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.
I know I’ve mostly been writing about Batsheva and Gaga lately since I’ve been immersing myself in that portion of the dance scene here recently - and last week I got to take another great Gaga class with Ohad Naharin and see the company perform Sharon Eyal’s latest work, the very intense Makarova Kabisa! - but there is much, much more going on in Israeli contemporary dance that I’d like to share. Besides trekking to Vertigo Dance Company at the Eco-Art Village and interviewing Vertigo’s Noa Wertheim, I recently focused some of my energies on the Inbal Pinto Dance Company. Like Batsheva, this company has its studios and offices in the Suzanne Dellal Center itself, and in between rehearsals on Wednesday, Inbal Pinto and her partner Avshalom Pollak sat down with me in the center’s cafe for an interview. After seeing Oyster (twice!) and Shaker, I was excited to talk with them and see their new production Hydra kick off the huge Israel Festival in Jerusalem on Sunday. I wasn’t disappointed. Inbal and Avshalom talked passionately and poetically about their creative process, and Hydra proved to be a beautiful piece with unforgettable imagery. Now the company is off to Norway, and in the fall they will tour the U.S.; if you’re in one of the cities they pass through - I know San Francisco is on the list! - I highly recommend that you check them out. I’ll keep you posted, and you can find out more on their website - http://www.inbalpinto.com.
Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak aren’t the only Israeli choreographers heading abroad this week. Shlomit Fundaminsky is participating in the San Francisco International Art Festival (www.sfiaf.org) and will be performing there on Friday May 30th (7 p.m.), Saturday May 31st (2 p.m.), and Sunday June 1st (9:30 p.m.). I have enjoyed many of Shlomit’s contemporary technique classes at Noa Dar’s studio, and I’ve had the pleasure of viewing a few of her dances as well as her improvisational work. A little over a week ago I saw her perform Inner Pocket - the work she’ll bring to SFIAF - here in Tel Aviv, and I was quite taken with her powerful, expressive presence in the well-crafted solo. Here’s a video with excerpts of some of her work - and maybe some of you in San Francisco can see her live!
MEGAN KURASHIGE San Francisco Conservatory of Dance San Francisco, California USA BIO | POSTS
Hello!
This past weekend I jumped into rehearsal for a dance theater piece by Jacques Poulin-Denis. But wait, you say. Aren’t you still gimpy? Why yes I am, thank you very much. I don’t have to do anything too strenuous though, just a bit of improvisation on the themes of sleep, dreams, and discomfort. It’s fun and something different.
We worked at CELLspace, which is this really interesting performance/work space in the Mission. It’s a big warehouse-type building with little self-contained rooms that serve as artists’ studios, and a large, open area for performing artists. It was founded as an artists’ collective, so there are all these quirky touches.
I like the lobby. It has white walls and stuck to all of them are these small, white squares of paper with line drawings on them. The squares are neatly lined up, edge to edge, so that when you look at them all together, they look like one big map.
CELLspace is very close to Theater Artaud where we performed for WestWave, but I never knew it existed. I love discovering new places like this in the city. It’s such a treat to meet a different group of artists and to see how they work.
In other news, I can jump now! Tiny, tiny jumps, but still… Jumps in first position were never so exciting!
(Drew Jacoby and Rubi Pronk, photos by Dikayl Dunkley)
(Garen Scribner in a still pic from the film “Sunburst” by Mattew Taylor)
This past week i just got back to San Francisco from NYC. I was Intown for 10 days working on the first leg of a series of projects that i am doing for TAG. The artist’s that i was working with were Drew Jacoby and Rubi Pronk. Originally we were supposed to work Friday of the day that i arrived but i decided to cancel rehearsal and go out to dinner with the dancers. I was eager to do so because i knew Drew from SF while she was dancing with Lines. Rubi on the other hand i had never met, so i thought it would be best to get a face to face before we started work and i could explain to them my process.
I tend to go through various phases of interest in my movement vocab depending on where i am in the that particular moment in time. This time around i was in “Earthy/ Organic/Symbiosis” almost modern type mood. Hell, I spent 4 years doing it so it is mos def in my blood. It was cool working with the two dancers in the studio trying to figure out the movement. Me demonstrating and molding both parts with the dancers while they were eager to jump in and figure it out for themselves. What i loved most was how open they were. Here you have two classically trained virtuostic bodies wiling to throw themselves into new terrain no matter how silly they initially felt. The result after it all was said and done brought a smile to my face and that is a great way to leave something.
My mood changed the next morning. The Winter Snowstorm had halted production because we were going to shoot on location and Dr.Bacon - the man who directs and edits all of our films, my “Thom to his Jonny”(Props if you can get that reference.) - was not able to make it up from DC due to to the icey roads. It all worked out for the best though.
My time not rehearsing was spent with me shooting uptown and downtown and everywhere else within the town having various meetings. My fave was meeting Ms.Sloan! Very cool in person. I went to the Movmnt Magazine’s blogger forum hosted by David Benaym. It was great to see him again and a few of the fellow Wingnuts, Taylor Gordon, and Tony Schultz. Back to the Snow Storm being a blessing in disguise, a few of some really important meetings in terms of my career and future projects got cancelled so i get to re-schedule them for when i come back for the re-shoot later this month.(i know i jump around) My last night in the City i went out with a few friends from ABT and had a great discussion with Ethan Stifel about what he wants to do for NCSA as the new dean. I was very impressed with what he had to say. I know that he will do great things with my old stomping ground.
My time spent in the City was productive and most important for me was i got the movement done with the dancers. Now when i go back i can run it a few times, do some cleaning and then put it through the mill.
___________
This next part of the post is a couple months old. I wrote it out but was hesitant about posting it. A little bird gave me some encouragement so here you are:
This past week has been very busy and hectic with me having to get up earlier than usual which is super early, and having full loads during my work day. Last night after getting home i wanted to go out. All of my housemates were in rehearsal or yoga so i did some work on my computer waiting for all of them to get back. While on my computer i called up Liz to see what was going on for the evening (I love Thursdays) but of course she was on her way to a hockey game all the way in San Jose. The news came as a funny surprise to me seeing how i know more about hockey than Liz and i know nothing. As i was asking her about why she was going to a hockey game she told me that i should take her friend out who is in town setting a piece for the SFB Gala. Normally if left to my own devices i tend to keep to myself/close friends and not too interested in meeting new people so much. Luckily it is the new year. My resolution is to be more outgoing and with that in mind i decided to go out with Ms.Miners friend Edwaard Liang.
He and i went out for drinks and had some great conversations about dance , the industry and business. Neither one of us have seen any of each others work, yet we still had an equal respect and admiration for each other. I asked about the duet that he was setting and then quickly /kindly asked him to not explain the piece to me because i would rather form my own opinions. I wanted to watch it myself and draw my own opinions “OPINIONS”, a popular theme that kept popping up during our discussions…. “Opinions”.
Ed was speaking to me about how some of the best art that you might see could be in your home tucked away somewhere while other pieces that are not so good can find they’re way into the general populace for no other reason than luck, which is very true. A perfect example could be 95% of what is presented to us on a daily basis concerning pop culture. How many times have you paid to see your favorite band only to find out that they suck live? Or wonder why your really talented artist friend can’t get a break while other artists with far less talent are getting work? What about being super juiced about seeing a film just to find out 2 and half hours later that you will never get that time back. Yet all of these examples sell. That is how the biz industry judges it’s products. Numbers. Numbers are never wrong. 2 will always be “2″ and 0 will always be “0″. No way around it. This was an arc in the conversation: How do you judge art? With the understanding that good is “Good” and bad is “Bad”, everything else fall’s into opinion land. I know that i have gone to see shows by some of my favorite artist and left feeling let down because i felt no connection to the piece aside from the amazing dancers or movement. Even though i might not have enjoyed it i cant call it bad because i did not like it. What about all the others whom rant and rave about it for weeks to come? They are in no ways wrong about they’re opinions. Ed was saying If one person walked out feeling inspired than the artist did they’re job. TRUE.
The best part about the entire evening for me aside from the free drinks was that i was able to speak to someone whom is in the position to give me some accredited advice. I am fast approaching some major changes in my life that will take me out of my comfort zone and embark on a new chapter in my life. It is very exciting and scary at the same time. I was telling Ed that i am excited about moving on in my life and career because i will be able to have more resources and opportunites to work with other artist that i respect. He was playing devils advocate but not trying to disuade me. Simply keeping it real about the path that i am about to embark on. Paying close attention to him i could not tear this huge grin off my face. I was explaining how i am open to new challenges and that is what i am activly looking for. My fear will help keep me focused and sharp.
Something that i will retain from the evening conversation is that we all have something to say. As long as you have something to say and just have to get out, you will find ways to communicate. That’s what counts.
This next post is a little something different. Circling around my head is the question, “is it dance related?”
Well, I dance and I make dances. Yes. It is dance related.
I will give a little insight about myself for all of you who do not know me. I love shoes! Between my house in Charlotte and my apartment in San Francisco, i have well over a hundred pairs. The things that i do for shoes or a good shoe sale always makes me laugh. A couple days ago while costume shopping i found a really cool pair of sneakers. Not until 4 days later and a whole bunch of my friends making fun of my feet did i realize that the shoes were 2 sizes too small.
With that said, this next blurb might be the most ridiculous situation that i have ever put myself in for a pair of shoes.
Last week we knocked out our performances. I do not have anything on the plate until the beginning of next year, so im chillin’. My only “artistic” concerns are just putting material together , cementing and exploring some of the ideas of i have buzzing around. Because i am on hiatus i decided to take up skateboarding again……That’s where it all went wrong.
San Francisco has a super strong sneaker culture and there is a shop that all the “sneakerheads” go to. It is called “HUF”. The owner of the company is named Keith Hufnagel. Huf is a pro skater who has a whole culture/empire in San Francisco and around the world. He has a shop in our neck of the woods and is a friend of ours.
A few weeks ago, “HUF” had a warehouse shoe sale for 60% off. Something that would have been cool to go to, had i not been out of town. My roommate, Jeezy, was supposed to hook me up with a pair and totally forgot about it. As soon as i got back into town from vacation i had to go directly to rehearsal with Dores. After we had finished up, her and i were walking back to our homes and ran into Keith and his girlfriend MariEllen. I was talking to Keith about how bummed i was that i missed the sale. He was telling me that Jeezy had come in on Saturday and bought three pairs of shoes and jackets. That killed me because he was supposed to get me a pair , so i was asking if they had anything left over. Keith told me that he would see what they had left over and i got excited. This is where it really goes downhill.
MariEllen was saying that he should try and bet me for a pair of shoes. He and i decided that we would play a game of “SKATE”. “SKATE” is a game where you have to match whatever trick your opponent performs. If he lands a trick and i miss it, i get an “S”. The first person to spell “SKATE” looses. We made a bet that if i win, i’ll get a free pair of shoes. If he wins, he gets a hundred bucks from me.
I have skated for 11 years and stopped for 7. I do not really skate now , but i have been getting all of my old tricks back (building up the Stats). I know that i have a chance of getting him with some technical tricks, especially if i go “switch,” which is skating with the opposite leg. The only thing that really worries me is that he is a professional skater on some of the best teams, with his own shoe and stores. Not to mention, i liked his skating style when i was younger……Aside from all that, I’m Fine.
Wish me luck. The game’s on sunday.
B
P.S. www.Hufsf.com is where you can browse the merchandise. Good stuff. Tell him i sent you.
