It’s been some time since this particular performance, however, I’m still thinking about it.  Our work, Two Steps Forward by Jessica Vokoun for the Living Arts eMerge Dance Festival in March, was a challenging exercise in creating a dance specifically in a site with all it’s architecture, limitations, and embedded ideas.  Because this site has historical context, it was natural to think of the long passage as a journey and even easier to connect it to what ideas emerge about the journey of life, as in the past, present, and future.

It was an interesting exploration and a thrill to create with Jessica Vokoun and Alicia Chesser but some of the most interesting moments were discovered in performance; in the moment of being physically oriented in the hallway with these ladies in whatever proximity we had planned ourselves to be in.

There is moment in the dance that I stand with my back toward the audience and then look back at them (symbolically in the past). This was a logical performance choice in rehearsal as we built context for the piece, however, I never noticed Alicia so vividly as when there was an actual audience witnessing the dance.

As I ponderously gazed at the audience, Alicia steps in front of me. She was near; she was with me.  It wasn’t until my vision was filled with her nearness and eclipsed my focus on the audience that I noticed a shift in my focus metaphorically from past to present. It shifted my focus from past and the distant connection there to the present and what was happening in the moment. It didn’t negate the past but gave me an opportunity to be present with others and actively continue to write the journey in the now. In other words, it was the acknowledgment of the bodies near me that shifted my focus and inspired me to move forward.  The metaphors for life and living exploded with connections to my recent grief year. It wasn’t a revelation for anyone else but me. That was where performance was once again, rich for me.

I find it curious that the assumption about performance is that all the discoveries are made in the planning, choreographic, and rehearsing stages before the performance happens. Maybe I assumed that years ago but I doubt I’m alone. It seems to be assumed that by the time a work is performed, there is nothing left to do but execute what was planned and choreographed and rehearsed with the addition of an audience that may change how the performance feels to the performer but in general, if the performer is “good”, it will be mostly the same as when performing in rehearsal.  Who is assuming this, I don’t know.  It could be the audience, other dancers or even the performer herself at times but it is thrilling, in my opinion, to be reminded that this is simply not true.  Ever.

Paying attention to those moments in performance is what makes the art of performance a true art. 

Rachel Bruce Johnson is the Executive & Artistic Director of The Bell House and has been performing professionally for more than twenty years. She continues to make new discoveries with every performance. 


If you're interested in viewing the dance, it is attached below. Enjoy. 

Our friends in Waco, TX with Out On A Limb Dance Company are working hard to continue developing dance in Waco, TX! I'd thought I'd share what she is up to lately. Brooke Schlecte, artistic director of the company (OoLD), is starting a series of dance class offerings for budding "limbs" interested in dance and moving. This is exciting news! She has forged some pretty exciting relationships with art galleries and camps in Waco that are interested in integrating movement into the areas of art-making they currently support. Below is the information on the program she recently released. Check it out!

Thanks for your work, Brooke, and keep moving!

~Rachel Johnson


__________________________________

Hello Friends,
Please find information below about my new creative dance class starting in August!  If you have already seen this information, would you kindly pass this along to your friends? THANK YOU SO MUCH! 
~Brooke



Out On a Limb DOT BUDS:a creative dance class for children
"WHERE CHILDREN FIND THEIR CREATIVE VOICE THROUGH MOVEMENT."
C.A.S.T on 605 Austin Avenue
Ages 3-6

The classes will cover: Movement skills, culture studies, performance, movement patterns, ballet and modern technique, improvisation, creating, discovering, history, leading/following, discipline/freedom

Classes on Tuesdays at 3:30-4:15
with Live Musicians!


COST: August-May $50 a month

Fall: August 26th-December 15th 

Spring: January 19th- May 18th

Cultural Parties with Families two Thursdays: In addition to movement and dance technique, the classes will study cultural dance to provide students with a global understanding of dance and history.  During these parties, the whole family is invited to take part in the dance and culture party! With help from everyone, there will be music, food, costumes, and a brief performance by the students.

October 16th at 5:30-6:30 pm

March 12th at 5:30-6:30 pm

Shows: The students will perform in two shows throughout the year, end of fall and end of spring.  The goal of these shows is for the students to practice the study of performance, to present the hard work they have accomplished through the semester, and to feature their own work as ‘BUDding’ dance artists.  
POSSIBLE EXTRA PERFORMANCE AT "DECK THE HALLS", November 9th, Time and details TBA

Winter Concert: Sunday, December, 14th at 3:00pm

Spring Concert: Sunday, May, 17th at 3:00pm


***********************************


WHAT TO WEAR:
Classes: Students can wear ANYTHING comfortable (not confining like jeans or revealing like skirts or tube tops) AND closed toe running SHOES
Performances: There is a ONE TIME t-shirt fee for all the performances $25


********************************
Registration is now open! How to register: http://www.outonalimbdance.com/dot-buds.html

1. Fill out Registration form below

2. Send $10 (Registration fee) before August 1st and $20 thereafter

3. I will send address and checks payable after I receive registration email.




************************************


1. Parent Name:
2. Child name, age, birthday:
3. Parent email and cell number:

Time is the issue for a mom and a dancer/choreographer.

I am committed to being a mom first and then a dancer. This is very rewarding and I would not change my choice.  I do still have time to be a dancer but the time is limited. 

The time I have is in the early morning from 3-6am (before the family gets up), nap time from 9-11am (when my daughter is at school 3 days a week), and nap time from 1-3pm and my once/twice a month(ish) rehearsals with the company on a Saturday or Sunday.  Being committed to being a mom first means that when they are awake, I am with them. So the segments of time during the day where they are sleeping, I MUST be super efficient and motivated to get into my creative groove and get physical with out delay, or the time is wasted.

With this schedule, it doesnt leave much free time to be "social" or create or build recreational friendships. When I'm not being a mom or dancing, I am with and developing my first and foremost relationship with God and my husband.  This means I have to say no to a lot of things. At first it was hard, but once I realized that keeping a focus on my priorities made all the little moments with family and dance, AMAZING life-changing moments, learning experiences and creative spaces.  

This schedule has been working for me for 4 years now. It evolves as the children grow and I get more and more time to dedicate to making work, rehearsing, planning for rehearsals, applying to festivals, and hosting a festival of my own.  Somehow making these choices has undoubtedly fulfilled me.  I haven't missed a moment with my children and dance it is growing slowly but surely. I don't have fame or 10 performances a year with this dream I have with dance. Honestly, I have little evidence to show of it in my day to day life. But being a mom the majority of the time makes it easier to dive in to my slots of time to work. I am physically and emotionally ready for a change of pace and am able to focus on my goals for my times alone.  I have this innate trust in what I am doing, that my relationship with dance is something that must happen and that it is informing my life and that it doing some good in the world.  I keep working with this instinct to keep me going.  The question is always: Am I doing enough? Well, it's always hard to answer. But I always come to the same answer. Yes. It has to be, it must be, because in the end the fruits of my labor feel right. And then, no more asking for a while, because it wastes my time to worry about it. 

L. BROOKE SCHLECTE is the founder and artistic director of Out On a Limb Dance Company (OoLD Co.) since 2003. Schlecte is director of the {254}dance-festival in collaboration with Waco Cultural Arts Fest in Waco, Texas. She holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas, where she received the “Excellence in Choreography Award” in 2007, as well as honors in her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Texas at Austin.

This has some fascinating insight into long-distance dance making with Netta Yerushalmy Dance -- 

https://vimeo.com/55314643

I have been working like this for quite some time in my own dance making and I have to say, it's not for everyone. Some collaborators need the face-to-face time to really "see" and feel the choices in a dance work. That has no value judgment attached to it, meaning, one is not a better dancer simply because you don't thrive utilizing video media. 

Often times, working long-distance is a necessity for me. I have a family with two children and I am living in Oklahoma where dance isn't exactly saturated (it is burgeoning, but no saturation, which is good in many ways). It has afforded me some really great collaborations with other artists such as Valerie Nicolson, Melody Ruffin-Ward, Katy Eurich, and, my long-time friend/colleague, Brooke Schlecte.

I find this a challenging way to work but I also find it rewarding. As a creator, it keeps me inspired to keep in touch with these artists and to work with them, which yields yet another dimension to our relationship. We have work to talk about, families to inquire about, and problems to solve together: an ongoing relationship.

A special thanks to all the artists I’ve worked with, currently and in years past, locally, long-distance, and in another time.