With the oil prices being outrageous I elected to not go far and have my first ever Summer “Staycation”. Over the past couple weeks people around me have been talking about Summer like it is already over. I have accepted that fact. The end is near and I would like to bow out gracefully.
Here are some pics of my Summer “Staycation”. I did not go too far but I had a fun and productive Summer anyways. All of the pics that I have decided to posts are all varied activities involving work, play or personal interests. Enjoy.
And
here
we go
The X-men moved to San Francisco for serious
Me on the 4th of July
Bobbi Smith from Batsheva
Bobbi and I working in my home studio
Dancers in the making
Perez Hilton and I
Joker from The Dark Knight
Patrick Lennen on the 1’s and 2’s in the studio
Artist’s Davie Crockette. You will be seeing a lot more of him real soon.
Could I have taken any more craptastic photographs? I highly doubt it. I wanted to demonstrate exactly how far we were from the show and still a lot closer than most. Danielle and Dores being the exception who were sitting in V.I.P.
Last Friday Radiohead performed in Golden Gate Park Headlining the Outside Lands Festival which the entire city all had tickets. Never in my life have I seen so many people traveling to the same place. It was insane. Seriously, the entire city was there. All of the buses were completely packed going to the park.On multiple occasions the bus lines did not even stop to pick up passengers because they were so packed. We tried getting a Taxi but we had to compete with the rest of the world for that to happen. Bus it is.
Our game plan for the show was to go after 6:30 after the dancers got out of work. Garen, Scott, Myself, Jeezy, Martin, Jaime, Z, and Jonathan(imported from London) were all supposed to meet up in the park. Garen, Scott, Jeezy, Z and I all traveled together to the park on a packed bus. Once we got to the park it was about a half mile walk to “Will Call” which was another hour in the line for our tickets. Finally after getting our tickets we rushed into the gated area to go see Radiohead. Upon first step of being in the actual festival I hear the first 2sec of “Reckoner” my favorite track off of In Rainbows. “Reckoner” was the song I was most excited about hearing live. I got so excited that I started to run thinking that the guys were behind me. I look ahead and Jeezy is in front of me but his phone is dead and so is Garen’s who was with Scott. I had to catch up with Jeezy so he would not get lost by himself. A few moments go by before I catch up to him while loosing Garen and Scott. We are running through the park with a mob of people whom all have tickets and gone through the security checkpoints. We run upon some disgruntled security a little ways in. They wanted all of us to turn around and go the opposite direction that the firsts security check point told us to go. We tried talking to them but, we ran. It was a huge mob with Jeezy and I weaving through them so that we can get a good view of the show. Everytime we thought we were at the Radiohead stage we had another field to go through. 10 min later we get to the opening where Radiohead were performing. At the top of the opening was another 2 football fields with an endless sea of people listening and watching. The band was on the opposite side of where we were. By the time we arrived , we had completely lost everyone else that we came with. Not too mention finding anyone there was a lost cause. For some reason or another the site was a black spot for cell phone service so we had to try and mark Tree’s or something to find each other. I have never seen that many people in one place in San Francisco or anywhere else in my life. After inching threw the packed fields we had found a spot where we can see, chill and dance. The band were in top form with the exception of the music cutting out twice on “Airbag” and “All I need”. (I would hate to have been the sound man that night) Thome Yorke apologized and said “Ultimately it is all about the music”. I loved how they used Led light bars for an incredible light show to accompany they’re music. A lot of the songs they played were off of the new album In Rainbows but the older material was played too with added re-mixes.
The official number that was released for the festival attendance that night was 60,000. 80,000 was the unofficial number with people jumping fences and sneaking in. Still, 80,000?
Could you imagine to have 80,000 people wanting to travel in cramped, spaces from far and away to come see your work? Thats incredible!
After the show ended we walked home, or to some bars, or to a house party. All of which were no closer than 3 miles. Even with all of the mayhem getting to and from the show, it was magical night and we all ended up back together exchanging stories of our fantastical journies
This week has been more insane than my normal crazy weeks. Lets get a day by day play please.
Monday
Full day of work. Finally have an edit of the Drew Jacoby and Rubi Pronk project that i am personally happy with. Run home to grab my machine/ hard drive and shoot over to the film techie’s place stressing out over “Triam” not being able to play in HD quality. My head is so messed up because I start to get a head cold and I never get sick.
Tuesday
Full day of work. Go home change meet Garen and his Aunt and Uncle. Jam over to the Theatre to attend our screening for West Wave Dance Festival. Before we get to the Theatre we go grab some food and drinks. I find out that Garens Aunt is a psychic. She tells me some great news about my next year putting me into a far more relaxed mood. I could go on about how his family is amazing but that is another topic but the “RD” is “my center when I spin away”(what song am I talking about?). The film night concludes as well as the question and answer portion that kinda bored me. I threw in some humor to liven things up a little. Still sick
Wednesday
Go to work, leave home early sick. I did see the new Woody Allen film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. Its amazing and worth seeing. I do not really care for his films but loved this one. No complaints about the casting either!
Thursday
Full day work. Supposed to go out that night with some friends to the Herbst Theatre located beside the War Memorial Opera House. Home to the SF Ballet and the Opera, also a stones throw from my place. The show we were supposed to see was Jonny Greenwoods West Coast premiere of “Popcorn Superhet Receiver”. Mr. Greenwood has been the resident composer to the BBC orchestra for the past couple years. Matter of fact, the second movement of “Paper Magic” that we did was danced to his music from the film “There Will Be Blood”. Our plan was to get tickets to the show that evening but what can you do when tickets are all sold out? Walk your butt over and hope for the best . Thats what! My friends Martin and John decided to give up on the venture after 15 minutes of neandering around. Everyone in the venue was trying to score tickets to the show. I did not mind hanging around because Mr. Greenwood is a huge influence on me. With his music I am able to see shapes and colors while being transported into the music. I did not mind waiting because the worst thing that could happen is that I don’t get a ticket and walk home which is less than 5 minutes away from the Theatre. I decide to put all of the positive vibes that I could into the universe(I posted earlier about me and the “Secret”). What was produced for me was a free ticket. Literally handed to me. I was so enthused that I gave the guy a hug(whether he liked it or not. I think he did.) After taking my seat I got to hear music selection by the “Magik Magik” Orchestra. They played Arvo, Part and John Adams who is amazing. Im such a sucker for the Violin. The person beside me pointed out that Micheal Tilson Thomas the director of the SF Symphony was sitting diagonal from me up in the box seats. During the evening I could not help gazing up at him and wonder what he is listening for? What is he hearing? Thinking about a world renowned conducter listening to other people’s music really fascinated me. Between me closing my eyes soaking in the music, looking over at Mr. Tilson listening to the orchestra, I was also intrigued with the conductor of the “Magik Magik” Orchestra. In my eyes there was no difference between me watching a dance performance and him conducting. He was so animated that I found myself dancing in my chair along with him. Mr. Greenwoods score and the nights main attraction went on last. Truth be told, at first it was a challenge for me to get into it. The excerpt in the program had Greenwood speak about his fascination with white noise. He wanted to replicate the sounds with strings playing in various keys with the focus not being on just one instrument. The music was atonal and slightly disturbing. One motif that he had used started off with a climatic “Jaws Buzz” calming down but never really settled or soothed you. I was not really able to take the entire piece in until the very end when it hit me. The score was brilliant. If you liked it or not he filled the concert hall up with a swelling of strings. Of course Greenwood could have had used soothing melodic sounds with the stings but instead he took a risk with the sounds and it made you think about your own tastes.
After the show I was lucky enough to go backstage and briefly see Jonny Greenwood. This coming from the same person who only a few hours earlier had no ticket to a sold out show. Not bad for a improv evening. The best part is that I knew that even if I did not get to hear his score that night I would get to see him the next day performing with his own band. His band is easily one of the 21st centuries most innovative and respected bands out there. Never giving you what you want. They give you everything that you could never ask for….. RADIOHEAD!
Today/Friday
Still at work. Going to go see Beck and Radiohead in Golden Gate park with some friends. This will be the first time ever Golden Gate Park has a band play after dark and Radiohead are the ones who get that coveted (dope) slot.
Saturday
I meet Diddy. Not too sure if I want to get into this story because it is a little bit ridic:P
Its Garen working in DC the very first time with Dr.Bacon (Hence the title). I would get phone calls from Garen telling me how much we all need to work together and how much I would love working with Dr.Bacon. After getting back from DC Garen showed me the material and he was not exaggerating at ALL.
Next Tuesday we have a film showing of a piece we did a couple years ago titled “Triam” at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. “Triam” is a film with Garen and I dancing a couple years ago. This marks our first big scale showing of any of our films in San Francisco alongside some other gifted and talented artist’s as part of the West Wave Dance Festival. Ever since moving here I have always wanted to have some of my work shown at the YBCA but what can you do with no material? Anyone who is in town should come check us out. The viewing will be followed by a Q&A with the two of us. Below is a link for more info. Hope to see you there.
Oh, I decided that anyone who chooses to come, we will be selecting 3 random people to receive a HD quality film of un-seen material or a booklet of some photography with various collaborators:P
This week i start working again on a new project that i am developing. Without giving any details away, i can say that i am in a modern frame of mind concerning the movement. The concept involves very human elements that calls for a departure of the way that i would normally work. Over the past couple days i have been watching some old material of mine while i was still a student for giggles and kicks. One piece that i re-visited titled “Chasing Ghosts” reminded me of an interesting experience that i had a couple years ago watching a performance. I am about to take you down memory lane.
Every Year at The North Carolina School of The Arts all senior modern students are to put on a concert in the spring. It is called “Emerging Choreographers”. The students work on a piece for two semesters with all of the training that we have received in “Comp Improv” class (choreography) over course of 4 years. What makes it so special is that we are given freedom to choose our dancers, music, costumes, lights, sets and whatever else. You then get a full week of having the works performed at the Demille Theatre on campus. Its a right of passage for all of us.
Its common knowledge that i hated for the most part “comp improv” classes throughout the years because i felt too restricted within the confines of the curriculum. “Emerging Choreographers” i was excited about though. I could finally be the captain of my own ship. The process for “EC” helped me establish my own working style while boosting my confidence thinking that “maybe im not so bad after all?” Working with the dancers was a pleasure even when everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for me. The year my class (2004) was up to bat new rules had been impleminted concerning a music lists. Of course “Mxyomatosis” or “Like Spininning Plates” were not included. My dancers were falling out like flies for every reason under the sun. Not too mention that the girl that i was dating was seeing someone else. But even then i was having a good time in the studio cause if not i think that i might have had a mental breakdown (or two).
The work I was producing, I was very proud of cause it came from a personal place. There was something in me that needed to get out and i was able to use the techniques that i had learned almost as a theraputic tool. The last week we had before we had to show our final product my adviser and teacher Brenda Daniells had caught wind that the music that i had selected was not on the list , so she gave me an entire catalog of music to choose from. There is a going joke in my class that if you cant find music “Phillip Glass it is!”. Naturally, i selected the music of Phillip Glass.
What drew me to the music was the haunting score and the subtle arrangements that perfectly matched the mood of the movement. What i had been using before with the music was very hard and driving. Once i switched music i told the dancers to keep the same intensity as before giving the movement a new weight that did not exist before. The new music had set up an atmosphere that takes you into the piece and im allllll about atmosphere. After the piece went up i was pleasantly surprised that it ended up being an audience favorite plus appeasing the faculty. It took long enough for me to get to that point but i had learned so much along the way. I never imagined that i was capable of turning out a product that i would be happy with along with everyone else cause i have such a unique taste.
Fast forward a couple years later:
I am in the War Memorial Opera House getting ready to watch the San Francisco Ballets mixed rep of Jerome Robbins. The piece that i had really wanted to see was “Glass Pieces” because i remember reading about “Glass Pieces” in my dance history class back in school. After the lights dimmed and orchestra started to play i was really excited because i had used the same music for my emerging. This is where things got weird. I thought that i had bit Mr. Robbins style for the first couple minutes! Anyone who has ever seen or performed in the ballet think about the beginning. The corpse dancers walking out silhouhetted on a blue back back drop. Once the solo flutes comes in the ballet introduces a duet. After watching the ballet I was talking with Garen who had just got done performing it about the beginning and how i did the exact same thing without ever even seeing the piece. He agreed because he had seen “Chasing Ghost” and danced in “Glass Pieces. My intro had dancers walking across the stage in silhoutte with a blue back drop and a moon that i was stoked on. It reminded me of “Where the Wild Things Are”. We both found it to be super random that the music of Phillip Glass had inspired two completely different people to have the same vision. I guess that is the power of music that it allows you to not only have an audio experience but you also get the visceral.
Watch below and if you have ever seen the ballet or performed it ,think about the opening intro. Uncanny.
Something that i had find interesting was that no one at school told me that i had created something very similar to “Glass Pieces.” Maybe they thought if i knew i would have changed it. Who knows? Not me. Still I am proud of the product and now the title has a new meaning to it that i would have never thought of.
ps. Please excuse Tom Cruise at the start of the tape. The piece was taken from an old VHS.
I know that i said that i was only going to have “Paper Magic” posted for one day but i decided that i wanted to show some continuity to my last posts. Now i dont seem like such a tool for posting paper crumbling:)
The first peice “Knee Play 1″ is going to be set on a company this year using 5 dancers. It will be interesting to go in and work out the changes, details, timing and all that good stuff on other bodies. I am adding 4 new sections as well with other dancers so that i end up with a 20 min peice, with some cool little surprises. By the time that is done we would have found supporters and backers to really make this a reality for us.
Enjoy!
B
Comments are always welcomed. They give me an inner glow. Who does not want to shine on? Oh, all the credits are at the end.
