Interview with Intern Sarah

What has been your strongest impression of Atlanta?

At the beginning, I had a hard time to get around in Atlanta. The city is so spread-out and to know a good place to go out for eating, shopping, dancing was difficult. But after the second week, I was able to ride by MARTA and the bus and by asking, people gave me advice. Being an intern at CORE help me a lot too. You guys were so nice with me, ready to give a hand any time. Thank you for that!!

From your time here, what is your impression of the Atlanta dance community?

There are a lot of amazing choreographers and dancers here. I had a chance to see many of their performances and I would say, thank you again to CORE to get me in touch with all those concerts. My second impression, compare to France, even if it’s hard to get funds, place for performing, the community is really active and passionate.  

You participated in the Fieldwork workshop this spring. What was that like for you?

CORE give me this opportunity to have a space to create and perform, it was just amazing. It was one of my wishes to try as an un-professional, to explore my capacity and my idea about movement. I don’t think that in France, we have a similar program. It would be so great!!! (CORE responds: There is one in Berlin now. You could always take it back with you to France!)

What will you take with you from your experiences at CORE?

Your involvement for the dance community through the events, the connection that you are doing in the dance community. 

Best wishes on your future endeavors!

Fieldwork Showcase in Houston

The Fieldwork showcase is a performance showcasing works in progress created by artists of different mediums. Each week throughout the process, each artist show their work in progress until the culmination, which is a showing in a local, profession theater. CORE has been a part The Field and has provided the space and facilitators for Field workshops in Atlanta and Houston. The next Fieldwork showcase is in Houston on May 15th, and Lydia Hance, Field Facilitator in Houston, wrote us these words about her experiences with Fieldwork.

"Fieldwork has changed my life as an artist in several ways. First, it has
given me structure and accountability. To have a group ready and willing to
give feedback on my works-in-progress every week has been a challenge to
continue to create new work. While there is never any guilt if I don’t have
work to show at a weekly session, I recognize it as a lost opportunity to
gain valuable feedback from the artists. It’s a momentum that all artists
need.

It has changed my perspective on creating work. Fieldwork has given me
permission to linger in the process, and to realize that I’m free to create
work even if it doesn’t result in a final product to show publically. It’s
exercise, it’s struggle, it’s sinking into creation. For me, art is between
98 and 99.9% process, versus the final product. Showing work that is
mid-process has always felt risky. But through Fieldwork I’ve challenged
myself to show work in its first stage, when it’s barely begun. While this
is very vulnerable, it opens the work to so many more possibilities and
freshness outside of my own boundaries. Invaluable. In this way, Fieldwork
had allowed me to grow in my perspective of my work and myself. It isn’t
about proving myself, but allowing the work to develop— surrendering to the
process.

Thirdly, Fieldwork has provided a community of diverse artists. Poets,
dollmakers, choreographers, filmmakers, actors, musicians, costume
designers… I relish the valuable perspectives of artists outside of my
genre. It’s really all about opening ideas and breaking my self-constructed
boundaries in the way I approach my work. I’ve come to use their words,
reactions, experiences, and perspectives on my work as fuel to grow and take
the work in new directions.

I recommend Fieldwork to everyone who considers herself an
artist—professional or amateur. We all possess creativity, and it must be
nurtured."

Like Linda Hance, many artists that gone through the Fieldwork process experience growth and change in themselves and their work. Come and share in their experience. Again, the Fieldwork showcase in Houston will be May 15, 2011 at 2pm at the Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex. Tickets are just $7. We look forward to seeing you there.

Happy dancing,

Sharon

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!