The Hide & Seek of Inspiration

Hello everyone, Kaley Pruitt here.  I am a dancer, choreographer, arts administrator, and creative thinker.  I like to include the last one because it’s a part of me that I hope applies to how I am as an artist but also how I am as a person, more importantly.  I’ve been negotiating NYC for just about 2 years now, and it still amazes me how it can turn on you.  Don’t worry, I mean in good ways too.  This place is just full of endless possibilities; pitfalls but also magical moments.  Those are the ones that sustain you until the next inspiration hits.  As a member of Junior Committee, I want to tell you who I am, but I also think we are in a field of showing who we are.  Here is a 2 minute dance film that I created, top to bottom, choreography to filming to the music, at a time when I was truly inspired.  What do you go back to again and again to rediscover yourself and remember what inspiration tastes like? When it is hiding, what do you seek to get yourself back in the game?

I’d love feedback videos of what inspires you all!  Oh yeah, the logistics about me; I currently dance for Natalia Duong in Project Agent Orange, and I am also a dancer for Angelo Dance Project.  I am the Administrative Assistant for Elisa Monte Dance, and also work at Baryshnikov Arts Center.  After all of that, taking class and seeing shows comes next, and then maybe some rest, just maybe.

I really look forward to sharing some thoughts on dance in NYC with you all.  Stay tuned for my post Wednesday, “Taking Ourselves Seriously”.

Blueprint Call To Action

“Dance is a field with more guerrillas than institutions” –John Munger, Director of research and information at Dance/USA

Dance/NYC’s mission is to strengthen the professional dance field in New York City.  They help to foster a society that appreciates the art of dance and supports the creative process.  In 2007, former Dance/NYC Executive Director Michelle Burkhart created the Junior Committee (JComm) to advocate specifically for young professionals in dance and to serve as a liaison between the organization and its younger constituents.  JComm is a diverse sample of the field’s guerillas and our partnership with Dance/NYC brings us in from the fringes and allows us to effect an institution.  Our relationship is mutually beneficial and we work together to serve the dance community.

On Writing Dance

Last night the Junior Committee had the privilege of sitting and talking with dance writer Eva Yaa Asantewaa. Forever a student, I listened intently taking notes on what she finds important when writing about dance because let’s face it – … Continue reading →

Showings on Facebook

I recently got invited to an inspiring new group on Facebook called “Showings on Facebook”.  It is an online forum for showing choreography and getting objective feedback.  This group has discussion at its core, without obligation to how much or little members participate.  It is basically an online, volunteer audience, awaiting for a new video posts to voice their opinion and share ideas.

Showings on Facebook was started by Christiana Barnett-Murphy, a dancer, choreographer, and former ADF (American Dance Festival) student.  Christiana was inspired to create the group after gathering knowledge over the years from ADF’s feedback forum “Open Showings” and from its former coordinator Jen McGinn.

All sorts of artists from across the country have joined the group and actively give feedback to their colleges on Showings on Facebook.  It is a great way to bounce ideas off people that are outside of your daily sphere and may be unfamiliar with your work.  If you are a choreographer out there interested in getting feedback from a new audience, I highly recommend joining this group!  Dancers and supporters interested in aiding the creative process will dig in too.  Here is a direct link to the Facebook page:  (You will find the group closed, but all requests will be granted)

 http://www.facebook.com/groups/322345811125974/

Here is an overview of Christiana’s guidelines for interactions in the forum.  I think it outlines the group’s goals and dynamics very well.

Hi Everyone, Welcome to the Showings forum on Facebook. This group is meant to give choreographers a chance to show their work to an audience outside of their immediate dance community, with the intent of receiving helpful feedback from the other members. While there may be some limitations by not seeing the work live, I believe there is still good information that can be shared through video. Here are a few guidelines to help us all experience the benefits of this group…

 For those showing work:

• Feel free to share your work at whatever place you are in your process…

• We ask that if you do show a video of your work, please refrain from sharing too much information. While it can sometimes be tempting to give us the history of your piece, it can often be more helpful to you, if you allow us to just respond to what we see…

• Please don’t ask us to imagine anything (such as lighting and costume ideas)…

 • Use this opportunity to get what you need. If there is a pressing question you feel needs to be answered, ask it…

 For those giving feedback:

• Please refrain from using the terms “I liked” and “I didn’t like”. Try to maintain the idea that the feedback you’re giving is meant to help the choreographer achieve what THEY are desiring.

• Also, please try not to use the term “interesting”, … Try to expand your vocabulary and express what the work made you think of, or how it made you feel.

• Overall, in any of the feedback you give, try to make it as helpful to the other person as possible.

So… join me on Showings on Facebook and let’s get the discussion and inspiration going!  Thanks Christiana and Jen for bringing us all a new stage.

A Christmas Carol

Happy Holidays everyone!  For many of us in the dance community, December brings on a love / hate relationship to how dance is highlighted during the holidays.  Nutcracker after Nutcracker, and cheesy holiday song & dance productions seem to take over and make the dance workforce feel slightly less validated.

For myself as a dancer and choreographer, I typically put aside my criticisms at Christmas time, and let the holiday entertainment off the hook for when it comes to innovative and meaningful dance.  This year, I surprised myself and was able to redefine dance’s purpose in the midst of all of this.

Being home in Sun Valley, Idaho is always quite picturesque at Christmas time.  This year I had the opportunity to participate in a local community theater company’s musical version of “A Christmas Carol”.  Laughing Stock Theater has been producing theater in the community for thirty years, and put on this particular show, with wide acclaim, for the past six of those.

Being in the production reminded me of what it means to bring a full story with song and yes, some dance, to the stage.  Performing amongst locals with little dance experience was refreshing, humbling, and very rewarding.  You realize how much the process from audition to rehearsal to opening night IS an accomplishment.  You realize that the box-step IS difficult.  Getting that box-step linked to a three-step-turn, in unison with 35 people on stage, IS work.  But what is a song up on stage without movement!  I realized what a vital component to this production even the simple dance steps were.

I was able to jump in and help the directors coach the movement.  I helped cast members understand weight shifts to make steps work.  I even got to choreograph a small blues number that the “souls” sing when the ghost of Jacob Marley first visits Ebenezer Scrooge.

As I have never gravitated toward teaching before, this was a new perspective on my “expertise” that I had never myself appreciated.  It was also a new perspective on dance’s place in the holidays.  I was glad to share my gift and add to the production in a small way.  I realized when you’ve brought a step from shambles to perfection, even a kick line can’t get old.