The company spent the weekend in PA at Silo (Lehigh Valley, PA) involved in a residency that was simply the company dancing, creating, exploring, and even playing a bit of charades.
We danced day and night in an exquisite surrounding, and truly got to be full time artists for the weekend… My oh my, I could get used to that! (Many thanks to Robin Staff and Dancenow NYC)
The company grew tremendously in many ways, and since I since I can’t really even explain how wonderful it was, at least I can post some photos and videos…
Chanelle Legace’ and Quincy Junor working on a duet created off a base phrase I had just taught them
Brigitte Mitchell and Jeff Lyon working on a duet, based on the same movement phrase.
Chanelle Legace’, Aleyse Bradford and Lynn Peterson try their best at charades…(the real gem was Aleyse trying to act out Jurassic Park, but I just couldn’t publicly humiliate her like that… maybe next time
The company is in the middle of re-staging a bunch of repertory. At the top of the list are “Abravanel” and “Dig“. We are making great strides and are ALMOST there with “Abravanel”.
Seems like we have about nine million plates spinning at the moment. Getting Abravanel ready for November in CT, getting “Dig” ready for DanceNow at DTW in October (SYREN performs Wednesday, October 29th at 8pm), Also getting SYREN’s Annual Benefit off and running for November (at Chelsea Art Museum in Manhattan)… Tickets just went live on our site this week>
Lynn and I have also been lucky enough to be setting a piece of SYREN rep on students at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury CT. We are setting “The Weight” on the 8 students chosen, and it is a very exciting challenge. They are great!
Now it is off to finish washing “Dig” costumes so they dry for fittings next week, and then start packing for the company residency in PA this weekend. We get to go on a three day residency to Silo, and live, eat and breathe dance! We are very excited. Surely more pictures to be posted after the weekend!
Oh, and I started getting work done on a root canal today.. ouch!
A good time was has by all as we toasted to the new Season! Members of the company, Board, and guests enjoyed each others company at People Lounge in Manhattan.
Board member Tom Ridgely, MIchelle Coe (Pentacle), Lisa Niedermeyer (SYREN Board Vice President)
Lynn Peterson, Michelle Coe, Quincy Junor (Dancer), Kate Mehan
This is one of the posters starting appear around the city (this one at 5th Ave N/R/W train stop). This is a great event at City Center (all tickets $10!!!) The shows are in Sept. Everything from Shen Wei, ABT, Cunningham, to Oregon Ballet Theater and much much more. A great mix, the right price, and a SUPERB venue. One of these days, we hope SYREN will get on the bill! In the meantime, we are enthusiastic supporters.
Lynn and I have been back in the studio… Just “jamming” right now. Doing a bit of barre together, then she teaches me some new class excercises and combinations she has been creating…which feels great to be told what to do a bit! This week we did a pretty long imrov together to some Brahams mostly (Sonatos for Cello and piano Opp. 38, 99 and 108… and some work by James Newton Howard). Felt AWESOME to just move that BIG and free! Can’t believe we will be in studio with new company members in a few weeks re-staging “Pelleas” and getting “Abravanel” back up and running (we just booked a gig at Ethel Walker School in CT for November) and “Dig” excerpts ready for DanceNow Festival at DTW. Oh and somewhere in that I am starting a new piece for the company that we are trying to have the Artemis Chamber Ensemble play live for!!! So so excited.
And, I have yet to see a copy, but I hear there is a little mention of us in Dance Spirit Magazine for September. Page 150 to be exact!
Lots of really great stuff… But for the 3 hours in the studio, it sure did feel good to forget about running a company and remember where this whole thing started… Just dancing in a studio with Lynn…
Many of my students go off to summer programs. This year I had kids at Chautauqua, the Rock School, ABT and Virginia School of the Arts.
I wanted to share some of their experiences with you all.
Alston, 10, went to Chautuaqua and the Rock School.
Here she is at Chautauqua with Patricia Mcbride:
Here’s some from her own post on TIM
“Amy Price was another one of our teachers. She choreographed our classical piece and our contemporary piece for the show at the end of the intensive. She was fun to have class with, but she still expected alot out of us.
This is a picture of Ms. Amy correcting me in pointe class.”
And here is Linzy and friend, also at Chautauqua. They both felt that is was a very special place to be.
Alston with Bo and Stephanie Spassoff at the Rock’s coaching intensive
Angela spent her second summer at Virginia School of the Arts.
I’m really proud of them they are all such special dancers and people. I have a few more to share with you in my next post.
