WINTER INTENSIVE:
We had an incredible January Winter Intensive and we loved teaching and moving!! Dancers and movers of all skill levels, explored their abilities and were challenged through technical, composition, and improvisational classes each day. During this intensive program, we created a deeper connection and relationship between art and activism. We would like to thank our amazing guest faculty Teresa Fellion, JoAnna Mendl Shaw, Eddie Stockton, Muriel Louveau, and Mei Yamanaka who rotated between contemporary, improvisation, composition, and jazz to provide a well-rounded dance education throughout the program. To our participants, thank you for coming with open minds and amazing dancing and creativity! We hope you continue to dance and learn this year!
We anticipated hosting the Intensive through a hybrid module with an in person or virtual option. Unfortunately, due to the recent COVID omicron circumstances, we moved our entire programming online via ZOOM to offer the safest module to all participants. We persevered with a strong team of guest artists who adapted and overcame and receptive students who were thoroughly engaged! needed
If you would like more information about future intensives hosted by BodyStories, please contact: education@bodystoriesfellion.org
IHRAF PERFORMANCE:
In December 2021, BodyStories performed at the International Human Rights Art Festival, a week-long festival that partners with Human Rights organizations and celebrates dancers and artists everywhere! We performed our in-progress work: Continually Healing on December 10 at the Wild Project Theater in New York! We were so thrilled to be among other amazing artists in the area such as Ellen Mandel and Michael Lydon, LatticeWorks, Catey Clark, Valerie Green/Dance Entropy, Dancers Unlimited, and Amy Liou and Sayoko Kojima. One of the great things about transitioning back to live performance is seeing fellow artists’ work! After the performance, there was a late-night event where guest speakers took to the stage and provided an enriching end to a dance filled evening.
APAP PARTICIPATION:
In mid-January 2022, we virtually participated, in collaboration with the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), in the Imagine Dance Festival via their online sector. Due to the recent surge in COVID cases, the entire conference had been moved entirely online and is viewable to all until February 28th! The showcase with Pentacle Arts allowed BodyStories to present our work on a fantastic platform where we connected with other artists in the industry including: Neville Dance Theater, Jodie Randolph Dance, Eric Taylor Dance, Kit Modus, Pony Box Dance Theater, Claire Porter/Portables, Cynthia Berkshire, Prehistoric Body Theater, and slowdanger. Our performance included a variety of BodyStories works; Healing Currently Downloading, reeling → healing, HOME, and Mantises are Flipping W.3. Each piece encouraged activism, inspiring production approaches, and an introspective element from viewers watching at home. To tune in to this amazing event please use this link: https://vimeo.com/655108909
If you would like to follow up or have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us @ info@bodystoriesfellion.org.
SYLVANNIA TIK TOK:
BodyStories has been commissioned for an amazing opportunity with Sylvania Light Bulbs. We have been hired to advertise their product through a series of Tik Toks using dance silhouettes. This project has allowed us to reconnect with our longtime friend and collaborator, Eddie Stockton who Teresa worked with in Dubai for 1.5 years, and has known since Ailey days and beyond! We were thrilled to work with extremely talented and creative dancers in this project Kate Bishop, Nicole Kadar, Maria Gardner, Sabrina Petrelli, and Eddie Stockton. Jacob Hiss is our video collaborator and that has been an integral part of the process. Our company is new to the Tik Tok world and we are so excited to get started on this project. If this “sparks” your interest, be sure to follow all our social media platforms to watch our videos.
THE VILLAGE DANCE CLASSES:
As we start the new year with a plethora of opportunities, we also close the chapter on 2021. We had an amazing Fall 2021 semester teaching weekly classes at The Village via Zoom virtual classes. Our programming allowed us to connect with elementary age students and get their bodies moving through improv and dance-centered activities. This partnership wouldn’t have been successful without the help of amazing guest teachers who offered their time and skills to ensure thoughtful instructions were given to the wonderful students at The Village. Thank you Audrey Rachelle, Kathryn Boland, and our own company manager; Malaika Holder! We have such a great team of well-rounded individuals who made our fall teaching experience amazing, and we miss the wonderful students at The Village already. See you again soon!