The Journey & Event Horizons 2021

EventHorizons2021 

Vimeo Showcase: The Journey 

Press from Greece, Athens QR Code Gallery

The Journey started in Jeju, South Korea at the start of the school year at NLCS. I knew I was going to create a project for Event Horizons with Ana, but I didn't know what I was going to do yet. Stella, the department head for dance at NLCS, said we would be doing the theme of Journeys for a dance. I took that idea and ran with that even though, at some point, she changed the idea to David Bowie. This is how The Journey was born. 

I imagined The Journey as an explorative unit for young dancers that would travel from one school to the next. We started with a bunch of interested teachers, but Covid was a difficult year to navigate, for everyone. Instead of passing along in a line, we worked on what we could as we went. 

Gladstone, from Vancouver, was the first school to complete The Journey. They even made a final show out of it.

There were 13 questions made by Amanda Kay for EventHorizons and I used those for the mini-interview. 

13 Questions:

 

1. How do we forge a future together?
1. 13 EXCHANGES -Tanja and Harpa
2. IVANA LONDON /DEMY ATHENS
3. Nadra Assaf and Jimmy Bechara

 

2. In what ways do we experience duration or the passing of time?
1. DAMARIS FERRER - MIAMI

 

3. How do we make our creative work visible and what remains invisible?
1. Paola Escobar y Natalia Orozco

 

4. What generates equity and diversity?
1. Paula Bridget J
2. Naporn Wattanakasaem, Bangkok

 

5. Who you are at the moment vs who you become through process?
1. Dimitri
2. Paola Escobar y Natalia Orozco
3. DAMARIS FERRER - MIAMI
4. IVANA LONDON /DEMY ATHENS

 

6. What is the dialogue between our internal rhythms and our outward rhythms?
1. PAOLA Y RENE

 

7. What were you given at birth?
1. Dimitri
2. Naporn Wattanakasaem, Bangkok

 

8. How do we choose to appear to the world and to ourselves?
1. IVANA LONDON /DEMY ATHENS

 

9. What are we able to transact and transfer through distance?
1. 13 EXCHANGES -Tanja and Harpa

 

10. What does it take to be an artist?
1. Marianela Boan
2. JOE LANDINI SAN FRANCISCO

 

11. What connects and transforms us?
1. Paola Escobar y Natalia Orozco
2. PAOLA Y RENE
3. Paula Johnson, Jeju/Vancouver

 

 

12. How do we tether our understanding of ourselves to the experience of others?
1. DAMARIS FERRER - MIAMI
2. Paula Johnson, Jeju/Vancouver

 

13. What are the ways we can expose the bodily experience?
1. Marianela Boan
2. Paola Escobar y Natalia Orozco

 

 

 I was hoping to interview more of the completed students, but I think my project was too long and confusing. I only got to do one interview and that was with Arwen from Gladstone. 

After participating in Naporn's project with the traveling package, I understood how I could have improved my own. However, they are both different. Mine was designed as a unit of lessons for students. I wanted to it to be more collaborative and flexible for the teachers that were participating so they could make it work for their classes. (Especially during Covid.)

Consent forms were another issue. I had one that I got from the internet that I added to a Google form. That one wouldn't work for Ana's website. I had to use Theatre EnCorps version. Moving forward with the Journey, I will put the Google Form back in and tell teachers they need to check with their schools for what the rules are - and have their own media consent forms signed. Every school is different. 

Connections were the biggest issue. I really wanted this to be about connecting students around the world.. and I was not effective with this. I tried making mini-journeys that people could join in on... smaller more manageable connections - but that didn't really work either. However, I do have some fond memories of kids at NLCS dancing at me in the hall - they had learned the dances and did them for me. There were some connections - it did work somewhat. It worked more me to them not them to other kids around the world. 

I did an assembly, speech about Global Artistic Collaboration for Arts week. I spoke about Events Horizon and had Caitlin, Lipda, Rajan, Ginger, and I dancing on the stage and through Zoom. That was a good connection. That was fun and memorable. (Although, I had Rajan in tech rehearsal but somehow didn't get him connected for the actual show - even though he was there waiting... argh.. that was my fault!) 

Finally, at the end of the year, I was able to make some connections between my students and Tanja's students in Stockholm. We both only had a few students but we were able to go back and forth with them for some connections. 

I have four dancers from Sweden who would like to collaborate with you!  

 

Let me tell you more and if you want to go for it, I will send you a file with their life events, photo, and video. 

 

You would need to: 

• read their life events and watch their video
• Record your voice saying (can be video or audio): 
• My name is (your name) 
• I am from (city, country) 
• I saw your video and read your life events. One thing that I noticed that is the same for me is... 
• One thing I noticed that was different is... 
• Record a video of: 
• Your movement - watch their video and see the moves that they did (They were going though the pathways of their morning routine.) How can you take those and make those your own? You don't have to do their moves - just build something and dance back to it. Does that make sense? 
• Send them your favourite song to dance to. 
• Send them one question. 

An email to teachers I sent at the start of summer:

For me, this was a difficult year to try and implement this project. I was at a new school, in a new country, teaching a new curriculum. I had students at home that were missing dance and I was trying to find a way to stay connected. I wanted to have opportunities available for my dance kids to connect without pushing them because I knew the struggles they were going through with Covid. Maybe I should have been more pushy because I did not get a lot of interaction with my kids at home or at the school I was at.

 

As I try not to feel disappointed, I put this year in perspective and am grateful for the creation of the unit and the moments of connection that did happen. In my mind, I know that this is just the beginning and while Event/Horizons is a project that ends in November 2021, The Journey, is something that could continue to grow and travel.

 

Highlights

 

NLCS in Jeju, South Korea (Paula)

• Created the unit with a small group of dancers to explore activities.
• Lecture with Lipda in Bangkok and Ginger and Caitlin in Korea (Rajan in Vancouver in the rehearsal.) Global Artistic Collaboration: Let's connect the world through art
• Starting to connect with Tanja's dancers in Sweden.

 

Gladstone in Vancouver, Canada (Cynthia)

• completed the unit
• made films
• created a dance showcase
• Mini-interview with Arwen: https://www.eventhorizons2021.com/the-journey-project

 

OSCARTS in California, USA (Amanda)

• Explored some of the unit…

 

Bangkok City Ballet in Bangkok, Thailand (Naporn)

• Lipda explored some of the activities
• Lipda joined the live stream lecture in Korea sharing her beautiful freestyles. Global Artistic Collaboration: Let's connect the world through art)

 

Järfälla kulturskola in Järfälla, Stockholm, Sweden (Tanja)

• Explored some of the activities
• Starting to connect with dancers in Korea
• https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wkexhxHUk9ZJn7OOvI76dZb6yU3hePTn

• Created a final video with this group

 

 

As I reflect on some of the highlights from this year, I am interested to know any thoughts and areas for improvement as we move forward. Is it too much? I went in with the idea that teachers would pick and choose what they want to try and adapt for their own students and in their own styles. I am also open to teachers adding their own activities to the document. (A living, breathing document.)

 

I attempted to make the mini-journeys for students that didn't have a lot of time to connect. I don't feel those were that successful. I feel as though, they might have been confusing. I also feel, like maybe they are something that could be more student driven. They could create mini-journeys and share them on the Instagram. (Although that IG does not have very many followers - and growing it takes effort I am not totally fond of.)  However, I do feel like I did get some interaction with my students. Some of my students learned the dance and shared their food but were not allowed to share them online. I had students come up to me in the hall and share their fancy footwork. So for that, it did help share the idea of the Journey.

 

With this in mind, I think about the possibilities for the future and the connections that could be made. I would love to hear your thoughts, anytime throughout the summer. No pressure. Enjoy the break. I thank-you all for joining the Journey with me this year, for your time, support, and feedback. I hope you will continue to collaborate with myself and my new students 2021/2022. Please share it with colleagues that might also be interested. Let's keep the Journey going. I would love to see where it is in a decade!

 

 

Reflecting on the Sand Dance Project Collaboration

I came across The Sand Dance Project while scrolling through Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/sanddanceproject/?hl=en

I immediately fell in love - stopped scrolling - beach and dance - two of my favourite things combined in one beautifully ephemeral swirl ... I had to find out more about this Sand Dance Project. I am sure I left some hearts and probably a comment before scrolling up and finding the website: https://sanddanceproject.com/

I wanted to be part of this Sand Dance Project. I thought, they should run a workshop during spring break and my family and I will drive down there. We always drive down the coast. It is our favourite thing to do. This would give us another reason to go.

I reached out to Holly at the Sand Dance Project and she was down to make a workshop happen during spring break. Awesome. What could go wrong?

It is the week before spring break. I am standing in my studio at Frank Hurt with my principal, Mike Stickley. (#stickitcancer) We were talking about Covid and Sars and how we didn't think it would be that big of a deal and everything would be the same after spring break. Well, as we all know, it wasn't the same. We didn't even go back to school at all after spring break. We all quickly got familiar with Zoom meetings and teaching from our living rooms. The borders closed down and non essential travel, anywhere was shut down. The farthest I got from home was a run through the Stanley Park trails each day. The Sand Dance Project plan was put on hold.

That isn't entirely true. I did get farther than Stanley Park. After an intense interview process, a husband who wouldn't go for two years, and an accepted contract change to one year, my family and I moved to Jeju, South Korea. North London Collegiage School had a dream facility. I met some amazing teachers, staff, and students. I said yes to every opportunity and made up my own projects to fill my memories.

After Covid chills out a bit. When I say that, it was probably once Californians started to get vaccinated, The Sand Dance Project started becoming more active on Instagram. Americans got their vaccinations before we did in Korea... actually we didn't even get vaccinated in Korea that year. We were first in line after our two week quarantine in Canada though. I am still waiting for my booster as I write this - it is December 29, 2021.

I digress... back to the story: I want to dance all over this school and this island. This school had everything. It even had a drone. It is on an island - there are beautiful beaches. BING! I had an idea. Holly was down with my idea. She was open to collaboration and sharing her choreography.

This was going to be a true international collaboration. We were learning choreography from California. We had dancers from Canada, Ireland, New Zeland, and the UK. We were dancing on a beach in Jeju, South Korea.

I was super happy that Stella, Natalie, and Caitlin were down with another of my crazy ideas. (Although, I was slightly more excited about it than they were.)

Once I got the choreography from Holly, I chunked it and started learning it on my own. Caitlin joined me when we had breaks together and we started learning it together.

 I had one class with one year twelve student in it, Ginger. Ginger and I loved rolling around on the floor, so I taught it to her as well. We also played around with dancing it to different songs. We even used the NLCS collaborative song made with the students and teachers from all three campuses of, All Night Long.

 

Ginger and I also tried it to Oasis's, Champagne Supernova. 

 

I taught some of it to Natalie and Stella, but they had different schedules and would learn it on their own time.

On Monday, May 31, 2021 we met in the morning at Gwakji beach. Stella husband, Jonathan had his own drone and filmed for us.

We filmed it once all together. We moved down the beach a bit and filmed it again. I think we had decided to slow it down a little bit. You can't tell from the drone, but the incline of the beach was steeper than it looks. The forward roll up the hill was a struggle. I think I was calling out and counting too so we could all be as the same time together.

Really, this was our first time dancing it all together and it was our first time experiencing it in sand. All I can say, is thank goodness for the magic of editing.

Stella and Natalie didn't really learn the second half. They wanted to adapt the choreography and make changes. I am flexible but this bummed me out a little bit. I wanted it to stay authentic to the original choreography. 

Since Caitlin and I knew the entire choreography, we filmed the whole thing again just the two of us. The drone ran out of power before Caitlin and I finished our set. Again, thank-you editing.

Sand Dance Project is textural dance. Let's talk about the experience of dancing in the sand. The sand gets everywhere. You have to be ok with getting dirty. It was like being a kid again. Swinging and rolling through the sand leaves tracings of the movements. Changing the resistance of your body weight, also changes the depth of the swirls and patterns. Your body melts into dry sand different than it does wet sand. The resistance of the sand makes it more difficult to keep the speed of the original choreography done in the studio.

When looking at the drone footage, it looks like we were farther away from the water line. It felt like, at any moment we were going to be in the water, or it was going to lap up and get us.

This first run with the dancers definitely required more rehearsal. I should have organized more formal rehearsals in the studio to make sure everyone knew the choreography. We should have taken more time with our filming. I imagined driving around to different beaches and filming all morning, maybe even multiple mornings. However, I am happy and grateful for the time that the other teachers did give me. They took time out of their work days to learn the choreography. They took time out of their half term break to meet me on the beach. For me though, this felt like the start of something.

After we were all done that morning, I won't ever forget running into the ocean with Stella. Running. The Irish girl and the Canadian girl racing into the water to wash off the sand. Soon we were all in the water. Stella's kids came out with us too. I swam and swam, smiling and happy that I got to be part of this project... that I was here on this beautiful island and having this experience that was so different from what I would have been experiencing back home.

Here are some reflections that we recorded right after our drone filming.

Jonathan sent me the drone footage and I made a first edit of the video. I found a really cheesey copyright free song. I did not particularly like that edit and I did mean to go back and make a different edit with a different song. I still haven't done that. 

 After this first experience in the sand with this choreography, I visited other beaches and danced in different sand. Each beach had a different texture, level of resistance, and slant to the beach.

June 6, 2021

There was no surf at Jungmun this morning. I took the trail and walked above the beach. I did ballet on the bridge and contemporary in the sand. 

When the water would touch me and get me from behind and it was cold. I would forget my next move, lose my breath in surprise for a second. The water came up right when I did the swim move with my arms in a ball... that one didn't record. I remember that moment though be in time with the ocean. 

The deep sand. Sinking in. 

The steeper hill.

The realization that this is the beginning... not the finished product. Knowing that I am going to keep dancing this choreo ... getting into the sand... as many times as I can before I leave here...

Sagye Beach June 19, 2021

I am back in Vancouver now. It is winter. There is actual snow on the ground. That doesn't always happen here. Are you thinking what I am thinking? Snow dance? Brrr....

The studios and gyms have just shut down here in Vancouver again, this time for the Omicron strain of Covid. This virus is in its second year of disrupting life. However, I know that one day, I will make it back down the coast to California and I will join the Sand Dance Project in a real live collaboration.

Thank-you to everyone who made this dream idea come to life. Who knew scrolling through Instagram could change the pathways of your life in a meaningful and creative way?

Let's connect the world through art. 

Global artistic collaboration.

Random Yoga Quotations Dance

While participating in YYoga's, "30 Days to Reconnect" challenge,  I had this idea to take random quotations from each class and turn them into a dance. I would turn on Quick Time Player audio recording and press play on the YYoga video in a random spot. I saved all of the audio clips and turned them into one long recording in IMovie. Using the words as stimuli for my movements, I played around until things started to settle. I definitely could have spent more time on the dance but I enjoyed the exercise of it and see its value as an activity for my students. They could collect random quotations from a show, teacher, parent or whatever they are interested in. 

Date	Class	Link	Quotation
Monday, March 1, 2021	Quick Flow for People on the Go (35 min) - with Mari Dickey	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/newreleases/videos/210224-flowexpress-mari	"Exalt right arm to sky, right side body long."
Tuesday, March 2, 2021	Hip Opening Power (45 min) - with Mikaela Millington	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/newreleases/videos/210225-power-mikaela	"If you feel like there is pent up energy, then you need to let it go, big sigh out of your mouth."
Wednesday, March 3, 2021	Flow Yoga: Sweet Hip Opening Flow (15 min) — with Mari Dickey	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/15-20-minutes/videos/flow-yoga-sweet-hip-opening-flow-15-min-with-mari-dickey	"Get nice and grounded through your back foot…"
Thursday, March 4, 2021	Intermediate Power (45 min) - with Jasmina Egeler	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/februaryreleases2021/videos/210206-power-jasmina-1	"Feet together, legs together, squeeze into your center."
Friday, March 5, 2021	Power Yoga for Positive Energy (20 min) — with Hillary Keegan	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/15-20-minutes/videos/200923-yyoga-poweryoga-energypositivity	"… place hands on shoulders… as we come into eagle, starting to come forward, hinge at the hips.. Whoa"
Saturday, March 6, 2021	Full Body Power (50 min) - with Jayme Burke Fixed my left hip!	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/newreleases/videos/210301-power-jaymeburke	"… let your right thigh kind of get heavy and earthy."
Sunday, March 7, 2021	Side Body Flow Yoga (45 min) — with Jayme Burke	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/newreleases/videos/side-body-flow-yoga-45-min-with-jayme-burke	"Fully inhale, halfway lift"
Monday, March 8, 2021	Hatha for Hips Yoga (30 min) - with Jayme Burke	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/februaryreleases2021/videos/210225-hatha-jayme	"…come into fingertips, turn your right…"
Tuesday, March 9, 2021	Hip Opening Hatha (30 min) - with Katherine Moore	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/februaryreleases2021/videos/210221-hatha-katherinemoore	"… and then bow in as you exhale."
Wednesday, March 10, 2021	Power Yoga (20 min) — with Crystal Rainbow Borrelli	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/videos/power-yoga-power-for-newbies-crystal	"… feet hip width and parallel.."
Thursday, March 11, 2021	Flow Yoga: Mid-Day Rejuvenating Class (20 min) — with Crystal Rainbow Borrelli	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/videos/flow-yoga-mid-day-rejuvenating-practice-20-min-with-crystal	"… a gentle squeeze, a little sway from side to side."
Friday, March 12, 2021	Fiery Flow for Balance (45 min) - with Mikaela Millington	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/newreleases/videos/210303-fieryflow-mikaelamillington	"… little lift of the chest, hold it here, shoulders away from the ears.."
Saturday, March 13, 2021	Front-Body Opening Power (50 min) - with Jasmina Egeler	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/februaryreleases2021/videos/210220-power-jasminaegeler	"… release your bind, back to dog pose…"
Sunday, March 14, 2021	Nourishing Flow (45 min) - with Mari Dickey (with Carrie!)	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/videos/210209-flow-maridickey	"… to high plank pose, from the top of your push-up.."
Monday, March 15, 2021	Rejuvenating Power-Flow (45 min) - with Cathy High	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/newreleases/videos/210309-rejuvinatingpower-cathy-high	"…and letting the chest lift, you really want to go for a proud chest, a tall spine."
Tuesday, March 16, 2021	Wellbeing Hatha Yoga for Working from Home (20 mins) — with Rachel Scott	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/20-30-minutes/videos/wellbeing-hatha-yoga-for-working-from-home-20-mins-with-rachel-scott	".. Then roll the chest open…"
Wednesday, March 17, 2021	Ocean Flow (45 min) - with Mikaela Millington	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/week-2-march-30-day-challenge/videos/210202-flow-mikaela-1	"… to the right side, keep your left hand grounded…"
Thursday, March 18, 2021	Smooth & Steady Pilates Flow (45 min) - with Alison Lloyd-Nijjar	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/newreleases/videos/210219-pilates-alisonlloyd	"… curl forward through chest lift.."
Friday, March 19, 2021	Hatha Yoga (30 min) - with Jayme Burke	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/20-30-minutes/videos/210218-hatha-jaymeburke	".. Light up your glutes, as you lengthen your tailbone, hug your navel in…"
Saturday, March 20, 2021	Live Stream Dancerly Flow (60 min) - with Krystina Simes	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/week-3-march-30-day-challenge/videos/tue-12-01-12-00pm-pst-dancerly-flow-60-min-with-hillary-keegan	"… over toward the heal in a one legged squat…"
Sunday, March 21, 2021	Side Body Flow Yoga (45 min) — with Katherine Moore	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/week-3-march-30-day-challenge/videos/power-for-stiff-people-45-min-with-katherine-moore	"…bring your back knee down to the floor, bring both, both hands up to your right thigh."
Monday, March 22, 2021	Flow Yoga: Feel Good Flow (30 min) – with Sasha Smith	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/week-4-march-30-day-challenge/videos/flow-yoga-feel-good-flow-30-min-with-sasha-smith	"… lift the arms up, go from Sun B, exhale forward fold."
Tuesday, March 23, 2021	Apartment Hatha Yoga for Small Spaces (20 mins) — with Rachel Scott	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/20-30-minutes/videos/apartment-hatha-yoga-for-small-spaces-20-mins-with-rachel-scott	"… up the wall. Come into down dog so the ball of my foot is on my mat…"
Wednesday, March 24, 2021	Cardio Barre Intermediate (40 min) — with Mandi Von Alkier	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/week-4-march-30-day-challenge/videos/april-26-cardio-barre-intermediate-45-min-with-mandi-von-alkier	"… keep breathing for four, for three, if the knees are…"
Thursday, March 25, 2021	Flow Yoga: Daily Maintenance for Runners (10 min) — with Katherine Moore	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/videos/flow-yoga-daily-maintenance-for-runners-katherine	"… they tend to get tight, when we work out."
Friday, March 26, 2021	BEACH
Saturday, March 27, 2021	BEACH
Sunday, March 28, 2021	Live Replay: Power Hour (60 min) - with Mari Dickey w/Carrie	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/week-4-march-30-day-challenge/videos/fri-12-11-8-30am-pst-power-hour-60-min-with-mari-dickey	"… hand down to the floor, or if you have a block handy, to a block."
Monday, March 29, 2021	Flow Yoga: Sweet Hip Opening Flow (15 min) — with Mari Dickey	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/15-20-minutes/videos/flow-yoga-sweet-hip-opening-flow-15-min-with-mari-dickey	"… exhale forward fold.."
Tuesday, March 30, 2021	Flow Yoga: Improving Your Balance (10 min) — with Jayme Burke	https://yyoga.vhx.tv/10-15-minutes/videos/may-24-flow-yoga-improving-your-balance-with-jayme-burke	"… to your feet. Make sure that you have a drishti, a focal point to look at, one that is steady and at your own eye level…"

 

2021Dance365: March Reflections

 

For March, for the most part, I made each video on the day. Towards the end of the month, when the break started, I was able to go for some beach run, yoga, dance drives and make a few at once and get ahead. It has been a busy month at school and this break is feeling good. I am catching up. 

... maybe I will think about what else to say and come back... 

2021dance365: February

This month I got ahead of myself on the weekends, which was nice. I went on some solo drives to different beaches and filmed in a couple of spots so I could have some videos made. I still danced everyday but I didn't have to make videos every day. I just had to post them. At one point I was four days ahead. 

 

32⭐LEARN IT. The Pharcyde, Passing Me By

33⭐Task Tuesday #73: Blue. I recorded the video in slow motion by accident.

34⭐ FKA Twigs and the Green wall

35⭐Inspired by Sophie L. Dancing during Music Duty. The hall and the window.

36⭐Freestyle Friday. Funky Bijou

37⭐Starring NLCS Staff in Passing me By by the Pharcyde

38⭐My first Olle trail. Song by Sharon Kim on the piano from our Monday morning assemblies: Kapustin Etude Number 1

39⭐Beach Gondola. Beat Spacek

40⭐Task Tuesday#74: Green. NOFVNCITY

41⭐Beach Sand Dance. Smashing Pumpkins

42⭐Salish Secondary Tik Tok challenge

43⭐Freestyle Friday. Pete Rock and CL Smooth, The Creator and in slow motion  

44⭐Ballet with Beverly

45⭐Czarina's Nasty by Ariana Grande in slow motion

46⭐KPlayPop statues at Jungman. BTS, Boy in Luv

47⭐Task Tuesday#75: Yellow. NOFVNCITY

48⭐Jungman Beach. Valentine Breakz Session1

49⭐Morning freestyle after SFT class. Calgary by Bon Iver

50⭐Freestyle Friday starring Jonathan. People Get Up and Drive your Funky Soul by James Brown

51⭐LEARN IT for the Jeju Beez. Contagious by SAFE and Kiana Lede

52⭐Beach ballet at Hyeopjae Beach. Long Beach by KOTA

53⭐Hyeopjae Beach. Legend Has It by Run the Jewels

54⭐Task Tuesday #76: Multi-colour

55⭐Toes in the water at Hyeopjae Beach. Long Beach by KOTA

56⭐More choreo for the Jeju Beez for Contagious by SAFE and Kiana Lede

57⭐Freestyle Friday. Song Fresh by Daft Punk

58⭐Backyard Martha starring Martha Graham School 

59⭐Dance walk. Choreo by Angela Mendoza. Song Easy by DaniLeigh and Chris Brown

dOWN Task Tuesday 2019 - 2020

2019

Task Tuesday #1: September 17, 2019:   

Draw your name with your foot and let that movement lead your body.  

Task Tuesday #2: September 24, 2019:
One foot is glued to the floor. 
 
Task Tuesday #3: October 1, 2019:
Draw squares with your elbow(s) and let that movement lead your body.
 
TaskTuesday #4: October 8, 2019:  
Find a pattern on a floor and play with the pattern. (Floor tiles, mat, carpet pattern)
 
TaskTuesday #5: October 15, 2019:
Rebound. That's it. Rebound off the floor, the wall, a ball, a bench, a human…. (be careful not to bonk yourself though. Soft things or use your hands!) 

Task Tuesday #6: I missed this one somehow.

Task Tuesday #7: October 22, 2019:
NO CIRCLES. I noticed last week that I like to spin and turn. I want to see if I can dance without making any circles. 
 
Task Tuesday #8: October 29, 2019:
Stack. Stack your body parts on top of each other. How many ways can you stack yourself?  

Task Tuesday #9: November 5, 2019:
Tell the story: While out paddling your canoe, you get stuck in a whirlpool. 
 
Task Tuesday #10: November 12,2019:
Slow, slow/fast, fast, fast/fast fast fast or… 12, 34, 5&6, 7&8
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019: One body part moves. When it makes contact with another body part, that body part moves… 
 
Task Tuesday #11: November 26, 2019:
Spin inspired by Glenn's IG
 
Task Tuesday #12: December 3,2019:
Don't think. Do four random movements. Repeat them super slow, medium, super fast. Repeat with four new moves.
 
Task Tuesday #13: December 10, 2019:
Fold. Featuring @whydontchewdance @rajanandteg
 
Task Tuesday #15: December 17, 2019:
Move like a robot 
 
Task Tuesday #16: December 31, 2019: Lego shape sentence. Great to play with the kiddos during the break. If you don't have Lego you can use random objects.  

2020

Task Tuesday #17: January 7, 2020: Make lines into shapes with fingers and arms - tutting
 
Task Tuesday #18: January 14, 2020:
Dance with your face
 
Task Tuesday #19: January 21, 2020:
Deflate. Inspired by deflating Christian's inflatable tube for sledding. This is also how I feel after Breakout or Outbreak… end of the semester.
 
Task Tuesday #20: January 28, 2020:
Move for 8. Freeze for 8. 4-4. 2-2-. 1-1. 1-1. 1-1. 1-1. This one is fun. I started with 8/8 then tried all the different combos - finally putting it all together. I am going to use this as a warm-up in Break class today and then a challenge in their 1-8 challenge. Also, I used a slower song - would be fun to try with different speeds.
 
Task Tuesday #21: February 4, 2020:
Pour. I was playing around with the word pour and then it turned into reversing what I poured and going a pouring a new way. I chose this one today, because I was exploring rolling down and rolling back up with my teams and found them not able to do this easily. There was a lot of awkwardness, giggles, and heads looking around and not relaxing from this simple task. How did I let them miss this foundational move?
 
Task Tuesday # 22: February 11, 2020:
Dance up for 16, down for 16 - this is TIRING!
 
Task Tuesday #23: February 18, 2020: Shake - FUN!  
 
Task Tuesday #24: February 25, 2020:
Move your upper back between your scapulae.
 
Task Tuesday #25: March 3, 2020:
Move with only one foot and one hand touching the ground.
 
Task Tuesday #26: March 10, 2020:
Slide
 
Task Tuesday #27: March 17, 2020:
Klockonian: Create a work that explores a moment you had in nature that was magical, transformative, or important in some way.
 
Task Tuesday #28: March 24, 2020:
wiggly/wavy lines
 
Task Tuesday #29: March 31, 2020:
Rescaling community movement task. Looking at the movement of people in your homes as we shelter in place to flatten the curve for Covid-19.

Task Tuesday #30: April 7, 2020:
Using the pathway/shape from last week's home drawing (or draw a random pathway/shape).
 
Task Tuesday #31: April 14, 2020:
Make moves to the thankful sounds created by the people clapping at 7pm.
 
Task Tuesday #32: April 21, 2020:
Smooth/sharp. Start with smooth movements then work on sharp movements. Find a song that has smooth and sharp in it - or identify which sounds will be which - and get playing -
 
Task Tuesday #33: April 28, 2020:
Play you go, I go with a dance friend on Teams or Zoom.
 
Task Tuesday #34: May 5, 2020:
Lego Train Game. Pathways. Speed. Controlled by someone/something else. Controlling something else. Don't have a Lego Train? Choose another toy, another person, a TV channel, a song, people walking on the sidewalk or jogging on the seawall - what can you see in your home that moves, changes speeds, changes directions? Any or all of these changes.
 
Task Tuesday #35: May 12, 2020:
Rewind scarf/sheet
 
Task Tuesday #36: May 19, 2020:
Balloon dance. Games to try: Don't let the balloon touch the ground. Don't let two touch the ground. Play with a partner. Don't use your hand. Use your head. How many head bounces can you get? What other body parts can you use? Make a pattern: hand, hand, foot, or foot, foot, hand or? Balance your balloon on you. Don't hold it. Can you take it for a walk. Try not to let your son use your balloon as a target. How does wind affect the games? Can you skate and keep a balloon in the air?
 
Task Tuesday #37: May 26, 2020: 
One body part is an initiator and it makes another random body part move. The initiator is always the same. The second move can be any body part.
 
Task Tuesday #38: June 2, 2020:
Make a 3 count and hold pattern. Repeat it. Try: another body part, two body parts at the same time, alternating, alternating counts, adding different rhythms by freezing on different counts, speeding it up, or slowing it down, bigger, smaller, different planes
 
Task Tuesday #39: June 9, 2020:
Find a sound pattern in a song. Decide on a movement that will represent that sound. Try: Changing directions, body parts, change intensities, change levels and then play with different combinations.
 
Task Tuesday #40: June 16, 2020:
Up and Down: Start with your hand. Move it up and down. Go to the extremes. Play with patterns in the music. Try three other body parts.
 
Task Tuesday #41: June 23, 2020:
Notice the movement in different things around you. Find one thing. Watch the movement. Fill your body with this movement. Now move that movement to one body part. Try a different body part. Try another moving thing.

Task Tuesday #42: June 30, 2020:
Get a piece of paper.
Drop it and watch it fall
Move like falling paper
Try your whole body and isolate it in different body parts
Now take the paper and crumple it into a ball
Now try to crumple your whole body and different parts of your body. 

Task Tuesday #43: July 7, 2020:
Move to sound effects
 
Task Tuesday #44: July 14, 2020:
Echoes of You by Oneke Moving thing near me: oscillating fan
Imitated in my: Left knee
As high/low/speed patterns
 
Task Tuesday #45: July 21, 2020:
Start with a poem

Task Tuesday #46: July 28, 2020:
Dance your home: quarantine dance
 
Task Tuesday #47: August 4, 2020:
Watch the sky. Record the movement of birds, bees, clouds. Draw their pathways. Dance the drawings.  
 
Task Tuesday #48: August 11, 2020:
Stairway dance. Explore a staircase.
 
Task Tuesday #49: August 18, 2020:
Go the library, open a random book, read it, let it inspire your moves and maybe your reading list.
 
Task Tuesday #50: August 25, 2020:
1 step:move 1/ 2 steps: move 2,move 2, 3 steps: move 3, move 3, move 3/ 4 steps: move 4, move 4, move 4, move 4 REVERSE.
 
Task Tuesday #51: September 1, 2020:
Roll around  Song: Dumebi by Rema
 
Task Tuesday #52: September 8, 2020:
Move like FIRE
 
Task Tuesday #53: September 15, 2020:
Pick three body parts and alternate leading with each of them.  Try playing with different time intervals. (8/4/2/1) I chose head, right knee, and left big toe.
 
Task Tuesday #54: September 22, 2020:
Moving forward. Explore the idea of moving forward with different moves, body parts, levels, rhythms, speeds. (Song: So Done by Alicia Keys and Khalid)
 
Task Tuesday #55: September 29, 2020:
Take a simple 4 count move. Play with reversing it. I was inspired by Mary Song's favourite video: Feel the Rhythm of Korea Seoul. I was dancing with you Mary!
 
Task Tuesday #56: October 6, 2020:
Move forward and back with the ocean. Christian and I were swimming and playing at the beach on Sunday and we played this at the edge of the water. He said it would make a good Task Tuesday. Song: Bon Iver AUATC
 
Task Tuesday #57: October 13, 2020:
Pattern: toe, triangle, knee, triangle, head, square, shoulder, S Song: Bon Iver: PDLIF
 
Task Tuesday #58: October 20, 2020: Ether: lighter than air The Ether Element

Task Tuesday #59: October 27, 2020:
Make something you do for work into a dance. I had to do virtual parent teacher meeting last Friday. I wasn't looking forward to staying after school and communicating online, 5 minutes/per parent for four hours. I decided to turn it into a virtual performance opportunity. I'd love to see your work dances.
 
Task Tuesday #60: November 3, 2020:
Dancer from History: Martha Graham. Let a dancer from the past inspire you today. Things I did: Took a class, read some quotations, watched some YouTubes, looked at images… went outside to move with nature.

Task Tuesday #61: November 10, 2020:
Do you know those songs that transport you back in time to a certain moment? Or maybe there are a series of memories attached to the song? I have such a song. Some of my students have heard this story, more than once. The song is Careless Whisper by George Michael. The first memory is from a grade five ski trip and a broken thumb that I didn't tell anyone about. I had a nice seat at the front of the bus. I had my hand in a toque filled with snow. Someone at the back of the bus, sitting on the tire, a bumpy spot to sit, was feeling nauseas, and my teacher made me switch seats with them. She didn't know. I was too nice and would never have complained. I didn't even tell my mom it was sore. It was two weeks later when I dropped a plate unloading the dishwasher that I complained about my thumb not working. I had to have surgery to have it rebroken. The second memory is a saxophone playing student in the Frank Hurt band room who was learning and practising this song. The third memory are kids in the dance class using the wall and bench to dance to this song. What is a song that brings back memories for you? Freestyle to it.
 
Task Tuesday #62: November 17, 2020:
Isolating for different counts_Head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Song: Alone in the Sun by Beat Spacek.
 
Task Tuesday #63: November 24, 2020:
Shake. My grandparents had one of these vibrating machines at their trailer park. There is one here at school in the gym. Show me your shaking. Song: Shake Ya Boom Boom by Static and Ben El, Black Eyed Peas
 
Task Tuesday #64: December 1, 2020:
Drawversation. Have a drawversation with someone - doodle while you talk. Turn the drawing into movement explorations. I did this in my tutor group this morning. I paired them up and they had to have drawversations. I took the papers and explored movements for them. Song: WaveToys: Upbeat Background Music for Vidoes: The Drums.
 
Task Tuesday #65: December 8, 2020:
Repeat the same move for a whole song. Song: Now or Never by Kendrick Lamar and Mary J Blige
 
Task Tuesday #66: December 15, 2020:
Sit somewhere and hand dance. Friends may join in. Sitting gestures with Biggy interlude Song: Markushmane's Green Hill Zone Lofi Hip Hop Rap Beat (Sonic Movie Beat)

Task Tuesday #67: December 22, 2020:
Circle of bricks. I tip toed on every brick. Dark red bricks head goes right, grey brick head goes left. Song: NOFVNCITY - KOFA
 
Task Tuesday #68: December 29, 2020: Start small and grow. Song: Artist's Studio by Michael Wall

2021dance365: January Reflections

I can't believe I am doing this again. I have to say, even though it was daunting to start a new dance 365 project, I have really been enjoying myself. I haven't yet felt burdened by the daily dances, videos, and posting. I am happy to get a chance to do this challenge again and start right on January first. 

Why did I start this again? First of all it, it had been on my mind. I like the idea of having dance memories from Jeju. It was on my mind and one of my students from back home asked me to join him. He had started it the last time but didn't finish and wanted to do it this year. Andy started this one and I am glad he did. I am happy to be on this dance journey with him. I love waking up and seeing his dance videos. He is grown and evolved so much. I miss my little Frank Hurt fam. Andy isn't even at Frank Hurt anymore.. but you know.. that is where I will always remember him. I will miss that studio and that special vibe that was in that place. It was magical. (It wasn't always magical but it had more magical moments than not.) 

Things I am doing different this time around are: 

• I am not going to miss a day or take breaks. I started on the January first and I will end on December 31st. That will be a party for sure. 

• Task Tuesdays are themed by Sydney's 12 Months, 12 Dances. 

• Freestyle Fridays every Friday and I try to practice my breaking on these days.

• Learn It: These are instructional dance videos for my students. I will have a collection of short choreos from doing these. 

• I have invited all my students to give me ideas, songs, and inspirations. I make sure I share that that dance was inspired by them at the beginning and end of the video. 

Overall, I want to make time to dance each day. I want to make memories of Jeju. I want to have dances that showcase the island, my school, my students where possible, and my new colleagues. I want this collection of memories to look back on. I also hope to inspire more students to dance. I wish I could stay here longer and get more boys dancing, but I look forward to my new adventures ahead.

The 6 Week Cipher Starter Challenge

Covid-19 closed our schools and I was teaching online. I wasn't getting a lot of interaction with my students and I was missing them. I had extra time on my hands and I just wanted to keep busy. I got it in my head that I wanted to make a PassionDan app but then I remembered that I do not like doing sales calls and trying to sell to anyone. I like to just do my thing and keep making. However, I still had this plan in my brain to create what I would have made for the app. Instead of spending the money on an app and charging people, I used Google Classroom. I had ten friends from life and Facebook join me in six weeks of movement explorations. I made six themed weeks of movement exploration tasks to share with them. The first couple of weeks were really great. However, I lost them all along the way.

I was torn between tying to motivate them to re-join me in the movement explorations and sharing and knowing that this is a strange time for everyone and not wanting to bother anyone. Everyone is dealing with the pandemic in their own way. Maybe this isn't what they need right at this moment. I tried not to take it personal. I know that I have students whose work ethic I totally adore, who I can't keep their attention online at this time. It is just a difficult time and everyone is allowed to deal with this time the way that is best for them. No judgement.

I was doing this to keep myself motivated. I was doing this to cope. I was doing this to keep moving and keep creating and to keep connecting in a time when we were all stuck in our homes... adjusting to this new world. I also knew that this is something I could use in my teaching in the future. It can be adapted for different levels and I would have it all written out with video examples to use in class.

I did start to lose interest when it was just me and we had a few rainy weeks in Vancouver. I did not get every task done myself because even I had days where I was feeling like, what is the point? Then, the sun would come back out, my solar motivation would be recharged and I would continue on with determination.

I imagine running this again with students. I even started designing what I imagine to be the next level: Task Team 2: Concept Creators. You never know, maybe one day I will have my own app.

If anyone reads this and is interested in going through this program - you can do it on your own - or reach out to me. I would love to run it again with a fresh crew of dancers. I think this is one of those things that will evolve each time I run it changing and morphing with the new Task Team crew that takes it on.

Inspiration Station

Task Team Website

Week One: Gotta Get Up, to Get dOWN!

Week Two: Movement Explorer

Week Three: Task Crusher

Week Four: Musicality Masterwork

Week Five: Creative Combinations

Week Six: Cipher Starter

Thankful Moves

Thankful Moves from Paula Bridget Johnson on Vimeo.

I was inspired by a dancer I saw on Facebook: Ikue Ueno. She shared a video of herself sitting in the park, doing some hand dancing to the thankful sounds at 7pm. After asking her if I could use her as inspiration, I decided to film myself for seven days moving to the thankful sounds on my patio.

I only ended up filming six days because I had so much video to edit and delete. I started with small moves, a lot of sitting, hands and arms. My moves got bigger over the six days. The sixth day I was on my feet the whole time.  

I imported my videos to iMovie and played around with making two of me and doing that in different ways. I sped some parts up and also tried reversing some parts of the video. I found the coolest moves happened on the bigger sounds. I deleted a lot. I exported it and brought it back into iMovie so I could make more of me. Then, I deleted some more. At first it is hard to delete moves… you want to keep everything… then I just chopped and chopped… my goal was to keep it at the five minute mark.

Killer Beez Dance 365

I am DONE!

I made 365 dances. I didn't do it in 365 days. I took that pressure off of myself at the very start. I took time off to take a break from social media and spend time with family during spring and summer breaks. I also had a break when I had surgery - those would have been some wonky, painful dances - not good memories. I really enjoyed this challenge. I first saw it going on with one of my students (alumni now) Brian. I loved watching his daily dances. It never crossed my mind to do the challenge myself until Rajan invited me into the challenge. That is when I thought it was so strange that I never even thought to just do it. Of course it is an awesome idea, lead by example, get others involved, grow, learn new ways to create and share... I was all in.

As I reflect back on this "year" of dances, I have so many great memories. There are snippets from my times working on my thesis project for my MFA. There are the dances by the Inukshuk with Stephanie and Carrie for Seven to the Seventh. I can see all the different hair cuts I have had but all the same clothes. I have to admit, one of the first concerns with this challenge was, now it is going to be really evident that I wear the same thing everyday. (Every year... forever...) My lack of wardrobe was probably the only downfall to this challenge. I remember the day the Weed store closed in our building - yay! Days we went to Squamish, visiting different skate parks with Biggy, and the day we driving through Stanley Park and the wind was blowing, the waves were crashing up and over second beach pool. We ran out of the car and into the wind to take in the sights and sounds and of course, make a dance. There are also memories from the fun of living through different strata renovation projects. (The patio garden still hasn't been put back.... I miss my rhodo.) There is also the memory of the start of the lock-down for covid-19.

Some of my favourite dances are those where other people joined in with me. I have dances with alumni, my admin team, Gloria Sarmento (I love her!! My last principal), a snowman, Crystal, my family: mom, Belle, Rob, and lots of Christian. I have my best friend Carrie walking home from Ballet BC. I have students - where I jumped into their dances or they jumped into mine - love that. I also caught some alumni when they came to visit. All amazing memories caught because of this challenge.

I also learned a lot during this challenge. I slowly learned to not care about people staring at me while I danced in public. I learned to dance in a video and share it. I used to shut down at the end of a Harbour class when the teacher pulled out a camera - it would always be my worst round of the choreo. Now, I don't notice the camera as much. I learned more about video editing. I loved making videos where I was dancing with myself- two ghost versions of me. The green wall is another element that I learned to play with. Oh, I am going to miss that green wall. Can you believe the school just randomly painted my dance wall green? How awesome is that?

I made time for myself each day. I loved walking out my door with a song in my headphones and finding a sweet spot to move. I loved these little choreo walks. Time that I had just for me to think about the song, try and find the beats or something to play, and then finding a location that didn't have too many people around.

At first, it was hard to find time to record a dance everyday - just to make time for it. Once I got in the habit, it became part of my day. Halfway through the challenge, I started to think about not having a reason to make myself have this time each day. I knew I would miss it. This is when I started creating little projects for myself that would continue on once the 365 challenge ended. Through my @dancerOwned (aka dOWN) IG account, I created:

• Task Tuesday (#downTaskTuesday): a weekly movement exploration prompt/idea. I really enjoy these each week. I have a list and sometimes I choose from that list and other times, there is something in my mind and I just go with something I have been thinking about. I hope one day, there will be more people trying them and sharing their own explorations. This aligns with my obsession with global artistic collaboration. I love the idea of connecting artists from around the world through shared artistic research tasks.
• Meet, Greet and Move to the Beat (#dOWNMGM2B): I set a date, time, and location and see if I can people to walk into and join the mini site specific performance. Just dance to whatever is playing in your headphones, say hi, make that connection. I am going to update this one for covid-19 and do an in home version. Meet on the patio or in the living room. I was thinking of setting a spot outside too, maybe I will - an alley dance. If you know this alley - on your way to get your groceries, stop and film yourself dancing at this spot. Instead of dancing at the same time. Maybe I can do one time - in your home and one place, in an alley - dancing at the same spot.
• Dance Chain: I have made three of these so far. The first one died at the third person. With some updates, the second and third are still going. I use a contained group of people: Killer Beez/JU MFA, I changed "move" to 8 counts, and if it dies, I redirect it myself to someone else in the group. I have people send me the video and I post and tag so that I can keep track of it and make sure the next person knows what to do. I also keep all the parts and make one long video out of them - adding music, move#, dates, and locations.
• Cyber Cipher: Freestyle! I started this one during spring break for my students. I am going to start a new Cyber Cipher soon and this one will go out to TEACHERS. YES! ALL TEACHERS! I am going to do that today!! or next Friday? No, today!! 

Thank-you to Rajan and Teg for inviting me into the challenge and for Brian for the first person  I saw do it... and regurlarly = everyday... I saw him improve through exploring and posting everyday - damn... that kid is so inspirational. Rajan and Teg just wondered why don't you do it too? it hadn't even crossed my mind that anyone would want to see my dances everyday - thanks to everyone who watched and liked/commented, danced with me... supported me in anyway on this journey... it isn't over... just evolving - Never stop making! And, I recommend and encourage anyone out there, especially dancers, if you want to learn more about yourself and your style and evolve as a dancer, accept this challenge. Make it your own. Play and explore everyday and share with us. I will support you and watching your journey will not only make me and others happy - it will inspire others to start their own.

#killabeezdance365

I saved some of my favourite dances to my Vimeo account.