The latest news
Spring 2009
I’m on the mend: back on the bike, in the studio, dancing tentatively again, retraining the firing patterns in my body, finally correcting the alignment in my left foot.
I’m curious about this. Typically dancers injure their left body parts. The reason is that typically we learn exercises on the right, which means we go over them, practice them several times on the right before we actually do them ‘full out’. Then we switch sides and our poor left legs, particularly, just haven’t practiced moving so quickly and precisely as much, over years and years. But how does this relate to my knee injury. I jumped up into someone’s arms, on my good side, I might mention. It was choreography, but I went up leading with the right. So I am coming down on the left, and my foot hits a slippery patch and boom, here we are nine months later. Most of my friends who have waited nine months for something get a new life in tangible form at the end of it. I also think there is something to the fact that I was slightly higher up off the ground than usual in this lift. When I turned my head as I was coming down I realized this and did something. I don’t know what. But something happens in that moment. It’s like tensing up as you realize that you are about to be in a car accident. The body tenses to brace for impact. The problem is that it makes it worse. If we were able to stay fluid the impact would be less. However, if I were less tense, I’m not sure that I still wouldn’t have fallen to the floor. There were just too many forces at play: gravity, spiraling body, pushing off someone else, slippery floor.
So here we are nine months later, skipping and doing plies and redistributing weight on my feet in a more aligned way. And I’m getting ready for some amazing things.
The many months of rest have given space for reflection, even though in those moments of rest I wasn’t able to say to myself, ‘reflect’, it seems that some did occur. And I was able to put that to good use. I delivered a keynote address at a conference for graduating dance students and emerging dance artists. I posted the speech on my blog, it was condensed and published in Canada’s leading dance magazine, The Dance Current, and the full version will be printed in a new ‘zine for emerging dancers called Merge.I will also be teaching a Solo Making workshop for emerging artists in June at my Studio Hub 14 in Toronto.
This time has also allowed me to incubate new ideas and clarify my vision for Stand Up Dance.
The amazing up-coming projects are:
Improv Series: Compose as we Play
A series of workshop/jams to develop an ensemble to perform Improvisation. Many dates, April & May. Sign up for one or all.
Solo Making Workshop for Emerging Artists
This marks the third summer I’ve offered this workshop in Toronto. I have also led this workshop in Peterborough, Ottawa, and Winnipeg. Many participants have developed the work initiated in Solo Making, and have performed their solos publicly. June 8 – 20, 2009
How To Save The World (as demonstrated) Through Movement
This new project uses biomimicry, form + function as inspired by nature, to address and examine current social, economic and environmental realities through movement. Two of the dichotomies that will serve as points of departure are: Work/Convenience & Culture/Consumerism.
This project begins in the summer of 2009 with community participants in Hamilton ON, and at Harvest Moon Farm in southern Manitoba. Stand Up Dance is seeking out other communities who would like to participate in a workshop to investigate these ideas through performance research. I believe that your experience of the ideas makes you an expert in them. I’ll share my creative tools to generate material with you if you share your responses and experiences with me.
If you have a group or are part of a specific community that would be interested in being a part of this cross Canada creation project please be in touch. Examples of groups or communities that might have a distinct perspective: • University students in liberal and arts programs • New Canadians who bring in specific cultural understandings and have certain expectations of Canada. • Seniors group, people who have lived through other economic and environmental crises • Residents of distinct geographic communities, i.e. coal towns, or off the grid communities. • Remote communites. • Any other group who might be interested.
e-mail omeagan@gmail.com
based on actual unrelated events
The solo you’ve been waiting for! based on actual unrelated events takes three actual unrelated events and through physical explorations and manipulations relates them. In true stand-up dance form the performance mixes stand-up comedy and contemporary dance like you’ve never even imagined it. The work will be presented in October 2009 at Hub 14 in a ten-show run. That’s right. Ten shows. Plenty of time to see it, love it, tell your friends and neighbours and see it again. Plus each show will feature a fantastic opening act danced by some of Toronto’s most exciting artists. Check back for more or join my e-mail list to stay informed.
dance like no one is watching at scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009
Teams of dancers performing throughout Toronto over the course of twelve hours. This is going to be fun. And in the spirit of dance competition, this project sees teams dance in relay fashion across the city to music heard only in their proximity. Become part of the action, sponsor a dance team!
For more information e-mail omeagan@gmail.com
Stand Up Dance Fundraiser
While dance is one of those forms that doesn’t require a whole lot of external equipment, it does require support. And now that the anorexic dancer is out of fashion and health, wellness, and longevity are in, dancers need sustenance. Sustenance requires money. And food.
How you can help:
Host a fundraising dinner party featuring Stand Up Dance dancers who’ll eat and dance for you and your friends.
Sponsor the fundraiser or any of Stand Up Dance’s activities and have your logo projected on the dancers while they perform the move you’ve bought.
Come on out to Stand Up Dance’s fundraiser in July 2009.
To get involved e-mail omeagan@gmail.com
