At the ripe age of 14 with the onset of exercise- induced asthma, I reluctantly stopped my ballet training as well as my tap lessons.  

At age 18, I was no longer having asthma problems, so I enrolled in my first modern class at college, spending most of the class time doing lunges on the diagonal across a gym floor. I was sorry for the years I had stopped dancing and  thought if only I weren’t so old I might give a career in dance a shot again. As far as I was concerned, at age 18, if I were to be a ballet dancer, by that age, I would be dancing in a company.  I knew little about the modern dance model.

Fast forward 15 years.  Drawn back to a dance class with a professional teacher from the Joffrey ballet, I was in heaven.  He cleaned up my technique and reignited my passion for ballet. That scenario lasted only a few years because I had one child and another on the way, so once again, I felt that I’d missed the boat.  

We moved to Georgia in the 70′s and at the University of Georgia, which had an active visiting artists program in their Dance Division, I plunged more deeply into modern dance, going away summers to study with the likes of Bill Evans and traveling to ADF to partake in classes. I loved it.  As a grad student, I was invited to teach dance and even perform occasionally. For my Master’s Degree, I developed a program of movement for older adults for Georgia Public Television, entitled Keep on Movin‘, (Use It or Lose It.)   Seniors would tell me they were too old to dance and I would do my best to convince them otherwise.  I almost always got them moving.

I loved teaching dance to all ages, but most of all, I loved dancing.

Throughout the 80′s I commuted from Thousand Oaks to LA several times a week to take  classes in LA with Sean Greene, a member of Bella Lewitsky’s company.  Approaching 50, I can still remember the day Sean told me that I was dancing well enough to join a small company!  Those words were sweet as well as surprising.  I think it meant more to me than any compliment I’d ever received.

Soon after that, Sean left LA, and we moved to Santa Barbara.  Options to dance as fully as I’d been doing were limited here and I easily convinced myself that it was time to stop dancing for good. My love of dance never wavered, so I channeled my energy into the creation of SUMMERDANCE. There was no question in my mind anymore about trying to keep up in an advanced  ballet or modern class.  I turned to Tai Chi which thankfully has been a rewarding practice for many years.

The decades have piled on as they have a way of doing.  My asthma returned, making vigorous exercise challenging.  The words Use it or Lose it, floated through my brain on occasion, but over the years I’d managed to convince myself that now, I too, was too old to dance.

Enter Zumba.  Last fall I suggested to my daughter that we try a zumba class together.  I love Latin music and I figured it might be fun and help my fading respiratory reserve. I gave myself permission to just do what I could. I studiously avoided comparing myself to the youngsters who were bouncing three feet off the floor.  Seven months later, I’m in class three times a week.  Rather than simply marking some of the moves, I find myself dancing.  It’s exhilarating.  My endurance is increasing as is the intensity of my bumps and grinds.  If you’d told me this were possible, I probably would have not believed you.

So take a lesson from me.  You’re never too old to do what you love (at least in some modified version!)  

 Mark Morris imperiously declared that Modern Dance is “bullshit, ”  in an interview with Elizabeth Schwyzer in the April 26, 2012 Santa Barbara Independent.  Given his less-than-loved reputation among the contemporary choreographers whom I know, I am sure this is not the first time he’s made that statement.  I was offended by his offhand arrogance. His willingness to group most of modern dance under one umbrella is unfortunate.  Obviously, not all art is brilliant, whether it be modern dance, classical ballet, visual art, musical composition, drama or architectural renderings.  The sweeping generalization that Morris makes about Modern Dance cannot be accepted anymore than saying most modern architecture, music or art is bullshit.  It’s ridiculous.  His remarks are mean-spirited and unjustified. 

Had I not attended his performance last night, I might not have found it necessary to respond to his outrageous contention.  However, after watching nearly two hours of his pleasing but dull choreography, I am compelled to respond.  Not as a bona fide dance critic, but from the fact that I’ve been a presenter and supporter of modern dance for at least 15 years and am deeply committed to its well being. Statements like Morris made, serve no purpose, other than to justify his own choreographic formula.

Morris’s choreography  generally leaves critics gushing, at least in the reviews I read.  He’s won award after award.  On a less professional side, he’s flamboyant and outspoken, indifferent to ruffling anyone’s feathers, seemingly uncaring about whom he offends. 

Morris makes a big point of stating that his work is “rigorous,” and most other dance is “slop.”   Last night’s performance provided this viewer with an almost literal visual translation of the lovely classical music that accompanied it. Rigorous, yes.  But it might have been so much more!   For me, it was old school choreography, imposed on his highly trained dancers. The dances were, for the most part, predictable, occasionally charming, flawlessly performed, but lacking in soul and diversity.  

Boy meets girl, boy twirls girl, boy lifts girl,boy  hugs girl and steals a kiss…what else is new?  That format has been explored to death.

Choreographers I am drawn to are concerned with contemporary issues. Their world is expanded by improvisation, finding exciting and invigorating ways to express their ideas.  They see their dancers as part of their creative process, trusting them as performing artists to explore concepts and phrases, thus making a valuable contribution.  I am drawn to a movement vocabulary that doesn’t slavishly draw from ballet. There are a few other references that pop up in Morris’s work, but for the most part,the work didn’t delve as deeply, as a choreographer of his stature is capable of. His work did not expand my emotional or artistic horizon. It existed on one “rigorous” plane.  It asked nothing from me as viewer and did not inspire any after thoughts.

Morris complained to Schwyzer about the “low standards of modern dance.”  He misses the boat in his attack.  The “low standards”  he refers to might be due to lack of respect for the artistry of his contemporaries.  He seems to hold  low standards for his audience as well.  Being at his performance was like partaking of a  meal from a long existing famous restaurant, where you are expected to be pleased to be able to have a seat at the table.  The restaurant chef smugly believes that if the meal is well cooked and contains good ingredients, that should be sufficient to satisfy. That way of thinking doesn’t guarantee a memorable meal.

So many pieces of the proverbial pie must come together to make a “successful” DANCEworks residency.

Choreography. Music. Lighting. Costumes. Set design. Committed volunteers for the community dance. Publicity. Talent. Public interest.  Ticket sales. Weather.  Not to mention, Luck.  

Those are only the broad brushstrokes.  Each of those elements could be broken down again into endless variables. Anything could go wrong at any time.

The act of creation comes with inherent risks and not every piece of art created is a winner.  It might be ahead of its time, or behind its time.  Too long. Too short. Irrelevant. Incoherent. Cliché. Redundant. Trite.

Every choreographer works differently, at different speeds and with different methodology. Brian Brooks thrives on pushing the envelope of the possible, in movement, endurance and vision. In person, he always  presents a picture of certainty and calmness to doubters, inspiring us to become believers. His young dancers never wavered.  Brian  keeps his options open and thrives on experimentation with an unusually high tolerance for uncertainty.  His risk taking inspires us all to be more brave.

Big City was a Big Undertaking.  The creation of the set alone with 600 eight- foot aluminum tubes would make a less brave person run screaming from the stage. 

I was never sure how Brian could create the movement, the set, and the community dance within four weeks. But Brian inspired me to trust.  And, he delivered.  Big time.

For two shining performances, we were captivated and all doubt vanished. 

What a privilege to be present at the birth!

          “TRAVEL, like life, is best understood backward but must be experienced forward, to paraphrase Kierkegaard. After decades of wandering, only now does a pattern emerge. I’m drawn to places that beguile and inspire, sedate and stir, places where, for a few blissful moments I loosen my death grip on life, and can breathe again. It turns out these destinations have a name: thin places.

          They are locales where the distance between heaven and earth collapses and we’re able to catch glimpses of the divine, or the transcendent or, as I like to think of it, the Infinite Whatever.”

Initially, I thought about the “thin places” I travel to.  Nantucket, Yosemite, and always a great many temples, gardens, restaurants,  and dwellings in Japan.  

EEL POINT, NANTUCKET

HIGH COUNTRY, SIERRAS

PLUM BLOSSOMS IN KYOTO

 When visiting these places, my perception shifts to a higher plane, for hours, days and sometimes weeks.  It’s nothing that’s predictable or contrived.  It just happens.  I receive it as a gift.

 Mr. Weiner’s thoughts brought my attention to what has been happening this month at the Lobero Theatre during Brian Brooks’ DANCEworks residency.   The Lobero Theatre has become another “thin space” for me during the times of DANCEworks residencies. 

It’s about the art of creation and transformation. I felt it during the residencies of Aszure Barton, Larry Keigwin and Doug Elkins.  Now I have a name for it.

When I walk into the theatre to watch the dancers working on stage, I intuitively sense that I am in sacred space.  The air feels charged.  The focus of translating non verbal and non physical impulses from the brain to the body is riveting, complete and transformative.  Brian Brooks  has spoken of “breakthroughs” happening during this residence.

 Whatever conditions have come together to enable this, it brings wonder, richness and delight into my life and hopefully into the lives of all who are touched by the tranformative magic of thin space.

They flew, rolled, tumbled and fell through space, engaging with each other continually in the process of discovering what their agile bodies would do or not do, when connecting with other agile bodies.  Their  exuberance and daring had me holding my breath,  as I watched them repeatedly  explore movement that required an exact sense of  timing, weight and energy.

At the conclusion of an hour of intense rehearsal, the dancers sprawled on the stage floor, momentarily immobilized.  I was in awe of their daring and  trust in each other. In rehearsal, our esteemed  Mr. Brooks, raced around the stage as if he were catching a NYC subway, when in fact, he was in the midst of creating  movement for his dancers.  He would frequently jump from the proscenium to the aisle to get a better view of things, and then spring from the aisle to the stage again, in order to give the dancers more direction.  He made the 4 foot elevation gain between the aisle and the edge of the stage look as challenging as a 4 inch curb from street to sidewalk!

Brian Brooks, in rehearsal.

 I think I can honestly say the Brian Brooks has more raw energy and strength than any other choreographer I have watched work.  I wonder what he eats for breakfast?

One aphorism has managed to stay in my cluttered mind over these many years..  I thought of it this morning.

“It’s much easier to ride the horse in the direction he’s going.”

Sometimes projects fall into place easily, if not effortlessly.  Sometimes, no matter how much you try, you are unable to make progress.  It’s like trying to push a boulder up a hill.  There’s lack of interest. It might be the wrong time or the wrong place.  You’re riding the horse in the wrong direction.

After chatting on the phone with Brian Brooks, I thought to myself, Wow!  Such energy!  Such excitement!  Such enthusiasm! Right time, right place!

And so it’s been each year since DANCEworks began four years ago.  Things have had a way of falling into place.  The choreographers delight in being here.  We delight in having them here. The uninterrupted month long opportunity for artists to create work seems to set loose creative juices. The process and its results brings joy that enriches all participants; dancers, choreographer and audience.  

It’s so much more fun to ride the horse in the direction it’s going. We’re flying. Yahoo!

After hunting for an hour on the internet, I just uncovered this photo.  It gave me quite a jolt to look back at the reality of my supposed “glamour.” My husband just quipped that we look like a bunch of cheerleading Catholic nuns !  Not far from the truth. Hey, Holyoke was a small New England Irish Catholic city in the repressive 1950′s.  It’s amazing the skirts weren’t down to our ankles.  

ok, that’s me, back row, 4th from the left.  Check out the cool two tone chevy in the background.

Our cheers were pretty mundane.  Spelling out the word H-O-L-Y-O-K-E was the mainstay of our repertoire as I remember. This little video gets it right. 

Fast forward to 2012.  I want YOU to join us at the Lobero Theatre on March 6, 6-8PM .  All welcome.  Open Call for anyone who would like to be a part of a community dance created by Brian Brooks.

WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY PROJECT A SUCCESS.

YOU’LL BE THANKING ME FOR CHEERING YOU ON, after your exhilarating performances at THE LOBERO ON MARCH 30 AND 31.

If I could wear another little jumper and do a cheer for everyone to participate in Brian Brooks’ Open Call on March 6, I would do it in a second.  No jumpers left in the wardrobe, fortunately.  However I still can do a pretty mean, very square cheer.  Here IS AN NEW ONE I CREATED JUST FOR THIS OCCATION:

Hey Santa Barbara, Do you hear my call?

Yo!  Santa Barbara,  We want you All.

So get your butts to the theatre on

March the sixth

and you’ll be sure to 

GET YOUR FIX!!

(and here’s an old style one for Brian:)

Brian Brooks, he’s our man

If he can’t do it, no one can.

Give me a B-R-I-A-N!

BRIAN, BRIAN BRIAN!!

  (IMAGINE culminating split leap.)  Please note: My leap was much better than this poor girl’s.  I would not have needed a boy to help me get off the ground and my ankles would have touched my hands.  E.Z.

for more info and to pre-register, go to:  info@sbdanceworks.com

Open Call!  Do those words set your heart racing?  Compel you to try out your latest moves?  Make you give your brightest smile to your handsome mirrored self?  You might just have show business in your blood, although we don’t have a blood test to confirm that.  But YOU know who YOU are.

  DANCEworks 2012 is putting out an OPEN CALL to anyone in the community who would like to learn a group dance choreographed by Brian Brooks, our 2012 choreographer- in- residence during the month of March.  The dance will be performed on the Lobero Theatre stage along with Brian Brooks Moving Company performances of their company’s new work, Big City, on March 30 & 31!

The best part is you don’t have to audition.  Just show up to meet Brian and begin work!!  Brian’s eager to take everyone as long as you can attend rehearsals.  No dance experience necessary.  

Where:  Lobero Theatre

Date:  Tuesday, March 6

Time:  6-8PM

There will most likely be another 2-3 rehearsals per week until performance time.   You’ll need and want to be available for the rehearsals as well as the performances on March 30 and 31. Come to the first meeting on March 6 and get all the info.

Those who’ve participated in past DANCEworks community projects go around smiling for weeks afterwards. It’s great fun.

If you missed Doug Elkins’ Flashmob and Larry Keigwin’s, Bolero Santa Barbara, now’s your chance to climb on board.  If you performed in either of these pieces, welcome back!

Here are a few quotes and videos to get you revved up:

  “There’s no business like show business.”  wrote author,  Irving Berlin.    Ethel Merman made this song a classic from the 1946  Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun.  We broadway musical freaks have been belting it out ever since.  Check out Ethel Merman still giving it her all in the 70′s.  Even better, look at the good time Ethel, Judy Garland and an outclassed Barbra Streisand are doing with it from a 1963 TV special.

“Part of show business is magic. You don’t know how it happens. ”   said author Sammy Davis Jr.  Sammy Davis Jr. was not only a singer, but was a hell of a dancer too and definitely “made it happen.”  Check out the link above to see how right I am.

There are two reasons why I’m in show business and I’m standing on both of them.  quipped author, Betty Grable.  Not much else to say about that other than sooo 1940″s!  

 WE STRONGLY URGE THAT YOU PRE-REGISTER BELOW!  

Let me know if you have any ?’s or if you’d like to give us your name, and email address send it to:

info@sbdanceworks.com

What are you waiting for????  If not now, when????

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.