Michigan and Gestures.

Michigan and Gestures.

As part of our residency with the Residential College of Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University, Lunge Dance Collective was able to start the choreographic process for our 2012 New Creation. The New Creation is an expansion of an existing LDC work called "You'll Never Be Alone". After I created "You'll Never Be Alone", with assistant choreographer Channing Cooke,  we started to notice how similar the work was to a silent film. With such animated music and clear development of distinct characters, the dance resembled more and more the qualities of silent film.

As we started choreographing base phrases, I decided to make a set of gestures that would help us create a language and a clear way to communicate without being vocal. A technique I picked up while working with Cherice Barton, I found that it was such a great way to start developing movement with a clear character quality. I plan to take this movement and pair it with our base phrases to create a multi-deminsional type of movement. 

Here is a video of Makenzie Dustman working on our gesture work. I decided to have her do the gestures as fast as possible. I find that because the gestures are trying to communicate and are also syncopated with choreographed facial expressions and intentions, that the increased speed creates a schizophrenic type movement that I really am appealed to.

During the MSU residency we were able to create a 30 min. work in progress version of the planned 75 min. finished product. The showing of the work in progress was last thursday on April 12th at Fairchild Theater on the MSU campus. Many of the MSU students, faculty, and staff showed up to support our showing that was paired with current LDC repertory, "Prowl", and a special guest performance of local dance company Happendance run by Diane Newman. Thank you to Lauren Harris, Diane Newman, Beth Post, and all of MSU for your incredible hospitality, working environment, and passion for progressing the integration of the arts with everyday academic education. 

Stay tuned for more details on the 2012 New Creation.

~ Billy

Conner Bormann, Jessie Hartley, Billy Bell, and Makenzie Dustman during "Prowl" at the Fairchild Theater at MSU.

New Dance, New Dancers.

The New Creation Has Begun!

Finally! We've started to choreograph the 2012 New Creation! Today we began rehearsals for the Lunge Dance Collective residency with Michigan State University where we will be presenting a work from our repertory, "Prowl", as well as a sneak preview of a work in progress version of the 2012 New Creation. Even more excitingly we have two guest artists collaborating with us for this residency- Jessie Hartley and Makenzie Dustman. I look forward to working with these two very talented artists on this project along with Lunge Dance Collective member Conner Bormann. Stay tuned for some rehearsal videos and more behind the scenes action as the 2012 New Creation comes to life! And remember, you'll never be alone. ;)

Makenzie Dustman

Makenzie Dustman began dancing at the age of 2 and has trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, lyrical, musical theater and hip hop.  She began performing professionally on stage at age 5, where she was a featured dancer and singer with a touring performing arts jazz and holiday vocal group.  She began dancing competitively at age 8 and has won numerous top score awards and national championships and scholarships. She is currently in her second year as a company dancer with Westside Dance Project and in her first year with POV Dance Company.  Makenzie is also an actress and is represented by Lewis & Beal Talent Agency (Theatrical) and Bloc (Commercial, Dance). She has a lead role in a current national PSA commercial, models professionally and is the face of Urban Dancewear.  In addition, Makenzie is also a high school Dance Team Choreographer, dance assistant to professional choreographers, and is a dance teacher. 

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Jessie Hartley

Jessie Hartley founded WESTSIDE Dance Project in 2009. WESTSIDE performs at professional level concert and festivals throughout the year, and works with choreographers such as Peter Chu, Justin Giles, Mike Esperanza, Sonya Tayeh, Billy Bell, Will Johnston, and many others. Jessie Hartley trained with Alicia Head, Paula Morgan, Reid Olson, Stanley Holden and across the U.S. and Europe. Commercially she has worked for Disney, Nickelodeon, MTV, and Sony. She assisted Sonya Tayeh for everything from SYTYCD to international workshops from 2006-2010 and was an active member of Tayeh Dance. Jessie also danced in companies for Billy Bell, Peter Chu, Dee Caspary, Liz Imperio, Donna Sternberg, and Helen Blackburn at the Professional Project or Springboard Montreal. Jessie was a member of BARE Dance Comapny directed by Mike Esperanza from 2006-2009. Jessie teaches Contemporary/Ballet for Ihollywood Dance, and various conventions, workshops, and intensives, including her own workshops in Italy, Sweden, and England.

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