The Mouse of Amherst

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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."