this is the last "official" blog of the season...i want to thank everyone for their support of Core through this season and all previous 29 seasons! i am proud to be part of this organization and am thankful for all the wonderful opportunities it has blessed me with, but am also looking forward to the many opportunities that are just waiting for me in the seasons to come!

much love...alex

CORE travels to Guatemala and Sweden

To further the vision of Artistic Director Sue Schroeder's work Corazón Abriendo, a multimedia performance with not only dance collaborators, but co-artists involved in music, anthropology, archeaelogy, film, sculpure, writing, traditional Mayan weaving... Sue has the desire for all the dancers working in the piece to be able to speak, create and perform from a place of real and deep experience with the ancient and living Mayan cultures.  Several trips to Chiapas, Mexico were a wealth of wonder and inspiration for the first layer of work with Corazón. Now with new faces, minds and bodies in the company we travel to a different area within the heart of Mayan culture.  The travel to a place that is new to ALL the company members creates a unifying experience for us all. We will visit the legendary beauty of Lake Atitlan. This also the home of the Mayan group that writer Martin Prechtel spent seveal years with as he wrote eloquent renditions ancient Mayan stories like 'The Disobendience of the Daughter of the Sun'.  We read this story aloud every night in Chiapas, a vibrant window to the intricate nuances of this complex culture and its people.  We will visit temple sites, journey through rainforests, climb volcanoes and meet Mayan weavers who will speak 'Quiche' instead of the Chiapan Mayan languages Tzotzil and Tzeltal. And who knows what new collaborators we will meet by chance... We have been invited to Sweden to be a part of the 'Abundance' Dance Festival in Karlstad! An amazing opportunity to participate, develop and present work in an exciting and prestigous dance festival.  This is a chance that dance artists dream of.  We will be side by side with dancers, choreographers and artists from all over Europe and the world.  There is so much exciting work happening currently particularly in Europe that we have little exposure to in Atlanta.  This is a place where Sue's new work "The Point" can grow and where the CORE dance artists will be able to expand not only their technique but the scope of their artistic conciousness.  What connections will we make with artists from all over the world ?  Where will we travel next?  Who will we be able to invite to the Atlanta Community ?  Huzzah ! -Blake

It's Monday

Hey guys! It's Monday and we are in the studio! We are going to Houston this week! Core is offering two performances this up coming weekend. We are performing "Lets Dance," at Miller Outdoor Theater on Friday April 30th at 8:00pm and "The Point of Stillness," Sunday May 2nd at the Museum of Fine Art Houston in their sculpture garden at 2:30 and 3:30 pm.

"Lets dance," is sort of a festival style performance curated and shared but Core Performance Company, Teresa Chapman, Leslie Scates and Becky Valls. We are all performing short family friendly pieces for the general masses of Miller Theater. "The point of Stillness," is one of our site specific works. We have been working with the idea and concept of statues for the past couple of weeks. Each dancers has gotten the opportunity to work on a section. This makes for a pretty interesting combination.

It is the end of the season, and we are all tired. It is interesting what happens when you are a tired dancer. You have to first be careful not to injure yourself. Then there is the ease of movement that comes from being able not hold tension. You do not use extra muscles. You find a gracefulness. There is definitely bad part of dancing when you are tired, but it usually informs how you want to move when you are not. Which is to not over muscle your dancing. I believe this will be our motto this week as we press forward!

Much Love

Corian

Art March and why?

The arts! Do we need them? Are they worth investing money in? Some people seem to think that the arts are expendable but what's art worth to you? In America, worth equals value and everything thing of value can be bought. It has a monetary worth. When worth is priceless and bountiful with its gifts, what do you as a citizen do? Do you stand in line and wait for the hand outs of a nation with fading interests or do you get out of line and stand up for what is necessary and true.

This past Monday, Core Performance Company hit the streets of Atlanta Ga. Along with several hundred artists, Core marched from the Rialto to the steps of the Capitol in protest. The House voted to reduce the funding for the Georgia Council of the Arts to $0. The Senate vote to overturn the decision was quickly approaching, so the arts community of Georgia had to act fast.

The beauty of every individual in the crowd was overwhelmingly breathtaking. We are not a people of violence, but on that Monday our presence could not be silenced and our voices were in agreement. As we stepped down from the sidewalk onto the car filled street, it hit me. While chanting, "Save the arts. Save the arts!" with hundreds of men, women and children resembling a United Colors of Benetton add, it hit me. In that moment, I realized marching was not about me. Marching was not even about the other people marching. The scope of us artists meeting at 1:00 in the afternoon on this very Monday expanded long and deep like the Mississippi. Our goal was Georgia, but our nation and our nations children were at stake.

The question is simple. Why choose art? Art does make for a more well rounded culture. Some would even argue civilized. On a deeper level, art breeds and nurtures creativity. That is what America is based upon. Thinking outside of the box,taking chances and not being afraid to be different. That is what our forefathers set out to accomplish when establishing America.

There are those of us who are artists. We choose the life of a bohemian. We choose to be broke. We take all of the pennies we can get. When all funding for art is cut, it is a direct blow to the way I live my life. The person that I am. Without artists and without Art, that boy who took drawing in elementary would have not had the opportunity to become that famous architect. That girl who took voice lessons growing up, would not be a top record executive.

Yes, art enhances the lives of artists and the lives people who pay to go enjoy them. But the necessity for art is just that; a necessity. We need art to live. We do not need it to breathe, but that is the beauty of it all. We need art to progress as a country. All ideas are born out of creativity. Creativity is the core principle of art. Therefore arts serves society in so many ways that are tangible and intangible.

Just thought I would throw that out there!

Corian

TGIF

JoJo

here, taking the lead on the blog for the moment. I guess this is the first time you've heard from me. The last time I blogged was probably on like myspace in highschool or something like that. ha.

Food and Friends

Yesterday was another lovely lunchtime in the studio. Ragging Burrito provided tastey food and the best pineapple salsa EVER; Starbucks provided coffee. This was only my second time ever attending and there were lots of other new faces. Some of the dancers chose to share the beginnings of their ideas for our next sight specific work. When we go back to Houston at the end of the month, we will be performing at the Museum of Fine Arts Cullen Sculpture Garden. We have been researching artists in the garden and learning about their pieces and their process for producing works. This exploration has provided inspiration for the sight specific work we will be showing. Also during our lunch hour, the other dancers were able to share the latest progress with The Point.

Yesterday was also another Salon showing. Sadly I have always had conflicts with this time during the day, so I was unable to attend, but I have only heard positive feedback. A wonderfully sweet girl named Rachel was able to attend last night and she even came back for class this morning! :)

It's Basically the Weekend

So today we will work more with The Point and Blake will be here to give feedback to Sharon. After lunch we will work on Cumulus. Blake will be here to help Alex and and Kim will be here to HELP ME. :)

It has been such an experience learning roles here at CORE. Strong communication is essential for the learning process, which is something that I always have to be conscious about. Thinking intentionally about cause, motivation, and emotion during rehearsal is the force that drives each dancer. Something I feel they treasure here is having an awareness of how you are feeling and what you need to do for your body. These have been mental goals of mine and I feel a lot of other dancers in Atlanta, but difficult to implement into real life as a dancer. Anwyays, this is just a snipit into the journey of my time here at CORE.

Wrap it Up Girl

Gosh, I rambble! That's all for right now. I hope you all have a great weekend! Talk to you next time.

Happy Wednesday!

Hello,

This is Sharon, one of Core's artistic affiliates. Alex has been doing a wonderful job of taking pictures of both Joanna and me, and now, you actually get to hear my voice, well...my cyberspace voice, at least. Wow, cyberspace voice! That was kinda corny. Bear with me. This is my first attempt at blogging. I have to say that I am having a wonderful time here at Core. The atmosphere here is very nurturing. I have, in some ways, come to think of Core as a second family. I feel as though I have found a group that I can share knowledge with, learn skills from, and trust, which is key when one dances with a particular group for an extended period of time.

Speaking of learning, you have heard that many roles have shifted to new dancers. Joanna has taken Kim Kleiber's role in Beppie Blankert's Cumulus. Alex and I have taken Blake's roles in Cumulus and Sue Schroeder's The Point, respectively. We are all working really hard to own our new roles, so we are ready for "Let's Dance" at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Houston at the end of the month. By the way, I've never danced on the Miller stage, so I'm really excited about performing there. To help us get ready for the show, Blake Dalton is here to give us a hand. (Don't worry, he's resting his foot.) Blake being here makes it a happy Wednesday. Blake has a positive energy that radiates. His opinions are poignant and understanding. Also, he's an all-around quirky guy. So, when he's not around he's missed. We're all pretty bummed that he's injured, and we're praying that he gets well soon. Even though he's not dancing yet, I'm glad he's back. I also heard that Kim is going to be here on Friday to work on Cumulus. She's another person who through her radiance makes Core shine a little brighter. When she's here our Core family will be back to a full house.

To reiterate what I mentioned earlier, Core is a group filled with sharing and trust. Repeatedly, I see a member step up and aid when another is in need. This nurturing environment is very comforting. I feel safe here, and I'm excited about the work that I will continue to do.

dancer on deck!

so as i mentioned yesterday, the amazing blake dalton is injured. word on the street says he is recovering nicely. keep him in your thoughts and keep sending good healing energy his way! as a result of his injury, many folks are stepping up their game and we are all pulling together as an ensemble to prepare for our upcoming Miller show (that blake was going to be in).

so...we had to call in the emergency dancers on deck (at term that i learned after i injured myself in college). dancers "on deck" are the understudies, or affiliates, who are then asked to step into the role of a dancer that is unable to perform, and it is usually done with short notice. for Cumulus, i (alex) am stepping into blake's role, and for The Point, sharon is assuming blake's role.

this is not an uncommon occurrence, dancers getting injured. it is a reality (as scary/harsh reality) that affects (i hope that is the correct use of that word) the entire company. so we are charged to learn the choreography, but in a very short & intense period of time before we have to perform. the task of learning another role is tricky, because the dynamics inherently shift. all the nuances and details that allowed the original member to execute their part with ease & simplicity gets lost. also, the challenge in Cumulus is that Joanna is also in the process of taking on an old role (of Kim Kleiber's)...so it is almost like starting back (almost) at square one. we are not the originators of the roles; so, we don't have the depth of knowledge to keep the choreography true to Beppie Blankert's vision.

i cannot speak for sharon, but i have to state the obvious difference in her learning blake's role. she is a she, blake is a he (DUH!). so there are some partnering issues that have to be worked out. blake is a buff dude, and although sharon is a very strong woman; she is a good 5 inches shorter than mr. dalton. in conversation with sharon, she says "the lifts aren't so much a challenge strength wise, but more so in leverage and momentum."

however, despite the minor setbacks and all the extra effort/work we have to do...we are pulling together as a company to honor the hard work of our missing company member and the integrity of the work we will present. again, this is just another horrible reality of the lives as a dance artist. our bodies have limits, and sometimes our bodies want (or don't want) to do things as they see fit. so if they decide to break down on us, we just have to roll with the punches....such is the life of a professional dancer.

oops...my bad

ok...so in writing the blog yesterday, i wondered why blogspot was prompting me to create a "look" for the blog, name the hyperlink, etc. so today, i get an email from Claire Horn, our wonderful marketing and PR wonderwoman, asking why i created an entirely new blog? to be honest, i didn't know i did that. so my bad! anyway, i tried to copy and paste everything...but isn't working as i planned...so here is a hyperlink to yesterday's blog (from our "new" blog).



http://coreperformancecompany.blogspot.com