After three successful years, The Movement Project is at it again...the Cleveland Dance Fest is here! On November 8th & 9th, 2019, this 2-day festival will feature new works by Cleveland and visiting artists in two evening performances, an emerging works concert, a youth showcase and a day of master classes for youth and professional dancers taught by some very exciting Cleveland Dance Fest artists and companies.
Viewing entries by
Irene Honora
The Movement Project is pleased to announce something new! This year, the company has established The Movement Project Ambassador Program, a program dedicated to developing TMP Community Ambassadors, and helping them receive the tools they need to highlight the importance of dance in their community.
The art of choreography has been around for generations, and the act of creating movement is changeable, rigorous, and sometimes temperamental. Throughout history, choreographers have come up with rules, broken those rules, created new rules, and subverted the rules to make movement, marking large shifts in the various eras of dance, and even asking the question: What is dance?
Cross training is always a good idea, and with dancers it is no different. Somatic practices attract dancers looking for a little extra training, and among these practices, yoga and Pilates tend to be the most popular. But why? What is it about yoga and Pilates that draws dancers to these somatic practices?
You feel your heart start to pound. Maybe you start to sweat. Sometimes chills may radiate through your body, or you feel dizzy and off-balance. Sometimes you feel paralyzed, or don’t feel anything at all, numb limbs and delayed reaction time taking over. Anxiety takes its toll in many forms, and performance-induced anxiety is no different. For a dancer, performance anxiety can really hinder technique and performance quality, and can be especially damaging if one dances professionally.
It is time yet again for the Cleveland Dance Fest. The festival has grown considerably since its founding three years ago and will be November 9th and 10th at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Tremont. Showcasing work from artists all over Cleveland and beyond, the festival this year is distinct, exciting, and thought-provoking. To really get a feel for the work presented this year, I decided to chat with a a few choreographers about their work, their processes, and influences.
The concept of the ‘starving artist’ is a damaging ideal. It has seeped into popular culture and school systems, in conversations with friends and relatives. On the surface, this is a teasing remark, meant to poke fun at individuals who choose a career in the arts. Not a big deal, right?
You know, there was once a time when Martha Graham was a household name. She commanded the dance scene spotlight, and bled into popular culture during her heyday in the 50’s (though her career spanned several decades). In fact, there is an entire scene in the 1954 movie White Christmas that parodies her work. Nowadays, however, those who have heard of her know little of her legacy.
Late winter is a grind. As the weather fluxuates between muddy gray-green and icy blue-white, I find my attention wavering. My creativity and energy just get sapped this time of year. Being in a creative field, I don’t have the option of clocking out and chugging along, but garnering inspiration can be difficult. If you, like me, find yourself losing drive and focus, take a look at some of these helpful activities I use to refill my creative brain
You are a hardworking dance professional. You have to juggle training, teaching, working, rehearsal time, family life, and eating properly. And a social life? Squeezed in somewhere in that mix. Any spare moment you have to yourself is precious and used to rest. And I get it. Schedules are tight, and making it as an artist is never easy. Why is it, though, we want people to come to our shows when we make little to no effort seeing others?
We dancers have always been in tune with our bodies. Detailed movement and quality requires concentration and skill, not to mention strength and dexterity. This attention to detail creates a heightened awareness of the muscles, bones, and connective tissues that make dance possible. We get to know our own bodies so well, that even if the smallest issue arises, we can sense an imbalance immediately.
Happy New Year! 2018 has bloomed, and it’s time to move forward into the new year. There are many a new and exciting performances and opportunities the company has in store. I would like to give you a glimpse at some of the great things we have in the works, but before we peek ahead, let’s take a glance back at 2017. TMP’s trajectory into 2018 would not be possible without all of the wonderful experiences and amazing people along the way.
The second Cleveland Dance Fest is coming...and we are ready. This year we have eighteen choreographers, three different performances, and a lot of great classes. Much can be said for the thriving dance community here, as well as the excitement of having a two-day dance festival here in Tremont. Instead, though, let’s take a look at our artists. We have a diverse group, mainly from northeastern Ohio, all with distinct styles and backgrounds. Some are burgeoning young artists, and others are seasoned creators. Let’s meet them all.
As many of you know, The Movement Project has found a new home in the beautiful and historic Pilgrim Church. So what is it about this community that speaks to us? Why Tremont? Why Pilgrim Church? To understand the community we are now a part of, and to find the answer, it’s best to start from the beginning.
Creativity, technique, and collaboration have collided at The Movement Project’s summer intensives this year. The students were talented, the space at Pilgrim Church gorgeous, and the work that was done was nothing short of inspiring.
Knowledge is power, but not all knowledge makes its way into the education of people across the nation. The arts, specifically dance, get overlooked in educational settings as budgets tighten and people scramble to keep schools functioning.
This month, TMP will be embarking on a trip to Illinois for the Going Dutch Festival, an event that celebrates women’s voices in not only dance, but in theater and visual art as well. This festival is an important part of the culture of these art forms. Throughout the years, women’s voices have been lost or drowned out by the work that has been designed by men.
Spring has sprung, and now it’s time to look into the sunshine and be involved in some warm-weather dance! There are some great things to look forward to this month, and I hope to see you there. Check out this listing for information on classes, performances, and more for May!
It’s a pretty peaceful April in Cleveland, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things happening! Check out what’s shaking the dance community this coming month, and take part yourself!
New class opportunities have popped up in Cleveland! As spring is just around the corner, a new life has been breathed into the community. Take a look at all of the performances, auditions, and classes available this next month.