After some days of having the competition online, beeing the first in the row and having left just 3 days to vote for us - the website has an error. WOHOO. That keeps the suspense quite high...
We hope this is gone by tomorrow and some followers will vote in the last minutes in order to help us being the one getting the support by the Fidor bank.
Nothing more to tell by now - you can become a fan on facebook if you wish
We'll keep you informed!
Regards,
Johanna mind_the_gut
Saturday evening, January 8, 2011, marked the final performance of “Mama” Fatou N’Diaye and the company she founded in 1981, “Silimbo D’Adeane,” at least with her as its full-time artistic director in the City of Cambridge. As master dancer, choreographer, and cultural arts educator for over 30 years in African and the U.S., she returns to her roots in Senegal this week to continue her work in a warmer climate.
Having begun her professional career at age 17 in her native Adeane, Senegal, Fatou N’Diaye rose quickly to stardom, performing in the Daniel Sorano National Theatre of Dakar, “National Ballet of Senegal,” traveling with the president of Senegal on official visits to countries – including China, later in popular television productions, with special appearance in “L’lle de Diama,” (Michael Douglas), and as a featured role in WGBH-TV Basic Black (documentary on dance’s healing power in cultures around the world). (http://www.silimbo.com).
Moving to the U.S. in 1991, she toured most major cities with “Silimbo,” then organized
La Adiyana Bamtamba Courocoto, West African Dance and Drum Conference, 1996. She received grants from the NEA and D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, supporting her art in the Washington locale. Mama Fatou has taught in Boston, Cambridge public schools, at Harvard University, the French Library, and countless community and arts centers throughout Massachusetts and the entire country.
Her mission, as mentor and dance historian, is to bring all levels of dancers to the stage, helping to spread the culture and craft of her Senegalese dance, drumming, and songs pan-nationally, through workshops, conferences, weekly classes and company rehearsals, so that the folklore and traditions of Senegal, in their original forms, can be shared.
Passionate to the core, she instills the love of her rich heritage, enabling each of us through understanding of Senegal’s rituals, ceremonies, and daily living events. Learning through her is easy because she tells the story behind the dance, ensuring that we understand the meaning behind the movements, the drumming, and songs sung in her native language.
From a personal perspective, as one of her students and company members of “Silimbo,” I must point out that Mama Fatou is much larger than any of her accomplishments. With her wide, inviting smile, penetrating eyes – perceptive, wise, and compassionate, her polished skin – inviting and warm, and deep, honey-toned voice, we are reassured from the moment Mama steps into the dance studio.
Her appearance is one of respect and awe, always composed, professional, direct, intuitive and able to pull diverse ages and backgrounds together. Like mother earth, her wholesome, centered-ness, like the Feng Shui “nourishment,” provides solidarity and a foundation for all living elements and beings, of which there can be no harmony or life in its absence (http://www.fengshuicrazy.com).
Or like the proton – positively charged, subatomic particle – which resides in the nucleus of the atom – the basic unit of all matter, she is stable, indivisible, “uncuttable” – attracting and bounding the other particles through an unseen electromagnetic force (http://www.wikipedia.org).
Fatou N’Diaye-Davis speaks the universal language and art form called “Love.” She embraces arts for humanity, fellowship, inclusion, and wields an undying resolve to spread the word of dance from the Diaspora to people everywhere. Her enchantment with life, people, and performing arts is contagious, bounding free from any barriers that the unenlightened should attempt to orchestrate.
Her leaving is all but unbelievable, and its reality has surely not resounded at the deepest level. I cannot speak of life and dancing without her without exuding an enormity of gratitude and emotion. All’s I can really do is wait in joyful contemplation of our next meeting.
With MUCH LOVE and GRATITUDE to Mama Fatou N’Diaye-Davis.
Please visit her here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000745554956
So we are invited to show our dance production ROHRPOST (tube mail) at the TANZWOCHE DRESDEN (dance week Dresden) in April 2011. The piece is yet to be produced - but where does the budget comes from? We started a crowd funding deal last week. I'm gonna right about it, keep you updated.
If you wanna support us as well - below you'll find the instructions for the Fidor competition.
With great help from Thomas Dumke (TMA) and some more people, we gonna try out CROWD FUNDING. Something which is kind of new - well in Germany at least.
Two ways to do so. First step is a competition at the Fidor bank. Where supporters have to register, search for our project ("ROHRPOST") and click on the >thumbs up< button. If we get the most votings till December 15th, we get our first funding. Straight from the bank. Nice one.
Second one is a platform called startnext.de. As a so called starter you create a profile where you introduce your project to the public. Supporters have to register. Now they can decide rather they "just" become a fan of the project or they might wanna donate some money. Everyone who gives in money will receive a small gift as a thank you.
We had to set a deadline. Untill that day we have to manage to get the money (through the crowd) we said we need. If we manage that, Startnext will support us as well. If not, everyone who gave in some money will get it back. Also nice.
For now we started with step one - the Fidor competition. At the moment we're in the first row. Which is very nice, but the deadline here is December 15th and the rivals never rest...
Guidance thumbs up for „wersollsbekommen“ competition:
for the new dance production by Johanna Roggan & Rebekka Esther Böhme ROHRPOST (tube mail) we are going to try out CROWD FUNDING via STARTNEXT and a competition at the FIDOR bank. If you want to support us and a new way of cultural funding – take 10 minutes and follow our instructions.
ATTENTION. The website is in German. We tell you what to do, step by step.
You have just one vote! And it has to be done until December 15th 2010.
let's go:FIDOR BANK AG – to register for the competition go to:
https://banking.fidor.de/bonus?popup=registrationif
there is no small window opening: on the very top left side is a button >registrieren< click on that
Anrede* (Bitte auswählen) >> title (please select)
Vorname* >> name
Nachname* >> surname
Nick-Name* >> nickname
E-Mail-Adresse* >> e-mail address
Passwort* >> password
(there is a security advice for your password, it tells you how safe your chosen word is)
Passwort wiederholen* >> re enter password
below all that is a field for a small hook, click on it. With the hook you agree to the SBT.
Then click on the huge orange button >Jetzt anmelden!< register now!
Wait for the registration e-mail with the link to sign in.
“wersollbekommen“ competition:
the competition is quite important and possible just by registration at the FIDOR bank. In case we win the competition, it would be our first earning to produce our dance piece.
Go to https://banking.fidor.de/wersollsbekommen
and log in with your informations you just added during the registration process.
Scroll down. There is a silver-colored field called >Nutzersuche<. Type in “ ds-x.org“ and click on >suchen< (search). On the right side of the (German) text is a thumps up sign. Click on it. That's your vote for us.
You have just one vote! And it has to be done until December 15th 2010.
Thanks a lot!!!
And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us: mindthegut@googlemail.com
Preregistration for the Workshop is encouraged. Click here to register.
To learn more about Mr. Duato’s move to the Mikhailovsky Ballet read the New York Timesarticle
2011 NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL - CALL FOR ENTRIES
ATTENTION SCREENDANCE ARTISTS AND FILMMAKERS!
Celebrating its 12th year, the NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL is open for submissions from innovative filmmakers and artists from around the world, who specialize in the exploration of body, dance, and movement through the medium of film and video. All movement-based genres are accepted, such as videodance, animation and documentary.
Selected films will be showcased in a special program focused on dance and will also be eligible for Jury, Audience, and Festival Awards. Please take advantage of this grand opportunity to screen your work in front of thousands of film fans and industry professionals!
The Festival will be running from April 28 to May 5, 2011 and screened in Newport Beach, CA.
For more information on our festival and the submissions process, please visit our official website: www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com
or submit now using this link:
https://www.withoutabox.com/login/1249
Early Deadline - October 22, 2010
Thanksgiving Special - November 19, 2010
Standard Deadline - December 17, 2010
Final Deadline - January 24, 2011
SUBMIT NOW AND SAVE!
THANK YOU AND BEST OF LUCK!
MAIDA WITHERS DANCE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY performs the multimedia work, Fare Well - The End of the World As We Know It OR Dancing Your Way to Paradise! with Maida Withers, dancer/choreographer; Steve Hilmy, Electronic Music Composer/Musician; Ayo Okunseinde, New Media Artist at the ZAGREBI! FESTIVAL - ZAGREB, CROATIA September 10, 2010. http://zagrebi.com/hr/program/
Fare Well brings insight and vibrant critique to the contemporary issue of end time. Fare Well is as extreme in its moods and absurdities as we might think of “extreme weather.” We watch hypnotized, immobilized, arrogant, innocent, and powerful as the fires rage, volcanoes and oil erupt, the Arctic melts, the earth becomes parched, and the seas rise.
KONTRAFILM/ZAGREBI! EKOFESTIVAL | |
| Festival Description |
|---|
DANCE DESIGNER is a powerful new software program for Choreographers. The intent was tocreate software that would save choreographers time and help with all steps ofthe creative process, including supporting choreographers in documenting theirIntellectual Property. This new technology offers a completechoreography package that assists with the creation, pre-visualization,documentation, communication and rehearsal process for all styles of dance. Ithas the ability to save and organize elaborate, multi-layeredproductions in a single digital file and allowschoreographers to share creative information easily with their dancers andproduction teams.
Please contact me for more information or go to http://www.ChoreoPro.comand sign up for a Free Trial. I can also arrange a special online demo foryou. We are in the process of spreading the word about this unique newtechnology. I hope you will share this information with yourfriends and colleagues.
Thank you,
Carri Burbank
Choreo Technology, LLC
museum 2 from Go out & dance! 2010 on Vimeo.
performed by jana jevtovic, jovana rakic, pierre yves diacon
camera: inti sraj
music: 'coracao #2' by emilian gatsov
editing: darko arsic and dragana alfirevic
Photo: David Sandison
Part I: residency, 13 July – 30 August 2010
Part II: new work, June 2011
Tate Modern
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
www.tate.org.uk
For Part I of his choreographic project at Tate Modern, Michael Clark and his company have been resident
in the Turbine Hall for seven weeks, making the development and rehearsal of his work publicly visible for the first
time.
The Company's presence has transformed the monumental space into an arena for experimentation and practice,
foregrounding the processes – both artistic and practical – behind making and performing Clark's work.
As well as devising movement for his company's trained dancers, Clark has responded to the uniquely performative nature
of the Turbine Hall's public space by inviting 75 non-dancers to join weekly workshops with the company. The group of
untrained dancers have learned a piece of dance, specially developed by Clark, which will be performed en-masse in the
space over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Clark has presented work within gallery spaces on many occasions, but this residency enables him to respond directly to
the iconic architecture and specific character of Tate: as a communal space and as a museum. This series of experiments
is, in part, preparation for a new, large-scale performance commission due to be premiered as Part II of the
project in June 2011.
Working with collaborators, Clark will use choreography, film, light and sound to create a site-specific dance
event.
Michael Clark Company at Tate Modern continues Tate Live's commitment to presenting pioneering interdisciplinary
work that is rooted in dialogue with contemporary art. Working with collaborators, Clark will use choreography, film,
light and sound to create a site-specific dance event.
Artist Charles Atlas, one of the premier interpreters of dance, theatre and performance on video, and lighting director
for all of Clark's work, will curate a film programme of his and Clark's collaborative films, presented alongside the
dance event over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Also featured is the first UK screening of Torse, Atlas's 1977
two-screen collaboration with Merce Cunningham.
Clark recently presented the work come, been, gone at the Venice Biennial (2009), The Edinburgh Festival (2009) and The
Barbican (2009 and 2010) to great critical acclaim.
Michael Clark Company is an Associate Artist of the Barbican and supported by Arts Council England.
Tate Modern Live is curated by Catherine Wood and Kathy Noble.
Free public showings in the Turbine Hall
Friday 27 and Saturday 28 August 21.30
Sunday 29 and Monday 30 August 17.30
For further info see
www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/musicperform/22218.htm
www.michaelclarkcompany.com/current.php
Dance USA “Crossing Borders” Conference was held in Washington,DC at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Arlington,Virginia (suburb of Washington, DC) June 16-19, 2010. The following comments are written by Maida Withers and submitted to Dance Tech-net blog, June 18, 2010
Day One (Wednesday): The opening night.
Maida Withers Dance Construction Company performed a site specific work, Collision Course, for the opening gala for the Dance USAConference, Crossing Borders, at the House of Sweden on the PotomacRiver, Washington, DC. The dancers, Anthony Gongora, Giselle Ruzany,and Nate Bond wore pillows secured on various parts of their body withpackaging tape. Many free pillows werescattered on the lawn. Dancers proceededup the grassy knoll to press themselves along the full-wall glass windows ofthe beautiful House of Sweden. Conference participants were inside the building watching as the dancerspressed their bodies like graffiti along the glass wall. Dancers proceeded to dance freely once theymoved off the glass wall and tumbled down the grassy knoll. The dance concluded with dancers diving ontopillows as they were thrown into the air and crashing to the ground. Collision Course is a site dance that takeson different aspects based on intention and location. Jane Franklin and Daniel Burkholders groupsalso performed.
The food was excellent and the company for the gala very nice and diverse with people from all parts of the USAand abroad. Severalartists/managers were there from Ireland.
Day Two (Thursday):
Attendees broke up into discussion groups/forums in the morning. I attended the session withArtistic Directors with budgets under $300K. It was a very diverse group from directors who had no staff positions toorganizations with budgets over one million dollars. Each member stated what concern they had atthis time. The group leader directed us,then, in our discussion to issues suggested: staffing, boards, touring, and many other management issues related tosurvival. It was a productive meetingwith a somewhat limited agenda that seemed to center on management valuesprimarily. The larger budgets seemed tobe related to schools connected to the Companies or education programs. Compared to the 1960s there seems to be agreat deal of money available to the dance companies (beyond tickets at thegate) such as $30,000 or more from cities or county arts agencies, etc. Several commented on the challenge tomaintain artistic focus on the dance works in this survival process ofdiversification. Dancers always have a good time when they get together....certainly that was true in this case.
It was my pleasure to attend two session on International aspects of dance today.
During the first session, Frank Hodsoll, chaired a committee with cultural representatives from Japan,UK, Mexico,and the USA. Each panelist presented the governmental/nongovernmental approach to international exchange. As a USAcitizen/artist who is mostly interested in international culture exchange, I am hopeful that there will be some development in culturaldiplomacy supported by the US Government/Embassies soon. With the demise of the USIA the USAcontinues to struggle with a systematic way of engaging American artistsabroad. More direct discussion ofparticular programs (Cultural Envoy, etc). will take place on Friday at theconference.
The second international session raised the question of the view of American (United States, actually) dance from abroad. There was a panel led the Chair of the National Endowment for the ArtsInternational Programs with panelists from Mexico,Germany, and Spain. The topic is a worthy one but also achallenge. Mexicospoke about the extensive influence of Limon, Sokolow and others in Mexico. Mexicohas a formalized international program with four regions where a company isable to apply to tour there. Spainand Germanyindicated the recent lack of interest in dance in the USAand the inability to bring companies/dancers from the USA(costs/aesthetics). The United States isa long way away when European countries are so close. However, in Europe it seemed there is also about a lack of interestin what American (United States) dance is doing, it appeared to me. In addition, if the U.S. Embassies do notsupport American artists, there is not much chance of selection in Europe. One audience member indicated “the elephantin the room” was the rude treatment that many American artists receive whenthey are in Europe. Some agreed that this was present for them as well. I thought the conversation in total was toooriented toward Europe/U.S. exchange and not global enough. Also, I feel the idea of an individualcreating new/original work in a democratic process that is free of governmentalcontrol has been embraced globally. Perhaps this means there is not a “dominant” nation in modern orpost-modern dance at this time. Whyshould there be? I recognize this is asomewhat “democratic” perspective, but if there is a U.S. value,individual freedom of expression in dance with no government intervention wouldbe expected. There were many differentvoices heard in the brief one and one-half hour discussion. What was lacking was a two-way perspective ofhow dancers and governments are viewing each other. There was an edge of volatility in the topic I felt.
I am unable to attend the next two day sessions, but there are more discussions/presentations planned with international focus.
The Dance USA Conference was successful in my opinion for day one and day two. There was a great deal of opportunity for people to express opinion and to learn and broaden perspectives. Congratulations to Dance USAstaff and local artists who donated time and energy to receive guest to ourcity. I look forward to reading others blogs covering the final two days.
Maida Withers
Maida Withers Dance Construction Company
Professor, The George Washington University
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Dear Friends,
We would like to shortly inform you about the situation in Hungary. The independent theatre and dance companies and venues still didn't receive their yearly state support from the Cultural Ministry (for 2010). The reason is that the government ordered to lock a certain percentage of this support alluding to the general bad financial situation of the country. This means that the organizations working in the field will only receive 66% of the awarded amount. Many organizations have already debts and many are obliged to fire their workers and to give up their projects.
I enclosed a statement of support that we plan to forward to the cultural officials. If you feel like that please sign it and send it back. (You can send it back signed in e-mail or by fax: +3613581005).Also please forward it to those organizations whom you know were working with Hungarian artists in the past.
As a member of L1 danceLab and L1 Associacion we are also in a difficult situation as our support for 2010 will be about half of the last year's one. However we do our best to survive and to continue our collaboration. There will be a change in the theatre law in this fall. We have to see how will that change the circumstances.
Waiting for your help and reply and wishing you a nice summer time!Marta Ladjanszki
May 11th
As a festival like this, or maybe every festival, it is always a contact-making-connections-pool.
Across the hall where the festival happens, Alexander Carot ( http://www.carot.de/ ) is giving his workshop on a software he developed to enable musicians to rehears and perform together without meeting in real person. Having the problem of delivering the sound with a delay he invented his software “Soundjack” ( http://www.soundjack.eu ).
After a very intriguing key note by Mark Coniglio about his work, he is giving a workshop on the software Isabora, which he invented himself.
In his lecture he was talking about some art pieces which work with the matter of fact that we are the number one in our life.
I am - is the most used expression in Skype chat.
When we use interactive environments we are fascinated by the music I can create because I move (or graphics etc).
Mark introduced us to one of his recent works "loopdiver". Loopdiver was created with the Isadora software.
They basically filmed a dance phrase from 6 different ankles and then cut them apart and together in all possible orders. In addition they put loops on top with different durations and so on.
At the end, the dancer had to learn what they created with the software.
( http://www.troikaranch.org/vid-loopDiver.html )
In one corner you could see a huge table with stooped people around again soldering something together. The goal was to built a small LED Gadget/Screen with a USB connection which can be fed with any information you want. Some of the components just need to get a software, which has yet to be written.
Before dinner time I was sitting together with some people and Frode Volden (docent for cognitive psychology and human interface design at Gjøvik university) for a so called focus talk.
The question to discuss was on perception of quality. What does it mean to us. How do we use it in a artist approach.
This focus talk is used as a platform to develop a new vocabulary in the field of audio-visual cognition in order to find a way to measure quality. To install parameters and make technology/interfaces more effective, better designed for an intuitive use, to simply define it with its own words/vocabulary.
A few statements shall be listed here
- in the moment there is human energy invested it has a high level of quality
- everything containing passion has high quality
- that would be nice
- it is a matter of (expert) knowledge if you receive something as high or low or no quality
- it's a matter of content
- don't mix high and low quality components
- but "south park" does it
- does technology helps to raise the level of quality?
- depends on the use of it
- restrictions within the use of technologies can be useful
and so on.
Frode Volden was mostly listening, making some notes and asking some questions.
Even that we all came from a very different background (musician, dancer, wearable LED artist, VJ, programmer) we were able to talk on an equal level. We made similar experiences and so had a platform of communication in a high quality ;-)
After dinner there will be a concert with Alexander Carot.
