2021 - MINI-CONCERT SERIES PROGRAM | THE MOVEMENT KITCHEN

Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Vietnam will showcase a series of mini-concerts over a live stream platform on Facebook and YouTube from April 17 - 18, 2021. The HCG mini-concert series will livestream twice each day - in the morning and evening. Performances include pre-recorded works and dance for camera works.

We welcome everyone from around the world to tune in
No registration required
Facebook and YouTube livestream links will be available online April 14, 2021

MINI-CONCERT SERIES SCHEDULE (INDOCHINA TIME)

APRIL 17 & 18, 2021

8AM & 8PM

Blown

A performance art film by Quyen D. Pham

Sound: Recorded sound

This video work is the third piece in the performance project ‘Blown’, exploring a series of playful actions that Quyen D. Pham used to do in her childhood. Taken from her memories, those actions are recreated in either an experimental laboratory atmosphere, in nature or re-imagined daily life space and transformed into contemporary rituals. Predicting an unchangeable future in the hope of reconnecting to what human beings are born from, the performance plays as a tribute to mother-earth.

Quyen D. Pham (b. 1981, Hanoi, Vietnam) is a performance artist currently based in Ho Chi Minh City and founder of Time Between, an independent art project focusing on performance, contemporary dance, sound & experimental music, film, video and new media art. Having been active in the contemporary art scene in Ho Chi Minh City since 2013, she worked for and collaborated with galleries and art spaces including Gallerie Quynh, San Art, Dia Projects, MoT+++ and Salon Saigon to name a few... to organize numerous art programs, activities and events. In September 2018, she founded Time Between from her appreciation for live performance, moving image and sound work. With the aim of bringing art closer to the public and in response to the current material world we live in, this project is dedicated to immaterial art and not based on a fixed location. Besides running Time Between and working as an independent art producer and curator, from June 2019 she began to explore herself through the language of poetry and performance art. Her artistic practice deals with space, time, sound, psycho-physiology, dreams, imagination and elements of nature. Having an endless curiosity about another world that people are always searching for, either in spirituality or in the cosmos, she considers performance as a contemporary ritual process to connect with oneself, others and the universe.

Movement Diary: A New Agenda

A dance film by Christopher Scott Caldwell

Music:

Liebestraum No,3 In AFlat Major. S. 541/3 LANG LANG
Heal by Tom Odell
A Frequent Thing by Thomas Newman
Schehezerade The Tale of the Kalender Prince - Joakim Svenheden and Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov

Christopher Scott Caldwell founder of Ovations Global Network has been an active dance artist, educator and choreographer for over two decades. His clients include Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winners, So You Think You Can Dance, Major Fitness Brands, Las Vegas Shows, internationally accredited dance pioneers, and Ted X Speakers, just to name a few.

Christopher is a certified practitioner of the Simonson method of teacher training specializing in jazz, modern, and contemporary. He is also board-certified in 12 dances via Fred Astaire International. You can find his self created Hip Hop Cardio workout, newly partnered by WONDERCISE available worldwide on their app. His choreography has showcased across the US, Japan, Jamaica, and on major TV networks. He has worked with dance and entertainment royalty including: Bill T Jones, Lynn Simonson, Mia Michael’s, Viktor Manoel, Tyrone “The Bone” Proctor, The Whispers, The Ojay’s and more.

Christopher is the founder of Florida's first and only international gay urban dance festival What The Punk Fest and its year-round LGBTQ+ Safe Space Initiatives. His nonprofit is also responsible for the South Florida Dance and Drum Folklore Series so far offering FREE attendance options for workshops led by dance and drum masters of Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Abidjan, Haiti, and Cuba.

As a guest artist Christopher has been invited to many dance institutions including Florida Atlantic University, Shenandoah University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Patel Conservatory, Indian River State College, Saint Andrews School and The Pulse On Tour. Christopher is also a performance coach for DMS Entertainment International working with emerging pop artists signed to their label.

Most recently, Christopher announced the formation of his dance company House Of Ovations. His official space to entertain, explore, educate, and evoke. Be sure to tune in for his performances and weekly classes virtually and in person.

Khai "bước"

A dance film by Linh An

Music: Tình yêu màu nắng - Glee Vietnam, Bùi Lan Hương

Linh An - a Theatre Jazz dance artist, Hanoi born, New York trained. Linh first fell in love with dance when she moved to London and was trained in contemporary jazz at Holland Park School ( from 2010-2012) where she was involved in various dance students' performance projects with the English National Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall and Shanghai World Expo (China). Nevertheless, she found her true color in dance when she visited New York in the summer 2017, and met Broadway for the first time. Inspired by the theatrical dance style of musicals and shows such as: Chicago, the Rockettes, Hamilton, Bandstand, Linh started to explore this style of dancing and was first introduced to a branch called "Theatre Jazz Dance". This is when she made a plan to move to NYC for musical-theatre dance training once completing university in Vietnam.

In 2019, Linh completed her one-year intensive dance training course at the Broadway Dance Center in NYC, (concentrating in Theatre Jazz and minoring in Tap), under the guidance of Broadway professionals: Chet Walker, Diane Laurenson, James Kinney, Karla Garcia, Jill Kenney, Michael Mindlin, etc. After her musical adventure in NYC, Linh and her friend - an American actor - Johnson Brock decided to travel to Vietnam in the summer of 2019 to hold a musical theatre dance workshop series called “A Broadway jazz dance experience in Vietnam”, with the participation of over 100 dance lovers in Hanoi. Hoping to continue building a community of musical-theatre dance enthusiasts in Vietnam, Linh and Johnson founded Theatre Dance Vietnam - a dance forum which aims to spread Theatre Jazz art form in Vietnam via workshops, dance performance , and film production.

Theatre Dance Vietnam’s most recent theatrical project with The Tank Theatre in NYC is the virtual dance show called “Dancing Through”, where Broadway meets Vietnam during a global pandemic. The performance explores the last century of theater dance and its prevalence beyond Broadway. "Dancing through…" involved over 70 dance artists, choreographers from Hanoi to Broadway (Hamilton, Newsies, Moulin Rouge, etc.).

(Directed by Elizabeth Troxler; associate director, Logan Pitts. Choreographed by Richard Stafford, Ryan VanDenBoom, Michael Mindlin, Kristyn Pope, Danielle Diniz, Andrea Brodine, Jill Kenney, and James Alonzo White. Filmed under COVID safety guidelines by Tim Fuchs Productions at The Tank, with lighting design by American Ballet Theatre's Brad Fields and Stephen Weeks. "DANCING THROUGH..." premiered virtually October 30th, 2020 at 8pm EST. )

Introspection

A dance film by Rachel Lambright

Performers: Symone Sanz & Madison Shorter

Music composition: Eduard Cosla

Director: Rachel Lambright

Director of Photography: Sebastien Scandiuzzi

Assistant Director: Kiana Vaziri

Assistant Camera: Carly Pansulla

Production Design: Rebecca Balcom

Abstracting and humanizing a commensal relationship, "Introspection" is an experimental short film which explores intimacy, innocence, and missed connection by acknowledging contrast in emotional desire and reality.

Rachel Lambright is a movement artist whose vision possesses a yearning to understand the human experience. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida, earning a BFA in Dance Performance with a Modern Dance concentration in 2017. Residing in Sarasota, FL, she has been a performer and teaching artist with Sarasota Contemporary Dance, developing her artistry and versatility. Her movement practice embodies ways that challenge presence in the moment, sensing the dance that occurs in breath and the expansion of the lungs, the shifting of weight, and how directional changes can transform intention. Rachel has taught as a guest teaching artist for dance at the New College of Florida, focusing on jazz technique and dance improvisation. She enjoys sharing her curiosities and discoveries in movement and longs to spread the joy and healing that movement can inspire.

FLUX

A dance film by Oji Valencia in collaboration with The Movement Kitchen

Music composed by Jun Jun

Production Design: Anne Zettler

Producer: Oji Valencia

Filmed and Directed by Oji Valencia and Nap Jamir of Depth Charge Films

"FLUX - cut the FAT" is a spiritual conveyance for our bare bones, our need to unearth the roots of our systemic issues, our religious issues, our consumption issues, our cells - our gels - our fat.

Reflect. Restore. Relearn. Rebirth. FLUX. and then we - cut the FAT.

"FLUX" is the first of twenty movement scores for TMK’s project "cut the FAT" that will culminate into a series of dance for camera works over the next five years. This was not the original plan for this project, but due to COVID - TMK has spent the last year reimagining how they will continue the development and production of this project.

This project was supported, in part, by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant.

Oji Valencia is a Philippine visual artist currently based in Vietnam working as a freelance art director for local and international brands.

Emily Navarra (she/her/they) is an independent dancer/dancemaker / activist / conflict resolution artist. She holds a B.A. in Dance Studies from the University of South Florida and a Certificate of Completion in Authentic Movement Training from the European Society of Authentic Movement in Munich, Germany. For the past decade, she has worked as a dance movement therapist and authentic movement educator facilitating one on one healing sessions for refugees of The Arab Spring in North Africa and the Middle East. From 2015-2017, Emily designed a reconciliation program for American Veterans involved in the My Lai Massacre as a means to create a time for forgiveness with surviving family members of this massacre in Vietnam. This program was funded by the Public Broadcasting Service.

Emily has worked under various choreographers such as Iñaki Azpillaga and Wim Vandekeybus (Ultima Vez) and Lloyd Newson (DV8 Physical Theatre) as well as presented her work in the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, North Africa and the United Kingdom. She is the founder of The Melting Pot, an Art, Dance and Music Festival held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam which has served as a platform for the arts, encourages engagement in cultural exchange and has brought greater access to the Arts for the general public of HCMC since 2011. She formed Standpoint Theories in 2012, an international experimental multimedia performance collective. From 2013-2015, it transformed into its next installation – “Legends of Vietnam” which retold six Vietnamese legends through dance, visual art, text and live music featuring singer/songwriter Le Cat Trong Ly. Emily was featured and recognized in the Contemporary Performance Almanac 2015 for Standpoint Theories. In 2015, she created her alias, The Movement Kitchen - where she offers creative community outreach experiences and movement based workshops for the general public with an aim to spread knowledge about movement as a therapy, bring cultures together and encourage self-expression. She was a TED Talks key note speaker in 2016 speaking on the topic of The Importance of Collaboration in the Arts. Additionally, she is the recipient of two Civil Society grants from the United States Consulate of Ho Chi Minh City. She resided overseas for the past decade in North Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia - and moved back to Chicago in May of 2018. After her move back stateside, she co-founded Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Vietnam - a cyclical dance seminar that brings together dance artists and scholars from the USA and Vietnam to participate in panel discussions, lectures, workshops and dance performances that celebrate diversity, inclusivity and cultural diplomacy. It reinforces the US/Vietnamese legacy of reconciliation and continues to build these relationships through cultural diplomacy for the future of Art, education and freedom of expression in Vietnam.

“Projects led by local artists show a community that they themselves have agency and impact.” ~THE MOVEMENT KITCHEN

Duoc

Choreography by Chi Nguyen

Performer: Chi Nguyen

Music: American beauty OST

A short dance film inspired by the movie American Beauty.

Chi Nguyen is a Vietnamese dance artist who spent years overseas in Germany to study dance. She has recently come back to her home country with the hope of giving inspiration for the Arts community of Vietnam.

Hidden “Journey”

A dance film by Vo Thanh Nhon

Performers: Nhon Vo, Aindy Lu, Giao Giao, TB, Haru, Tran, Ngoc Duong

Music: Shape Shifting by Minh x My Anh

It is a “journey” we have no plan for. It comes from nowhere and takes me to the dark side, even in the most beautiful moment.

My dance piece was inspired by the phases I went through during my depression. A couple times I faced a phenomena, where I could not find out what I was suffering from. One day I acknowledged my depression and that the problems came from myself - not the things around me.

Nhon Vo’s dance experience is based in Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Experimental movement. He is a company member of The Lyricist in Ho Chi Minh City and is an emerging choreographer in Hip Hop in Vietnam.

Violet Curry

A dance film by Abigail Hinson

Music: The Rebels of Tijuna - Et Le Blizzard S'estomp

An ode to my muse.

Born and raised in Florida, Abigail Hinson has been pursuing Dance since she was twelve. In 2017, Abigail graduated from Florida State College at Jacksonville with her Associates Degree, and a focus in Dance in part of DanceWorks, the college’s repertory company. Abigail transferred to The University of South Florida to continue her studies in Dance, receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2020. As an undergrad student, Abigail was selected to travel abroad in USF’s Dance in Paris Program, a five month intensive study in France, Germany, and the Netherlands. She was also selected to perform works by Bliss Kholmyer and Jeanne Travers at Beijing Normal University, as part of USF’s China Exchange Program. Abigail has performed works choreographed by Robert Moses, Andee Scott, Michael Foley, Bliss Kohlmyer, Charles Anderson, Jennifer Archibald, and various other artists. She has participated in several intensives and workshops including American Ballet Theatre, Alonzo Lines Discovery Project, Florida Dance Festival, Potsdamer Tanztage, Kavin Grant: The Company Experience, and American College Dance Association. Summer of 2019, Abigail spent in Berlin, Germany to travel and work as an intern with International Festival, Potsdamer Tanztage 2019. Here, she studied under several teachers in Ballet, Contemporary, and floorwork techniques. Her passion for education and people lead her to teach within the community at local studios and schools. Abigail’s primary styles of study include Modern, Contemporary, Hip-hop, and Improvisation. She currently lives in Tampa, FL where she works as a certified yoga instructor, and performs in local live, and film dance work.

Artist Statement: For all the work I have, and will produce, I take the most pride in stating that it is composed of the essence of the people and things that surround me. I believe that we, persons, as a whole and individually, are made of influences— physical, emotional, and psychological. I am infatuated with the necessary dependencies that underlie all relationships amongst living beings. In life, and in dance, I have made it my primary focus to emphasize how people quite simply need each other. My work strives to revolve around ideas of coexistence, and how it affects the communities it creates.

Air (from Rhythms of a Nation)

A dance film by Dr. Alexander Tu Nguyen

Music Producer: Adam Pangburn aka ATP

Choreographer: Dr. Alexander Tu Nguyen & Ninetoes

Performers: Dr. Alexander Tu Nguyen, Bach Bach & Ninetoes

Video Production: Visual Assasins

Sponsored by: Trails of Indochina

Alexander Tú (Director of Performing Arts of Soul Music & Performing Arts Academy) is a choreographer, artist, dancer and educator with over 20 years of experience beginning with hip-hop dance and evolving to commercial street dance at industry standards. From 2004 to 2010, he was the executive director of Kaba Modern (University of California, Irvine) and of KM LEGACY (Los Angeles, California), and has been invited to perform at many prestigious venues throughout the US such as the ESPY’s awards, World of Dance and Hip-Hop International. Having completed his doctorate at Loma Linda University (California) under the Allied Health Professions, for occupational therapy, he taught hip-hop dance at Academy of Dance Studios (Tustin, California) and enjoyed working with children seeing their growth, development and understanding of movement in correlation to sound. In Vietnam, Alexander has been a judge on VTV6’s reality TV show ‘Star Academy/Học Viện Ngôi Sao’ Season 1; and together with Thanh Bui, he co-founded Dance Faculty, as part of Soul Music and Performing Arts Academy. He is also -Founder & Managing Director of The LYRICIST Dance Company with group LYRICÍST which was the first Vietnamese dance group to win Super 24 in Singapore in its history.

APRIL 17 & 18, 2021

9AM & 9PM

Escape from the Killing Fields

Choreography by Mary Mar

Performer: Mary Mar

Escape From the Killing Fields is an emotionally driven, theatrical dance piece motivated by her family’s journey to the United States in which they escaped the Khmer Rouge and the war in Cambodia. The music used is a mix from The Killing Fields soundtrack composed by Mike Oldfield released in 1984 and Sni Bong by Dengue Fever.

Mary Mar aka BGIRL MAMA is part of Hardcore Detroit & Venus Fly dance crews and the dance duo Mama2. Mary started her journey in the Hip Hop culture when she started breakin’ aka breakdancing in 2001. Since then, she has performed, judged, and competed throughout the United States and Canada. Mary runs a performing arts studio just north of Detroit, MI and hosts a free open session practice spot in Detroit empowering youth and adults of all ages through hip hop dance and culture. In 2016, Mary was selected to be part of the Caravanserai: American Voices Tour in which Muslim American artists shared their cross-cultural stories in unique, contemporary expressions. Mary introduced her solo project, Escape From the Killing Fields. Her solo project is an emotionally driven, theatrical dance piece motivated by her family’s journey to the United States in which they escaped the Khmer Rouge and the war in Cambodia. The music used is a mix from The Killing Fields soundtrack composed by Mike Oldfield released in 1984 and Sni Bong by Dengue Fever. Mary is also a competitive b-girl and won several competitions including 2011 Breakin’ the Law in Madison, Wisconsin; 2011 Grand Rapid’s Slam N Jam; the 2014 Detroit’s Quality All Styles Dance Competition; the 2016 On the Rocks battle. As she continues her journey with Hip Hop and dance, she never loses sight of who she is: a Cambodian Muslimah B-Girl.

Stepping on Snails

Choreography by J’Sun Howard

Co-creators: Pei-chen Tsai, Tung-chen Hsu, Ren-Kai Shue, Tsung-hsien Chen, En-wai Lin, and Ya-yu Chen

Stepping On Snails continues the Impermanent Ceremony Series, which is about belonging and mindfulness. Stepping On Snails is inspired by my first visit to Kaohsiung, Taiwan in the summer 2019.

J’Sun Howard (he/him) is a recipient of a 2020 National Performance Network Creation Fund Award, a 3Arts Award, and an inaugural City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events’ Esteemed Artist Award. His works have been presented at Links Hall, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Defibrillator Performance Gallery, Patrick’s Cabaret (Minneapolis, MN), Danspace Project (NYC), Center for Performance Research (NYC), Detroit Dance City Festival (Detroit, MI), New Dance Festival (Daejeon, South Korea) where he won Best Dance Choreographer and the World Dance Alliance’s International Young Choreographers’ Project (Kaohsiung,Taiwan), among others. He has been commissioned by Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago, World Dance Alliance, and The Art Institute of Chicago.

Appear-See

Choreography by Caitlyn Elie

Performer: Rachel Lambright

Music: 3’65 by Michael Wall

Appear–See is a solo work created about the process of stress being built up to the point where it starts to take over and you suddenly become stuck. Trying to figure out ways to approach it and deal with it until it eventually consumes you.

This work was presented at Jansen Dance project during Talking Bodies Choreographers Fest in January 2017 and at Hillsborough Community College at Moving Current's Winter Concert in January 2019.

Caitlyn Elie is a graduate of The University of South Florida, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance and Choreography with a Modern Concentration in 2017. Originally from Miami, Florida she attended New World School of the Arts and furthered her training in modern dance styles such as Horton, Graham, Limon, Cunningham, and Ballet. Caitlyn performed in works by Peter London, Gerard Ebitz, Lara Murphy, Dale Andree, and Tina Santos. While she attended USF, she had the honor of presenting original choreography and performed works by Ohad Naharin, Robert Moses, Andee Scott, Erin Cardinal, Bliss Kohlmyer, and Jeanne Travers. At the age of 20, she was able to travel to Paris, France during the summer of 2016 to study abroad under the dance program at USF. While in Paris she was able to work with other well known artists/choreographers such as Julien Desplantez, Catherine Dénécy, Clint Lutes, and Kevin Quinao. July of 2017, Caitlyn had joined Collective Soles Arts Group with Artistic Director Alex Jones as an apprentice and became a company member in January 2018. With the company she performed in Orlando, the Tampa Bay Area, St. Petersburg, LA and San Diego. Currently, Caitlyn is a local dance teacher in the Tampa Bay Area and a freelance dance artist. She is a Project-based dancer with Moving Current Dance Collective and Jeanne Travers and Dancers, which are both based in Tampa, FL. She's performed in GASP Fringe Festival, IDance Orlando, NewGrounds, St. Pete Fest and in Liverpool where she was able to attend their Leap Festival in November 2018. To continue, she is focusing on developing her movement vocabulary and working towards choreographing her own works and performing. She choreographed her first solo work after graduating titled "Appear - See" and premiered it at "Talking Bodies: Choreographers Fest". As she progresses in the dance field, she hopes to attend graduate school in the near future and continue choreographing new works.

Tunisian Nights

Choreography by Jeanne Travers

Performers: (Visionary Dance Theatre) Trixi Anne Agiao, Marty Anthony Dorado, Caitlin Rose Franco, Melissa Lenz, Ramon Montes, Drew Ornelas

Music: A Night in Tunisia Artist: Dizzy Gillespie

Tunisian Nights was inspired by the choreographer's time spent in Tunisia experiencing the vibrant and exotic culture of the country. Dizzy Gillespie's music, A Night in Tunisia, reflects the pulsing rhythm of life....where anything seems possible.

Jeanne Travers is a Professor within the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida where she teaches Contemporary Modern Dance, Choreography, and other dance related courses. She received her BA in Dance from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA from the University of Utah where she graduated with honors. Her choreography has been presented in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. She has also been a guest teacher in Australia, Bolivia, China, Ecuador, England, France, Italy, Germany, Korea, Trinidad, Tunisia, and Vietnam. Jeanne is also the Co-founder/Coordinator of the USF/China Dance Exchange Program between USF and Beijing Normal University in China. Her choreography, Visions of Peace was presented at the Theatre Dejazet in Paris, France under the high patronage of the Mayor of Paris. Additionally, her choreography has been presented at the at the International Fragmentos de Juno Festival in Ecuador, the International Celebrazione Festival in Italy, the Ties of Friendship International Dance Festival in La Paz, Bolivia, at the International Creative Dance Festival in Beijing, China, at the Yongin Poeun Art Hall in Seoul, Korea, at the International Choreographer’s Collective Festival in Trinidad, at the prestigious International El Djem Festival in Tunisia, at the International Edinburg Fringe Festival in Scotland, and at the Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange Seminar in Vietnam. She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants including the USF Kosove Outstanding Teaching and Service Award, the USF Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, The USF Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the USF TIP Award for Outstanding Teaching, a USF Woman in Leadership and Philanthropy Research Award, a USF Diversity award, numerous USF Sponsored Research Grants, Cultural Grants through Embassies, Outstanding Choreographic Grants through the State of Florida and International Cultural Grants. Jeanne Travers is also the Co-founder of Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

Enfolded

Choreography by Cindy Hennessy

Performers: Caitlyn Elie & Robert S. Kelley II

In Enfolded your eye is drawn to the image of the dancers sheltered in pools of light, encircled by the swirls of their costumes, and enveloped by each other. The music was composed, performed and edited specifically for this dance by Devin Rice, Cindy’s long-time collaborative partner with costumes designed by Anzia Arsenault and reconstructed by Erin Cardinal.

Cindy Hennessy swam, walked, and then danced, in that order. She is one of the 1997 founders of Moving Current Dance Collective, which to date has, produced over 75 concerts, presenting local and national choreographers, dancers, musicians, poets, actors, and visual artists. Annually with Moving Current she choreographs and oversees residencies. Her dances have been seen regularly throughout Florida, as a part of the Visions of Peace Project in Paris, France, and in Lisbon Portugal. Cindy earned a BFA in Dance at FSU and the last 14 years has focused on teaching Skinner Releasing Technique and improvisation, earning her Skinner Releasing Teacher Certification. Honors include: Hillsborough County Individual Artist Grant, State Artist Fellowship and Tampa Bay Treasured Artist of the Year. Her greatest award has been the privilege of working with many dedicated teachers, students, professional dancers and artists, who have given many hours of their talent to her creative endeavors.

Knockout

Created & Directed by Erin Kilmurray

Movement + Performance by Erin Kilmurray and Kara Brody

Sound Design by Corey Smith

Knockout is a choreographic collage built from odd obsessions, girl-on-girl fight sequences, self-defense training manuals, 70’s sexploitation films, and cinematic landscape. A fierce duet between two women, the work quickly jumps within real and imagined worlds, agitating when they are empowered, exploited, or entertaining.

Knockout was commissioned as part of a larger rep program for The Cambrian’s Chicago Dances 2020.

Kilmurray is a dance artist, space-maker and performance producer building genre-straddling works challenging conventions of gender, agency, and spectatorship that enlivens the body and environment. Erin is currently a Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist (2020), listed on Newcity Magazine’s 50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago (2020), and has been supported through Chicago Dancemakers Forum’s Greenhouse Grant (2018) and 3Arts Make-A-Wave + 3AP Award (2018).

She is best known for The Fly Honey Show—a decade-long performance project whose mission is to elevate women + queer individuals through a movement culture of burlesque and variety as embodied liberation, acknowledged as a Chicago institution by the Chicago Reader in 2018.

Born from athletics, DIY sensibilities, spectacle, music videos, and dance teams, Kilmurray crafts fierce energy and vivid imagery using contemporary dance forms, social practices, theater and a longstanding relationship with nightlife culture.

Her independent projects have gathered a multitude of artists and their audiences, building long-lasting cross-genre collaborations inside social, dance-forward work. Resonating in a number of spaces, her work has been presented in Chicago performance spaces + collectives Links Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Dance Center of Columbia College, Pivot Arts Festival, The Cambrian’s, The Inconvenience, among others; music venues + nightclubs Thalia Hall, Empty Bottle, Logan Square Auditorium, Metro, Berlin Nightclub, Beauty Bar Chicago; film festivals including In/Motion Film Festival, Flatlands Film Festival, Jacksonville Dance Film Festival, and toured her work SEARCH PARTY in cultural- exchange to dancebox-Kobe in Japan (2019). She has choreographed for countless underground spaces, independent makers, parties, concerts, and musical artists, as well as equity theatrical productions with Court Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Kilmurray has attended residency through a Co-Mission Residency, High Concept Labs, University of Chicago Performance Lab, and approached her regular performances at Salonathon as a research tool for her ongoing projects.

She teaches extensively with Lucky Plush Productions and The Cambrian’s, held guest artist positions through the Theater and Performance Studies department (University of Chicago), Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, Loyola University, Beloit College, Columbia College Chicago, and Ball State, and creates a space for Chicago freelance dancer and teachers through her pick up class series, CONTEMPORARY FORMS dancing class.

Stringz

Choreography and performance by Haleem ‘Stringz’ Rasul

Jit dance performance by Haleem "Stringz" Rasul at his film premiere held inside of the Detroit Film Theatre. Film entitled: The Jitterbugs: Pioneers of the Jit.

This piece was performed with a live musical and vocal arrangement by Richard Newman and Liza Bielby, founders of the Hinterlands. Richard and Liza were major contributors in the development of this piece and are frequent collaborators with Haleem.

Haleem "Stringz" Rasul has taught dance workshops and presented choreography at Columbia College Chicago, Eastern Michigan University, Oakland Community College, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, California State University, and has also given international workshops in parts of China, Sweden, Windsor and Quebec.

In 2015, the Zimbabwe Cultural Center in Detroit (ZCCD), a collaboration with the Jibilika Dance Trust, sponsored a dance residency in Harare, Zimbabwe, where Haleem conducted research and interviews and led workshops in Mutare and other various towns. In 2016 Haleem attended the Next Level Hip Hop Diplomacy program in Indonesia that promoted cultural exchange and mutual understanding as well as a dance residency in Kurdistan through Yes Academy and American Voices.

Haleem was awarded the Kresge Artist Fellowship in 2010 and was a recipient of the Knights Arts Challenge grant in 2013. In 2018, Haleem served as a King • Chavez • Parks Visiting Professor at The University of Michigan and was presented with The Copperfoot Award for choreography from Wayne State University in 2019.

APRIL 17 & 18, 2021

10AM & 10PM

Tứ Phủ

Choreography by Black Jack (ft. Shien)

Lipsync by Drag Queen Skarlet (Cô Bơ)

Performers: Black Jack, Skarlet, Shien, Ya Bai, Thao Nguyen, Phuong Thanh, Zoey & Aqua

Music: Hoàng Thuỳ Linh - Tứ Phủ (ft Hồ Hoài Anh - Triple D)

Danh Thanh Tran a.k.a. Skarlet is a pioneer of Waacking in Vietnam alongside his creative partner, Black Jack. He’s the leader of Fancy Crew and founder of IHOW Waacking Vietnam. Since 2000, he has been teaching the art of Waacking in HCMC and performing as a drag queen in plays, fashion shows, TMA Idol and Show Off events throughout Vietnam.

He has been featured on television in various showcases on VTV2 and VTV6. In 2016, he was the main actor in the documentary film “Lộng Lẫy – Rise Like a Phoenix” featuring Tyrone Proctor - a documentary about Waacking, Drag Queen’s and Hip Hop in Vietnam. This documentary has been broadcasted in HCMC and Hanoi. Scarlet has also hosted Waacking battles and workshops throughout S.E. Asia since 2013.

Strange Winds

Choreography by Jeanne Travers in collaboration with Oanh Nguyen
Music: Rafael Anton Irisarri

Strange Winds is a solo work that reflects the uncertainties and rapid changes of today's world, and its effects on individuals in society.

Jeanne Travers is a Professor within the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida where she teaches Contemporary Modern Dance, Choreography, and other dance related courses. She received her BA in Dance from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA from the University of Utah where she graduated with honors. Her choreography has been presented in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. She has also been a guest teacher in Australia, Bolivia, China, Ecuador, England, France, Italy, Germany, Korea, Trinidad, Tunisia, and Vietnam. Jeanne is also the Co-founder/Coordinator of the USF/China Dance Exchange Program between USF and Beijing Normal University in China. Her choreography, Visions of Peace was presented at the Theatre Dejazet in Paris, France under the high patronage of the Mayor of Paris. Additionally, her choreography has been presented at the at the International Fragmentos de Juno Festival in Ecuador, the International Celebrazione Festival in Italy, the Ties of Friendship International Dance Festival in La Paz, Bolivia, at the International Creative Dance Festival in Beijing, China, at the Yongin Poeun Art Hall in Seoul, Korea, at the International Choreographer’s Collective Festival in Trinidad, at the prestigious International El Djem Festival in Tunisia, at the International Edinburg Fringe Festival in Scotland, and at the Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange Seminar in Vietnam. She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants including the USF Kosove Outstanding Teaching and Service Award, the USF Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, The USF Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the USF TIP Award for Outstanding Teaching, a USF Woman in Leadership and Philanthropy Research Award, a USF Diversity award, numerous USF Sponsored Research Grants, Cultural Grants through Embassies, Outstanding Choreographic Grants through the State of Florida and International Cultural Grants. Jeanne Travers is also the Co-founder of Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

Oanh Nguyen (Bella) Oanh Nguyen is a freelance dancer, currently living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She recently graduated from the professional dancer - training system 4K11 which included: Ballet, Contemporary, Vietnamese Folk Dance and Foreign Personality Dance at HCM Dance School (Vietnam At the School, Oanh was selected to perform in programs organized by Experimental Theater-HCM Dance School such as: “Khát vọng tuổi trẻ”, “365 Days”, “Tổ Quốc”(Vietnam). Oanh also participated in and performed the 7th No Borders project organized by UNITY SPACE in Experimental Theater - HCM Dance School. She presented her first work in collaboration with her co-star as "Ranh Giới" at HCMC Dance School. She has been a guest performer in “The Sack” – a series of performances created by Chung Nguyen, who is a choreographer/ performance artist/ movement educator based in HCMC at Mot+++ in the program Performance Plus 2019. Additionally, in 2020, she took the online course “The Dance of Organs”, under the guidance of Chung Nguyen. In 2020, Oanh was again a guest performer in “The Sack” by Chung Nguyen at No Cai Bum Art Week; - an annual contemporary art week organized by artists in Hue (Vietnam).

Liminality

A dance film by Jennifer Akalina Petuch

Co-Directors: Jennifer Akalina Petuch & Annali Rose

Dancer & Choreographer: Annali Rose

Music: Lincoln Sandham

Cinematographer & Camera Operator: Jennifer Akalina Petuch

Costume Designer: Annali Rose

Video Editor: Jennifer Akalina Petuch

Filmed on location at Madison Blue Spring State Park in Lee, Florida

Liminality is inspired by reimagining what Odette may have experienced upon plunging to her death in the lake from the classical ballet "Swan Lake". It is a moment of suspended reality and a story of disenchantment, self-discovery and transformation. In our modern world we know that “happily ever after” is a journey and we have the ability to exercise our own agency to create our experience. In our story, the heroine is exploring the space in between life and death. She is coming to terms with the end of her world as she knew it and finding the strength and courage to move into a new existence.

We see this story as a metaphor for what many ballet dancers experience upon the imminent journey of their retirement from professional careers. On stage there is always a happy ending. For example, Seigfried in "Swan Lake" immediately realizes his mistake in being seduced by another woman, seeks forgiveness from Odette, and follows her off the cliff to his death so they can be reunited in the afterlife. But what is the reality for the dancers who play these characters? When the fairytale is over, what happens next?

The dancer and choreographer of Liminality, Annali Rose, is searching to answer that question for herself. She is using her heart as a guide to follow what brings her joy. As someone who is new to choreography, she wanted to begin this journey in the only place she had felt inspired to play with choreography in her past—underwater. The water is symbolic of the feeling of drowning and the death of her identity as a professional dancer. But it also envelops her, providing safety, support, and the spark of joy that is the magical seed of regeneration.

The cinematography was captured by artist and digital choreographer, Jennifer Akalina Petuch, at the Madison Blue Spring State Park in Lee County Florida during January 2020. Having a sharp eye for 2-D composition in Dance and a steady hand, Petuch used her skills of swimming, experience as a professional dancer, and a simple GoPro to film and then create the underwater work.

For more information, please visit: www.japetuch.com

Jennifer A. Petuch is currently Adjunct Faculty and Staff at Florida State University's School of Dance. Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, she trained for fourteen years at the Academy of Ballet Florida and performed in professional ballets with the Company of Ballet Florida in pieces such as Marie Hale’s "The Nutcracker", "Romeo and Juliet", and "Sleeping Beauty". She graduated magna cum laudé from the University of South Florida achieving a Bachelor’s in Dance Studies. At USF, she danced in several notable pieces including Gretchen Warren’s, "Les Sylphides" and Doug Varone’s, "Sacre du Printemps". Jennie participated in the USF Dance in Paris Program in the summer of 2010 working with well-known choreographers, Claudia Lavista and Michael Foley. After graduating, she taught at three dance studios in the Tampa Bay area as well as performing and choreographing with Shoes at the Door Dance Company.

Petuch graduated summa cum laudé from Florida State University’s School of Dance Program with her Master of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance with a focus in Dance Technology in 2017. While attending FSU, she performed in multiple pieces such as Tim Glenn’s, "RIDE", Joséphine Garibaldi’s, "Land of the Pick and Choose", and a Tedx Talk in Spring of 2015. She also became certified by Balanced Body, Inc. as a Pilates Mat instructor in 2017. Her MFA thesis resulted in a two-year collaboration with the FSU Computer Science faculty and students creating an original interactive motion-tracking software for the stage called "ViFlow". She creates screendances, projections, and uses new technology to enhance the performance experience. Her life-long mission as a performing artist and choreographer is to create work that resonates with the audience members. Her goal is for them to walk out of the theater thinking back on their experience feeling stimulated and inspired.

Parts Undone

A dance film by Crystal Delgiudice-Williams

Performer: Crystal Delgiudice-Williams

Music Composed By: Tommy Halla
Film: Rhoads Film Co

“Suddenly she relieved that what she was regretting was not the lost past but the lost future, not what had not been but what would never be.”

A Nice Quiet Place

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Crystal spent 10 years as a competitive gymnast. She later went on to receive her BFA in Dance performance from the University of South Florida. During her studies, she performed works by choreographers such as, Doug Varone, Jenifer Salk, Maurice Causey, Colleen Thomas, Andrew Carrol, and Andy Scott. In addition, Crystal has performed and studied abroad in the Dance in Paris Program. She was selected to perform in the International Creative Dance Seminar held in Beijing, China. Crystal has danced professionally with companies such as, Staib Dance, Moving Current Dance Collective, and Rogue Dance. She has also performed works by noted choreographers Adele Myers, Doug Gillespie, Bliss Kohlmyer, Jeanne Travers, Kristin O’Neal, Lauren Slone, Paula Kramer, Kyle & Gina Bolas, Victoria Marks, and Loren Davidson. Crystal has taught master classes throughout Florida at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, St. Petersburg College, South Florida Dance Company, and Tree CoLab. She has also taught a master class and performed internationally at the Soul Music & Performance Arts Academy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Crystal has worked as guest choreographer for places such as, St. Petersburg College, Sarasota Contemporary summer intensive program and Sarasota Dance Contemporary. Most recently, she coproduced and performed solo work to promote artists in all fields in the Agape Project in Stuart, FL. Crystal continues to build her repertoire of work as a freelance dancer, choreographer, and advocate for all art forms.

doubled

A dance film by Sadie Lehmker and Molly Paberzs

Choreographers: Sadie Lehmker and Molly Paberzs

Performers: Sadie Lehmker and Molly Paberzs

Music/Composer: "Rift" by Hilary Hahn & Hauschka

Sadie Lehmker is a freelance dancer and choreographer with roots in the Tampa Bay area. Sadie received her MFA in Dance at the University of Michigan and her B.A. in Dance Studies from the University of South Florida. She has performed the work of Charles Gushue/Gushue Moving Arts, Xan Burley + Alex Spring/the Median Movement, Erin Cardinal, Jeanne Travers, Alex Jones, Michael Foley, and Meredith Monk, and performed in the 2010 USF School of Theatre and Dance’s production of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company’s Serenade/The Proposition. She has performed across Florida, in New York City, in Michigan, in California, in Paris, and in Vietnam. Sadie has set her choreography throughout Central Florida at the University of South Florida, Florida Southern College, St. Petersburg College, Moving Current Dance Collective, Florida Dance Arts, America's Ballet School, Florida Dance Festival, and Shoes at the Door Dance. Her choreography has been accepted into several festivals in Florida, and has been showcased in southeast Michigan and in Vietnam. Currently, Sadie is an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida, Florida Southern College, and Eckerd College. Sadie also continues to teach master classes and work her own choreographic projects in the Central Florida area.

Molly Paberzs is a performer, choreographer, and educator originally from Ann Arbor, MI. Her work centers improvisational and collaborative artmaking practices. Molly has been a part-time lecturer at Eastern Michigan University since fall 2017, and was a guest choreographer for the EMU dance program in 2019-2020. Molly holds an MFA in dance from the University of Michigan and recently served as Rehearsal Direction for U-M’s Department of Dance. She is also Curatorial Assistant for U-M’s Daring Dances initiative.

Molly received her BFA in Modern Dance Performance with an emphasis in Choreography from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. As an artist in Philadelphia, Molly produced work for the Philly Fringe Festival, Mascher Dance Space Co-op, Philly Dance Fest, at Dance New Amsterdam in New York City, and was the recipient of the CEC New Edge Mix Artist grant. Molly performed with Group Motion Dance Company and independent artists Nicole Bindler, Curt Haworth, and John Luna before returning home to the midwest to pursue arts administration and advocacy. Molly continues to perform locally and across the country as an independent artist.

Sunshine & City Lights

A dance film by Haru & Moon

Music: Greyson Chance

Haru is a choreographer for the Saigon based dance company The LYRCIST. Moon is a member of The LYRICIST. Together, this is their 3rd year joining Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

Impermanence

A dance film by Robert S. Kelley II

Performers: Samantha Cressman & Samantha Kedziora

Music: An Agreement by Micheal Wall

Robert S. Kelley II, received his Associates of Arts in Dance Performance from Valencia College and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance with a concentration in Modern Dance from the University of South Florida. Mr. Kelley has had the opportunity to perform the works of renowned artist including Robert Moses, Ohad Naharin, Alonzo King, Xiao Xiangrong and, Jacques Heim. His international performances include dancing in Trinidad and Tobago in 2014 and 2016, China in 2015, South Korea in 2017 and, United Kingdom in 2018. One of Mr. Kelley’s recent performances was part of the first annual conference, HOLDING COMMON GROUND: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in April 2019. Robert has presented his choreography at various venues including Valencia College, The University of South Florida and, St. Petersburg College. Most recent works include the premiere of Formulated Freeverse as part of, Holding Common Ground. This was a collaboration with Florida-based artist, Katrina Soricelli. Robert is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts at The California Institute of The Arts.

Samantha Cressman grew up in Pennsylvania and has been dancing for 17 years. She was part of a competition performance team for 5 years, 4 of which she held the title of team captain. She was honored to compete at Regional, National, and International competitions. Samantha has been trained in the styles of Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz/Musical Theater, Lyrical, Hip Hop and Acro. Samantha went on to study Applied Dance with a focus on Brain-Compatible Dance Education at the University of Tampa and earned her Bachelor of Arts in May 2019. Throughout her education, she has studied with and performed works for artists such as Bill Evans, Jon Lehrer, and LA-based Amanda Kay White. She also had the opportunity to choreograph for and perform in multiple shows at The University of Tampa. Post Graduation, Samantha became a part of Tampa Bay’s professional dance collective “Moving Current” and had the opportunity to work with Maryland/D.C. based dance company “Orange Grove Dance”. Since Samantha began her professional performance journey she has had the opportunity to work with “Central Florida Choreographers Collaboration” and “Poetica Dance” on various dance performances or dance film projects.

Sammy Kedziora began dancing at age eight and after twelve years of classes, performances, and experiences, she is continuing her dance studies at USF, concentrating in Modern along with minoring in the field of psychology. She grew up dancing competitively in Chicago, Illinois, then relocated to Tampa, Florida, where she currently resides. Her past notable dance involvements include dancing for Diavolo Architecture in Movement in their Tampa Veterans Project, being a USF Sundoll for the 2020-2021 season, taking part in the 2020 Central Florida Choreography Collaboration season, the Dancing in the Time of Coronavirus Reverberation series, various community performances, taking master classes from multiple dancers and choreographers, along with being involved in her studio or department concerts and recitals.

Nắng đêm
A dance film by Trần Hà Hoàng Uyên

Performers: Trần Hà Hoàng Uyên & Tuấn Cảnh

A story about a girl’s unrequited love being told through her diary.

Trần Hà Hoàng Uyên has been a member of The LYRICIST dance company at Soul Music and Performing Arts Academy since 2018. She has participated in the international dance training programs – ISTD. Uyên achievements with The LYRICIST include 1st place in the Urban Dance Fest sponsored by Hennessy, Top 5 at Super 24 Singapore in 2018, Top 16 at Arena Singapore in 2019, and 1st place at Super 24 Singapore in 2019.

Đôi Khi

Music: Đôi Khi by Nodey ft. Suboi

Choreography: Ngo Thanh Phuong

From the director:

My own words about the MV Đôi Khi:

"Beautiful chaos, intrinsic spirituality.

Deconstructing, reimagining.

Learning, unlearning.

Love, birth, family."

~ Anh Phi

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About the choreographer

Ngo Thanh Phuong raduated in 2008 from the Folkwang Hochschule (Folkwang University) in Essen, Germany. Phuong came home to Vietnam and worked with Ea Sola Dance Company. After that, worked at the acclaimed Arabesque Dance Company as one of the key choreographer. At the same time, she has collaborated with many different artists from different disciplines, made many different experimental works and founded the Open Stage Project.

In 2012, Phuong received the Best Choreography Award at the International Modern Dance competition in Korea, and a grant from the Danish Cultural Development and Exchange Fund (CDEF) for her experimental work ‘Erasable’ at the same year. In 2013, she got 3 months grant for residency 2014 from Cleveland Foundation in Ohio, USA. In 2015, cooperated with ‘A O Show’ creators and participated in the choreography of ‘The Mist’ from the early days, Phuong has bonded and shared visions with Lune Production’s artistic board members. She now played central role as choreographer for Teh Dar show, the latest cultural new circus spectacle from Lune Production. At the same year, she got 6 months fellowship for residency 2016 from Asian Cultural Council in New York, International Choreographer Residency from American Dance Festival in North Carolina, and the residency collaborate with composer program in Pocantico Center , USA. Since 2017, she started to focus on the relationship between native culture and contemporary culture, a bridge between traditional mind and contemporary life. So she starts to research and work with the natives from Tay Nguyen highlands with “Thoai” and Champa with “Palao”. At the moment she wants to focus on building the contemporary dance community in Hoi An firstly with X project by MORUA dance group based in Hoi An.

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Directed by: Anh Phi Trần (Cako)

Co-produced by Booncha, Clubhouse, Paume

Executive Producers: Trâm T N Phạm, Cako

Director of Photography: Ray Lavers

Post-production: Paume

Artist Manager: Kiwi Phan

#proudlymadeinvietnam

Producer: Paul Vĩ Minh

Production team (Clubhouse): Noan Do, Hào Trương

UPM: Minh Ánh Phạm

Production Assistants: Janny Lê, Châu

1st AD: Chop Tn

2nd AD: Tít Phạm

Production Design : Travipome

Art assistant : Linh Abi

Props master: Nhứt’s team

Costume Designer/Stylist: Tiger Trần & Alex Fox

Cultural researcher: Lê Viết Thi

Artist stylists: Nguyễn Hoàng Tú, Vicki Virus

Dancer stylists/brands : Huyền Huyền Thanh, Đào Minh Hiếu, Vũ Long, Kiều Hân, Thái Huy, Mamavirus, Lê Ngọc Hà Thu, Môi Điên

Special thanks to stylist and consultant: Liễu Liễu

Hairs/Make-up: Xị Quan Lê Team

Choreographer: Ngô Thanh Phương

Dancers: Huỳnh Đắc Phúc, Nguyễn Công Nguyên, Nguyên Nguyễn, Thương Lê, Nguyễn Hoàng Anh, Nguyễn Hữu Khang

Hon Vong Phu Dancers : The Movers (Jenny Luu) - Nguyễn Đình Bảo Bảo, Nguyễn Quang Trung, Nguyễn Thái Thuận, Đặng Phúc Hậu, Trần Quốc Bảo, Huỳnh Quốc Phúc, Nguyễn Minh Trực, Lê Văn Khánh Linh, Lâm Nguyễn Trinh Anh, Huỳnh Ngọc Minh Châu, Nguyễn Phương Thuý, Văn Thị Thái Vi, Nguyễn Huỳnh Như, Đỗ Hoàng Khang Ninh, Võ Thanh Vy, Trần Ngọc Kim Thy, Thạch Hiểu Lăng, Thái Thị Thuỳ Trinh, Trần Nguyễn Tú Uyên, Nguyễn Huỳnh Quỳnh Nhi.

Talent coordinator: Mike Pham

Location manager: Mây Trần, Phi

Steadicam Operator: Tùng Thanh Lê - Steadile

Spotter: Lê Nam Dương (Bi)

2nd Camera Operator: Vinh Phuc

Focus Puller: Long Focus

Gaffer: Phụng PS

Equipment: PS Vietnam

Editing: Cako, Paume

Color-grading: Marine Surblé

Lookbook photographer: Phương Vũ

BTS Videographer: Marc Ressang, Trang Doan

BTS : Hai-Anh Tran, Hong Anh Nguyen

BTS Photographer: Thủy Trúc

Storyboard artist: Tano Nguyen

Special thanks to U.J.V.F, Livio Grossi, Phan Viet Quoc Huy, Piu Piu, Institut Francais de HCMV, Lief Hotel, Yuän

APRIL 17 & 18, 2021

11AM & 11PM

Stirrings of the Soul

Choreography by Jeanne Travers

Performers: Kate Alava, Nicolay Dorsett, Sofia Downing, Summer Ewing, Abigail Hinson, Caitlyn Schoen

Music: Dee Dickenson, Sainhko Namchylak, Paul Tinsley
Costumes: Elizabeth Bougois

Stirrings of the Soul drew its inspiration from the choreographer’s travels to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The powerful images of the Temple ruins suggest a sense of spirit souls that seem to navigate along with us throughout time and space.

Jeanne Travers is a Professor within the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida where she teaches Contemporary Modern Dance, Choreography, and other dance related courses. She received her BA in Dance from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA from the University of Utah where she graduated with honors. Her choreography has been presented in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. She has also been a guest teacher in Australia, Bolivia, China, Ecuador, England, France, Italy, Germany, Korea, Trinidad, Tunisia, and Vietnam. Jeanne is also the Co-founder/Coordinator of the USF/China Dance Exchange Program between USF and Beijing Normal University in China. Her choreography, Visions of Peace was presented at the Theatre Dejazet in Paris, France under the high patronage of the Mayor of Paris. Additionally, her choreography has been presented at the at the International Fragmentos de Juno Festival in Ecuador, the International Celebrazione Festival in Italy, the Ties of Friendship International Dance Festival in La Paz, Bolivia, at the International Creative Dance Festival in Beijing, China, at the Yongin Poeun Art Hall in Seoul, Korea, at the International Choreographer’s Collective Festival in Trinidad, at the prestigious International El Djem Festival in Tunisia, at the International Edinburg Fringe Festival in Scotland, and at the Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange Seminar in Vietnam. She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants including the USF Kosove Outstanding Teaching and Service Award, the USF Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, The USF Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the USF TIP Award for Outstanding Teaching, a USF Woman in Leadership and Philanthropy Research Award, a USF Diversity award, numerous USF Sponsored Research Grants, Cultural Grants through Embassies, Outstanding Choreographic Grants through the State of Florida and International Cultural Grants. Jeanne Travers is also the Co-founder of Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

Little Histories

An improvised work by STäD

Little Histories is an improvised work that builds on a shared knowledge and practice. The sound present is alarms from our individual cell phones. Over the past year, we have worked with no score, through a process of Compositional Improvisation, as learned through methodologies taught by The Architects, and originally codified through dancer Judith Dunn and jazz musician Bill Dixon. Through Compositional Improvisation, we make choices in the moment and layer in structure and form as an ensemble. We have performed three iterations of Little Histories, its duration ranging between 10-12 minutes in length. This recording is from a performance at the Never Before, Never Again Festival in Brooklyn, NY, USA. The piece is entirely improvised.

STäD is a movement improvisation collective with Suzy Grant, Angela Gronroos, Tina Peterzell, and Donnell Williams. Between 2002 -- 2005, our training overlapped while we were all students at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. Since that time, we have worked together in various iterations or groupings, but never as this quartet. During the summer in 2019, we met for lunch and were discussing our desires around dance and performance...from there STäD was born. We began sharing and exploring our individual training in improvisation while also cultivating a shared practice which pushes the risk and edge, informed by our collective knowledge and distinct lineages. We are four improvisors with different vocabularies of and relationships to dance and improvisation. Collectively, we are interested in the lines, boundaries, and spaces between forms that reflect our very personal experiences in life—often identifying across many boundaries and hyphenates, yet always existing in the places between. Part and parcel to our practice is a root in exploring sexuality and spectrums of masculinity while leaning into influential, disparate disciplines. We facilitate experiences that make room for improvised movement to reveal, explore, and, yes, compose. Audiences are exposed to a space in which we—as artist and audience together—can conceptualize, witness, and consider experiences and ideas previously unfamiliar. There is a tension that manifests as a result of being human and we attempt to balance and investigate our world by working at the fringes of the mundane and the ethereal. This includes organizing a practice around repetition and ritual-driven exercises that ultimately put spirits in the room to connect to the known and unknown. This hybridity—with play, practice, and awareness, too—aims at channeling a connection to temporal existences that underscore intuition. The development of this practice challenges us to negotiate the felt connection of bodies in space and time. With STäD widespread, we endeavor to consider the energy that tethers three of us in and around Chicago to one of us in New York. The process evolves through video conferencing, text messages, short recorded improvisations, shared writings and other impulses. We are interested in how we can expand our practice and process in this moment of isolation, developing a shared practice around the obstacle of proximity and how this will inform our connection to the concept of audience/witness/participant. STäD performed at the Never Before Never Again Festival in Brooklyn, New York (January 2020), Jello Dance in Chicago, IL (March 2020) and is honored to be part of the Chicago Moving Company’s STAIR program.

aMoritorium

Choreography by J’Sun Howard

Co-creators: Dedrick "D. Banks" Gray, Solomon Bowser, and Jared Brown

aMoratorium was initially commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago to respond to its retrospective of Charles Wilbert White, a visual artist who powerfully interpreted African American history, culture, and lives over the course of his four-decade career. aMoratorium explores Black male identity, visibility, temporality, and its absence, and further examines death as it relates to the Black church and Black spiritual traditions. It is an intimate performance that expresses generous, compassionate and loving play between Black and Brown men in our current socio-political climate.

Full version available here.

J’Sun Howard (he/him) is a recipient of a 2020 National Performance Network Creation Fund Award, a 3Arts Award, and an inaugural City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events’ Esteemed Artist Award. His works have been presented at Links Hall, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Defibrillator Performance Gallery, Patrick’s Cabaret (Minneapolis, MN), Danspace Project (NYC), Center for Performance Research (NYC), Detroit Dance City Festival (Detroit, MI), New Dance Festival (Daejeon, South Korea) where he won Best Dance Choreographer and the World Dance Alliance’s International Young Choreographers’ Project (Kaohsiung,Taiwan), among others. He has been commissioned by Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago, World Dance Alliance, and The Art Institute of Chicago.

All the Suns Behind Us

Choreography by Sadie Lehmker

Music: “Familiar Things Disappear” and “Rode Null” by Hauschka

Performers: Gemma Cardinale, Colleen Gallagher, Hannah Gomez, Sadie Reimer, Shannon Smyth, Kaylee Truitt, and Jeannine Widere

Sadie Lehmker is a freelance dancer and choreographer with roots in the Tampa Bay area. Sadie received her MFA in Dance at the University of Michigan and her B.A. in Dance Studies from the University of South Florida. She has performed the work of Charles Gushue/Gushue Moving Arts, Xan Burley + Alex Spring/the Median Movement, Erin Cardinal, Jeanne Travers, Alex Jones, Michael Foley, and Meredith Monk, and performed in the 2010 USF School of Theatre and Dance’s production of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company’s Serenade/The Proposition. She has performed across Florida, in New York City, in Michigan, in California, in Paris, and in Vietnam. Sadie has set her choreography throughout Central Florida at the University of South Florida, Florida Southern College, St. Petersburg College, Moving Current Dance Collective, Florida Dance Arts, America's Ballet School, Florida Dance Festival, and Shoes at the Door Dance. Her choreography has been accepted into several festivals in Florida, and has been showcased in southeast Michigan and in Vietnam. Currently, Sadie is an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida, Florida Southern College, and Eckerd College. Sadie also continues to teach master classes and work her own choreographic projects in the Central Florida area.

Rebuke It! (Excerpt)

Choreography by Marceia L. Scruggs in collaboration with Dedrick D. Banks Gray

Marceia L. Scruggs | Marceia L. Scruggs is a dancemaker, creator, and collaborator. She is a 2019 Links Hall Co-Mission artist and 2019 Chicago Dancemakers Forum (CDF) Greenhouse recipient. As a creative, Marceia values writing, performance, and storytelling highly driven by her inquiry in womxn’s/gender studies and rooted in high energy movement practice. Her work has been presented at RAD Fest (Kalamazoo, MI), Old Town School of Folk Music, La Femme Dance Festival, Links Hall (Chicago), Black Coffee & Raw Sugar Series, and The Edge Theatre (Chicago). Additionally, this is Marceia's fourth season as a company member with Red Clay Dance Company.

When the Petals Fall

A work of projectALCHEMY

Choreography by Alexander Jones

Performers: Nicholas Dalton-Crotty, Carissa Bishop, and Kirsten Standridge

Music: PYANOOK "Impromptu Reggae" and Phillip Glass - Simone Dinnerstein "Etude No.6"

It starts simple at first. Eye contact. A gentle nod. Body language. The conversation consists of gestures, all invitations to further the conversations. Then comes the pact. The agreement. Consent. A budding connection blooms into a ravishing relationship. Cycles spin chaotically in beautiful rhythmic patterns, culminating in unified release. The petals fall gentle in the glow of the sun.

Alexander Jones is a graduate of the University of South Florida's Dance Department with a BFA in Dance Performance and a recent MFA graduate Hollins University. Prior to his collegiate training at USF, Jones received training from the LINES Ballet BFA Program under direction of Marina Hotchkiss. He has had the opportunity to work with Alonzo King, Bill T. Jones in Serenade/The Proposition, and Doug Varone in The Rite of Spring. He has performed in Tunisia, Africa with the University of South Florida on behalf of the American Embassy and the Tunisian Dance Federation. He had a 13 year career as a performer and equity dancer at Walt Disney World, performing in stage shows such as Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, and Dream Along with Mickey. He is an alumnus of ArchCore40 in NYC and works closely with choreographer Jennifer Archibald as her choreographer assistant in the Florida Dance Festival. In 2012, he choreographed and directed his first evening length work entitled First You, Then The Rest at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, FL. In the Spring of 2013, Jones joined Yow Dance Company and had the honor of choreographing works for the company for both Spring Into Dance and the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Later that Fall, he returned to the Studio@620 to premiere his second evening-length work, Contact. Jones participated in Project GenYes! at the Studio@620 made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation premiering his third evening-length work, Uncovered: Power of the Being at the Studio@620. In 2016, Jones became the Artistic Director of Collective Soles Dance making it his mission to connect the Tampa Bay area through collaboration. The following year Alex was one of the resident choreographers at the Florida Dance Festival where he premiered his latest work behind the Front. Jones is on faculty at the University of Tampa and Florida Southern College teaching techniques classes that help students prepare for both concert and commercial stages. Currently, Jones is the Dance Artist in Residence at the Studio@620 and founder of St. Pete based dance company, projectALCHEMY.