Announcing the Spring 2009 Season of the
Movement Research Studies Project Series

Movement Research Studies Project Series
NO RESERVATIONS and ADMISSION IS FREE


Thinking about getting an MFA?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 8pm
Dance Theater Workshop 3rd floor Studio
Conceived and moderated by Donna Uchizono
Many dance professionals are flirting with the notion of going back to school to earn MFAs. For some, two university choices spring to mind because they offer low-residency programs and credit for professional work: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. Others are interested in identifying NY-based programs that meet their academic and artistic needs. This Studies Projects is a conversation with graduates from four MFA programs: the two more visible programs at UWM and Hollins and two less familiar programs at Sarah Lawrence College and Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus. This is not a recruiting event. The former students will talk about their experiences and the strengths and weaknesses of each program. We will discuss the offerings and expectations of these MFA programs, as well issues relevant to the professional artist returning to school. Panelists include Keely Garfield, Jon Kinzel, Amanda Loulaki, Antonietta Vicario and Kathy Westwater.


Artists Speaking Face to Face (MR in partnership with Dance Theater Workshop)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 5:30pm
Dance Theater Workshop Studio
Moderated by Elizabeth Streb
This evening was initiated by Stephen Petronio as a way to begin a conversation between artists of various generations. There is no agenda, no motive other than the desire to frame a way in which to listen to what artists might say to each other, hopefully on an ongoing basis. Are the issues that interest us as artists related as we travel through our careers? We practice, perform, and tour next to each other, often competing against each other for an ever shrinking pool of resources. We rarely, however, have a chance to speak to each other. This evening is a simple way to have a dialogue with each other and above all to get to know each other face to face. Panelists include Wally Cardona, Nora Chipaumire and others.

Dancing… With Children
Saturday, March 21, 2009, 2pm
Judson Memorial Church Meeting Hall
Conceived and moderated by Rebecca Lazier and Mollie O'Brien
Free on-site childcare will be offered in the Judson Memorial Church Gymnasium!
This roundtable discussion is for parents, parents-to-be and parents-never-to-be on when, why and how to have kids and still create with them. We will investigate how we balance the roles of parent with our identities as creator/performer/arts professional in a society with very little support. Issues discussed will range from career impact and visibility to emotional terror and money. Participants include luciana achugar, Vanessa Adato, Nancy Bannon, Darrah Carr, David Dorfman, Chase Granoff, Patricia Hoffbauer, Rebecca Lazier, Fernando Maneca, Mollie O'Brien, Lisa Race, Rebecca Stenn, Pam Tanowitz, Ellis Wood, and Ann Liv Young.


The Prosodic Body - Language as a Somatic Practice
Monday, May 4, 2009, 5pm
Judson Memorial Church Gymnasium
Conceived by and moderated by Daria Faïn and Robert Kocik
Language is a powerful tool of transformation. It has the ability to shatter the boundaries of our perception, and it is the most precise expression of our intents. Our environment conditions how language emerges in our consciousness, and language itself can expand our ability to perceive. The body is a living book in which is inscribed a memory, revealing unfeigned commonalities through which one can apprehend realities of the universe. Choreography can be a frame to observe, activate and manifest the dynamic knowledge that the body gives us. Panelists will discuss how, through the body and language, we can discover and interconnect the relationships between science, sociopolitical issues, spirituality and art. This event is conceived by Daria Faïn and Robert Kocik, and panelists will include a psychoanalyst, a linguist, a neuroscientist, a spiritual practitioner, a dance writer, and others.
Sensing and Action as Conversation
Sunday, May 10, 2009, 3-5pm
Movement Research at Eden's Expressway
Conceived and led by Sakura Shimada
assisted by Karl Cronin, Jennifer Nugent, and Arturo Vidich
One of the approaches to dance that has surfaced around the world in different times and ways is making dance from sensory experience. When the world is confusing and the economy is corrupted, it is useful to stay in touch with our physical senses. Nobody can tell you what you feel. Through quiet non-verbal direction, we will meet and take time to explore the sensory aspects of some ordinary activities, such as touching water, smelling and tasting food, vision, and others. Afterward we will put our images, thoughts, and feedback into the space with action and conversation. This sensory gatheringsuggests another way to study and discuss dance making and to think about how we can find original dance material with low cost but rich in experience.