Jane Franklin Dance

The Big Meow…..

2011-10-11T05:54:00.001-07:00

After the performance: It’s Dance Time Workshops
Express yourself and find your passion in the performing arts. This one-time fun filled workshop with the dancers from the Big Meow cast incorporates creative problem solving and physical story-telling.

Sunday, October 16
@ The Athenaeum – 201 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA

1:30 pm performance/2 pm – 2:45 pm workshop

Tickets
Children: $7 performance
Performance & workshop for $15

Adults: $12 performance
both performance & workshop for $20

www.janefranklin.com/dance-education/performances-for-children

October 16 - 23

2011-10-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

Jane Franklin Dance

The Big Meow
(a performance for children) where Little Cat, who desperately wants to belong to the group, is taunted by the neighborhood felines because his meow is too loud. Adapted from the book by Elizabeth Spires.

October 16 –
The Athenaeum, 201 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA
Sunday, October 16
1:30 pm performance; 2 pm – 2:45 pm workshop
tickets: www.janefranklin.com/performances
Discount: www.janefranklin.com/discount

Drop
Premiere of Drop, performed to live music composed by Jonathan Kolm "Terra Secundum"

Wednesday, Oct 19 at 7:30 pm
Rachel M. Schlesinger
Concert Hall & Art Center, Alexandria
3001 N Beauregard Street, Alexandria

FREE

A Vivid Sense of Place
A Vivid Sense of Place connects landscape paintings by Freya Grand with music by local composer Steven Rogers to underline the emotional pull of earth and environment. Distant places in Ireland, Iceland, the Andes of Peru, and the Kalahari Desert resonant whether the location has been visited or only imagined.

Oct 20, 21 at 8 pm and Oct 23 at 2 pm -
Velocity DC at Sidney Harman Hall presented by WPAS and Dance/MetroDC

703-933-1111 | http://www.janefranklin.com

Top 10 Fundraising Tips

2011-07-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Fundraising Tips

click on the link above for some good info and ideas. Right now we are working on a series of thank yous to various arts commissions and grants panels. These will be sent via postal mail, but it would be great to take some time to place some calls.
Perhaps we could try this idea at our next Board Meeting?

Take A Deep Breath - Art That Moves

2011-04-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

Take a Deep Breath - Art That Moves

Torpedo Factory Arts Center
105 North Union Street
Alexandria VA
April 27th at 7pm
Free.
“Take a Deep Breath” explores the emotional connection to place. There are remote landscapes only known through photographs or through the imagination. Close to home, there are places experienced so frequently that a second look is warranted. Jane Franklin Dance brings both perspectives to life.
A Vivid Sense of Place engages the possibilities of wide open space. This dynamic work, with music by Washington DC composer Steven Rogers, transforms verbal descriptions of untouched landscapes in Iceland, Scotland, Kalahari Desert and the Andes into raw and untamed movement.
Double Take is a dance that compares two experiences of ’seeing.’ Each viewer determines a preferred meaning..the live performance in connection to video or in connection to the interior architecture itself.

Help Jane Franklin Dance? -
We've been approved for
Take a Deep Breath -- Art That Moves @ Torpedo Factory with Kickstarter and have less than 30 days left to reach our $1,000 goal to help fund dancer's stipends and performance expenses. If we don't reach the goal by May 6th at 2:45 we don't receive any of the money. To become a Backer, simply make your pledge at Kickstarter safely and easily for any amount from $1.
>

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SUPPORT JANE FRANKLIN DANCE

Jane Franklin Dance is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3)organization. Your tax deductible contribution helps us to continue community projects, grow artistically and expand dance education. The company has been recognized as an integral part of the area's cultural life with work that crosses artistic disciplines, and with dance education and community projects for seniors and youth. We are grateful for your support which helps us to make dance visible and available to the community. Contribute

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MAY BENEFIT

Arlington Arts Center
3550 Wilson Blvd
May 15 at 7:00 pm
Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door.

Zip Through a Tight Space - Performances, light supper, wine tasting and a silent auction. Items from: Atlas Performing Arts Center, Ballet NOVa, Capitol Fringe Festival, Cultural Development Corp, Dance Place, Fast Snail Creative Greetings & Design, Potomac Riverboat Company, Serenity Day Spa, Tempo Restaurant, Washington Suites Alexandria, and Wolf Trap Center for the Arts to name a few!

Do you have a conflict which prevents you from attending our May 15th event?
You can still place a bid on any Silent Auction item through May 13th by email info at janefranklin.com or phone at 703-933-1111.

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SUMMER CAMP
The Mouse of Amherst - Session 3 July 11 - 15
It's Show Time - Session 4 July 18 - 22

Express yourself and find your passion in the performing arts in two engaging full-day dance camps during July. Explore basic dance concepts, creative problem solving, physical story telling and poetry in a fun and interactive way. Click the links above for more information or to enroll online.

THE MOUSE OF AMHERST, adapted from the book by Elizabeth Spires

"this was a wonderful, imaginative show. I took 4 year old and 7 year old girls. They sat with rapt attention for the entire show! Excellent, imaginative choreography and very clever visual presentation and music. We look forward to the next show." R. Interdonato, Goldstar patron

See performances of The Mouse of Amherst at
Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd, Arlington May 7 at 11:30 am & 2:00 pm
$8 Adults/$6 Children
http://www.tickets.artisphere.com/ or by phone: 888.841.2787
Free parking with validation all weekend. Use N. Kent Street garage entrance. Rosslyn Metro (blue/orange) is two blocks away.
Henrico Theatre, Henrico VA May 15 at 2:00 pm

Adapted from the book by Elizabeth Spires, this engaging dance/theatre performance will spark imagination and delight children and adults. The show features Bryan Leisters video projections created using gaming technology and original music by local composers Steven Rogers and Mark Sylvester.

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Awards:

Jane Franklin Dance has been selected to receive the American Association of University Women Elizabeth Campbell Award for Advancement of the Arts in Arlington on May 7th!
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Forty +

Benefit for Fistula Foundation
UUC of Fairfax
2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton VA
April 30 at 7pm
Free

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Incidence has been selected for Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, May 22
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Jane Franklin Dance,
3700 South Four Mile Run Drive,
Arlington, VA 22206

Our telephone:
703.933.1111

Dance Sampler

2011-03-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Other news first, Jane Franklin Dance was selected to perform Incidence as part of the Reston Arts Festival on May 22. Please catch our free, outdoor performance at 12:30 and 3:00 pm.

We performed last Sunday March 6 as part of INTERSECTIONS: A New America Arts Festival at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. The overall feeling is mixed...I was completely wrapped up in the artistic process but once again fell way short on the business end. The marketing, marketing, marketing. With 17 performers we performed for an audience of 52 people in a theatre that seats 168. Embarrassing? yes, what else would it be? You can blame the rain but mostly I blame short comings regarding convincing people to come out and see us. The concert consisted of works for Forty+ , the older dancers, and for the company. Too mixed to market? Not clear enough about just exactly we were presenting? Nobody interested. Maybe a little of each.

On another note, VCA found a bookkeeping error and we received an additional GOS amount this month (I wish that would happen every month).

Dance Sampler is moving ahead and here's the news! (photo above Ari-Den Dance Company, photo by Maggie Pickard)

Performance April 2nd at 5pm and 8pm
Dance Sampler celebrates the Washington DC dance community with a showcase of works by six distinctive choreographers. The performances take place in the intimate Melton Rehearsal Hall at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D Street NW, Washington DC. Including works from: Wayles Haynes, an articulate and limber male solo Nancy Havlik (Dance Performance Group), urban isolation explored through text and pedestrian movement Diana Movius, a balletic vocabulary for 5 women breaking out of hurried routines Meghan Pilling, a group work that explores aspects of grief Orit Sherman (Ari-Den Dance Company), the dynamics of the inner world of life inside a cell Jane Franklin Dance rounds out the program with humorous compromise in a male/female duet Tickets: $25; or $20 with advance purchase. call 703-933-1111 or order online at www.janefranklin.com Photo Credits: Maggie Picard, Paul Gillis Photography, Rachel Pearl, and Tony Powell
http://www.janefranklin.com

Dance Sampler Update

2011-02-16T05:42:00.001-08:00

We are accepting applications through February 18 so it is not too late to apply. The deadline was extended. Please get in touch if you have any questions: http://www.janefranklin.com/performances/dance-sampler or call 703-933-1111.

thanks so much.

Jane

Dance Sampler: Call for Choreography

2010-12-28T06:37:00.000-08:00

Hi all - This is a new development; and one I had been thinking of for a while. A few years ago I ran a "Dance Sampler" at Gunston Theatre One. We did it as a day of classes with performances in the evening. I've decided to try this idea again, but this time in a Washington DC venue, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. I know that sometimes choreographers don't have enough opportunities to show work. The first showing is almost "Day 1" of developing a work; other times it might be that a good work has been performed only once or twice but merits another showing. That is where Dance Sampler comes from. A secondary purpose is to get someone to come and see the work....it's the tree falling in the forest thing with nobody there to see or hear it did it really take place? This is the announcement and application you will see posted on our web site and at other listings. Happy new year and please consider this opportunity.

We would like to tell you about Dance Sampler, a festival coordinated by Jane Franklin Dance. Dance Sampler celebrates the great variety of dance that the DC community offers, all in a fabulous showcase of distinctive DC dance artists. We are looking for all styles of dance for the festival and hope that you will submit your excellent work to be a part of it. Since you are a DC Area arts organization or artist, even more the reason to get involved in this endeavor!

Choreography by Vincent Thomas; Paul Gillis Photography

Dance Sampler is a two evening festival on April 1 & 2, 2011 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Melton Rehearsal Hall, presented by Jane Franklin Dance. We are looking for choreography of various topics in a variety of styles and with original takes on individual viewpoints. Subtitled “Your Brain in Real Life” we would like to know your opinion; how you operate, or think. Please include the following information along with a DVD copy of the piece you intend to perform. You may supply a YouTube link in place of a DVD.

Choreographer ________________________________

Title________________________________________

Date performed________________

Number of dancers _______________

Content Description or concept

______________________________________________________________________________

Submission deadline is February 11, 2011.
Selected choreographers receive performance space, publicity and marketing, technical support, and a $100 stipend.
Choreographers and dancers must be available for a cue to cue technical rehearsal on April 1 and for both performances.
The performances take place at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Melton Rehearsal Hall, 641 D Street NW, Washington DC.
For additional information call 703-933-1111 or go online www.janefranklin.com.

Submission fee $25. Please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of materials along with this submission form to:

Jane Franklin Dance, 3700 S Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington VA 22206.

All applications will be reviewed by a panel of three dance specialists. All submissions will receive panelist feedback. Please let us know if you prefer no panelist comments.

Thank you for submitting your work.

The Mouse of Amherst

2010-11-30T14:26:00.000-08:00

We are jumping into three more shows of The Mouse of Amherst this weekend. Actually, it feels good. The dancers have had time to get more assured about their roles, small changes have made a big difference, and all the technology part is much easier to handle.
We have 3 boys in our cast which is a large deal since most dance productions are over-run with hundreds of girls and maybe one or two boys.
I really like the small theatre in at 3700 S Four Mile Run Drive - Theatre on the Run. The lighting, the audience proximity, just the way it looks. It's a comfy little theatre and we are happy to be there. I am so grateful for my collaborators - of course Bryan Leister who has done a phenomenal job with gaming technology to take the production to location's inside the Dickinson house, as well as outdoors, in a garden, or in a larger landscape. It is all so fanciful and wonderful. My composer friends Mark Sylvester, Steven Rogers and Paul Musso have provided inspiring and thoughtful sound and music that energizes the dancers and the whole production.
The story by Elizabeth Spires is inventive and interesting, even if you are an adult.
Come on out and see our show. You won't be disappointed.
Dec 4 at 11 am and at 1 pm
Dec 5 at 1 pm
Theatre on the Run
3700 S Four Mile Run Drive
Arlington VA 22206
Tickets online at www.janefranklin.com
703-933-1111
or at the door
$15 general
$10 children under 10 years
A few half-price tickets are available at Goldstar

It's that time - what time is that?

2010-11-16T06:13:00.000-08:00

Things have been fast and furious here....yet there is snails pace that hangs over the numerous details and negotiations and that means slow progress.
Our performance for children, The Mouse of Amherst, is repeating the first weekend in December. We are struggling with reworking some parts of it, incorporating some music by Steve Rogers to take the place of a couple of songs with no copyright. Two of the dancers drive down from Baltimore.....it is a long drive heading into all the traffic etc which is of course most of the time.
Speaking of Steve Rogers, it has been immensely powerful to work with his music. I liked it from the first few notes I heard. We are doing 4 segments of it for "A Vivid Sense of Place" when we perform it in its first theatrical setting at Woolly Mammoth this weekend. I have no pants for Daniel....other than his own rehearsal garb...but that is beside the point. It was a great joy to work on this piece, music, visuals from Freya Grand's landscapes, and three very dedicated and fully invested dancers - what could be better? That's Daniel Zook, Brianne Barrow Little, and Wayles Haynes that I am talking about.
But alas, things can't stay peaceful for long. Daniel is not able to do the concert in January at Artisphere and must be replaced. We have to do the dance - "A Vivid Sense of Place" as it is the title work for the whole concert in January, having to do about location. If you are a male dancer and want to learn a good piece, performed by first rate dancers, just let me know.
Speaking of peace....you know dance is about people, wow and is that tricky. Sometimes I wish I could just go into my studio with pen and write, or with paint and paint, but like most things, I know that too is difficult but the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
But other than working with people, I am pretty much okay with dance....just kidding. If I had enough money to pay people like they are supposed to be paid, all of this would not be an issue!! Which reminds me...we have approached our Winter Fundraising time of year. The year started off a little bit bleak, and really not very much money at all with grants as we have had in the past. We are really looking for ways to bring in some income with our performances for children, and activities for older adults. But if you can help at all, this is definitely a good time. Believe me your money will really help; or just come to a performance....if you are strapped for cash yourself, get your ticket on Goldstar for half price. Everybody should know about Goldstar. I have gone to Broadway shows on Broadway, Kennedy Center shows for half price and great seats. Look into it. There's nothing like a good deal to get you out of the house. And that's a good thing for types like me who like to hide behind the computer or watch seasons of tv shows by using the online Netflix.

Another Staunch Fan

2010-10-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

I have known Jane Franklin for a number of years, but I had not the pleasure of seeing her work until recently. My first experience came with an invitation to observe a rehearsal of the Forty+ ensemble. I arrived at the rehearsal room to be greeted by four women plus Jane stretching in preparation to dance. Several other ladies, some with gray hair, arrived and took their places quietly as the group began a warm up. To me the warm up alone was a pleasure to watch with its smooth and subtle movements. Then the group began to practice their current piece. The music surrounded me and the women as they moved lithely across and around the room. The piece isn’t perfect yet and it was interesting to see Jane work out a step and then work it with the ladies. There was no verbal criticism, just the sense that everyone was there to give the best they could at that time and eventually the piece would be ready for public performance. I left hoping to come back another time and eager to share my very pleasant lunch break.

On Friday evening, September 24, I arrived at Show of Hands on Del Ray Avenue in Alexandria not sure what to expect. Show of Hands is a wonderful arts and crafts consignment shop full of beautiful and unique treasures. They had opened an area at the back of the store so that the dancers could give all those attending a Season Preview. We were teased with excerpts from various pieces that are planned for performance in the coming months. Most delightful to me and to the two small children sitting next to me, was the excerpt from the “Mouse of Amherst.” Four “mice” cavorted about the space, grooming their imaginary whiskers, wiggling their noses and rolling to their backs with their feet waving in the air. I was totally intrigued and ready to gather up children to enjoy this wonderful story of a mouse that lives in the house of New England poetess, Emily Dickinson. I hope I can find many little friends to enjoy this terrific performance in October. There were other excerpts, all delightful, lovely to watch and provocative to the thinking. I’m hoping to be at many of the performances. Jane, you and your dancers have another staunch fan.

Linda M. Vitello, Board Member

Photo by Maggie Mudd Photography

Summer turns into Fall

2010-09-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Summer has turned into Fall and the next season for Jane Franklin Dance is well underway. Last weekend we performed at Art on Foot at the beautiful Harmon Hall. It was great to perform some of our beloved repertory, The Floor is Sticky and Train. It's also always wonderful to welcome new dancers into our midst. Joining the company this season are Adriana Soldana, Katie Tuebner and Melissa Talleda. Adriana and Melissa hail from the Baltimore area and Katie is a Virginia girl from Fredricksburg. They along with Amy are all thick in the rehearsal process with Jane for our fabulous Children's performance The Mouse of Amherst. We are excited to welcome our new members!

Below Melissa shares her thoughts and hopes for the coming season.

"I have been working with Jane Franklin Dance for a few months now. I started working with Jane on a couple of improvisations, and just this past weekend I performed with the company at the Art on Foot Festival. My experience thusfar has been completely positive! The company members come from different walks of life, and have valuable information to share in rehearsal and performance. As I work on projects, I am excited to learn more about Jane's process of creating new work with the company, as well as having the opportunity to perform with the company in the many communities and audiences Jane Franklin Dance reaches."

Photography by Paul Gillis

Wayles' Hello

2010-08-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hello Blog-o-sphere. I have to confess that this is my very first Blog entry. I’ve been dancing with Jane Franklin Dance for a year and thoroughly enjoying the experience. I was immediately attracted to Jane’s work because of the commitment to excellence, collaboration and community. From regional touring to the downtown DC stage to informal local free performances, I’ve felt the same generous spirit of giving. It’s awesome to find a group of artists that reflects and responds to community.

I started an exciting new chapter in my work with Jane in June as the new Director of Operations. Now both in front of and behind the scenes, I work towards excellent dance in our region. Let me tell you, there is a lot of work to be done. Sometimes I get so carried away by the magic created on stage, I forget all the work required to make it happen. The necessary business of the arts is an important undertaking and I’m glad to be learning and assisting in this noble effort.

I’m also excited about some of our upcoming shows. One of my favorite things about Jane is the emphasis on collaboration. Working closely with other artists to create a rich and cohesive artistic product. It reminds me of the pivotal influence of Diaghilev at the Ballet Russes in the beginning of the 20th Century. He brought together story, set, music, costume and movement, all through the most innovative artists of his time, to create a production that was much more than the sum of the parts. Jane has this talent and I’m looking forward to this season’s collaborations, Freya Grand, Elizabeth Spires, Brad Linde and the Misfits Theatre Company to name a few.

Acting it out

2010-07-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Our recent collaboration for 2010 Source Festival "A Great (er) Depression" brought many comments about how the movement successfully supported what the character was feeling as well as saying.

“Jane – Loved the piece you put together with Matt and Brad. Everything worked so well together. I mentioned to Matt that the choreography really blended so well to create that effect that we were in his characters mind. The dancers on the table in front of him, as if he’s projecting his internal anguish. The dancers shaking hands and grinning behind him, as if he senses the rest of the world moving forward and succeeding reinforced the fact that his character continued to do deeper within himself. Loved also the incorporation of the file boxes. So much good stuff. Look forward to seeing more of your work.” – Dan O’Neil, 2010 Source Festival attendee

A critic (a dance professor at GMU) wrote that the movement was distracting because it was not "acted out." More weight was given to the written word, assuming that the words have higher priority, that the staging was absolutely not connected to the dialogue.
This brought up the questions: Why should text be primary? Can more than one thing happen on stage at a time?
These questions have already been answered in dance history - especially with post modern choreographers and with Merce Cunningham.
In a previous article in the same blog, there was a long article about how the dance community lacks internal support and nurture.
This might be a place to start; that dance writers and professionals acknowledge other work with an open mind; and write about the content of the work rather than personal preferences.

Dance/USA conference

2010-06-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

We 'performed' at the opening reception of Dance/USA as background to a cocktail party performing short dance structures aimed to fit in and around the space. We put ourselves in a place where people were not meant to watch (catering staff doesn't count) but were there to talk with one another. Still trying to figure out what to say about it. We didn't push to get ourselves seen. We didn't try to dance right within the people as they were waiting at the bar or waiting at the food tables. (instead we danced outside the building looking in) It's the tree in a forest question - if nobody heard the tree fall, did it happen? If nobody saw the dance was it a performance?

(photo left: event at Holmes Run Greenway in Alexandria. We expected passersby to stop and watch, or pedestrians to pass through the event, as the bikers did above, but we weren't expecting actual audience attendance.)
Discussions with dance administrators at SmartBar provided some things to think about "a company of all women comes off as avocational," "exposure comes with attention grabbing situation," "free performance is an investment in audience-building," and most of all, I just sometimes didn't know what question to ask. "this copy is well-written and thoughtful, but you really need to work on your 'elevator' speech. I didn't really understand what your group was about until I talked with you for ten minutes."

what is showing

2010-06-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Recently in May and June we have been showing pieces for informal panels for Forward 5 of Dance/MetroDC and for 2010 Source Festival "Artistic Blind Dates." It has been productive and insightful making me think differently about motivations, and thinking about how very significant additions to pieces, may come about as solutions that perhaps don't make sense - and you have a feeling they don't make sense but you go ahead anyway with something that is really not what you are trying to get at. How do I resolve the music "issue" when I don't have a composer, or a solution for making sound? How can I step back from what I'm doing when there is time pressure, difficulties with getting people together and not enough time to not worry about time? I don't have any answers to that, but these showings have been a very honest and meaningful way to have pieces viewed and have some sort of discussion about them. I can't help but think that pieces that have been 'finished' always need reinvigorating or that performers that have been doing the same role for a while, constantly need the sort of feedback that will keep them interested and invested rather than just going through the motions.
(above Peg Schaefer and son Eliot from "Married Girl")

Jane Franklin Dance Indistinct Boundaries 11.8.09

2010-05-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

Next?

2010-04-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

We are working on a project for Source Festival Artistic Blind Dates with Matt Ripa and Brad Linde. It's to be presented the week of June 21 with 3 performances that week. We have a web site where you can post employment issues/experiences about losing a job/not being able to find work: "congratulations you have been laid off."

Benefit event is coming up on May 16 where we hope to attract friends and supporters to contribute to the 2010-11 Season. The evening should be nice - at Arlington Arts Center. Admission includes a light supper, wine tasting, silent auction and performances both inside and outside. If you would like to come join us, tickets are on sale at http://www.janefranklin.com/; or if you can't come but would like to help we are grateful for donations of any size which can be made on our web site at the same address.

And now for the biggest news -- the family has a new dog, and 7 goslings hatched in the creek at Holmes Run Greenway in Alexandria - you can lean over a footbridge and see them. The nesting geese were watched by many, many people who pass over the bridge daily, as the nest was built on a tiny island right near the bridge; and managed somehow to not get washed away in the spring rains. The promise of spring...

Reworking Work

2010-03-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

We had a premier but certainly not a finish. Sometimes reaching a deadline is impossible, but there is no choice. After the first showing 'of Bones & Bridges' major rework has ensued. We started by altering the first section so we can introduce three major large pieces of pipe (which later are put together to form a bridge) and still have movement and text that enhances one another to explain the content of the work. These last few rehearsals are getting us closer to where I would like to go, and I am looking forward to the performances at Woolly Mammoth in April. After the concert at Source, which on many levels was a disaster, I look forward to actually going somewhere and feeling good about the outcome.
The group of older dancers, Forty + has continued to feel successful. We are now conducting workshops to explain/enhance and just bring forward issues that older people face. "Upstairs in the Attic" is about clearing out an attic, either in a home where you have lived for a long time, or a parents home. But the other part of it is just the joy of moving that come to anyone at any age. Age certainly can be a restriction. But everyone - and I mean everyone - must constantly adapt to all the changes the body has to offer.

dance and words

2010-02-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

We are coming up to our performance at Source theatre, and at least a first showing of a new work, of Bones & Bridges. The idea behind the work attaches us to Four Mile Run Drive as a place where we rehearse, but also ties us to the ignored/mainly unrecognized potential of Four Mile Run. The dance contains references to the urbanization of the stream, the underground pipes, paving and covering over with buildings. The stream has changed from a natural stream to a widened and straightened drainage ditch (rapid response storm drain system). The small footbridge connecting Shirlington restaurant area to Nelson St/Four Mile Run Drive serves to link two very different communities. The bridge is important as a symbol of the meaningful connections that can be forged between people and to the land.
I find the piece to be a challenge but yet I know the project could continue. It is a taste of history. But as far as nuts and bolts, in the piece, it is sometimes hard to match what needs to be said in words, with dance, which is mostly an art form that expresses what is beyond words. This is the challenge, the simple pure content of the dance, versus the finding movement, sound, and references that can come alive.

Not enough time

2009-11-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

We are preparing for our Woolly Mammoth Concert by bringing back some text based works (from the 2005-06 project 'Dancing the Page") and several others from before that time. Some of the older ones - like long time friend Kim Roberts' "The Floor is Sticky" - is really a new creation.
since it is holiday time, we'll have to make that all wrap together somehow, the time off that is greatly needed to spend with family and friends, and the getting the stuff completed. It always gets done somehow, or should I say there is really no end. Unlike a writer that meets the deadline and the work is published, there is always that temptation and need to keep altering dance pieces because the cast changes, and dance is just so of the moment that it seems necessary.
We are offering cheap ticket until the end of the month, so please go to the web site. We don't want to cancel a show because of low advance sales, so please let us know you are coming!
Happy Thanksgiving! and I'm enjoying "Across the Universe" (Julie Taymor) as I write...it the film that turned the Beatles songs into an anti-war type opera. It's a good one.

New Look

2009-10-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

We have launched a new web look. Thanks to Liz Hutcheson of Liz Hutcheson Fast Snail Creative Greetings & Design, we have some unique art work. It is going to serve us well in the coming months. You can now subscribe, and otherwise navigate around. We've dropped some of the repetitive pages and trimmed things down to be much more manageable for both the web administrator and for our visitors.
So do take a look.
We also have wonderful new company members and some exciting projects ahead this year. Next concert up: Nov 7 at 8 pm and Nov 8 at 2 pm at Gunston Theatre One in Arlington. We'll have performances by Young Dancers Project and by Forty +, a newly formed group of older adults committed to the joys of movement past the age of 40. We have some recent works as well as a couple of pieces that have not been shown for five or more years. Time does fly! Please come catch us at Gunston or try some of our community dance classes in October and November.

2009-10 Season

2009-08-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

We are looking forward to a good year of interesting performance venues and partners. I'm excited about a work we'll show on Oct 21 at Greater Reston Arts Center in collaboration with a visual artist Rebecca Kamen. Rebecca has created these terrific fragile sculptures that echo the construction of the elements in the periodic table. These 80+ pieces will be navigated using bodies and the unique setting of Greater Reston Arts Center which is circular/spiral. Later in the year, we plan to show a theatrical version with Bryan Leister doing a virtual rendering of the sculptures.
We are putting out information now about getting a Season Subscription which is a great deal on ticket prices. I'll supply several links:
SEASON SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM

In preparation for our Of Bones & Bridges project, we've been out on the Four Mile Run Footbridge.

June 14 Travel Tales at Woolly Mammoth

2009-07-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

It came. and went but was wonderful fun to put together several older works. Woolly Mammoth is a comfortable space for us. Video works well on the concrete walls of the rehearsal hall. We got a nice mention in the Sentinel Newspaper.

Finished the first edition of Adult Dance Camp on Friday. There were a couple of new people who joined in and we danced every day....5 whole days in a row! We also experimented with some repertory and it was good fun with really nice people. I'll be planning more work for adult dancers and I've been thinking of doing an Adult Dance and Video project in August that would take us across the footbridge of Four Mile Run near the Shirlington dog park. Check the web site soon. There is nothing written up as yet, but I am excited about the possibilities of using this time to experiment with an upcoming project: "Of Bones and Bridges."

Videos from Holmes Run Park

2009-07-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

In May, six dancers and I went about an outdoor exploration of Holmes Run Park in Alexandria. We worked in several very different locations/environments/ecosystems/habitats within a short distance starting with "Edge" and "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Water" which were done near the bridge overpass of the creek from Van Dorn Street. Further along the bike path going towards Duke Street we taped "Head Over Heels" in an open expanse of greenery on the Beatley Library side of the footbridge and "LOOK" done in a foresty expanse that connects S Pickett Street to the bike path.
It was a great day for us to move and to video these unique locations. Please take a few minutes to see the results on YouTube.
thanks again to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts Special Opportunity Award 2009 and to dancers Wayles Haynes, Andrea Ligon, Cait Moler, Mike Nadolski, Peg Schaefer, and Ji Shin.
Here's the link:
TAKE A LOOK

Alexandria Commission for the Arts Special Opportunity Award 2009 -

Four Short Videos from Holmes Run

Edge

Rock Paper Scissors Water

Head Over Heels

LOOK

Rainy Days

2009-04-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

We are headed into spring and there is plenty of rain to open that doorway. Yesterday I went down to the King Street Garden Park (pictured here on the side) where we perform on May 31 at 4:30 pm (free). It will provide a great backdrop for "Incidence" and I love the location, a junction right as you enter Old Town Alexandria on King Street. Now we won't say anything about what rain does to outdoor performances, will we?
Later that same day we have our spring fundraiser, an annual event to help raise money for the coming year. The performance promises an outdoor showing using the Monroe Street side of the Arlington Arts Center as a projection surface. We do have a few things planned for inside plus food and drink. We received our first ever two hour liquor license in order to host the event and there will be a silent auction table. If you have anything you would care to contribute for our silent auction, please do let us know. That event is also free though we will be asking for contributions for food and drink.
So as this rainy day passes and the newspaper says it will be 80 degrees by Friday, I know we are in store for changes. My hopes for change are never disappointed since that is life with all its impermanence. Catch us while you can.

More about Mar 21

2009-02-19T04:53:00.000-08:00

Rich Kleinfeldt from Washington Saxphone Quartet came in for a few photos with us last week. As well as playing the NPR theme song (which is heard on NPR all through the US daily), Rich is quite talented with keeping his concentration while dancers leap all about. That's Brianne you see jumping into the frame.
I've been rehearsing with a group of women that comprise our Adult Repertory group - and funneling some of the same material into a reconfigured trio of company members - Andrea, Cait and Whitney. It's been challenging and inspiring to swap material between the dancers, and work with the limitations that are the basis for the choreography.
Hope you can come to see us at The Athenaeum on March 21 at 7:30. We truly look forward to this coming performance with live music. http://www.janefranklin.com/ for tickets - or just give us a call at 703.933.1111 for more information

Its in the Air

2009-02-08T07:15:00.000-08:00

After finishing a very full fall season, we are entering a stage of new work. We'll be premiering work with the Washington Saxophone Quartet on March 21, 2009 at 7:30 pm at the Athenaeum in Alexandria. This marks our debut performance at the Athenaeum and we are grateful to be performing in this lovely space in the heart of Old Towne Alexandria. We welcome guest performers: a small group of adult dancers, children from Young Dancers Project, and of course the Washington Saxophone Quartet. The Athenaeum offers a close up experience for audiences and an especially great way to get know recent work such as "Incidence." The installation piece by Howard Connelly will look interesting in this location as the dancers will finally have the height, depth and width to be able to use the apparatus completely.
We are offering ticket discounts right now on our web site. One child is free with each adult general admission purchase. Please save the date to come see us on March 21.

Indistinct Boundaries

2008-12-28T13:41:00.001-08:00

We are premiering a new piece with Bryan Leister on January 10 at 8 pm at Woolly Mammoth. Bryan is using black and white animations to explore the edge of perception between real and virtual. Indistinct Boundaries blurs the lines between expectations and what actually happens; between virtual and real. It explores the dynamics of polar opposites by animating shadows and by casting shadows of objects that are not there. Bryan Leister has generated the music mathematically through cycles and wave forms and has created animated organic structures based on mathematical algorithms that evolve over time. The dance, created in six parts, is an environment that amplifies and isolates the projections.
You can get tickets online at http://www.janefranklin.com/ or by calling 703.933.1111. We hope to see you there.

Washington City Paper: Arts

2008-11-27T07:31:00.001-08:00

Washington City Paper: Arts & Events: Jane Franklin Dance

Posted using ShareThis

Incidence

2008-11-16T14:50:00.001-08:00

We are working with an aluminum piece that Howard Connelly created for "Incidence." The whole idea is about chance and change, how we move things along, and how we don't know even when there is familiarity with components. We are developing segments of choreography that will be performed dependent on the visual appearance of the sculpture. The cues for our changes will come when Gina Biver changes the music. The piece will never be performed in the same order. The linear order is what often makes sense, beginning, middle and end, as you couldn't tell a story quite as well without it, though some films do very well with that idea by taking you forward and backward in time, "Pulp Fiction," "Memento." and many others.
Incidence
Dec 4 pay-what-you can preview

Dec 5, 6, 12, 13 at 8 pm

Dec 7 and 14 at 3pm

Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint

916 G Street NW

Washington DC

Tix: $15

At the door or online at

2008-11-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

Jane Franklin Dance has established itself as an arts group with a penchant for innovative productions and a commitment to community outreach. The company crosses disciplines to create partnerships with musicians and multimedia and visual artists; it often performs in unusual locations and encourages participation from residents, even those who are not dancers by nature or training.

It's been a good year for JFD. The group was named Best Dance Company in Washington City Paper's "Best of D.C. 2008" and made its international debut at Foro Performatica, a conference and festival at the Universidad Las Americas Puebla in Mexico. The group's ongoing projects include work with senior adult centers and after-school youth groups.

A case in point: this morning's "Concert for Community," a low-priced matinee. The performance will feature excerpts from this weekend's dance concert combined with the onstage participation of seniors from Arlington's Walter Reed and Langston Brown community centers.

And as for taking creative risks, what other dance company would create a piece called "Howard Dean's Scream"? Alas, that's not on this weekend's program, "The Music Made Me Do It," but "Breaking Ground," which combines dance, video and skateboarding, is. The piece was performed previously at a warehouse in the District and at a park in Arlington before being adapted for the T.J. Community Theatre's proscenium stage. Danced to music by the Low End String Quartet, it offers the classical sounds of a string quartet, reworked to use electric guitar, alternating with electronic hip-hop music by Monstah Black.

Saturday's concert will open with dances set to the pop standards "I've Got Rhythm" and "Blue Moon," to be performed by the 20-voice Metropolitan Chorus. The company will share the stage with the performers of the Young Dancers Project.

The evening will also feature the a cappella H-B Woodlawn Chamber Singers, under the direction of William Podolski, with an antiwar song, "You Are the New Day," and "Son de Camaguey," a Cuban folk song about the lush scenery and "naturally good-looking people" of the region. To accentuate that latter point, the JFD company will be joined by Drew Model School performers.

Rounding out the program, the company will perform "Branch" to Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 with guest artist Florian Roullier, and a duet, "Hand Hold," set to a composition for two marimbas and synthesizer.

-- MARIANNE MEYER

Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre is at 125 S. Old Glebe Rd. in Arlington. The nearest Metro station is at Ballston, which connects to the 10B bus toward Hunting Towers. Tickets at the door for today's show are $5 general admission; Saturday's show is $30 general admission, $20 for students and seniors, and $16 for children younger than 12. Information about reduced-price tickets is available online athttp://www.janefranklin.comor by phone at 703-933-1111.

Collaborative Choreography

2008-10-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

October 23, 2008—Collaborative choreography for company members and young dancers
As a new member of Jane Franklin Dance, I am learning what it’s like to do collaborative choreography. Each dancer has their own style so in any given rehearsal we might do ten different styles of movement. Jane leads us through the concepts she has and gets us to move in the ways she envisions (hopefully we are anyway). Then Jane watches us dance and molds all the movement into dance pieces. There is never a dull moment. We might have to change the way we are facing, the speed, the direction, cut this part, add that one, do the movement on the floor, in the air, or take solo movement and do it with a partner instead. We have to be ready for anything!
Recently we started a project with young dancers. I was surprised the first day we had rehearsal at how well the elementary school-aged dancers improvised and how interesting their movements were. I thought they would have a hard time following Jane’s instructions and remembering the choreography, but they are doing very well. They’re also good at reminding me how fun dancing can be. We are putting together a piece for “The Music Made me do it” at the TJ Community Center. I am excited to see how it all comes together with the live chorus singers from HB Woodlawn Chamber Chorus.

–Andrea Ligon

The day after Powhatan Springs Skate Park

2008-09-21T18:30:00.001-07:00

We had a crisp clear cool evening at Powhatan Springs Skate Park in Arlington for Breaking Ground. Several male friends joined us at 4:30 on Saturday afternoon and learned the structures we had set for a couple of the sections of the performance. Other sections contain detailed choreography. The dancers had to navigate a landscape of levels, cement, darkness, or the bright light of the projectors. Our new performers had a lot to get used to in a short amount of time, but the number of bodies was a bold move, and I liked having mostly non dance trained males being involved in the physicality of the piece.
Frankly, by the time Saturday rolled around, I was exhausted. There was a lot of delay in getting the final video product, and in my nervousness, I kept trying to move Mac files to work on my PC with an Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 program. There was no success with that, and luckily Julia was able to pull together the DVDs by Saturday morning.
Outdoor performances, particularly in such a large space, are tricky to pull off with video involved. I think most of the people who attended were looking for something different, and here in this large space, they had many different places to look. People first sat on the hill outside the fence surrounding the park. We were waiting, waiting, waiting for darkness. Finally we called everyone inside and people sat around the edges of the park while the piece unfolded. It was almost too dark sometimes, and what can I say, as these things are somehow never in control even when you take so much time in trying to be in control.
Next up our performances at Woolly Mammoth where we'll perform excerpts from Breaking Ground as well as other repertory. We've barely sold any tickets and there is a lot of concern. So ease my mind, please come by on Saturday or Sunday at 8 pm.

Breaking Ground at Powhatan Springs Park

2008-09-16T05:13:00.000-07:00

Last night we rehearsed at Powhatan park, a wonderful very large park with street style and round wall elements including one eight foot and one eleven foot bowl. Sean Watkins set up three projectors and DVD players and we were there to combine the video, with the performers, with that very unique outdoor landscape. We have some wonderful music composed by monstah black. Other great pieces of music are from Low End String Quartet, Jon Matis new venture that uses an electric guitar as one of the string instruments. I think it is a powerful combination - monstah's great voice and hip hop electronics with the String Quartet, classical musicians who like to dig into Radiohead, Foo Fighters or their own creations.
There were some rough spots mostly having to do with finding our way in the dark! All of the park's lights seem to be on one circuit. When the lights are off, they are off for the whole area. Dancers were finding their way with the light from only three projectors. We're trying to overcome that obstacle for Saturday night's performance. Another thing for the dancers to deal with is the landscape itself since you have inclines rather than flat surface, cement rather than sprung hard wood. There are things that are easy to do in one environment that are difficult in the other and negotiation in reconfiguring the movement.
Nevertheless, I was very excited to see the dancers against the video which does odd things to your sense of perspective. When the dancers are up against the projections it seems that many more people are a part of the piece. And in a variety of shapes and sizes.
I have directed the video editing completed by Julie Moscato with video from this past spring and summer. It has been taken a lot of energy to catalogue the footage and make selections. Julie has been patiently receptive to my artistic whims and thank goodness for that!
Come on over to the park this Saturday, Sept 20. We are inviting people in at 6:30 and there will be open skating until the performance begins at around 7:15. A beautiful outdoor setting, Powhatan Spring Park is at 6020 Wilson Blvd in Arlington. This one is free but if you miss, the coming two weekends "Breaking Ground" excerpts can be seen at Woolly Mammoth Sept 27 & 28, and on Oct 4 the whole piece as it now exists at an indoor park at 1250 9th St NW, near the Convention Center in WDC. If you need other info, look for it at www.janefranklin.com Thanks again and I hope you can make it.

Breaking Ground

2008-08-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Breaking Ground is a dance/ skate board/ video project that encompasses open skating sessions with youth, informal performances in non traditional spaces, and the development of the artistic work over time. I have always been attracted to dance in a real world context. This project, which we started in April, has brought us from outdoor sessions, to rehearsals where we retranslate what can happen on the incline of a round wall to what must happen when the wall is not there.
The project, originally planned to follow the construction of a new skate park at the corner of Wells & Otis Streets in Mt. Rainier MD, was moved to the completed Langdon Park. (The Mt. Rainier construction has not yet begun and Green Skate Lab has found many obstacles that are blocking their all volunteer effort.) Nevertheless, we were able to interact with the same youth population, as Langdon Park is located in a neighborhood adjacent to Wells and Otis. Additionally we had the help of visual artist Margaret Boozer who has a studio at Wells & Otis. Margaret was instrumental in structuring participation for the youth engagement sessions. The skateboarders are not organized as a set group or club and members are independently coming and going. One might think chaos would arise, but the skate boarders respect one another, take turns sharing the space with each other no matter the variety of age or skill level, and welcomed our participation by easily joining in even though we were doing a different activity.
This generous spirit also arose with Ben Ashworth and his companions at East Coast Round Wall Foundation who introduced us to the fabulous indoor skatepark they are constructing in a vacated building near the Convention Center at 1250 9th St NE. They are restoring a building that might have been abandoned otherwise, and giving it new life as a valuable community resource right in the heart of the city. We have been thrilled to hold rehearsal, donor engagement, and informal performances in this venue.
We have an outdoor performance coming up in Arlington on Sept 20, we'll be showing some new more detailed excerpts at Woolly Mammoth on Sept 27 & 28, and then we'll be at indoor park mentioned above on Oct 4. I hope you can come out and see us. Jane

Farewell Performance

2008-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Our performance at Woolly Mammoth had a great turnout, and there were even people sitting on the floor in front of the first row. I think all of the dancers were excited about having a full house. It was also great being right in downtown DC. It felt like we were reaching new members of the DC community who don't live in Northern Virginia but are interested experiencing art. I've written a little bit about each piece of the show:

The first piece I was surprised to find myself a little bit shaky. Once we got in the groove of it though, I relaxed and had fun. My only regret is dropping my hanger at the end of the wrist shaking section. Fortunately I didn't hit anyone in the audience!

The next piece, Branch, is a cardio workout. There are many entrances and exits in this piece, and the challenge of this theater was the lack of wing space. We had to remain onstage, against the wall, looking composed at all times. Mike and I did pretty well on the lift I've taken over from Dana – if I had more time I would have worked on not gripping his arm so tightly. He really did a great job working with me to make me feel comfortable though. He is so strong!

I loved how people started laughing during Brianne's line "When you're lonely, you can always go downtown". It was fun dancing that duet/quartet at the show because it had a very different energy than in rehearsal. We could tell that the audience appreciated the humor of the work.

The solo that I created for Sound Walk came about through matching the syllables of the text with movement. Even though I don't understand much Spanish, I feel like I identify with my "character" (as I suppose I've come to think of her). In my movement, I am trying to enhance her words. And in the end I feel like one of the messages of Sound Walk is the unifying force of dance, and the way that communities can connect non-verbally.

Even though I've performed with JFD many times, I still get attacked by a case of nerves during a show, which sometimes prevents me from dancing as full as I would like. The nice thing about Monday's show was how much I was able to enjoy it and really sink into the movement. Jane gave a very nice send-off for me at the end of the show, which I was not expecting at all! It was such a pleasure dancing with all of my fellow company members and guest artists. Thanks to Jane for all her hard work. I hope to see you all again soon!

-- Nellie Rainwater

Sound Walk Composition

2008-06-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

To create the music for Sound Walk, I followed Jane into her community dance classes, set up some microphones and captured the sounds her students were making while they danced, shuffled, stepped, clapped, laughed and talked. Foot sounds, chairs squeaking, Jane instructing and encouraging, and the joy that bubbled out in laughs and whoops as they twisted and turned, stepped and clapped, became the fabric of the compositions.

Each location had its own energy and presented me with a unique direction to pursue. For Circles, as I listened repeatedly to the audio tracks recorded at JK Polk Elementary, melodies began to emerge from the tapes. The combination of children running and laughing, shoes squeaking and stomping somehow created a distinct melody that to me sounded like it was being played by violins. I merely echoed that melody with real violins. The melodies were, plain and simply, given to me.

The themes in Interview and O’Clock were my musical reaction to what I was hearing in the recorded sound clips from Ft. Henry Gardens Affordable Housing Corporation after-school program and Walter Reed Senior Center. For Inner View, recorded at Walter Reed, I wanted a sweet, enveloping background to embody the intimacy of the voices of the women that I interviewed. The exuberance of the children from AHC is captured in the shortest piece, O’Clock that is punctuated by the slapping, rhythmic intensity of a Flamenco guitar.

The schools and community centers of Walter Reed, Ft. Henry Gardens AHC, Arlington Mill, Langston Brown Senior Center, and JK Polk were all represented in My Name Is. I chose to use only recorded sound clips to design the composition and create “music” without any traditional instruments. I wanted this piece to be a full reflection of the cacophony of sounds inherent in her dance classes, and the voices of the people that encompass the community to which Jane Franklin is so very dedicated.

-Gina Biver

New blog

2008-06-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new blog page! Check in frequently for posts about upcoming performances, workshops, and behind the scenes info about the company. Jane Franklin, Artistic Director, company members, board members and collaborators will all be adding their input to our blog page, so there will be plenty to read. Check back soon...

-Fiona