Dance/Theater Shannon
Things going up on stage.
Premiere Home Season
where: The Garage, 975 Howard (San Francisco, CA)
when: February 19-March 1, 2009 Friday thru Sunday at 8pm
how much: tickets $10-20 (nota)
look for tickets soon on brownpapertickets.com
Guest choreographers each weekend:
Jennie Pitts (Reno, NV) presents her duet, “one hundred and one small truths" on Feb. 19-20. “one hundred and one small truths” explores the dynamics of what is communicated, what is withheld and the consequences of either choice.
Taryn Packheiser (Ames, IA) presents her solo "Hemming and Hawing" on Feb. 28-Mar 1. “Hemming and Hawing” is centered around psychological and emotional indecision. The work incorporates dynamic energy contrasts and musings on personal editing choices when relative to communication through media. With accompanied sound and visual elements, the dancer becomes a world of stifled interaction within and around herself.
Move(men)t, a male choreographer's festival
where: The Garage, 975 Howard (San Francisco, CA)
when: April 9-12, 2009
how much: $10-20
look for tickets soon on brownpapertickets.com
Announcement soon on participating choreographers!
mission and explanations:
There are two main objectives for producing the Move(men)t Festival. The first objective is to provide a forum for both established and emerging choreographers to observe and discuss the “why”, “how” and “what’s next” of making dances in contemporary society. To make this the first objective is important so that we, as male choreographers, get a sense of having a conscientious identity as artists in the US and in an art form that is primarily populated by women. The second objective is to be artists, in the sense that we present our work to evoke, provoke and bring into dialogue what we are curious about and are seeking to understand about our world.
WHY?
The topic of men in dance is a contentious one from my observations. Many dance companies struggle to find male dancers to perform in their work. Yet at the same time, many of the major touring and popular dance companies in the US are named after or run by male choreographers, i.e. Merce Cunningham, Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theater, Mark Morris, to name a few. In the New York Times article by Roslyn Sulcas “Drama, Razzle Dazzle and How to Survive Them”, four of the five best new dance pieces for 2008 were choreographed by men (NYTimes Dec. 19, 2008). For Rachel Howard of the San Francisco Chronicle the best of 2008 was spread out more evenly between men and women (SF Chroncile Dec. 28, 2008), but male choreographers are prominently listed in her article. The question that motivates me to continue to curate a male choreographer’s festival is why does this disparity occur? What is it about men in dance as choreographers, performers and administrator that allow them to be honored with such opportunities and visibility?
With the Move(men)t Festival we are interested in trying to make this topic an annual conversation, in the hopes that a longer term attention to the topic will help to deconstruct the “whys” of this disparity and the “hows” of navigating the field towards more equity between the genders. But is this topic necessary? As a male choreographer myself, I personally find it imperative to talk with others about this topic. It is imperative to me, because knowing the privilege related to my gender and navigating thoughtfully through the dance community are two different issues. How can I contribute thoughtfully to the dance field, of which I have chosen to be a participant, without taking away opportunities? Is it enough to get more men to enjoy dance, so that there are more men with technical skills on par with women’s and therefore are no longer a “hot” commodity? Can we challenge the assumptions of what a “male” artistic sensibility? These are the host of questions I use to justify my curatorial voice and producing objective of the Move(men)t Festival.