Night Journey into Angels

Here is a piece by Martha Graham, a legend to say the very least! I love this piece for the group work more that the duet that actually occurs.

it is based on the story of Oedipus Rex and his Mother/Wife Jocasta

skip to minute 1.40 for the entrance of the large group of females (the chorus)

Night Journey by Martha Graham from Dee Kearney on Vimeo.

Another piece by Martha is Diversion of Angels, which again I love the group sections and less of the solos and duets. My favorite section is around minute 5.19 when the woman in red enters and especially the quartet that follows. I don't know why but it is so jovial and pretty.

Diversion of Angels by Martha Graham (Excerpt) from Dee Kearney on Vimeo.

Rite of Spring

sometimes (often) I feel like the sacrificial virgin here... I think that's why I keep coming back to this piece and why I love it so much

there is something so emotionally honest about this final section of Pina Bausch's version of Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. It is so earthy and raw... nothing to hide, all her cards are on the table

warning there is partial nudity in this clip (upper torso of a female to be precise)

you can see all of this version on youtube and I highly recommend it

dance for thought

I think it helped she was wearing BSU colors at camel's back park

A Time for Everything...

well my time teaching has come to an end, at least for a couple months while I focus on School. It's my senior year at Poly and I only have 8 class, equalling 2 quarters left. One of my classes this quarter conflicts with dance class (I'll arrive a little late to rehearsal this fall)

It pains me to have to give up dance time for school but I just have to remind myself it is only a little longer than I can focus on dance for the rest of my life, or for however long it makes me happy to do so.

Tuesday September 14th was the 3rd week in a row for me to teach and to work on this phrase. It has transformed greatly from a couple of awkward trees swaying in the breeze to a true forest full of critters, grass, trees and wind. I still need to work on the components and really refine and complete the movement.

here is 2 runs in a row with me in them

Beginning Combo 9-14-10 from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

here is 2 of the dancers alone

Beginning Combo * dancers only 9-14-10 from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

Compare to

week 1
week 2


after that I asked if I could use my 3 lovely ladies Mac, Caren and Kathy as guinea pigs and play with some ideas I have for the final piece.

I worked with layer, level and dynamic, here is the result:


(video on the way)

That called to an end my short stint teaching the beginning modern class. I'm hoping to guest teach at Nipomo a couple of times later in the quarter and year and when December/January rolls around I will hopefully be back in rotation for teaching at VV. So never fear this is not the end of Movement Tronic... there is always more! Seriously my head is a never ending abyss of dance crazy.

The trees have evolved!

So as I said I scrapped most of last weeks phrase and started again... this time using Zoe Keating music like I want for the Nipomo dance.

I kept with my forest theme in the piece and still didn't get to finish the phrase so next week look for more changes and additions!

here it is

Beginning Combo 9-7-10 from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

Beginning Combo *Dancers only* 9-7-10 from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

Board Dancing

try dancing on a board!

this video is SO @)!@*#$*$(#$**%#$ AMAZING!!!!!!! It's literally dancing on a skateboard and so beyond cool I can't even put it into words.

just watch for yourself

I like being a tree in your odd little forest

Tuesday Aug 31 I taught the Beginning Modern class for Variable Velocity. On Tuesday I was thinking about the class and that I wanted to use it to work on ideas and play around with material for Nipomo High School.

I know that I am interested in the idea of layers, levels, and as usual dynamic opposition. That led me to the idea of a forest and the layers of a natural forest with tall trees, bushes, grasses, critters, the wind, etc all working together to create this environment with so much life, energy and movement.

I am considering using this Zoe Keating song because I only get 3-4 mins to show a complete thought which is very difficult (think about taking gone with the wind and condensing it to a paragraph)

However as I started thinking about the movement I found myself very stuck... I had choreographers block. I couldn't shake it my body wouldn't flow, my mind wouldn't open, and for the life of me I couldn't visualize anything.

So I went for a walk, possibly the best thing I could do. I went out I found some trees, the wind was mighty that day and the sun was bright. I breathed the air and soaked in the sun and had this Balmorhea song on repeat on my ipod. I had found the music but not the story yet.

It took me almost 3 hours to bang out some semblance of a phrase... that frankly I'm not a huge fan of and I plan on scrapping 90% of it. There are bits of it that I like and lots that I don't but that is the nice part of setting the movement on these dancers before the Nipomo kids. If Mac, Caren and I can't make it work, then no one can.

So here is the phrase that consists of all forest things, starts with grass then trees and moves to wind and critters and those bushes and ends with a falling leaf.

take a look, tell me what you think, and look for a drastic change next tuesday!

VV Beginning combo 8-31-10 from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

The dancers are rock stars working so hard to make this look and feel decent. I had no specific timing or counts and no real definite structure to movement quality.

VV Beginning Combo *dancers only* 8-31-10 from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

From Home to Hometown

Sunday August 15th I flew from Santa Maria to Boise (via LAX) for a short vacation and visit to the great state of Ada.

The original intent of my visit was to see Bob Dylan and the secondary benefit was a week with my Dad in Boise.

I have a list of 4 people/bands I HAVE to see before I die

Bob Dylan

Sufjan Stevens

Arcade Fire

Tom Waits

say what you like... my mother claims I have a thing for old white guys who mumble, that may be partially true. But this is the list and I stand by it.

So Saturday after Jumpbrush and the dance party I went to home at midnight ish and finished getting ready for the next morning. I had to be up at 3:45 to be on the road by 4:15 to be at the airport at 5 for a flight at 6am. (I know I'm crazy) I also REALLY needed to shower so at 1am I showered and finally was in bed by 1:30

*insert 2 hours sleep*

ALARM 1

ALARM 2

*insert cursing*

I get up and pack my stuff up and get ready

I had already printed out my boarding passes and directions to the SM airport the day before so I was pretty much ready to go

TO BOISE

*insert normal boring flight 1hr layover and flight 2*

For the first time in a long time my dad was actually waiting for me at the airport when I walked out of security (normally I'm early and I have to sit and wait around for someone to pick me up).

we head back to the house and chilled until I left for the concert

Kirsten, Keela and I have been obsessed with Bob Dylan since 9th grade when one evening we saw the Scorsese film No Direction Home, a documentary about Bob Dylan on PBS's American Masters series. From that moment on we were hooked.

I was lucky enough to experience Bob Dylan with Kirsten at my right hand. The concert was epic, Bob was wonderful and the best of all, during the encore I looked up to the heavens (we were outside at the Idaho botanical gardens) and I saw a shooting star. My heart almost exploded with joy.

The next day I had coffee with one of my all time favorite Balance girls (ok all of them are my favorite you caught me) Caitlin. Caitlin and her family have essentially become my family in many respects. It was her aunt and uncle that I stayed with in Italy during my break last year and she has danced with/for me for goodness 5 years or so. Now she's headed off to college and I am so excited for her next stage in life!

After that I went over to the Basque Market to grab a sandwich for lunch... where I had a strange encounter. I walked in made my order and as I was standing there a woman who worked at the market approached me and asked "Are you a Balance Dancer?" well I haven't heard that one in a long, long time! I told her I used to be and that I was visiting for the week.

Turns out it was the mom of one of the young girls in Balance right now! Her mom remembered me, and the piece I made for Balance in 2008-2009 about the paintings. To me it wasn't even being recognized but the fact she remembered a part of the small speech I made about the piece in the November showing. She was actually affected and made a mental memory of my work. I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear that people not only like the piece when they see it, but remember it and it actually meant something to them. That's like winning the lottery, or curing cancer (don't worry Mara's on that!), or finding Atlantis for me. I can't put into words the joy it gives me and the hope it inspires in my life.

Tuesday I caught up with another friend at coffee, his name is Cody and we worked on the river together for 3 summers at the raft and tube shop. Ever since I've kept up pretty consistent contact getting updates on high school and such. He has become another little brother like Kurt, meaning not actually my brother but they might as well be.

That afternoon was a Balance pool party at Lauren's house. I was really excited when I got the invite because I haven't seen the girls in so long!!! It was a bonus that Leah was there with her 2 beautiful children Rafferdy and Matilde.

I love Boise in the summer! It is hot but it is such a nice dry heat that your body just absorbs it like a lizard; unlike the heat in SLO which is sticky and heavy so it just sits on your body like a big weight.

I created a new breakfast invention I think is my best yet! honey bunched of oats (with almonds) and fresh blackberries with icy cold milk.

Tuesday night was dinner at Casanova's pizza with Dad, Matt and Debra which was fantastic and super delicious! It was a nice little family dinner thing.

Wednesday I worked on this blog actually! I went to a local coffee shop with the best coffee in the world called Moxie Java while I was there I popped on facebook and saw an Arcade Fire update and they had announced new shows for their current tour. Me being hugely obsessed with them, and them not yet announcing any west coast dates, I scrambled to their website and saw they had a show in Berkeley that I could go to and not miss dance or anything! So I go to look at tickets which were on sale on their website.

$60... ouch! especially since I had just paid that for Bob. So I try to call my mom and get her second opinion since I had 30 mins to hold onto the tickets online. She couldn't talk so I decided, screw it! I'll just buy the ticket and I can pawn it off later if I have to. I go to hit purchase and the internet cut out at moxie. So I hop in my car and drive home halfway, my mom calls me and I start chatting with her about the ticket (it's legal in Idaho to talk and drive) I get home, run inside and hit enter again on the tickets... sold out

GOD MOTHER F#(* @*#(@$*_*)@!@#IV_@(I#$8@$93$

I thought the curse was over!

I hang up with my mom and curse at god telling him to stop being mean and let me go to the concerts I like... I go back onto the website to see if any other dates would work and magically more tickets for Berkeley appeared! Without thinking I purchase one and snagged a ticket, General Admission standing floor at the Greek Theater in Berkeley... I almost died of happiness not only do I get to go but I have phenomenal tickets!

Talk about a roller coaster of emotions... a women in menopause couldn't have topped that

That afternoon I went to the Western Idaho Fair to help with the 4-H judging since I know the lady who runs the show and it's $40 to eat a bunch of candy and cakes etc. While there Jacki texts me that Austin and Chase McBride are in Boise on their tour... I tell her to give them my number and if they want to hang out to let me know. (some of you may remember I used Chase McBride music my first 2 weeks of teaching)

Later that day Austin texts me that they have a show that night at Solid downtown... I call Keela and we decide to go, our friend Laura met us there.

It was a lot of fun and a great show, I also love sharing my California life with my Idaho friends.

After the show we headed over to Flying M for a bit to catch up and chat a bit (since this is the first time in years that I've seen Laura and it's been a long time since I talked to Keela as well)

Flying M is SUPER hipster which makes it great

Thursday was a very relaxing day, went for a run, worked on this lovely blog then I went to lunch with my brother, his roommate and his friend. The 3 boys are basically my 3 big brothers and have been since I was a kid.

After that I went home and picked some blackberries with dad and got ready for dinner with the grandparents and Caldwell Night Rodeo!

I am an expert blackberry picker... just thought I'd mention that

Dinner was nice since I haven't really seen my grandparents since like christmas or something, even though the dreaded question did come up... I really hate being asked if I have a boyfriend and the ever present follow up of why not.

The Rodeo was fantastic! I'm a civi personally (meaning I'm a civilized viewer from the shady stands not a rowdy in the sun) It was tough enough to wear pink night too!

I really love the rodeo, I'm not sure why but I have a lot of fond family memories from my life that occur at the rodeo.

This girl's hair perplexed me to no end!








Matt and Debra!

After the Rodeo we went to my aunt and uncle's house to see the new puppy Sammy
Friday morning I got up early to pack and get ready to go.my dad dropped me off at the airport on his way to work... and I was homeward bound.
I know this is hard to say... but Boise is now a place to visit my family and SLO is now my home. In many ways I have a family in SLO that look out for me in my parents stead but it's just not the same; nothing is the same anymore. It is very hard when you feel like a guest in your parents' house and a visitor to your hometown. I used to call Boise home now it is my hometown. When people ask me where I'm from I now ask in return "currently or originally?"