MA Performance Recap

The Telephone Dance Project has returned to their respective homes after their first weekend of performances and we've all had a chance to digest all of the magic of our first in-person rehearsals and performances.

To give a little background: before our MA performances, each of us was ensconced in our home states creating and practicing the phrases that were sent through the mail to us.  For me (Katie), I had created, written down, and sent my "D.C." phrase through the mail to Rachel in VA.  She read it, made her interpretation of what she read on the paper into a phrase on her own body and wrote that version down to mail to Eliza in MA.  Then Eliza repeated the process to send to Barbara in PA.  I couldn't wait to see how my phrase turned out by the time it got to Barbara.

Katie, Joy and Barbara discuss costume options 

 We had met each other at least once in person in the past to shake hands, share a cup of tea, and familiarize each other about the goings ons in our lives.  Our other meetings had only been through Google Hangouts and Skype to discuss logistics. So we were filled with excitement and trepidation about our first rehearsal as a group.  Would we mesh as dancers?  How would it look to put the phrases next to each other?  Would we remember the score (a framework used to put the phrases of choreography together into a "dance")?  Would it all fall apart?  How would the crowd react?

As the end of the week approached, we gradually descended upon Eliza's house in Northampton, MA as our schedules allowed and caught each other up on our personal lives over coffee, tea and wine.  On Friday evening, we had our first rehearsal together, running through our phrases, pairing up to see how our phrases came out "in the mail" and laughing heartily at ourselves and each other at how our words changed down the line into funny movements and strange combinations.  It turned out to be such a relief!  We were working easily together, the phrases were looking good, and putting them next to each other gave us all a lot of inspiration for our own hosted shows down the line.

We all jumped in feet first to Eliza's score which was a mixture of a tightly ordered set of events and an open improvisation section using verbal cues to jumpstart a new set of phrases.  Emphasizing how easy this collaborative process has been, we all came into the rehearsal having a good handle on the score because Eliza had proposed a menu of score options via email prior to our arrival that we could weigh in on.

Eliza and Barbara warm up in our first group rehearsal

Since this was our first time rehearsing together, we had to work on being "in" the space together by running through some improvisation activities and once we really connected and added just one more rule to pay attention to in our open improv section, that was the final thread that drew us close enough together to really get us synced up to read each other's movements and create interesting patterns in the chaos.

Our first performance happened at the Workbench Series in the Arts and Industry Lofts on Saturday night with choreographers Ailey Picasso, Claire Maurey, Sara Hook and Paul Matteson.  This was the first of many more Workbench showings to come.  You can find more about the series HERE.

Paul and Sara warm up before the Workbench Series

The space was that lovely kind of warm and inviting that you expect with artist lofts and there were plenty of chairs and cushions for the audience to pile onto.  We drew names out of a hat to determine the order of the show and as a result, we were able to watch all of the choreographic offerings unfold before us and greeted the audience on a warm stage.  After the performance, we had a circled discussion with the audience asking questions of us and vice versa.  The structure of our collaboration became the primary focus and it was clear that the individual voices we brought to the structure were a real point of interest.  Heartened by the thoughtful discourse and positive feedback, we headed into a small salon-style showing on Sunday evening.

Sunday evening's Birthday Salon was held in a neighboring studio in the same Arts-loft complex but in a smaller space with concrete floors and shared with choreographers Mountain Empire, Shaina Cantino, and Joy Davis.  The pieces were scaled down and modified to take the floor into consideration and there were breaks between each piece so the audience/guests could talk, buy more drinks and treats, and find another vantage point for the next piece.

Eliza surveys the treats

Shaina and Joy performing at the Birthday Salon

We kept the same structure for this show, but gave it a more "party" flair in both attitude and costume choice.  The smaller space, the second performance, and the actual party going on in the room gave it a more intense, slightly aggressive feel that was exciting.  We ended by fading into dance music and pulling people onto the floor to start a dance party that didn't end until 1am.  What a way to head into Monday!

Now as we're tallying up the travel budget for the MA show, we'll head into the planning stages for Washington D.C.  There are exciting plans to share once the ink has dried and once again, we want you to be a part of the show.  Just like our MA showing, we have special plans to make this event accessible to every income level.  An affordable Improv Workshop open to all levels, a Site Specific performance that you can come see and even hop into, and another free party where we are featuring some dance, visual, and possibly some music, and acting artists from the D.C. arts community.

In order to keep these events free, we need you to be involved in fundraising.  It's easy!  Consider it your ticket to the show, or a ticket for someone who wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise.  Plus, we have some nice incentives to reward your generosity.  If you can't afford to give now, share our campaign with your friends.  Word of mouth is priceless. VVV GIVE OR SHARE HERE VVV

Performances in MA, NC, and PA are set!

The project that turns the classic game of "telephone" into a long-distance dance collaboration tool has performances happening across the East Coast, starting on January 18 in the Workbench Series in Northampton, MA.  

We’ll perform again the following night on January 19th in a Salon Performance at 7:30pm at Studio 310 in the Florence Arts and Industry Building in Northampton, MA in a shared evening of performance with Joy Davis, and Shaina Cantino. For more information email eliza.larson@gmail.com.

TDP has also been invited to perform on April 5th as part of {Re}HAPPENING, a fantastic improvisational evening of art and performance at the historic Black Mountain College in Black Mountain, NC.  We’re excited to share a night of installation and art making with over 80 artists from around the country.

Additional performances will take place on May 10th for the H-O-T Series in Philadelphia, PA, and TBD in Washington, DC.

See what we’re about HERE: https://vimeo.com/83334697

Save the Date: January 16-19th

TDP's tour will have it's first stop in Northampton, MA on January 16-19th.

Come see what choreographing across state lines and through the mail produces in this innovative multi-state collaboration that uses the classic game of "telephone" as a collaborative tool.

Location: Amherst College and Smith College
Time: TBA
Tickets: TBA

What is the Telephone Dance Project?

Do you remember the "telephone" game? One person whispers a phrase to another, which is passed down a line of people until the phrase becomes increasingly distorted and the original meaning is lost.  Hilarity inevitably ensues.

The Telephone Dance Project turns the classic game of "telephone" into a long-distance collaboration tool. Over the past several months our four collaborators, spread over 4 different states, have been creating choreographic material inspired by their own geographical location, transcribing it, sending it to each other via snail mail, and letting each recipient reinterpret it as they pass it down the line.  With each reinterpretation, the movement changes until finally it barely resembles the original phrase.  These phrases are then used to create an improvisational score, directed by each participant in their own home state, that bring each location and inspiration together.  The dance will change with each performance and each new location.

Performances of the Telephone Project will happen across the East Coast, starting in Northampton, MA, traveling through Philadelphia, Washington DC, and ending in Asheville, NC.   Each performance will be quite different from the next: a concert of improvisational dance; a salon; a performance at the zoo!  The dance emerges anew each time it is performed: duration, sound/music and creative choices depend on the specific place and time occupied by the participants. 

Travel with us in person or on this blog as we reinterpret what it means to dance across the country.