Auditions for RO-DANTZ underway

Artistic Director Cory Bowles has been thrilled in response to the interest and turnout for the newest Nova Scotia dance company: RO-DANTZ

Auditions are being held daily and each day new blood turns up. Some of the younger mice trying out tend to be a bit squeamish from their nerves. But usually their potential shines when the nutcracker theme music begins to play. Bowles puts them through the real test once he begins the duet material.... consisting of suspension through time, a sudden jolt, impact, theatrical pause and the grand scurry to finish. Usually the mice are cut here and only the smart ones return the next day for a re-try.

I think a marking system will have to devised to keep track of all the action!


Further Reports Later
Sara

A day inspired by Tom Waits perhaps, perhaps, perhaps....

What's he building in there?
What the hell is he building
In there?
He never Waves when he goes by
He's hiding something from
The rest of us... He's all
To himself... I think I know
Why... He took down the
Tire swing from the Peppertree
He has no children of his
Own you see... He has no dog
And he has no friends and
His lawn is dying... and
What about all those packages
He sends. What's he building in there?
With that hook light
On the stairs. What's he building
In there... I'll tell you one thing
He's not building a playhouse for
The children what's he building
In there?

Being Brave

It takes some bravery to practice contact improv, to give, take and share weight, to live in the countryside for 4.5 weeks, to live in a house full of spiders, and to stay quiet during rehearsals (because you should be dancing...apparently). But I take no particular pride in facing these daily. It is the blog I fear. So here I am. I think if I can post this, I will dance better tomorrow.
I will keep you posted.

Jacinte

Boxed In, Boxed Out, Boxed Set, Boxed Meat

Yes it's true;
There was suddenly a bit of phrasing here, an idea there, a couple of white boxes stacked somewhere, and a load of samples and tangled cables -

then there was a prologue, an opening, a transition, a story a development, and my sore body, and the end of the day.
just like that, we jumped in
like fall, and suddenly leaves go from green to yellow

our season changed today
now we're flying
or falling........which ever one has the rush.

I also disposed of a mouse today
he was cute
but I let him off with a warning
next time
i won't be so generous
because I have an idea....

I will catch all the mice
and train them to be a modern dance company

I will call it .....
(wait for it)
....RO-DANTZ
and we will do a better nutcracker than anyone here can do
I will tame the shrews then tame your heart

I like ross creek very much
I too feel like it's a vacation
except it has hurt my muscles...and stretching, to me, is a language long lost, long lost, long lost.........

Cory

Tuesday at the Farm

I was really happy to see that my back was alright, sometimes I lose confidence in my body but it is the smartest and if I only listen and give time she will rebound.
Thought of the day, love your body.

My challenge hear at Ross Creek is unusual, some will say the creative process is draining, I am tired, we are lost in the woods, we share everything for me all that is detail the real struggle is to be always on the edge looking out for spiders, my first enemy.

Daelik and Susanne are doing body work after rehearsal, i am pulling on Jacinte talus, she teaches me pilates, and drives back and forth, Sara mops the floor, Susie collects, Danielle speaks quietly and Cory is wearing headphones, what a great time we are!!!

We work really hard, but for me it is almost like holidays: no bed time, no cooking supper, no homework, no dishes, no dealing with day to day business. It is the best! :)
Sincerely yours, Elise

Week 2, Day 1

Back in the studio after the weekend. Daelik came back with a whole storyline for the piece - 4 women, one man, a relationship for each. I am the redeemer. The question of the day - does sound have weight? 100 white boxes filled with the last sounds on earth. Ideas are flying, Cory and Daelik like two brothers in love with the end of the world. Our contact dance skills are improving with each day. Every morning we work to find connection between each other, how to spiral in one another, give and take weight, speak through touch.

Susie Burpee and Danielle Baskerville have arrived to begin their process. Ross Creek is buzzing with creative energy.

Susanne

Sometimes your hair must fly to get into character

To prepare Elise must find her inner wolf...

Closing of the First Week

Tomorrow is Friday, and we will be finished week one with Daelik.

For me, I think my favorite part of creating a new piece is swimming in the unknown and then feeling small fragments of the greater picture reveal themselves. It's exciting to watch a moment of the truth unfold in front of you, even when you don't know what it is yet.

As always, one of the joys of coming home and working with SiNS is the strong presence of support in our working environment. Support for each other, support in the dialogue and the support to create a new work. It's like being in a hug all day....even if we get rough and dirty sometimes.

There are some exciting unknowns in the studio working with Daelik, (as a new choreographer to the group); learning his language, supporting his aesthetic. Daelik is also learning from SiNS, watching the intricacy of our group dynamic and pushing us in new directions.

So far this week,

work stations were set-up:


for music

..and for portable Pilates


we have had the luxury of learning material from a giant screen:



we assembled our props that were sent in the mail, surprisingly UPS found little rural Ross Creek without a problem!:


....a welcomed Arts and Craft break




and improvising begins....




HOARD, MEASURE, TAKE STOCK

There are always two options: to go towards, to go away or even redirect.... so I guess that's three?

Sara

Ross Creek Creation Residency

SiNS dance with guest choreographer Daelik are now in residency at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts.

Pictured above, the centre is in rural Nova Scotia (Canning, NS), where we will be in creation for 4 weeks along with our favorite collaborators Cory Bowles and Elise Vanderborght.

Set in beautiful Nova Scotia, eating fine herbs fresh from the garden and dancing in the spacious renovated barn studios we have found our own little utopia creation colony.

SiNS has commissioned Vancouver artist, Daelik to create the next sin: Greed in our 7 deadly sins series. Through the magic of internet (even in the country), you can join us for an inside look for the next 4 weeks as we explore and create.

The new work will premiere in Halifax, presented by Live Art Dance Productions Oct 7th-9th at the Dunn Theatre in the Dalhousie Art Centre. We hope to see you in the actual but until then here is a virtual look.....

Warm Gooey Balls and Opening Night Anticipation!

Yesterday, was our last rehearsal before the Canadian Premiere and Opening Night. Energy was high, and we are ready to rock!


Chaos, Confusion, negotiation, playfulness, panic, relief, sweat, tears, beer, and a lot of warm gooey balls!

Enjoy the Friday June 9th Vancouver Sun article.

Correction in the print:
SHOWS TIMES: Saturday July 10th at 8:30pm (tonight) and Sunday July 11th at 2pm and 8:30pm
Location: Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street.

Join us tonight for the opening night reception and oh yes... this is the theatre with air-conditioning.

Three's a charm

New York has touched down.
Vancouver is in the theatre
Halifax is still sampling the food.

we show and tell a wee bit today

the three vibes are nice
beer, paper and cell phones

Thomas is here in spirit, and we send our spirit back to him.

question of the day - do you really need a liquor licence for empty cans on stage?

answer - obviously not.

cory

It's not a competition

I have equal excitment for all groups, Sara

Cory

Team Vancouver is back in the game

Today, Team Vancouver meet in the studio for the first day of remount. I think they are a few points ahead of Team Halifax.... We were able to get a run in on the first day!! Halifax had their first run on day two. Nice work Vancouver!

Cory stopped in for a few minutes to get a peek at what Vancouver will serve up. It was worth just seeing his reaction and excitement for the upcoming pairing, weaving and many possible accidents. Negotiation is our next point of research.

(Cory is in the room next to me, on the chi machine arguing my point system. SINS dance worked last in Jan and Vancouver worked in May, 2.5 months equals 1 day, so the score is actually 1-1)... how did this turn sport..... guess we have the world cup fever.

Sara

Photo by Connor Gnam

We are offering WORKSHOPS with Guest Directors

Mark it on your list of things to do this week:

Dancing on the the Edge is pleased to offer workshops with guest directors Cory Bowles (Halifax) and Dan Safer (New York).

Where: Firehall Arts Centre Studio (upstairs), 280 East Cordova Street

Friday July 9th, 10am-12pm
Cory Bowles

Workshop Description:
This workshop has a strong influence of African Tradition and uses
fundamentals of early black dance. Designed to use the body as a
rhythmic tool, participants utilize voice and sound to create a
charging connection of dance and design in a group dynamic. The class
will integrates breath, flow, space, and release work; a style used in
Cory’s work as a director, actor and choreographer and starts from the
rule of natural movement. Referred to as Straight up Moving, the body
plays a function of precision and alignment and taps into the the
natural rhythm skills a dancer and actor possess. Combined with early
jazz, body percussion and techniques of physical theatre, it is a wide
open approach to contemporary dance.

Saturday July 10th: 10am-12pm
Dan Safer

Workshop Description
This workshop is geared towards bringing the idea of dance/ choreography into direct collision with theater. How do you make work that is as much a dance as it is theater, dances that are scenes, scenes that are dances, movement that is fully inhabited and tells a story and/or creates a world? What happens when you apply choreographic principles to a dramatic scene? What happens when you apply theatrical modes to pure movement? How can you work with context and montage to invest abstraction with meaning? And how do you make sure it is all entertaining, or involving, or un-ignorable?

A director's dirty work

Seen here our director, Cory Bowles, must do the dirty work of authenticating Sara's actions from instruction number 9 - "Fucking."




The instructions are for each dancer to create a motif based on a position of the sexual act. Today Cory questioned, and proceeded to test, the accuracy of Sara's unconventional sexual position - turns out it can be done!

Susanne

Day five is an odd number

In light of the fifth day, i ask
five questions
Who, What, where, why, and when?

Five themes
etological, cultural, personal, physical, and historical identities.

Five spots in space

Five beats per phrase

And Five dollars for the delicious frites I'm getting at break.

A full run will be a blessing
Or a scare

I'll take either
Cory

Setting it straight..... we are actually pretty devious

Schreibstuck is featured in the Straight this week, take a look.

One week today- and the anticipated union of all three trios will take place. I just spoke to Dan Safer this morning from Brooklyn, it was great to connect and hear a bit more of his side of the schreibstuck story. Dan's company Witness Relocation has performed their trio, version #13 in Bangkok and in Atlanta in two separate productions.

Now heading north-west for the Canadian Premiere I will be happy to share the stage with such a German structuralist expert!

I haven't actually specifically counted out the number of times or ways we have deviated from Thomas' instructions.... but I think we are staying straight and narrow when it comes to his intent... But then again it is my interpretation of his intent. But what is deviating, and what is staying true to your voice. I didn't set out to be a rule breaker, sometimes this just happens. It's my truth to fit in. conscious, sub-conscious and accidental it's all there.

Maybe I will post how many times I broke the rules, but I think I will wait till the last day of the production... so YOU can experience some anticipation as well.

Sara

Talking Heads and Muttering Appendages

Vancouver is sunny, and rainy at the same time.

The weather switches in a heartbeat. You blink, and it rains, you breath you squint at the sun. It's inspiring. I'm stealing it. Thanks weather. We're going rainy and sunny.

We do that anyway, or at least I thought we did.

It's just now i get it a little more.

cory