Kasser Theater, Montclair NJ

This week Dance Exchange is at Montclair State University to spend a week onstage in the Kasser Theatre with "The Matter of Origins". Our full production team is here and we'll spend a lot of the week working on our technical elements. While the dancers are perfecting choreography the design team will be adding video, sound, lights, and starting to look at costumes. We also have our beautiful set for the first time.

The Production Team and Liz working out the details.

Lighting and scenic designer Michael Mazzola & Production Manager Amelia Cox working with the scenery.

Rehearsal at UMD

Warming up yesterday afternoon in the Kay Theatre at University of Maryland

Photo by Ben Wegman

Robots, etc.

Why were these objects in the room yesterday? All I can say is that we're back in "Origins" rehearsals and coming at our subject matter from every angle. Read more about the project here. And see it September 10 and 12 at the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Center!

Dancing in garages

Last weekend, the company and 23 Summer Institute participants performed "garage/dances", a site-specific work created at a parking garage in Adams Morgan and our studios in Takoma Park. Our audiences and participants withstood the 90+ degree heat to see and perform dances in and on cars, against walls, down ramps and over balconies. Read the reviews here and here, and take a look at the pictures below. (All photos by John Borstel).

Defined spaces

Today we had our first rehearsal in the parking garage we'll be performing in next weekend. I love seeing a performance space for the first time, whether it's a theater, garage, hotel ballroom, whatever--so much possibility exists in that first visual experience of a place before the physical ones begin. We learned today what works and what doesn't in this space, and I'm struck by how simple structures (like canons and lines) become so charged in defined spaces. Here are some pictures from the past few days:

In the studio

Bulking the image

Planning

Keith and the group

Rehearsal in the garage

Summer Institute 2010!

Our Summer Institute kicked off yesterday with a sampler class. We started things with a DX classic, Blind Lead, and then moved through improv structures, strengthening exercises, and combinations lead by different company members. Adjunct artist Keith Thompson taught his (fierce) phrase to the group and leads them through it in the video below.

We are working toward a performance on July 16-17 in a parking garage in Adams Morgan which means we pack in enough information in one day to make it feel like three. Already after one day, we have enough material to make and craft a solid piece. But--we're back to it tomorrow to continue to vary and develop our material and see where it leads us.

Takoma Park 4th of July

One of the things I've really loved about coming to work at Dance Exchange has been getting to know Takoma Park, which is a beautiful neighborhood right outside of DC and is the home of the company. This year, many of us celebrated the 4th of July in part by attending the Takoma Park 4th of July parade! Takoma Park actually has one of the oldest Independence Day celebrations along the Atlantic Coast and this year was the 121st annual event.
Community spirit was high and we cheered on Dance Exchange partners Impact Silver Spring and Washington Adventist Hospital as they marched in the parade.

A group of young activists at Piney Branch Elementary School is trying to get a dishwasher in their school cafeteria so they don't have to use styrofoam trays. Their supporters had a large parade presence!

Marchers from a local dog training school.

The parade passes right in front of Dance Exchange. Takoma Park Council Member Josh Wright rode his bicycle in the parade.

Company members Ben Wegman and Shula Strassfeld (with Bashie) take in the Takoma Park 4th of July parade!