Dance COLEctive Summer Technique Week with a Twist!

Shannon Edwards Archives

For more than 12 years The Dance COLEctive has conducted an annual Summer Dance Workshop.  The beginning of this year, our 20th Anniversary Season is no different really....

The Dance COLEctive Summer Technique Week with a Twist is a great way to be exposed to the company.  While we are not having an official audition this season we are scouting for dancers to participate in our 20th Anniversary Performances.  Read long time company member Shannon McGuire Edwards' story about her first workshop and how it impacted her journey to join the company.  

Shannon says:
 
It was the summer after graduation in 2009. I never had the privilege of taking Margi's class in college, but I did have her as a sub once. I remember loving her class and found myself particularly eager to master "the run around".  So I signed up for the summer intensive. I was planning on attending the audition at the end of the week. I especially remember Margi talking about weight in the pelvis, the importance of authentic touch, and allowing the body to sink into the floor. These are concepts that still resonate with me show in the work I do with The Dance COLEctive. I still take Margi's class today and think about the special corrections and notes she gave me during those five, intense days at the TDC Summer Workshop.

This is the calendar still hanging in my bedroom at my mom's house. It's still on this page and I look at it often remembering how important that week was to me. (On the 8th it says "audition" and "family" because I went to my family reunion a day late so I could make it to the audition).

Margi says:

I remember Shannon working so diligently as a student in my Repertory Performance Workshop class at Columbia College.  I was drawn to her work ethic and to her powerful presence as a performer.  It has been such a pleasure to watch Shannon grow as a person and an artist in her years with the company and I am still magically drawn to her beauty and vulnerability as a performer.  

This year, in honor of our 20th Anniversary, we will not only do technique but we will teach repertory from our long history.  Should be fun! 

You can find more information here!

Submitted by TDC dancer Shannon Edwards, August 2, 2015.   

Thoughts on turning 18!

I was surfing the internet looking for its thoughts about turning 18 so that I could begin to shape my own ideas about it, and I ran across this:  18th Birthday Party Ideas: A Shared Wisdom Party. What a novel idea.

While the only real party will probably just be me having a quiet glass of wine I have been thinking a lot about TDC turning 18.  First, good god, where has all the time gone?  I can't even begin to calculate how many dancers, collaborators, dances, performances, hours in the studio or hours of administrative time devoted to maintaining the company.  Maybe this is an instance to implement a shared wisdom party. 

Time flies while you are having fun.  Enjoy every minute of what you love doing. 

While there are a great many successes prepare for failures and own them.

Relationships either be them brief or long lasting are ultimately tied to sustainability. 

Treat others the way that you want to be treated inside and outside of the creative process.  

Be proud but be humble. 

Honor the past and respect the present.

Look toward that future and be ready to adapt.  There is no other way to survive. 

It is virtually impossible to like every one of your peers fully and equally.  But, show them respect. In the end it creates a stronger community for everyone. 

Share your knowledge and resources generously with others.  It has the potential to circle back to you one way or another.

And, say thank you. 

I am truly grateful for all the dancers, choreographers, mentors, board members, funders, sponsors, donors, family members, friends, peers and audience members who have shared this journey with me and the company. I am humbled by this life I have been able to l carve out for myself in field of dance and in the city of Chicago. 

Thank you!

Submitted by Margi Cole, TDC Artistic Director on March 8, 2014. 

Life after college - following your dreams but paying your bills too!

Photo by Eric Olson

After graduating from Appalachian State University with degrees in Dance Studies and Psychology, I moved back home with my parents to figure out my next step and save some money to make that step possible.  After a couple months of working and living rent-free (thanks, Mom and Dad!), I decided I had saved enough to make a leap of faith and move to “The Big (second) City”. I knew I wanted to be in a place where I could be a part of a thriving and innovative dance community and hoped Chicago could be that place for me.

I was lucky to find a job working in a dance store fairly quicklyt after moving, which made it possible for me to enjoy my free time exploring the city and especially the vast dance scene. At the end of that first summer, I auditioned for the Dance COLEctive and was so pleased to accept an apprentice position with the company. I felt as though I had achieved my dream! I was living in an incredible city and had landed a real-life dancing job! I was over the moon.

I can honestly say that I still feel this same way. I am still in love with this city (more so when the temperature is in the positive range!) and haven’t stopped exploring all that it has to offer. I am currently working two jobs to make ends meet. One as a clinic coordinator at an acupuncture and massage clinic and the other serving at a local bar. I love my jobs. I work with amazing people and feel appreciated for what I do. But most importantly, working these jobs makes it possible for me to pay my bills and allows me to dance with the unbelievable women I spend every Tuesday and Thursday with. I feel lucky to be able to pursue my passion in such an incredible place with the inspirational support and friendship from the TDC team. 

Submitted by TDC Apprentice Molly Kirkpatrick on Tuesday, February 11, 2014.  

How to Succeed as an Independent Dance Artist

This week I was invited to talk to a group of upper division dance students in the Artists and Audiences class at the Dance Center of Columbia College.  I went to share my thoughts and experiences about operating as an Independent Artist in the field.  I offered them tips on things to research, places to look for information and ways to organize themselves through the business of dance and in preparing, I realized that something more emerged. What is really important are the ways in which you treat and communicate with people. Succeeding there enables you to create the infrastructure you need to operate successfully as an Independent Artist and in general, more than anything, it just comes down to being a good person. Dance teaches us so beautifully discipline, patience, perseverance, passion and how to interact with each other.  These are qualities I feel we can all benefit from and use in our "regular" lives.  What do you think? 

Here are my top 12 thoughts on the matter:

• Be on time.
• Treat people the way you would want to be treated.
• If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. You never know who is in earshot and might repeat something you did not mean for them.
• Follow through on what you commit to.
• Be an active member of your community. Participate, be seen, support and engage on many levels.
• Do your research.
• Learn how to make a budget. Be accountable to yourself and others in this arena.
• Put your money where your mouth is.  Your high expectation of others should also be something you expect of yourself.
• Be professional.
• Be authentic.
• Learn about the field at large.  Locally, nationally, internationally.  What are the current trends and issues that we face outside of the studio and theater.
• Say Thank You!  Even to your closest friends, peers and colleagues.  It just goes a long way.  

Thanks to Bonnie Brooks and the Artists and Audiences students for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts and further refine my values on this topic!

Submitted by Margi Cole, TDC Artistic Director on Tuesday, February 4, 2014. 

The Path I Traveled

Photo by Eric Olson

Years ago, I thought long and hard on the big decision of where I wanted to go to college and what I'd be doing for the rest of my life. The only thing I knew and kept reverting back to, the place where I felt most comfortable and like myself, was when I was dancing. I am truly thankful my parents supported my ultimate dream, no matter the cost. (Trust me, I’m definitely paying for it.) Sometimes I wonder why they didn’t avert my ambitious 17-year-old-self from attending a school in which I could sustain a job that allowed me to support myself financially. What did I know? And then again, would I listen anyway? But, in writing this blog, I’m really glad they didn’t. I fully enjoyed my college experience once I stopped being a homesick baby. I wore sweatpants to class, I went to dance performances and dinners, I danced every day for four years while learning to stand on my own. Sometimes it was brutal and exhausting, but well worth the exploration. Not to mention, I met a lot of great people who are a huge part of the Chicago dance scene, and my life.

I worked part-time through college at a dancewear store a few blocks from my dorm in the city. After graduation, that job turned into a full-time opportunity, so I stayed. The first year after graduation, I went to numerous auditions- the pickings were slim and like all auditions, competition was intense. I am not a highfalutin dancer, probably the least flexible dancer in the history of the universe, but I found where my quirks and creativity were acceptable. This occurred a year later when I was asked to be an apprentice with The Dance COLEctive. Though the apprenticeship was an unpaid position, I was able to put my BA in dance to good use, and luckily I had a job that supported me and two roommates to help share the costs of living.

Along my way, I strangely stumbled into the field of law. I think I got lucky considering the fact that I now work full-time as a legal assistant downtown. I never dreamed of this when I was younger, ever. Dancer? Yes. Teacher? Maybe. Legal assistant??? No. Never even a question. But I feel really grateful that I understand and am pretty good at what I do, as it pays the bills. It’s one of those things that definitely happened for a reason. Working a 9:00am to 5:00pm is convenient and sometimes redundant. And redundancy is well, redundant. I'd like to know what job isn't. I’m glad that my schedule allows "me" time to even have a source – an outlet granting me the opportunity to take an uppercut to my routine – rehearsing, teaching, creating work, performing, and taking class year round.

I have come to find that it is tough to find a dance career that pays the bills, even now as a company member, and in this teetering economy. I am happy that I get to do what I love on nights and weekends and have the monetary support I need working during the day. Grant it, most of my days are technically 12 hour workdays and on occasion there is sacrifice for fun, family, and time, I get to do what I love which definitely keeps me sane. Most people can't say that and maybe some people don’t even get the chance.

Dance and TDC has been a major constant during the most important time of my life while finding myself and evolving as an adult. It’s always been the one thing I can rely on. It’s hard to count on and trust people, but every Tuesday and Thursday night, I know my team is there, and I know I can find myself there too.

Submitted by TDC dancer Katie Petrunich on January 26, 2014.

Written in Sand

 

Photo by Eric Olson

When presented with the task of creating a year-long curriculum from scratch, I first had to sit down and re-acquaint myself with my teaching philosophy. I made sure I reflected on what was important to me, and that I still felt that way. Not much had changed since its birth, so moving on I had to assess what my goals were for the year. Since my school is "an academy," we include 7th and 8th grade. Therefore, setting goals that were appropriate for each grade level was extremely important to the program's success, besides the fact that it was co-ed. To be honest, I wasn't sure about how I was going to sell a creative movement class to 8th grade boys on the South Side of Chicago...
 
I attacked this project as I would anything else; I researched everything I had that said "Dance" on it, met with multiple Dance Education teachers in the area to pick their brains, and emailed just about everyone I knew that would have any insight to gather more information. I still did not feel adequately prepared to start creating something and really had no idea how to start putting things down on paper. But the clock was ticking so I had no choice but to dive right in. The exciting thing about Lindblom is that their dance program is part of the Fine Arts Department, so I knew I could practice creativity with a project-based curriculum (which definitely aligned with my philosophy). I organized the concepts that were most important to me in a clear and sequential pattern, an order that made the most sense throughout the year. I then made sure that each concept had objectives, aligned with National and State Standards, had appropriate assessments, essential questions, and enduring understandings. Our Fine Arts Department is very interested in the students' ability to ask questions about concepts for use in other settings, not just in school. So I made sure that my objectives and goals gave my students the opportunity to extract certain experiences from our units and use them to answer bigger questions.

The fear of being ill-prepared to create something successful and substantial that lurked inside of me only subsided when I started. I have found that the hardest, and most rewarding, part about building a curriculum is that it is constantly growing. One of our philosophies at LMSA is that we "write in sand," so application of that theory allows for the curriculum to be changing, adapting, and building itself over again, every step of the way. We take the responsibility of always updating and providing the freshest material to our students so that we can give them the best practice possible. It is something that I will refer back to forever. I will constantly add and subtract elements. It is alive, and although the task of completing a year-long scope and sequence left me indoors for the last month of my summer vacation, I am extremely grateful for the chance to say I have done it.  

Submitted by TDC Dancer Madelyn Doyle, Tuesday, October 29, 2013. 

Lemons into Lemonade

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. 

Words From the Dancers on Performing at The Pritzker

In 2010 I interned with The American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina. My
 job was to assist in documenting the different dance companies and speakers that
came to the festival. I had the opportunity to meet Artistic Directors Monica Bill Barnes
and Martha Clarke; assist in filming Pilobolus, RUBBERBANDance Group, and Paul
Taylor, among others. From my experience during the internship, I learned that every person has a role, both on stage and off. At the time, I did not know where I wanted my focus to be. However, after seeing a variety of companies perform on small stages to large theaters, by the end of the festival I knew that I wanted to perform. When I got back to Chicago, The Chicago Dance Festival was taking place on The Pritzker Stage in Millennium Park. I had just witnessed amazing dance in North Carolina and returned to amazing dance in Chicago. It was towards the end of the summer, I was sitting on the great lawn and the Joffrey Ballet was performing. Suddenly, questions started plaguing me: "Who picks what the viewer sees? What does it mean to dance here verses there? How does it feel to perform in this space over a different space?" I asked these questions to a few of my fellow TDC dancers as we took to the Pritzker Stage this past weekend for FlySpace. 

Photo by William Frederking

"I was in college at the time and had only performed on The Dance Center stage and a few small venues around the city. Having this opportunity this past weekend to perform on the same stage that critically acclaimed musicians, dance companies and other forms of art/entertainment have touched is inspiring and intimidating. The Pritzker Stage is a beautiful space and I am excited that the viewer not only gets to see the work up close but also gets to experience being a part of the space. During most shows, the viewer is on the outside, often far away. For the FlySpace programs, audience members have the opportunity to see the tiny details, view the city's southern skyline, take in the woodwork, hear the dancers breathe, and feel the energy of the works and the space."~Julie Boruff

"Performing on the Pritzker Stage is an experience like no other. There are so many
unique aspects of the space that make every gesture feel monumental. Seats on the
stage and in the loft force intimacy with the audience, yet at the same time the vast
backdrop of the pavilion creates a landscape and a tremendous sense of depth
behind the work. You are aware of the inside and outside at the same time, which
offers a very different experience, both as a performer and an audience member,
than that of a dark, enclosed black box theater. I am truly excited to have the
opportunity to dance on this stage, and I am proud to participate in this important,
initial undertaking of the FlySpace strategic partnership."~Maggie Koller


"FlySpace provides a broad platform for Chicago artists, further extending an
additional outlet to our community. Combining our voices and enhancing our
audience’s awareness will hopefully generate a wider interest in our individual
crafts. This is a great opportunity geared towards seeing the modern dance scene
boom. I’m glad that TDC is apart of this involvement. I’ve watched multiple acclaimed dance companies prance across the Pritzker Stage over the past 5 years and I always imagined how amazing it would be to do the same. I never thought I’d get the opportunity, ever. I can’t even fathom how alluring the theater is and how truly amazing the ability to step onto the stage, let alone dance my heart out. I’m honored to perform in such a beautiful space and to be sharing the structure with another dance company who idolizes it just the same. I keep taking everything in, making sure I see something new every time I perform –especially looking out the windows and beyond the buildings. Excited!"~Katie Petrunich


"Performing on the Pritzker Stage feels like such a privilege. The space is
unbelievably beautiful. The high ceilings, vast, open space with a large glass wall
overlooking the city is unlike any other space I have ever performed in. Although the
space seems large, using it as a dance venue turns it into a very intimate space. The
audience sits on the same level as the dancers as if they are part of the performance
themselves. After a certain time at night, you begin to see reflections of the dancers
in the glass, as well as shadows dancing around the entire space, adding layers to
the performance. It is a really exciting experience to have the honor to dance in this 
space!"~Molly Kirkpatrick

Submitted by TDC Apprentice Julie Boruff on Tuesday, April 16, 2013.   

Past- Forward

Photo by Eric Olson

Past:
I was first introduced to dance in the 6th grade, I was told “cool” girls dance. I guess I wanted to be cool so I took a class and fortunately got hooked. However, before coming to Columbia College Chicago I had no real formal dance training, but that’s a whole different story. My first modern dance technique class was with Margi Cole. I had no
idea what I was doing. I was swishing on the floor, doing contractions, getting acquainted with my sit bones, experiencing the prance for the first time and more. Through my inexperience, I desired to learn. Margi was a teacher that I highly respected. She helped me find the technique that was buried in my body. My freshman year of college, I saw a few dance shows, but the one I remember the most was The Dance COLEctive’s when I saw 13 for the first time. I remember connecting well with the piece. I was not only inspired by the content but also by the dancers. I admired their presence, movement vocabulary, humor, and ease with speaking on stage. It was a level of professionalism that I wanted to embody. Entering into my junior year of college, I auditioned for TDC. I did not make it into the company that time around but I knew I would try again. I had Margi as a teacher a few more times at Columbia, but in my final semester, I grew as a dancer and performer under her direction. She taught a Performance Rep Class during that semester, teaching our class how to behave, learn, grow and perform like a company. I respected the way she treated us and how she was able to handle any situation. So when summer came around, I again auditioned for the company.

Forward:
Having the opportunity to be a part of TDC this year has been a true joy. It was surreal to be a part of the recreation of the piece 13 because that was the first piece I had seen  my freshmen year of college. I have been challenged as a performer through different performance spaces, audience awareness, movement vocabulary, text and content of the various pieces we have worked on. As an artist/dancer, being challenged both mentally and physically is crucial, and TDC provides that environment of growth. We are currently polishing up Moving Stories, a piece to be performed during the launch of FlySpace on the Pritzker Stage next weekend April 12-14. There is such a natural raw beauty to the work that I have not felt in a long time. The piece is honest, intricate and very human. I am excited and dazed to be able to perform with The Dance COLEctive not even a full year out of school on the Pritzker. I am looking forward not only to our next performance but to what the next year will bring.

Submitted by TDC Apprentice Julie Boruff on Thursday, April 4, 2013.  

In celebration of TDC’s 17th season!

This March, we celebrated TDC’s birthday – 17 seasons! That’s a nice run and TDC continues to grow. Margi’s set of skills go beyond choreography, she knows the ins and outs of running a business. She’s a grant writer, budget maker, deadline queen, collaborator, director, teacher, coordinator of all; the list never ends.

In celebration of TDC’s 17th season, I’ve gathered some quotes from past and present dancers regarding their experience with Margi and the dancers, and people who are involved in the dance community who are aware of Margi’s work and methods, and how she’s impacted Chicago’s dance community.

Working with Margi Cole is refreshing! She is the consummate professional and I think her general "equality vibe" infiltrates the organization. It is clear that she is the director but at no point did I feel inferior, quite the opposite, I felt that she was very empowering. If a dancer had a talent or inkling then she was a huge supporter. She is also one of the few artists I have ever seen really and earnestly partake in collaboration. She is really good at it. I understand why people work with her for a long time, because it is not the kind of work that breaks you down (physically or spirit). She is invested in her dancers and allows them to continue to grow. -Molly Schneider Perez, Former TDC company member

TDC offered a safe environment to grow as an artist. I was given the freedom to think about dance in new ways and be challenged. I also got to watch Margi grow as a choreographer over the years. She continually challenges herself. Her work today is more complex and layered than her earlier work. That's part of what makes TDC an exciting company to watch. -Alaina Murray, Former TDC company member

I first recognized Margi’s awesome talent in the mid-80s, in a Beginning Modern class at the old Dance Center. She wouldn’t remember me being there, but I sure remember her—I was totally intimidated by her strength and finesse. She’s still strong. It’s no mean feat to have kept a company going for 17 years, which she’s done partly by coming up with ingenious ways to fuel her creativity: by continuing to dance challenging solos herself, and by opening TDC to collaboration—a goal of hers from the get-go. Watching TDC in rehearsal and performance, I get the feeling of a true, loyal, very female family working together. Happy anniversary! -Laura Molzahn, Dance critic and writer for the Chicago Reader

Working with Margi is an all-encompassing dance experience. The work itself is physically demanding, and also calls for rapt attention to the nuances of human experience. The body cannot lie when performing Ms. Cole’s work…as dancers, we are challenged to draw from the experiences that make us unique, real, and connected to those around us. Margi’s methods for molding these ideas into relatable, engaging dance composition are both artful and ever changing. - Erin Jaffe, Former TDC company member

Margi is one of the most talented and skilled choreographers and teachers in Chicago. I have known Margi since she was a student at the Dance Center of Columbia College. Over the years I have found her to be generous and supportive in her relationships with fellow artists and to demonstrate outstanding managerial skills. Margi makes an important contribution to Chicago's dance community. - Shirley Mordine, Artistic Director of Mordine and Company, and founder of The Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago

TDC is more than a dance company it is a group of artists collaborating, exploring and pushing boundaries together. In my experience thus far I have enjoyed that every voice matters. Margi is a director and teacher that is clear, organized, open, explorative, and knows how to challenge her dancers. The piece that we are currently working on recently shifted for me, for the movement I perform now feels like my own. -Julie Boruff, current TDC apprentice

Margi Cole has proven to be an integral part of the Chicago dance community. To say it has been a pleasure to evolve and grow with her the past 7 years would be an understatement. Her roles as dancer, choreographer, artistic director, business administrator, mentor, and friend have had an incredible impact on my life, both personally and professionally. -Maggie Koller, current TDC member

My experience in my first season with TDC has been eye opening. Having the joy of working with such amazingly talented and inspiringly strong women has giving me a new confidence in myself that I am only beginning to understand. Margi is always surprising me with her choreographic challenges and ability to shake and alter an image, an idea, a movement phrase and make it fresh and thought provoking. I am being challenged constantly and feel myself growing as an artist, a dancer, and a young woman. -Molly Kirkpatrick, current TDC apprentice

I can't imagine where I'd be as a dancer and person if I didn't have my experience with Margi and the girls! I have made the most wonderful, caring and unique group of friends any person could ask for while dancing with TDC. Sweat, tears, confrontations, laughter and the usual joke during planks are just a few things I looked forward to in every rehearsal for ten years. Ten years my life was TDC, swooshes, contraction series and the dreaded developpe along to Margi's top ten playlist on her "I-thing". I learned respect, professionalism and how to find my head tail connection while also finding my two-way energy all at the same time! If you've ever had the pleasure of working with Margi and TDC you understand. If not, go and take a class with the company. You'll always be welcomed like a friend. -Molly Grimm-Leasure, Former TDC company member

TDC has been an experience that has helped me grow as an individual, but also as a collaborator. Margi has helped me become a better dancer/creator/witness to my own work and has shown me the importance of working hard and being involved in as many ways as possible. I have applied this method to many areas of my life and see myself and our work as a company progress because of it. -Madelyn Doyle, current TDC company member

I’d like to thank everyone for their quotes and thoughts.

So, surprise and congratulations, Margi! You’re an inspiration and you’ve done, and still do, so much for people inside our dance community. I’m lucky to be surrounded by such a great bunch. I know you’ve endured many struggles throughout the years, but with struggle comes success, and that success continues to grow with each season, enriching the movement and I like to think, making dance history. 


Submitted by TDC Dancer Katie Petrunich on Monday, April 1, 2013. 

From Stage to Stage

Blinding stage lights, an old wooden floor with crumbled rosin in the corner, thick black billowy curtains, and red plush seats gazing back at me.  There, as a five year old I stood, a gloomy little rain cloud, in The Phantom of the Opera recital. I wonder how my thoughts, feelings, and views compare back then to being on stage now. I never had a care in the world, but I remember being so happy in my tutu, tights, leather ballet slippers, and make up with a high bun. That feeling stuck with me growing up, and even though I never danced consistently throughout my childhood, it later emerged in my life and now I couldn’t imagine myself without it.

Photo by William Frederking

There are many great images and sayings I have learned, which now have become engraved in my head from teachers along the way. Some of my favorites include, “Pretend your feet are sinking in mud – Feel a warm sunburst on your face – Just be in the position, do not move, hold – The only person who’s going to push you is yourself.” Another inspiring teacher wanted to make sure we asked ourselves these questions:

What are we doing? Why are we here doing this? What do we want to do? Who are our heroes?  


These things that stick with us make us dancers who we are. Dancing isn’t just about technique, it’s about passion, creativity, and awareness. Along with those teachers, Margi Cole is also a voice of reason in my head, “Keep your ribs knitted together, drop your shoulders, keep your head-tail connection, don’t hold your breath.” I was drawn into the way Margi taught, moved, and the way her movement invention felt right in my body.

Throughout college, I monitored TDC, like all of the modern dance companies in Chicago. I went to auditions, got cut from them, and didn’t give up. Margi’s movement made me feel alive, so I continued to attend company class. I assisted TDC backstage in the January concert is its 13th season. I got to know the girls and was able to see how the company worked. One of the pieces I helped tech was “13”; little to my knowledge would I reconstruct the dance 4 years later…

I had the pleasure of being an apprentice for my first 2 seasons, and after working my way up and challenging myself, I’m now in my fourth season. One of the things I love the most is that Margi allows us to create our own movement and perform it. There is always a new way to generate movement and she gives us the guidance and spice to construct, disassemble, mash, and layer our work. Working weekly, year round, allows us to create intimate, yet dynamic movement. I have had to pleasure to work with wonderful women throughout the creative process and I only feel like I’m just getting warmed up.

Submitted by TDC Dancer Katie Petrunich on Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Dancing with the Chicago skyline as my backdrop

-->

As a first year Chicagoan, I still get excited every day when I ride the train downtown and see the breathtaking beauty of the skyline. When I’m downtown, I feel dwarfed by the towering buildings. The architecture can be overwhelmingly powerful. I  love the feeling of being part of something so much bigger than myself.  

So it is a thrill for me that The Dance COLEctive’s spring concert will use the city’s actual skyline as our backdrop. When we perform at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage in April, the audience will face the opposite way from its usual summer perspective when concertgoers gather on the lawn of the park. Instead, the unconventional orientation will have the audience facing the lawn and the back “wall” of the space will be a large glass panel that looks out onto Millennium Park, with the city skyline as our backdrop. The space itself will be intimate, but with the glass wall, it has the capacity to seem endless. This perspective should add an interesting layer for the audience as well as for the dancers.  

The chance to perform “Moving Stories” in this space is especially powerful for me. Moving to Chicago has been the biggest move of my life and was a huge leap of faith for me. Dancing with the city as my backdrop is the perfect metaphor. The audience will see the dancers in the foreground, framed by the architecture. Our movement and bodies will be enclosed by shapes and lights outside the stage. We will be the focus, dancing within the city’s overwhelming mass and power. This encompasses my moving story. 

The Dance COLEctive’s spring performances at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion are April 12 – 14 are part of the official flight of FlySpace.  FlySpace is a resource-sharing consortium, conceived and launched by Jan Bartoszek (Hedwig Dances), Margi Cole (The Dance COLEctive), Michelle Kranicke (Zephyr Dance) and Joanna Rosenthal (Same Planet Different World).  The venture supports creative independence and institutional growth by combining and coordinating offstage work and cutting-edge technology to grow audiences.  FlySpace’s commitment to new forms of cooperation shares each director’s passion for content-driven contemporary dance, discovering fresh aesthetics in live performance, and engaging its audiences. Working together on new tools for audience development, all four organizations ascend together.  You can find out more about FlySpace by reading this article http://www.dancecolective.com/crain.html.

-->

For tickets visit http://flyspacechicago.brownpapertickets.com/.

Submitted by TDC Apprentice Molly Kirkpatrick on Monday, February 25, 2013. 

           

-->

The Big Leagues

After graduating from Appalachian State University in the mountains of North Carolina with degrees in Dance Studies and Psychology in May 2011, I knew that I wanted to continue dancing. I didn’t exactly know how I was going to do that, but I knew that I wanted to find a dance community in which I wouldn’t lose myself. A place where I could be challenged creatively and fulfill my desire to be a part of making and presenting interesting and meaningful work. Somewhere I could be part of the process and part of a team. I feel so blessed to have found all of these things as an apprentice this season with The Dance COLEctive! 

Photo by Eric Olson

I visited Chicago only a handful of times before I decided to move here this past June. I loved the city. It felt like a big city with a small neighborhood feel and extremely friendly people. I was up for a new adventure. I took dance classes at a number of dance studios whenever I was in Chicago. Then, during one of my visits, TDC company member Olivia May invited me to  an open company class. I knew Olivia from our hometown of Raleigh, NC. I am so grateful to her for allowing me to tag along and get a taste of the the Dance COLEctive. The class was wonderful! All the dancers were welcoming and Margi’s class was challenging and fun.

When I finally built up enough courage (and money) to make the move to the big windy city, I made the leap. With a good friend from home, in a Penske truck filled with all of our belongings, we steered north – and a little west.  Once in Chicago, I tried to take advantage of as many dance classes and opportunities as I could. I was overwhelmed (and still am) by how much is going on here. I attended The Dance COLEctive audition in August, immensely intimidated to be at my first ever professional audition. After auditions and call backs, I was so pleased to be offered an apprentice position with the company. I literally jumped up and down when I received the email from Margi. And now, after our first performance together this season, I really feel a part of it all. Surrounded by inspiring and powerful women, dancing to my heart’s content, I can officially say I’m livin’ the dream.

Submitted by TDC Apprentice Molly Kirkpatrick on Sunday, February 10, 2013.

Late but on time

So I am officially late for my latest self-imposed scheduled blog post.  (Not so self-imposed, Kaitlin Bishop is keeping me on track!)

We had a great final rehearsal in the studio yesterday.  I am not joking when I talk about how lucky I am.  We had a big list of things to accomplish:  transitions, costumes, social media, details about schedule...  We got everything done and then some.  It has been great to have former dancers Molly Grimm-Leasure and Alaina Murray with us this week.  I am grateful for their eyes, feedback, and desire to see our latest projects.  It has also been great to have the outside eye and assistance of Kaitlin Bishop too.  You won't see her on the dance floor, but her creative presence has been felt throughout the season!  Jacob Snodgrass, our lighting designer, and Sabrina Kramnich, our stage manager, are probably more ready to get into the theatre than I am!  I never feel like we have enough time, but here we go, ready to show you the reconstruction of an older work, 13, and a new work featuring an original sound score by Philip Elson and (sassy) costumes by Atalee Judy! 

I had the great privilege of working with Molly Shanahan today on my solo.  I can't tell you what a difference it makes to be in the room with the choreographer as a witness again.  Molly's feedback was supportive and challenging!  Challenge was one of the many reasons I wanted to work with her.  Molly has some very interesting ideas about the body, how it moves through space, and how having witnesses changes the way you "perform".  It was satisfying and timely to revisit these ideas today in preparation for the performances.

Here is a little blurb that Molly wrote about Leaving and Wanting for our press:

"I made Leaving and Wanting with Margi in the final three weeks I was in Chicago before leaving to start school in Philadelphia. My mom died while we were working on the solo. My life was in massive upheaval, emotionally and logistically. I was getting through one breath at a time. The dance is about leaving something you love, loving someone who leaves, and about leaving even before what has been started can be completed. It is also about the finding, discovery that comes when one surrenders to longing as an energy of love. We made the dance during the heatwave in July; the heat was extreme. Margi was deeply committed, and her dancing contains a profound vulnerability combined with ferocious spark. I approached our collaboration with nothing to prove, but I wanted to give her something honest that could be truthful for both of us, together and separately, as choreographer and dancer. All of this allowed us to get to a level of communication quickly and with almost immediate shorthand."

All this said, I do hope you can come and see the show! I am excited about the new space we are performing in (Stage 773) and extremely proud of all the work of the dancers and collaborators! I look forward to seeing you this weekend!

free [BOUND]

January 17–20 Thursday–Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.  Stage 773 1225 W. Belmont Chicago, IL

General admission is $25, $20 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, visit http://bit.ly/SszbAg or call 773-327-5252.  Submitted by TDC Artistic Director Margi Cole on Monday, January 14, 2013.

Cryptic thoughts from an Artistic Director nearly in production week

Have you ever wondered what goes through the mind of an Artistic Director as they approach show week?  Well, here is a little insight.


I need more time! (Rinse and Repeat about 1,000 times)

Why did I think it was a good idea to choreograph and perform and say text live...

Must create next social media blast.

Creating the program is the bane of my existence.

This goes in the Monday pile.  This goes in the Tuesday pile...  and so on.

Oh yes, I must remember to thank them too!

Choreographer trunk. Everything you need for a rehearsal and more.

I must remember to do THAT and that and...

Thank goodness for these dancers and collaborators.  I could not do this without them.

A glass of wine later is gonna be really nice!  Really nice!

Just add it to the list...

Why didn't I get more feedback?

I wonder how pre-sales are going?

Emergency cliff bar.  Check!

What am I forgetting? 

Is anyone going to come to the show?

But seriously, even after nearly 17 years of making and producing dance with my company, the fear of being under prepared, the self doubt about my engagement with the work, the need to give myself a personal pep talk in all areas, is all still very real!  These are the same feelings I had in the first season of the company.  And while I may feel all of these things, I do know that my experiences have enabled me to be a better collaborator and leader.   I am better at gathering the right people around me to ensure integrity and success, even if I personally am still worried about whether I am a viable performer, creator and leader.

I will keep you posted on how things are going next week!  Stay tuned...

Submitted by TDC Artistic Director Margi Cole on Wednesday, January 9, 2013.

Touring with TDC

One of my favorite past times in The Dance COLEctive has been touring.  I had the opportunity to travel to Beloit College and Knox College last season and I enjoyed every part of it, from getting our coffee and hitting the road to performing for a new crowd of curious students. Being crammed in a car, sitting still for hours together is something uncommon for us. Our main experiences together are usually on the dance floor and/or animatedly socializing in open spaces. And choosing a food place on the road can be indecisively tricky. Staying in a hotel room and trying to "keep it down" is quite difficult for a group of women and our handy crew (especially when "catchphrase" is a required nightly tradition).

It's not just the behind-the-scenes quirkiness that I love, it's the opportunity to observe Margi teaching, and students learning. Taking class with a new student body is always informative. We have a chance to pick up new things from Margi. Being one on one with students is refreshing and different. And of course, performing each night and introducing who The Dance COLEctive is to everyone. Each stage is different, each audience is different, and each response is different. It's always exciting to hear feedback and know how Margi and The Dance COLEctive impacted the students and faculty. Although I love dancing in my awesome city of Chicago, I am definitely excited to get out and tour more. I just love the all around experience. 

Submitted by TDC Dancer Shannon McGuire-Edwards on Saturday, December 29, 2012.

Performing to Perform

Since declaring that I would be studying dance in college when I was just barely into my Senior year of high school, I have met the question " So what will you do with a degree in dance?" more times than I care to count. I understand where the question comes from, sort of. Everyone's first thought goes toward teaching," So will you be a teacher…?" or to owning a dance studio, then they think of performing. However, I have ALWAYS wanted to be a performer, and frankly I try to find ways I can perform everyday of my life. I was born a Ham (aka a limelight lover) and will probably be living the old adage " the world is your stage" until the day that I die. I live for a good crowd, mostly a good laugh from a willing audience and don't usually find myself in social situations where I don't make my presence known. So for me, there was never a second thought as to what I would do with a BFA in Dance.

I was going to perform. I was set on it.

All the doors and windows of opportunity were open to me, and I was going to walk across that stage at graduation, promptly get my diploma, and walk my happy behind right onto the stage of dance and perform. I didn't have a timetable for how long I would be a performer but sure as the day was long, I was NOT going back to school anytime soon, and I was not waiting around saving my money while working a non-dance job until I found the performance job I wanted.

After graduation, I was on a  sort of dance tour of my own, taking my blind optimism and endless energy for rejection up and down the east coast and some of the midwest trying to find a place to perform. I soon realized that while I REALLY wanted to perform, there were a lot of dance companies that REALLY didn't want to hurt my feelings but at the same time REALLY didn't want me to perform with them. By an act of fate, I landed in Chicago before my optimism and energy for rejection ran out with two suitcases and a smile, and set up shop with The Dance COLEctive. What I then realized was that I had only just begun my quest to perform on stage.

I was in a new city with zero friends, no place to live and no job. Suddenly the idea of performing took a back seat to my survival and the goal of living somewhere other than a street corner in a cardboard box. My personal worst fear in life is to be homeless.

What I came to understand is the doors and windows of opportunity are only open as long as you force your body weight through them, stick fingers and toes into the cracks and wedge the space apart to make room for yourself and thus make opportunities for yourself. I looked into every job I thought I might be able to do:  coach swimming, teach English,  serve food, paint fences. If it was a job and I could imagine myself doing it then I applied, I called, I stopped by the office to drop off my resume. If I was hired, I took it. It didn't matter how far away it was or how few hours a week it offered, I was going to do it. Then, on Tuesday and Thursday nights, I was going to go to rehearsal with TDC and work on my performance opportunity.

Well, as it turns out, wanting to perform became more of a need to perform, because with a BFA in Dance, I have finally found my way through enough jobs to land my ideal job: teaching dance. In a small dance studio with a captive audience of seven year olds, I use my flare for performance to make them laugh and teach them to pivot and kick-ball-change and to love dance and performing just as much as I do. I think I may have tricked myself into teaching because the front of a classroom (no matter what type of class) is a sort of stage. So naturally, I feel at home. But I need to be good at my job so I can afford to keep myself afloat, and thus be able to perform with The Dance COLEctive. So here I am, 5 years out of college with my old rosy view of being a Dance Performer, and I. am. performing. on stage with the Dance COLEctive in as many chances as I can force myself into…. But I also get to perform everyday in my job as Miss Olivia, the quirky dance teacher who loves any stage and a willing audience.

Submitted by TDC Dancer Olivia May on Tuesday, November 13, 2012.

Sidelined

So here we are.  After 7 years of dancing with TDC, the 4 years prior spent dancing in college, and the 14 years prior spent dancing in Greenwood, Indiana, it’s pretty self-evident that life has taken some serious turns, some of them unexpected but all of them fulfilling.

And now life has given me another unexpected turn and I find myself in yet another unfamiliar phase in my long-term relationship with dance: on the sidelines. Still at rehearsal, but not necessarily in rehearsal, witnessing the creative process instead of participating in it. It’s a fascinating and disconcerting position to be in. While watching my fellow dancers work, even now, only a month removed from creating material myself, I get lost in what they are doing and creating, watching them work as I would watch a dance concert, with enjoyment and a complete lack of understanding of how hard each dancer is working. Watching the process I was just recently a part of, it is remarkably startling how immediately lost that sense of work, frustration, and struggle is.

This year’s new work offers particular challenges in the way Margi has gone about structuring the creative process – structuring it as such that there is no structure as to what a dancer can do, but only addressing what they CANNOT.  Rather than having a list of qualities, actions, moments, to include, dancers only have a list of what they cannot do – navigating the movement invention period with each other through individual “blind spots” if you will. Again, fascinating to watch, particularly the movement, duets, and group phrases that have been created, but upon flopping down on the floor at 10pm, I see complete exhaustion on the dancers’ faces. Not just physical exhaustion, but mental – mentally drained and spent.

Regardless of how awkward and tense the dancers say they feel in these awkward and tense relationships they are creating, they are delving into areas of self and creativity that I have not yet been witness to in my time in TDC. In my observation, it’s not without some twinges of jealousy that I am not a part of this process with them, but then again, I would also be missing the bigger picture of creativity, instead, stuck in my own frustration and exhaustion at the process.

Which is better? Jury’s still out. I never anticipated myself just sitting on the sidelines in my dance career, but I must say throughout my life, it is those situations I least anticipated that I learned the most. 

Submitted by TDC Dancer Kaitlin Bishop on Monday, November 5, 2012.