Dear Dance COLEctive Enthusiasts,
The Dance COLEctive has had a good year of visible and diverse
performance opportunities throughout the city of Chicago. We had the
pleasure of performing on the stages of the Pritzker, the Museum of
Contemporary Art and Stage 773. We have offered audience members an
opportunity to interact with and make changes to our work in the hope
that being transparent about our creative process will give you some
insight into what we do. It is with that transparency in mind that I am
writing to you today, quite simply to ask for your help.
Almost 18 years ago I founded The Dance COLEctive as a way for my friends and I to produce our work. Today it is much more than that.
In addition to being a vessel for creating thoughtful dance and
performance art, TDC is deeply committed to mentoring young artists to
be well rounded professionals capable of succeeding independently. The
ability to make & produce work, think entrepreneurially and to
articulate themselves as artists are all key skills imparted to our
promising dancers and collaborators.
You can read about this work here in the Huffington Post.
Currently the company is comprised of 7 thoughtful and sophisticated young women (you can read some of the writing about their experiences here) who
are helping me to fulfill my desire to mentor while also actively
creating new work. Their dedication and remarkable growth as artists
inspire and energize me to keep finding ways to create performance and
mentorship opportunities and to endure when things get tough. The
current national and local economic and political environments continue
to pose serious challenges to TDC's future. Disappearing resources on
the the state and city level, as well as more limited support from
local foundations has had a very real impact on TDC's ability to support
itself and its artists. This is why we need you more than ever. Many
of you have been collaborators, students and mentors. Many of you are
family, friends, peers, acquaintances, board members and audience
members. You have personally witnessed my passion for dance and the
power of a positive experience!
Please
consider making a year-end donation in support of TDC. In supporting
us, you are not only making a financial contribution, you are investing
in the continued growth of tomorrow's artistic leaders, as well as in my
unwavering desire to mentor those artists and to create new and
innovative dance.
To make a donation, simply go to our website or you can send a check to our snail mail address below.
You can also support us while you are shopping on Amazon.
Thank you so much for your continued interest in the Company and have a safe and wonderful holiday!
Most Sincerely,
Margi Cole, Artistic Director
Submitted by Margi Cole, TDC Artistic Director on December 15, 2013.
There is no better way to understand the dancer in you than teaching a classroom full of young dancers. The bonus - understanding the human in you, as well.
In teaching dance we emphasize our personal interests and goals with a dollop of personal flair. But in teaching dance to the youngest of dancers, we have to find a way to break down important principles and relay it to them in a way they can understand. It would be simple to teach a mature person how to stand in first position. But try asking a three year old to "find their first." It is a timely task in which half the class stares intently at their feet trying their hardest to just make them touch. Half of the class stares blankly at me, eagerly awaiting further instruction. In my classroom it is the sound of a kiss that instantly reminds them to put their heels together ("kissing") with hardly any conscious effort. My job in teaching young dancers is communicating simple principles in ways they can both understand and enjoy. If one student can not achieve a concept, it is difficult for the group to move on. How do I communicate in ways they can understand? I have to answer this uniquely for each group of students I have. The answer is almost always different. I have to deeply investigate myself. Sometimes I find the answers down memory lane and sometimes I use simple imagery that has always helped me in class. Then I translate my understandings in ways in which they can understand. It seems simple enough, but the challenge is in keeping the young dancer interested. They come because they want to have fun. Some come because they want to someday be a prima ballerina. I have to give them a good time while instilling discipline, poise, and technique. If they don't understand something, they become uninterested. If they are not enjoying the class, they become uninterested. I am responsible for keeping their inner fire ablaze.
Discipline is another challenge. What one child learns at home another may not. Having patience in a classroom full of young dancers is key. It takes a lot of self control, inner dialogue, and openness to the student. This is where my human reflection stares me in my face. I can lose my cool and later drown in self doubt. Or I can bite the grit, pull it together, and in my very gentle "Miss Shannon voice" let the little ones know how very inappropriate they are being. I usually opt for the gentle (yet very firm) "Miss Shannon voice". And as always, I want the student to walk away having learned something, rather than having had a negative experience.
I love teaching children through adults. It is a calm and smooth environment in a room full of older children, teenagers, and adults learning dance. I usually feel at ease from the start of class to the end, unlike the young classes where my experience can range from one extreme to the other. The young children are the most challenging, most exhausting, most adorable, and loving little dancers. They inspire me just as much as the mature dancers. The frustration I sometimes feel leaves immediately when I see the smiles on their faces. It is most gratifying to have little dancers that leave the studio with a love for dance. I just have to find new, fun, and creative ways to enlighten the little bundles of awesomeness. It all comes from a little digging and finding the answers from deep within.
Submitted
by TDC dancer
Shannon Edwards on December 5, 2013.
