ABOUT
THE CHOREOGRAPHIC MARATHONS ©
December 17-19, 2010
Announcing the Participants !
Mentors Maxine Heppner, Takako Segawa, Jessica Runge, Susan Lee
Choreographers: Claire French, Lisa Weiler, Ida Meftahi, Tracey Norman, Janine Saarinen
Interpeters:
Justine Chambers, Heather Laura Gray, Brenna McLaud, Anna Stanutz, Renee Lefort, Jesse Dell, Sky Fairchild-Waller, Sarah
McQueston, Jen Hum, Meaghan Giusti, Marlowe Porter, Meghan Smith
Be a part of the creation : VOLUNTEER to assist contact info(at)acrossoceans.org
OPEN to the PUBLIC:
Friday Dec 17: Principles of Choreography 3-8pm $35/$25 cada cda/$20 students
Sunday Dec 19: Showing of work-in-progress 2pm PWYC $10-15
5 groups of choreographers and their dancers over 26.2 hours of creative flow, discovery, creation and performance.
Under the mentorship of Maxine Heppner, Takako Segawa and Jessica Runge
Work within your own creative process to Break blocks.
Move work forward. Build creative stamina.
Hit the wall and find out what is at the other side.
Come with material to test, twist, develop, cut, reflect, refashion, reason, rescue and refine. Share feedback and take it immediately back into the studio.
Wrestle with angels. Play with demons.
End with a piece unlike anything else you’ve created or performed before.
The Mentors (click on names for bios)
Leader: MAXINE HEPPNER has been a mentor and teacher of choreographic process for professionals and students for over 30 years in Canada and worldwide. She developed the choreographic marathon to extend the modern dance quest to go beyond personal boundaries and boredoms to discover deep personal creative resources. (see extended biography for more info)
“A fine fine choreographer …and she goes for it”, says The Globe and Mail.
Assisting in mentoring from the interpreters’ experience and perspective: TAKAKO SEGAWA “Segawa is a compelling performer” Globe&Mail “(in Moments in Time) Maxine’s work became translucent through her.”
JESSICA RUNGE “a living demonstration of the human mind at work” the Dance Current “tremendous breadth and depth.”
SUSAN LEE "outstanding power and versatility" mentoroing Principles Research and Recording.
About Maxine’s mentoring:
“Maxine teaches with passion, integrity, intelligence- authentic, bold, in tune with her time.“
J Goodwin, Toronto;
“out of our usual framework, you allowed me to break free of pressures I had felt previously and had repressed, pushing us to focus on creative capacities.”
L.Stevens, Montreal;
“inspiration and full dedication, the practice was rich in complexity and creativity. R. Soutter, Ottawa.
“challenges movement awareness, opens possibilities and new layers to work on, combine, construct or deconstruct. It feels like the motion is inexhaustible in resources & possibilities.” S. Premus,, Slovenia.
“a memorable stimulating experience that has left a deep impression.” Lee MW, Singapore
“a rare person, teacher & choreographer, precious to the development of the artform”. M. Nestora, Athens
" When all barriers and obstacles melt away from just plain exhaustion, only the essence of a person's humanity remains.
I would definitely participate in a future Choreographic Marathon, as either a choreographer or dancer, and I urge others to do so." M. Caldwell, Toronto
“Maxine’s process and understanding of movement is at a high theoretical level that also is profoundly human. Her methods first intrigued me and now have actually changed the way that I perform. She has managed to develop a practice that integrates both intuition and intelligence: Content & meaning translated into impulse, control of physical energy, and three-dimensional space. The result is dance that is more detailed, more grounded, more substantial, more sensual, more human. She has led me to dance right to my nerve
endings – exhilarating! “ T. Segawa, Japan
CHOREOGRAPHIC MARATHON
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
MARATHON DATES 2010 - DECEMBER 17-19
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
Friday December 17 open to Public $25/ students$20
Μeet at 3:00 pm
ιntroduction of process,
presentation of choreographic principles for this session
choreographers/interpreters ideas & statements of goals
warmup
testing ideas in context with principles
end 8pm
Saturday December 18
Meet 9:30
Group session #1 setting goals and relevant tasks
Warmup
Οngoing throughout day/evening :
studio time, direct interaction with mentors, showings to group and feedback
Μidnight supper and
Time for rest/reflection/quiet continuation (1:00 am -7:00 am)
Sunday
Breakfast together 7:00 am
and re-assessment of goals
Οngoing throughout day
studio time, direct interaction with mentors, showings to group and feedback
Finish development of piece at 1:00pm
Prepare for workshop showing
Show at 2:00pm OPEN TO PUBLIC pwyc $10-15
Conclusion 3:00pm
Wrap/End at 3:30 pm
LOCATION OF CHOREOGRAPHIC MARATHON 2010
Toronto Canada, at Pia Bouman Studios on Noble Street at Dufferin and Queen West, in one of the hubs of Toronto’s contemporary art scene.
The facilities have 3 full sized studios, 1 studio theatre, a generous lobby and lounge area, bathrooms and changing rooms with showers.
Accommodation: Saturday night rest time is at the studios.
Meals: 2 meals will be included (Saturday midnight dinner and Sunday breakfast)
Coffee and tea and snacks will be available throughout the weekend.
Participants will bring their own food and beverages for their own light meals eaten during the process. Microwave and kettle are available.
COST OF MARATHON for chosen participants INCLUDES:
26.2 hours of studio time and
Mentoring by senior choreographer and senior performers
documentation of the work
Public Presentation/show of created work on December 19
2 meals, lots of snacks, and one overnight in the studios with like-minded people
(for out-of-towners: note: dates are still before the high season travel costs)
*note: fee may adjust slightly closer to dates
PROPOSAL CRITERIA and how to apply
All senior, established and emerging choreographers may apply
Proposal is for deep research for a work that is in early stages of development. Movement material must already exist so that the marathon is about development and not the earliest searching. It can be material that has not formulated into a concept, or a concept that has not formulated into organized material, or a work-in-progress that the choreographer wants to move forward. Choreographer must be able to send sample of this material and of past choreography with proposal. If proposed piece in only in concept stage then a description of the concept and process with video of past works is ok.
Working group: 1 choreographer and 2 dancers, or up to 5 dancers. Choreographer will not be one of the dancers so work can be direct with mentors. A solo work can be developed but a group has to have 1 choreographer and 2 dancers minimum. (This minimum is so dancers can rest while work continues.) A group can have 1 more dancer than the actual work requires: for example: a duet worked on by 1 choreographer and 2 dancers, or 1 choreographer and 3 dancers.
Choreographer and dancers must have worked together before, be involved in the current idea’s development and have a clear understanding of the time commitment involved in the Marathon. 4-5 groups will be chosen.
SENDING YOUR PROPOSAL
by EMAIL to
> info(at)acrossoceans(dot)org
or > acrossoceansinfo(at)gmail(dot)com
and by POST - address will be sent as soon as email proposal arrives
NOW ACCEPTING PROPOSALS and DEADLINES for proposals
now, ongoing until 4 places have been confirmed
or until October 15, 2010 midnight
This is a soft deadline meaning if you need a little exra time please email, let us know, ask questions, etc. but sooner is better for all of us.
HOW TO APPLY
A. send an email letter of with the following information:
1. Name and bio of Choreographer
2. Names and bios of the dancers
3. What work you’ve done together up to now.
4. Description (about 300-600 words max) of:
the work to be developed,
the process and how far along in the process,
what you most want to work on
why you want to do it in the Choreographic Marathon
5. signed statement from every participant that they agree to participate
6. jpeg photo (1-3)
B. Upload a Qtime file showing samples of the material and past choreography
Upload to: If you have your own ftp site then send the URL, name, password. If you don't then we suggest using a site like “yousendit”. Note that sites often have maximum sizes for files so check how big yours’ are and cut them into smaller portions and send several if necessary.
Double check that it is readable on computer other than yours’. It must be compatible for both Mac and PC formats
C. send docs and files by email to info(at)acrossoceans.org or acrossoceansinfo(at) gmail (dot) com
D. Send by post: a HardCopy of the email proposal, CD/DVD of choreography samples and application fee $20
Cheque for application fee made to Maxine Heppner . When we receive your email proposal you will get the mailing address.
(hardcopy is a backup copy in case the electronic file has problems, emailed proposal is the one that will be read re: decisions)
Enquiries:
info (at) acrossoceans (dot) com
Details, schedules, info, support people etc. subject to change.
The Choreographic Marathon 2010 is supported in part by the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council.
