[BHS etree] DANCE: Modern Dance Update

[bhs at idiom.com]

contact: lcarr at berkeley.k12.ca.us
Below is the Fall 2004 Berkeley High Modern Dance Newsletter written by BHS
dance teacher Linda Carr.

Hello and Welcome to the 2004-2005 school year. I thought it might be nice,
as we get started on this new year of dance at Berkeley High, to write a
newsletter to all of you (parents, students, teachers & community members)
about what’s been going on in the Modern Dance classes during the last year
or two, and what we’re looking forward to this year. This is the first of
what I am hoping will become a semi-annual newsletter – so that everyone can
keep updated on all the great events taking place in the Dance Department.

The Facilities:
Our dance studio, on the Berkeley Community Theater Stage, has been
improving steadily over the last few years – and I must say, it’s looking
down right professional now! In 2002, we had a portable dance floor laid
atop the splintering wood of the stage – making it possible for us to dance
in bare feet again & to slide, leap and roll across the smooth surface. Last
spring, with support from the Development Group and revenues from our box
office sales, we were able to purchase mirrors for the dance space. Now,
after a mammoth installment effort by the Theater Manager, Judson Owen, and
his capable crew of BHS students, the mirrors are installed and much
appreciated. They also provided us with a new set of lockable cabinets,
where we can safely store our CD players, backpacks, and personal belongings
during dance class. These kinds of improvements have had an amazing
influence on our dancing – when the environment is professional, the dancing
has to step up to the plate.
This coming summer (2005), construction is scheduled to begin for
improvements on both the A and C Buildings. Decisions are still being made
regarding what (if any) architectural changes might take place. We are
hopeful that improvements to the dressing rooms and rehearsal spaces might
be considered.

Classes:
Fall 2004 has begun, with two (packed!!) Beginning - Intermediate Modern
classes. Enrollment in the classes is higher than ever this year (which is a
good thing) and the students are progressing beautifully. We’ve begun the
semester choreographing dances that emphasize SHAPES in movement – working
in duets and trios at first, then gradually working towards creating larger
ensemble pieces. Students will perform their dances in class during the
first semester, and stage an informal evening showing in June 2005 for
friends and family.

The Advanced Modern Dance is changing its focus slightly this year. Students
will still present an ensemble piece in the January Dance Production
concert, but they will focus the bulk of the semester on technique class,
short choreographic studies and improvisation. Their work this semester is
geared towards skill-building for the spring Dance Projects class, in which
students choreograph dances on their own.

The Dance Production class has already begun rehearsals for their January
performance. This is our “cream of the crop” class – comprised of Juniors
and Seniors who made it through last Spring’s rigorous audition process. We
spent the first few weeks of class studying Contact Improvisation & partner
dancing, presenting short solos, and getting our choreographic ideas
together. Twenty-two student-choreographed pieces are now in rehearsal,
fourteen of which will be selected for the January performance.

Next semester, we’ll have the Dance Projects and Choreographers Classes.
Dance Projects is a course open to Intermediate – Advanced dancers, by
permission of the instructor. Students rehearse during lunch and class times
to create their end-of-year concert. Not only are all the dances
student-choreographed, but (as of spring 2003) all the music is played LIVE
by BHS musicians. The energetic pitch of these concerts has been truly
amazing – the talent and spirit of the dancers and musicians is
inspirational indeed! Last year’s show opened with a dance to Bend the
Rules, an original composition by the student band, Ghettofabulous – it’s
our hope, that more and more of the musical accompaniment for the Dance
Projects show will be music written by BHS musicians. Take risks! Copy less!
Invent more!  That our artistic motto.

The Choreographers Class is the continuation of Dance Production for the
Spring Semester. In this class, students collaborate in creating an ensemble
piece with a thematic focus. In 2002, students riffed off the story of Alice
in Wonderland; the 2003 class created prop-based dances and last year’s
dancers created ten-part ode to the thrills and trials of childhood. The
special feature of this class is also that students have the opportunity to
be directed by professional choreographers. Last year, Amara Tabor-Smith
(co-director of  Urban Bush Women,  a NYC dance company) created a
breath-taking piece about identity, titied AS I AM. Under my own direction,
students also created our first outdoor piece, LIFE/DEATH, in response to
tragic student deaths last spring.
Since we began commissioning pieces from local/international choreographers
in 2002, students have had the opportunity to work under the direction of:
Jess Curtis (choreographer of Berlin based, GRAVITY Physical Entertainment),
Tom Truss (who worked for years with Lizz Lerman Dance Exchange), local
aerial choreographer Jo Kreiter (Flyaway Productions) and Abigail Husein
(currently visiting professor at Santa Clara University). The choreographers
consistently report how impressed they are with the caliber of the BHS
dancers, and the students themselves note how valuable it is for them to
work with the demanding expectations of professional dance makers. Local
dancer, Jose Navarette will be working with this Spring’s Choreography
Class, creating a mambo-inspired piece – we’re looking forward to seeing
what’s created!

Guest Choreographers’ Series:
With the support of Berkeley Public Education Foundation, professional
dancers are brought to BHS throughout the semester to teach Master Classes
and short workshops. In this way students are able to train with specialist
from a variety of dance styles. A short list of last year’s Guest Artists
includes: Anne Aronov (Contact Improvisation/Partner dance), Amara
Tabor-Smith (Roots African Fusion), Jim Neirinck (Cunningham Technique),
Abigail Hosein (Improvisation & Composition), Jim Santi Owen (Body Rhythm &
Bucket Drumming), Jess Curtis (Release Technique), Jarold Lee, Corey Action
Harrision & Shereen Prince (HipHop), Leigh Evans (Yoga) and Jose Navarette
(Tango). Through San Francisco Performances’ Arts Education division, we
have developed an ongoing relationship with Taylor 2 (Paul Taylor’s second
company out of NYC), who visit the school once or twice each year, giving
master classes and performances from the repertoire of one of America’s most
prominent Modern Dance choreographers.

Beyond the Walls of the School:
This year students from the Advanced classes will walk their way up to
Zellerbach Hall, for a selection of field trip performances produced by
CalPerformances. In November, we’ll see the Brazilian troupe Baile
Folklorico da Bahia, as well as Mark Morris.  Later in the year, we’ll see
Cambodia’s Khmer Arts Academy. Students are also required to see
professional dance concerts outside of school, and to write written reviews
of those concerts. In this way, we can expand our notions of what dance can
be, and get a taste of the fantastic wealth of performance happening right
here in our own community.

BHS dancers received great audience response last February at the Julia
Morgan Theater’s Dance IS Festival. The producers selected dances from
professional companies and local universities as well as high schools, to
workshop their choreographic processes in a one-day exchange and perform
together for local audiences. Current BHS student Sara Asadi-Nik reprised
her piece, Gone Spanish, and Jono Brandel (2004 graduate) presented Cyclic
Photophosphorylation --once again audiences were amazed by the creative
force of our student dancers.

Awards & Moving On
.
Last June, the Performing Arts Department held its first (annual!)
Performing Arts Awards Ceremony. A sweetly touching event, students from the
dance, drama and music departments stood before friends and family to
receive awards for their creativity and power as art makers, to toast
themselves and their accomplishments, and to send themselves off into the
world beyond graduation. Recipients of the 2004 awards for accomplishment in
dance included Annie Goodman, Ayonis Spinks, Clarissa Chan, Colin Epstein,
Sonja Dale, Sam Rakin, Laura Lackey, Jono Brandel, Kay Wicinas, Carly
Boland, Pali Jen & Leslie Hyman

2003 graduate and current UCB undergrad, Andrew Ward, is being featured in
Joe Goode’s upcoming dance/theater piece, Disaster Series – The
Continuation. Performances are October 8 – 17 at the Zellerbach Playhouse.
Go, Andy, go!!

Performance dates this year:
Dance Production, Fridays & Saturdays, 8 pm, January 7,8,14,15, 	Little
Theater

Choreographers,Friday & Saturday, 8 pm, May 27 & 28, Little Theater

Dance Projects, Friday & Saturday, 8 pm,	June 3 & 4, Little Theater

How to get involved:
You are a great resource in the community. If you have any skills you would
like to donate to the dance department, we’d love to have you. We’re always
looking for folks to work at our shows, help on field trips, sew costumes,
or just get the word out about our fantastic program. Please contact me at
any time:
Linda Carr, Dance Department	• 510-644-6052 • Lcarr at berkeley.k12.ca.us

Donations to the department are much appreciated. Please make donations
through the BHS Development Group (noting Modern Dance on the MEMO part of
the check) and sending to:
BHS Development Group/Modern Dance
POBOX 519
Berkeley, CA 94701

Arts & Humanities Academy (AHA!):
A new small school is opening next Fall at BHS. The Arts & Humanities
Academy will be an exciting opportunity for students to focus artistically
and academically at BHS. For more information, come to:
The Community Gathering for AHA!
Thursday, October 21, 2004			Room G112 (the Art Room)
6:30 – 8:00pm					Enter campus gates on MLK @ Bancroft

______________________________
Janet Huseby and Kathryn Capps are the facilitators of the etree; please
direct any questions or concerns to them at <bhs-owner at idiom.com>

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