Show Week in Chicago: Itinerary

Show week for Mo&Co at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago!

Tuesday: tech rehearsal

Wednesday: 10am workshop with Shirley at The American Rhythm Center and I'll be the 11:30am guest speaker for Chicago Semester in the Arts, then on to dress rehearsal.

Thursday: Opening Night at 8pm and post-performance talk!

Friday: Pre-performance talk at 7pm, Show at 8pm and Champagne Reception after!

Saturday: Family Dance at 3pm (bring the kids and boogie) then Show at 8pm.

Sunday: 9am I'll be teaching a Composition Workshop at Northwestern University!

Monday: Fly home to Washington D.C. and miss all of my Chicago friends terribly.

Post by Mordine & Company Dance Theater.

Working on Multiple Dances

Getting work done!  While I'm hanging out in Chicago for the next 2 weeks, I'm often between rehearsals.  The big Mordine and Company show is next weekend at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago and it's shaping up very well.  We're performing with members of Mucca Pazza, and having musicians in the room while we dance is creating much electricity.

In the mean time I'm (of course) working on the next piece I'm setting on The Collective in Baltimore for their performance on 11/16-17 at The Theater Project.  I've just finished editing the music and re-recording a couple of monologue tracks (my 2nd favorite thing to do).

If you want to see how fast I can talk and how tongue-tied I might get while dancing, come to this show!

http://www.collective-dance.com/performances.html

NOW, if you want to dance with me while I'm in Chicago, come to Company Class with Mordine and Company at Extensions Friday, 9/26 10-11:30 for $10.  I'm teaching an advanced modern class focusing on easy, easy hips.  We'll open them up and see what we get.

Then come see me dance, of course.

And if you're a Northwestern University student, I'm teaching a Laban-based Composition Masterclass on Sunday, Oct. 6th in the ballroom of the Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center.

Goal Met! I'm going to Chicago!

So, as some of you know, I have been raising travel expenses to get to Chicago.  Why?  Because when I was living there, I was a company member with Mordine and Company Dance Theatre, and right before I left, it was decided that Mo&Co would be one of the season openers on The Dance Center of Columbia College's 40th Anniversary Season.  As The Dance Center is one of the major places to see dance in Chicago, I was very excited.  

Then my husband and I moved.  

I talked to Shirley (Artistic Director of Mo&Co) and said, "If you'll have me, I'll be back to do my role in the piece All At Once" (I'm in the maroon v-neck t-shirt).  She said yes and everything was fine and dandy until...

My husband and I moved to D.C. and because of various misfortunes, went through our pitiful savings at an alarming rate.  After 3 maxed out credit cards and many familial loans later, I was facing calling Shirley and telling her to replace me unless I could fundraise enough money to get to Chicago.  

WELL, I am so happy to announce that with all of your help, I have raised enough to get my tush out to Chicago for rehearsals and the show!  

Thank you so much to my generous donors:
A big thank you to my generous donors on GoFundMe who helped me with travel expenses for the trip!  
Anonymous
Anonymous
Sarah Coffey
Mom & Dad Drake
Diego, Lauren, & Monica
Andrew Lomen
Paula Biasi
Brad and Megan Vollmer
Bart Griepentrog
Anonymous
Kelly Anderson

If you would like to see this exciting show in Chicago on October 3-5, 2013,  click RIGHT HERE for ticket information through The Dance Center's Box Office.  

If you're not in Chicago, then check back here as I blog my way through the rehearsals and show.

Thank you!

Help Send My Dancing Feet To Chicago

AAAAANNNNNNDDDDD, now it's my turn.

After staring, puppy-dog-eyed at so many artist's requests for funding, now I get to ask....

http://www.gofundme.com/3i38p8

Here's the deal: I just moved (for my husband's job - not my choice! But it was his dream-job, so we had to) to Washington D.C. and even though it will be a good move for the long run (thing 10-20 years) it has put my husband and I deeply in debt and me out of a job.

I JUST got a part-time job at the National Zoo, am sub-teaching at a local studio, and am commuting to Baltimore for my new company, but all of that means we're still not able to pay our bills and are leaning heavily on family to get us from month to month.

SO, before we moved, I got and signed onto the fantastic opportunity to go back to Chicago in late September through early October to perform with Mordine and Company Dance Theater and Mucca Pazza at The Dance Center of Columbia College for their 40th Anniversary Season.  This is a big deal.

Now I am faced with the challenge of getting back to Chicago to rehearse, tech, teach masterclasses for children and adults, and dance for one of the most discerning dance audiences I will ever face.

Please consider helping me get there.  I even made a nice little video to show you how hard I've been working over these last few years.

Thank you in advance (for donating OR simply sharing my GoFundMe page with your friends) and here's where you can help:

http://www.gofundme.com/3i38p8

Chicago/Washington D.C. Dance Exchange

I am proud to announce a new project!

I miss my old city already and am setting up a dance exchange between my new city and my old one to encourage the flow of ideas from the east coast to the third coast.

Check out my website for new information updated regularly or if you would like to participate.
Chicago/DC Dance Exchange

Chicago Re-Cap and Moving to D.C.

Ugh!  I've been so busy wrapping up my last semester teaching at UW-Milwuakee, winding down my time at The Dance Center of Columbia College, and preparing for my last show (before I move) with Mordine and Company.  I'm happy to say that I only had to fail ONE student this semester, my beautiful co-workers at The Dance Center gave me a lovely send of with oodles of cake, and this last show is going to be a snap.  So I'm happy.

So, in prep for my move, I'll get dance-nostalgic:

UWM - You crazy kids, you.  My Modern 1 students were so inspiring.  I had a student tell me that I changed their life.  These are the moments teachers live for.  Seriously.  And this was coming from a non-dance major who looked like they had been stuck in a desk for about 20 years.  My Body Sense students... well, they were a bit less inspiring, but let me tell you, I learned a TON, and I mean a TON from reading the papers of my 2 Army vets.  It alllllllmost makes me want that extra degree in Dance Movement Therapy, but I have enough debt so...

The Dance Center - You crazy artists, you.  I will never look at Rupaul's Drag Race in the same way again and you all win the award for the most dry humor executed in a lighting booth.  I will also miss tripping over the 20 odd foam rollers in the hallways.  My thighs thank you for all the rolling out I did over the year and a half.

Visceral Dance Center - You were my go-to spot for dance classes.  I cheated on you with Lou Conte, Links Hall, Dance Center Evanston, Hamlin Park, and the Ruth Page Center, but you were the one I came home to.  That being said, I will miss all the fabulous teachers I was able to experience in such a short time.  If you're thinking of Chicago as a place to study, there are so many top-notch teachers here that will whip you into concert shape in no time.  My modern favorites include Mikey Rioux, Kristina Fluty, Melinda Myers, and Molly Shanahan (whenever she comes home). Keep dancing.

I also saw so much dance.  I'm frequently recommending summer programs and companies as their event announcements come to me on Facebook, so check out my public page at :

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Sopoci-Drake-ChoreographerTeacher/170769856789

NOW, one more show this Thursday and Friday at Hamlin Park with Mordine and Company and then I get in my station wagon and drive to DC.  I'm excited (mostly because I haven't seen my husband in a month) to get going out there and figuring out what the scene is like in my new city.

Oh, and I'm moving less than a mile away from the ZOO!  The ZOO!  I'll be able to hear their big cats growling or roaring or whatever they do.  Can't wait.

Know Your Local Mid-Level Dance Companies

Know them and love them.

I move around a lot.  It's something I'm trying to change, but in this economy... you've got to be flexible or you might have to change careers.  That being said, the FIRST thing I do when moving into a new dance scene is familiarize myself with the local mid-level dance companies.

What is a local mid-level dance company?  Otherwise known as a regional, salon, boutique, or a limited-contract dance company, these local companies can range in talent and budget from newly-formed and relying on regular Kick-starter campaigns to a 40-year-old company that has a budget of at least $250,000 a year and makes one national or international tour a year.

Chicago is one of the best cities to find an ample supply of mid-level companies for dancers at any point in their career.  I find my perfect fit (for dancing or viewing) by dividing them into 3 categories:
1) For the young dancer just out of college.
2) For the dancers that don't want to leave the city, don't fit neatly into a large company here, and are forced to make or collaborate to make their own 'awesome'.
3) For the dancer that was tired of their demanding nationally/internationally-known touring company and transitioned into the role of choreographer so they could be their own boss.

These are surprisingly easy to figure out.  Just skim the artistic director and dancer bios: Where'd the director from?  How'd they get their start?  What's their mission?  How old are their dancers?  How'd their dancers end up in the city?  Then find your ideal company and start taking classes with them or see their next show.

For those of you interested in Chicago dance, these are the local companies I've seen in the last week:   I just caught Striding Lion Performance Group at Links Hall last weekend when they shared a show with Enid Smith Dance (former Cunningham dancer), this weekend I peeked into the Chicago Moving Company's 40th Anniversary Show at The Dance Center and regrettably missed THAW: A Night of Hot Ballyhoo, Link's big-ole' party and fundraiser.  But you take a look at their programs and you'll not only find dancers, but each of these events are populated with dancers who have their own scintillating side projects worth checking into.

If I weren't heading to Milwaukee to rehearse for my own side-project MKE FOLLIES taking place next Saturday, March 30th at Carte Blanche in Milwaukee, WI, I'd definitely go see the inimitable Canadian Compagnie Marie Chouinard at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Petronio

I have 2 tickets to the Petronio's Underland for tomorrow.  Now, as we all know, I don't do pointed feet, but every once and a while I make an exception for a well crafted show.

I happen to work at The Dance Center (big season and place for dance in Chi-town) and get my tickets for free in exchange for being the bright and smiling face full of snarky remarks every Tues-Thurs evening.  So I got a little preview since I'm putting in my hours this evening.

Let me tell you, there were screams and yells at curtain.  I guess Chicago approves.  See ya tomorrow, dancers.  I'll be in heels, so you know I think you're worth it.

All At Once

So this weekend I'm seeing myself onstage.  I'm sure I'll give you a glowing review after the weekend.

I'll be performing with Mordine and Company at Stage 773 Feb. 28-March 3.  You can even get $5 off tickets for Thursday and Sunday HERE.  We've got guest artists, an oldie and a newie that I took part in creating.  Those of you who know my moves will see my signature style in there.  :-)

I'm all a twitter about it because it'll be my first big performance in Chicago and I collect performances in different cities like Girl Scout badges.  It's a little like collecting states you've driven through, or countries you've vacationed in, but with career benefits.  You get bragging rights, but you also get a little more clout in the dance world because if you've danced in one more city, it means that someone wanted you to dance there.  It's a little ego stroke for you and a little reputation builder for your resume.

Now, I'm not touring with Petronio or anything 'cause that's not in the cards for me... but I do the best with what I've got and dammit, I'm proud of it.

Why I, As an Artist, Left Miami

Edward Villella.  A name any dancer should know.  He founded Miami City Ballet, among other amazing achievements and made me, as a devout modern dancer, stop sneering at ballet.  (Well, Eddie and the incomparable Sylvie.)

So, what does this have to do with me leaving Miami for the cold city of Chicago?  A little over a year ago, my husband and I were faced with a choice whether to stay in Miami while he searched for a job or to start fresh in a new community where there were more opportunities for him.  The ultimate choice was up to me because I was gainfully employed and it would be quite a sacrifice for me to leave my company and my teaching.  I decided we would take the chance.

There were many and varied reasons why we chose to move (big city, more museums for him, closer family for both of us, the challenge of a new city, and several more financial reasons) but there is one reason, that as an artist I kept coming back to:  Miami just doesn't get it yet, and my career as a dancer is finite.

All right, all right, simmer down there.  Many artists and choreographers in Miami that ABSOLUTELY DO get it, but they are in the minority and they do not fund companies and seasons.  Board members and the general public steer that ship.  And, I'm sorry (not sorry), but Miami, you have some growing up to do.  Stay crazy, young and fun, but please take down those awful plastic-surgery-for-moms-and-teens and www.whocanisue.com billboards, and grow and artistic soul.

Edward Villella GOT IT.  He did.  He got it and then he founded Miami City Ballet.  People came, saw, and then a few more people were able to "get it" too.  Then Miami just had to stamp it's little 8-inch, platform stripper-heels all over it.  If you aren't familiar with the story of Villella's premature departure from MCB, read all about it in the Miami Herald's tell-all with there many helpful links to emails and subscriber letters.

I was reminded all about this in this month's Dance Teacher Magazine article with Eddie's first major interview since the whole rotten deal went down. Mr. Vallella has this fabulous quote that typifies his struggle with Miami:
"I came from knowledge and awareness, so when I was asked to start a ballet in Miami ... [w]hat I fully didn’t realize is there’s a New York manner and a Florida manner. So for over a quarter of a century I have been trying to educate and bring Miami up to or near the level of cultural understanding of a city such as New York. It’s not an easy thing to do.
... [B]ut when you are dealing with a community that doesn’t fully have enough exposure, interest and support, it’s a little exasperating, and you feel like you have not fully done what you started out to do."

And then after being asked what he'll do next, he just kills me with this one:
"What I want to do first of all is to return to a place where they speak my language. Miami does not speak my language."

Honey, I hear you and my bags are packed.

Dancing Through the Holidays

My favorite way to stay happy and healthy over the holidays is to keep dancing.  That's why I am so happy that my favorite place to dance in Chicago, Visceral Dance Center, is open almost every day.  Merry Christmas!

I used to go home to Minneapolis, MN for break and get so disappointed that I couldn't take advantage of the teachers at my favorite Minneapolis studios while I was home because all of the studios were closed.  Yes, teachers need a break, but a lot still need a paycheck.

Anyhoo, get your butt into class (especially my students who have to look fabulous in my piece on January 24th at UWM) and have a happy New Year!

More about Ek's Casi-Casa

More about Ek's piece Casi-Casa set on Hubbard Street.

Let me tell you more about Casi-Casa.  Or rather let me tell you about what it did for Hubbard Street, because it seems to me that is what I'm mostly jazzed about.  Viewing dance is all about context.  Who that viewer is, what they've seen before, what they are expecting, what they see in that moment and how it relates to what came directly before and after it.  Dance criticism is a whole different animal and I'm not going there.  I could, I have skills, I'm just more interested in telling you about why a modern dancer from the midwest with my background might see things the way she does.

Jumping to my expectations (you can look up my who and what on my website): Before I moved to Florida for 3 years, I had a number of conversations with different dancers about many companies including Hubbard Street.  They're the big modern game in town, so they come up quite a bit.  This is the number one sentiment I heard from people: "Don't get me wrong, they've got lovely dancers, but their choreography..."  And it trails off in various ways after that.  Talking about "lovely dancers" is dance world speak for "don't waste your money".  I use it constantly.  After all, the buck stops at the Artistic Director.  You've got the talent, don't waste it.  But, what has happened in the last few years since I left and came back? New Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton is what.  Same thing that happened to Luna Negra and others.  Their direction is what makes me excited about American modern dance again.  Them and the Cuban influx.  It's about time we had a revitalization!

So how does this fit in to my viewing experience?  I was expecting lovely dancers and I was questioning how they might handle Ek's work.  I mean, what could possibly compare to Sylvie Guillem in Ek's Wet Woman?  I must admit, my excitement was mostly about Ek's work and not about Hubbard Street, so when they did a fair job of it, I was very excited, especially considering the previous three pieces in the program (Untouched by Azure Barton and 2 others from Alejandro Cerrudo) which were more in Hubbard's zone of comfort.  How these previous three pieces played out, so strong in technical prowess, drama, and the highlighting of the human body (yes even Cerrudo's minimal Blanco was all about the body's prowess), really set the stage for Ek's focus on human interaction and his strength for moving bodies around the stage to reveal a landscape or a mood.

It was much less about the dancers' technical abilities as it was about how they could relax into the difficult movement tasks given to them and reveal what is at the heart of it.  Quinn Wharton's opening and closing solos weren't as grounded as I wanted them to be, although I've seen him in rehearsals (the plus-side of Hubbard Street's rehearsals often being next door to their open classes) for other works display the ease needed to sink into a work like Ek's.  The gravitas needed to really pin down a role like that just hasn't made its way into this particular performance yet.  It's all about that delicate line between doing and being, showing and revealing.  Don't hate me Quinn - you're so pretty and I like your shoulder-girdle mobility.  I told someone that loudly within earshot of someone else who I thought might pass the info along to the powers-that-be, so you're welcome.

Another moment I have a question about was the militant housewives with the dragging vacuum cleaners.  A hilarious section complete with bagpiping music (all the more funny given their implements of cleanliness) and dancing that gave a little send-up to traditional step dancing was overdone by angry outbursts from the women.  By itself, the section is brilliant, but all previous verbal outburst we at the top of the emotion spectrum as well, so this one played overwrought.  That being said, the housewife of this section, whose name eludes me (Anna?), was spot on.  Holy crap.  Her emotional depth in this role was certainly equal to that of Meredith Dincolo's striking opening solo in Azure Barton's Untouched.  Everyone else paled in comparison to her bound-up Housewife, and I wanted it that way.  A little salt on my meal, thank you.

A couple of words about the empty stage, caution tape, and blaring music:  You tease. I liked it, music might read... on the annoying side of startling, nice placement, and thank the good lord of dance it didn't come after the baby-oven scene.

I described, with zeal, this piece to my college students who were not impressed and made faces at my descriptions.  Ha!  I guess this means this work isn't for everyone, but I like to think it is for people who are especially interested in the messy and often banal intricacies of life.

The end.

OMG. Aaaaaaaaaaand I'm back.

OMG. It's been so long. Aaaaaaaaaaand I'm back. I guess I got sucked down the rabbit hole of Facebook, instagram and linkedin. Why? Oh because there are so many more things I can do with my smartphone and those social media platforms...

Whatever. I'm back and I'm going to start writing to you because I miss you.

So what's new? I'm living in Chicago now! Yes, if you remember a few blogs back I was bitching about Miami dance and then I was like "someday I'll get back to Chicago". Well I made it and now I'll bitch about Chicago and say "someday I'll get back to Miami!".

Anyhoo, I'm dancing with Mordine and Company and teaching up at UW-Milwaukee (you want to cry about your commute? Mine is 2-3 hours). Ahhh, what I do for dance. My favorite thing? I can take class every day and see multiple shows every week. Not that I have any money, but still. Tonight I'm seeing Katie Corby's Passing

I'll tell you ALLLLLL about it after the show and a martini. By the by, there's still a crap-load of ballet here so I'm not getting off that easy with the classes. Molly Shanahan!!! You better finish that PhD quickly because I need some more of your classes here in Chicago dammit!!!

GLCMA

So, I just received my GLCMA (Graduate Laban Certification in Movement Analysis) from Columbia College in Chicago. It was quite a road (15 months) and for those of you who haven't heard of Movement Analysis, there are only 2 places to become a CMA (Certified Movement Analyst) and only 1 place to become a GLCMA in the United States of America. Phew!

This basically means that I can analyze people's movement. This can be used for Dance, Acting, personal consultations for the workplace, Therapy, etc., etc. Beyond being able to break down human movement into recognizable parts, it is also a fabulous tool for pushing the art of Dance forward. There are so many forms of dance out there in South Florida and often times we have a hard time comparing them, appreciating them and risking precious ticket money on a new show. What the GLCMA gave me was clarity of language to more consistently define what makes a show a success from Bollywood to Butoh.

As I preach in the classroom, you can't define something by what you "like" or how it makes you "feel good". It's so much deeper than that. My personal journey was getting past judging a show on how "intellectual" I perceived it to be. When you strip the dance down to levels and efforts, initiations and shaping... it becomes even more exciting. So now I am all pumped up to go out there and see more work and create more work! That's all for now...