Performance This Weekend

This weekend is another Performing in NY Showcase!

I'm assistant director of the whole production, which means a LOT of work coordinating 230 dancers under 14 directors. Good thing I enjoy putting on a show because man, it's a lot of emails! Haha. This round I helped my teacher stage parts of Swan Lake Act II and will be dancing as well. Looking forward to it :) http://www.katwildishshowcase.com

Kat Wildish on The Kiner Hour

My teacher Kat Wildish was interviewed yesterday on The Kiner Hour's "Let's Talk Dance with Ashani Mfuko." She discusses her own performing and teaching career, as well as Black Swan, the Jennifer Ringer epic, and the importance of cross-training. Check it out above or here - yes, it's an hour long, but even just hearing a few minutes is inspiring.

A Ballet Birthday

Happy Birthday to my best ballet teacher...KAT WILDISH!

Performance Videos + Rehearsals Start Tonight

Just got the first clips of last weekend's Performing in New York Showcase. This was "Tarantella" based on Bournonville's ballet "Napoli" staged by my teacher Kat Wildish. These are mostly adult students who may otherwise not have the chance to really perform. I had just a small part towards the end because it was my last show on the evil achilles.

Renowned ballet teacher Kat Wildish created the Performing in New York Showcases to give her eclectic adult students at The Ailey Extension a rare opportunity: the chance to perform real classical repertoire in a professional theater in midtown Manhattan. The shows, held 3 weekends per year at The Ailey Citigroup Theater, have grown from serving just a 20-person studio audience in 2008 to being sold-out successes. Small professional troupes and open class students in other dance styles join the passionate, international cast. Kat believes every dancer deserves to achieve their dreams of performance, no matter their age or level. Her open-level repertory workshop of weekly rehearsals provides top-notch insight and coaching to professional and beginner dancers alike.

I'm assistant director of these shows basically - so I do A LOT. Besides most of the administrative stuff, I also helped stage "Giselle's Friends Dance" with Kat. My job was basically to big time clean up little details, since we only had 3 weeks of rehearsals. Video below...I'm really pleased with it and proud of everyone :)

I also performed with Exit 12 Dance Company in this show, but that video will come soon...

If anyone - ANYONE - in the city is interested in participating and performing in our November show, they start rehearsals tonight at 9pm at Ailey! Obviously I won't be there for a few weeks to help, but it's so worth doing if you've ever dreamed of performing classical ballet and thought you'd never have the chance. More info and signup here. 4 performances on Thanksgiving Weekend at The Ailey Citigroup Theater. Mark your calendars!

The Art of the Apprentice

Just sent out my teacher's monthly e-newsletter and here is my "Taylor's Tales" column of the month...
FYI- I'm a huge dork. Just thought I'd throw that in.

Taylor's Tales April 2008
The Art of the Apprentice: Rebecca Kelly Ballet

Rebecca Kelly Ballet, a small 20+ year-old company based in SoHo, will present its New York Season at the end of this month (see performance corner this issue) just blocks away from our classes at Ailey, at the Gerald Lynch Theater on 58th & 10th avenue. A choreographer with strong themes and a troupe of diverse, exceptional dancers, Rebecca has a remarkable program planned – one that I have had the honor of understudying for the past month or so.

From the day I auditioned I knew that working with this company would be different from my past experiences. Rather than focusing on the nitty-gritty technical details of dancing, her work is more concerned with expressing emotion and ideas through movement. Since January I've had the opportunity to get a taste of several of her ballets, with themes reflecting everything from environmental issues to the Iraq War. But the work I'm most involved with now is a world premiere titled, "Writing in Water."

A metaphor for the ephemeral nature of dance, the piece features 5 dancers intertwining in various combinations and phrases to music from Beethoven's "Grosse Fugue." The concept motivating the ballet is that a performance is a moment in time you can never get back. Like trying to write in water, it is fleeting, transient, and gone almost quicker than it came.
That feeling when you surface into the spotlight, out of the shadows of the darkness drowning you and into a state where no thought occurs but being alive – it can never be felt the same again. And if someone missed seeing you dance, that moment can never be returned. You are back in the endless stream of dancers in New York City wading desperately through to reach your dreams, resisting the tide of failure and rarely coming up for air.

Such a theme makes me appreciate the chances I have (had) to do what I love. Ironically, I was called in to be an understudy after one of the original cast members discovered a stress fracture in her foot. Sometimes I think we take for granted what a gift dancing is – to be free with movement, to express unconditionally, to challenge and improve daily, to possess the physical ability to embody passion.

I stand at the back of these rehearsals as the mere apprentice marveling at the beauty behind the steps. Every movement has a reason, and every reason goes back to the one theme that gets me out of bed every morning: the love of dance.

I hope you will make time to see their performances April 24-26 and consider your own appreciation for movement and for life.
The Gerald Lynch Theater of John Jay College is located at 899 10th Avenue at 58th St, NYC. April 24-26 Thursday at 7:30pm, & Friday and Saturday, at 8pm. For tickets call Ticket Central: 212-279-4200. (416 W 42nd St., 12-8pm) or click here. Student & Senior discounts are available.

unexpected rehearsal

My original rehearsal for today was cancelled, so instead of being a good student like I should have been and catching up on my school work, I decided to take pointe class so I could work on all the details we touched on yesterday in my private. First of all, it was a bad idea to decide this last minute because I took a cab to get there, totally forgetting that it's St. Patrick's Day and the stupid parade makes it impossible to get from east side to west side in a timely manner. My cabbie was nice though, haha, and we had a conversation about writing. He said he had a goal of reading 1,000 books in 10 years. Wow!

Anyway, pointe class was good. I'm definitely sore way deep in my muscles from yesterday and felt it all coming togehter in class, which was reassuring.

THEN afterwards I'm getting ready to leave and go about the rest of my afternoon of papers and work and stuff and I'm called in unexpectedly to do this rehearsal thing we weren't supposed to start until next week, but they happened to have studio space today.

This choreographer needs to do a demo reel to showing Ailey II and asked my teacher to help choreograph and work with a more balletic dancer rather than the modern dances he's used to, apparently. So she suggested me, and he's choreographing on me for that and for our next little student showcase. I knew all of this, but was SO not prepared to start today.

It went okay, but definitely could have been better. The choreography is nice, but it's kind of uncomfortable the first time around. I guess that's like with anything...time will help it all to sink in. It's also hard because...and I don't mean this in a bad way or anything...but the steps given are difficult to execute on pointe because they are choreographed more for flat shoes since he is a male choreographer not on pointe. It was a challenge...for instance, moving around on pointe on forced arch, like walking around but not in the foot position you would do hops on pointe in, but in FORCED arch. No can do. Luckily my teacher was there to help explain that both to him and to me to make it work better, but I got a bit frustrated. I'm thrilled about the opportunity though and hoping it will come along with time. We have until June, thank goodness.

Anyway that took up a good hour and 15 minutes or so, so now I'm a bit thrown off...gotta try to get some work done before going back there for lots of class tonight. Sheesh! The good news is that my foot isn't hurting so bad this week, after taking a few days off while I was away last week.

e-news 3/16

Just sent the new issue of my teacher's e-newsletter that I help with.

Click here to see the March 16 issue.
Click here to view archives.
Click here to subscribe.

My article in this issue:

TAYLOR'S TALES
Where is all the Dance Writing?

As some of you know, I've been pursuing a writing career on top of a ballet career, and as few coveted paid positions there are for dancers out there, there are even fewer for those who write about dance. Aside from e-newsletters like this one and a critique every now and then in the New York Times, the world of dance rarely reaches the general public through the media. Perhaps there just isn't the readership for it. But how can dance evolve onstage and in class without an audience to support it?

Last week the Los Angeles Times announced that it would eliminate its staff position of Chief Dance Critic apparently due to financial reductions. Other national newspapers and magazines have cut back on both their dance coverage and writers, including The Village Voice and New York Magazine. How often do you read about this art form you practice besides in advertisements likely far beyond the budget of small non-profits or in targeted, specialized magazines for the professionals?

Luckily, this past week an article appeared in Newsweek Magazine (March 17 issue), not by a snarky dance critic but by a respected male principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. In "Don't Judge Me By My Tights," Sascha Radetsky, whom many may know as Charlie from the film "Center Stage," writes about the challenges he and other male dancers face in the ballet world due to our culture's stereotypes of men in dance.

Though his point is valid and applicable even to male dance enthusiasts who take class for the pleasure of it, I would argue that there are greater issues that could have filled the full page that Newsweek so generously allotted. Radetsky says, "The boy who perseveres in dance must have a genuine hunger for it, must be uniquely motivated and dedicated, and must develop a truly thick skin." Is this not true for girls as well?

With all the issues plaguing the dance world (funding, health issues, development, etc) it seems a shame that the national exposure of our delicate art form is limited to a rare spout of a dancer's frustrations. Why isn't dance given the publicity it deserves?

"Exposure to ballet is all that is needed to open minds," Radetsky writers, "for the combination of athletic movement, ardent drama and beautiful music can instill a profound appreciation in an audience." So spread the word. If the news media won't do it, we as dance-lovers can play a part in promoting the art simply by sharing our respect for it with others. Exposure.

monthly private lesson

Today since my teacher came back from her week-long vacation (seemed longer!) I had my monthly private lesson with her. It really should be called more of a torture session than a "lesson" haha. She says so herself.

It was great though. I'm going to be majorly sore. Since I don't have a variation that I'm working on at the moment, we did more class type stuff to get deep into little details I caught in myself while watching my audition video footage. I showed her some of the video on my ipod and together we really picked some things apart. It was painful, haha, but really good. Being tortured is good once in a while haha.

I took class beforehand since I didn't have time to take class yesterday and I didn't want Monday to feel like Monday since I thought I'd have to be filling in during rehearsal. But I came home to an email saying reharsal tomorrow is cancelled. So there goes that plan, haha. Good though, because I have more time to get some work done since a lot has piled up the past week.

Pretty busy week ahead this week as well. Tuesday and Wednesday I get to fill in for people during rehearsal, Wednesday I teach as usual, Thursday and Friday my boss at the New Yorker is away so I get to be him and do his jobs so that should be good (and slightly stressful). Next weekend I'm going home for all of 48 hours for Easter. Should be fun.

choreography week 5

Today was another class of work with the high school kids I'm working with. We have a tentative performance date for May 16, and it's taken us a month to get a minute into the dance. Eek! So I knew it was time to crack down today and get lots of work done.

Luckily the kids were up for it. Because there are so many of them and we work in a very small studio, I had to break up the choreography into small groups so that they don't kill each other. I let the other groups sit down as I taught the phrase I was working with to a few of them at a time, so it kind of got noisy at times. I'm glad they listen to me though when I ask them to listen or pay attention. Since I'm only a year or so older than a lot of them I thought it might be difficult to be in the authority position, but fortunately it's all working out.

By the end of the rehearsal we did indeed get a lot done...almost a whole additional minute of choreography! It's fun to see them getting the steps and trying...when things work out it's like, yay! The piece is coming along...we have time.

Aside from that, the majority of the rest of my day was spent in class. Pointe class in the morning was quite good, because my teacher is trying to get me to work differently so that my foot will heal. Sometimes when I'm discouraged I feel like she can read my mind...she knows just what I need to hear, and I'm so thankful for that.

Originally my plan was to take a week off from class beginning tomorrow to rest my foot, since I'm going away for the weekend and all. BUT now that I found out I have rehearsals next week that plan is off. However while I AM away Friday-Monday, I won't be taking class so at least that's a few days...

I'm really looking forward to getting away...

e-news 3/1

Here's my teacher's e-newsletter (I'm in charge of) for March 1st. You're getting the link early...it's mailed to subscribers at midnight!

Click here to read March 1st issue.
Click here to see archives.
Click here to subscribe!

Farewell February!

Taylor's Tales

In my ballet teacher's e-newsletter that I help put together and send out twice per month, I have a new column that I'm writing. She asked me to contribute reviews or articles or anything relating to dance basically, so I'm excited to get a few words in since this reaches over 1,000 people.

Below is my first excerpt I'm including in the newsletter that goes out tomorrow for March 1. I'll link to the whole newsletter when it's finished later, but for now, here's what I have to say.

---
Hi all!
Kat has graciously asked me to add my two cents to her newsletter in my new column “Taylor’s Tales.” Look for different dance articles, performance reviews, and funny anecdotes from my journeys in the ballet world. This week’s piece is an excerpt from a blog entry I wrote over the summer when we had our weekend classes in the big 5th Floor double-wide studio. See the full article here.

ROUTINE IN THE EMPTY STUDIO
…After swiping my card and waiting too long for the elevator, staring at crowds of baby ballerinas and teenage hip-hoppers, I finally get upstairs to the studio. at first glimpse, I know all is well. Empty, with the tinted sunlight shed from the see-through blinds, it is rather chilly and quiet. I immediately drop my bag in its usual area near the front.

Though there is nobody in sight, I rush to drag the portable barre from the corner to my spot in the center as if the whole class were clamoring to beat me to my place. It’s funny how, as dancers, we become attached to our habitual place at the barre - the place of our internal work, the angle from which we always see ourselves in the mirror, the fixation that remains constant each morning, as welcoming (or unwelcoming) as that first cup of coffee. It is our personal space and our home base that we become so possessive of.

I open my bag, and overflowing with pointe shoes, Tiger Balm, and warm ups, it spills across the floor beneath the cool silver barre. It’s the same routine every week: Change into sweatpants. Filter through the pointe shoes and decide which to wear. Replace toe pads in appropriate shoes. Lather the Achilles tendon in anti-inflammatories. Pop an Advil if it’s been a bad week. Set out the skirt and soft shoes for the start of class. Then return everything else to the side.

After all is settled I take a deep breath, encouraging myself to begin my necessary stretching, strengthening, and joint-cracking ritual. The percussion of my vertebrae clicking into place is the only sound besides the whizzing air conditioner above. I hardy notice either.

I breathe in the emptiness of the room and close my eyes, savoring the quiet. To be alone in that great space is liberating. In the confines of Manhattan’s steel valleys it seems impossible to find just a single square foot of personal space. But here in the studio, I am truly free. I can see the buildings of midtown almost at arms length. The clouds are close enough to tickle with my breath.

If I were warmed up and fully awake I would love to break out into some long lost choreography that simmers inside me, never with an opportunity to surface. But by the time my pre-class routine gets me to my feet to stretch my calves, I hear the beeping of the elevator in the hallway. Other dancers come in and glance around before entering, as if afraid to disturb my silence. I smile at them…and we dance together.

e-news 2/14

New issue of my teacher's bi-weekly ballet e-newsletter that I help out with is out today.

Click here to read February 14 issue

Click here to subscribe to the informative newsletter that comes out twice a month, with ballet news, tips, class updates, and more.

I'm an e-news editor

Official as of this morning when the February issue came out...I am the new webmaster/e-newsletter editor of my ballet teacher Kat Wildish's website. She asked me to take it over recently, and today my first issue went out to her huge mailing list after working on it all week.

Since I only copyedit and format it rather than actually create content, I can argue that this is perhaps one of the most informative newsletters out there for dancers! She lists auditions, performances, healthy tips, and TONS more, and even though it's focused on being an update for her (1000+) students, ANY dancer/dance fan will love it. It comes out twice per month, and I highly encourage everyone to subscribe!

See today's issue here.
Newsletter Archives here.

fun class pictures

In my teacher's biweekly e-newsletter (which, by the way, any dancer should subscribe to...she's amazing and so is the content) she had a link to a bunch of old class pictures taken by her husband and another student.

Click here to see some amusing shots.

There's some of me in the "misc class photos" album and the one called "our new home" (aka Ailey).

I always hate seeing dance pictures of myself (particularly in class, because I'm not exactly in smiley performance mode) but these gave me a laugh today after a long morning of class and rehearsal...feeling blah today.

ode to a ballet teacher

My article on my teacher Kat Wildish is now posted over on ExploreDance.com : Kat Wildish Retires From Fairy-hood but Still Spreads Magic.

This one was amazing to write...