That was the sound of January flying by.  Soon to be followed by an equivalent sound of February taking flight.

All of which signals to me that March 4, 2012 will arrive before I think it should.  Our 4th season.

Time to start rallying the troops!

Here’s What I Want You to Know:

Brian Brooks Moving Company arrives for their month long residency at the Lobero Theatre on March 4.  

While in residence, Brian has decided to  set a work on any members of our community who want to be in on the fun of working with a NYC choreographer and his company members. Dancers and non dancers are alike are welcome to participate.  Remember what fun was had with Larry Keigwin in 2010 when he created Bolero Santa Barbara?!!

Bolero Rehearsal, DANCEworks 2010

Community participants have to be available for rehearsals and both performances.  We’re figuring out those logistics now.  Most importantly, this work will be performed at the Lobero Theatre on March 30 and 31 when Brian premieres the work Big City, which he’ll be setting on his company while here.  If you’re a part of the community project, we’ll happily award you with a free ticket to each performance so that you can share your talent with a Significant Other! Brian and his dancers are eager to get here and begin the creative process. Each time I speak with him he tells me, “I’m so excited!”  Me, too.

It’s a rare event  to be taught a new work by a professional choreographer unless you’re in college, or in another professional dance company. A charming, witty and fun-loving choreographer too.  It’s even rarer to be a part of the company’s formal performance dates!  Within the next few days, we will be setting up a time and date to meet with Brian to begin rehearsals. Stay tuned.

Brian’s career is taking off.  He’s gotten NDP (National Dance Project) funding to tour Big City nationally, after it leaves Santa Barbara.  That’s a BD (Big Deal.)  It insures that the work created here will be seen by thousands.  This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the fun, hard work and excitement that is a part of making dance and of preparing for performance.

 Please help us spread the word.  Post this, and email the link to friends you think might be interested.  According to Brian, the more the merrier!!  FYI, He thrives on challenges.

We’re humane. Considerate.  Lovely people. We’ll go for 12 hours only!  Saturday, March 24.  12 noon to 12 midnight, in the beyooteeful Carrillo Ballroom.  Did you know it’s the only sprung floor on the West Coast???

Contestants can dance by themselves or with a partner. Dance for 45 minutes each hour.  Go for the grand prize as finalist, or just come and go as the spirit moves you.

You can also choose to watch as a spectator.  

Brian Brooks Moving Company dancers will teach all participants a short line dance to be performed at some time during each hour.  The company will participate in the danceathon for all 12 hours.  It’s only fair, isn’t it?

There will be a mandatory 15 minute break each hour for food, rest and “hygiene.”

Entertainment will be provided by anyone of the contestants eager to perform, by Brian’s dancers and by local groups or individuals who want to participate.

Costumes are encouraged for your favorite era of dance, 20′s through today.  Prizes for best costumes, best dances too.

Non-partial Judges will make all decisions.

Performances by contestants encouraged!  Also by local groups and as many pros as we or you  can rope in.

Prizes awarded for all kinds of things and ultimate cash prize to winner of the dance-a-thon.

Registration for contestants to begin mid- February.

Must be 18 to enter!

Please help us make this a great community event.  Let us know if you want to perform!  Sing? Dance? Musician? Comedian? Circus-Act?

email us with your thoughts, suggestions and feedback at:  sbdanceathon12@gmail.com

Now I am a walking repository of just about anything you would want to know about Dance Marathon history.  It’s been a fascinating and occasionally horrifying process of discovery.

I began my education by watching Jane Fonda self destruct in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?  The film paints a very grim picture of danceathons that took place during the Depression era. I began to wonder if we were on the right path.The word “disreputable” came to mind.

Eager for a more positive picture, I turned to the internet and discovered a treasure trove of information contained in a book The Dance of the Sleepwalkers. I  voraciously read it cover to cover. It describes (far too many times) in great detail a long gone and peculiar part of American pop history that thrived for almost three decades, from the roaring 20′s until the 1950′s.

Dance marathons began in the  giddy 1920′s, largely as stunts, much like flagpole sitting. With the rise of the tabloids, daredevils sought to break records and win their 15 minutes of fame. Over the ensuing years, the dance-a-thons became a mixed bag of entertainment, ambition, talent, corruption, meal tickets, camaraderie, desperation and pure show biz. Hundreds of them were held across the country.  They attracted a mix of spectators, contestants and entertainers who called it The Poor Man’s Nightclub. Truly, the events contained elements of today’s reality shows, old- fashioned burlesque and vaudeville.

The MC was the most powerful player in this drama. He had to make sure that spectators kept coming, so that entertainment was always close at hand to liven things up when the energy of the dancers began to flag. He would engage spectators with heart tugging personal tales of the contestants, some real, but often embellished.  Real and phony marriages  would be staged, as long as the bride and groom kept on moving!  The day to day melodramas contained within the marathons provided the spectators with a convenient distraction from their own personal problems.  (What else is new??)

 Professional dancers made the circuit of marathons and would mix with local contestants. Although it was generally understood that the the outcomes were rigged in favor of the pros, everyone acted otherwise. The locals were always outclassed by the athleticism and endurance powers of the pros.

Thousands of people attended these events as spectators and were encouraged to come and go over the course of the contests and watch as long as they liked.  They were invited to shower their favorite dancers with coins and encouragement.  Food and drink were provided for all contestants, which during the Depression meant survival to many.  Entertainment that was a mash of amateur performances, gags, skits, songs and dance was provided  during the 15 minute hourly breaks.  Ultimately, as the weeks wore on, challenging walking races helped to narrow the field of contestants.  As long as one partner kept moving, he or she could drag the sleeping partner along with them. Races became more difficult and more frequent as the time dragged on. 

Sadistic?  Masochistic?  Voyeuristic?  Most certainly.  Moral outrage continued to grow at the dehumanization that occurred during these later contests. Ultimately, opposition strengthened and laws were passed banning danceathons. Times changed as well of course, and the dance-a-thon was finally laid to rest.

 We pledge not to revive the sordid elements of the Marathon, but only to promote the fun, enthusiasm, and possibility that dancers know and feel as soon as the music starts playing!  Come Play with us!

 Saturday, March 24th.

at the  DANCEworks DANC-A-THON 12-12-12!  12 hours, 12noon to 12 midnight!

More Details Coming Very Soon!!

Readers:  Sorry to be so out of touch for so long!  All those not- to- be -ignored holidays, travel,whisky and wild parties consumed  my waking hours.

Ok, I was just taking a break. I assume you were too.

But now, there can be no more excuses for fooling around.  How about just a little less fooling around?  If I were to go completely cold turkey in the Fooling Around category, what fun would that be?  For anyone?

So before I sort of settle down to the business of the production of DANCEworks 2012, let’s enjoy silly for one more moment.

A good friend of mine, who is the yummy essence of silliness herself, recently sent me links to two on-line sort-of dance videos.  After I’d watched the first video of the naked Russians,(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5RBjoHkJCc&feature=feedu) I thought it might be fun to announce them as our artists for 2013.  She suggested they might do better as the Opening Act of DANCEworks 2013.  But where do you go from there??

Hot on the heels of the Russian video, came one of a dancing dog,(http://sorisomail.com/partilha/74298.html) doing a very intricate and lengthy meringue number.  This one was pure inspiration for me.  We could have a season with nothing but dancing dog acts!  Let them take over the Lobero Theatre.  Give them all the stage time they need to really perfect their choreography.  Hire lighting and costume designers to kick it up a notch.  I think these uncomplaining performers only work for snacks, so their artistic fees would be minimal.  We could justify a splurge on the production values.          

I feel certain that ticket sales would be brisk, because who doesn’t love dancing dogs?  We’d more than likely have two sold-out houses with minimal marketing expenses.  It could be a win/win for dogs and dance.  In fact, why not encourage  people to bring their own dogs to watch the spectacle? If not to just enjoy the show, then to show their pets what’s possible if only they applied themselves.

So consider this particular blog a salute to humor, smiles and laughter in the world of dance.  To the seriously talented  choreographers who perform without dogs and with costumes.  To those choreographers who love to let their audiences in on the fun:  Doug Elkins, David Neumann, Monica Bill Barnes, Larry Keigwin, Brian Brooks and Kyle Abraham, and Nicole Wolcott to name a few.  Bless you.

“A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold.”
- Ogden Nash

Family.  Such a loaded word with so many complex meanings that vary for each of us.  It’s a term that is universally understood and emotionally charged.  For the purposes of this blog, I want to talk about my family of dancers and choreographers.

When I visit NYC, much of my time is divided between visiting my related family and what I’ve now come to consider my chosen dance family.  Each group brings pleasure, meaningfulness and richness into my life.  My interactions with them deepen my perspectives and expand my horizon.  We connect eagerly and instantly as if no time has passed between us.

“The children have been a wonderful gift to me, and I’m thankful to have once again seen our world through their eyes. They restore my faith in the family’s future.”
Jackie Kennedy

My chosen dance family is an unexpected bonus that I’ve received from the years I have spent presenting and supporting contemporary dance. I don’t really think of them as my children, although they are all years younger than I am, but they do provide insights and inspiration as my own children do!  Yearly or bi-annual visits with the choreographers I’ve come to know and love become deep exchanges of experiences, updates, enthusiasm for each other’s accomplishments and understanding of each other’s challenges.  These relationships have added an inspirational depth to my life that I recognize as a privilege and a joy. 

Maybe it’s the time of the year, but I want to express gratitude to my family of dancers and choreographers who give so much of their time, energy and selves to create art for our troubled planet and whose art provides evidence to me that humans are capable of greatness.

Tere O'Connor

Doug Varone

To:   Aszure Barton, Brian Brooks, Doug Elkins, Doug Varone, Larry Keigwin, Tamango, Tere O’Connor and to all the dancers who have passed through SUMMERDANCE and/or DANCEworks residencies.  

Doug Elkins

Tamango

Aszure Barton

Larry Keigwin

Brian Brooks

THANK YOU for making my world a richer one!

 THANK YOU for sharing your talents and for your perseverance in the face of enormous fiscal and organizational challenges!

 THANK YOU for your support of and encouragement for my work!

 THANK YOU for being true to yourselves and your own unique artistic vision!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!

Disclaimer:  I am NOT a dance critic.  My comments on the program I viewed arose from a visceral response to the particular program .  In other words, I got angry.

 The lovely and timeless 1969 Jerome Robbins piece, Dances at a Gathering. was on the first half of the program.  I was drawn in easily.  The second half of the program was the 1988 Peter Martin’s take on the music of Ray Charles,  A Fool for You.  Twelve songs with twelve trite dances.  Oh, the dancers gave it their all, the costumes were adorable, but that was no redemption from the corn-ball cutesy moves trying too hard to look hip.  

A Fool for You had me twitching in my seat with impatience and irritation. With their enormous repertoire of great works,  I wondered why, was this work chosen for the program? Come-on, a whitebread Danish choreographer interpreting the music of one of America’s all time great African-American artists?  Peter Martins “doing” Ray Charles was a jarring juxtaposition to my sensibilities.  It was like listening toRick Perry calling Herman Kane “brother” in the last Republican debate!  

So my simple answer to the above question is that A Fool for You is most likely viewed as very safe crowd pleaser . “Fun” dancing to “fun” music. Considered a no-brainer to end a touring program outside of NYC.

But not for this member of the crowd. I felt talked down to and short changed.

Crowd pleaser only becomes a disparaging term when it’s used as the lowest common denominator to get an audience to applaud.  I’ve seen many crowd pleasers that I consider works of art.

Next time NYCB, please don’t bring the white bread when you come to visit. Give us something crunchy to sink our teeth into!

It’s THAT time of year.  As the holidays approach, every Executive and Development Director for a nonprofit organization crafts a fund raising letter designed to motivate their past, present and potentially future donors to make a financial contribution to enable their organization to survive and maybe even flourish!

 We know the need only too well.  We try to be creative and compelling in our “ask,” hoping you will read our letter and praying you will respond.

We dream of our mailbox being flooded within hours with return envelopes containing checks galore.  The simultaneous online fantasy is of hundreds of hands reaching for the donate button (at top of page) upon reading this request.

YOUR contribution will mean $$ for dance going directly into funding the 2012 DANCEworks residency of Brian Brooks. It will help to pay for his lodging, his dancers, theatre and production expenses, etc. (DANCEworks is a joint project of SUMMERDANCE Santa Barbara and the Lobero Theatre Foundation.)

As a result of the economic downturn, we rely more than ever on individuals to give to the best of their ability!

So I speak from my heart when I  ask you to consider giving a generous donation to

DANCEworks   

which will sustain us for our 2012 DANCEworks season, 

March 3-31

Brian Brooks Moving Company.

You can push the donate button on our website or write a check to SUMMERDANCE Santa Barbara, PO Box 360, Santa Barbara, CA 93102.

Your support is essential and deeply appreciated.

   Thank you for helping to provide our nation’s outstanding choreographers with a home to make new and important work!

P. S.  Your contribution to SUMMERDANCE Santa Barbara is tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Finding the “right” topic for my next blog can be a difficult task.  Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes weeks can pass before inspiration strikes.  I’ve been in a lull now for a few weeks, until a few minutes ago when I was cleaning out yet another stack of papers.

Hidden amongst the detritus, was a small blue notebook that I’d taken with me on a trip to Amsterdam many years ago.  As I thumbed through its pages, amongst the notes taken on a daily basis during our vacation, was a quote.  On its own page.  Don’t know where I got it from.  I’m sure that I didn’t write it or translate it from Dutch. Maybe some cornball New Ager wrote it?  At any rate, to use a dance metaphor, it leapt off the page.  I’d found my inspiration.

In our hearts, we are all dancers, embracing space, defying gravity and stopping time.

Moments of transcendence are rare.  They might pass quickly.  They often leave an impression that can inform a lifetime.

Perhaps this quote helps to explain the mystery of great art as well as great dance.  It stops us in our everyday tracks.  It causes wonder.  It is beyond the expected.  It is hallowed ground. 

Here are a few images from our own DANCEworks/SUMMERDANCE  moments that I continuously look at with awe, respect and delight.

I will always be a dancer.  You too?

Photos by David Bazemore

When you meet choreographer Brian Brooks for the first time, the first words that might come to mind to describe him are preppy, nice, engaging, clean cut, bright and clever.  But then you might notice the demonic twinkle in his eyes.  hmmmm.  When you learn his artistic history  your descriptive words  expand to include bold, daring, and risk-seeker.  He’s a man not afraid to wear pink.  That’s Brian on the right, performing at SUMMERDANCE.

In case you haven’t guessed or heard it, Brian Brooks has been selected to be our Danceworks 2012 Choreographer-in-Residence. Following on the heels of Aszure Barton, Larry Keigwin and Doug Elkins, Brian’s residency will give audiences a chance to see the enormous and exciting range of diversity that exists within contemporary dance.  Brian is very excited about bringing his company to Santa Barbara to make new work during the month of March 2012.

Brian is a NYC choreographer with an unusual take on movement. His initial artistic vision for a work almost always includes set and costume design.  (These elements are usually added by collaborators when the choreography is completed .) I always think of him as a visual artist. His thinking is expansive.  He envisions possibility rather than failure. He explores the limits of the physical body’s endurance with challenges and repetition.  He is a choreographic daredevil.  Just take a look at this youtube video he created:  RAPID STILL.

Brian’s career has been taking off in recent years.  He first visited Santa Barbara as a popular SUMMERDANCE artist, performing at Center Stage Theater as well as at the SUMMERDANCE cabaret.  This year he was awarded a prestigious NDP (National Dance Project) grant that will provide funding to help him tour the work he is creating during his DANCEworks residency.

The piece created and performed at the Lobero Theatre will be called Big City.  Brian and his dancers will build an architectural structure during the performance that extends beyond the stage as the work progresses. Stay tuned for more exciting details of Brian Brooks Moving Company residency.

 Performance dates at the Lobero Theatre are March 30, 31, 2012.

Stay Tuned!