MOVEMENT RESEARCH & PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITY

 

WE ARE: Shannon Stewart (https://www.shannonstewart.org) and Tahni Holt (https://www.tahniholt.com ). We are working on a project in relation to our tree kin in the places we live and have lived – places referred to as New Orleans, Lawrence, Portland, OR and Washington State.  

 

FOREST (working title) is at the seed stage and is being developed through collective research and community performance processes. 

 

WHAT: We are looking for 10 people to join us in a performance installation during an exhibition at the Front Gallery Feb 17 - Mar 2. As of now, this is a slowly unfolding and contemplative work, (i.e. this will not require learning quick steps and set choreography). It is open to anyone with an interest in the project and preferably experience in any of the following things: (need not be all) 

 

• Somatic practices 

• Practice with environment/space/nature

• Dancing in duet with touch  (Contact Improvisation, partner dancing)

• Durational movement improvisation (longer than 10 minutes)

• Stillness, listening, meditation

• And/Or, have an affinity to connecting with and listening to nature

 

COMPENSATION:

For your hours, commitment, and performance you will be paid $300. In all, you will be asked to spend between 8 -14 hours of your time. See below for specifics. 

 

YOU ARE: Curious and open minded. Reflecting our Tree kin we come in different bodies, sizes, migration patterns, places of origin, and ages (6 years of age to 90+). 

 

THE ASK: We are in the beginning of an inquiry that involves trees, embodied learning, nonverbal communication and performance for both human and non-human audiences. This is a collective exploration. We ask the questions together. We listen deeply. We acknowledge that there is a lot we don’t know, that knowledge has been stolen and hidden through (continuing) colonization processes we (Shannon and Tahni)  are a part of. We do not position ourselves as experts nor do we aim to appropriate practices that are not ours to share. You will be asked to work on a couple of performance practices that have evolved from our own histories and practices, one that includes touch (if you are comfortable with touch, and it can always be with someone specific). All practices are related to trees and how we entangle with tree systems and the expressions of what that entanglement does to us individually and collectively. 

 

We are installing FOREST in three rooms and an outside space at the FRONT. We would like to have a massive, thriving forest, but at this time we only have funding for 10 performers. Everyone interested will be invited to a free community workshop and can be in dialogue with the project in an ongoing way, regardless of participating as a performer. 

 

The performances are immediately after Carnival season with rehearsals on Thursday and Friday after Ash Wednesday. Performers must be available for at least 30 minutes of performance on three of the following days: 

 

Gallery hours are:

Saturday Feb 17 - 6 - 9pm - OPENING

Sunday Feb 18 -  12 - 5pm 

 

Saturday Feb 24  12 - 5pm 

Sunday Feb 25  12 - 5pm 

 

Saturday Mar 2  12 - 5pm 

Sunday Mar 3  12-5pm 

 

Commitment/Availability: 

- REHEARSALS:

• Thursday Feb 15  - Outdoors, location TBA - Choose one of the following times:

• • 3 - 5pm

  • 5 - 7pm

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• Friday Feb 16  - The Front Gallery 

  • 5 - 9pm​

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OPENING PERFORMANCE (not required) 

• If you plan to perform opening night, you can expect to be there a bit longer 5:30 - 8:30

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GALLERY PERFORMANCES 

• Commit to performing at the gallery three other times during opening hours a minimum of 30 minutes (but can perform for as long as you like)

 

Please respond to this call by January 20th.  We would love to hear from you! 

Send an email to forestdanceproject@gmail.com address with a couple of sentences about your interest as well as a little bit about yourself. Please carefully read the date and time commitments and only respond if you are available. The times might shift slightly, but we are doing our best to keep them firm. Weather could always be in issue. 
 

We will notify participants and respond to all inquiries by January 25th. In the event that we are not able to offer you a paid performance slot, we hope you will participate in a community workshop and stay in the grove.