Battery Dance Company

Thanks to our Funder

2011-04-09T14:04:00.000-04:00

2010-12-04T21:59:00.002-05:00

Just as friends lead one to other friends, and a network builds, international cultural engagement often thrives on individual partnerships, relationships, mutual respect. Such is the case with Battery Dance Company and Silesian Dance Theater of Poland. Jonathan met Jacek Luminski, Artistic Director of SDT in 2004, introduced by a mutual friend, Fulbright Senior Scholar and theater professor Juliusz Tyszka of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. The fruits of these relationships includes performances by SDT in New York, hosted by BDC; performances by BDC in Poland, hosted by SDT and the Malta Festival in Poznan which was launched by students of Juliusz', and on and on.

SUMMER TIME

2010-06-08T15:02:00.000-04:00

Jonathan and the dancers have just departed on their 5th DANCING TO CONNECT journey to Germany!The office also has two new interns, Mirjam and Bennett.

We're Moving!

2010-04-02T10:37:00.000-04:00

Battery Dance Company's blog can now be found at batterydancecompany.tumblr.com . Keep an eye out there for new photos and stories from Teaching Artist Carmen Nicole's residency at Curtis High School in Staten Island!

Dancing to Connect: Uganda, Day 2

2010-02-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

Day 2 of teaching...oh, but before I get into that...
So, we were told that the dance jam that took place last night would be a very informal improv jam session. We arrived at the theater in time to see the kick off dance week performance....an evening of latin dance. As we were exiting the theater, we were told that we would need to get into costume and get our cd to the sound guy.
We performed "She loves me.." outside, on concrete, at night, in between several poles not warmed up...and we did a damn fine job.
Today, I taught a group of about 15 children...some orphans and some from very poor families.
It was definitely work....but very fulfilling.
Then Sean and I taught a joint class at makarere University. The floor was covered in red dirt, I think blown in from the rain earlier in the day and everyone was filthy by the end.
We worked the students very very hard, but I think they liked it.
Tonight we treated ourselves to a fancy dinner...then try to put together the DTC piece that we began on Wed. And tomorrow night is the show...
I can hear the crickets and frogs getting loud now...so that means its evening time in Uganda.

Getting Ready for Dancing to Connect 5th German Edition

2010-02-22T17:37:00.002-05:00

Two important meetings took place today that set the groundwork for the first Dancing to Connect project in Frankfurt. At the end of the day, teachers gathered from the Otto Hahn, Ernst Reuter and Theodor Heuss schools to discuss the ways and means of organizing DTC workshops in June. They were very enthusiastic and have groups of students already set! Earlier in the morning, Jonathan met with a great team of masters degree students from the Hochschule, organized by Kurt Koegel, an expat American who runs the program. The goal is to guarantee the sustainability of DTC in Germany by incorporating German teachers into the program this summer. Early indications are that this group in Frankfurt will bring strong backgrounds and interest to the project!

BDC on Two Continents: Europe and Africa

2010-02-21T23:48:00.002-05:00

From Jonathan in Frankfurt: Having arrived at mid-day on Sunday, I met up with Kirsten Gerstner, Cultural Affairs Specialist at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt, BDC's friend and advocate since 2005, for a debriefing on my program here. We headed over to the Gallus Theater to pick up our tickets for the ZuKT_Wintertanzprojekt 2010 and then met up with Dorsey Bushnell, Assistant to William Forsythe, for supper at a Turkish Restaurant and an intensive sharing of knowledge and experiences regarding dance, outreach to youth and seniors. Then it was time for the show. We joined the packed audience to see students from the Hochschule fuer Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main perform several pieces, highlighted by two outstanding performances of excerpts from works by William Forsythe (dance God of Frankfurt!).
Ramon John, the male dancer who performed a solo from "In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated", was absolutely incredible: tall, thin, elastic body, perfect pirouettes that he threw away so casually that they seemed as effortless as any other step, terrific rhythm: WOW. And then there was a gorgeous duet from "The Loss of Small Detail" -- Ye Jin Kwon and Robin Rohmann -- both very young and unaffected, she with a very unusual full-body engagement with the movement, he very subtle, supporting her in amazing lifts as if it were all second nature. I left regretfully at the end of the first act, victim of jet lag.

Meanwhile in Africa, Robin and Sean begin their program in Uganda. We wait anxiously for reports, while the www is full of sublime reviews of their performances in Algiers and Oran last week.

First Performance in Algeria -- Oran

2010-02-20T11:10:00.003-05:00

Our day off was spent on Good Morning Algeria...as I'm sure you've seen by now....followed by a day trip to Tipaza to see the Roman ruins. They were amazing!
In the evening we were taken to what we were told would be a contemporary dance performance but was a pop concert instead: We tried to picture you there!
Yesterday we took a very early flight to Oran for performance number one. We gave ourselves 3 hours to prepare at the theater.... But it wasn't enough. We really really needed Barry! We weren't even able to warm up. I really had to crack the whip to get what I wanted our of the tech crew. Amazingly, the show went well! Only a few technical glitches that should be smoothed out tonight. Even the projection worked. (-although it played backwards) The students performed like absolute pros. They really pulled it together... And the evening culminated in a standing ovation. Great responses from the audience after. They told us they had never seen anything like this. They can't wait for more.
So tonight... The big show in Algiers.
-Robin

Dance Diplomacy on the Airwaves in Algeria

2010-02-18T22:03:00.000-05:00

Robin and Sean hit the t.v. news in a big way in Algeria today:

Check out this clip from today’s Bonjour D’Algerie (national morning news show in Algeria):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b139uTLRAzw

Algeria Update from Robin

2010-02-17T16:41:00.001-05:00

Today was the last day of workshops, and my piece is finished....

Barely!

We were interrupted mid day by a press conference, and a camera crew and interview at day's end.
Everyone asks pretty much the same question: what style of dance will you be presenting?
I've learned that it's almost useless to answer since "modern" or "contemporary" seem to mean completely different things depending on what part of the world you're coming from.
Tomorrow we have a much needed day off... But only after we appear on Good Morning Algeria!
We've decided to go with "Moonbeam", "Body Morphic" and "She Loves Me" for our repertoire here. The director was not enthusiastic about our minimal costuming for "Black and White". In fact, he offered to let Sean wear traditional Algerian garb for the piece. Sean respectfully declined.

Sean's workshop - finding a happy medium between hip hop and folk dance!

2010-02-16T17:33:00.003-05:00

Sean reported:
Sunday went well! I had a great time with my group. I had 15 adults in my workshop (none of whom speak English.) Half guys, half women. The guys were breakers but some of them had ballet and jazz training (surprise) The women are all folk dancers with some ballet. We had a good time together and I hope all of them come back tomorrow. One of the women spoke to me through Fatma from the Embassy Public Affairs Section who was acting as translator. She said that she was scared at first because none of the girls had taken hip hop before and looking at the guys in the beginning flipping around and doing all of these crazy tricks, she thought that it was going to be like that throughout the whole day. But I was able to encourage the guys to explore beyond their breaking habit and now we have what looks like a modern/contemporary piece so far. So everyone can join in!

Algeria, Day 3

2010-02-16T17:21:00.000-05:00

Robin reports: I had a conversation with one of the dancers yesterday. He told me that he aims very high, but often in this environment, the higher you reach, the more likely someone will be there to knock you down. My group agreed that this was an interesting theme for a dance piece. They were very excited to get to work on it today. They threw in lots of emotion. I'm proud. We finish up tomorrow. Wish us luck.

Farid is the featured dancer in the second photo. He is exceptional!

Dancing to Connect: ALGERIA!

2010-02-16T17:06:00.000-05:00

Robin and Sean arrived in Algiers on Saturday and work started on Sunday. They are already into the thick of the Dancing to Connect project with two different groups of dancers. This is BDC's first time back in North Africa after our phenomenal experience back in 2004.

From the photos that Robin sent over today, it looks as if the work is going beautifully. More soon!

Summing it all up: Dancing to Connect in Ghana

2010-02-16T15:37:00.002-05:00

This is a last program note before I do the official reporting in the State Department system. Thank you, again, for making available to us an absolutely wonderful program with Sean Scantlebury and Robin Cantrell. They achieved a tremendous body of work during their short stay, and they touched many lives to inspire and encourage dancers, teachers and supporters of dance. They had a very high caliber of dancers overall to work with, which made possible the rather astounding achievement of practically a new dance a day culminate in flawless performances yesterday. With only one quick run-through yesterday morning (including lighting and sound), the performance went as smoothly as if it had been months in planning. This is a tribute to everyone involved. The result—a perfect cultural exchange program. Everyone participating was very happy, there were some life-changing moments for some, and, hopefully, some new collaborations were created.

Again, this was a wonderful collaboration between Battery Dance, ARS/Paris, PAS Accra and the University of Ghana at Legon, whose brilliant, dedicated leader, Prof. Oh!Nii Kwei Sowah, brought together Ghana’s key dance companies in a first-time ever collaboration.

All the best,

Ellen Irvine

Cultural Affairs Officer

Updates from Africa!

2010-02-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

Sean and Robin have just finished up a whirlwind week of programs in Ghana--check out a few photos below!

Dancing to Connect students performing in Accra, Ghana

Dancing to Connect Review

2010-02-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's performance of the 2 Dancing to Connect groups went very well. Your TA's did a wonderful job with 2 very different groups. Even though Sharon's dancers are beginners I thought they showed up very well AS dancers. Each one tried to put her whole body behind a gesture and dared to really GO to the floor whenever the choreography called for it. I could see that the Gramercy Arts kids were not necessarily performing arts majors and that their abilities were best used in the stop-motion tableaux at the start of the dance. But then individual movers would stand out: the 2 tall boys who could jump like deer and Chris Rivas' running and somersaulting hand in hand with an amazing girl wearing black leotard and tights.

I was reminded, watching these groups of well-rehearsed kids, of the dance intensive that Jaan Freeman (former BDC teaching artist) did with my George Washington HS dancers years ago. The week-long dance intensive draws the kids in very powerfully and the quality of their performance is far beyond what anyone is usually expecting. Suzanne remarked to me afterwards that the dances were alike in their serious and upsetting subject matter, that the kids were dealing with some hard things in their lives. And it's Battery Dance that gives them an outlet.

                             In admiration,
                              Leslie Zema

Ghana Day 6: We swallow dance, because chewing takes too long

2010-02-09T16:46:00.000-05:00

Today we hit the Noyam African Dance Institute.

It's located up in the mountains, way out of town....and we got pretty lost trying to get there.

We ended up driving basically through people's yards, surrounded by goats and chickens. It was a really interesting way to see a real village up close.

Their space is really lovely -- sort of looks like a giant yurt.

We were told that it's the only privately run modern dance company in Ghana. Professor Yarty is the director.Actually, we also found out that a handful of students (including Jackson) who were involved in the university workshop don't go to the university at all. They are members of the Noyam company who are so hungry for dance that they requested to participate in both sessions. as they put it "We swallow dance, because chewing takes too long"

They performed for us. It was such a great melding of African and modern dance. They are really exceptional. It would be amazing if we could figure out a way to get them to NY....maybe to perform in the Downtown Dance Festival.

We managed to put together a 6 min. piece in about 2 hours. Amazing! This one is to jazz music.

Then we had lunch which ran way over time as it usually does. Now I really understand what African time is.

And after that, we worked with the little ones.

Tiny adorable little Ghanaians, age 9 to 15.

They haven't been dancing long, so the Noyam members came to the rescue to help with exercises.

We couldn't have done it without them.

The little ones performed.

The company members performed -- a fantastic piece! (with no music, since the power had gone out)

Then we ate sugar cane and coconut.

Probably the best day yet.

Ghana Day 4

2010-02-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

Today we sat through a grueling traffic jam before arriving at the National Theater. Once there, we were greeted with another high energy performance....this time with costumes and props.It was fantastic!

After I taught a master class, we picked about half of the dancers from the National Dance Theatre and put their piece together They were much more focused, and came up with something pretty fantastic in about 30min. The piece is about 5 min. long and lovely. So, yeah...we just have to do that 3 more times, and we're good to go.We also hit the market today. It was totally overwhelming!

Sean needed a nap after. Phew! Robin

Ghana - Day 3

2010-02-07T14:57:00.001-05:00

Today we visited Cape Coast with Mr. Quay.....a castle where slaves from all over Africa were held (in unbelievably horrid conditions) before being shipped to the U.S. We also visited Kakum Rain Forest where we walked a precarious suspension bridge over the forest canopy.A great day! Robin

Day Two - from Robin and Sean's Dancing to Connect in Accra

2010-02-06T17:16:00.001-05:00

Today we put the student piece together. It's kind of hard to believe but it's about 13min. long.
What they've made in 2 days is really impressive. I believe it's not quite like anything they've ever done before. We showed it to the professors, and everyone seemed pleased....but critical of the dancers. They work them very hard and expect perfection. I'm amazed that Sean and I pulled it off! So tomorrow we relax and visit Cape Coast and go walking on the forrest canopy. The pictures I'm enclosing are of the dance room where we've been rehearsing at the University, and Jackson (not sure of the spelling), one of the best dancers in the group. They call the piece Mozozo. It means "The Journey" in Ghanaian.
In it, they trace the history of Ghana through the colors of the flag.
Red=bloodshead for independence
gold=mineral wealth
green=rich forests
black= the star, african power
They served us a really authentic African lunch. I ate kenkey (cornmeal) with my fingers and dipped it in various spicy things.

Battery Dance Company Across the River (Hudson, that is!)

2010-02-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

Last week, a new relationship was forged between BDC and MCCC - Mercer County Community College in New Jersey. BDC Teaching Artists Bafana Matea and Mayuna Shimizu led a combined group of college and performing arts high school students in an abridged 3-day Dancing to Connect workshop. What resulted was anything but abridged: an 8 minute original dance piece that highlighted the skills, talents and creativity of the students themselves. Follow this link for a full report: http://www.mccc.edu/~humphrew/whatsnew/BDCperformance.htm

Follow Robin and Sean as they Dance to Connect in Ghana

2010-02-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

Update to date from Robin Cantrell:

Today was our first full day of teaching.

The students are absolutely amazing. We packed almost a weeks worth of material into one day since we only have 2 1/2 days to work with them.There are over 30 students....mostly in their late teens and early twenties. Lots of guys.They're extremely focused and well behaved....and they LOVE TO DANCE. After a 4-hour morning in 90 degree weather, most of them danced through their lunch break.

The professors are all very supportive and kind, and Ellen is helpful and lovely.

We had a meeting with the teachers, and discovered that the're expecting a dance performance with new material from all 4 groups.....but don't mind if it's extremely informal.

Sean and I have decided to do uber-mini dancing to connects at 3 other locations next week, and let the students present what they come up with in one day.

If they work as well as the kids we had today, then it could be quite a bit.

I tried to transfer some pics from my camera to this computer in the business center, but it's too old to deal with it, so I'll try on Sean's later tonight.

It's very very hot and humid....everyone (especially Sean) was sweaty and filthy by the end of the day.

but the atmosphere is so positive.

We're having a great time so far.

Ghana meets Battery Dance Company

2010-02-05T09:21:00.001-05:00

BDC Teaching Artists Robin Cantrell and Sean Scantlebury touched down in Accra yesterday and from Ellen Irvine, Cultural Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, we received this report: Their flight arrived on time this morning. We went directly to their hotel, dropped them to rest, then back at 2:00 p.m. to go to the University, where the faculty and members of the Ghana Dance Ensemble and senior students (40-or so) were assembled to meet them. Following introductions, there was a high-energy welcome performance (Sean and Robin were pulled in at the end and did well despite fatigue from not having slept during the flight). Following that, we moved to the Department Head’s office to meet the Director of the School of Performing Arts and to review the program plan with faculty members. Robin and Sean were back at the hotel by 4:30. Everyone very satisfied and happy and ready to begin tomorrow morning.
Stay tuned for more!

DTC Sneak Preview!

2010-02-02T13:10:00.005-05:00

Washington Irving and Gramercy Arts High School students performed two stunning pieces on Friday, January 29, the culmination of their week-long Dancing to Connect workshop, generously sponsored by Con Edison. They'll be performing their work for fellow students and members of the community on three separate occasions this month. Tues. Feb 9th -Spring Semester Celebration at 1:00pm and 1:55pm; Thurs. Feb 25th (Black History Month Celebration) 1:00pm and 1:55pm and Friday, Feb 26th (Gramercy Arts Dance Concert) 6:00pm. All of the performances take place in the Washington Irving HS auditorium, Irving Place between 16th & 17th Streets (enter through the left-most red door in front of the building). Identify yourself with Battery Dance Company. Admission is free!

Happy New Year from Battery Dance!

2009-12-29T16:23:00.002-05:00

Dancing to Connect performance by students from Millennium High School (NYC) and Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule (Berlin) at the Winter Garden in lower Manhattan, October, 2009

Photo by Barbara Tennstedt

Upcoming Events

2009-12-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

Battery Dance Company is honored to perform on Thursday, December 3, at the fabled Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for Business Council for International Understanding's 25th Annual Gala. Special tributes have been created by the Company and Frank Carlberg Quintet to honor the Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Award recipients Roger Agnelli, President & CEO of Vale S.A. and Charles E. Phillips, Jr., President of Oracle Corporation.

A Wonderful Postlude to the Dancing to Connect 2009 Program

2009-12-01T09:44:00.000-05:00

Upon their return from New York City, the Dancing to Connect students from Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule were invited to perform for Ambassador Murphy and a group of returnees from Embassy-sponsored visits to the U.S. This experience undoubtedly added an indelible memory for all.

Response to Dancing to Connect from Essen

2009-11-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

The dancing project is for (our students) a great experience which gives them energy and helps developing their self-esteem. The close, family-like bonds in the dance group during the training, the ability to express their experiences, their personal strength, wishes, hopes, moments of their personal history through the dancing, the efforts and strain because of the dancing, the encouragement through the coach, the work for a common joint performance, are not limited to this one project: This period of time and these experiences together with the performance in front of parents, teachers, brothers and sisters, friends and foreign people will be encouragement for their further development, they will give motivation and stimulation like a “lighthouse” does, to find their own way with more strength and self-esteem.

With greetings from everybody from “Stoppenberg” and again many thanks for this great project

I remain yours sincerely,

Reiner Düchting (Headmaster, Hauptschule am Stoppenberg, Essen, Germany)

Dancing to Connect Phase III

2009-11-04T11:05:00.042-05:00

Apologies to all you BDC blog-followers. The rigors of the past week left no time for posting. So here's a quick review: 20 students from the Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule in Berlin arrived on October 21st and met up with their host families from Millennium High School. They fanned out across the Boroughs, but luckily, no one got lost and everyone showed up bright and early the next morning to meet Carmen for a tour around the Financial District and a round-trip on the Staten Island Ferry (the weather cooperated -- it was a gorgeous day!) In the afternoon, all 60 students involved with the program, Germans and Americans, were invited to the German Consulate to view a documentary on the Berlin Wall and to have lunch in the 13th floor dining room over-looking the U.N. and East River. On Friday, they began the sequence of 6-hour workshops over five days (yep, both weekend days were included!) in three teams of mixed German and American students. The photos give you a taste of the results: Smashing! The Winter Garden was nearly full to bursting for the 1 pm matinee show. The evening show was also well attended, with audience boosted by invited guests who joined German Consul General Horst Freitag in a lovely pre-theater reception at The Grill Room. Thursday was a day of hugs and tears as the Berlin group departed New York. Next dance steps for them will be a performance for Ambassador Murphy and a group of German Alumni from various State Department-sponsored exchange programs on November 16 at the US Embassy in Berlin! The dance goes on.... and on .... and on!
And now we'd like to call attention to the long list of partners and friends who made this possible! Huge thanks to The German Consulate in New York, Consul General Horst Freitag, Cultural Attache Thietmar Bachmann, Nina Midori Krull, Werner-Ciprian Fugel & Elke Huber; Rob Fenstermacher, Roxana Pleacoff, Anika Rigole & CDS International; Christian Haenel, Anne-Kathrin Fix & Robert Bosch Stiftung; Ricarda Lindner, Tim Rosenkranz & German National Tourist Board; Debra Simon, Karen Kitchen, Elysa Marden & Brookfield Properties' Arts>World Financial Center. An especially huge thanks to the incredibly hard-working Colin McEvoy of Millennium High School supported throughout by Principal Rob Rhodes, Jenny Krumpus, Alison Angrisani and the many students and families that danced, hosted and welcomed their counterparts from Berlin. We acknowledge the leadership and support of Barbara Tennstedt who organized the Berlin aspect of the project and Sigrid Nawroth and Jutta Laube, the teachers who chaperoned the students from the Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule, all of whom deserved to be named but space doesn't allow it. Behind the scenes and supporting us throughout were Steve Sokol of the American Council on Germany and Hans-Jakob Wilhelm, a member of Battery Dance Company's Ambassadors, as well as fellow Ambassadors Erik Patton and Allison Strouse and Chair Emeritus Zachary Snow. Mike Riggs did a yeoman's job of technical direction and lighting for the performances at the Winter Garden, and Allen, Tim and the other members of the tech crew also deserve our thanks.

First Day in Swaziland

2009-10-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

20 young people turned up to work with Bafana and Sean over an intensive program that will culminate in a performance on Tuesday evening. From Bafana's report, it seems as if the group is friendly, willing and ready to explore new things. Interesting: the group is primarily male, one of the first times that we've had this mix.

Heading Home

2009-10-15T20:16:00.000-04:00

It's over...! With a sigh both of relief and sentimentality. The performance this evening at Fontane-Haus in Berlin was over the top. The students pulled out all the stops with that special energy that comes from knowing that this is the end of a chapter. However, the book is yet to be written! Dancing to Connect will resonate in who knows how many ways?

Last Chance! See the Grand Finale of Dancing to Connect Germany 2009

2009-10-15T09:21:00.000-04:00

Tonight's the night: 7 pm at Fontane-Haus in Reinickendorf, Berlin. Tickets are available at the box office. Come be inspired by the dancers from 5 Berlin and Brandenburg schools, as well as their mentors from Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action.

Good news: the Secretary of the State of Brandenburg announced from the stage in Potsdam that DTC would be funded in 2010. And the long and excellent feature on German television's popular Nachtmagazine show on Tuesday night guarantees that Dancing to Connect is known throughout the country!

Potsdam: they did it!

2009-10-14T03:43:00.001-04:00

Tuesday evening's performance provided an insight into what young people can achieve when they are motivated and inspired. Each and every dancer on stage at the Nikolaisaal transcended his or her personal best, and together, the results were overwhelming!
See for yourself tonight at the Fontane-Haus in Berlin!

Tomorrow at 7 pm -- Curtain Time in Potsdam

2009-10-12T17:28:00.003-04:00

Visit photographer Christian Jungeblodt's blog -- www.jungeblodt.com/dancing -- in order to see images from workshops of the past 5 days in Eberswalde, Wilhelmshorst and Wedding (Berlin)

Upcoming Performances in Potsdam & Berlin

2009-10-11T19:52:00.000-04:00

Mark your calendars for the final German performances of Dancing to Connect:
TUesday, October 13, 7 pm, Nikolaisaal, POTSDAM
http://www.nikolaisaal.de/nsp/0910/veranstaltungen/091013_dancingtoconnect.php?lang=DE
Thursday, October 15, 7 pm, Fontane-Haus, BERLIN
http://www.boell-brandenburg.de/web/10_323.htm
Check out some of Christian Jungeblodt's terrific rehearsal shots here:
http://www.jungeblodt.com/dancing

Traversing East & West

2009-10-09T17:01:00.000-04:00

Workshops have been going on since Tuesday in Berlin and Brandenburg. Today I visited Heinz-Brandt Oberschule in the former East Berlin section of Wiessensee and Ernst-Reuter-Oberschule in Wedding. Tadej and Carmen were working with the younger group, 13 and 14 year olds, who were battling with their adolescent self-consciousness. The boys were easier going, ready to jump into the process whereas the girls were not. Let's check back in a few days and see how this situation progresses. At Ernst-Reuter, the older students were much farther along. Robin and Sean had managed to lead them into a variety of choreographic explorations, most striking of which was a sequence of group dances in which each had penetrated the essence of a color that they associated with Berlin. Photos will come later. The slide show on the right was taken by Christian Jongeblodt of the workshop in Eberswalde, a small town in Brandenburg that has been somewhat notorious for its right-wingers. The workshop as illustrated by Christian's photos shows Sophie Bortolussi and Alessandra Larson building trust with the students who are in a special vocational training program.

Dancing to Connect: Berlin II

2009-10-05T18:42:00.000-04:00

Sunny autumn weather greeted us in Berlin and Potsdam today as we set about the preliminaries for our workshops, 2 in Berlin and 3 in Brandenburg State.

We had a site visit at the very impressive Nikolaisaal in Potsdam in the morning followed by a lovely lunch with Inka Thunecke and her staff from the Heinrich Boell Foundation who are coordinating our programs in the Brandenburg schools. We then rushed back to Berlin for a press conference and an orientation meeting with teachers from all 5 schools, as well as with Barbara Tennstedt and her colleague Carla from Fippe e.V., who have spearheaded our program here for the second year in a row!

Galerie Hans Mayer

2009-10-03T20:02:00.000-04:00

Untethered from their teaching responsibilities for a day or two, the Battery Dance and Drastic Action dancers took the opportunity to create new site-specific material in response to the art work in Duesseldorf's estimable Galerie Hans Mayer. The art cognoscenti flocked to the gallery tonight and witnessed the quizzical, athletic and/or meditative movement studies designed by Sophie Bortolussi, Robin Cantrell, Alessandra Larson, Cara Liguori, Bafana Matea, Carmen Nicole, Sean Scantlebury and Mayuna Shimizu. Barry worked with Hans and his staff to support the dancers' experimentations.

And now for something completely different...

2009-10-02T11:03:00.001-04:00

If you are in the vicinity of Düsseldorf (Saturday, October 3), drop in at the Galerie Hans Mayer from 6 - 8. Nine of the fabulous dancers from Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action are staging a site-specific performance, responding to the gallery building itself as well as the stunning art that is on display by Jon Kessler, Robert Longo, Konrad Lueg and others. Click here for more details: http://www.amerikahaus-nrw.de/event-einzelansicht/events/105.html

Dancing to Connect Stuns Essen

2009-10-01T18:18:00.000-04:00

A cheering crowd of 1,000 welcomed students from 5 schools in Essen and Duisburg.
Nerves were running high before the show. A t.v. feature that was purported to be about the dance project had turned out to be a degrading piece that used the student as bait. However the showmanship and high spirits of the students returned during the dress rehearsal and everything went off magnificently. Tears, flowers and mementos were exchanged at the end.

Performance Night in Essen!

2009-09-29T17:23:00.001-04:00

Wednesday night at 8 pm: Essen is the place to be to see the culmination of the Dancing to Connect workshops in Essen and Duisburg. 100 students from five schools will display their choreography at the gorgeous Lichtburg, Germany's largest film palace:
Check this link for further details:
http://www.lichtburg-essen.de/vera_090930_dancing_to_connect.php

Best Dance Crew NRW!

2009-09-27T08:43:00.003-04:00

For those of you who were skeptical, here's the hard evidence!
Jonathan joined German television dance stars Eva and Sisco as a Judge on Dance24.tv - BESTDANCECREWNRW...
Draw your own conclusions! Robin and Sean did a star turn in Sean's choreography as the special featured guests. Best Crew winners were Magic Explosion and Ku.ul J, and the Joker went to New Generation.

Sunday in Essen

2009-09-27T07:05:00.003-04:00

Germans usually rest on Sunday, but many of the Dancing to Connect students have opted to rehearse again today! That's dedication for you. And speaking of dedication, all 10 teaching artists took part in a Company meeting last night from 10 - 11:30 pm in order to decide on the program order for the show on Wednesday, after having commuted to their various schools in the early a.m., taught all day long, and then prepared for their Sunday sessions today. Kudos all around!

First day of Workshops in Essen & Duisburg

2009-09-24T18:26:00.003-04:00

After a welcome orientation session last night, the teaching artists roused themselves bright and early and set out on their paths to five schools spread out across two cities. At the Stoppenberg school, Carmen, Bafana and I met the Lord Mayor of Essen who greeted the students and told them how proud he was of their courage in setting off on a new adventure.

Farewell to Sachsen Anhalt; Hello to North Rhine Westphalia

2009-09-24T18:20:00.001-04:00

The train ride from Bitterfeld in the East to Essen in the West was a 6-hour affair, but no one minded it. The scenery was out of a story book and the rest after the previous night's exertions was a blessing.

Reflections from Teaching Artists; Reflections from Local Teachers

2009-09-23T18:05:00.002-04:00

It was new for our dancers to use their imagination while they are dancing – not just what the counts and steps are…. How to feel is new territory. One of our students said, “when I’m dancing, I cannot think” – we said we’re not asking you to think, rather to feel while you are dancing. The challenge of the week was to let the movement express a feeling rather than simply memorizing a movement phrase.

This same student: the exercise was to write a letter to someone they were separated from. In the letter they had to express love, fear, what they would like to change and what they dream of.

These letters were confidential but they had to tell the story of the letter in the form of movement or gesture. Gesture equates to meaning. One student did a gesture that represented to her breaking down a wall – however, she did it balletically with pointed toes and straight leg and high extension; which took us away from her intended meaning. She succeeded finally but had to be reminded, “don’t make it look pretty… find a way to express the emotion that was included in the letter.”

After videotaping the rehearsal, we had the students watch their own creation. Even then it was hard for them to perceive imagery in the movement. It could have been shyness or fear of being wrong. Hard for them to understand that there isn’t sometimes a correct answer.

In each school I’ve taught, it doesn’t matter the level. But there is always this problem of assuming there is a right answer.

Sophie and Alessandra

I really want to thank you and especially your dancers for being in Dessau. It was such a great experience- for our students and for us teachers as well. The dancers not only performed their own pieces in the show, they cared for the students, helped them to get stronger, more self-confident and gave them the inspiration they needed to choreograph. That`s much more than only performing on stage. so thank`s a lot again and I hope we`ll meet again and can work together.

Gabriele Gruhn, Philanthropinum, Dessau

Full house!

2009-09-23T18:03:00.003-04:00

Last night was the first performance of Dancing to Connect, German Edition IV!
A full-house of over 700 people including young children, teens, adults and seniors flooded the Kulturhaus in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, and from the sound of their applause, they were not disappointed.

Dessau-Rosslau; Wolfen-Bitterfeld

2009-09-20T15:56:00.004-04:00

Visiting the dance workshops yesterday was a revelation as it has been in the past. Students summon up new ways of expressing themselves, teaming up, experimenting. Despite the natural shyness of many of the students, a glimmer of passion shows through. While in Halle on Friday, I was asked, "Don't you ever do a project that lasts more than one week?" I was rather surprised by this because it always seems like a major achievement when schools allow us to work for 6 days with their students (given the fact that these students are absent from their academic classes...)
However, here in this region, I see that a longer process would be advantageous. The extroversion required to dance and perform is not a natural attribute here. Each day new layers of reticence are peeled away and more of the spirit is allowed to surface. We're set for many surprises on Tuesday night when, at 6:30, the curtain will open at the Kulturhaus in Wolfen and five new pieces of choreography will be unveiled!

DANCING TO CONNECT, German Edition, Volume IV

2009-09-14T15:54:00.003-04:00

Dateline: Dessau -- Our team of 12 has arrived in the former East German city of Dessau which is actually now the joined city of Dessau-Rosslau. The day after a 20-hour journey from New York, Barry Steele, our intrepid production designer and I went to the nearby Wolfen-Bitterfeld (yup, another joined city) where we reconnoitered with the technical crew at the Stadtisches Kulturhaus. Gabi Schuckelt, the wonder woman from the US Consulate Leipzig who coordinated all the details of our project here served as our chauffeur, translator and hospitality manager all rolled into one. As usual, Barry wasted no time in building team-spirit with the tech guys and promising them a full light plot by noon tomorrow. Meanwhile, the dancers were locating the local fitness center, and then were given a walking tour of Dessau by two delightful high school students who had practiced their English and carried out the role of tour guides with aplomb. We all ended up meeting with teachers and principals from all the schools that will participate in Dancing to Connect this week (I think there are at least 8 schools in all, representing 4 different cities). The meeting itself was a delight: Hosted graciously by US Consul General Katherine Brucker and Public Affairs Officer Jim Seward, we dined at the local Brasserie L'Appart and the delicious food and wines made a warm environment in which the orientation process could occur.

Thank you to the Gods of Weather

2009-08-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

All the good energy paid off: Saturday's program was delivered in full with no pauses for rain!
The beautiful colors of dancers' costumes against the verdant green London Plane Trees of Battery Park was a sight to behold. Come and join us tomorrow for another day of wonderful dance.

Never mind that rain, we're going on as planned!

2009-08-22T09:19:00.002-04:00

Despite the weather report, we're in Battery Park right now setting up the stage for today's Downtown Dance Festival! We hear things are going to clear up after 1pm today, so we may start a bit late. Bring an umbrella and join us for free dance underneath the trees. Today's performers include Eglevsky Ballet, Buglisi Dance Theater, New Chamber Ballet, Carmen Nicole, Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances For a Variable Population, Figures in Flight, C-3 Tap Co-operative and Vissi Dance Theater.

Changes to the Program

2009-08-14T10:45:00.002-04:00

If you're planning on coming to the Festival this Thursday August 20th or Saturday August 22nd, please note that we will be making some last-minute changes to the program!

Unfortunately, due to some unexpected visa issues, Kolkha, the folk ensemble from the Republic of Georgia, will not be participating in this year's Festival.

We'll be announcing the programs for Thursday and Saturday as soon as possible--stay tuned here or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/batterydance

See you Monday!

Festival Schedule Is Here!

2009-08-04T10:54:00.002-04:00

The Downtown Dance Festival is only two weeks away! Take a look at our full schedule below.

Monday, August 17th - Friday, August 21st, 12pm – 2pm
Location: Chase Plaza, Nassau Street between Liberty and Pine

Monday August 17
Janaki Rangarajan
Battery Dance Company
Dance China NY

Tuesday August 18
Stefanie Nelson Dance Group
Vissi Dance Theater
Rebecca Kelly Ballet
The Chase Brock Experience

Wednesday August 19
Curated by the Indo-American Arts Council as part of the Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance

Thursday August 20
Kolkha

Friday August 21
Jamal Jackson Dance Company
isadoraNOW
C3 Tap Cooperative
Stefanie Nelson Dance Group
Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances For a Variable Population

Saturday, August 22nd - Sunday, August 23rd 1pm – 4pm
Location: The Lawn at Battery Park, adjacent to State Street at Pearl Street

Saturday August 22
Kolkha
C3 Tap Cooperative
Figures in Flight
Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances For a Variable Population
Vissi Dance Theater

Sunday August 23
isadoraNOW
Dance China NY
Rebecca Kelly Ballet
Figures in Flight
The Chase Brock Experience
Battery Dance Company
Jamal Jackson Dance Company

Spotlight On: Dance China NY

2009-07-24T11:53:00.003-04:00

In the days leading up to the festival, we'll be doing featured posts on each of the 13 participating dance companies, so you can learn more about our talented roster of artists!

Today's featured company is Dance China NY.

As the traditional Chinese dance company in residence at the New York Chinese Cultural Center, Dance China NY's dancers and musicians include "internationally renowned artists from performance stages and academies throughout mainland China, Taiwan and the United States. DCNY's repertoire of traditional and contemporary folk and classical dances weaves a vibrant vision of China's ancient indigenous folk cultures across varied terrains of time and region - legend and reality."

Led by Artistic Director Qi Jiang, this year DCNY will be performing three pieces: Hubei Fan Dance, a traditional Chinese folk dance re-staged by DCNY; Power and Strength, originally performed by Shenyang and re-staged by DCNY; and Of the Dragon, an original piece choreographed by Jiang Qi.

This year marks DCNY's sixth appearance in the Downtown Dance Festival!
Performances are currently scheduled for Monday, August 17th at Chase Plaza and Sunday, August 23rd at Battery Park. After DCNY's performance at Chase Plaza, the company will be leading "Everybody Dance NOW!", our audience participation segment, so if you've ever wanted to try out some traditional Chinese dance, don't miss it!

Important Scheduling Change!

2009-07-15T17:50:00.003-04:00

A little bit of unfortunate news on this otherwise lovely Wednesday--due to some unforeseen issues we've been forced to cancel the first weekend of our festival, at Governors Island.

Fear not, though: we're still on for our five weekday performances at Chase Plaza as well as two longer shows underneath the trees in Battery Park.

In other Festival news, we've added Stefanie Nelson Dance Group, isadoraNOW, and Kolkha, a folk group from the Republic of Georgia, to our roster! Kolkha will be flying 28 dancers and staff in from Georgia for two performances, on Thursday August 20th and Saturday August 22nd. They'll be performing a wide array of traditional Georgian folk dances, so don't miss it.

On Wednesday, August 19th we will once again be partnering with the Indo-American Arts Council to host a day of Indian dance as part of their Erasing Borders Festival. Stay tuned here for the list of companies performing that day.

We hope to see you there!

Planning for the 2009 Festival is Under Way!

2009-06-09T15:21:00.002-04:00

Despite the June gloom, Summer is most definitely here and that means preparations for this year's festival have begun!

Well, to be honest, we started preparing all the way back in January when we sent out a call for applications. We then had the pleasure of reviewing over 90 unique and talented submissions which arrived by mail until the deadline on March 27th.

Our talented panel of judges convened and reviewed each submission, finally narrowing it down to a diverse roster of companies with a varied range of styles. Some of this year's participants include:

c3 Tap Cooperative
Jamal Jackson Dance Company
Dance China NY
Vissi Dance Theater
The Chase Brock Experience
Dr. Janaki Rangarajan
Rebecca Kelly Ballet
Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances for a Variable Population
Figures in Flight

...and several more to be announced!

Keep watching this site for more updates on our progress. If you're interested in volunteering for our festival, please contact our festival intern, Soni, at intern@batterydance.org.

Downtown Dance Festival Finale!

2008-08-25T15:29:00.005-04:00

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

2008-08-22T00:52:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-22T00:43:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-19T16:33:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-17T20:47:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-17T18:19:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-17T18:09:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-07-17T14:39:00.001-04:00

"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

2008-07-17T14:02:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-12T13:10:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-11T08:07:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-10T13:06:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-07-08T04:42:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-07T10:10:00.003-04:00

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

2008-07-06T09:29:00.003-04:00

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...

2008-07-04T06:40:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-07-04T03:43:00.003-04:00

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!)

2008-07-03T14:33:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-07-02T19:20:00.002-04:00

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

2008-06-30T17:36:00.001-04:00

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!!!

2008-06-26T19:56:00.001-04:00

"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!

2008-06-26T01:58:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-11T05:38:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-05-10T00:22:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-05-07T11:28:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-06T09:35:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-05T13:02:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-03T11:55:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-01T12:48:00.003-04:00

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

2008-04-30T20:58:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-30T11:54:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-04-29T06:45:00.003-04:00

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

2008-04-27T11:13:00.001-04:00

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

2008-04-22T21:00:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-04-21T07:04:00.003-04:00

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

2008-04-20T23:49:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-19T12:31:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-16T15:42:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-14T23:43:00.005-04:00

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!

2008-04-05T21:23:00.003-04:00

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

2008-03-29T18:57:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-12T16:53:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-12T06:31:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-11T16:01:00.002-04:00

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.