June 2011
Tributes to the waters: June 3 and 4 : VSA North Fourth Art Center & New Art New Mexico Present
WILD DANCING WEST 2011Friday, June 3, 8pm
Dancing Earth ( of Santa Fe)
6th annual Wild Dancing West festival of local and regional contemporary dance presents a special evening with Santa Fe dancer/choreographer Rulan Tangen performing in her newest work in progress, “Walking the Edge of Water.” Info: N4th Theater, 4904 Fourth St. NW, 505-344-4542, www.vsartsnm.org Tickets: adults, $15 seniors, students
Description:
DANCING EARTH, the nation's leading indigenous contemporary dance ensemble continue its exploration of Native ecological themes with development of a new work exploring Indigenous perspectives on water issues. 3 dancers and one dancer/musician embody themes from creation stories to as well as metaphors for ongoing pollution and threats to this essential element . The dancers cultural research has evidenced overwhelming concern by Native grandmothers about water, and these elder entrust women as the sacred water carriers.
Presented in June as an early work-in-progress, DANCING EARTH will be continuing to gather stories amongst Native communities and evolving creative processes to bring these stories into motion by the community members alongside the professional dance troupe.
Noted by Dance Magazine as "One of the Top 25 To Watch", and winners of the 2010 Expressive Arts Award of the National Museum of American Indian, this is an expressive offering that any resident of the Southwest would be inspired to see !
This peformance features Ehren Natay as musician, Serena Rascon as featured vocalist, with Serena, Rulan and NIchole Salazar as dancers, and venturing into some exploration with spoken word !
Click here for the review from the Albuquerque Journal:
http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2011/06/05/living/arts/dancing-earth-gives-lyrical-performance.html
<<<<<<< ******* >>>>>>>In Santa Fe June 4 :
DESCRIPTION:
Title: "At the Edge of Water" - Artist Leader Rulan Tangen, in collaboration with community members.
ABOUT:
Beginning last summer, Ms Tangen has been engaging in cultural research and creative process explorations with inter-generational community members, around the theme of water issues, intended to manifest as a new full length eco- production for DANCING EARTH in March 2012, titled "Walking the Edge Of Water"
For Santa Fe River Festival's "Our Blue Planet, A World Without Water", Ms Tangen will gather volunteers from the New Mexico community to meet along the river in the morning ( at the East Alamenda Park, 10 am) to create a site specific movement based ritual, as an offering for healing for the planetary waters between 1130 and noon at the River event site at East Alameda and Old Santa Fe Trail.
The simple and symbolic movements will evolve from each participants own initiative, within an ensemble form to enhance the collective power and vision. Intended for inclusiveness, the creative exploration is open to all community members of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Please contact Rulan@dancingearth.org to learn how you can be involved in movement or live musical support, video/photo documentation, creating costuming with re-purposed T shirts and fabrics, and more !
DANCERS IN MOTION, THIS MONTH :
Jacoh Cortes, director of DANCING EARTH's associate youth training program of Cuicacalli in San Francisco, was offered a scholarship by Robert Moses - the esteemed choreographer, for the Robert Moses Kin Dance Company Repertory Intensive at ODC in San Francisco.
Serena Rascon begins teaching at the summer dance intensive with MOVING ARTS ESPANOLA :
Moving Arts Espanola MAE, offers 30 weeks per year of low cost ,quality arts mentoring in Music, Dance ,Drama and the Visual arts for children and youth in the Española Valley and surrounding communities.
The eight week Summer Session June 13- August 13 will culminate with the Festival of Performing Arts at the Northern New Mexico College Theater. www.movingartsespanola.org
We say a temporary goodbye to Cina Littlebird, DANCING EARTH's first dancer, who leaves on a Fulbright Fellowship to Thailand !
Rulan heads to Oregon late in June to lead training for Native Wellness Institute's Athletic Leadership camp for youth
On location in Tucson AZ, Jaque Fragua says, " am cultivating an artistic environment and network here which has been initiated through collaborative mural projects, breakdancing classes, & community outreach."
Two new teenage apprentices have joined in company training and rehearsals: Marty Fragua and Colin White who were introduced through Santa Fe Indian School, where they are part of the acclaimed Slam Poetry Team.
Colin, who celebrated a birthday on June 8th , says " "Dancing Earth is amazing, i have learned so much, there are not enough words to describe how happy I am in Dancing Earth!"