Downtown Dance Festival Finale!

9 days of perfect weather, 40 dance companies of every hue and style, 3 venues -- Governors Island, Chase Plaza and Battery Park -- and terrific, enthusiastic audiences. Who could ask for more? But wait, we got more: two sensational reviews from New York Times Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay, richly illustrated with color photos; plus a huge photo in the NYT Weekend Section. Check out the NYT online for Wednesday, August 20 and Monday, August 25 and see for yourselves! And better yet, come back next year and enjoy the 28th Annual DDF!

Wednesday and Thursday at Chase Plaza

Nine dance companies performed for enthusiastic audiences on Wednesday and Thursday and yes, the gorgeous weather continued to place clear blue skies overhead!

Everybody Dance Now segments brought dozens of audience members out of their chairs and up onto the stage to join the action. It would seem unfair to single out a particular company for praise, but we must mention Marlena Wolfe's rendition of Ella by Robert Battle for its fierce, passionate and very full delivery, Naomi Goldberg Haas' multi-generational dancers for their connection with every member of the audience, and Ballet Noir's dynamic duo, Leyland Simmons and Natalia Johnson.

And how about this: the music faltered 2 minutes short of the end of Where There's Smoke but the Battery Dancers, Carmen Nicole, Robin Cantrell, Sean Scantlebury and Bafana Matea, kept right on until they reached the end in silence and in precise coordination. The audience rewarded this feat with a big ovation!

Chase Plaza - 4 days & 1 to go

Monday and Tuesday's Downtown Dance Festival performances launched the new Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance in a blaze of color. Alastair Macauley, Chief Dance Critic of the New York Times graced us with a splendid review and three wonderful photos! Here's a sample of the review:

The long-held opening tableau of four young women was a thrill, a harmonious grouping (not unlike the famous Romantic ballet lithograph of the 1845 Pas de Quatre, resembling a four-leaf clover), arms all directed along a single diagonal, save for one, powerfully aimed the opposite way. Indian dance can often have unparalleled powers of sculptural fullness; in this case that sense registered before the performers executed a step.

Macauley even delighted us by bringing in the spirit of Edwin Denby, the late great dance writer. We are most grateful!

Festival within a Festival

Over the past two days at Chase Plaza, we have seen a procession of color, rhythm and expression through hands and face (mudras and abhinaya) during the launch of Indo-American Arts Council's Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance. Solos, duets, trios and group pieces have treated our senses to the classical modes as well as the new experiments by dancers from India, Canada and various parts of the U.S. Battery Dance Company has a long history of presenting Indian dance but the past two days' cooperation with IAAC brought this passion to a fevered pitch. Judging by the thousand-strong audiences each day, the public is ready to follow our lead in this special area of dance. For those whose appetites have been awakened, there are two more days of Erasing Borders at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre, 405 W. 55th Street at 9th Avenue.

As for the Downtown Dance Festival, we continue at Chase Plaza on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with a fabulous line-up of 14 dance companies from 12 noon until 2 pm each day. On the weekend, we take up residence on the lawn at Battery Park from 1 - 5 on Saturday and Sunday. See you there!

Glorious Downtown Dance Festival Launch

New York City can boast of some great weather (when it's not too cold, too wet, or too hot!) Well, our Karma must be excellent because yesterday and today, the two opening days of the 27th Annual Downtown Dance Festival, were two of the most spectacular days of the year.

A few thousand visitors took the refreshing ride across the Harbor from Lower Manhattan on the Governors Island Ferry. After a short stroll to Colonel's Row, they were treated to four hours of dance on a stage each day, perfectly situated on a grassy mall lined with London Plane Trees in full foliage.

Saturday's striking images included a bevvy of women in a rainbow of long-skirts knotted to each other in Samar Haddad King's Skirt Dance; another skirted community huddling and sashaying together in Melanie Cortier's Sookie Jumps; 4 couples in evening gowns and tuxedo shirts swinging to Dean Martin in Lydia Johnson's Dream Sequence; dancers intertwining to breathy singing and guitar-strumming by Maya Solovey in Lane Gifford's Touch; Rainey Welch's cut-off crew of hip-ster women in Shedd Your Skin; Stefanie Nelson's pairing of a tortured man and a grounded woman in Out of Wonderland; Margo Sappington's delightful miniature Bossacucanova for three young ballerinas trained by Valentina Koslova; Battery Dance Company's own spiritual quartet Where There's Smoke to Poulenc; the earthy gyrations of Vissi Dance Theater which led to the grand finale with nearly 50 audience members learning to jive and jack to house music guided by the masterful Courtney Ffrench.

Today's (Sunday) marathon of twelve companies began with fluid dancers in scarves performing Isadora Duncan's lucious choreography staged by Catherine Gallant (with a second dose of Duncan served up later by Laura Iris Nave) and ended with a singer and guitar-accompanied strutting of a striking couple of Flamenco dancers (Ricky Santiago and Laura Montes) from Carlota Santana's Flamenco Vivo. In between, there was a the stunning courtship duet of Natalia Johnson and Leyland Simmons choreographed by Corey Baker; Yung-Li Chen's tutu-clad modern dancers with helium balloons and a shopping cart; grooving funky gals in Karen Arceneaux' Departure; the legendary Sachiyo Ito in a Kabuki lullaby and her trio of dancers in kimonos with willow branches and cherry blossoms; twitching clients in Karen Gale's Waiting Room; Dance China NY with their dancers whose seamless gymnastic moves set by Jiang Qi to Bach rivalled their countrymen in the Beijing Olympics; Amy Marshall's Unharvested with a cast of nine in sculptured partnering and fluid formations; Naomi Goldberg Haas' senior citizens in touching duets with young concert dancers ; dance as vivid, fantastical story-telling by Tsuyoshi Kaseda.

Tomorrow and Tuesday, we open our series of five performances at Chase Plaza with a festival-within-a-festival: ten companies representing the different shades of Indian dance. Come and join the enchantment!

Video Clips on the blog

If you click on the top box that appears to the right of this post, as well as the top box under the heading "Pestalozzi,,,", you'll be able to see Freiburg students rehearsing their Dancing to Connect works. (Disregard the 3 boxes that aren't positioned at the top of the row -- they are not included intentionally: excuse my lack of blogging expertise, but I don't have a clue as to how to remove them!)

Freiburg Adieu

The two performances at the large hall of Theater Freiburg were packed and as Bettina Schulte reported in yesterday's Badische-Zeitung, there was "thunderous applause" at the end of the show. Consul General Jo Ellen Powell gave us a wonderful tribute at the beginning of the performance as did Deputy Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach. The students from eight schools really demonstrated what it means to "connect" -- with an audience!
And our dancers summoned up over-the-top performances despite their 29 days of non-stop work.

Thanks to the many people who made it all possible. Look here for a translation of Bettina's review coming up soon.

Waldorf St. Georgen Students have their say...

"At the beginning of this workshop I found it quite hard to invent that much movement. And it was a bit difficult to do work with the visually impaired kids as well...but when I think back now, I would say that it was a great experience to work with them. I think we learned alot of things from that partnership; to be more social and to assist and explain to them. I think our rehearsal time was too short because I liked it so much. Thank you and please come again to dance with us!" -- Johanna Plappert

"The project Dancing to Connect was really great. It was so good to work with another school and to meet new people. At first I have thought that I wouldn't know the moves at stage time and the warm up was hard but after a few days it was all okay. It was a great time and I am sad to know the last day. The days passed so fast." --Maren Hormuth

"I found the Dancing to Connect project very well because no one was excluded and everyone worked together for a good result. It was worked out to be a beautiful experience to work with the handicapped children." --Anne Erichsen

"Thank you so much for all. It was a great experience for me to take part in Dancing to Connect. The special aspect of this project for me was that we worked in a community. No one was locked out and no one laughed at another." -- Marie-Christine Schmechel

"It was a lot of fun for me to do Dancing to Connect and I liked it very much to dance with all the other pupils. I also learned a about dancing, the body and improvisation. It was good to practice every day instead of regular school. Thank you for the amazing time we had!" --Magdalena Hartmann

"We would like to thank you for the wonderful time. We all enjoyed it so much and it was an experience we will always remember. We hope to see you again!" -- Waldorfschule

Bernd Muenk has his say about Dancing to Connect

Bernd, a psychoanalyst and group analyst in Freiburg, has been observing the Dancing to Connect and Dances for the Blue House projects since 2006. He offered the following comments about the Waldorf-Waldkirch workshop led by Carmen Nicole:

Though not foreseen, we can understand better afterwards that Carmen's group showed the new challenge of this year´s project: to merge students from different schools into one group. It was known in advance that this was an experiment, but not what that experiment implied. Now, after the fact, we are wiser.

Though Dancing to Connect is the theme, we don´t have to connect what is equal or identical. In so far as the term “connecting” implies that there are parts, (individuals, or groups that are different from each other) in some ways, this was more drastic in Carmen's group than in the others. The students of the “Sehbehinderten Schule Waldkirch” are, by their visual handicap, physically different from the others. And those of Waldorf Schule come from a philosophical background that demands to be different from others.

When they all met on the Tuesday, they came together quite naively and merged in an astonishing way; you could think, they had already found their choreography after one day. But then the second day showed the hidden dynamical conflict. Simply merging neglects the differences. This must lead to an emphasizing of the differences and the “inconnectibility”. So the differentiating impulse had to break through on Wednesday to a point that it might have seemed that these groups were not able to dance and perform together.

But your (and the teacher´s and student´s) ability to “contain” this, i.e. to hold and deal with it, and to digest it, lead to a solution in connecting the differences. Your idea, shared with the teachers and Jonathan, to let the Waldkirch students start with their dance, then to bring in the Waldorf students to intermingle with them for a real “dancing to connect”, and then again let the Waldkirch students leave the stage to the Waldorfs, digested the conflict to a real dialectical solution.
Dialectical in the sense, that the contradiction (if not antagonism) of being so different was “aufgehoben” (i.e. German past participle of “aufheben”). The German “aufheben” means all of the following: solve and abolish – lift to a higher level – and keep. In so far, the title of Waldkirch-Waldorf-Dancing could be: We – Connected – You.

What I am pointing at is not a mere problem of the students. The outlined dynamics were already existing when they met, in our society, organizations, the teachers, etc.. The groups merely reflected and mirrored the conflicted dynamics. This happens by mechanisms of splitting, projections, projective identifications – as we call it – and are mostly unconscious.

To dare a look forward: If the project should go into a third year, again with the experiment of putting students of so different backgrounds together – perhaps, in a step further – with groups of students with a migrant background connecting with native German students, it might be wise to have some new setting: to accompany the student´s workshop by a “connecting group” with teachers and dancers to communicate differences as much as points in common. But, of course, this group would need a group-dynamic leader, neutral, not engaged in the project itself.

Don´t forget: What I said here means: Carmen and all participants, organizing committee, dancers, students, teachers did a terrific job. And Carmen worked along and worked out the conflicts, “contained” them to such a fabulous result.

Dancing to Connect Veterans have their say

Hannah and Fatima, who took part in the DTC "Veterans" workshops last year at Kepler Gymnasium in Freiburg, are participating again this year in a different role - that of Student Mentors. They are assisting Sean and Mayuna in working with 22 students from three Real Schules. Here is their journal entry:

When we arrived on Tuesday at the Weiherhof-school, we were first a bit confused, because we didn't know which role we were going to play or if the students were ready to work with us. So at the beginning we stayed in the background and started slowly to go towards the students and to help them doing the exercises. The students were very open, friendly, motivated and they accepted us soon. We also mentioned on the second and third day that they built up trust in us and that they did not fear going towards us and asking for help or ideas. So that was great for us, because at that moment we knew that they like us and really wanted us to help them. It was great to experience how the whole choreographies developed and how many new things also we could learn from the students. All the students, no matter if they had dance experiences before or not, tried so hard to show their feelings and to put all their energy into the project. It was a great feeling to see how we, as the veterans, could support them and also witness how they got better in knowing how to move their bodies and how to express their feelings. While watching the students we observed a lot of similarities to our own workshop-experiences in 2006 and 07.

We really do think that this whole project is an amazing thing and we are really happy to have the chance to be still involved. We are also proud and very thankful that we got the possibility to reach a new level by teaching others and working together with professionel dancers.

What Gwendolyn has to say about Dancing to Connect

Today the workshop started at 8.30. We rode to Pestalozzi-Real-Schule and went into the Assembly room. The pupils changed and Bafana and Robin, the Trainers from New York started worming-up:

Everybody squatted in five rows and stretched together their necks, shoulders, arms, backs and bellies. "Flex and point and flex and point" called Robin and everyone described a circle with their toes. At next "Plié, relevé, plié, relevé…" the pupils did knee bends and tip toed. Then they did sit-ups, press-ups and some jumps across the whole room.

After a short break the young dancers chose a partner. They had to pull her or him and the partner stayed in a pose until he or she pulled the other partner. First in groups of two, then three and ten. That wasn`t easy,

So in a little break Bafana and Robin cut 30cm-long strings. I couldn`t wait to see what will happen next: They committed it on some pupils` hands and their partners pulled them like puppets. Now the young dancers had to dance completely free.

Sometimes it looked really funny, but nobody laughed at someone other. After this they had to stand in two rows and moved to the middle like a level. The trainers asked for ideas for the choreography, wrote them down and told, that everyone could go outside for a half hour.

I rode back to school, but I really wanted to stay and needed to dance with them. For everyone who will ever have the chance of joining to "Dancing to Connect" do it!!!

Gwendolyn Zeuner

Freiburg Challenges and Victories

Several stories to share today:

First, the story of the student who participated in DTC last year, but who has since changed schools. Her new school is not one of those that are part of the project this year. She wrote twice to Wolfgang Borchardt, coordinator of the schools, to request an exception -- that she could join one of the workshops. Wolfgang sadly responded that the workshops were full. On the first day, this passionate young dancer appeared at the door of one of the workshops, and said, "Can´t I at least join the warm-up???" Long story short: she is in the workshop at Pestalozzi - Kepler and will perform with the permission of her (new and very tolerant) principal!

Next: The merging of two schools presented certain dilemmas for BDC Teaching Artist Carmen Nicole. Students were in conflict yesterday over different speeds and styles of learning. However, as of today, we saw that the students from Waldorf and Waldkirch schools could find a way to collaborate and the piece is now firmly on the tracks! Great job to all involved! Brava Carmen!

And finally: the 16 kids at Hebel Schule had been a bit much even for BDC Teaching Artist Paul Blackman. Noise factor was over the top and concentration was down. However, as in the case above, the students found their focus today and the piece is shaping up beautifully! You go Paul.

Much more to come.... SOON!

Freiburg!

We´ve arrived in Freiburg, the third city of our German odyssey, and this small City/large town is, of course, a singular experience for us.

Dancing to Connect was born here last year out of our 2006 project, Dances for the Blue House, and thus we are working with local partners who know us well. Alfred Rogoll is our Project Manager; Wolfgang Borchardt has coordinated the schools (and there are 8 this year) and Eva Manske and the Carl-Schurz-Haus have provided the project´s institutional auspices.

Last night, we gathered at the Carl-Schurz-Haus with the teachers who are serving as liaisons with each school. We also met with the 9 so-called "veterans" who are our teaching assistants this year. The veterans are senior students, and some graduates, of the Kepler-Gymnasium who have participated in the past two years of our Dancing projects here in Freiburg. They are so mature and responsible and talented that we have asked them to take a step up into the position of student mentors for the younger first-timers.

The teams have formed and this morning they are off and running with the first day of workshops. I look forward to hearing their reports after the first 6 hours of this intensive project!

Bafana Matea Shares His Thoughts on Teaching in Berlin

So Berlin...

Big city, one of my favorite in Europe.

The kids were tough as expected and the first day was very disappointing. We were all in low spirits after a very exhilarating experience in Stuttgart. My partner Robin and I had to go back to the drawing board in order to attack the second day. Second day really went a bit better and by the third day we almost had the kids in the palm of our hand. What I realized about this experience with urban kids is that they are all kids at the end of the day. And once we understood that, we started to penetrate in to their minds and heart much easier, and we started to have lots of fun. I realized that by pouring more love towards them, we got an opening out of them. I am proud to say that by the end all the kids were friends and they all connected and they were all working together as a team, family and as a company and were very much proud of their accomplishment.

Auf Wiedersehn Berlin

The Berlin students brought down the house with their compelling performances last night at the Berliner Festspiele. The large and highly professional stage was a grand frame for the five student groups who had created their very diverse choreographies over the past week, expertly guided by the teaching artists of Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action.

Seeing the proud parents, teachers, family members and friends greet the young dancers after the performance was a treat.

We gratefully acknowledge the U.S. Embassy and Department of State, as well as Cerberus Deutschland and our wonderful hosts at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel for sponsoring the program in Berlin. Heartfelt thanks to the Berliner Festspiele for donating the gorgeous theater, and to Barbara Tennstedt and Fippe for handling the selection of schools and carefully and thoughtfully coordinating the workshops.

To all of the teachers, schools and most especially the students, we say congratulations, thank you, and hope to see you again next year!

The Students Speak...

I have learned team spirit and how to be confident
Maria Angela

I have learned to speak with my body
Alvira

I have learned that mistakes mean you try again, and not to be upset. I have loved it!
Ajit

I had fun. I have danced too
Theresa

I have learned to speak with my body. I will miss the dancers and hope they return next year
Nadine

Students from Steigschule Sonderschule, Stuttgart
Carmen Nicole and Sean Scantlebury, Battery Dance Company Teaching Artists

Performance in Berlin - Tickets Available -- 5 pm at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Saturday, July 5!

Come one, Come all: See 100 students from Berlin High Schools perform their own choreography at the prestigious Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Also, see Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action of New York in their Berlin debuts. Students and teaching artists, neophytes and professionals -- share their passion for the art of dance on one of Berlin's best stages!

Come to the theater at 4:30 p.m. to pick up your free tickets! Schaperstrasse 24 near Unter den Linden

Stuttgarter Zeitung Feature (in English!)

Stuttgarter Zeitung
June 25, 2008
By Matthias Ring

Dancing Ambassadors
American Professionals and their work with students

You don’t always have to use language to get to know each other, the expression of the body says so much more. That is what young people are learning from professional dancers from New York in the time leading up to the American Days.

“Uuuh!” “Wusch!” “Bang!” Those are strange commands sounding in the small auditorium of the Königin-Olga-Stift in Stuttgart’s Westend. They are directed at 14 girls and two boys. “Uuuh!” “Wusch!” “Bang!” Paul Blackman and Mayuna Shimizu ask you to dance, to “Dancing to Connect”

One can translate this unusual project as “connecting through dance” and it is presented as the kick-off to the American Days in Stuttgart. For this, ten teaching artists and two choreographers from two New York dance companies came to Germany and are currently working with five schools in the Stuttgart Region. The program is sponsored by Stuttgart, the Robert Bosch foundation, the state foundation of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the German American Institute.

The students will be performing at the opening ceremony. “This is about expressing what the students feel,” said Technical Director David Bengali. Bengali is the one with the overview of what has been developed in the five days of practice at the different schools. He is everywhere: from Königin-Olga-Stift he drives to Schickhardtrealschule, after Cannstatt to the Steigschule and still farther out to the Luginslandschule in Untertuerkheim. The farthest outpost of the project is the Oscar-Paret-Schule in Freiberg am Neckar.

It looks as if the students at Königin-Olga-Stift are already quite well “connected.” The movements are flowing and falling into place after the onomatopoetic warm-up. In the beginning however, there was a bit of a misunderstanding: “We thought of Hip Hop dancing,” said Isabel. This is how Jacob and Felix, who do break dance in their free time, could ultimately be convinced to participate. Most of the other students dance outside the school: Jazz dance, Standard, und Erna was even for 7 years at the Stuttgarter John Cranko School.

But both of the New York-based companies do neither classical Ballet nor Hip Hop, rather Modern Dance, a style that Erna from the Cranko-School is familiar with. So it’s no wonder that Paul Blackman is full of praise and already on the second day speaks of a a “breakthrough” so to say, a “Durchbruch.” This is due to the fact that at the Olgastift dance is an important component of physical education – for the girls, of course. Uli Christin Voelker, who teaches French and Sport and is herself a passionate “half professional” dancer, chose it for the teamwork. “What could be better as international exchange?!”

Over this the opinions diverge. At the school there are not only good connections. “It is somewhat contradictory: on the one hand projects of this kind and voluntary assignments are desired, on the other hand there are difficulties to convince the other teachers to give the students time off for these activities,” said the teacher. The student Franziska noted, “three kids from my class would like to participate, but the other teacher discouraged them from doing so.”

The American teaching artists are impressed with the German discipline.

Thus, only 16 from 20 possible spaces in the course are taken. Preparing for the performance means six days of missed classes and a double burden for the young participants aged 13 to 18, because despite this, exams have to be taken, before or after the rehearsals that are scheduled from 10am to 3pm.

However, the students benefit in another way. “We learn to be responsive to one another” says Jenny. “Without making fun of the other one,” added Jakob, even if some movements cost quite an effort. But Jakob said, full of pride: “All that we dance, is from us.” And that is exactly the goal of “Dancing to Connect” - now in its 3rd year in Germany. “So far, no one has had any queasy feelings on the stage because the movements come from the students themselves,” says Jonathan Hollander. He is the Artistic Director of the Battery Dance Company and can look back on at least a quarter century of positive experiences on all continents, and on how different backgrounds can be. “What could be more foreign for us New Yorkers than the culture of Cambodia?” he asks and then enthusiastically reports how dancers and school children in Phnom Penh became so close that there were tears on both sides when it was time to part.

Likewise, it happened at the beginning of the year in Taiwan, where the Company encountered one of the oldest cultures in the world: Aborigines who are being taught in a school. And even in India, where there is a strict tradition of dance and eight different classical styles, completely new and original ways of expression have been developed and conventions were overcome. When Jonathan Hollander calls his dancers “ambassadors,” he emphasizes that it is less about spreading their own culture, but rather more about taking home with them what they have learned from others.

And his impression of Germany? “Hard workers,” he calls the students and is impressed with their discipline. In his work in the melting pot of New York, one always has to remind the students to concentrate and focus, because the pulse of the city is commonly faster. His two ambassadors have seen a good example of typical German discipline, when they joined the group for a public viewing of a soccer game of the German national team, an event that encouraged team building.

Mayuna Shimizu asked about the meaning of the German flag. What the students associated with the colors Black, Red, and Gold, is written on a flipchart in the rehearsal room “Night-Sun-Aggression” or “Sadness-Wealth-Power.”

It is early afternoon. A trio dances “death” which is, for the students, the meaning of black. “ The beginning is good, but the ending is still not clear enough,” says Paul Blackman and demonstrates his version, ending the dance lying on the ground. “Regardless of what he does – it always looks good,” said Jakob. Although the dance project is part of the American Days, one question does not have to be asked at the Königin-Olga-Stift: How has the communication in English gone over? „No problem, we are a bilingual school,” answered Jakob. Only the accent poses difficulties sometimes, said his classmates.

It’s not that easy for everybody

In other schools the exchange is not so easy, for dancing and communicating is not only for Gymnasium students, but also for students with special needs. The standard of the language of the body is also different. Technical Director David Bengali sees it positively: “Every school has its own unique character.”

At the gala performance, the five schools will not dance together, but one after another. The size of the stage does not permit all that much “Dancing to Connect.” „Clearly,“ says Lisa, „we really want to be good. But this is not a competition. This is about each individual.” And that is exactly what the American dancers are trying to communicate in the rehearsals, in which not many words are needed. “Uuuh!” – “Wusch!” “Bang!”

Berlin -- Wilkommen Dancing to Connect!

The Dancing to Connect workshops that started in five high schools here in Berlin on Sunday (yep, the students showed up on the weekend!!) are off to a fantastic start.

The schools are flung out across this very expansive city, in the neighborhoods of Wedding, Hellersdorf and others, giving us the opportunity to reach students who are not often in the spotlight.

From the evidence which was displayed in rehearsals today, the students are engaged in challenging work. According to the teaching artists, the first barrier to overcome was, "No, this is not a hip-hop workshop!" and second was "You are going to choreograph a dance, your OWN dance -- not something that we've imported to teach to you!" The teaching artists have persisted and the students have given in -- and seem to be realizing that the stakes are high (a performance in the illustiours Haus der Berliner Festspiele) and the rewards are similarly high.

Students asked whether there would be talent scouts in the audience! (The American Idol mania is everywhere, I guess.) I'm not sure if I convinced them when, asked whether there would be "important people" in the audience, I shared the lesson that all professional performers must master: every audience member is a VIP.

Photos and personal reflections will be added to the blog tomorrow, I PROMISE!

The German Press Connects with Dancing to Connect

Untertürkheimer Zeitung, June 24, 2008
“This Is How School Should Be!”
Untertürkheim: German-American Dance project at the Luginsland School
(Untertürkheim is part of Stuttgart)
Like a peacock the 16-year-old proudly struts to the beat of the music in the gymnasium. In the middle of the room she suddenly stays standing. With chin held high and hands folded on the back she remains in position. Little by little the students arrive; they kneel, lay, or lean on each other. Some bury their faces in their hands and others throw their arms up, confident that they have successfully mastered the dance step. Feelings such as happiness, sadness, and bashfulness are reflected in their faces. At a snail’s pace they change to another position, embodying another feeling. The ensemble is repeated several times. “Good job”, praises appreciative Bafana Solomon Matea.

Together with Robin Cantrell he leads the German-American Dance-Workshop “Dancing to Connect” at the Untertürkheimer Luginsland School. Collectively with the American professional dancers the students choreograph a dance themselves. They will be performing this dance at the opening event of “American Days” on June, 26 2008 in the Wilhelma Theater for invited guests. According to Friederike Schulte, the Program Specialist at the German-American Center in Stuttgart, approximately 15 Stuttgart schools applied for this project in March. During the selection process it was valued that all school types are represented.

For 6 days 7th and 9th grade students from the Luginsland School have rehearsed for their big day. Therefore they train 5 hours daily in the gymnasium. Communication problems between the students and English speaking dance instructors only existed on the first day. When Robin Cantrell described communication with the students, she said: ”Dancing is movement, it is a language through movement”. In an emergency or if necessary one of the teachers jumps in as a translator.

Initially the dance instructor explained that the students were scared to mess up when learning a new dance step. That is what modern dance is all about, creatively expressing oneself. The instructors simply advised the students to simulate the movements of a soccer player or of feelings. The translation of a dance movement is alone the student’s job. Ninth grade student Vera Cristina Monteiro da Silva thought it was great that the students were allowed to actively participate in the choreography of the dances.

“This is how school should always be”, stated the enthusiastic Detlef Schmidt-Glöckler, principal of Luginsland School. He has always hoped that his students could make positive news some day. Through the dance project “Dancing to Connect” his wish should be fulfilled.

They did it!!!

"They" are the 100 kids from 5 Stuttgart high schools who dazzled the audiences at the Wilhelma Theater today! So much growth, so much composure, so much energy, so much esprit de corps!

We are sad to leave them behind but leave we must: Berlin awaits!

Hello Stuttgart! Welcome American Days!

Today's a big day: Battery Dance Company roosts in the jewel box Wilhelma Theater for two performances of Dancing to Connect. The real stars of the show are the 100 high school students who have worked tirelessly over the past 6 days with our teaching artists, and those of our partners in DTC, Drastic Action, creating five new dance pieces that are sure to inspire the audience today.

The Stuttgarter-Zeitung published a full page of photos and reportage yesterday and we've learned that the house will be jam-packed for both shows today.

Check back later for lots of interesting insights from the teaching artists!

Next up: Berlin and Freiburg!

Beijing Bye Bye

Last night's performance at the Tian Qiao Theater was the grand finale of our Asia Tour, and the dancers and Barry held nothing in reserve. Over 1,000 people came out to see what the American dance company was all about, and judging from the ultra sophisticated and very complimentary comments we heard in the audience talk-back session at the end of the performance, they liked what they saw!

Viewers told us that they appreciated the musicality of the program, paying special attention to the fact that three out of the four musical scores were composed for us and that the dance and music meshed in a way that "isn't usually seen in China". Two speakers talked about Shell Games and gave their interpretations -- showing that they had excavated deeply into the piece and had mined very rich meaning from it.

We were glowing with excitement to be so thoroughly rewarded, especially since it was clear that this was an audience of cognoscenti.

Sarabeth Berman, a young American dancer who has taken up residence as Festival Manager for the Beijing LDTX Dance Company, was a complete delight. Though she was stepping out for the first time in her very responsible role, she carried it off with grace and expertise.

Willy Tsao, the Johnny Appleseed of modern dance in China (he has established no less than 3 dance companies - in Hong Kong, Guongzhou and Beijing) is a charming and open-minded artist. He made us feel so comfortable and welcome in his home territory. We were very disappointed not to be able to see the Beijing LDTX Company in action -- but hope that we can help them find performance opportunities in New York before long.

Here in the transfer lounge at South Korea's Incheon Airport on our way home, the feeling is one of being replete after a great feast of experiences. We're grateful and amazed that there weren't any serious mishaps along the way. Almost too much to expect. Thank you to the many many people who have helped us along the way!

Beijing, Busy but Pampered!

From the moment we landed in Beijing, it's been a jolt into the future:

arriving at the newly opened airport: huge, magnificent;
checking into the JW Marriott, our hospitality sponsor: sparkling new, palatial yet gracious;
meeting Sarabeth Berman and Willy Tsao of the Beijing LDTX Dance Company,our hosts for the First Beijing International Dance Festival: warm,welcoming, impeccably organized;


Over the past 4 days, we've taught two master classes, given a performance on the terrace at the hotel, attended the opening night performance of the Festival presented by the stunning Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC), indulged in great food while spending time comparing notes with our Chinese colleagues, and ... tonight's the big night: OUR PERFORMANCE AT THE FESTIVAL!
Nerves are running high. Check back later for a post-mortem!

Front Page News!

As we were checking in at the Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar for our flight to Beijing, we were handed copies of Mongolia’s version of the New York Times and were thrilled to see a great photo of the Company’s performance at the Opera House earlier this week emblazoned across the front page. The paper is in Mongolian so we’ll have to wait to receive a translation of the review, but (as you can see) the photo is truly spectacular! Stay tuned for news from Beijing!

Snow & Sun in Ulaanbaatar

Again a multi-layered day with the Company split up into groups who fanned out across this city of the Steppes to teach, meet/greet, and learn about contemporary art and folkloric dance and music of Mongolia.

The streets were dusted with snow this morning as we left for our various assignments:

Bafana & Mayuna headed off to the University of Arts & Culture to teach a modern dance workshop and see a demonstration by the dance students;

Sean, Carmen and I went to the College of Music and Dance where we were first treated to a performance of classical ballet, followed by an exquisite Mongolian folk dance and finally the first modern dance choreography essayed by the school. Following the terrific showing by the students, Carmen took the helm and taught a hard-core modern dance class to which the students responded gamely. Standing in parallel position (after having learned for years to be turned-out) was a struggle, but they managed it and followed Carmen's lead through some twisting, turning and other modern moves. Sean raved about their response to hip-hop. I left early to join Barry at the theater where we packed the costumes and tech equipment, inspiring mirth among the wardrobe ladies whose haunt we occupied back stage. I don't think they'd ever seen a man folding and packing garments before.

A fabulous lunch at the new Black Pearl, hosted by Alexei Kral, our gracious Public Affairs Officer here, set us up for an afternoon schedule that included a meeting with two dozen bubbly 16-year-olds at the Educational Advising Resource Center. These kids, who have been learning English in a special after-school program twice a week, had lots of wonderful questions about New York, and comments to share about our performance last night -- wow! Perhaps Mongolia is breeding some dance critics and writers to help support the budding dance scene!

After some cashmere shopping (!), we finished off the day at the Saran Chuluu traditional song and dance ensemble performance. A group of 25 musicians and an equal number of dancers, sporting elaborate folk costumes, took us through a crash course in Mongolia's very rich performing arts traditions, including the famous throat singing and plenty more. We met some of the performers after the show and congratulated them on their superb show.

Tomorrow we're off to Beijing with a tear in our collective eye -- Mongolia has definitely worked its way into our hearts!

Opera House Ulaanbaatar

Our show at the State Opera House this evening in Ulaanbaartar, Mongolia, was a great surprise -- with a minimum of time and a maximum of human effort and mind-over-matter visioning, Barry (lighting) and the dancers managed to pull off an extraordinarily professional looking show. The underseams that no-one saw were almost as compelling as the staged show:

1) the 60+ cardboard boxes, flattened and taped together (purchased by Otgon and me on the Q.T. from the workers at the State Department Store) that formed the under-flooring covered by old, distressed linoleum covering. This cardboard layer served to mitigate the impact on the dancers balance and confidence of the "undulating" wooden stage floor that has seen quite a few too many heavy opera productions

2) the disruption of the dancers' preparation time on stage due to the need to make an appearance at the Chinese Embassy to obtain visas for our arrival two days hence... We'd been turned down 4 times earlier, and dared not cause any ripples since, with the Embassy closed tomorrow, and our departure time on Wednesday being 9 a.m., this was "it".

3) the seriously, sadly under-equipped Opera House where the lighting structures and instruments appeared to have been installed along with the gouged gwooden floor in 1942...

Luckily, art transcends practical problems; all of us wanted to do our best for the Mongolian audience, and at 1:15 a.m., before crashing, I can honestly say that we outdid ourselves.

Arrival Mongolia

We bid a sad farewell to Taiwan and flew via Seoul to Ulaanbaatar, arriving at night on Friday. Thus the impressions of our expedition today out into the countryside were totally fresh and surprising. Having been in countries teeming with people, we are now in a vast land where human life is set into a very different proportion with nature.

But first, we had to attend to the mundane business of a dance company on tour: laundering costumes and exchanging money. In the first instance, we were astonished to find Metro Laundry, a giant establishment buzzing with workers, washing machines and every possible detergent known to mankind (mostly imported from Germany where I know from experience one can find great quality stain removers, cold water washes, etc.)

Having unloaded a bundle at Metro, we headed to the bank where we were relieved to find tellers and ATM's on a Saturday who were able to change money for us and deliver the clean crisp bills that we will need on Monday morning when we apply (for the 4th time) for our Chinese visas. Check back later to see how that story unfolds...!

Then it was time for our trip to Terelj, accompanied by Nomi and Monki from the Arts Council of Mongolia. A former contortionist who performed with Cirque de Soleil, Nomi has made a seamless transition into an expert arts manager, and as we found out, a fun tour guide. Monki is a former teacher and museum curator who has recently joined the Arts Council. After a delicious lunch of local specialties in a country inn, we mounted pint-sized, furry Mongolian horses (never mind that the stirrups were too short) and enjoyed a two-hour jaunt into the wilderness. The hills were dusted with pale green, a hint of the grass that will eventually coat them.

All in all, a cleansing and amazing real-life geography lesson and fascinating introduction to a country that is neither Asia nor Europe, but something in between and unto itself. We feel incredibly privileged to be the first American dance company to perform in Ulaanbaatar (according to Nomi).

Sharing the Stage Tonight in Taichung

1,500+ people filled the Chung Shan Hall this evening. They were there to welcome a dance company that had traveled all the way from New York; but they were also there to celebrate their own: 20 junior high school students from Aboriginal Tribes of Taiwan whose stunning performances brought many tears to eyes (including mine). Performers can feel an audience -- and the Battery Dancers outdid themselves this evening as did the students. I found myself sitting in the theater in amazement, asking myself, "how could they be so self-assured after such a short period of rehearsal?" As moving as the performance was, the scene backstage after the concert was even moreso: the students were so pumped up after the show that they didn't want the evening to end. In traditional Aboriginal style, they grabbed the hands of the exhausted Battery Dancers, and we all continued dancing and chanting for another 5 or 10 minutes after the curtain went down. In my 33 years in the theater, this was a first! And I hope it isn't the last! Tomorrow we leave for Mongolia and the pen-ultimate adventure on this tour. Memories of Taiwan will surely linger.

American Institute in Taiwan Website

Copy this link into your web browser to see a wonderful overview of our activities in Taiwan!

http://www.ait.org.tw/events/BatteryDance2008/index.html

Day Three -- Taichung and Kaohsiung

Another two 12-hour days replete with inspiration and testing of limits. We continued on four parallel tracks:

Mayuna and Tadej journeyed out to two schools in the Taichung region, teaching modern dance master classes. Today, they were surprised by the presence of 50 "observers" in addition to the 20 active participants (!) and delighted by the request that they tack on a professional development session for a group of teachers following the class.

Robin and Sean and I took the High Speed Rail with Nick and Su Lee to Kaohsiung. After a drive up into the mountains, we arrived at the Indigenous Peoples' Park to see a brilliant performance of music and dance representative of the 14 tribes of Aboriginal Taiwanese. After a great lunch of Aboriginal specialties, Robin and Sean taught a master class for the same dancers who had performed for us (and 1,000 tourists who had elicited absolutely no response to the phenomenal performance...?!) It was deeply touching to experience the exchange of cultures amongst us throughout the day.

Carmen and Bafana spent a total of 16 hours working with 20 junior high school students at the Szu Chen school. I was lucky to attend the beginning of their Dancing to Connect workshop, and to witness the end of it this evening. All of us were astonished and moved by the creativity of the students and can't wait to hear the audience's response tomorrow night when we will all perform together on the huge and beautiful stage at the Chung Shan Hall. 1,600 tickets have already been claimed and we are expecting an overflow crowd.

Barry spent the day loading into the aforementioned Chung Shan Hall -- befriending and rallying the local tech crew such that by tomorrow night, we'll have the kind of seamless show that he spoils us with everywhere! Go Barry, Go Barry, Go Barry....!

Taipei/Taichung/TAIWAN!

For the past two days, we've been on a magic carpet ride here in Taiwan, with a dozen activities accomplished over 48 hours in two cities! The miraculous part is that each event, from a press conference to a Dancing to Connect workshop, has seemed beautifully planned, expertly executed and utterly gratifying! Nick Papp is the the Ali Baba who has kept the carpet afloat. He's the Cultural Affairs Officer here, and supported by a bevy of dynamic staff members, he has envisioned a full-on program that will surely have memorable impact in Taipei and Taichung alike.

On Monday, in Taipei, the highlight was a "Professional Dialogue in Arts Management" at the illustrious Taipei Artist Village, moderated by Yao-Hua Su, TAV's brilliant Executive Director. My fellow panelists were equally brilliant: Becky Cho, Executive Director of the Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture and Wen-wen Yeh, Executive of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre.

For two hours, we shared our experiences and visions with an audience that included a sparkling array of interested people from the arts, corporate, government and foundation sectors. I like to think that the artists who attended were given some helpful guidance as they pursue the uphill path of attracting support for their work and making the most of what resources they have.

Today in Taichung, we had a three-fold program:
a well-attended press conference including a performance for the t.v. and print media cameras by Sean and Robin; a full-day workshop with twenty talented students at Szu Chen Junior High School led by Carmen and Bafana; and a master class at Wen-Hua Senior High School by Tadej and Mayuna kept the Company busy as they fanned out across the City.

Tomorrow is equally complex. Stay tuned for a report!

Report from Burma

In the sweltering heat of the afternoon, 24 carpenters and electricians (most in flip flops or bare feet and dressed in the traditional sarong) labored on the outdoor basketball court of the American Club here in Rangoon, building a stage and audience risers out of unfinished teak.

Voluminous white fabric came straight from the tailor’s and was hung as a cyclorama. After the stage was leveled and finished off, 1” thick rubber pads were placed on top to bridge the gaps between distressed plywood sheets. But rubber being far too sticky for dancers’ pivots and turns, we headed off with Nyi Nyi Moe Thu to the city center to pick out linoleum for the dance performance that was to happen the
following night.

We chose an innocuous white and gray-flecked pattern; nothing like the plain black or dark gray standard for a theatrical performance being available. Why, you might wonder, would all of this effort and expense be necessary? Why couldn’t we load into a theater, or at least a hotel ballroom, where the staging and lights (and a/c) would be on hand?

The answer is simple and tragic: Burma, being a police state, and its rulers being distrustful of any public gatherings, and even more so those that are sponsored by a foreign country supportive of the opposition party, a theater or hotel would most likely have its performance permission revoked moments before the curtain went up.

Thus the basketball court on American-owned property (mercifully covered, but not so mercifully open on the sides to the heat and humidity, and insects which formed a crunchy carpet under the stage lights later ) was the only venue that was immune from interruption.

Karl Stoltz, the DCM and Acting Public Affairs Officer here, had written me in November with the proposition that we consider adding Burma to our Asian itinerary. Karl knew me, Barry and BDC through our program in Malaysia in 2006, his previous State Department post, and reasoned that dance might be one of the only means to effectively engage with Burmese, given the lock-down on free thought and expression here. Dance’s ability to communicate without words could do what other media couldn’t. It wasn’t until a few weeks before we were due to leave New York for the tour that funding was solidified, visas were secured and Burma was on the schedule, wedged between Laos and Taiwan.

Fast forward to the next day: Another shopping trip into the city to purchase pulleys and other hardware needed for the show that evening; and my urgent need to answer dozens of e-mails that had been coming in each day from other Asian posts down the line. The Burmese government strictly controls internet access and no service was available in the Business Centre at our 5-star international hotel.

Nyi Nyi thought that an internet café might be a better bet. And it was. Except that no sooner had a proxy server been located and e-mail messages downloaded, than the service was shut off. Young women employees of the café buzzed from one computer terminal to the other, madly typing in new numbers, and for a minute or so, the connection was good; only to be interrupted again. It seemed like an exasperating game of hide and seek – with the Government’s censors winning: I spent an hour in the café during which time I managed to read only 4 out of 50 current e-mails and was unable to send out anything.

Frustrating as it was, I took it as a lesson in understanding the challenges of the populace here – and in such a poverty-stricken, isolated nation, only a tiny elite would ever have the funds to try.

This sense of “no chance” was verbalized in the first of two dance workshop we held. The seven dancers who attended were obviously thirsty for information from the outside – they wanted to be dancers but television and internet (!) were their only teachers. They said, “we have no chance to learn, because practically no one comes here who can teach us.” Each and every BDC teaching artist would be more than willing to return, but how? Who would fund such an undertaking? And how could we manage to circumvent the whims of a Government determined to keep its people deaf to the outside world?

The night before last was our first of two performances, and despite powerful afternoon rains, the audience arrived in droves. Quickly all the 450 seats were filled and an overflow audience extended into the parking lot. Charge d’Affaires Shari Villarosa gave us a lovely introduction and the show was on. The lighting dazzled the audience, but also attracted a plethora of insect life that gravitated to the linoleum floor.

The dancers gamely lost themselves in their performances, jumping high on the custom-built stage and connecting powerfully with the audience. Whoops and hollers and loads of applause rewarded and surprised us. In such a complicated place where people have so much to lose just by attending an American performance, art transcended politics and the spirit was lifted.

National Cultural Hall Rocked Last Night - and Farewell to Laos

Last night's performance was a stand-out for the Company. We filled the orchestra of the National Cultural Hall -- 920 people strong -- with a large proportion of young people who rewarded us with a tremendously resonant response. Laos is a relatively isolated country, the least Westernized in Asia that we've seen. And yet the audience clearly followed all of the action on stage and gave back so tangibly with laughs, gasps and applause. The dancers responded in kind and raised their performance to the very top notch. We were deeply touched by Ambassador Ravic Huso's effusive praise at the end. We'd met him earlier in the week, and he'd promised an honest assessment; and given his no- nonsense delivery, we understood him to mean it! Laos' Vice Minister of Information and Culture Mr. Bouangeun and his wife were also charming on the stage -- with a litle English and a lot of hand gestures, they made it clear that they loved the performance and hope we'll return soon. We're sad that our short stay here is over and hope this isn't the end of our contact with Laos! Working with Amy Archibald, the APAO here, and her delightful and talented staffer Sengsouriya has been a treat. A special thanks also to our driver Sengthavy whose smile and guidance were welcome throughout!

Laotian Dancers Have Their Say...

Aluna... It felt really good to have this help from Carmen and Sean and Battery Dance Company of the USA to open our eyes to contemporary dance styles. We have hardly seen anything. We see Western dancing in movies, but I think that much of what I see is made possible by the camera angles. This was different. Carmen's moves were quite unusual for us, and the stretching was really helpful. Some of us do Yoga, so we were ready for Carmen! Sean was really fine. He made us feel comfortable and not shy to try new things. I'm sure we'd get that special kick he taught if we tried it a few more times!

Anouza... This was totally different from what I was thinking. When we say "American dance", we think of popping. When we started this morning with Carmen, I was feeling the beat in my hands, it was giving life to my dancing. I was very happy! What we usually see and copy is on MTV and the internet. Sean showed us how to mix up styles and bring something new to our dance. We'll use this new style when we dance in the Asian competition next time!

Vientiane

Starting our second day in Laos, we have acclimated to the 3 H's - hazy, hot and humid. We're New Yorkers after all, so this is familiar to us though slightly out of season.
A great Lao meal last night following a day of recreation, shopping and theater reconnoitering (Barry and me) on our first day off since April 11 have helped restore us. Even more so, the delightful manners of the Lao people have reinforced our feeling of being welcome in this beautiful country.
This morning, we were introduced to 30+ young dancers and singers, members of several dance groups here, who jumped into Carmen's modern dance master class this morning and will join Sean in hip-hopping this afternoon. A huge air-conditioned hall was arranged for the classes, complete with great sound system, mirrors .... but, unfortunately, a cement floor. Carmen modified her class (no jumps!) and off they went with abandon and excitement to learn some new techniques. Apparently, we are the first professional American dancers they've met, and their enthusiasm showed! Check back later for a post mortem!

Mid-Air Reflections on Korea

It is interesting how I always find myself drawn to the beauty of Asian countries, their food, traditions and their way of living. There is something pure, completely real and precious in the soil here. As we are leaving South Korea, a country that I visited for the first time (and hopefully not last), I am left with much to remember. Most importantly, I am both personally and professionally inspired.

Though both performances were received with great audience reviews, the true highlights of our stay here in Korea were (was it 12?) Master classes taught by members of the Company. I was most impressed by the openness, artistic hunger and ability of the students in both Arts High Schools in Busan and Seoul as well as the Universities where we taught. I can say that with all of my extensive international teaching experiences, I have never been so impressed by the talent of the students as well as the work done.. It leaves me wondering how much more could be accomplished, if we could only stay longer… Or return soon!

I must thank the American Embassy and its staff for understanding the true value and importance of such cultural exchange. But this should be just the beginning.
Let’s not be satisfied with what has been done here, pat ourselves on the shoulder for what we’ve done, but rather start building a cultural bridge with constant exchange.

I personally would be honored to return to work with these students at any time….
Tadej Brdnik

Battery Returns the Favor

If you were a dancer or dance student in the 18-24 age range in Busan, our performance at Kyungsung University's very nice auditorium was evidently the place-to-be on Tuesday evening! I was amazed as the crowd flooded into the auditorium to see such a young audience. Obviously the master classes were the best possible marketing tool since it seemed as if, of the 150 or so students who took part in the classes, maybe 149 showed up to our performance?! Given the young crowd, I assumed that "I'll Take You There", with its goofy cartoonish style would be the hit of the evening. Not so. The fans waiting outside the dancers' dressing rooms after the show told me that "Notebooks" was their favorite. Later, at the reception, I heard a lot of buzz around "Shell Games"; and at breakfast the next morning, Mayuna told me that she heard "Moonbeam" praised for its purity. My conclusion: a varied repertoire travels well!

Battery Charged by Busan

Once upon a time, one of my mentors, Twyla Tharp, named a piece "Sue's Leg". She said that every time her company toured in the Mid-West and hit the territory that was covered by Suzanne Weil (who went on to run the dance program of the National Endowment for the Arts) it was pure bliss because everything ran like clockwork. Taking a cue from Twyla, we've got to title a piece "Dae-young's Wing", because we are certainly under Kim Dae-young's here in Busan! How can it be that we could have had innumerable meetings, logged in many kilometers shuttling between three different venues, run a half-dozen master classes, meetings and interactions, dealt with a 13-hour time difference and 20+ hours of traveling and simultaneously felt like we were on vacation? We have come in contact with wonderfully open and receptive dance teachers at Kyungsung University, Dong A University and Busan Arts High School and their talented charges -- all 150 of them who took part in 4 master classes taught yesterday by Tadej, Carmen, Bafana and Mayuna. Tonight is our first performance of the Asia Tour. Barry Steele, our great production designer, has been working like a fiend in the theater, ably supported by John Lee and Kim Chi-young and a crew whom he says is one of the finest he has encountered on tour. We're hoping for a full house and a great response. Stay tuned...!

Asia Ahoy!

On Friday, April 11, we'll take off for Asia: performances and educational outreach activities are planned for Busan and Seoul, Korea (April 12 - 19); Vientiane, Laos (April 19 - 23); Yangon, Myanmar (April 23 - 27); Taipei and Taichung, Taiwan (April 27 - May 2); Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (May 2 - 7) and Beijing, where we'll perform in the First International Modern Dance Festival. Production Director Barry Steele will shine his beautiful lights on dancers Tadej Brdnik, Robin Cantrell, Bafana Matea, Carmen Nicole, Sean Scantlebury and Mayuna Shimizu. Check back frequently to see and read about our headway.

Next Chapter - Asia

We're back in New York City with fond memories to savor. Sadly, Armenia was curtailed for us due to the state of emergency there. We hope to realize our plans to perform and teach in Yerevan at some more auspicious time and with better conditions for the Armenians!

We'll be setting up a new blog for our upcoming Asia Tour. Check back after April 11to see what we're doing in Busan and Seoul, South Korea, and to follow us as we dance our way across to Laos, Burma, Taiwan, Mongolia and China!

Full House at Musical Comedy Theater

The U.S. Ambassador and Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture were in the audience tonight at the Musical Comedy Theater to attend Battery Dance Company's performance. Equally exciting for us was the fact that at least one hundred dance students from all of the schools and studios where we taught were there to cheer us on. BDC members were a little surprised when the t.v. cameras appeared back stage at intermission asking for interviews. As always, the questioners rolled around to, "What is your impression of Azerbaijani dance? How do you like our country?" I guess that all of those years under the domination of the USSR have left Azeris a little insecure. After our wonderful interactions in the workshops, our dancers had plenty to say about the passion and determination of Azeri dancers -- too much in fact! I had to interrupt with a reminder that we had a second act to perform!

The dancers had made special request that we reverse the program order and finish with Shell Games. They said that it was hard to give Shells all the energy that they would like if they knew they had 2 more pieces to perform afterwards. I agreed, and saw tonight how right they were. Shells was INTENSE and brought the house down.

The miracle of tonight's show was that up until the day before, the stage floor had been totally undanceable. A huge turntable in the middle with a 1/2" gap would have been a beartrap for dancers' toes. With the Embassy's support, masonite was purchased, nailed down, and painted black; and though dancing on it was a bit of an obstacle course. Especially bumpy areas were chalked out so that dancers could avoid them, but when in the middle of a combination of movements, and blinded by the side lights, the dancers weren't looking down to study the map under their feet.

Barry Steele, our production designer, gets our blue ribbon of appreciation for having made the show look professional and polished despite the very rough conditions. A glass of wine and some pilaf at the excellent Mugam Restaurant afterwards helped restore Barry (just in time to crawl into bed before getting up at 5:30 a.m. to load out for the airport on our transit through Istanbul and home to New York. Fond memories are already being teased in our brains from the past weeks of touring Turkey and Azerbaijan!

Busy Battery in Baku

After three workshops (Baku School of Choreography, University of Arts & Culture, and Spider Dance Group) and the press conference yesterday, we all regrouped (and re-groomed) for a reception at the Ambassador Anne Derse's residence. The Ambassador herself was down to Earth and genuine and when she delivered her welcome speech in Azeri as well as English, we were suitably impressed.

This morning, I was asked to lead a workshop with the Neru Dance Group, 7 very talented and hard working dancers who had been mentored by a Russian teacher who closed shop some time ago. They showed me their work in the form of a techno ensemble dance, whipped to smooth finish, which they said was in the style of Brittney Spears. Boy am I glad that I invited them to show before we did the tell... I had misunderstood the culture journalist who raved about this group, and thought they were experimental and avant-garde. Not! But they were wonderfully open to anything I had to offer and jumped in to the experimentation and self-expression that I asked of them. After 90 minutes, they had concocted a very complex and engaging dance essay and we left with warm embraces and promises to meet after the show tonight so that I could introduce them to the BDC dancers.

Dancing Modern at Baku School of Choreography

Bafana, Robin and I headed off to Azerbaijan's premiere dance conservatory -- about which one can find many entries on the www from 1930's onward. We were surprised to find that our session started off with a press conference -- approximately 15 journalists and t.v. crews wanted to know what we thought about Azerbaijani dance, and whether there were any established ballet companies in the U.S.! After mentioning NYC Ballet and American Ballet Theater, and dropping Balanchine's name without any sign of recognition, I realized that we were "big news" and not the more marginal "cultural news" because certainly, these names would have been familiar to the cultural press. Bafana and Robin had prepared some material from Shell Games that involved various moves on the floor -- but they quickly modified their plan when we entered the large sunny studio and saw:
*20 young ballet students in traditional Russian ballet attire (black leotards and white tights for the girls; white t-shirts and black tights for the boys; and pointe shoes or ballet shoes on everybody
*the floor was out of a Degas painting, bleached unfinished boards that were probably perfect for ballet slippers but deadly for either bare feet or the floor moves that had been planned (splinters galore!)
*an audience of approximately 100 students and teachers from the school who burst into applause when we entered the room

Bafana began with a series of isolations with ribs and hips, gyrations that caused the students and audience to giggle uproariously. Phrases from the BDC repertoire were doled out in good measure and the kids did their best to keep up. Great fun was had by all and when I wandered out of the room at the end, I encountered students, partipants and audience alike, gleefully trying out the choreography in the hallways and staircases.

Azerbaijan: First Impressions

Arrival at the Baku Airport in the early morning hours of Monday: We certainly stood out on arrival at the airport from the all-male, black-coated fellow travelers who seemed part of a 1950's b/w movie. The straight-faced customs officials accepted our 8 passports and pre-prepared visa applications (thank you Jessica!), studied them along with the official Diplomatic Note from the U.S. Embassy (thank you Jonathan Henick, Dmitri and Gulara!), and without the slightest hint of a smile, said "no charge" waiving the very substantial visa fees. Wow! What a nice welcome! Seems that performing artists are respected and welcomed in this country. A bevy of reporters gathering in the afternoon on the rooftop of our hotel for a mini-press conference were interested to know if we were aware of Azerbaijan's rich background in folkloric dance and music (only superficially). They hoped that we would have the opportunity of interacting with young dancers and choreographers who had been turned on by the British dance company Random Dance via British Council-funded residencies (2) in 2003, and a Russian modern dance company that had temporarily set up a branch operation here in Baku, only to shut down a short while later. Tomorrow, we'll have that chance, with three workshops at the Baku School of Choreography, the University of Arts & Culture, and the Spider Dance Group. Check back for reports, and photos!

My Dinner with Serdil

The Goksu Restaurant is not a tourist haven; rather, it is the haunt of Serdil Gunay and his friends dating back to his college times through the present (he's not telling how many years that entails!) Serdil was one of the stellar team from the U.S. Embassy Ankara who guided us through our fascinating programs in Konya and Ankara (along with the brilliant Craig Dicker, and Aysegul Taskin who became a surrogate mother for all members of the company.) From the moment Serdil and I arrived at the Goksu, waiters, bus-boys and managers demonstrated their pleasure at seeing him by embracing and kissing him on both cheeks (brotherly love is fully practiced in Turkey). Starters were chosen from an array of delicious plates: celery remoulade; fava beans in a light tomato sauce; broccoli and carrot salad, steamed perfectly; and a huge artichoke heart in olive oil and lemon dressing. A string bean dish with sauteed shallots and garlic, with a touch of vinegar, accompanied the fish kebob that Serdil ordered. Has anyone heard of Goby fish? That's what it was, and the tender white chunks were grilled to perfection. Serdil put away a bottle of Arak softened with water; I stuck to the more mundane white wine. A pu-pu platter of scrumptious filo-nuts-honey pastries of different shapes and sizes, and another of perfectly ripe fresh fruit rounded out the feast, with Turkish coffee and brandy as the grand finale. I've characterized the food, but it was the conversation -- about life, head scarves, secularism, spirituality, art, money, values, dancers, sufis -- that was the main attraction. The brisk up hill walk in the cool night air was the perfect way to cap off an evening I'll never forget.

10th METU International Contemporary Dance Days

Yesterday was a whirlwind day. Our masterful production designer Barry Steele had a challenge to beat all challenges: how to load in, hang and focus lights, prepare a video projector, hang scenery and train a crew in less than 12 hours (it usually takes about 20 before the curtain is ready to part!) When I entered the theater with the dancers in the mid-afternoon, I heard Barry's usual refrain: "I'm not ready; take your time warming up." Bafana, the warm-hearted clown of our company, is also the person who offered to give the company class. When he asked the crew for a boom box, the answer was "no", uttered so automatically and dryly that we thought it was a joke. But not so: no boom box. So Bafana in his charming off-key voice, sang the company through their barre and other warm up exercises. Meanwhile, the university students who run the METU Festival .... OK, I will tell you what the acronym stands for: Middle Eastern Technical University (Turkey's MIT) ... were huddled in the lobby putting the finishing touches on the playbill for that evening's show. After having pitched in to help them, they were off on their labors of translating the whole thing into Turkish.
As is almost always the case, the playbill got done just before the audience arrived; and things on stage got done too; well, sort of. The hall of 800 seats was filled to about 2/3 capacity -- apparently twice as many as who had attended the previous night's show. There was surprisingly little diversity of age in the audience -- primarily college students and a smattering of teachers, Embassy staff and the odd senior dance fan!
Each of the four dances received warm applause, though Shell Games and I'll Take You There were the crowd favorites.
Our student guide Zeynap rushed the dancers into their clothes so that we could get to the nearby kabob house before closing. We downed our dinners in minutes flat and were back to the theater to pack up the costumes (still damp, a testament to the dancers' exertions). Several of the dancers had to wake up early the next morning to take the shuttle bus from our hotel back to the University campus in order to teach master classes. I hope that one of them will post a report soon on those activities: Instead of watching them myself, I spent most of the day in my room on the www figuring out our return flights, due to the cancellation of our program in Armenia caused by the unrest there.

Photos from Konya

We're already in Ankara, having driven in two van-loads from Konya yesterday. We bid a sad farewell in the early a.m. to Ahmet Calisir and our new friends at the Dedeman Hotel, stopped off at the Seljuk University to pack the costumes and load up. We're now at the Sheraton in Ankara, a stunning hotel located half-way up a steep rise, looking out on a bank of houses stretching up the hill. I finally have an image to share from the Sema ritual in Konya. The blur of color does do a good job of conveying the aura that we felt at the time. I've also attached a photo of Shell Games that likewise has vapor trails. Battery's show at the University was very well attended (95% full, I'd say) and very warmly received. I spoke to some students at intermission, those who weren't too shy to venture a conversation in English. They had some fascinating comments about Shell Games; in fact, I thought they "got" the piece astonishingly close to my ideas about it. Moonbeam was dedicated to Ahmet, who sat with his nephew, in the second row. He said that he was deeply touched and that I have a big heart. Nothing could have been more gratifying to me. The dancers did a sensational job and who can say enough about Barry? He was working in a brand new theater (ours was the first theatrical performance given there) in which none of the equipment had been tested and only a couple of trained hands. Two English majors from the university were pressed into service -- presumably as translators, but in reality, Barry put them to work as technicians, and wow, did they learn fast!
Tonight we stage our show at the METU Festival at METU (Middle Eastern Turkish University) here in Ankara. Gotta go!

Paul's journal entry

Ok, so to tell the truth, my first impressions of Turkey were nothing near what I first thought of the country before we left New York. Actually they have been blown out of the water.... I thought that we where going to have so many restrictions when coming here. I will admit I was quite naive, but everyone here has been so welcoming to who we are and the practice that we believe in, which is dance.

Of course when coming to a foreign land you think of what reactions others will have to you, and there are the strange stares and inquisitive looks. The thing is, these are all coming from a good place: the people here are just so curious to find out who we are and where we're from and what we're doing. I feel this country is going through a big change; they want to be accepted just like anyone else does, and I think this is partly why we are here...

Our lesson/improv with Ahmet and the Dervishes was very special...! We where taught some of their traditions and philosophies and afterwards, the points of turning. I mean I was only turning for maybe 5-10min and I felt like I could understand why they turn...after you let go of the world around you it feels like you're not turning anymore and you are one with yourself.

But after the class I was so unbelievably drained that I literally passed out for a few hours!!!

Besides that, I think that the work we could make together is something of great significance for both realms -- not just the fact of two countries, but that of two different beliefs. Even though we are not that different.

Paul Blackman,
Konya 2008.

Modern Dance meets Whirling Dervish

The ballroom at the Dedeman Hotel was once again equipped with a parquet floor, and we were joined for an afternoon session by Ahmet Calisir and his teenage son and nephew, both of whom are members of the whirling dervishes. The moment had arrived for us to stop theorizing and get down to the business of experimenting with the blending of movements and the sharing of space between these two very different worlds. The dancers gamely followed the basic directions: always turn counterclockwise; always travel around the floor in a counterclockwise direction; always keep your left leg straight, as the pivot point as you step across with the right leg, your paddle, and the swivel on both legs. When in repose, cross right arm over left; when whirling, gently unfold the arms so that the right hand is up, the hand slight cupped; and the left hand bent at the wrist facing downwards. Ahmet watched patiently, every so often giving a gentle correction. His verdict at the end was that the dancers were all very talented and could master the whirling technique in a month or so if they persisted on their own.

A beautiful moment occurred when Ahmet's cousin, dressed in the Sema costume (white long full skirt; white long sleeved tunic; brown felt cylindrical cap) whirled in the mddle of a tight circle made by the Battery Dancers who were improvising based on movements they had developed over the past several days. The simplicity of the juxtaposition was both striking and touching. Bafana, Robin, Paul, Sean, Adele and Mayuna all entered fully into the experience. Their facial expressions showed a tranquility (dare I say "spirituality"?) that seemed to be fed by the energy of the dervish in their midst. The harmony of those moments was complete.

Cultural Diplomacy - a word of thanks

It may seem unusual not to relegate credits to the small print at the bottom of the screen, but we feel particularly indebted to the agencies and individuals who believe in our mission of dance diplomacy and are serving as partners in this enterprise, so we're devoting a blog posting to them! Cheers and thanks to all of you!

Funding has been generously provided by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the State Department and the U.S. Embassies in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia; hospitality sponsorship from the Dedeman Hotel (Konya), Sheraton Hotel (Ankara) and Marriott Hotel (Yerevan), and local hosting by the Mevlana Order and the Seljuk University (Konya), METU University and Dance Festival (Ankara), Musical Comedy Theater (Baku) and Opera House (Yerevan)

We would like to further salute the vision and hard work performed by Stefanie Altman-Winans and Liza Davis at the Public Diplomacy Office of the Bureau of European Affairs; Kathryn Wainscott, Colombia Barrosse and Alina Romanowski of the ECA Bureau; and the wonderful teams of Foreign Service Officers in the field led by Elizabeth McKay and Craig Dicker in Ankara; Jonathan Henick in Baku; and Susan Bridenstine in Yerevan. Thus far, in Turkey, we have been magnificently supported by Ayesgul Taskin, Serdil and Serpil Taskin at each turn of the road.

Konya, Turkey - Land of Rumi

I must bundle three days into 1 posting -- what else can be done when our days end at 2 a.m. and the next morning call of the Muezzin is only hours away?
Let me introduce you to Ahmet Calisir -- he is the human portal through whom knowledge and experience of the whirling dervishes of Konya, the music and the philosophy of 12th Century Sufi poet Rumi may be accessed. My first meeting with Ahmet took place at his office in the center of this coal-smoke and fog filled city. Thank goodness for Aysegul Taskin, the cultural assistant from the U.S. Embassy Ankara who accompanied me to this meeting. Her seamless translation made communication with Ahmet fluid. Greetings with kisses on both cheeks are customary in this part of the world; and the exchange of gifts an essential politeness. A spice cake purchased on the run at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Aeroport was well received, but seemed a meager token next to the gorgeous 6-volume collection of Rumi's poetry that Ahmet proferred.

Exchanging information about our daughters (we both have two in their challenging teen years!) and our early introduction to music and philosophy (my concert-pianist mother allowed me to start piano lessons at the age of five; Ahmet had memorized the Koran by age 12) helped establish a bond of brotherliness that only continued to grow as we learned more about each other. The need for this taking-stock was unusually important: based upon reaching a zone of comfort on both sides, a very large project is in the offing: the first-ever dance collaboration with the Konya Mevlana Order of Whirling Dervishes.

Let's switch scenes: we are now in the very luxurious Dedeman Hotel, our generous hospitality sponsor here in Konya. We've rehearsed in one of the many ballrooms at this hotel which also serves as a convention center. Having painstakingly taped all of the seams of the parquet that the hotel laid on top of the carpet for our use(with sharp metal ridges that wouldn't have been noticed by ballroom dancing couples but which would have gauged the bare feet of our dancers), we rehearsed for several hours in preparation for Ahmet's arrival. We made some refinements to the hastily learned "Moonbeam"; and improvised to the Sufi mystic music on Ahmet's recordings.

After having rested briefly, Ahmet arrived at the hotel and we discovered that the hotel staff, thinking that we had completed our work in the ballroom, had dismantled the parquet floor. Ouch!!! However, our intrepid gang came up with an alternative: having fully scoped out and made use of the commodious fitness center in the hotel, they pointed out that the Squash Court would do just as well as the ballroom, perhaps even better because of its wooden floor!

I invite you to picture our "mystical" first showing of our work to this illustrious man in the Squash Court of a 5-star hotel, with sweaty hotel guests peering curiously through the glass barricade of the court! Actually, whatever happened in that court proved to be magical and the bond established in the earlier meetings was reinforced by what Ahmet perceived to be the lyricism, grace and common values of modern dancers from New York and Sufi's from Konya Turkey!

This evening, a few hours ago, the tables were turned and we were treated to our first live display of the Sema at their 2,800 seat Mevlana Center. 24 dervishes bowed, strode forth into the huge circular arena and whirled in a lush display of flowing white robes, high tapered wool hats, arms either folded across the chest or extended with one slightly upwards (to God) and the other draped slightly downward (to Earth)with accompaniment by a similar number of musicians.

Getting ready...!

Friday, February 22...
final days of rehearsals and preparations in New York before departing for Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Ameena Meer, our friend and neighbor, visited our studio this week and shared books and personal experiences from the local Sufi community to which she belongs. Having been a dancer (with Laura Dean, the grande dame of spinning/modern dance) and now a follower of Sufi-ism, Ameena helped us to prepare ourselves emotionally and spiritually for the interaction we'll have in Konya.

We are revamping a duet, Moonbeam, originally created in Ahmedabad, India, in 1992 for Mallika Sarabhai and Sasidharan Nair, and enlarging it into a group dance for all six members of the company. Fittingly, Sandhya Raman, the designer whose costumes had served as the inspiration for the original Moonbeam, has made some beautiful sketches and will be creating costumes for the company's Konya adventure!

Production designer Barry Steele served as Battery's Ambassador and front-man in Turkey two weeks ago, after the Lisbon premiere of "The Other Side" and just before loading in at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center for our New York Season and gala. Accompanied by Cultural Attache Dr. Craig Dicker and Aysegul Taskin, our visionary program officers at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Barry met with the Mevlana leader Ahmet Calisir and discussed the possibility of a collaboration between the Sema (whirling dervishes) and Battery Dance Company. The folks at Selcuk University offered their stage, studios and guest house to host us, and, well, we're all waiting anxiously to see how this amazing collaboration will develop once we're in situ.

Stay tuned!