Quick and Dirty: a list of up till now

Starting with today and working back, I am making of list of landmark dance related experiences.  The aim is to get out what I can, send it into the blogosphere, and expand upon it later.

• Oct. 2015: Begin a training group - Training with Alanna - as a way to engage with a diversity of performing artists (age, discipline, experience) in a weekly training practice.  I am testing out a theory I have about the importance of having a 'home base' for training.  Link to Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1610546209206676/

• Sept. 2015: one month in Salzburg training with Linda Kapetanea and Jozef Frucek in Fighting Monkey Creative Practice.  Four weeks, five days a week, six hours a day.  Link for more on their approach:  http://rootlessroot.com/fighting-monkey/news

• May 2015: application to continue teaching at Concordia University's Contemporary Dance Dept. denied.  Consideration given to how I should proceed with studying dance teaching.  Lead to MAPP as interesting option to keep things moving teaching-wise for me.

•  2004-2008: Training with Peter Boneham at Le Groupe Dance Lab.  This time will be referred to a lot.  A lot.  A pertinent moment in my professional career.  Peter still teaches at a pre-professional school in Ottawa, Canada.  I always try to take class with him when I can.  Link to more information on Peter: http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/meet/bios/artistDetail.asp?artistID=86

• 2001-2004: Pre-professional contemporary dance training.  I was coming from having studied film for two years at University.  Moving to this school, with a student body of sixty, was a welcome change.  Modern technique training for the most part, access to active professionals, no preferential treatment from the faculty.  Looking back, a few questions: when should curriculum be updated?  Is there room for ability to be recognized and pushed?  What are the goals where building and maintaining such a program are concerned?  Other important factors?  Link to the school's website:  http://schooloftdt.org

A few statements:

Certain dance classes are so engaging they ruin your openness and ability to train with different people, and in other approaches.
Training / class has the potential to inform - informs -  what people do in creation / rehearsal.
You need to be smart to be a dancer.

~ak