Transitions

Dance can be a wonderful career. A career in dance can have you gracing some of the great stages of the world,meeting wonderful people and be lucrative in some rare instances. But like an athlete it can be short lived. Injuries, wear and tear underemployment and new interests all play a part in a dancer’s life. What happens next? What happens after the last bow is taken and the stage lights go off? I explore this in my mobile story Encores and Second Acts. Exploring the unique journey a dancer goes through as they leave one passion in search of the next.

After a montage of different dance scenes and introducing the project it goes into interviews with several people in the dance world who have transitioned or reinvented themselves outside of dance.

Dancers express feelings of wanting to move on but unsure of which way to go. The loss of identity and feeling left out. Some were optimist and bold as they ventured into new territory such as  Maria Leone the pilates studio owner.

Vince Patterson former choreographer for Michael Jackson expressed a desire to explore his creativity more and be more in control and part of the creative process.

I edited this from footage on imovie. This is a trailer for project I back burnered so I am trying to pick it up again and finish it!. Hopefully this will be the start of shedding light on the unique journey that each dancer will share in life beyond the stage.

The setting is Bodyline Studios in LA, Vince Pattersons private home in the hills and the offices of Career Transitions for Dancers in NYC. View it here.

youtube.com/user/encoresand2ndacts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyonce addresses her roots, Katrina and Black Lives Matter in new video

 

     It was the half time seen around the world. And days later the public is still consumed with what they saw and if they liked it. This has got to be the most talked about half time show since Janet Jackson “nipple gate.” In case you missed it her is the replay.  Saturday afternoon while you may have cleaning house or running errands the Queen Bey herself blessed us with may just be her best work to date. With New Orleans as her backdrop she created “Formation, ” an audio/visual homage to her Black/creole heritage, Katrina tragedy, southern traditions seeped in as rich tones as the ladies portrayed in the beauty supply store, or the essence of Black goth we see as she holds court on the porch draped in Black and shiny necklaces. From the dilapidated buildings, streets flooded with no relief to a child dancing in the streets. This is the Beyonce many of us have been waiting to emerge. The totally conscious feminist who has arrived to tell you about a few things.

     Video courtesy  of Beyonce.com via Youtube youtube.com/watch

The overall message is one that states that although she has made all this money she never forgets her roots,  still keeps the all important “hot sauce in her bag, swag” This song is part dis to all the haters who have ever complained about Blue Ivy’s hair being to nappy or the size of her husband Jay Z’s nose size to those haters that she proclaims to “twirl” she tells them she “likes her baby’s hair afro, her Negros nose like those Jackson five nostrils.” She likes it just fine. What she doesn’t like is the remnants left behind after the levees broke, and all the FEMA trucks left. We see her sprawled across a police car submerged in water possibly signifying the drowned or rebirth perhaps of better days. The most compelling and thought provoking is the young boy seen dancing in front of what looks like a police firing squad the wall behind the boy tagged with the words Stop shooting us! The little boy puts his hands up and the officers also put their hands up. Poignant, thought provoking and has sparked an overwhelming amount of think pieces, harsh critique from all races, but in the midst of that a great amount of racial pride an a moment of feeling empowered at a time when many voices of color are being silenced permanently.

Pro Black does not equate to anti white. Celebrating ones culture, entertainment and at the same time reflecting a huge problem between the police and the black community does not have to be mutually exclusive. And as stated so eloquently by Nina Simone, ” An artist’s duty as far as I am concerned is to reflect the times.” This is exactly what Mrs. Carter did so eloquently and unapologetic. I applaud her gumption and audacity to use to her platform for such an important message. May her evolution continue and her art reflect that! I am here for it all.

thembisamshaka.com/…/beyonce-formation-a-dont-overthink-piece

 

(photos by www. colorlines.com)

 

 

 

My Mobile Story

A visual display of photos, video clips and testimonies will make up my mobile story. As an artist a digital calling card can be a great resource to secure work. My work as a teacher, coach, choreographer and consultant has been documented but never put together to tell a cohesive story of my skills and services offered. Below is an outdated demo reel of my choreography. The mobile story project will give me the opportunity to update this.

 

 

Reinvention

Change is what makes the world go round. Change the day, the season, weather, spouse, age, jobs. We are all in a state of change. Some can adjust and thrive while others take refuge in the past and stay static.

The idea of reinvention or making oneself anew is a journey most will never join mostly because it is highly uncomfortable, with results unknown and no road map. I write this to share my stories of my path in reinventing myself.

From the time I was 3 years old I have been a student of dance. I found my passion at a very young age and just kept with it growing in my artistry and technique. As an adult entering the world of dance as a career I was blessed to attain a very high level of achievement. Appearing in Broadway shows, kicking with Radio City Rockettes, touring Europe, Japan and the Caribbean.

After over nearly 20 years of auditioning and performing for a living I started to feel a pull. A pull that would lead me out of NYC and into the world of programming arts for youth at the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland. This was my first reinvention morphing in an arts administrator planning and implementing programs for youth. This would be a major life change and a huge growth spurt for me in learning the culture and practices of managing a non profit arts education program.

By stepping out of my comfort zone I was able to see my life in different way. I was able to see past my own identity crisis and also see how my many years working in live theatre and my own training was an asset in many organizations.

I have always maintained that another goal and part of reinvention would be to complete my degree. After many stops and start I am now refocused to take this next step.

I filmed this video at Melbourne Beach, FL. The setting is the beach

First scene: Camera scans the beach and lands on me as I start to introduce myself and give a little background on my journey thus far as a performer in transition and what I hope to gain from this class and program in general.

End scene: Closing remarks and pan of beach

Hope my journey inspires and also opens a dialog around the topic of life transitions dance related or not we all have at some time had to climb out the comfort zone to seek new passions and projects.

See my video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPZFNbfc1Eg