Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Summer Stages 2010 Fellow, Joanna Kotze - Third Week

Already we are in our third and final week at Summer Stages Dance. Being a Choreographic Fellow here has afforded many things to me this summer...time, space, showings, inspiration, support, investigation, focus, feedback and much more.

As we wind down our time here and wind up to the performance happening on Saturday, I think about how fortunate I am to have had this time in Concord, with this group of people. Time goes quickly here, being involved in so much at once but all is memorable.

I have been working with seven wonderful dancers on the piece they will perform this weekend, 'Under The Fold'. They have all been a hard working, inquisitive, playful family. I have posed many challenges to them, ones I tackle with myself on a daily basis in the studio, and they have been willing to try, fail, succeed, and learn. They teach me something every day and I hope the information I am passing on to them will go with them beyond this summer. They are a great group.

I have taken time during the mornings and afternoons to be in the studio by myself, refining a solo I have been working on the last several months. I was also fortunate enough to have a friend and dancer (Francis Stansky) come to Concord to work on a duet I am setting for a show in New York City in October at Dance New Amsterdam. Francis and I had a short time to work - just a week - but having the space and time for a week allowed us to make huge steps in the progress of the new piece. He also helped me by being a second pair of eyes in the studio with the students, practicing with us and sharing his perspective.

I so look forward to seeing my girls give a great performance this weekend as well as seeing the other Fellows' and faculty's wonderful pieces in such a beautiful space at the ICA/Boston. It will be a diverse, entertaining and inspiring program.


     

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