Happy Fall, Rhythm-Lovers!
Here we are again, ushering out the summer and welcoming in the fall. Out come the sweatshirts, blankets, and yes, leg-warmers! As you dust off those tibia-tinglers, take the opportunity to reflect on how you can keep warm with dance this coming season. Below are some highlights of upcoming opportunities to learn, create and view jazz and rhythm-drive dance in our fair cities, and some additional notes of interest. Enjoy!
LEARN
Fode Bangoura’s Annual African Dance Trip to Guinea!
Photo from DuniyaDrumandDance.org
Journey with Fode Bangoura and Duniya Drum and Dance to Guinea, West Africa December 23, 2012 – January 21, 2013 to experience the rich culture of the country’s drum and dance traditions. Fode has been leading trips to his home town of Conakry since 2006 to study drum and dance in their natural environments. Students have the unique opportunity to study with members of “Les Ballets Africains” the national ballet of Guinea, as well as observe their rehearsals and performances. Outside of classes students will attend local Doundounbas (drum and dance circles), shop at local markets, experience the night life of Conakry, have instruments hand made and most of all connect with the people of Guinea. Pricing includes: Room and Board, 3 meals a day of delicious African food (Rice, chicken, fish, vegetables, fresh fruit), Dance and drum classes and transportation to workshop related events.
Where: Conakry, Guinea, Africa
More Info: duniyadrumanddance.org/guineatrip
Check Out the MN BBoy Scene!
Groove Nutz ala 90’s. Photo courtsey of thebboyspot.com
Minnesota’s active and creative BBoy scene has recently been featured on industry website The BBoy Spot. If you think you know a lot about the MN hip hop dance scene, delve a littler deeper with this article.
Additionally, one of our resident BBoys, J-Sun, has been writing some great blog articles for the Fifth Element, Minnesota’s own independently owned Hip Hop record store and retail shop. J-Sun is super-articulate about this work, and a great voice for the community. Check it out!;
CREATE
Want to Show Work? Contact Patrick’s!
Have new jazz and rhythm-driven choreography (or any kind of choreography for that matter) that you’d like to put in front of an audience? Think about requesting Patrick’s Cabaret as your next place to do just that. Patrick’s is a great partner to creators of jazz and rhythm-driven choreography, with a history of presenting work within the realm, and a reputation as a great local home for some of our community’s best hip hop choreography and jazz music.
So where do you start? Right here, baby. Click the link to find instructions on how to go about getting your work up at Patrick’s. We look forward to seeing your name on their calendar the next time we troll through. Happy creating!
Photo from Patrickscabaret.org, Choreography by Denise Armistead
VIEW
Voices of Strength: Contemporary Dance and Theater by Women From Africa
This stylistically-diverse showcase features two different evenings of work by five inventive female director-choreographers from across Africa. Voices of Strength is a project of The Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium, curated and presented in partnership with MAPP International Productions. Support provided by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Head on out to the Walker to check out this neat project!
Photo of Nelisiwe Xaba from AgendaCulturel.fr
When: October 10-13 @ 8pm
Where: The Walker Art Center
Cost: $18-$22
More Information: www.walkerart.org
This Was Made for Women’s Bodies
Inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem Phenomenal Woman, This Was Made for Women’s Bodies explores the ways in which a woman’s experiences are portrayed through her body. The show is choreographed by Maia Maiden for dancers Veronica DuBose, Susan Leppke and Keri McWilliams, with guest artists Ellena Schoop and Cathy Wright and lighting design by Nate Rockswold. The performance is a collection of short stories placing body image and self-esteem on display to celebrate power, strength, and open dialogue, showing how her body is not just a visual aid, but the carrier of unique histories.
When: October 11-14 @ 8pm
Where: The Walker Art Center
Cost: $10 in advance, $12 at the door
More Info: http://www.intermediaarts.org/catalyst-series-this-was-made-for-womens-bodies
WHAT’S NEW WITH RS?
2012 Show Done, 2013 Show Here We Come. But We Need Your Help!
The 2012 Rhythmically Speaking Presents was a great success! After a little time enjoying the accomplishment, we have begun to look forward to 2013! The theater is booked (August 15-17, 2013 at the Southern Theater) and plans are underway for collecting submissions, but there is another very important factor floating in the mix; funding. Rhythmically Speaking learned recently that we did not receive grant funding that we had been anticipating for support for our 2013 production. This makes your support even more crucial than it has ever been. Please mark your calendar for November 15th, which is this year’s Give to the Max Day, a celebrated day of charitable giving sponsored by GiveMN and powered by Razoo. Check out our 2012 fundraising page here, at which we are currently still receiving donations. 2013 will be up soon!
Need a Reminder of What You Are Supporting?
Follow the Show Choreographers
Join the NewsletterThank you for your support!
Erinn + Rhythmically Speaking Board
JAZZ’IN OTHER AREAS
Over in Colorado: Southland by Katherine Dunham, Reconstructed by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company
September 14-16 in Denver, one of Denver’s oldest and most respected dance companies took on an amazing project; they reconstructed, for the first time ever, Southland by Katherine Dunham. Dunham is revered in the field as one of the first major dance anthropologists. Not only that, she was a woman of color, and trail blazed with her research, writing and productions. Southland had never been seen in the US until this production. It premiered in Chile in 1951, and was banned by the US Embassy due to it’s graphic depiction of a lynching, and content about slavery. The Cleo Parker Robinson dance company received a large NEA grant to reconstruct the piece. Check out a review here!
Upcoming in NY: The New York Jazz Choreography Project
October 19-20 in New York, Jazz Choreography Enterprises will present another one of they bi-annual choreographer’s shows. This show will feature the work of Bob Boross, Crystal Chapman, Mike Esperanza, Cara Goodwin, Joyce King, Alison L. Krauss, Luigi, Cat Manturuk, Roberta Mathes, Merete Muenter, Kirsten Schwartz, Kellie Schweon and Sidney Erik Wright. More about the show can be found here.
Upcoming in Chicago: Jump Rhythm Jazz Project at Dance Chicago
As usual, JRJP is on the move. They will be a featured company for this year’s Dance Chicago, with a highlight concert on November 3rd at 8pm at the Carl Sandburg Theatre, Orland Park. Road trip? Yes, indeeed! More info about the company here, or, Purchase tickets!
SOME CONGRATS ARE IN ORDER!
Rhythmically Speaking Board Member and MN Jazz Dance Legend Zoe Sealy Receives Sage Nomination!
Zoe Sealy, RS Board Member and MN jazz dance legend, has been nominated for a Special Citation Sage Award this year. The Special Citation recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the Twin Cities/ Minnesota dance scene, and Zoe most certainly has! Want to support our gal? Make an evening out of the Sage Awards, being held at the Cowles Center for Dance.
What: The 8th Annual Sage Awards
When: October 17th @ 7:30pm
Where: The Cowles Center
Tickets: Here
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Got submissions, improvement ideas, or just want to say hi? We are all ears, and can be contacted at the email below!
Groove on!
Erinn Liebhard, Artistic Director
Rhythmically Speaking
info@rhythmicallyspeakingdance.org
www.rhythmicallyspeakingdance.org
The mission of Rhythmically Speaking is to revitalize jazz and rhythm-based dance forms in the Twin Cities, supporting its practitioners, educating its audiences, and celebrating its rich history while nurturing innovation through performance. http://www.rhythmicallyspeakingdance.org.
Rhythmically Speaking 