10 Questions With…

10 Questions With…Andrew DeVries

February 12, 2010 by 4dancers

Background: Please tell me your name, location and what you do that is related to dance, along with information about any upcoming projects you may have that are related to dance.

Hamburg2 — Installation of the Seagull sculpture at the Hamburg Ballet Center, Hamburg, Germany, from left to right - Andrew DeVries, Heather Jurgensen, Principal Dancer, John Neumieir, Artistic Director

Sculptor Andrew DeVries

Gallery location: 62 Church Street, Lenox, Massachusetts studio/foundry location: 42 East River Road, Middlefield, Massachusetts

I have been sculpting and casting a series of bronze dancers for 30 years. Currently in the dance series I have been commissioned to enlarge a work called Faerie Dance in a larger version, there are other new dance sculptures that I am working on and there will be an outdoor exhibition of my larger dance works installed in public spaces in the historic district of Lenox this year.

1. Can you tell me a bit about your background as an artist and how you came to be involved with dance sculpture?

My background as an artist began with dance. The instinct and desire to be an artist was always there as a child – constantly drawing as a child. The 2 painters who were the greatest inspiration were Monet and Degas – Degas especially because of his portrayal of dancers. I first discovered dance through PBS. Leaving school at age 15 I made an agreement with my father to work with him on the farm for 5 years and then I would be free to go off and become an artist (thinking I would become a painter). In 1997 I did leave and what happened by great fortune/ fate or destiny I struck up a conversation with a dancer, Clarissa Sylvia Love who invited me to draw in her mothers Ballet Studio. Rieke Maria Love was her name; Ballet Denver was the company – a small concert ballet company that had pioneered bringing ballet to towns throughout Colorado.

For the next 2 years I would draw the dancers everyday and shared their lives. Rieke became as much a mentor to me as she was to her dancers, and one night she suggested I try sculpture which set me on my career path. Having been immersed in the dance world gave me the desire to capture not only the physicality of the movement but as well the emotional and spiritual energy.

All the great works of art, whether in dance, music, painting, poetry or sculpture are based in the human heart, the human spirit. This was the greatest lesson of the ballet studio and is the foundation of my work.

Title: Moment of Grace, Medium: Bronze, Size: 27”h 22”w 22”d , © 2009, Edition 8

2. You have said, “Dance moves through time whereas sculpture captures a moment.” Can you tell me how you select the moment that you will take into the studio as inspiration?

I see all the sculptures complete in my minds eye – what I call my visions and they are as real as any person. So you see; the sculptures are already complete. They can come at any time – perhaps a piece of music will spark them or a cloud in the sky or a question in my heart. I do not consider myself the “creator,” only the door through which they come. The sculptures lead me and not the other way around.

There was a very specific moment in the ballet studio when I became aware of that vision. A male dancer was doing the Grande jete exercises on the diagonal – on the last one he slammed into the wall – but I saw him pass through the wall. That vision became The Other Side of Eden. From that moment on, this vision became my guide.

3. Why did you choose dancers?

Beauty and Truth – I guess you would say that Dance chose me.

Pleiades(outdoors) — Title: Pleiades, Medium: Bronze, Size: 27”h 22”w 22”d , © 2009, Edition 8

4. How do you infuse emotion into your sculpture?

It is both the magic of the muse (that vision) and the knowledge of ones craft – as with any artist.

5. Do you have a routine in terms of how you work best?

Not really. The demands of the artistic side and the business side of the art are such that I must remain fluid in how each day goes. Unlike most sculptors I not only create the original model but also do the entire mold and casting of each work. Then I also maintain my own gallery in Lenox – between scheduling receptions, public relations, ads, invitations, responding to patrons requests, contracts etc. – all these different elements take a tremendous amount of time, energy and skill. I do hire contract labor to help with graphic and computer work and part time gallery help. So remaining fluid in all those areas takes a sense of discipline, and looks much like a grand balancing act.

6. How did you come to understand the proper positioning of the body for dance?

Those first 2 years of doing nothing but drawing dancers and subsequent times when I still go into a dance studio to draw (not as often as I would like). When Jacob’s Pillow classes start I will go there. JR Glover who is the Director of Education has allowed me the privilege to come and draw and Milton Myers who teaches the Modern classes there, and has done the same with his senior class at Julliard.

It is always like going home for me to draw in a dance studio. When there is a specific commission I will then employ a dance professional for anatomical purposes.

7. Can you tell me a little about a dance piece that has special meaning to you?

Well, they all do, but if I were to choose just one it would be the Seagull because of the experience of working with Heather Jurgensen. The Seagull is a dance portrait of Heather who at that time was a principal dancer with the Hamburg Ballet (she retired 3 years ago). One edition was installed at the Hamburg Ballet.

John Neumieir is a genius, and the energy in his presence and in his ballets is beyond the description of words. Heather herself is an exemplar of dance. To know that the sculpture is there – inspiring other dancers to become all that they can gives great personal satisfaction – a way to give back to the dancers a little bit of the beauty that they have given me. I wish I could have a work in each major dance studio.

8. Do you find that certain dancers inspire you more than others? If so, how does that work?

Certain choreographers and dancers do of course. It would be hard to explain which and why – any great work in any medium – Rieke stressed that you must absorb from all the arts – it is the only way to feed your muse, and at the same time you must always strive higher in the craft of your art.

9. Can you talk a little about the materials you use and the process itself?

It is a very complicated process – it would be best to point people to the website, or if they are nearby to come to an open studio to learn a little more – there is just too much involved even to explain the basic facts.

10. What do you think dancers might be interested to know about your work?

The greatest compliment is that so many dancers have remarked, “finally, a sculptor has gotten it right”. The important thing is to stay true to the vision – to follow the noble heart. What happens in the sculpture is of the same communication that they give to us as an audience – a different medium perhaps but we are all on the road together. I have been so very blessed to be part of their world.

10 Questions With…Henrik Lamark

February 8, 2010 by 4dancers

My name is Henrik Lamark, I’m a 23 year old professional ballet dancer born in Norway, but currently situated in Czech Republic.

1. How did you get involved in dance?

I started dancing at age 4. My mother told me I used to sneak out of the house and down to a football field just next door. My parents were sure I was interested in the kids playing there, until they one day found me in the window of the club-house, watching a ballet class inside. I told my mother I wanted to do that, and so they signed me up for ballet classes. Although starting early, my training didn’t get really serious until high school because of the lack of a proper school in my area, but I learned the most important thing in the first years of my life; the love of dance!

2. What are you currently doing in dance?

I’m currently working for a smaller company in Czech Republic. We dance most of the classcal ballets (just presenting a new production of Giselle this month), plus various modern and neoclassical works. In March we have this seasons second premiere; a rock-ballet tributing U2, choreographed by canadian-born Eric Trottier. The show fits me like a glove, it’s rock, it’s ballet, it’s contemporary and it’s filled with testosterone!

3. What is it like to dance in the Czech Republic?

I found that as a dancer, the place you are situated doesn’t matter as much as in other professions. For me, choosing Czech Republic was an accident more than something I thought about a lot – I got the opportunity to work in the same place as my girlfriend – who is also a dancer. That doesn’t happen every day, so it was really not so hard of a decision. I have to say, although the Czech are great people (and their beer is terrific), it’s probably not the place I will “settle for good”. But as a young dancer, you have to take what you can, so it’s probably a “gypsy-life” waiting for me still some years. But it’s an interesting life, full of new experiences.

4. Can you share anything about the perspective on dance in Norway?

Dance is getting more and more popular in Norway, leading to an increasing amount of both dancers, and audience. We have some world leading choreographers on the contemporary stage, and the National Ballet is strengthening their position amongst the European countries when it comes to neo-classical and modern works. But we are missing the cultural history on dance you find for example at our neighbors in east, Sweden and Russia, and so we don’t have the same audience and interest when it comes to classical ballet. The dance audience in Norway is young, it’s a new generation that prefers a more modern take on things than the old ballet can offer.

5. What is your greatest challenge as a dancer?

As a male dancer, I am interested in showing the world a broader perspective on us than what the usual stereotypes provide. Men, as women, can communicate so much with dance, but are often written off before they get the chance to because of stereotypes and just plain lack of knowledge amongst the “people in the street”. I wish to do something about it, but I am not able to do it alone. This is in my opinion the greatest challenge for any male dancer; to change what people think of us. Male dancers differs as much from each other as any other group of people! In my blog, Tights and Tiaras I introduce people to ballet as I see it, kind of like “ballet for dummies” if you want, hoping to improve knowledge about ballet in general, and by doing so, also change the stereotypes regarding male dancers.

Plain dancewise, any dancer in the world has something he or she can improve, dance is never perfect. That’s the perfection of it!

6. What is your strongest quality as a dancer?

I think my strongest asset as a dancer is that I am a good partner. My upper body strength of course helps, but I tend to understand the girls movements, which makes it easier to support her. I also had excellent teachers in pas de deux at the Hungarian Dance Academy that gave me a good base for partnering.

I am told I am a good actor. It’s hard to judge oneself, but I know I enjoy shaping a character, that be a peasant in the corps de ballet, or some bigger solo role – I always try to make myself become the person I am on stage. With my 190 centimeters and wide shoulders, I appear big and strong, and tend to get “alpha-male” roles. Not that it bothers me. I am, after all, a Norwegian viking.

7. Can you share a personal best—a highlight from some point in your dance career?

It’s hard to chose one moment. My graduation concert comes to mind, dancing solo for a full Budapest operahouse was an extreme experience! The first time I got a job as a dancer was also a absolute high in my career, the feeling of finally achieving what I wanted for so long. But what really stands out, is something I didn’t realize was a great point in my career until much later. When I was a kid, I had a hard time at school. I was the only boy dancing ballet in my whole city. For more than 10 years, everywhere I went, “everyone” knew who I was, and most of them had some comments on what I do. There was more than one time I wanted to quit, but I didn’t. Sticking that out is what I am most proud of today as a dancer, and person.

8. What advice can you give to other men who want to dance?

I’ll quote the nike-commercials: Just DO it! Never give up! It’s really a great saying. If it’s about getting a hard time for dancing, or getting that role, or managing those pirouettes – just DO it! The most important person in your life is yourself. So be that person. Nothing makes it perfect, but practice makes it better!

When it comes to more technical stuff, I love to see male dancers being real men. Both in the sense of showing some testosterone, but more importantly, to show who they are! I see many dancers with great technique, but lacking that spark that makes it interesting – the look in the eyes, the posture of the upper body – it’s a very important part of dancing, that we might not practice as much as the ballet class itself. As an audience, I want to see the dancer first, and then what he can do.

9. Can you share any tips for partnering?

I think the most important thing a partner can do – that goes for both genders – is to communicate. The guy has to pay attention to the language of the girls body. Once you understand what she needs to be positioned and on balance, everything is much easier. The girls have to make sure they show us guys just what they need, or we’ll get confused – kind of like in any relationship, really. 🙂 Of course it helps if the boy is strong as Goliath, but let’s not forget that David won the fight. There’s a whole technique to partnering, and by learning it, I was able to do lifts and tricks my partner, or I, never thought we could. In the end, there’s a lot of logic to it. Girl falling forward? Weight back! As to what muscles are concerned, strong abdominals help more than big biceps. And guys: don’t forget your legs! Using the thighs right is the difference between first arabesque and “let’s try again”. Straight back, good plié, communicate with your partner, and you can lift anyone!

10. What is next for you on the horizon in terms of dance?

Well, first off is the U2-ballet I mentioned earlier. I’m also looking for a new job, so I guess I will go for some auditions. Man, I hate auditions. I’ll take the stage and an audience any day over a studio with some strict faces. But sometimes, you just “gotta do what you gotta do”, right?! I want to continue to improve my technique, and I wish to get stronger, especially in my legs, so I guess I’m looking at some gym time. I’d also love to perform a new pas de deux from one of my favorite choreographers, Levente Bajári from Hungary. He made a duet on my girlfriend and me a year ago, and I just want more! I tend to make my road as I walk it, so what’s just a wish today can be reality tomorrow. The best thing you can do is to just follow my blog, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted!

10 Questions With…Diane VanDerhei

February 2, 2010 by 4dancers

1. Tell me a little bit about how you got into dance and what you have done in your career.

Danced since I took a pre-ballet class at the age of 5. Graduated from the National Dance Academy (a boarding High School for the Arts in Champaign, IL) and went on to dance professionally. Received a BFA in Dance and Dance Education from UW – Milwaukee and continued to dance, choreograph and teach. Taught in the Milwaukee Public Schools magnet program and the Minneapolis Public Schools magnet program. Also taught for Hubbard Street in the Chicago Public Schools. Opened my studio in June of 2006.

2. What are you currently doing?

Running my dance studio, INTUIT Dance.

3. Can you point out the major hurdles that people will have to overcome when opening a dance studio?

Be prepared to work really hard without much monetary reward the first couple of years. Be prepared to sub if people call at the last minute and be ready to wear a lot of hats to get the job done.

4. How have you been able to make your studio such a success?

Well, I think I know how to teach all types of dance and students. I really studied dance education and went through a state certification program so I think I know a little bit about child development, psychology, lesson planning etc….

5. Can you share a few tips for teaching young children?

Children need to be engaged. If they are off task and you are spending all your time trying to get their attention, then you need to change your approach. I have studied this quite a bit and I would recommend starting with reading Mary Joyce.

6. How do you handle the recital issue?

For right now, I split my recitals up into 5 half an hour recitals. Each recital contains some smaller children (starting at age 4) and some teen and adult pieces. I hold them at the studio which I turn into a black box. This way, parents are not sitting through 21/2 hours to see their child dance for 2 minutes and small children feel supported instead of paraded about. We do not purchase fancy costumes. The kids just wear their practice clothes. The teens and adults will organize a look out of what they have. They are very fun events and the parents love them.

7. What is the best piece of advice you have ever heard in terms of owning/operating a dance studio?

I had a successful dance studio teacher and owner tell me that “Your teachers make your studio.”

8. Can you tell me a little about your teaching philosophy?

I try to include body mind patterning, dance techniques, improv and dance making in some form in every class. That sounds like a lot but it can be done. It gets everyone involved and changes the dynamics of the class from just working on dance technique to working with others and it helps to come at a technical exercise from a different perspective.

9. How do you handle challenging parents?

Really I only have had one problem in four years with a parent. Listen to what they are saying and don’t take it personally. Don’t think about the parents behavior, think about what they are saying. Use active listening techniques and keep it short and sweet. Stay positive.

10. What new things do you have coming up on the horizon?

I did the Nutty Nutcracker this year at the studio and I am looking for a larger theater to stage it. I thought this would be a way to give some of the more advanced children and teens a way to get out of the studio and perform. It was a real fun show and I can include a lot of kids in the show, and still have it entertaining for the public. This way I can keep my recitals but give some children another type of experience while keeping it interesting for the audience.

Diane VanDerhei, Director, INTUIT Dance
Diane VanDerhei is the artistic director of INTUIT Dance! She holds a B.F.A. in dance and dance education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her credentials include developing and implementing comprehensive K-12 dance curriculum for the Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago school systems. She graduated from the National Academy of Dance in Champaign Illinois, a high school exclusively devoted to dance education. There she studied classical ballet with Lupe Serrano and Gwynne Ashton and jazz with Buzz Miller. She performed and toured nationally with the National Ballet of Illinois and the Ballet Folk of Moscow and Wild Space Dance Company. She has choreographed numerous acclaimed works and in 1989 was awarded the first Milwaukee County Fellowship in Choreography. From 2003-2008 she served as a teaching artist and education consultant for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Education and Community Programs.

10 Questions With…Cory Gabel

January 21, 2010 by 4dancers

Tell me a little bit about you…your name, location and what you do.

Cory Gabel, composer and music producer living in greater Hartford, CT.

1. How did you wind up composing music for dance groups?

It was a conscious decision to collaborate with dancers and choreographers. Over the last several years, I had been doing mostly film and commercial composing, and was missing the live, performance element to my music. For years, I was the lead singer and guitarist for an alternative rock band, and always enjoyed the energy of the “show”. Now, having moved more into to composing versus live performance myself, it was a great way to craft music that would ultimately be “performed” – just not by me!

2. How is composing music for dance different than composing it for other things?

In film, music comes last – very last. The challenge is to identify the emotional tone the director is going for, and the match that, and the timing of film. It’s very intricate and exacting, but can also be fun. Also, as we all know, the best film scores are the ones you rarely notice.

Music for dance could not be more opposite: it’s the foundation, and the dance is built upon it. It’s meant to be a focal point, and in most cases, and equal player in the overall scheme of things.

3. Can you share a few examples of dance groups that you have composed for?

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, Huckabee/McAllister Dance, Exhale Dance Tribe, Ridgefield Conservatory of Music, Hartford Conservatory… (other projects/commissions to be announced very soon!)

4. What is the composing process like when you create something for dance?

Once an artistic director/choreographer and I agree to collaborate, we normally talk concept. The concept usually comes from an idea or theme that they’ve wanted to explore, but could never find the right music for! So – we talk that through, and they give me any musical ideas they were thinking – if they had any. Normally, I then spend some time with the concept and I do a music search – it’s part of my process. I find snips and pieces of all kinds of music that I think will inspire me, and put me in the “place” of where I’ll write from. I normally share that playlist with the AD, so they can see the ballpark I plan on playing in, it’s kind of a gut check moment.

If all is well – I proceed, and start to write and produce demos of the music, sharing along the way with the AD.

5. What instruments do you use for dance compositions?

All – depends on the piece. Most dance companies don’t have budgets for big live ensembles – so the majority of what I’ve done has been to write, and then produce a finished recording that they can play back at the performance. I have access to record solo instruments, up to full orchestras – and have done all for past projects.

6. What do you like best about composing for dance?

The collaboration. Crafting a project with another intensely creative person, and knowing that it is also going to be performed. Too many people in music (bands, soloists) etc – write and practice forever, and never get to enjoy getting it out there. (I know, because long ago I did this too!) When I team with an established, regularly performing dance or ballet company – I know that our work will be seen by and audience. It’s exciting.

7. What does it feel like to see people dance to your music?

Truly – that’s the best part – the day of tech, or the dress rehearsal. To see all of these talented dancers, lighting designers, choreographers – and to know that they’ve been working their craft and their passion, with my music as the soundtrack – is humbling and tremendously gratifying. I’m very sappy that way, I’ve yet to make it through a dress rehearsal without crying…

8. How would you describe your music?

How’s this: theatrical alternative! I love using simple acoustic instruments, full orchestra, rock guitars, female voices – and lots, and lots of percussion. So, things tend to get a very bipolar vibe – moments of very stark intimacy, acoustic, melancholy, light. Then – we go huge – big drums, driving rhythm, full orchestra is warranted. The music for The Casket Girls best shows this – it was the full palette of what I’m all about…

9. How long does it take to compose music for dance groups?

Depends on length. A single 4-5 minute piece, could take a few weeks. The Casket Girls (a one act ballet, 30 minutes) took about 4 months, start to finish.

10. Who are some of your favorite composers?

I have to add “and bands/performers” to that – because I probably listen more to that style of music more. Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Beethoven…but then, U2, Nine Inch Nails, Damien Rice, Fiona Apple, Snow Patrol, Radiohead, Tori…

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’m always seeking new collaborations/commissions – and I understand the financial constraints most non-profit organizations have to deal with. But if there’s a creative desire to work together – there’s always a way to get it done!

10 Questions With…Arsene Hodali

January 13, 2010 by 4dancers

I love the Internet. Through the magic of Twitter I found a style of dance I never knew anything about. It’s called krumping. I watched some of the videos on YouTube and it got me really excited…you see, I could feel the emotion coming out of these dancers. It was the most moving thing I have seen in a long time, and I’m really happy to be able to share it with you here today by talking with Arsene Hodali in our next installment of the series, “10 Questions With…”

Can I have your name, location and age?

My name is Arsene Hodali, I live in Toronto, Ontario CA and I’m 19 years old.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you became involved with dance.

The easiest way to see what else I do is by visiting my blog at http://www.danceproof.com/. I became involved with dance when I was 16-17 years old. I went and signed up for a hip-hop class on a whim. I loved it. I got over my shyness though dance, I learned to be carefree through dance, and I learned how to laugh at myself though dance.

1. For those who don’t know what krumping is, can you describe it?

The best way I can describe krumping is “the hard-core rock version of hip-hop mixed with contemporary dancing”. It has the same roots as break dancing, as it did come from the streets, was used as an alternate to violence, and incorporates many of the same moves. It also has some roots in old-old school native american/african tribal dance.

2. How did you get into krumping?

I got into krumping, again by accident. When I turned 17 problems at home caused me to drop out of the hip-hop dance program due to me not being emotionally attached to all the “happiness”. I saw “RIZE” (a documentary on krumping and clowning) later on in the summer and was immediately captured by it’s message of dancing out your sorrow and anger.

I searched Youtube, saw some instructional videos, and learned from them for a while. But they didn’t really help. I then sought out some more experienced krumpers in my city, and eventually finding them, they agreed to teach me. We grew into NORTHBUCK Ent. (best krumpers in Canada) and the rest is history I suppose.

3. How is krumping different from other dance styles?

Krumping is different from other dance styles because it incorporates emotion and attitude into it as a necessasity. For example you could be an amazing “technique” krumper and do amazing things, such as b-boys do. But you would easily lose a battle against someone without these fancy moves if they show heart, emotion, anger, happiness, cockiness, etc. in their dancing. There’s even times when people don’t actually move and it’s amazing. The closest dance style I see it resembling are breakdancing, and contemporary.

4. How easy is it to learn krumping?

Krumping is easy to pick up, hard to perfect.

The basics are simple. Chest pumps, arm swings, arm jabs, travels, buck hops, army moves, etc. and can be taught in one day.

However, learning how to properly arm swing, arm jab, buck hop while timing to the music, telling a story, and entertaining the audience is extremely hard, complicated, and is an art in it’s self.

5. What has being involved in dance done for you?

Being involved with dance has opened me up as a human being. I’m more social, more carefree, and more understanding in life. One has to learn how to not really care what other people think in order to krump (one of the least understood dance styles).

Krumping has also given me a sense of family. I’ve never really been close to my family, and thus never really had a sense of family in my life. But, through krumping I became closer to the people i krumped with. We became family. When I say NORTHBUCK is my family. I literary mean, they are my family. I would fight for any of them, any time.

6. I understand you are going to be involved in an instructional DVD project. Can you tell readers a bit about that?

The DVD is one of those things we want to make and don’t want to make. We want to make it because so many people asked us to make one so we can teach them from afar (we can’t personally teach people in Italy, Russia, Argentina, etc.). But, we also know that the founder of krumping (Tight Eyez) has instructional DVDs out that teach people these basics. They are classics and a staple in a die-hard krumpers library of DVDs.

We are in the process of making a instructional DVD not to replace the DVDs the founder made, but as an add-on. The DVDs were made over 6-8 years ago, and A LOT of things have changed in krump since then. New basics have been added, new moves, etc. And we want to cover these new areas.

7. How often do you dance?

I, and a lot of krumpers, dance everyday.

When I hear a new krump song, you’ll usually find me engrossed in krumping for the next 2-8 hours after. It’s that addicting. Krumping, as we see it, is not just a dance, it’s a lifestyle.

What ballerina can tell you that when they lost their mom, they danced out their emotion? What jazz dancer can say that? I literally krump anywhere that music exists, if I hear it, I krump…. it’s addicting.

8. Can you describe how you feel when you are dancing?

When I krump I am at my happiest. It’s a feeling of opening up my heart to the world, whether angry, happy, or sad.

btw- Krumping is also used for praising God. It’s actually a key part of it that I forgot to mention. In fact Krump is actually spelled K.R.U.M.P. and stands for Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise. It was started as a way to praise God (on top of the release anger, and stop violence aspects of it).

9. What type of music is used for krumping?

You can krump to anything with “soul”. But if I had to put it into a category I would say you can find yourself mostly krumping to jazz, hip-hop, rap, funk, soul, etc. Rap being the dominant one.

10. Do you have any other experience with dance besides krumping, or was it your first exposure?

As I said I used to hip-hop dance for a while before krumping.

And speaking of www.NORTHBUCK.com, you should check out our videos there. There are videos on our performances, battles, sessions, etc.

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