Ashley David – Page 6

Making Dances: To Theme or Not to Theme?

June 21, 2012 by Ashley David

by Lauren Warnecke

I was working tech on a show recently and the choreographer presented two pieces of modern dance. Before the show she gave a brief introduction to each piece, and explained that the first piece was a narrative and the second was a “pure movement” dance. She encouraged them to find the story within the first dance, while not toiling over the second; just to sit back and relax. It might be crucial to mention at this point that the audience consisted of 800+ physicists who inherently look for the greater meaning in everything. This got me thinking about how they might respond to the two pieces, both individually and as a whole experience.

There are conflicting opinions in modern dance with some choreographers gravitating toward stories and themes, and others making “dance for dance’s sake”. Many do some combination of the two, or abstract their work to the point that any allegorical relevance is beyond comprehension to the naked eye (this is where program notes come in handy). Some dances may rely on a simple adjective, feeling, or concept to generate the dance, where others may go to the extreme of being full-on story ballets that aren’t ballet. You might see this in choreographers like Mark Morris, while Trisha Brown runs a tight ship of process-driven, anti-thematic dances consisting of pure movement. [Read more…]

Neville Dance Theatre — Contemporary Ballet Infused With World Dance

May 29, 2012 by Ashley David

Today we have an interview with Brenda Neville from Neville Dance Theatre…

Copyrighted Leah Brizard Photography — Photo by: Leah Brizard

1. How did the idea for Neville Dance Theatre come about?

Over the course of my own professional dance career, I had the privilege of studying and performing a wide range of dance styles – from classical and contemporary ballet to musical theatre productions, Argentine Tango, Flamenco, Irish Step dance and many more. I started off in the Milwaukee Ballet School and went on to dance classical roles, modern works, musical theatre roles, and a variety of world/ethnic dances, performing internationally for over 10 years.

I quickly found, however, that when I would be with a company performing, say, world dance, I would begin to long for and miss elements of ballet, or the spectacle and narratives of theatre, and vice versa, etc. So, the longing for a company that could present and bring together all these different styles and elements in theatrical ways was secretly germinating in me for many years before I established Neville Dance Theatre. Eventually, in 2005, the company I was then performing with suddenly closed, and so I felt the time was right to start NDT. Since then, NDT has been creating and presenting a wide array of works drawing from a variety of dance styles in both traditional and innovative ways!

2. How would you describe the company to someone who has never seen them perform?

Theatrical, contemporary ballet with world dance infusions.

3. There is a definite cross-cultural aspect to the company—can you expand on why you decided to focus in on that?

By fostering an artistic exchange of styles, outlooks and attitudes, we gain a deeper appreciation for the similarities and differences of one another’s cultures, nationalities and expressions, as well as for the world in which we live and the beauty, value and significance of dance as a living art form. Who wouldn’t want that?

4. What do the dancers themselves bring to the company?

Copyrighted Dale Langdon photography — Photo by: Dale Langdon

Every dancer has their own unique story, background and especially nowadays, versatility. While all my dancers must have an exceptionally strong, ballet background, I am just as interested in what else they can bring to the company regarding other areas of specialty, whether it be Middle Eastern dance, hip-hop, flamenco or even Capoiera. And then it gets really interesting, cause as we all begin to learn from each other, a very real appreciation begins to take hold, not just for the varying styles of dance, but for each other individually as well as culturally, and THAT is really the heart of it all!

5. What is on the immediate horizon for Neville Dance Theatre?

Right now we are preparing for a ‘sneak preview’ performance & reception fundraiser of some of our newest works at the Manhattan Movement Arts Center in New York City on Saturday, June 2nd.

Copyrighted Rachael Neville photography — Photo by Rachael Neville

6. Where do you see the company five years from now?

Continuing to create and present works in the New York area and in theatres and festivals across the country and beyond!

Why Works In Progress Showings Work…

May 22, 2012 by Ashley David

by Lauren Warnecke

Getting people to come to dance shows is hard, but getting friends and colleagues to come to a Works In Progress showing (WIP) is even harder. With dance happening virtually every day of the week in my home city of Chicago, why would I want to go see a work that’s in progress when I could spend my night out watching something that’s “finished” (1)?

Home_Headshots-4188 — "Home", photo by Kelly Rose

Choreography can at times be an insular art form. Though you are working with other dancers and collaborators, it can be difficult to find the time and resources to get others to give you feedback. But ultimately, dance is as much about what the outside viewer witnesses as it is about you and your vision. Ergo, from time to time throughout the development phase of a piece it’s nice (if not critical) to bring in some of those outside eyes to tell you what they are seeing. That way, you can either ensure that your message is being clearly communicated – OR – a viewer could throw a wrench in and discover a hidden jewel in the work that you never considered or saw previously, giving you further inspiration to keep exploring.

That sounds like it could be a pretty enlightening and important thing to do.

I recently had the pleasure of showing new work at a series called Fraction at Links Hall in Chicago. Having been on both sides of the WIP scene (as both choreographer and viewer), I had low expectations in terms of attendance and the potential for feedback. These things can often include long, awkward silences during the feedback session in which people feel like they need to say something but don’t exactly know what to say. Amazingly, Fraction was packed.

It could have been that it wasn’t simply one, but seven different artists presenting new work, or it could have been the promise of snacks. Heck if I know, but Fraction was a super positive experience for me that afforded great feedback and I made $17 to boot! Instead of a verbal dialogue, audience members were encouraged to write feedback on an index card and place the cards in a basket to be given to the artists later. Perhaps due to the anonymous and non-verbal nature of feedback, I got a plethora of cards that said everything from “Razzamatazz” and “I want some grits and eggs!” to “I wonder what it would be like to change the soundtrack. I feel an antiquity and nostalgia surrounding the piece and wonder if it would remain with different music/sound or silence.” All of this is informative and inspiring and helps me decide where to go next with this piece. Or not. Either way, the value of hearing what people see cannot be underestimated and gives me direction in a sometimes arduous process that emulates a long and winding road. [Read more…]

10 Questions With…Kristie Kahns

May 21, 2012 by Ashley David

Today on 10 Questions With… we have dance photographer Kristie Kahns…

1. What is your dance background?

I grew up in Grand Rapids MI, and began dancing at age 6. I studied ballet, jazz, and tap, and participated in my studio’s competition teams. But I began to love ballet the most, so I also studied at the School of Grand Rapids Ballet for about 5 years, before moving to Chicago.

I moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College, with an intention to major in photography and possibly dance as well. I did take some dance classes at Columbia, but photography consumed my schedule. Living in Chicago, I was exposed to hip hop culture, and became infatuated. I began to take hip hop classes at Lou Conte Dance Studio, and hung around with a lot of b-boys, even apprenticed with Culture Shock Chicago. Learning about the history of breakdancing led me to capoeira, and eventually I became a member of Gingarte Capoeira Chicago, with whom I trained for 7 years. Currently, though, I have devoted myself to my Ashtanga yoga practice, and am training for my teacher certification at Moksha Yoga. So I have a lot of body movement experience and knowledge.

2. How did you get started in dance photography?

During my first couple years at Columbia, I definitely missed dancing everyday and wanted to stay connected to dancers. My first studio lighting class was taught by Bill Frederking (a notable Chicago dance photographer), and I became inspired by his work to photograph dancers in a studio setting. I really couldn’t imagine photographing anything else, so I reached out to dancers that I would meet and began collaborating. My passion for dance and knowledge of technique came through in the photos, so I focused on that throughout my time at Columbia. After I graduated, I began to photograph for some Chicago dance companies that were new on the scene at the time – Instruments of Movement, Luna Negra Dance Theater, and Chicago Tap Theatre. And just kept going with it.

3. What do you think is the biggest challenge in dance photography?

This is a good question. Dance photography is a bit of a paradox: dance is the movement of bodies through space, and photography is a fraction of a moment, producing a frozen and forever still image. The challenge for the photographer then is to make a still image that appears to move, or seem as though it is about to move. That challenge can actually become a means of making a stylistic choice. How do I want to depict the movement or the dancer? Do I want to show the blur of motion or crisply freeze the movement? How can I show the impetus of the movement? I’ve experimented with many different ways of shooting, but I particularly like the work I’ve done which combines strobe lighting and long shutter speeds, which portrays a crisp moment of a movement with the blur of motion in or out of the movement too. But the style that was made so popular by Lois Greenfield, freezing moving bodies in mid-air or in the midst of a dramatic movement, is fun to play with too. Ultimately, the photographer needs to have a great sense of timing and intuition into the movement, because timing is everything when you’re shooting bodies in motion.

4. What has been the most exciting moment for you in your dance photography career thus far?

A few highlights come to mind. My first cover for Dance Magazine was a big deal for me – I photographed Meredith Dincolo and Kellie Epperheimer of HSDC for DM’s Body Issue, July 2008. Since I grew up admiring the photos in Dance Magazine, it was amazing to photograph the cover and feature article. Another great experience was photographing for Cirque du Soleil’s Banana Shpeel show, which did its preview run here at the Chicago Theater in late 2009. The show had a lot of dancing and acrobatic acts, and the lighting and costumes made for a lot of great performance shots. Those performers were incredible!

5. Can you describe what you do to get ready to shoot a dance performance?

If possible, I like to watch the choreography first so I can see the movement and staging of the dancers. Sometimes I can do this at a tech rehearsal, other times in the studio. This helps me know if there may be a better side of the stage to be on when shooting. It does help to see the dance and the lighting first, and I discuss details with the director about choreography and positioning myself in the theater. But I’ve done plenty of performance shooting without ever seeing the dance beforehand.

6. Where do you set up to photograph live dance?

It depends on the situation. Sometimes, I’m able to photograph a full dress rehearsal, which is obviously preferable – no audience to disturb and I can move around in the house and get close to the stage to get the best angle. If shooting during an actual performance, it’s tricky. I need to be close to the stage but usually off to the side, away from the audience as much as possible so I won’t disturb their experience. Every theater is different, so I just have to find the best spot where I won’t be a distraction from the performance.

7. Is there a particular dancer or company that you would love to photograph? If so, who, and why?

So many! I would love to photograph Misty Copeland and Drew Jacoby, both very hot in the dance world right now. Both of them are gorgeous and have incredible technique and very athletic bodies. I actually did get a chance to shoot Drew Jacoby when she performed with Complexions at the Chicago Dancing Festival many years ago – she is simply stunning! I’d also love to photograph Maria Kowroski one day. She is a principal with NYCB, and she is from Grand Rapids as well. I saw her perform with Grand Rapids Ballet for many years before she moved to NYC, and she was quite an inspiration to myself and many young dancers at the School of Grand Rapids Ballet. Neguin, a b-boy from Brazil and winner of the Red Bull BC One in 2010, is also on the top of my list of favorite dancers. His style and talent make him so much more than a b-boy, he’s truly amazing to watch.

As far as a company, I would love to photograph Nederlands Dans Theater, because they are simply the most amazing dance company I’ve ever seen. I’d also love to work with Antics Performance, a fantastic hip hop company based in Los Angeles.

8. What camera/lenses do you shoot with for this type of photography?

My digital camera is a Canon 5D Mark II, and I have a variety of lenses I use depending on the situation. For performances, I use a long lens – I have an 80-200mm f2.8 which I like for performances. For personal projects, I still love to shoot medium format film with my Hasselblad. I don’t get to use it very often anymore, but there’s nothing like that camera! The optics are fantastic and I love the square format.

9. What was the most challenging assignment you ever had?

A recent instance that comes to mind is when I photographed the Yoga Journal Conference last summer. I documented some of the classes and activities at the conference, which were held in very poorly lit and pretty unattractive hotel ballrooms and conference rooms. It was a challenge to make good images in an environment like that.

Basically, any scenario on location or on stage where there is poor lighting is a challenge.

10. What is next for you?

I’m focusing on building my portfolio of yoga photography right now. Currently, I am working on a book project with one of my yoga teachers, the beautiful and amazing Alexia Bauer. We’re collaborating to make a photography book of the Primary Series postures of Ashtanga yoga. I’m really excited about it. I’m going to make a Kickstarter fund to promote and sell advance copies of it. I’m also planning some shoots with dancers for personal projects that I’ll work on over the summer. Other than that, I’d really like to do some traveling soon, it’s been awhile since I spent time outside of Chicago!

Bio: Kristie Kahns is an accomplished photographer based in Chicago, specializing in capturing dance and creating dance-inspired portraits. Growing up in Grand Rapids, MI, Kristie was an avid young dancer, participating in many competitive dance companies and studying at the School of Grand Rapids Ballet. But a photography course in high school sparked her interest, and in 1998, she moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College, where she received a Bachelors degree in Photography. Remaining close to her original passion, collaborating with dancers seemed inevitable; thus, she has spent the past several years becoming a part of the Chicago dance community through her camera. She has worked as a freelance photographer for Cirque du Soleil, Diavolo Dance Theater, Dance/USA, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Chicago Tap Theatre, River North Chicago Dance Company, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and many other dance organizations in Chicago. Her work has been published in Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, Pointe Magazine, Time Out Chicago, and has been used for various marketing materials for dance performances and performing arts organizations nationwide.

She was a recipient of a Community Arts Assistance Program Grant through the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs in 2007 and 2009, and received an Illinois Arts Council Professional Development Grant in 2010.

She enjoys continuing to explore the many manifestations of the dance medium in our world, from capoeira in Brazil, to the traditional dances at Native American powwows in New Mexico, to b-boy battles in Chicago. Through her camera, she pushes for new ways to express her admiration for movement artists of all kinds, and continues to allow her passion for photography and movement to evolve.

All photos courtesy of Kristie Kahns

Finding Balance: Dancers On Coping With Injury

May 11, 2012 by Ashley David

by Emily Kate Long

Last month’s “Finding Balance” explored the relationships among dancer identity, passion for dance, injury, and age. A month after writing that column, I can’t get away from the topic—it utterly fascinates and confounds me. I was directed by a friend to a widely cited study by Linda Hamilton (American Journal of Sports Medicine, March 1989) titled “Personality, Stress, and Injuries in Professional Ballet Dancers.” In it, Hamilton states:

“[The] dancer must possess extraordinary dedication, a limitless capacity for hard work, and the ability to persevere through more or less continual pain, in addition to having a specific body type and talent….[The] personality traits that are programmed into success in this profession may ultimately prove detrimental to those dancers who have not learned to work within the natural limitations of their bodies.”

The italicization of that last phrase is my own—is that the key to balance between doing our best and doing too much? How can we push ourselves hard enough that we achieve highly without letting those “success traits” run so rampant as to destroy us? How do we learn what our natural limitations are? How can we expand them?

Hamilton’s statement compelled me to seek out dancers I admire and view as highly self-driven, and ask them to weigh in on the subject of coping with and learning from injuries. Of those I contacted, three dancers were able to contribute to this article. My utmost thanks go out to them for taking the time to answer my questions candidly and thoughtfully.

Jeanette Hanley was a Leading Artist with Milwaukee Ballet when I was in the second company there. Her dancing and her spirit and her enthusiasm made a great impression on me—I never saw her get injured or upset, and her energy and motivation seemed endless. She was like superwoman, or the energizer bunny. She has since retired from dancing, but I still think of her as a role model. I decided to get in touch with her for this article to discover what strategies kept her going throughout her 21-year dancing career, and how she felt about retirement. She shared with me that her love of yoga and going to the gym made it easy to stay in good physical shape during layoffs, and that she never had trouble with injuries while she was dancing. With the birth of her daughter, healthy diet and exercise got her going again. Now that she’s retired, it has been helpful to have a new line of work that she loves. Always learning, Jeanette also takes karate with her daughter, and they will both be receiving black belts in the fall.

Katie Rideout and I attended Milwaukee Ballet School’s summer intensive in 2007 and spent two years together in Milwaukee Ballet II, 2007-2009. Katie has struggled with lower leg injuries as long as I’ve known her. In November 2011, after dealing with intense pain in her tibia for almost two years, she made the choice to take a break from dancing and finish her Bachelor’s degree from Point Park University. She later found out she had been dancing on two stress fractures. During her recovery period she struggled most with making decisions independently of a career-oriented framework. Addressing the reality of her injury –its severity was a direct result of overuse and denial—forced Katie to begin freeing herself from obsessive passion for dance in order to return to dancing and avoid re-injury. This, in turn, allowed her to establish new training habits: integration of Pilates work and a focus on technical efficiency rather than an exclusively aesthetic aim. Finishing her undergraduate degree also gave her another aspect of her person to cultivate: an understanding and exercise of her intellect, measured separately from dance achievements.

My good friend Jason Wang tore his Achilles’ tendon on August 30, 2011 and underwent surgery to repair it three days later. Naturally a planner, he, like Katie, found one of the greatest challenges in his recovery to be the uncertain timeframe and absence of a familiar “roadmap” in his decision-making process. The stillness that was necessary while waiting for doctors’ orders quickly degraded to depression; Jason felt he had been “stripped from [his] lifestyle without [his] own consent.” Also significant for Jason was the difference in coping with this long-term injury versus the short-term ones he had previously sustained: “…sitting and watching dancers do what I loved for weeks on end made me extremely stressed and depressed….[If] you’re not clear and sound in your mind then your physical side will become its collateral.” He felt it was important to step back and take time to clear his mind before deciding how to approach re-entry into the dance world.

I consider Jason, Katie, and Jeanette all to be high achievers. Pushing themselves to the limit and beyond just seems like a natural thing for them. However, in Katie’s case, pushing led to chronic injury. In Jason’s case, his inability to work led to feelings of uncertainty, depression, and isolation. Jeanette, however, was able to push herself through a two-decade career without major setbacks caused by injury. What’s her secret?

Could it be than Jeanette is simply older and wiser?

I recall another of Milwaukee Ballet’s leading artists telling me once that the time she spent in Boston Ballet II was the hardest of her life. Perhaps the more time we spend with ourselves, and the more adversity we face, the more we can come to understand that one of the “natural limitations of [our] bodies” is our very own psyche.

Readers, what dance-related experiences have forced you to face your inner demons and come out on top?

Contributor Emily Kate Long began her dance education in South Bend, Indiana, with Kimmary Williams and Jacob Rice and graduated in 2007 from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s Schenley Program. Ms Long attended Milwaukee Ballet School’s Summer Intensive on scholarship before being invited to join Milwaukee Ballet II in 2007. She also has spent summers studying at Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive, Miami City Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, and Ballet Chicago.

Ms Long has been a member of Ballet Quad Cities since 2009. She has danced featured roles in Deanna Carter’s Ash to Glass and Dracula, participated in the company’s 2010 tour to New York City, and most recently performed the title role in Courtney Lyon’s Cinderella and the role of Clara in The Nutcracker. Prior to joining Ballet Quad Cities Ms Long performed with Milwaukee Ballet and MBII in Michael Pink’s The Nutcracker and Candide Overture, Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty and La Bayadére, Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Bournonville’s Flower Festival in Genzano and Napoli, and original contemporary and neoclassical works by Tom Teague, Denis Malinkine, Rolando Yanes, and Petr Zaharadnicek.

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