There are dancers everywhere. Who knows who else is one. In our DC metro area, there are so many people I never cross paths with. I adjudicated the 2015 New Releases showcase yesterday, and I only new a quarter of the artists. There were choreographers from Lanham, MD, Alexandria, VA and other far off and distant lands. How can we feel more connected? How can we share our resources? I am reminded of the transient nature of our city. It doesn’t matter that I have been here for 10 years or that I teach/rehearse/work all over town. I have consciously stepped back a little bit from taking class and seeing shows to have some more personal time, but still … there are so many new connections to make. I love meeting other dancers. I hope for more experiences like yesterday. I also hope that all of the artists who auditioned, keep working on their piece, or make this maybe not so great piece so that they can make great work later. There are resources out there. They are the perfect candidates for Fieldwork – organized, driven, and disciplined artists. Speaking of Fieldwork – The Spring Fieldwork Showing is Wednesday and then the workshop starts up again in the Fall! I am performing a work-in-progress called Sync. Another inspiring 10 weeks complete.
Focus: To celebrate the little victories.
During the week, if we look a little closer, what beauty is right in front of our nose? Let’s acknowledge it! Instead of pointing out what is missing or what we did not do, let’s build from a positive place.
Tomorrow, The Field Network is convening in DC for our Annual Conference. We are welcoming 7 other cities and have planned 2 days focused on advocacy/policy and capacity building. During this expected whirlwind, I want to find moments to pause and notice and celebrate something good or take note of what I want to think about further. I also want to note others’ small successes … to reiterate a comment or movement that moved me. Dream list for The Field/DC, while it is on my mind:
-encourage anyone who has auditioned for anything to take their piece through fieldwork
-culinary artists in fieldwork
-creating a fieldwork focused group that businesses can market test ideas on
-have fieldwork in University curriculum
I am grateful that I have dance in the mix this week … from the cerebral to the kinesthetic and back and forth. I will also be at the hospital working with caregivers and patients. The week finishes off with a gathering of the BodyWise teaching artists to provide professional development peer-to-peer and support one another in our classes.