For the last week or so my life has been consumed by Jumpbrush, which is the Pacific Coast Dance Convergence. Essentially it is 2 days and 3 nights of master classes of a wide range of styles, as well as performances and activities in the evenings. Jumpbrush was held in San Luis Obispo, CA (SLO) on the Cal Poly campus centered at the Performing Arts Center (PAC). From August 12-14 over 100 dancers, choreographers, and artists converged and created a magical couple of days full of learning, creation and artistic expression.
Jumpbrush was born from the collaboration of 9 people but specifically what became known as the big 4, which consists of the directors of the 4 dance companies in SLO:
as well as 5 other members:
Tanya Tolmasoff - Festival Coordinator
Nancy G Moore - Dance Historian
Steven T. Lerian - Cal Poly Arts Director
Ron Regier - Managing Director of the Christopher Cohan Center of the Performing Arts (PAC)
Melody Klemin - Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for the PAC
in addition to the "Brush" of Jumpbrush Liz Maruska who created an alarmingly beautiful piece or art that was on display throughout the weekend.
Then a Variable dancer and Florist extraordinaire, Amanda Rounds, designed and created all of the floral arrangements on display from her shop Shell Beach Flowers. I've been to her shop, and let's put it this way... she has created paradise of magical wonder in a strip mall in Grover Beach, CA. Amanda is nothing less than a genius and also an AMAZING person. I really can't tell the world enough how epic she is.
Below is a video from Jumpbrush with short interviews with the Founders explaining what Jumpbrush is all about.
The week before the event I acted as assistant to Tanya and completed many of the tasks she didn't have time for or need to do, i.e. copy and collate the welcome packets, cut up the class tickets, create spreadsheets, welcome DVD, etc.
I love doing anything that has to do with dance and I will give 1000% when it comes to dance.
On Thursday I helped organize and run the check in table for registrants, which was fascinating for me to meet all of the dancers involved in Jumpbrush and to meet them and talk to them about this amazing weekend we had ahead of us.
Thursday evening there was a welcome party and lecture before the ODC show. Again I loved mingling with new friends and catching up with "old" friends (I really hate that expression). here is a photo of many generations of Variable Velocity dancers. (from left Megan, Tanya, Jude, Brittany, Shelly, Horacio, Me, Leslie, Hilary)
ODC was epic! I loved their performance, the first piece was very quirky and introverted which I LOVE. The lighting was brilliant, the costumes were innovative, and the choreography was complex and true. I was very, very, very, impressed.
I also could not be more excited that KT Nelson and Daniel Santos from ODC would also be teaching us in the next 2 days... it felt like an audition in many ways.
There were 3 groups of registered dancers in Jumpbrush all three would essentially take the same classes from the same teachers, with a few variations.
Angela Bachero-Kelleher--Modern Dance
Ryan Beck--Warm-up Yoga
Jude Clark Warnisher--Warm-up Yoga
Lisa Deyo—Ballet and Jazz
KT Nelson of ODC/ San Francisco--Composition
Jennita Russo--Ballet
Daniel Santos of ODC/San Francisco--Ballet/Modern Phrasing
Drew Silvaggio--Contemporary/Jazz
Theresa Slobodnik--Ballet
Diana Stanton-- Modern Dance Technique
Mark Swanhart (Swany) and Jennitta Russo--Jazz/Contemporary
and also
"Moving Mural"-- Diana Stanton and Jude Clark Warnisher Interactive Workshop
On top of classes the big 4 had technical rehearsals for the finale show on Saturday night. My schedule on Friday was as such:
Wake up yoga with Jude 8-9am
Tech Rehearsal in PAC 9-11:15am
Contemporary/Jazz with Mark 11:30-1:15 pm
lunch 1:15- 2:15 pm
Modern with Angela 2:30-4 pm
Composition with KT 4:30-6 pm
Tech Rehearsal in PAC 6-7 pm
Moving Mural with Diana and Jude 7-8
Dinner with Megan and Brittany at Natural Cafe
Bath
Bed
Saturday
Sleep through yoga
Jazz/Contemporary with Drew 9:30-11 am
Modern with Diana 11:30-1 pm
Tech Rehearsal 1-2:30 pm
go home pack for Boise 2-3 pm
prep for show that night 3-4 pm
Observe KT's composition 4:30-6 pm
VV run through 6-6:45 pm
Show warm up with KT 6:45 - 7:15
Make up/hair/costumes/etc 7:15-8
Show 8-10:30
After party 10:30-12
for more about Jumpbrush and the weekend please see
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(also I will be updating this post with more personal feedback when I have time)
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