Sixteen pieces auditioned for Student Choice last week, and the CalArts students of the dance school voted half of those pieces into the program, which I’ll say is pretty good. At the end of this week ten choreographers will have their work performed in CalArts’ Sharon Disney Lund Theater with lights, costumes, some with set design and others with props. Two out of that ten are MFA1’s who are automatically placed in the program.
One of the quickest concerts here, each day of the week has a different agenda, in a progressive manor. Monday, we set lighting cues. The choreographer sits down with David Kroth, our technical director, while he overseas our Stage Manager, Amanda McNussen, as she is taking notes. The Stage Manager must know everything because they “call the show”, meaning they are in charge of how smoothly the show runs. Everything includes lights, props, where the dancers begin each piece, if lights and music begin together or not, etc. While our Stage Manager is taking notes they are also delivering the lighting cues to the person working on the light board. They can then plug the lighting cues into the light board. Amanda is also in charge of letting the soundboard person know what they need to know about music cues.
Tuesday is the first tech rehearsal. This is our first chance to see all of the magic at once. Usually there are several problems but that is part of the process. We have one more night to get it right for the show, which is Wednesday, the final dress rehearsal. This is also the night photographs taken of the pieces being performed, which is awesome because later we can use these photos for things such as a Resume, applications for Summer Intensives, building our own Websites, basically anytime there is a dance photo of ourselves or of our work required, CalArts dance students are at an advantage because every concert is photographed.
Thursday, February 10th is the first show and Friday, February 11th is the second and last show of Student Choice! Then we celebrate with a great night at Hip Hop Fest which is planned with the help of one our fellow dance students, Jordon Waters. We haven’t finished the week, yet so we will see what we have in stored for ourselves. I’m thrilled to be performing this week and to have my work performed! It’s all very exciting!
Also this week, Vincent Mantsoe and his dancers perform at REDCAT. The show, better known as, ASSOCIATION NOA/VINCENT MANTSOE: SAN premieres this Wednesday, February 9th and will continue throughout the week until February 13th. Rhythm, physicality, history of dances from his family, street dance, other popular movements and spirituality within the music, the movement and the dancers. These are qualities typical to a performance from Vincent Mantsoe. His work has been referred to as “Afro Fusion” dances.
Recently the Khol-San people of South Africa have inspired Mantsoe. Mantsoe chose five dancers from five different cultures to perform a piece based on the history of these people from South Africa. Although Mantsoe has chosen dancers from different cultures somehow they are all linked in one-way or the other.
The Khol-San people of South Africa have a history of being forced from their land and terribly brutalized. Through Mantsoe’s choreography and through his dancers they communicate the variety of emotions whether it is happiness or hopelessness with the melodies of their body in present day. Not only does he utilize the dancers to make the connection between the past and present but he also uses a score by an Iranian vocalist and Sufi music master Shahram with 12th-century poetry from Rumi, San. The New York Times regarding Vincent Mantsoe and his company: “A direct expression of spiritual connection to something greater than the physical self.“
On Friday, February 11, Vincent Mantsoe teaches a Afro-Fusion Master Class to our Level 2 contemporary students. That same day, Kaz Allen offers a workshop on Injury Prevention to our BFA I students. Opportunities abound here. It’s almost hard to keep up!
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