Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Odin's Aviary review of Right Before You Fell

I am still searching for official paper reviews...but in the meantime true friends review friends.

A small snippet from Jeff's thoughts about the show:
"Read about the inspiration for the show here, March 15. Some would have hated it. If I had gone looking for pin-point-perfect technique, or classical movement, or really anything conventional at all, I would have been disappointed. Instead I was uplifted by vignettes about trying to get along with and without people. Between dances, open doorways and closed doors were moved about on rollers by dancers dressed like nuevo gypsies, as they held a kind of movement dialogue with one another. Each had what seemed to be their own character, informing their choices and scenarios. Melissa's acrobalance experience shone through at certain points, particularly to a number choreographed to Tom Waits' "The Piano Has Been Drinking," a piece I was lucky enough to get a preview of at the Kinesis benefit in December (see 12/25/06 for a photo). That section, too, is a good example of one of the best aspects of Right Before You Fell: its sense of humor. I've known Melissa for a while now, so her brand of humor is about as familiar to me as anyone's. RBYF was a great manifestation of unbounded joy for living, and unabashed moments of the surreal."

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Choreographer’s Notes


I am considering making these my program notes for our upcoming show -
it may be too much info - personally and generally -
However, I find that it is information I want to share -
So you get it shared. right here.
__________________________________________
Side note - This is what went into the program......
__________________________________________
Notes on
Right Before You Fell

Between people in relationships, or strangers in close proximity, is space with a tangible quality that fascinates me.
Relationships that work are balancing acts. Connection, communication (silent and verbal), laughter...and then, there are those experiences we’ve all had that don’t really qualify as “working”.
And where do we, as New Yorkers, go when things aren’t working? Often, we go walking. In 1999 I took that idea to new heights. I found myself walking the streets of the Village, the East Side, West Side... Below 72nd Street you name it I know it, because I’ve walked it. For hours.
A friend asked me if I walk to get away from, or walk to go towards. I’d like to think I am always “going towards”. I was searching for understanding of myself, love and who knows how many other things....and I needed to move to do it.
At a Christmas party in 2005 I began talking with a friend about the saying “the elephant in the livingroom” - and my fascination with communication grew deeper - what if there was a view into our minds when we had something we couldn’t say - What does it look like, and how does it get physicalized?
Once all of the dances were intertwined, I found there was something larger then all of these minor ideas of communication.
There is a deeper communication we all long for. A love that spans this life and the next however our beliefs systems may tug us. My grandfather left this life’s stage recently, and gone over to the Bright Side of the Road...he is dancing there while we dance here.

This performance is dedicated to the memory of Louis J Sanducci.

Long walks, doorways, and a small search is begun and ended simultaneously.

Melissa Riker
Choreographer

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Bullets and an Addendum

Last night I had dinner with Dad's first cousin Donald (affectionately known amongst the cousins of my generation as "Donald the Spy") it was wonderful to see Dad relax with a family member who has known him his whole life, yet whom he doesn't feel protective around -
those may be a strange combination of thoughts, but he doesn't get to spend much time with his family, my aunt is in Colorado living (a very fit and fun) Steamboat life, and my fabulous cousins (each one Dad adores) are all following their respective stars in LA, Hawaii and ....well L is more of a nomad (see past posts on motorcycle cousin- or her very own thoughts here)

The other conversation that happened - having NOTHING to do with family or emotions was one with Debra - she was in the wacky (yet specific) chorus line in Bullets Over Broadway (see rant below)

Pretty crazy hmm?
We chatted for a while about Woody Allen and the movie in general - as well as (of course) my glowing praise over the fun and costuming of the dance numbers!

Ok - unless something else happens - I will stop talking about BoB
I swear.
xo

Saturday, March 03, 2007

In these steps....

Sitting with Soph today going over the step by step process of the evening of work we are presenting in a few weeks I realize how far I have come in the imagining of this evening.
and also realize how much more needs to get done.
as I sit with that for a while here's an announcement for the show - (of course, my guess is that those of you that read this....also get my shameless emails.....
hmmm...
Right Before You Fell...

ImageMerce Cunningham Studio
55 Bethune St., NYC
March 22-25, 2007


Thursday 3/22 & Friday 3/23 - 9pm
Saturday 3/24 & Sunday 3/25 - 8pm


choreography - Melissa Riker and dancers
dancers - Zoe Bowick, Madeline Hoak, Cary McWilliam and Melissa Riker
voice - Susannah Conn
music - Sophocles Papavasilopoulos
costumes - Elizabeth Payne
lights - Carolyn Wong
set - Andrew Holland
stage manager - Laura Schlachtmeyer
press - Lanie Zipoy/Avec Productions
photos - min win / www.lifemagical.com

reservations
by phone 212.696.6787
online at www.theatermania.com
tickets $20

DIRECTIONS to the WestBeth building via Subway:
Take the A,C,E, or L to 14th St. & 8th Ave.
Walk down 8th Ave - it meets Hudson St. at Bethune St.
Make a Right (crossing over Hudson.) Walk two blocks West.
The WestBeth is on the corner of Washington & Bethune.

Kinesis Project web site