Jumpbrush: Pacific Coast Dance Convergence

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:

Diana Stanton of Variable Velocity

Drew Silvaggio of Civic Ballet

Lisa Deyo of Deyo Dance

Theresa Slobodnik of Ballet Theater San Luis Obispo

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

Facebook

blog

website

twitter

(also I will be updating this post with more personal feedback when I have time)

It's like Red Wine and Coke!

Trey McIntyre Project which is based out of Boise created a piece for the HUGE Basque festival in Boise called Jaialdi. Jaialdi only happens every 5 years and this was the 50th anniversary of the festival. They estimated that 30,000-50,000 people from all over the world travelled to Boise for Jaialdi.

As a Basque and Basque dancer this is a big deal to say the least. Unfortunately I was not able to go (insert much sadness) so I had to live through my friends and family calling me to tell me stories and photos posted on facebook. Its just not the same damn it!

Anyways back to the point, Trey McIntyre created an AMAZING piece inspired by Basque dance which premiered at the Festara during Jaialdi. Basically Trey took my two worlds and melded them together in a way I could only dream of. (read a review of the piece Boise Weekly and New York Times)

In a way I'm jealous because I have always wanted to create a modern dance piece based on traditional Basque dance. In every piece I have ever made there are hints to my Basque dancing past. I have a strong tie to my Basque roots and in San Luis Obispo I feel like one of three Basques in a 500 mile radius. This is really hard sometimes since I come from a strong community of Basques. I miss going down to the block and hearing Basque music, eating Basque food, dancing on Sundays with the Oinkaris, and just being with my HUGE extended family, because lets face it, if you're Basque then you're probably related.

I miss my Basque life, but I'm learning to embrace it and allow it to help me remember where I come from. All I need in life is a kalimotxo, lamb stew, and a jota... then it feels like my family is with me, even if for a moment.

Here is a clip of the making of Arrantza (courtesy Trey McIntyre Project's blog *who as I went to get this link, posted a blog about Jaialdi!*):

Why I love Frye

short film to why I love Frye

Why I Love my Frye Boots from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

A Shift of Energy

Week 3 baby!

Ok so this tuesday (yesterday July 27) I taught the Variable Velocity beginning modern dance class. There were only 3 students this week and 2 are Variable dancers so I decided for the warm up I would un-structure it and go for more of a one on one detailed warm up. Since it is so rare to get really specific instruction on things like different types of roll downs.

I also wanted to teach the same combo to the students however I wanted to change it up a bit. So I changed the music and overall tone of the piece.

here is me doing the original version to the Chase McBride music

July dance combo from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

I changed the music to a song I have been unhealthily obsessed with

Crystal Castles "Empathy"

here is 2 runs in a row of the combo with me in it (it was really fast and tough)

Beginning Modern Combo week 3 (7-27-10) from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

Then I had the dancers take the movement and not think about timing or the order and just go, here's what happened

Beginning Modern Dance *Dancers only week 3 from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

I love seeing the differences between the the two versions. The movement is exactly the same, the only difference is the timing and dynamics. Gah! fascinating, this is the core of my work (at this stage in my life) and I love seeing how movement can change so much with little differences.

compare this week to

Week 1

Week 2

tonight Mee Heng Low Noodle House with Tanya, it's Jazz night which is my favorite

That one hurt a little, that one hurt a bit more... ok that one hurt a lot!

What a week. I 'm still wondering wtf happened and how. My head is in a tail spin to say the least I'm torn between laughing and crying every moment. However laughter always seems to prevail (I'm not much of a crier)

I taught Variable Velocity class again this Tuesday! and it was AWESOME I love teaching soooo much. There were 7 dancers, only 2 from last week, so I re-taught the same class essentially. It was great to see how the 2 who have done the phrase before progressed and how those new to my way of working approached the challenge.

Here is a taste from class (I didn't like any of the videos I was in so I'm only showing the one with the dancers)

Beginning Modern Dance combo week 2 from Lauren Chertudi on Vimeo.

They are fantastic!

(music by Chase McBride)

Tuesday night and all day Wednesday I was SUPER sick with a virus or something so I ended up not going to the last day of classes for summer school and sleeping, since I couldn't move or walk really.

Thursday I took a final from 10-12 studied from 12-4 took the second final from 4-6 and then went home and ate soup and tried not to pass out or die from a massive headache (imagine being repeatedly hit in the head with a baseball bat). I decided it would be better not to go to dance that night and Diana agreed. However it turns out afterwards Jude went to the Hospital with some strange something I still don't understand, Transient Global Amnesia. I still don't know what that means. Then this morning, Friday, I get to work about to head out to the fair and I receive a broken 8 part text from Diana and I freak out because I don't know what to do and I can't leave work to go to the hospital though I desperately want to.

I guess I feel like I've failed since I couldn't or wouldn't be there for Jude, which brings back a lot of painful memories from my past, and past regret that I can't change no matter how hard I try.

Then there is the fact that I was supposed to be in SF this weekend for the Dead Weather show but decided not to go because of finals and my new job ( I could have gotten out of both but it would have been a lot of effort and a small lie which I don't do).

It's been a tough week and I just keep wondering about my life choices and the sacrifices I make... and specifically if they're worth it. Lately I'm not so sure.