tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-177543012024-03-07T14:04:32.785-08:00We All DanceGeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-42432110500709910562008-06-28T18:33:00.000-07:002008-06-28T18:38:44.561-07:00In MilwaukeeIt's been a while since I wrote on this blog. I suppose it's because so much has happened since I started it. Being back here in Milwaukee reminds me of why I created it in the first place. I realize now that I have some time and space all around me that I need to reconnect - to my self and to my communities. Yes, I feel very connected here in Wisconsin. The graduate program has given me so much support and recognition. The type I can't seem to acquire in NYC. Sure my company and friends and students sustain me but there is really a clear line drawn with who gets support and who doesn't in the city I love and call home. Like I said in a panel discussion meeting in Dublin last month, "there are many kinds of support - not necessarily financial". I can't seem to find much. Here in Milwaukee, I feel the 'props'. Thank you Milwaukee!Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-14852029232534192842007-06-24T20:13:00.000-07:002007-06-24T20:21:23.988-07:00Gerald Casel –Teaching, Summer 2007Tues and Thurs, June 12-21, 10:00-noon <br />Dance New Amsterdam<br />280 Broadway, 2nd Fl. Entrance on Chambers Street<br />New York, NY<br />www.dnadance.org<br /><br />Mon, Wed, Fri, June 25-29, 10:00-noon<br />Movement Research @ Eden's Expressway<br />537 Broadway #4 (bet Prince and Spring)<br />New York, NY<br />www.movementresearch.org<br /><br />Thurs, July 19, 4:30-6:00PM<br />Danceworks Studio 1661<br />1661 N. Water Street<br />Milwaukee, WI<br />www.danceworks1661.org<br /><br />Mon-Thurs, July 30-Aug 2, 9:30-12:30PM<br />Technique and Performance Intensive Workshop<br />Conduit Dance, Inc.<br />918 SW Yamhill Ave, Suite 401<br />Portland, OR<br />www.conduit-pdx.orgGeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1152677055360465062006-07-11T21:03:00.000-07:002006-07-11T21:04:15.383-07:00For Danagerald casel dance<br /><br />Seep<br /><br />Choreography by Gerald Casel (in collaboration with the dancers)<br />Performed by Kelly Anderson, Kai Kleinbard, Paul Singh and Isadora Wolfe<br />Music by Nils Petter Molvaer, Carsten Nicolai and To Rococo Rot<br /> <br />Seep is a dance for four people developed through a collaborative process with the dancers (Kelly Anderson, Kai Kleinbard, Paul Singh and isadora Wolfe). This piece was created as a project for a Choreography class under the Masters program at University of Wisconsin –Milwaukee. There are three sections set to three different pieces of music: Nils Petter Molvaer, Carsten Nicolai and To Rococo Rot. For Dancemakers NYC, we will show excerpts from each section. Each of the sections is distinct in movement dynamics and spatial arrangements. Specifically for this dance, we examined the dynamics of tension and release as well as taking and relinquishing control in relation to another person. The result is a highly charged, atmospheric dance that portrays complex human relationships. <br /><br />Seep, by definition, means to “flow or leak slowly through porous materials.” This word represented the right metaphor for the personal relationships being gradually developed in the piece. The title also depicted something fluid and visceral without being literal. <br /><br />Here’s how a friend, Fiona Marcotty, described it, “I fucking loved it! It was beautiful and deep from the very first moment on. When they do that thing right in the beginning, reaching towards each other, the whole sense of feeling someone's aura, of the ways we touch and don't touch, and the things we sense about each other even without realizing it, about the way all our relationships are imperfect but heroic attempts to shape ourselves around each others' energy.... and that was just the first movement.” <br /> <br />BIOGRAPHY<br />Gerald Casel was born in the Philippines and raised in California. He received a BFA from The Juilliard School and since then has danced in the companies of Michael Clark, Lar Lubovitch, Zvi Gotheiner, and Stephen Petronio (1991-2005) where he served as Assistant Director. He was awarded a New York Dance and Performance Award "Bessie" in 1997 for Sustained Achievement. His choreography (Gerald Casel Dance) has been presented at The Yard, Dance Theater Workshop, Movement Research at Judson Church, Dixon Place, dancenow and Aaron Davis Hall. Gerald is an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is thrilled to be working on his MFA at UWM as a fellow through the Advanced Opportunity Fellowship Program.Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1139360706799755502006-02-07T16:51:00.002-08:002006-02-11T13:07:49.670-08:00JorgeHi all! My dancers and I will be showing a new piece specifically made for Joe's Pub's tiny little stage. The piece is rather short -about 6 minutes and we are sharing the program with several other choreographers. I'll post the info at the end of this posting. Anyway, it's the first time I'm showing my work in NYC since last Fall (also for dancenOw). I'm a bit nervous. This past weekend we tried to audition a new work-in-progress for Newsteps at Mulberry Street Theater and sadly, we were not accepted. The panel gave me confidential advice on what I needed to work on. My stack of rejection letters just keep piling up. I have an idea about making a monologue based on these letters. It isn't that funny but somehow I don't feel so troubled by it all. As a friend put it to me gently, "you haven't shown your work in a while so just give it some time for people to see that your back at it." She's probably right but to be honest it doesn't feel so great. This experience is teaching me a lot about who I am am as an artist and why it is important to make work that is or at least feels right to you. <br /><br />This weekend February 10-11 at 9:30 PM. Joe's Pub at The Public Theater<br />425 Lafayette Street (between Astor Place and East 4th Street)<br />$15 advance sale or $20 at the door<br />(212)239-6200 or www.telecharge.com or joespub.com or in person at The Public Theater Box Office<br /><br />JORGE<br />Choreography by Gerald Casel (in collaboration with the performers)<br />Music by The Velvet Underground and The Moldy Peaches<br />Performed by Kelly Anderson, Lindsay Ashmun, Gerald Casel, <br />Patrick Ferreri, Kai Kleinbard, Toni Melaas, Omagbitse Omagbemi, <br />Paul Singh and Isadora Wolfe<br /><br />on a shared bill with<br />Mary Cochran/Sara Hook<br />Kriota Willberg<br />David Grenke<br />Wendy Osserman<br />Laura Peterson<br />Rocha Dance Theater<br />Jessy Smith/POW!<br />Tami StronachGeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1136647418294252952006-01-07T07:06:00.000-08:002006-01-07T07:23:38.356-08:00RealitySo I picked up the New York Times yesterday to look at the front page and what was on it was sad. There was a picture of a child in a plastic bag killed by insurgents in Iraq, a letter from a slowly dying miner scribbled while he was asphyxiating and news from Ariel Sharon's brain surgery. Suddenly my 'rejection' posting was put in a reality check. I guess there has to be a balance in how we view what we want, what we deserve and how we perceive our place in the world. Yes, the dance world is confusing but merely writing about how I felt and knowing that people are actually going to read it made my central nervous system have a chill pill. I know it's difficult to regard the whole world everytime you make a decision or act out but placing myself out of a bubble and out into the universe constantly gives me lessons in humility. Anyway, I'm still feeling bummed about those rejections but I'm also feeling more grounded and in control of my feelings about them.<br /><br />I saw Wim Vandekeybus's movie "Blush" at the Dance on Camera Festival and was blown away. It was beautiful. I didn't get to see the live performance but the movie was fascinating. The dancing just literally popped out of the screen and the performers were breathtaking in their dancing, acting and being outdoors and underwater. Wow!<br />www.filmlinc.com<br /><br />Make sure you catch Balletlab at PS 122. They are my friend Philip Adams' company from Melbourne, Australia. Amazing dancers and great choreography! I saw their showing of a new piece that they are working on in Melbourne this Fall and was really impressed. I'm sure this one will be just as spectacular.<br />www.balletlab.com<br />www.ps122.orgGeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1136466739615657902006-01-05T04:49:00.000-08:002006-01-05T05:14:33.150-08:00Dance On Camera & A Competition<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5909/1718/1600/IMG_0142.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5909/1718/320/IMG_0142.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />< That's me in Stanley Love's piece, getting ready for a spoons chant...<br /><br /><br />There's this Dance On Camera Festival going on right now at Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center. It goes through Jan. 14th.<br />A student friend of mine introduced me to it. it should be fun. I'm going to see Wim Vandekeybus' 'Blush' tonight. There's also the Merce Cunningham and Michal Clark films by Charlie Atlas that are being screened. Check it out!<br /><br />Also, there's the AWARD Show. According to the organizers, "The A.W.A.R.D. Show is a free, monthly performance series dedicated to the presentation and discussion of new work. Each event will feature works by 4 choreographers (emerging and mid- career artists), followed by a moderated discussion between the artists and audience. At the culmination of each event the audience will choose by a ballot one work to be selected as a finalist who will then be invited to the final event. At the May 14th, 2006 final event, a panel of artists (from the dance, theater, film and visual arts fields) will chose the winner out of the 4 finalists. The winner of The A.W.A.R.D. Show series will receive a $10,000, unrestricted creation/production grant. The aim of The A.W.A.R.D. Show series and the award attached to this series is to foster free spirited exploration and creativity in NYC dance." <br /><br />I think I'll go see what they chose and hear how the audience responds...Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1136380413240889612006-01-04T04:40:00.000-08:002006-01-04T05:16:21.696-08:00RejectionI've been thinking a lot about rejection lately. I've been applying for residencies and other opportunities to get some support for my work but they all have turned me down. I know everyone gets rejection letters but it's getting ridiculous. It's hard not to get discouraged and feel like your work is not deserving of any recognition. I hung out with my friend Stanley Love last night and it really inspired me. He has never relied on any established dance place in this city and has managed to create some of the most interestingly subversive and thought provoking work I have ever been a part of and/or witnessed. This has caused him a lot of trouble as well since he is not the type to keep it quiet. I'm going to dance for him again since I really do like his work and he is deep down a gentle, generous and loving soul - yes, really! Anyway, just being around someone who creates purely out of necessity is inspiring. He's not trying to get a piece of everyone else's pie. So that in itself is refreshing. He never edits himself - which is another cool thing; not for everybody, I know. Being around him reminds me of what choreography is - an art form. Sometimes I get so bogged down on the business end of the continuum that it is paralyzing. Teaching has given me a nice balance but there's nothing like creating new and inspiring work. I will continue to make my work, despite all of these rejections. In fact, rejection, in some sense, fuels a drive in me to create. Maybe it's out of spite, at least momentarily, but I think it's more a need to be creative and not to be told "better luck next time, Honey..." <br />In case you were wondering, I was going to write down the long list fo rejectors for your perusal but I decided not to. Just call me and I'll tell you. You can't say I haven't been trying to show my work... I've applied to eight places...<br />There are good things coming up: <br />NYU. I'll be teaching there staring the day after Martin Luther King's Birthday. They are giving me some space :) <br />There's also UWM this summer. I look forward to being in school again with all of you amazing people. <br />I'm doing Joe's Pub on February 10 and 11 - thanks to Robin and Andrea. <br />Don't forget to catch Stanley Love Performance Group whenever you can. We will be re-doing Stanley's homage to NYC & 9/11. He says I'm playing an Arab. I've already played George Bush so this should be fun. <br />I'll be sarting a new piece with my dancers. I don't know where we're going to do it but I just want to start. <br />I took Lily's yoga class yesterday and she said that the Sutras say that just by starting the effort somehow disappears. I agree...<br />A great way to bring on the New Year!Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1136378449251156762006-01-04T04:22:00.000-08:002006-01-04T04:40:49.276-08:00Moving (again)(John and) I moved out of Williamsburg back into Manhattan - the incredible East Village. I'm home! We're subletting Netta's place on East 5th between B and C. It's a quirky littly block because 5th doesn't go all the way through so you have to go over to Avenue C and backtrack towards the Earth school. I really don't mind it that much at all and the apartment itself is really great. It's a small two bedroom with a huge eat-in kitchen. We have a 6 month sublet so it feels like home for a while. We actually unpacked everything and can breathe some life into our new space. The rent is a bit steep for the space and location but we love it already. Since the strike, walking all over the city doesn't bother me that much. Thank you to all of you who passed along great leads to apartments- especially Tamara R.!!! That was awesome. You have some good karma credits to cash in...<br />We are really close to Tompkins Square Park and the LES and Chinatown - where I get most of my groceries. It's really intense down there but you can really feel like you're in a different country where nobody can understand you. And it's cheap! I love the Congee Village -thanks to Thad who introduced me to it. It's this kitschy Chinese Restaurant on Allen right below Delancey. <br />Another thing that is worth mentioning about the East Village is that it has changed so much. I used to live on 14th and A in the early 90's - before the infamous Cock and all these other trendy bars and restaurants. Now, Avenue C has amazing restaurants, like Bao 111 - who knew? It has been getting a lot of attention. There are lots of supermodels in disguise ducking into bodegas and slipping into non-descript bars like NuBlu on Avenue C and 5th Street. I hear it's 'the new black' to go sign-less, so edgy! The LES has amazing restaurants as well. I highly recommend Kuma Inn - a Thai/Filipino place on Ludlow and Delancey and the Clinton Street Baking Company for breakfast - the best French Toast ever! We do miss the Park Luncheonette in Greenpoint/Williamsburg. I think they have an amazing weekend brunch! There's also this Mexican place on Broome called Barrio Chino that's excellent... Yeah, I think I'm going to like living over here.Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1135350558719386812005-12-23T06:55:00.000-08:002005-12-23T07:09:18.786-08:00StrikeFor the last three days, many of us walked over an hour to get to where we needed to go - sometimes in freezing temperatures over the Williamsburg Bridge. It actually wasn't that bad. I felt a calmness in everyone walking across that bridge. Everyone seemed more present, curteous and strangely connected by fate. Sore hamstrings and hip sockets could not prevent this city from functioning. I am constantly amazed by New Yorkers and how they can adapt to any situation. Imagine if you took away all of the cars in suburbia for three days. I'm sure we would never hear the end of it. The people walking with me on that bridge just enjoyed the view and looked as though they were saying "it could be worse" and it has. Having had no transportation for over half a work week, I think, made us appreciate all of the things that we are so fortunate to have as Americans. It certainly put a new perspective on Christmas shopping. The media immediately reports all the financial losses from the retail sector. Maybe they should question the essentials of life. Do we need to express ourselves with how much we possess? This week definitely made me appreciate what I am so lucky to have and for the profession I am in, one that examines the experience of living.Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1134567776248591102005-12-14T05:40:00.000-08:002005-12-17T06:17:51.580-08:00Gerald's NEW Holiday Teaching ScheduleFriday, December 23, 2:00-4:00<br />Saturday, December 24, 1:00-3:00<br />Monday, December 26, 2:00-4:00<br />Tuesday, December 27, 10:00-12:00<br />Wednesday, December 28, 2:00-4:00<br />Thursday, December 29, 10:00-12:00<br />Friday, December 30, 2:00-4:00<br />Monday, January 9, 2:00-4:00<br />Wednesday, January 11, 2:00-4:00<br />Friday, January 13, 2:00-4:00<br />Saturday, January 14, 11:30-1:30<br /><br />DANCE NEW AMSTERDAM<br />451 Broadway, 2nd Floor<br />New York, NY 10013-2510<br />Tel: 212/625-8369Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1134567593330491822005-12-14T05:39:00.000-08:002005-12-14T05:39:53.350-08:00Naked MuchLately I've been seeing so much work with nudity. It's like I woke up from a nap and suddenly everyone has been stripped bare. All four shows I saw last week had nudity - Miguel Guttierrez, Pascal Rambert, Roseanne Spradlin, and even a tiny bit in Sasha Waltz. Why does everyone want to take their clothes off? I mean I get it but it just seems like the shock value is gone if everyone does it. Are we getting desensitized to it? I wonder if it's what most people walk away with when they see these pieces? I know it definitely leaves an impression on me and I have to work harder to get to the heart of the piece. Sometimes it works really well and sometimes I just don't get it. Maybe I'm not cool enough. Perhaps the thought of performing naked scares me. Would anyone like to elaborate on how it feels to be naked on stage? - the preparation, the feeling of dancing naked and do people look at you differently like "Oh, he's not a nudity virgin anymore..." hmmm...Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1133621742856440552005-12-03T06:55:00.000-08:002005-12-03T06:55:43.020-08:00Working With ActorsI've had the pleasure recently of working with actors since Alexandra, who teaches regularly at the Atlantic Theater School, needed a sub. What I experienced inspired me as a mover and as a viewer and teacher of dance. These actors, in general, move without hesitation or fear that they will look silly. I'm sure they are overwhelmed and daunted by the fact they they are expected to move as dancers at all. But the approach they take to movement surprised me. I led them through a warm up that would be tricky for anyone who has never worked with dance. The theme of the class was improvisation and, since I have never really taught an improvisation class, I took the spirit of what improvisation meant to me. I tried to be spontaneous in my preparation as well as in the presentation of ideas and materials for the class. I can see how movement improvisation can create a freshness to any work, dance or theater or dance-theater but what interests me is how real their bodies moved. There was no pretense to perform or an external trajectory of shape or line in space. All things flowed from an authentic place generated by simple tasks such as mirroring, sharing a plumb line or responding to touch via an outside stimulus. I can see how by being present, in every moment, they can translate the sensation they feel in their bodies to their intention as an actor. The use of text and language then becomes supported by a more organic physicality from which they can draw.Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1133311029520599242005-11-29T16:35:00.000-08:002005-11-29T16:37:09.576-08:00Back To WorkTeaching<br /><br />Today I started teaching again at Dance Space (I have a hard time calling it Dance New Amsterdam). I've been a guest artist teacher there since 1995. My class has been slowly but steadily evolving and teaching there has taught me so much about what to expect when teaching in New York. This has been a touchy subject for me since I have strong feelings about how teachers are treated by studios and also how they are paid. Maybe someone else can share their experience on that. Lately though, I've really been enjoying myself teaching at Dance Space. I've been building a loyal following for a while and classes have been fun. Teaching has taught me so much about what is important to me as a dancer and has improved my communication skills in so many ways. I feel like my eyes are learning to see clearly about how dancers move. If it weren't for these classes I think I'd be really depressed just dancing and working in a restaurant. I have taught at several places including Movement Research, Sarah Lawrence College, Impuls Tanz Wien and soon at NYU. I also have taught extensively under the auspices of the Stephen Petronio Company for many years and has spearheaded their teaching program on their way to developing a school. This has been extremely rewarding. Teaching, however, has its ups and downs. Today I had no energy coming into the class but as soon as we started things began to flow. This happens quite frequently. Although, more often than not I look forward to creating exercises, seeing the evolution of an idea into physical practice and making challenging phrases. I'd love to hear what others have to say about this, especially those who have been teaching for so many years.Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1132496079106567572005-11-20T06:09:00.000-08:002005-11-28T12:02:06.720-08:00Welcome!Welcome to wealldance!<br /><br />Hello and thank you for visiting this website. This site is a project I am working on for one of my classes at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's MFA program. I am interested in creating a place in cyberspace where dancers, teachers and choreographers can come together to feel a sense of connection and support as well as to raise issues that may rise as they work. It will also serve as a bulletin board to post announcements and as a place where people can offer answers to questions or receive suggestions that they may never have thought about. <br /><br />Originally, I was going to create a website to be used as a forum. However, this has proven to be way too intense and out of my budget. I do not have the manpower or the funds to run and maintain a website like this, or at least right now. So this blog has become my solution. A blog (which is short for web log) is meant to be an on-line diary of one person's experience. In this case, I am going to create a "team blog". Various people from the MFA department at UWM will be invited to join me in submitting entries that include issues surrounding our field. Invited contributors will be asked to share their perspectives on what's going on in their lives and anyone who visits the site is invited to share a comment, answer questions and offer some advice. By including other contributors I hope to make the site more robust and dynamic so that topics can ricochet from any subject matter that seems pertinent. This is where my research lies. I will document relevant issues that come up (whether they be cultural, artistic, financial, emotional, etc.) and submit a report as my class project from the point of view of an "observer". I am not so much interested in hearing myself talk, rather, I am curious to see and will be relying more on the feedback received in the comments section of the site from team-bloggers and visiting non-members. I will be sending out an email invitation announcing the site to all my dancer friends and will also ask them to forward the invitation to those who may be interested in reading about dancers' lives, our day to day struggles and victories providing a deeper understanding of what dancers must go through in order to get by. <br /><br />A few things that wealldance can be useful for:<br /><br />-Announcements (performances, teaching, taking class, rehearsal spaces, auditions, last minute changes in schedules).<br />-Searching for places to live, transportation advice, temporary sublets, recommendations for bodyworkers, doctors and dentists and advice for taking care of an injury.<br />-Touring advice (travel warnings, must-see locations, a good restaurant recommendation).<br />-Help with classwork, research and advice for navigating educational bureaucracies (for students).<br /><br />In order to post a comment just click on the word "comment" at the bottom of each entry.<br /><br />I hope you can come back regularly to visit wealldance so that you can follow along and stay connected. Remember that all visitors to the site value your opinion and look forward to hearing from you in the comment section at the bottom of each entry. As with any public site, wealldance will ask that there be a level of respect when making submissions and responses. <br /><br />Thank you very much for your visit!<br /><br />Gerald CaselGeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1129776154787904972005-10-19T19:40:00.000-07:002005-11-28T11:40:03.513-08:00Beautiful MelbourneWe are in Melbourne now finish up this tour. Last night was opening night and it was packed! I could feel the energy of the audience from behind the curtain before the show. There was an amazing presence both on the dancers' part as well as from the community in support of our performance. You could almost touch the connection there - of their curiosity and our willingness to do our best. All of us were nervous because Rebecca Hilton was in the audience. She is one of the icons in the Petronio "former dancer group". In fact in the seven years we danced together in the Petronio Company she taught me so much, not just about dancing but also about how to communicate, laugh at myself and humility. After the show the dancers felt relieved to meet her having heard only stories about how awesome she is. We had a great time reminiscing and talking with Stephen about the good old days. <br /><br />Melbourne is an amazing city. It feels more like a European capital than many European cities. I think the quality of life here is pretty great especially since they are surrounded by art, great food and wine. What else could one want? There are enclaves of many diverse cultures represented in all the neighborhoods. There is an Italian quarter, Chinatown and the largest Greek community outside of Greece. Needless to say, eating well has not been a problem. And, the coffee is always great - a testament to a city's good taste - especially when on tour. <br /><br />Since the festival is going on, there is quite a buzz of artists and locals ready to be challenged and wanting to see good work. It's a really well organized festival with free events in the square, in train stations and in all the major theaters. We were fortunate enough to see this South African theater company's (Amajuba) production of "Like Doves We Rise". What an amazing show! I think many of us were in tears throughout the evening. It is a simple production with five actors who sing and talk about their lives coming from a country with a diverse culture and a damaged history. These testimonials touched on family, abandonment, apartheid and all the complexity that makes up a country's strength, courage and resilience. It was a beautiful production!<br /><br />Next door to us is Philip Glass doing a solo piano concert, his "Orion", Theatre du Soleil, and many more. It is a vibrant scene down here. I wish you all could see and feel it. I feel so lucky to be a part of it and so honored to be ending my touring days on such a distinctive platform. Wow!Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1129362490543783332005-10-15T00:45:00.000-07:002005-10-15T00:48:10.546-07:00Two Show DaySaturday, October 15, 2005<br /><br />Two Show Day<br /><br />We have three of these days in this tour - days where there are two performances. It's really hard but today, I feel surprisingly ok. You can see the dancers all feeling the pain in their backs, legs and necks. This is what one would expect doing Petronio material full out on a daily basis. It starts to catch up to you. What I find helpful is remaining calm and breathing with the pain rather than panicking or expecting that you will always feel great. I try to stretch as much as possible and when I do I feel my teachers present with me. Pain can be isolating and unbearable. Remembering the words of my teachers seems to help physically and emotionally. <br /><br />We are a tight little family on tour and when the dynamics are off kilter, watch out! It can be really difficult. We all fall into the trap of becoming immersed in the minutiae of daily life. This is when it really helps to be kind to one another. We often forget how lucky we are that we get to travel to such amazing places in the world and that we are not stuck waiting tables or behind a desk. I try to remind myself of this as I begin warming up for the second show in one day and somehow it becomes manageable. No, it actually is rewarding and full of opportunities for savoring each and every moment. The balls of my feet hurt. My hamstrings are tight but I'm happy to be healthy, dancing and performing with people I love.<br /><br />Here's to the last show in Sydney...Geraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1129274761440681972005-10-14T00:23:00.000-07:002005-10-14T00:26:01.446-07:00Friday in Sydney<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5909/1718/1600/sunset.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5909/1718/320/sunset.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Friday, October 14, 2005<br /><br />We're still in Sydney winding down a two week run at the Sydney Theater. It has been fantastic being in this town but I must say I am looking forward to Melbourne. We've had a pretty warm reception so far and last night we were part of a reception dinner thrown by Samsung, a major supporter of Sydney Dance Company. They are the reason we are here. Stephen's company was brought over as a stand in for The Sydney Dance Company's season. They are in Shanghai on a collaborative project with the Shanghai Song and Dance Company. They are to premiere Mulan in a few days. I wish they were here since I know many of those guys in the Sydney Company. I was here a few years ago when Stephen was commissioned to choreograph Underland on their 18 member company. It was a major success heralded with great reviews. I must say it was one of the most rewarding creative experiences I've had in my dance career to assist Stephen (along with Ashleigh) in making an evening length dance presented at the Sydney Opera House. They are still touring it to this day and are still receiving great reviews. <br /><br />We have three more shows here, a much needed day off and then to the Melbourne Festival for five performances. I look forward to being in Melbourne since Sydney is more of an economic center whereas Melbourne is the food and cultural capital of Australia. I also can't wait to catch up with Rebecca Hilton, Philip Adams and Lucy Guerin (who choreographed Chunky Move's Tense Dave). They are all friends of mine whom I met in New York and who are still working in dance back in their home town. They are all amazing artists with incredible hearts and minds. I can't wait to catch up and see what they are all up to.<br /><br />For now, I am taking it easy during the days trying to rest my legs. I can't really walk around too much since the show is really hard on my body. I am enjoying quiet afternoons in my hotel room and catching up on my school work. I am anxious to get home to get back to work and on with my life. I'll be teaching in New York at Dance New Amsterdam in November and December and continuing to choreograph, developing an evening of work that I've begun this summer. <br /><br />Be well...<br /><br />GeraldGeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17754301.post-1129100516871845262005-10-11T23:49:00.000-07:002005-10-12T00:01:56.876-07:00Sydney<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5909/1718/1600/sydney.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5909/1718/320/sydney.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Hey all!<br /><br />I'm in Sydney on my last tour with the Stephen Petronio Company. We are performing at the Sydney Theater as guests of the Sydney Dance Company while they are away in residence in Shanghai. This has been a great experience for us all in the Petornio Company since we feel so honored to be a part of this wonderful organization. We are also thrilled to be dancing in the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Although this is an exhausting program with 20 plus performances, I will always remember having my farewell engagement with my Petronio family in Australia. I am looking forward to seeing some friends in Melbourne as well - particularly Rebecca Hilton, with whom I danced for 6 years at the start of my career. She has inspired me in many ways as a dancer and teacher and look forward to catching up with her and her family. I will retrun to New York at the end of October to begin my new life as a teacher, choreographer and Graduate student. Looking forward to new opportunities and the future. <br /><br />For now, my goal is to be present during these shows. I am trying to enjoy my dancing in such an intense capacity. <br /><br />With gratitude and respect to Stephen and his lovely company...<br /><br />GeraldGeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706268586114936592noreply@blogger.com1