Blog | Bourgeon - Part 110

Finding Space for the Metropolitan Areas Youth by Helen Hayes

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April 15, 2007

Finding Space for the Metropolitan Areas Youth by Helen Hayes

The Youth Dance Ensemble (YDE) is Joy of Motion Dance Center’s elite program for the developing young dancer, consisting of Senior and Junior level companies and preparatory levels for 1st through 8th graders. This pre-collegiate program, includes core classes in ballet, jazz and modern dance, plus additional dance forms, dance history, improvisation and composition, artist residencies and numerous performance opportunities. The curriculum is guided by the National Dance Education Organization’s Standards for Learning and Teaching. I consider our program to be a benchmark for excellence in teaching dance to youth. Yet we still face considerable difficulties, many of which are similar to the difficulties faced by all youth dance programs, and teachers.

This past year has been stellar for the Youth Dance Ensemble. In September of 2006 the young dancers were honored at the Metro DC Dance Awards with the Most Outstanding Youth Performance of 2006 for their May concert at the Jack Guidone Theater. In April, the Youth Dance Ensemble will take the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and in May they will perform at The ARC in Dance Place’s annual Youth Dance Festival. Their performances calendar concludes with a full concert at Joy of Motion’s Jack Guidone Theater in May. Directing this program has brought me tremendous joy over the last several years. It has also brought challenges and frustrations.

Dealing with limited workable studio space is a never-ending issue that dance educators continuously face. In December of 2005 Joy of Motion Dance Center’s Bethesda location closed its doors on Woodmont Avenue, as the building had been sold (to make room for high-end condominiums and higher-end retail.) The Maryland Youth Ballet was housed in the same building and was left with no home, as well. JOMDC’s new location was not yet ready for occupancy, and the YDE program was displaced. Our temporary home was JOM- Friendship Heights, but due to time and space restrictions at that location, classes were combined. The Senior Company was combined with the Junior Company for a portion of the day. Then the Senior Company students left and the Junior Company was joined by the preparatory levels for the second class. On Wednesdays, all levels of students were combined, giving us an hour and a half class with 26 students, ranging in age from 7-18. Youth Dance Ensemble educators were all present and participated in ‘team teaching.’ Nevertheless, the very real question arose: “What in the world am I going to do with 26 kids who are all different ages and different levels in the same class?”

This is the question that kept me awake at night as we moved towards the date that this schedule would be in effect. The problem of mixed age/ability classrooms is one that many dance teachers have experienced, and there is no easy solution. Some of the faculty had a great deal of experience working with younger children, but no experience with teenagers. Others, including myself, were used to working with teens and adults but had rarely taught students in grade school. Additionally, JOMDC borrowed space from Chevy Chase Ballroom during this time to help accommodate our need for more space. The surface of a ballroom dance floor is similar to being on an ice skating rink. Teaching technique classes became almost impossible and we were forced to work in a more improvisationally-based manner.

It was during this time that I created the dance, “Joyful Motion” for the entire Youth Dance Ensemble. Douglas Yeuell, Executive/Artistic Director at Joy of Motion Dance Center, composed a beautiful piece of music for this project and I began to work. Base phrase material was created and taught to the older students. Younger students were paired with older students and created their own duets and trios from the ‘base phrase material.’ The faculty learned different sections and were responsible for helping the students retain the choreography. Young dancers experienced being lifted for the first time and older students learned the true meaning of being a ‘role model.’ This was such a wonderful learning experience for me and the other teachers, as well, as few of us had any experience working with multiple teachers at the same time. What we discovered is that people learn from example, rather than by instruction. The students watched their educators come together and be a part of creating something special. In turn, the students worked together, helped each other and truly created something magical…..a dance that was so much greater than the sum of its parts. One of the lessons learned was that with conscious and creative action a hardship (lack of studio space, combined classes) can become an inspiration.

“Joyful Motion” has become the signature piece for Joy of Motion’s Dance Center’s Youth Dance Ensemble. In the end, the experience was one of the most enriching and satisfying things I have ever done. When I watch the students’ rehearse/perform the work, I am deeply touched, as each of the dancers brings their genuine self to every step. I believe that the difficulties we endured brought out the best in each one of us. I also believe that we will be asked to address the issue of studio space in the future. The DC Metro area continues to be developed, pushing out lower-earning businesses – including dance/art programming. As a dance community, we must strive to find creative solutions.

Helen Hayes graduated from the University of MD with a degree in Dance. She has danced professionally with the Maryland Dance Theater, Perlo/Bloom and Co., Cathy Paine and Friends and Dupont Alley Dance Co. Touring internationally, she has been featured on Good Morning, Hong Kong. She has also performed at the Kennedy Center, including the Honors Gala in tribute to Chita Rivera and in New York City. In 1996, she co-founded CrossCurrents Dance Company (in residence at JOMDC) and has served as co- Artistic director for the past decade. Ms. Hayes is an instructor of both modern and jazz dance and has taught extensively throughout the metropolitan area. In 2005, she was a Metro DC Dance Award finalist for Excellence in Dance Education. Currently, she is the Director of the Metro DC Dance Award winning Youth Dance Ensemble at Joy of Motion Dance Center. She spent the summer of 2002 teaching jazz and modern in Varna, Bulgaria at the International Ballet Competition. She is also on the faculty at the University of Maryland.

D.C.’s Dance Scene: Are the Questions the Same? by Helanius Wilkins

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April 15, 2007

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D.C.’s Dance Scene: Are the Questions the Same? by Helanius Wilkins

I often say that dance chose me and that I didn’t choose it. From as early as I can remember I knew that dance was going to occupy a big space in my life. In fact, I knew that it was going to be the center of my life. By the time I began the college phase of my education, in upstate New York, I was well on my way to finding the path that would allow me to fulfill that commitment.

While at SUNY/Brockport I found myself seeking information on how to start a company, and considering what city might be its home. What I knew for sure was that I wanted to be close to New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston. I also wanted to be somewhere that was urban – lively and filled with art, but with room for grass roots organizations to emerge. This is how I landed in Washington D. C.

I arrived in 1995, excited and ready to explore. My final decision to move to the District was extremely spontaneous. I arrived in the area with no job, a temporary place to stay, a ten-foot U-haul full of stuff, $500, and a dream. Some basic knowledge about the dance scene as a result of doing research and making connections with artists and culturally connected folks gave me a small sense of security. DC seemed to be the perfect place for me, if there is a location that can be considered a perfect place.

From the start it was clear to me that I had made a wise decision in choosing to move to DC. I walked away from many conversations feeling that this was indeed a place where one could take chances, go out on a limb to try something new and different — a place where new ideas could be developed and nurtured without overpowering competition and judgment. I feel that this thought may very well be one of the city’s greatest attractions to both emerging and established artists. For many years, DC has been a fertile ground for dance artists to put ideas to the test, to train, to discover their voices, to create, and to perform—all the ingredients necessary to building a lively dance community.

Yet, within a short period of time of living in DC, I found myself questioning whether or not I wanted to stay in the area. Should I pack my things back into a U-Haul before getting too settled and go to New York City? What is strange about this question is that I remember it not entirely feeling foreign. I recall a couple of conversations prior to my move, one with an artist who had lived and worked in the area for over ten years, where it was said that many local dance artists find themselves easily enticed by the possibilities, growth, and success that may come from relocating out of the area. And, in some cases, they are encouraged to do just that—leave.

Not feeling like I knew enough about the area and its dance scene yet, I didn’t dwell long on why I was beginning to experience perhaps a change of heart. After all, I had just found my way into Dance Place, where I began meeting people, taking classes, and attending performances. (I think it’s the place that every dancer lands first when moving to DC.) I had also followed the lead of Kista Tucker, a friend and talented dance artist who I met while attending SUNY/Brockport, and made an in person connection with Naima Prevots, then the Chair of American University’s Dance Department. I wanted to learn more about the artists and companies based here. I wanted to discover and take classes at more of the dance centers. I wanted to get a sense of the kinds of works being created in DC. I was on a mission.

Twelve years later, I am still based in DC—fulfilling my life’s work as the Founder and Artistic Director of EDGEWORKS Dance Theater, a company I formed six years ago. On many levels I feel that DC has been good to me. I have gone through many stages of change and growth leading to some feelings of success. This, I believe, is also the case for the DC dance scene. What I find interesting, however, is that some of the questions that came to light when I first moved to the area remain the same — some exactly the same and some with a slight twist. Why are many dance artists still entertaining the idea of leaving the area? Why are others being faced with the question ‘why aren’t you in New York?’ Could this have something to do with the resources available to professional artists for the continuation of their training? Could it be because the area has a plethora of wonderfully talented dancers and performers but fewer choreographers? Could it be because DC simply does not have enough work available for all its artists?

At its best, our nation’s capital is a melting pot for high quality dance productions and artistry. The District is a major city for touring companies and projects. In addition, some local choreographers and companies have emerged who are creating elaborate and polished multimedia productions. In spite of this, the local dance scene seems to be fighting a “reputation” that we have embraced lower standards than other noted cities for dance such as New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. This analysis concludes that our attitudes lead to end results with more artistic misses than hits, and perhaps downright mediocrity. Is there really a lower standard here? Could it be that this community is very forgiving, and so a lower standard exists? Or, could it be that audiences are being misinformed about the quality of work being created and presented by local artists and companies? Could it be about resources, including the central issue of funding?

It is obvious that many dance artists are finding creative ways to both live and work in Washington DC. Perhaps an indication of this is that one can generally find some kind of dance performance or event listed in area local papers on a weekly basis. It is also not uncommon to hear more frequently that a new dancer is moving into the area. Shifting that viewpoint however, the consensus seems to be that members of the community are in the midst of a tough and often continuous uphill battle of creating and producing work and not having enough opportunities to keep dancers working in the area. Through various conversations a conclusion could be drawn that many area companies, artistic directors, and choreographers are caught in an endless cycle of modifying, re-configuring, and almost being at the mercy of resources that never quite seem to be enough. But, then again, could there ever be enough resources available at a time when funding for the arts are being cut, and where it is becoming increasingly more challenging for artists to get their works produced?

A sign reflecting the evolution of DC’s dance scene is that organizations are forming and growing that are dedicated to nurturing local artists through offering resources, or support with accessing resources, and to bridging gaps by creating opportunities for mingling, networking, and honoring all that is taking place within the community. Some of these organizations include, but are not limited to Dance/Metro DC, American Dance Institute’s Arts Incubator Program in nearby Rockville MD, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, and the Metro DC Dance Awards. Even more, through locally-based foundations (numbering few), the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, and new initiatives, funding resources have been uncovered to support the building of venues for dance training and presentations, and to support the development of organizations’ boards and administrations. Could these things become a solution to canceling out and changing the face of the DC dance scene’s “reputation”? Or, has this “reputation” been earned due to the belief that professional artists are not training here? Could this “reputation” affect the area’s gifted choreographers due to association?

Lacking no clear solutions, DC’s dance scene is nevertheless changing. It has become home to some really talented, gifted, and determined artists who are proving the long-lived reputation wrong. They are thinking outside of the box. They are following instincts that have led them to challenge what has been perceived the norm. They are creating new standards, and pushing the bar of expectations. In this same vain, although slowly, it appears that some members of the dance community are figuring out how to join forces to develop supportive infrastructures, and to raise the awareness of the art form, therefore building larger, more diverse, and more educated audiences.

While I have personally been faced with the question, more than once, why am I not in New York City, I remain convinced that DC can be a viable place for dance artists to live and work. It is not easy, and it can become incredibly frustrating at times, but changes are currently taking place. These changes are creating room to ask new questions and investigate perhaps what were once hidden possibilities.

It is almost hard to have any doubts regarding dance not thriving and growing in the DC-metropolitan area. Make no mistake—the dance scene is being redefined by the artists presently doing work in the area. However this is not to say that there are no bumps in the road. There are many. Dance in our nation’s capital is cycling through one of its more exciting periods.

Helanius J. Wilkins, a native of Lafayette LA, is an award winning choreographer, performance artist, and instructor based in Washington DC. He is the founder and artistic director of EDGEWORKS Dance Theater, DC’s first-ever all male contemporary dance company of predominately African-American men. He is the first artist to be a two time recipient of the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Local Dance Commissioning Project award, an award he received in 2006 and 2002. He also received the 2001 Metro DC Dance “Emerging Choreographer” award. In addition to performing the works of several choreographers, he has enjoyed creating, presenting, and receiving commissions for choreography throughout the United States. His choreography has been commissioned and included in the repertories of the Instruments of Movement (Chicago), Slippery Rock University (Pennsylvania), Dance Institute of Washington (District of Columbia), Oakland Dance Theatre Repertory Company (Michigan), and Stephens College (Missouri), where he was selected as the Emerging Choreographer for Summer Festival 2001. Foundations and organizations including The Meredith Foundation, Regional Arts Commission, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts have supported Wilkins’ work. Wilkins is a much sought-after instructor who teaches professional and pre-professional dancers, as well as students of various ages and levels of skill. He has served as an adjudicator and master teacher at American College Dance Festivals in 2004, 2005, and 2007. He is currently on faculty at Joy of Motion Dance Center. He most recently completed an artist residency at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).

Distinctive Voices Moving Together by Elizabeth Johnson

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April 15, 2007

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Distinctive Voices Moving Together by Elizabeth Johnson

I type from 6922 miles away and 7,500 feet over the pacific. We left Japan about just over an hour ago, where some of the Dance Exchange Company has been working for the past five weeks. I joined for the last 2 week stint in Kyoto – a project working with 40 community dancers spanning 6 decades. The week before I left I was in Arizona developing a teen dance project focused around the issues of genetics. Before that it was New Jersey, and the week before that I was in North Carolina. Or was it the week before that?

Who am I to speak about the D.C. dance community when I spend 32 weeks of the year in other communities? When I discussed this with Rob he encouraged me that as a member of one of the most prominent modern dance companies in the area, I am in fact a DC dance community member. I write not as any voice of authority, but from my personal perspective of being both inside and outside D.C. Dance for the past 8 years.

Several years ago DanceUSA did a study on Dance in D.C. I was interviewed in a focus group. What I said at the time, and what the study concluded, was that there was a lot of dance in D.C., but that the community was fractured; the various communities tended toward isolation. Modern and ballet dancers stuck to their styles. Individual forms of cultural dance were strong, but separated from other cultural forms and from the Modern/Ballet scene. Dancers pretty much stuck to their studio or their company, and watched the performances their friends were in.

It is seems there has been a dance boom in D.C. since the publication of that study, but have the conditions really changed? Certainly there has been great growth in our studios, as Sarah Kauffman noted in her article in the Washington Post some months ago. But it is not just buildings. There are more programs – out reach and in reach, school residencies and long term school partnerships, early release programs, expanded class series….. the list continues. With so much dance in one city (not to mention opportunities with other arts or physical practices) one might think the market would be saturated. The different companies and dance centers are now competing for dancers, resources, and attention. But I have not found this to be true. D.C. dancers and their companies/studios seem generally to want to give and receive respect and support.

I have found that the spirit of Dance in D.C. has become much more co-operative and connected. A few years ago Dance/Metro DC and Johanna Seltzer hit our inbox and changed the dance scene by connecting us in cyberspace. We can now receive weekly e-mails to know more of what’s going on (even if we are reading it from across the country.) Annually, we get to celebrate each other with the Metro D.C. Dance Awards. In addition to the actual awards, there is a community feeling to the event. We are backstage warming up together and can say, “I read your e-news and it sounds like your new project is really taking off. I know someone you might want to contact…) Last year I thoroughly enjoyed sun saluting with BosmaDance backstage at this event, and I know this year Dance Exchange’s Artistic Director Peter DiMuro had a blast co-hosting with Doug Yuell (Director of Joy of Motion.) Although the awards are a competition, the spirit is warm and brings our community together. Dance Place’s Youth Dance Festival gives the younger dancers of our community a similar experience, allowing them to share classes and a stage together, honoring the important work being done by young people in all styles.

I believe these trends have started to bridge some of the divides that used to exist. Speaking from my own experience at the Dance Exchange, I see how rewarding our collaborations with organizations (The Field and Bowen/McCauley Dance amongst others) and individual artists (Kelly Mayfield, Vincent Thomas and Gesel Mason, amongst others) has been. Whether through teaching or performing, working together brings people together. It is exceptional that these amazing artists and arts organizations can share their time and talents with the Dance Exchange, and rewarding to see that it does not cost them their individual standing in our community. There is generosity amongst us. But there is still work to be done.

While overall the “State of Dance” in D.C. seems to be getting more connected we can do more. I know I for one need to get out to see more shows, and of more types of dance. We need to fill the seats and show our support, even if we are not close friends with the choreographers. And we need to fill the seats not just with us, but with our beautician friends, our lawyer friends, our landlords – the non artsy among us in D.C. One of the greatest challenges we face is the need to build and consolidate diverse audiences for all types of dance.

The D.C. Dance community is building a co-operative spirit and the next step may be to move from co-operation to collaboration. And while this is already happening in many ways all over the city, collaborative projects take time and money. While there is good intention, it is easier in thought than action. It is more straightforward to have you do your thing, while I do my thing and then we can put them next to each other and appreciate the good work. True collaboration requires mixing skills, pushing patterns, and sharing vision. It is tough, yet rich work.

We are a motley crew at Dance Exchange, and each day is a collaborative process as we blend our really different skills to create performance works and workshop experiences. With our company we seek to bring out the nature of each individual member. We believe the more Thomas is Thomas, the more Elizabeth can be Elizabeth. I believe this is true for organizations as well. The more Joy of Motion is Joy of Motion, the more Dance Place can be Dance Place. The more CityDance is CityDance, the more Dance Exchange can be Dance Exchange. We can see there is room for both and all.

But do we want to move to collaboration? Collaboration requires distinction and a respect for the unique skills each brings to the work. It requires collaborating partners to be specific about what they want to gain from the collaboration, and what the pay off is for the individuals, the collaborating organizations, and the artistic community in the District.

In a city known for it’s politics, I realize that I have my own politics to overcome if I want to work be more connected to other artists, and arts organizations. And yet, with a growing positive spirit among us, we are in a good space to rise above our historical barriers and move to a new place in a way only the dance community can do: by literally moving. We can be a vibrant example for the rest of the world. I am glad that I have the opportunity to be a part of the next chapter in the “State of Dance” in this city without statehood. As far as the dance goes, it is a good state to be in.

Elizabeth Johnson is a choreographer, dancer and the director of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange’s Teen Exchange program. As a company member, Elizabeth has collaboratively created dances in communities from Eastport, Maine to Los Angeles – with Vietnam vets; senior citizens; religious leaders of many faiths; high school teachers and professional dancers. Her work with teens has been featured across the country as well as at home in the metro-DC area. Her choreographic work is driven by athleticism, physiology, and the desire to push boundaries. She graduated from Connecticut College with a B.A. in Dance and a minor in Theatre, and has studied at London Contemporary Dance School.

originally published in Bourgeon Vol. 3 #1

Kelly Mayfield on “Perspective/Shift”

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April 15, 2007

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A year ago I realized I wasn’t doing what I set out to do. I wasn’t performing, choreographing, or teaching. I was doing some of those things, some of the time, but none were fully realized. I had entered on another path, and had learned far more about the ‘Business of Art’ and the ‘Art of Business’ than I ever expected. I discovered personal strengths and weaknesses and saw them reflected as public successes and failures for that company. Life lessons aside, it grew depressing. The idealistic clarity of purpose I once knew was fading.

Life throws us a lot of lemons, and as Aysha Upchurch says, it was high time to make some lemonade. Depressed and needing to change, I did…….. EVERYTHING. Except fulfill my need to communicate through dance. I decided to leave my artistic home of four years (CityDance Ensemble) and made the leap from Associate Director/Director of Education to Founder/Artistic Director of my own company. In August 2006, Contradiction Dance: An Exchange Between Life and Dance was born. Contradiction Dance is dedicated to the fusion of modern, jazz, hip-hop, and tap dance fused by elements of Theatre and Story-telling.

Contradiction Dance is about reflecting society as I/we see it. We are an eclectic mix of devoted specialists in our respective forms, yet we are all curious creatures diving into the aesthetic mix we’ve built. As Artistic Director, I am, of course, interested in expanding our audience. I often ask myself, “How can I reflect on and question the experiences of a large audience if I only interact with a small aspect of the population?” Life has a way of meeting our needs, and I find that my desire to integrate the diversity of forms that we practice and enjoy encourages the conversations necessary to make the work.

Recently, I have been working on a piece called Casual Contact, which draws from the diversity of experiences I have had in making ends meet. Though I perform, choreograph, and teach, I must do other things to supplement income. But those pesky “other things” do not define me or distract me from my artistic purpose. In fact, they are great suppliers of “source material.” Take this excerpt from my blog on a part-time job:

“The purpose of a part-time job: For some, it’s to make extra cash. For others: to fill time, expand horizons, combat boredom, etc. For me, it was an experiment in being around people with jobs. The experiment is over now; I’m finishing my last days in this strange land full of protocol without purpose, goals set and met without an overall cohesive strategy, and complete ignorance of the actual skill sets within the worker pool that could, in-fact, further the stated mission of said company.

Casual Contact: There’s no such thing. We all make mistakes for $. Mine was choosing to work in a cubicle. Wow. Talk about culture shock. Voyeuristic life. Where’s the roof? I can hear EVERYONE’s conversation. Can I fit under the desk? Will anyone notice if I never come back from a smoke break? If I stand up, I can see everyone. This is weird. Who thought of this anyway?”

These experiences and thoughts have now become movement. Casual Contact combines “business casual” conduct and attire with hip-hop, jazz and modern movement backed by the sounds of Mushroom Jazz and The Gotan Project. The (in)appropriate gestures and “contact” in an office setting juxtaposed against “dance” partnering create fertile ground for choreography with a sympathetic human character. Casual Contact premiered in December 2006 at the Joy of Motion Choreographer’s Showcase. The piece is one of a tapestry of seven pieces that make up Perspective/SHIFT, the company’s first evening length concert.

We recently performed Casual Contact at the opening of a corporate awards ceremony: they recognized themselves in us, and LOVED it! We expanded our audience by asking them to look at themselves through our eyes and bodies; we were not judge, simply mirror. The post-performance conversations took on a new meaning; we were discussing the lack of casual human contact in the typical corporate workplace versus the violent or sexual contact many do experience – the film “Crash”, and much more. I remember thinking, “this is the exact purpose of my art.” I’m grateful to know that purpose and humbled to be capable of living it.
As a company, we continue to hone Casual Contact and perfect our “statement”. Rehearsal fuels my spirit: running and jumping on partners in heels with confidence, finding integrity in the gesture phrases, questioning how we are working with time, cleaning that damn unison material, and applauding happy accidents that lead to permanent changes. Bry Boogiemind asks how to do that lift with Kyra again, Joseph fights his tie in his face during his solo, Kyra continues to ask about the song she’s singing, “Do I HAVE to?” and I pray that the table I’m standing on doesn’t break… it’s been through a lot!

In rehearsal this week are three pieces: Casual Contact, Mother/Daugther Tango, and Pride. Mother/Daughter Tango is the bitter her-story between mother and daughter. This duet between a modern dancer (myself) and a tap dancer (Jasmine Artis) is based on my turbulent relationship with my mother. Mother/Daughter Tango explores the cyclical relationship of conflict, silence, and support that we share. Now, as a mother to my own daughter, the need to examine and resolve the past as a pathway to better choices for the future looms large. Set to Astor Piazzolla’s Milonga del Angel and to the percussive score of Jasmine’s feet, the raw passion and barely controlled rage in our volatile relationship is aptly supported by the music. As we refine the movement and sound each rehearsal, I am tormented by the lack of resolution and peace in both life and art.

Pride is a solo, of sorts, for dear friend and former duet partner, Reggie Cole. Reggie and I have been talking about creating this piece for two and half years; happily, we’re finally making it. A man looking back at the pressures, sacrifices, and unbearably hard work of raising his family – Reggie gets younger as the piece progresses. A celebration and realization of the joy and accomplishment his daily toil reaps for his loved ones, Pride celebrates one man’s relationship to himself, to his family, and to his God. Questioning who is family? And what do they look like? Several guests appear to set the stage and expand our notions. Pride resides mostly in my head at this writing; however, the essence of the movement has been a sheer joy to explore with my old friend and dear partner, Reggie. Our first rehearsal was spent giggling and hugging and reveling in the simple fact that we were in a studio together with the purpose of telling this story through our movement.

A new friend recently asked me why I dance the way I do. My response, “When I dance I feel closest to my best version of myself… as you say, fully awake, full of promise – not always realized, but worth the continued pursuit.” I spent two long years without poetry. The decision to begin Contradiction Dance brought a flood of lines and poems reflective of the bittersweet years past, the delicious present, and many hopes for the future. As these words pour onto the page, I am setting them in motion, weaving the fabric of Contradiction Dance’s first concert.

Perspective/SHIFT

Perspective shift – everything changes.
Define your family.
Repetition. We repeat what we learn; it is all we know. Unless – perspective shift.
The other side of this coin.

Where strategy and intuition co-mingle and spawn an original experience. A bedtime song so year 5 does not have to be re-scheduled. What is your element? Elemental, elementary, elevate my circumstances via paradigm shifting constantly – found my constant.

Don’t spill this glass – I’m fragile these days. So much beauty threatens to crumble the ugliness so carefully crafted here. This is fine workmanship – I’d hate to waste it.

Like a massage to all the ethereal, yet necessary aspects of my humanity; my soul is resting. Intellectual batteries driven by high-octane creative juices are charged and ready for … something.

Now. The unmistakable, unexplored now. The past is uninvited, the future unimaginable, and the now – with its curiosities and spiritual blessings, is most welcom(e)ing. What should I wear for the occasion?

Nakedness seems most appropriate – as all has already been revealed, the secrets are not the intrigue, and well, it’s just sexier in the moonlight this way.

A project. With artists and friends. Welcome to the present. My present to this reality.

Now.

Contradiction Dance is in concert June 23 & 24, 2007 at Joy of Motion’s Jack Guidone Theater. Contact Kelly Mayfield at Contradictiondance@mac.com.

Tehreema Mitha on “The Scent of My Earth”

Rob Bettmann

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April 15, 2007

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Tehreema Mitha on “The Scent of My Earth”

I believe in Aamad. Aamad can be translated as divine inspiration that results in creativity in a moment. When that vision descends on me, the excitement and urge to move almost takes my breath away. I still craft must craft my work, however. I work on dances in many different ways. There is no particular formula except that the story, the topic, the concept always comes to mind with movement.

When the inspiration arrives, I can barely wait for a chance to get into the studio and see how things will look in reality. I do not work in a systematic order, with a beginning then middle then an end. Instead I work on small sections that I connect later. Each piece is part of the story but I enjoy leaving those links until I know it is time. So far, I have never worked within a given time frame for the whole dance, choreographing till I feel it is done and I have nothing more to say, at that point, in that dance, on that topic. Some dance items may be twenty minutes or ten. I never know for sure till it is done. Sometimes my initial estimate is wildly off the mark!

I choreograph with concentration on a particular dance and then, almost mid-way, I will put it away to gain some distance before going back to complete it. I tend to work on more than one piece at the same time: usually one classical, the other contemporary; together yet separate; emerging from the same base but radically different in approach and movement. One thing always stays the same: in every new dance I challenge myself, either to be creative within boundaries I myself set up, or to explore unknown territory with abandon.

In 2003 I began work on a quartet based on the four elements: water, air, fire and earth. In each dance I have experimented using pure Bharatanatyam technique to create an atmosphere, veering away from story telling or the normal exacting formats laid out for technical dances. Bharatanatyam is either a soloist’s style or a traditional dance drama form. Using an ensemble, and multi-layered choreography I move the classical technique into contemporary presentation.

The first dance was on water, titled Leher, which translates as “On The Tide”. It premiered in June 2003. In creation I felt swept away by the mysterious sea and I chose that time when the tide comes in, the sea’s growling, surging grey power, with the last glimmers of the fading sun shining and splintering the silver on the surface of the water into so many colors. I imagined this water touching on the beach in straight, oblique or staggered lines, little pools of water making round patterns in the sand. For Leher I chose the traditional 16 beat rhythm to start with, with gentle melodious tabla and sarod to go with it. The dance was set to Raag Shyam Kalyan. The dance progresses to the unusual 131/2 beat rhythm to evoke the unexpected depth of the movement of the water. Leher was premiered with seven dancers, and will always need an odd number of dancers, no less than five.

Baad-e-Sbah – The Fresh Morning Breeze – was the next in the cycle (premiering in August 2004.) Baad-e-Shah is based on the element of air. Performed by six dancers, the piece depicts that hour which is neither day nor night and the faintest glimmer of light comes through the dark veil of the sky. Those who wish to pray or meditate or feel one with nature wake up to start their day. This fresh breeze is playful, cool, moving through the garden. I used adavus (the units of dance that form the basis of the technique of the classical style of Bharatanatyam) in very untypical combinations to create circular movements that cover space, within a dance form that is not given to pirouettes or high jumps. I set the choreography to a 19 beat rhythm to give each strand of movement a long life. For the music I asked a male vocalist with a deep melodious voice to sing the dance syllables in Raag Bhairavain, accompanied by both tabla (a north Indian instrument) and mridangam, (a south Indian instrument typical to this dance style).

In December 2007 we premiered Aatiah Angaiz- Igniting (based on the element of Fire). Set to a 21 beat cycle, this is the fastest paced of all the dances, with fiery movement darting across space and quick fire adavu combinations that make your heart and lungs leap out of your body. It is passionate, for fire is all consuming, but in the tightly controlled style of classical Bharatanatyam. With mridangam, sitar and female vocal set to Raag Deepak, the divisions are extremely varied and intricate. This dance item involves four female dancers, including myself. In Igniting I have given each dancer a brief solo, and introduced a circular relay.

Maan Mitti – The Scent of My Earth – is in progress and due to be premiered this August at Dance Place. In this dance, I use dance syllables spoken by the dancers live on stage, intermingled and alternating with foot percussion and a recording of the specially composed music. I have pledged to use no traveling jumps (as in Baad-e-Sbah), no adavus that involve kicks (as in Igniting) or those linear body movements that I used in Leher. This dance will stay closer to the earth.

The dance begins on the ground, with humming and chanting, recreating the feel of rituals from so many different cultures that honor mother earth. It then moves to hand gestures and footwork done in sitting postures (unknown in typical Bharatanatym). It keeps long slow movements, sometimes at a faster pace, using full Mur mandi positions (movements done in a deep plie).

As a small part of the dance, I gave each of my three dancers, Radha Gholkar, Praneetha Akula and Deepa Poonapam (who have been with me for several years now), a twelve beat rhythm with the first five beats already set to a certain step combination, and asked each to make up their own adavu combination for the rest of the remaining seven beats. I use these individual twelve beat cycles as part of our on stage conversation between the ensemble, taking certain distinctive movements from each and creating four more cycles of variations to add on to each original set.

More often than not, (as in all the dances of this quartet) I will complete the whole choreography with every beat accounted for and then work with a set of musicians to lay down the melody so that it literally reflects every single half or quarter beat movement. There is no formal system of notation in South Asian classical music. While we have an informal way of writing down the basics, (each note or half beat is noted on the paper), in the end we depend upon understanding and memorizing the work.

We choose the Raag according to the sounds I have in my head, or the Raags known for similar qualities as the topic, or one that we all (the musicians and myself) feel sounds just right for the rhythmic patterns. For this upcoming dance I hope to have vocals and Pakhawaj (an ancient drum that the better known tabla originated from) and maybe a violinist. In traditional Bharatanatyam accompaniment a few basic phrases with a little variation are repeated over and over again. In the late fifties my Guru, Indu Mitha, began intricate tying of the music to the dance movement, and I have taken this work further. We are the only choreographers who use North Indian music to accompany this South Indian dance style, and who go beyond using themes from Hindu mythology.

The costumes are an integral part of the choreography and add another dimension, as do the lights, both of which I imagine as part of the choreography. All the dances in the quartet have costumes that are a dramatic twist on the traditional. It is important to me that the costumes should retain that glamorous and detailed element that is part of the traditional Bharatanatyam costume, while moving forward into the 21st century. When we dance onto stage we are not ourselves; we are transformed into the character required and costumes must reflect this. While the costumes for “The Scent of My Earth” are based on the traditional every day Shilwar Kameez (trousers and shirt) that a lot of dancers wear for practice, these will include colours connected to the earth, with long decorated hair and dangling earrings.

The title of this dance comes from the scent that rises from the earth when it has just rained a little in the summer (the rain will appear in the dance as well) bringing welcome relief from the heat. I have inhaled and cherished this scent in Pakistan, India, Africa, the United States…. It is a potent part of our connection to the Earth, part of our senses, our very being.

Tehreema Mitha grew up in Pakistan in a home full of music, dance, paintings, books and lively debate. Dancing under the tutelage of her mother, Indu Mitha, since the age of seven, she performed her first full two-hour program of Bharatanatyam in Lahore in 1986. Since then, despite political and cultural obstacles, Ms. Mitha has continued to give solo performances to audiences in Pakistan, Afghanistan (December 2005), Norway, China, India, Germany, England, Guatemala and the United States. Ms. Mitha was invited to the American Dance Festival’s International Choreographers Workshop in North Carolina in 1990. She is the subject of the documentary “And she dances on…” which premiered in 1996, and toured as part of the 1997 Asian Film Festival (Europe, Asia and North America.) Ms. Mitha holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and English, and a MA in Fine Arts. After running the only dance company in Pakistan for five years, Ms. Mitha moved to the US nine years ago seeking more freedom to choreograph and at present is the only Muslim woman in the world, coming from Pakistan, to run a dance company. Ms. Mitha has reviewed dance performances for The Dance Insider Online, and for Dance View Times. She has choreographed, and produced the music for over sixty dances, both solo and ensemble, in both the Classical and Contemporary styles. To these she adds a repertoire of yet more items that have been passed down by tradition.