Grab Bag Friday: Teddy Tedholm

 Is it wrong that I'm glad it's summer partly because So You Think You Can Dance has started up again? Oh, Cat Deeley, how I've missed you!

Maybe I was in a sappy mood, but Teddy Tedholm's audition last night brought tears to my eyes within the first 20 seconds. The way this kid moves is so quirky and beautiful and heartbreaking. I kind of agree with Mia...he might be a genius.

You can watch it here, but you have to wade through about a minute of the "bad" auditions so the producers can set you up to understand how good he is. In case you were about to miss that little fact. :) [note: There's a new link/video below without all the intro stuff. Also, you can't really see the full screen here, so it might be best to click on the link. 5/29]


Teddy Tedholm: Boston Audition Season 7

Grab Bag Friday: Garth Fagan & Romare Bearden

The Family, 1975, etching and aquatint, Edition 175, 21x26" (image) 22x30" (paper). From Bowdoin College's Art of Romare Bearden exhibit.

I just have to report a little on the dance performance I saw last week because it was phenomenal. Garth Fagan Dance came to campus as part of Bowdoin College's celebration of the Art of Romare Bearden. They performed sections from a piece called "CollageforRomie" that Garth Fagan choreographed based on Romare Bearden's collage work.

I'll admit, I don't know a lot about art and I'd never heard of Romare Bearden before, but this dance piece was such an exquisite tribute that I can't wait to go see the exhibit.

I've been thinking all week about how "CollageforRomie" was such a fascinating reflection on creative work: where an artist gets material, how that material is pieced together, the joy of creation, the complex emotions that are the heart of a project. It was also a brilliant example of how art is informed by art. This dance piece wouldn't be the same without the music it is set to or the paintings that inspired it.

The first section of was called "Matter and Material." Before the performance, Fagan talked about how Romare Bearden's home was filled with matter and material for his collages. Bits and pieces of fabric and paper, scraps that didn't have a specific purpose yet, but might be useful someday. Like a collage artist, dancers have pieces of raw material, bits of choreography, small half-formed ideas that are just waiting to be put to use. So "Matter and Material" was a dance collage, a combination of all these small movements and ideas just hanging around, waiting for the perfect project to come along. It was lovely.

The second section was a riveting duet based on a Bearden painting called "Detail: Down Home Also." The dancers in this piece had such a beautiful connection...you felt that they were intimately linked even when they were across the stage from each other. Before the piece began, Fagan showed us an image of the Bearden painting: a man and a woman lying together in a field, the man's arm outstretched, the woman's elbow tilted in. At the end of the duet, the dancers positioned themselves in an exact, live replica of the Bearden painting. It was stunning.

"Conjur Man" was the third and final section, an upbeat romp set to Jelly Roll Morton's "Jungle Blues." I loved this piece. Bits and pieces of movement from the previous sections came together in unexpected ways. The dancers were full of life and energy. It was pure joy.

And of course I have to mention the extra surprise of the evening. Before the show, as we were settling into our seats and perusing the program, Kevin gave me an enthusiastic punch in the arm. One of the newest members of Garth Fagan Dancers was none other than Vitolio...from season five of So You Think You Can Dance! How cool is that?

Grab Bag Friday: Shooting Stars & Merce Cunningham

First off, the class song from Songwriting for Kids, Vol 2, "Shooting Stars" is now up and available to download. The kids did a great job making the melody of their bridge go someplace completely different!

And speaking of shooting stars...the legendary choreographer, Merce Cunningham, died this week at the age of ninety. I first learned about Merce Cunningham in college, when I was studying the experimental music of John Cage. I loved the way he brought elements of nature and moments of stillness into his movement, like in this clip from "Beach Birds for Camera" (I love toward the end of this clip where the feet are fluttering...):



Merce Cunningham was (and will continue to be) such a huge influence in the modern dance world. Even in this (my favorite from this week), there are moments of stillness, angles, and lines that seem to have his imprint:

Grab Bag Friday: Falling Slowly

It's June, and that means I'm officially wrapped up in one of my favorite guilty pleasures: Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance! One of the things I love the most about this show is how often I am surprised by a style, dancer, or choreographer that I thought I'd already made my mind up about.

For instance, this couple was easily at the bottom of my list until this week when they hooked up with choreographer Stacy Tookey. Her choreography paired with the gorgeous song "Falling Slowly" brought out something in these dancers I hadn't seen before. As if the movement and music unlocked a little door and let the light shine through.

I think this is just lovely in every way:

Grab Bag Friday: Broken Angels

Ok, at the risk of being a total fangirl I'm posting two So You Think You Can Dance posts in one week. The finale was last night, it was spectacular, my favorite dancer won, so a little celebration/indulgence of sorts is in order, right? Hey, what else are obsessions for? Or blogs, for that matter.

So this is the first season of So You Think that I've watched, and one of my favorite things about the show was the group performances. The diversity of choreography on the show is unreal and so much fun. It's hard to say, but I think the Broken Angels piece by Mia Michaels was my very favorite.

So here's a behind-the-scenes interview with Mia Michaels about the piece:



Here's the piece:

Season Finale!

So remember how I have these wicked Ticketmaster gift cards burning a hole in my pocket? Well, Kevin and I finally made our decision. Turns out, I had enough for two shows. So first, we're going to see my girl Sam Phillips.

And then...we're going to see our latest obsession live...woohoo!

Don't judge, ok? :) Season finale tonight!

I loved this one: