Storms, Dances and Forward

It has been a while since I've sat down and written.
Since September, Kinesis Project has presented segments of Mapping Home in the parks of NYC as part of PARK DANCES in Battery Park's Bosque Gardens and Ft. Tryon's Cloisters Lawn.

They were beautiful, and thanks to Emil Baez, Homer Frizzell, Mike Trutt and my Dad, we have some incredible shots of the dancers on benches, rocks and in the fountains.

We've also landed squarely in the realm of Flash Mobs - Yes.
Kinesis Project now creates flash mob experiences.  I'm really proud of what we've accomplished so far...
Madeline choreographed this gorgeous Times Sq. Proposal:

Jun has choreographed a 30th Birthday surprise in Central Park

and I tried my hand at a "mob" for a rehearsal dinner right after the storm!

Yes. The storm.  A superstorm that ravaged beloved beaches in Long Island and in NJ.  The hours and hours I spent with friend Pete staring out over the ocean during our "let's drive to the beach" years, pleased to be looking out at something so much larger than ourselves - relieved to know that our tiny decisions about college or midterms almost couldn't possibly matter in a world so much bigger than us.

The superstorm (called because it was a Category 1 Hurricane, a large Nor'Easter and the full moon) triangulated in NJ to create, as one would say, a Perfect Storm - leaving a perfect mess of demolished houses, torn up beaches and two new inlets between the ocean and Barnegat Bay -- there is much, much more - damage on Staten Island, The Rockaways, and up and down the Jersey Shore, but I don't have the room, or the heart to list it all here.

And I find myself thinking of secrets. The secrets we keep and are kept from us...and vulnerability. What it is to admit to it, and how it feels when it is caught, seen and exposed - even if only for a moment.

In the Fray of Endings

Week 8
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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!

Beach Dance II (The better edit)

Film Collaboration between H. Frizzell & M. Riker
Music by Amos Lee