Dance in the Works
Check out the dances we have in the works:
Reversible Spontaneous Combustion: a.k.a., Mad ScienceA quirky look into the minds of scientists who spontaneously stumble onto the discovery of their lives, only to uncover the
seemingly irreversible consequences.
- premiered National Dance Week 04/2005, performed at Ithacafest 6/2005, to be performed Boston Univeristy Dance Showcase 10/2005Chor: Sarah FosterDancers: Ryan Harkrider, Margaret Irving, Sarah Foster, Bernadette SchremphThe TrapDid Eve tempt Adam, or did Adam tempt Eve? And what's the difference between La Mort and L'amour. Check out this sultry, yet somewhat shocking duet. - premiered National Dance Week 04/2005, performed at Ithacafest 6/2005Chor: Sarah FosterDancers: Sarah Foster, Margaret IrvingIron MaidensHave you ever had Iron Envy? No we're not talking hard steel and welding vices, we mean domesticity and the disillusionment material objects can have on our daily existence.- premiered at Ithacafest 6/2005Chor: Margaret IrvingDancers: Margaret Irving, Sarah Foster, Sophia, Bernadette SchremphStale: memoriesFollow the course of three women cloaked in red, as they overcome fears of the past and journey forth as best they can under the rather "stale" circumstances. Don't be surprised if you see a metaphor or two in the use of these everyday props ...Chor: Sarah FosterNot yet cast: to be premiered at the CRS Barn Studio August 20, 8pm.The ShootoutAt it again, the banana gang is out to get the apple gang. Or is it the apple out to get the banana? A fast paced play on dancers criss-crossing, turning their backs and winding up in a different places- this dance is bound go somewhere.Chor: Sarah FosterNot yet castBoomberry WineRhythm, happy fun. Grapes galore. Chor: Sarah Not yet cast, in the works...
First Company Audition
First Open Company AuditionWe held our first audition on Saturday, July 30th - and it went fabulously! Between the dancers who couldn't make it and those who just walked through the doors, we've assembled a cast of 12 dancers!
Wide-eyed Beginnings
A few weeks ago, Margaret Irving and I sat down together in her hot, muggy apartment and drafted our ideas on to paper. Next, those ideas made it into the computer, then to print, then into the hands of our fellow dancer, Ryan Harkrider. We talked, we thought, we wiggled our toes, we furrowed our eyebrows, and even delicately placed our index fingers just under our lower lips. Something was going to happen... and it did.
Here's the first draft of our new dance company's mission statement.
WIDE-EYED DANCE THEATRE
Mission:
To introduce a NEW theatrical medium – a fusion of dance and theatre - to the Ithaca community, local colleges and universities, and surrounding areas.
To collaborate with local artists on costumes, music, art, scene design, and theatrical content.
To offer affordable (if not free) performances to the Ithaca community.
To compensate those performers/artists involved with the company for their time and services.
Company:
§ Sarah Foster: co-founder, artistic director, choreographer, dancer
§ Margaret Irving: co-founder, executive director, choreographer, dancer
§ Ryan Harkrider: co-founder, business manager, dancer
§ Dancers - TBD
Characteristics
§ Quirky
§ thought-provoking
§ fast-paced/energetic
§ comedic
§ theatrical
§ fusion of various dance/theatre techniques
Rehearsal Space
§ Third floor productions – FREE but small
§ Southside Gym – I think is $10/hour, large space, I would imagine a hard floor
§ CSMA - $20/hour, large space
§ City Health Club - $5/person, if not a member, beautiful studio space
§ To look into – Yoga studio by Wegmans, anywhere that is big and danceable
§ intensive weekends at 171 Cedar Arts Center (just a thought)
Money
§ grants
o Community Partnership
o Cornell something or other
o NFA grants
§ personal donations
§ corporate sponsors
Production
§ depending on the venue, would be advantageous to have sound system
§ lights ( find out where to rent and for how much)
Venues
§ KTC – great lights, sound system, and support staff
§ Third floor productions – smaller, more informal space, simple lights, sound?
§ CSMA - ~200 to rent the space
§ Ithaca High School
§ Local School shows around the area
§ Outside on the commons
Advertising
§ Flyers
§ Word of mouth
§ Arts list serves
Action Plan
Step 1: General flyer to the community introducing ourselves and our mission, who we are and what we want to do. General search for dancers or interested parties.
Step 2: Once we establish a group of interested dancers, find a rehearsal space and set rehearsal schedule.
Step 3: Set performance date, place, time for the end of summer debut. Create timeline for advertising, etc.
Step 4: Rehearse, add new pieces onto our repertory. We have: Mad Science, The Trap, Iron Maidens. Teach old choreography: The Adventures of . . . Anticipating new choreography: Banana Shootout, STALE, and Boomberry Wine.
Sarah's Bio
Sarah Foster (Choreographer, Dancer), a Corning native, graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in French Language and Literature (2004). She has studied dance at the Ithaca College, New England Ballet, 171 Cedar Arts, in Niger, West Africa and at Boston University where she performed and choreographed regularly with the Dance Theatre Group. Her choreography was selected to represent BU at the ACDF 2001 at Boston U. and ACDF 2004 at Smith College, as well as BU's annual production on the Huntington Mainstage in Boston. While in Boston, she interned with Boston Dance Collective's Summer Outreach Program, and also performed with Medusa Dance. Her Ithaca theatre credits include the Kitchen Theatre’s productions of Science Fair (Ms. Mundani), A December Suite (Celia), A Christmas Carol (Margaret) and the 48-hour Playwrighting Marathon hosted by the KTC. In addition to representing the real-life Angelina Ballerina for National Dance Week (tail included), she’s shown her work at various venues in the Ithaca area and has most recently performed in Jeannie Goddard’s The Handel Project.
Past Choreography includes: Misbehaving (2000), 29.5 grams of fat (2001), Desertification (2003), Pluckin' and Strummin' (2004), The Adventures of Mandy and Sarah: Episode 184 (2004), in addition to the dances listed on the "Dance in the Works" page.
Margaret's Bio
Margaret Irving - Managing Director
Margaret C. Irving (Administrator/ Performing Artist) is still mentally-transitioning to Ithaca from Portland, Maine. She has her B.A in Performing Arts from Wells College with graduate credit from Duke & Cornell University. Her education is primarily based in Performance Art but also delves into Arts Administration, Teaching, Choreography and Directing. Recently, she was noted for holding the position as Regional Coordinator for National Dance Week 2005 in Central New York. She's not just a dancer! But an Actor at The Kitchen Theatre Company and Artistic Director 2005 for The Aurora Children's Theatre. Her performance credits include "dance showcase" Portland Stage Company, "danceWorks" New Dance Studio, "dance the journey" Wells College, "adf showcase" Duke University, "ithaca choreography showcase" CSMA, "48-Hour Play Marathon" Kitchen Theatre Company, "Queueu" Third Floor Productions, and others. After much though, Margaret is now interested in utilizing her performance background to express the inequalities of race/class/gender through the emerging concept of Dance, Multi-media & Spoken Word. Email her for more information:
mci3@cornell.edu
Ryan's Bio
Ryan Harkrider (Business Manager, Dancer) is originally from Austin, TX and has a B.F.A. in Dance from The University of Texas in Austin. She is a former company member of Dance Repertory Theatre, Ears and Feet (a dance and electronic music composer collaboration), and The San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet Company. For over eight years, she has taught at various schools and companies including the Ithaca Ballet, The Community School of Music and Arts, Performing Arts School of Classical Ballet, The Dance Works Studio, and Ballet Austin. Former dance training includes studying with Billie Fieldon, Yacov Sharir, Andee Scott, Corpus Christi Ballet, and Munro Ballet, as well as various master classes including Kraig Patterson, David Parsons, Ralph Lemon, Lisa Nicks, Eddie Taketa, Rachel Murray, Carla Maxwell, Alonzo King, Alvin Ailey, and Rennie Harris. Though reluctant to choreograph, her previous pieces (shown at such venues as American College Dance Festival and SEED, an experimental dance venue) have included cellos, hammocks, heart chakras, and discussing addiction while diving head first out of chairs. After moving to Ithaca last year, she has performed in National Dance Week 2005, as well as organizing and directing the Ithaca Choreography Showcase last May with plans for a second performance in October.
