Feedback and photos from our friends

I am happy to publish these pictures the April 6 performance taken by my friend and colleague Karen Bond along with a spontaneous response poem from dancer and choreographer Leah Stein. I am grateful to Karen and Leah for witnessing the work and contributing to the blog. The personal responses are much appreciated.



From Leah:
Thank you for inviting me, in the Sunday rain,
to the waterfall this morning.
Ducks; big-billed and happy.
Thank you for the sounds of
rivers thinking.
Water circles, glimmer stone,
trunk shining wet.



Thanks for the moving stillness of tree-tempo,
poncho in the wind fluttering with the force of
flight,
branches curved and divided & solid and long
talking of fish and battles.
Careen. Triumph. Yield. Cast.














Casting into geological time.
Arching back and body deeply.
Stick stories emerge.







Purple fisherman! Standing tall.
On the wall above the river.
Catch. See the stick bearers.
That’s ok. He’ll keep fishing.
Far and near together.

Sunday morning glitter stone.
Shining wet ducks.
Purple fisherman unjostled.






An offering to endurance.
A song to awaken calm.
moving in between the everyday.

Yesterday's Performance

April 6 performance. Its spring. Warmer than its been for our performances, but still cold. Wet. Windy. I turn around the minute I step outside my house; I go back in for more clothing. It slows me down but its OK. Its important to protect ourselves, no use pushing the edge too far. I have been performing a lot the last few days. I have loved it, but I'm tired.

Other things slow us down. Its OK, its that kind of day. There are very few people in the park. We smile at the familiar faces. Its great to be out here, so quiet, so solitary, peaceful . I choose to stand on the the Drive today. Its self-preservation at work. I need to be quiet, simply holding the space, finding balance.


Noemí, Shavon, Jumatatu and Toshi perform by the falls. They share the wall with a fisherman, Mike.

Jumatatu works with a spectacular branch. Its like a small tree.

Toshi's music connects us across the distance.

Its interesting how the branch dances and fishing are alike in the stillness.

Mike seems to have caught a mermaid!

I find out later that the wind has knocked the dancers off their feet!

We are all dancing with the wind.

Photos: Pepón Osorio

Today's performance is on!

10:30 AM. Livezey waterfall. Its a bit damp; best to wear a rain poncho and shoes with grip.

More branch dances this weekend

Anyone interested in seeing branch dances developed for the stage is invited to attend the the Temple University Department of Dance Faculty Concert this Friday and Saturday April 4 & 5 at 8PM in the Thomlinson Theater on Norris and 13th Streets. Tickets are $15 general admission/$13 students and senior citizens/FREE for students with OWLcard .

Toshi and I will be performing Balancing Acts, a duet created originally for the 2007 Philadelphia Live Arts festival. Reviewing the performance for the Philadelphia City Paper Janet Anderson wrote: “Best is Soto herself performing with Toshi Makihara, a human musical instrument, who prowls around her shaking rattles, ringing bells, banging gongs and beating the floor. This is primitive, adversarial and odd, and yet quite beautiful all at the same time.” http://flirt.citypaper.net/fringe/2007/show.php/id/95/

I am excited to again be performing with Toshi in a theatrical venue. We open the program so if you are planning on seeing us be on time.

Also on the program are works by Kun-Yang Lin, Kariamu Welsh, and guest artist Lisa Kraus.

Photos by Alan Kolc.

Its Spring!

The first performance of the Spring Cycle will be April 6 at the Livezey Waterfall. 10:30 AM. Rain or shine. Come out for fresh air and sunshine, witness the blooming of the park, each day a new experience!

I've begun to upload project videos onto YouTube. Difficult to fit a landscape in such a small screen. Still, they are there to share. The following were edited with a mirror effect that highlights our work with balance.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmERSHZHYCQ&feature=related




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8God3eLkCd0&feature=related

Today's Performance

Lately, every time the wind picks up I feel a longing to go to the woods. I have been wanting to dance with the wind in this project. Today was the day. The wind was everywhere. Cold, very cold, yet the brightness of the sun warmed the spirit.

Today was fairy day. Each of us chose a space along the path to work in.

I chose the pond. It was clean, shiny, filled with fresh water from the recent storm. The water rippled gently with the wind, a myriad patterns and reflections filled the stillness and quietude with movement and sound.

When I saw these pictures I was surprised. I had no idea one could see my reflection in the water. From my vantage point I only saw the sunlight sparkling in the water! Its as if the water reflects back my inner world focused on and honoring the dead. I am reminded of African traditions for which the spirit world is the inversion of the living world. The dead live on in us; they are reflected in us.

Toshi started near me by the pond and then moved down the path. His sensitive music traverses distances and unifies the group.

Jumatatu worked high on a side path, Lazarus among the trees.

Olive chose to work on top of a rock along the main path. Here she is, pushing/ riding the edge of balance.

Shavon , high on the bridge, was a beacon welcoming the sun and the wind.

open the body
open the heart
open the mind
open the spirit
honor life
connect

dedicated in loving memory to
Henry Soto
and
Joan Goldenberg

Photos: Pepon Osorio

Today's performance is on!

Mt. Airy Ave. 10:30 AM --- Remember daylight saving starts today.

Its very windy. We may cut the performance to 1/2 hour if the cold and wind become unbearable. For your comfort and safety please layer up and wear skid proof shoes as the ground will probably still be wet.

Dedicated to the loving memory of Henry Soto and Joan Goldenberg.