Remaining in the positive when you are in a red zone is flat out hard. Getting people in the seats is rough right now. Someone brilliant once told me that we are our own cheerleaders. If we do not believe in ourselves, if we do not push to be our best, even better, at any given point in time, then who will? That has been a through line in our story as of late and it should not hold this segment of our tight knit community down.
We spend the majority of our time grueling to make ends meet, to pay our rent, and attempt to pretend that we have social lives. Truth, the majority of our social lives are spent on a particular hardwood floor surrounded by mirrors and red brick walls. We come to laugh, cry and most importantly, eat cupcakes. We energize the space with creative movement, singing and dancing, yes. We come to this space to be free, to connect, to breathe. The hours we set aside for “me” time are spent with each other and that, for me in itself, is comforting.
This group is and always will be my second family. We spend hours that turn into years building upon these relationships. We meet to create bonds that strengthen loose ends. This is why our movement invention and connections are rich on the dance floor. We own man-handling bodies and shifting through space. We are fierce, strong women who can pick each other up physically and emotionally. We strive for vulnerability and let each other see it. Being exposed and honest is what makes a true artist; throwing yourself out in front of others, waiting to be judged. We roll rawness right out of our bodies in hopes of moving our viewers.
We are not always actors, we do not always have to portray certain feelings – we get do that enough at our day jobs. Having the ability to share our stories, events we lived and experienced – when we have the courage to tell those stories is what makes what we do real. Being there for each other, physically and emotionally, gets me kicking. It makes me feel alive, proud and happy to be doing what TDC does best. Every dancer should be prepared for anything and I always want just that. I just realized in my own truth, that I always had.
Holding Ground will be presented at Links Hall on October 31, November 1 and 2 at 7:00pm. For tickets go to: www.linkshall.org
Submitted by TDC dancer Katie Petrunich on Thursday, October 23, 2014.
Well as we wrap up this 17th season, we look back on our successes, and
assess ourselves for next year. The field of modern dance is definitely changing across the
board, and if youʼve noticed, TDC isnʼt the only company following suit. The most
prominent change, or rather adaptation we have been exploring is the world of social
media. The entire reason I am speaking to you now is a part of our Social Media Diva efforts to
keep you interested, and access people we might not be able to through program
surveys, public performances and press releases. Something that most companies in the Chicago dance
community have been wrestling with these past few years.
Besides Blogs, Facebook updates, and Instagram photos, there are a dozen free
applications to which we are allowed to share our upcoming events, exciting news,
personal stories, and even fundraise. There have been companies across the US video
blogging their rehearsals to generate interest in their communities, others have “meet
the dancers” video interviews to bring these communities closer to the dancers
themselves. These companies are taking the typical separation of stage and audience
and eliminating it with these innovations. And people like it. Small towns have even
adopted their dancers with “specialty drinks” in the local bars! The best part about all of these highways for marketing transportation is that itʼs free, for the most part.
Because of our economical situation, dance companies have found that they do
not have the budget to perform the same way they used to. They are cutting their
performance series, they are reworking old repertory, and even eliminating the need for
a proscenium stage space. We are being innovative, creative, and resourceful...because we have to. We are dancing in places unlike the usual stage vs.audience situation because it makes people watch us in hopes of following the company and itʼs future endeavors. The most important outcome of this whole media effort are the eyes, not the bodies in the seats. The eyes are the things that get the people to start a conversation about the art, and then, presence in the performance space will follow.
This is what The Dance COLEctive is working towards, and doing a pretty damn good
job of it if you ask me. We want to start the conversation, and keep it rolling for as long as we can. We have taken the current times and used them to plan something exciting
and creative; we have brought the audience into our rehearsals, performances, and
experiences and eliminated the barrier between us. We want your opinions, your
thoughts, and comments on the instagrams/facebook uploads! The one thing that I have
appreciated the most about being a member of The Dance COLEctive is the opportunity
to share my thoughts, comments, and experiences with the company because it always
had an impact on our choices together. With that said, you are now being given this
opportunity, and I suggest you take it.
So as we break for the summer, keep in mind our plans to keep you a part of our
efforts to become a well seen, technological, social media conquering throne of Divas!
We appreciate you as a follower, and know that you will not fail to help us include all of
those who might consider keeping track of TDC and itʼs upcoming events! I am passing the Social Media Diva position over to Margi for the summer! Stay tuned for reposts, musings about teaching and plans for next season!
Thank you!
Submitted by TDC dancer Madelyn Doyle, Wednesday, May 29, 2013.
