Take a Bow.... and maybe a glowstick!

It's hard to describe the feelings standing backstage while the amazing woman making the announcements in front of the curtain is talking about YOU.
ok fine.

ME.
I'm brave, blushing, cocky, shy, and nervous!... B was standing nearby and asked if I was nervous (because she was)...... I whispered:
"Yes! Absolutely I am!"
I was a new kind of nervous...
It's not your run-of-the-mill "I hope I dance well and remember things" kind of nervous...
This was a "Hello folks! Yessiree! I was allowed to teach your children for 8 weeks... lookie what we did!" kind of nerves...
The kind where you realize the audience, the very full audience, made up primarily of teenagers and parents, has every right to judge you completely and totally.

Ugh.

But for all those little nerves and questions....there was so much joy! Around me, next to me... running down the hallway at me...
I loved it.
Caroline had told the students to not go looking for me because I was getting ready to perform...so when I saw them in the hallway:
N burst out "I didn't find her! It was an accident!!"
K said "Ms. Riker we wouldn't come find you, but you found us!"
all these moments of excitement, pictures taken and dances performed in their one chance in front of family and peers.... (no pressure! wow.)
I fell in love all over again.
With the immediate emotion these dancers bring to their dances, the questions on their faces and the crazy beautiful exuberance that happens in a moment's notice...(directly after a major bout of pouting in some cases.) I was thrilled.
J and J performed a wonderful duet I was honored to have been part of coaching, A, C and M rocked with their trio, M and L had finished their duet (they were worried - when I left SYR they had taken two rehearsals to create 8 counts... sometimes that's the way it goes)

25 pieces... well.. 26 if you include mine.

Many of them solos and duets that the students had choreographed.
Interspersed were the class dances that we had created together - Caroline had been rehearsal director for these dances that were completely unfamiliar to her, with movement made by someone slightly more monkey than lovely...and she did a terrific job.
She gave them counts (I didn't) and the classes found their dances during their 5 or 6 weeks of rehearsal after I was gone.

....and then something happened that FLOORED me. I've heard people say that (OK, mostly my Mom says "It floored me"...and I think it means "felt like it knocked you down it was so surprising".)

And this did -  .....A speech was given by M, H and A (possibly the most beautiful speech I have EVER been the focus of btw) explaining that Period 6/7 had created a second class dance - they had taken the floor phrase I had taught as a fun warm up with some nice balance and floor challenges   - they said they had combined the things I had taught them (martial arts, circus and dance) and made this dance as a dedication - to me! (What?!?...oh my goodness!)
... it was to Jack Johnson's warm and folksy song that we'd listen to for extra smiles when we needed them:  "Better Together"
Fabulous warm fuzzies for all!

The dance that I had worked with 6/7 on  incorporated glowsticks -

And wow! did it work! the entire stage vibrated with colors and small points of light -  they were beautiful. (this is the best picture I have of it -doesn't do it justice at all - no fault of the photographer...glowsticks are hard to capture.) Their ending was supposed to be a dramatic exit through the audience with glowsticks - they created their ending, swirling as they should but then in the dark lined up in front of the stage, their backs to us...when they turned around we saw they had shaped the glowsticks into "THANK YOU MS RIKER"
I almost passed out..I didn't - but I did clap and yell my cheers and hope they could hear me.

In the end all of these dancers: Ensemble, Per 1, 2, 4, 6/7 ...soloists, trios, duets and groups - worked hard and reaped what they sowed -  it was successful.   I am proud that The West Genesee Dance Department's presentation of "Arrival" was the culmination of a residency by Kinesis Project dance theatre.

And if I had glow sticks to return the amazing favor of my name in colored shapes.....I would say "THANK YOU WEST GENESEE"
for 8 weeks that kept me laughing, patient, open, breathing, doing yoga after lunch, partnering after school, crunches on Tues and Thurs, capoeira in a parking lot, a dance on an outside wall, 11th Period breaks = run-ins with boys and fun conversation, and finally, paying attention to even the smaller moments of Arrival.

Have a wonderful summer, dancers. (but that would take a lot of glowsticks.....)

Letting Go

Week 8, part II
*************************************
I am writing this while traveling back to NYC from Syracuse -
This week grades were handed in, costume spreadsheets completed, and goodbyes gained momentum....
The past two days have a been a whirlwind of completing choreography with the Ensemble (Advanced) and my 1st Period class (Intro) -
I am proud of the work we've all done - and of the chances they took along with me on this curving 8 week ride.

And........I can't end the ride without thank yous to Karen Kotlar, my housemate and overall teaching mentor (whether she knew it or not) Bill Davern, and the amazing staff of the West Genesee Performing Arts Department - I am incredibly thankful for the speed of reaction, openness and clarity demonstrated repeatedly.

The appreciation I've been shown in the past two days is warming and wonderful - beautiful cards, both hand-drawn and purchased, gifties, cookies and multiple cookie cakes and treats! (I think I gained back any weight I might have lost in my time here simply by celebrating with cake or cookies every 41 minutes today!!)

Choreographically I am pleased - The Ensemble's piece has technique and loads of intricate personality that I hope they can keep with them for the next few months and the Intermediate classes have created pieces that beautifully express the creativity of each class.

I will be going back to see the final products in June - My hope is to offer the Standing Room open commission with them and possibly perform in the show alongside the dancers.

Besides the beautiful lessons these students have offered me: reminders of what it is to love immediately, the vulnerability of a wide open heart and the ease at which change can appear, effect us, and leave; I have learned much about myself - my patience levels, my ability to see what is in front of me, all I certainly still need to learn about grading, breaking down information and mixing playfulness with solid. The last I think I may have done successfully, but I'd love to know that I can offer more technique with my play over time.

In the Fray of Endings

Week 8
***************************************
This is it - my time in Syracuse is coming to an end - each day now marks the thoughts of "wow. that's the last..."
I found myself generous with 1st period, incredibly frustrated at bad behavior in 2nd period, giving 4th period a playful choreography assignment, taking 6/7 outside to create a dance in the chilly sunshine and getting just this much closer to finishing the piece for the Ensemble.

The behaviors in 2nd period are upsetting because when they are good, I love them. But when they are bad, I could easily walk out of the room and not look back.

Of course all teachers feel that way about one class or another. I'm lucky that most of my classes can stay focused and on the tasks of dancing. But I also admit, that is not behavior one sees often in the arts professionally. Oh sure, we've all got our fruitbat scenarios (as friend Patrick calls certain types of rehearsals) but disinterest and flat out rude behavior? No. Not as often.
So they are not inspired, and I am not inspired to do the work to inspire them....
What an ugly spiral that is!
So I'll avoid that if I can manage to stick to the positive ideas, and find their creative joy again.

And here we go - I may try to post mid-week since we all know how quickly things shift during the final moments somewhere!

Arrival - Beginnings, Endings and Continuing onward...

Week 7
***************************************
Last week I gave three out of five classes a "free-write" assignment -
I asked them to crack open their minds on the topic of "Arrival" and just write for ten minutes.

There were questions and concerns, but once those were allayed, and I reminded them that I didn't even need their names on the top of the page... ("So just vent on paper?" "Yes...with Arrival in mind as a place to start." "Oh! ok!!") there was a sense of freedom in the room as they became the quietest I have ever experienced them and just plain wrote about whatever came to mind for 10 minutes.

Afterward, we discussed what they had discovered - that an arrival is usually the ending of one thing and the beginning of another, but that nothing really ends....or that often the assumption is that Arrival is a happy thing, but maybe it isn't always -

I have read personal accounts of birth, or relationships, of death and interpretations of dances...words of songs and even thoughts about my arrival to them as a teacher...

And I am thrilled at what we've found together -

In my first intermediate class (the class that seems to have gotten more circus partnering out of me than the others) I used this free write as a way to begin finding a title to their piece. I loved all of the conversations we had about beginnings and celebration of successes however small they might be -

In the second intermediate class we didn't use it as a title search, but we did find much to talk about and explore on the various ways arrival affects lives... they also wrote about what is like to have a different dance teacher and how the experience is good for them as dancers.

For me, this week's challenge will be:
- tying up the loose ends in choreography
- supplying classes that will keep feeding this new sense of emotional connection to why we move
- continuing on with the movement info I really want to leave with them

Looking forward...

Teaching Balance

I am a teacher. At least for 8 weeks. In a High School in Syracuse NY that houses a fabulous Arts Department and, you guessed it, a dance studio -
A big, beautiful dance studio (though it shrinks when you put 25 dancing bodies in it).
Between 7:30am and 12:30 pm 105 teenagers join me in the constant search for expression and keeping ourselves entertained.

As dancers who work with me in Kinesis Project know, my process is not linear - its almost completely alinear - if that's a word. This is a challenge for young dancers who have been given dances for a long time that go from A-B-C or maybe A-C-B....if I am really IN a process it may look more like J-5-G-T-9,1,2,F....

I'm not sure if I can explain why that is - its possible someone who loves me could, however.

For most of my classes here I have challenged myself to work the way they do - Four of the classes are learning movement, or generating from my base movement and then I am building the order in a good 'ol A,B,C kinda way -
The ones who are really getting the brunt of my un-line-ing are the Ensemble group.

My Ensemble class is the last of my day, they are the most advanced dancers and the most willing to deal with a nutty choreographer (although I think the others like the last part too.)
Some of the classes are getting more focus in circus skill, and this week I'll be starting an after school experience for those who want to learn more partnering skills when I'm able to give more one-on-one attention in the "please don't fall down" and "look at how cool this is" categories.

I don't give homework, I don't always have the best behaving classes, but I do feel like since I've been here there are new bits of information I can give these bodies - hopefully leaving them stronger more willing to try strange things in movement because "one time we had a guest teacher and she always asked why are you doing that movement?, taught us to stand on one another made us do push-ups on Mondays and crunches on Tuesdays!"

My hope is that most are learning to listen to one another just a bit more, to balance lovely with not-so-lovely and story with movement. They are teaching me patience and to look a bit deeper into their eyes when they say "I can't do that."

The teacher I stay with here said: "I won't teach them science in 41 minutes, but I can show them how to be people that make better choices."
In my case, it's not quite possible to get into the details of dance technique - I've got to pray someone else can do that - but I can ask them to calmly listen to one another, teach them ways of getting stronger and show them how to find movement they haven't yet experienced.