Top 10 Professional Highlights of 2018

It's that time of year again—time to reflect on the past 365 days' accomplishments through a professional lens. With my work now spanning both New England and the Mid-Atlantic, there's much to choose from, yet even more exciting were the moments this past year when my work traveled abroad to Canada, Italy, and Germany! 

These are the ten highlights that are fueling my energy as I head into 2019's already brimming professional pursuits. With many ideas swirling through my head, it's important to pause and look back before diving into the alluring (and daunting) unknown.

TOP 10 PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018

1. PRODUCTION MANAGER, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS  .  PRINCETON NJ

Since relocating my day-to-day to Princeton, NJ, I've continued to split my time with Boston, MA, as I continue to engage in the arts scene there, while looking for a new role in Princeton to replace my daily work as Art Director of Art New England magazine in Boston for the past five years. After some casual networking, I was quickly contacted by Princeton University Press, who sought a new Production Manager (a role I know inside and out thanks to my work at the magazine!). Since February, I've become responsible for the manufacturing of hundreds of titles per season (from reprints of the old Jung volumes—whose jackets require my designer instincts—to new books awaiting their grand debuts). Like at Art New England, I serve as the linchpin between Creative, Production, Editorial, and Sales as I continue to expand my knowledge of the publishing world, while working for one of the oldest and most prestigious presses in the nation—just look at the gorgeous building I work in with its historic architecture!

2. FIRST TAKE SHORTS SERIES AND Q&A  .  DOYLESTOWN PA

In April, my dance-on-camera film The One I Keep (featuring Luminarium company member Jess Chang) was selected for viewing at the First Take Shorts Series. Held in The County Theater of historic Doylestown, PA, the evening featured 12 shorts by Greater Philadelphia filmmakers, ending with a Q&A in which I was the only female filmmaker in attendance. While it saddens me how often this is the case, I am also always eager to attend these events in the hopes of inspiring more women to enter this predominantly male field.

3. CEFALÙ FILM FESTIVAL  .  PALERMO ITALY

Over the summer, I was thrilled to learn that The One I Keep had been selected for screening at Cefalù Film Festival in Palermo, Italy. While my choreographic works, dance-on-camera films, and interactive art installations have been presented by more than 80 events across the country (in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont), this screening at Cefalù Film Festival marked my first showing outside of the U.S. It felt particularly sentimental for me, as Italy is a place I've always dreamed of visiting. Having my artistic film travel there first felt oddly fitting (and little did I know two more countries would be featuring it in the coming months!).

4. CLERMONT HISTORIC SITE COMMISSION  .  GERMANTOWN NY

At the end of Luminarium's 2017 Season, we were approached by the Clermont Historic Site about a customized performance. After months of discussion, research, and rehearsals, Luminarium presented a family-friendly performance in August 2018 on the beautiful Clermont Historic Site grounds in upstate New York, featuring two newly commissioned works: one setting into motion the real-life story of Clermont historic figure Nancy Shippen; the other examining the effect of legacy on industry in the Hudson River Valley. These two new works (My own Trinkets and Kim's Intersections, respectively) were performed alongside excerpts from our then-pending feature production HIVELAND and my historically-inspired, repertory favorite The Hostess Diaries. Serving as my annual Cultural Community Outreach Project, the program was sponsored in part by a Humanities New York Action Grant, and was by far my favorite endeavor of 2018.

5. WOMENCINEMAKERS FEATURE  .  BERLIN GERMANY

Over the summer, I felt honored to be interviewed for a special edition of periodical WomenCinemakers in Berlin, Germany, featuring artistic films by noteworthy female artists from Tokyo, Amsterdam, London, Athens, and beyond. Selected to speak on my 2013 film The One I Keep, my interview dives deep into the work, while speaking on what lies ahead.

"Elegantly composed and marked out with refined choreography, this stimulating work is a successful attempt to create a brilliant allegory of human condition capable of drawing the viewers to a heightened and multilayered experience." Read the full interview here!

6. JOINING DANCE NEW JERSEY'S BOARD  .  NEW JERSEY, STATEWIDE

In the Fall, I was elected to the Board of Trustees for Dance New Jersey (a nonprofit resource for the state’s expansive dance scene) as a thought leader for new public programming and fundraising events. Before joining the Board, I welcomed the opportunity to participate as a choreographer for Paths Cross/Doors Open (pictured above), which in many ways reminded me of a mini ChoreoFest (Luminarium's 24-hour choreography festival). In a few months, this fantastic event is returning, and I'm humbled to be leading it—from teaching the warmup to guiding the creative choreographic process.

7. HIVELAND RECEIVES GLOWING BOSTON GLOBE REVIEW  .  CAMBRIDGE MA

Hailed as one of “the most intelligent and innovative dance troupes in Boston,” Luminarium Dance Company returned after a two-year creation period in September with its feature production HIVELAND. Audiences were submerged inside the dreamlike world of HIVELAND’s athletic and weightless performers as they journeyed through a portal beyond the hive colony into the unknown, while composer Christos Zevos set the pace with a driving electronic score.

Kim and I worked around the clock on this production for two full seasons, and the end result was an evening-length singular narrative that beautifully entwined our two artistic voices, while giving our company members room to grow their characters from the production's tentative and geometric silhouetted opening to its vibrant and triumphant finale. Above all, we were overjoyed to read Karen Campbell's review in the prestigious Boston Globe, touting HIVELAND as "a compelling exploration...unpredictable, provocative, and gratifyingly visceral." Read the full review here!

8. LIBERTY HALL DANCE FESTIVAL & SATELLITE COMPANY DEBUT  .  UNION NJ

After a productive Spring networking with the New Jersey dance community, I was grateful to have met Rider University Dance Dept. Director Dr. Kim Vaccaro, who not only hired me to teach Odissi master classes and work with the dance department on its Spring 2019 production, but agreed to help me work out a wonderful exchange with her students. In September, Luminarium's satellite company (based in Princeton, NJ) made its official debut, performing repertory favorite The Hostess Diaries at Liberty Hall Dance Festival and featuring Rider University dance majors. As I head into Luminarium's 2019 Season, these ladies will work with me on creating new work, which I will then show locally (featuring the New Jersey dancers) and/or bring to Boston to set on the company up there.

Pictured above: Luminarium Satellite performs at Liberty Hall Dance Festival, co-presented by Buggé Ballet and Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University. The event invited viewers to walk along the beautiful museum grounds, while enjoying site-specific professional dance performances inspired by moments in history.




9. VIDEOSKIN CONTEMPORARY DANCE VIDEO WORKS  .  YUKON CANADA

In October, I learned that my film The One I Keep would once again travel abroad—this time to Canada—having been selected for screening as part of ViDEOSKiN Contemporary Dance Video Works. The film was presented at The Edge Gallery in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, with showings every Saturday in November.




10. FIRST IN-PRINT FJORD REVIEW MAGAZINE  .  INTERNATIONAL

Chronologically last, but certainly not least, the Fjord Review announced in December its first-ever print magazine. I've been a journalist for the Fjord Review for three years now, writing feature articles, interviews, and critiques on ballet and contemporary dance in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, and Princeton. This international online publication never ceases to amaze me with its stunningly beautiful photoshoots and exceptional writing from contributors literally all over the world. I'm eager receive my copy, as this new print edition will include my review of Alonzo King's LINES Ballet.

Yet as fate would have it, I am once again struck by the synchronicity of this final post, for just as my work this year traveled to Canada, Italy, and Germany, this morning I read that this print magazine was "made in Canada, designed in Italy, and printed in Germany." How fitting to think that this lovely periodical and my dance-on-camera film traveled the same path this year, and that both are (in a small way) sharing my voice with the world.


Wishing you all a joyous start to 2019 and many, many adventures ahead!
–Merli

Kinetic Craft Residency in Review

For my 2017 Cultural Community Outreach Project (the 6th project in this annual series), I successfully created a residency for Luminarium at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton for the entire week of April school vacation. Every day from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday, April 18 through Sunday, April 23, 2017, five company members performed throughout the museum, personifying each of the museum's five crafting elements in a project we titled Kinetic Craft.

Over the course of four months, I painstakingly constructed a series of “breathing installations”—a concept I first developed back in 2011 with my fabric installation for Luminarium's residency at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Movement at the Mills—this time highlighting the five crafting elements: Textiles, Ceramics, Wood, Glass, and Metal.

The museum's 471 visitors that week perused the museum at their leisure as dancers from each installation performed and interacted with those passing by. Engaging for all ages, the event was free with museum admission, and garnered high praise from artists and participants alike. Luminarium received many lovely notes from those who attended saying that the week-long event "spoiled" them, and that it was the "best event that's ever come to the museum." To quote Titilayo Ngwenya, Director of Communications for the Fuller Craft Museum: "I wanted to congratulate you on a series of installations that not only captured the essence of the different craft media, but also engaged the audience with wonder and beautiful motion."

In addition to the hundreds of locals who attended, Luminarium was pleased to see many of its own followers wandering the museum—many of whom had never been, but commented on wanting to return. This was excellent feedback to receive, as one of Luminarium's goals of its annual Cultural Community Outreach Project is to introduce new patrons to the landmark it is honoring.

I'm especially grateful to the Brockton Cultural Council, whose grant helped make Kinetic Craft possible. It filled me with pride to be able to hire our network of company members and local performing artists at an hourly wage instead of a token stipend at the end of a long week. It allowed a total of 12 performers to sign up for as many shifts as they were able to take on, and by the end of the week, several of our company members were surprised to see how quickly their hours added up to a healthy paycheck! (A reality that in itself pains me—to see the surprise of fellow artists upon receiving fair compensation for the amount of work they put in. But that's a societal issue I'll address in a later post.) So thank you, BCC, for making this possible.

While Kim tackled the theme of Ceramics, I took on the other four. It's always an eerie moment to look back at my original notes and compare them to the end results—whether nearly identical from sketch to reality, or watching my thoughts morph and reshape themselves throughout the creative process. Below are my four breathing installations, then and now:

METAL

The goal was to create a full-bodied wind chime to highlight the resonant tones that metal can make. Our dancers would demonstrate the installation's ability to be played by any part of the body—foot, shoulder, knee, head—and encouraged visitors to set the metal bars into motion themselves. A hit with both young and old alike, the Metal Installation could be heard echoing through the halls of the museum, as engaged participants performed new melodies of their own.

WOOD

Here, I chose to highlight wood's ability to be either strong and structural, or so thin and fragile that light can diffuse through it. The result was my trickiest installation to build: A large wooden structure supporting three semi-opaque walls of tissue paper, allowing the sunlight in the window to highlight the dancer's shadowy movements within. Being only semi-opaque, we quickly learned onsite that the performer needed to move closely along the paper walls, or else she'd disappear. This allowed for some interesting dialogue between performer and viewer, as those passing by were not always initially aware of her presence inside.

GLASS
This installation morphed dramatically from its first concept to its final manifestation. Consistent throughout was my desire to capture glass's beautiful ability to melt, drip, liquify—and then to freeze in time. In the end, it wasn't a large, complex installation that needed to be built, but instead, simple and mobile. Inspired by my glass-blowing adventure with Kim, dancers were instructed to move with liquidity throughout the space while holding a white-hot glass orb. As they slowed to a static pose, they tapped the light attached to the orb I'd found—turning off the light and revealing its opaque opalescent swirls.

TEXTILES
Kinetic Craft offered me the opportunity to restage Untitled Breathing Installation #1, originally created for Luminarium's Movement at the Mills performance for the Boston Center for the Arts. Over the course of the week, dancers crept in and out of their blanket fort, asking viewers to select their favorite fabric scraps, then sewing them artfully onto this once-white dress. By the end of the week, the dress had become a patchwork medley of colors and textures—paying homage to textiles' role to clothe us, whether out of fashion or necessity.

Please enjoy some footage of the week via Luminarium's promo video below:

And additional footage via the Fuller Craft Museum's video thanking Luminarium for its hard work:

Photos of the event can be viewed via Luminarium's Facebook album (click the thumbnail below) including some moments captured of our youngest viewer interacting with the installations:

Thank you to all who supported and participated in this out-of-the-norm residency, and to the network of performing artists who continuously make my Cultural Community Outreach Project a success.

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Kinetic Craft was supported in part by a grant from the Brockton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Top 10 Professional & Personal Highlights of 2017

2017 will forever be a year for the books.

I wish I could write that one sentence and call this annual entry complete, but I promised myself a while back to always take a moment at the start of each January to reflect on the year before—specifically, to document my top ten professional accomplishments—in an effort to remind myself that, Yes, I really did make progress in my career!

Yet 2017 was a little different, and for that reason, my top ten list is going to reflect this difference by encapsulating not only professional accomplishments and milestones, but personal ones as well.

Merli V. Guerra's art installation, Pieces, on view at We Create, 2017.

1. PROFESSIONAL: We Create

Stepping into 2017, I was already knee-deep in my We Create project, having begun my work as one of its 2016-17 cohort artists in September. Through April, I continued to research and develop my initial concept: delving into the cohort’s 2016-17 theme of “hidden stories” by creating an art installation recognizing those with physical and mental disabilities. As my work unfolded, I found myself narrowing in on the specific story of my Noni’s struggle with Alzheimer’s, and society’s habit of tucking Alzheimer’s patients away—glancing by them only on the surface, unaware of the beautiful, multifaceted lives hidden within. Although I ultimately found the We Create cohort to be largely flawed in its execution, the piece I created through this process turned out to be quite poignant in more ways than one. Find out why by reading my post Red is the color of music.

2. PROFESSIONAL: 2 New Commissions—Devil's Turn & Rosoff Awards

In past years, Spring has been a quieter time for Luminarium, which allows Kim and me an opportunity to use our Winter rehearsals in a gradual, constructively explorative way. Yet this season, similar to 2016, we found ourselves with a wild January through May as we prepared for back-to-back commissions, a weeklong residency at the Fuller Craft Museum, and invitational showings in NYC and Endicott College.

Our first set of commissions for the year was the long-awaited result of a collaboration with Boston New Music Initiative. Kim and I were each given a selection of contemporary orchestral works from around the world, and I quickly fell in love with John Allemeier’s The Devil’s Turn—inspired by the quick-tempoed fiddle reel of the same name. Incorporating fleeting moments of folk dance and paralleling the string quartet with a quartet of dancers, the new work debuted to an enthusiastic audience at BNMI’s Ars Nexa Tempora at the Center for Arts at the Armory in Somerville, MA, in April.

The second commission was a choreographic collaboration between Kim, myself, and the The Ad Club, who approached us to create a new to open the prestigious 2017 Rosoff Awards at the State Room in Boston, MA. The new quintet celebrated diversity, individuality, and the power of rising as a unified society.

Jess Chang performs Merli V. Guerra's Untitled Breathing Installation #2: Glass. 

3. PROFESSIONAL: Kinetic Craft

For my 2017 Cultural Community Outreach Project (the 6th project in this annual series), I successfully created a residency for Luminarium Dance Company at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA, for the entire week of April school vacation. Every day from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday, April 18 through Sunday, April 23, 2017, five company members performed throughout the museum, personifying each of the museum's five crafting elements in my project Kinetic Craft.

Over the course of four months, I painstakingly constructed a series of “breathing installations”—a concept I first developed back in 2011 with my fabric installation for Luminarium's residency at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Movement at the Mills—this time highlighting four of the five crafting elements (Textiles, Wood, Glass, and Metal), while Kim tackled the fifth (Ceramics). Serving 471 visitors and featuring 12 company members and guest performers, Kinetic Craft successfully interwove movement with craft. For a more thorough synopsis with photos, videos, and testimonials, read my post “Kinetic Craft Residency in Review.”

4. PERSONAL: A Tale of Two Cities

In June, Sean and I relocated our lives to Princeton, NJ, for a job offer Sean couldn’t refuse. I don’t often speak about my personal life beyond the arts on this online journal (an intentional omission), but as I mentioned at the start of this post, 2017 marked many milestones in my personal life that merit public sharing. If I’ve never said it on here before, I regularly recognize how fortunate I am to have such an incredible partner. Yes, Kim is amazing, but this time I do mean my romantic partner. Sean is one of the single hardest working minds I know—and that’s coming from someone whose brain is constantly running! He approaches his work with a level of thoughtfulness, interest, and independence that cannot help but reveal results. As much as it saddened me to see the writing on the wall back in 2016 when he accepted a summer internship with Bristol Myers Squibb in New Jersey, I was also overjoyed to witness him working for a company that both pushed him and, at the same time, saw in him what I do. It came as a shock to my ever-under-estimating then fiancé (and as no surprise to anyone else in his life) when he was offered a rotational position with the company to begin in 2017. The work he has done since our move—and will no doubt continue to do—is astounding.

Luckily, New Jersey is a mere 6-hour drive from Boston, so my work in Massachusetts in most ways hasn't skipped a beat. As I settle into a groove of commuting back and forth for events (be it my own, or those I'm reviewing and supporting), I am confident that this relocation will proffer opportunities to further grow in my field. Already, I have met inspiring artists hailing from NYC, Philly, and the Garden State, with whom I hope to collaborate.

From a family perspective, the pace here is far slower than in Boston. It feels as though time can finally be given to long walks with my other half in the myriad of wooded parks peppering Pennsylvania and Central New Jersey, and our neighborhood is warm and welcoming (it took a while to get used to people saying "hello" to me on the street and not wanting anything in return!). Truly, there is beauty here in its more relaxed approach to life, and I look forward to our adventure unfolding as I balance my own Tale of Two Cities between Boston and Princeton.

Photos: Somerby Jones.

5. PERSONAL: Married

It's official! On August 12, 2017, Sean and I made a commitment to keep this party going all life long. Read my thoughts on the wedding (and my thwarted attempt to elope) in my post "Sorry, Sean. You're stuck with me."

6. PERSONAL: Puppy Parenthood

As Sean and I discussed the challenges and benefits of relocating, one benefit became excitingly clear: A move to New Jersey meant we would finally have space for a dog! No more cramped apartments with zero backyards; we would finally be able to bring a pup into our lives. A mere five days after our wedding, we traveled five hours to Virginia to pick up Banksy (yes, named after the elusive graffiti artist), our adorable little Goldendoodle. It’s been a nonstop rollercoaster of emotions ever since—from affection to frustration, amusement to worry—and while her name has grown to “Banksy Nala Piranha-Puppy Guerra” (or simply “Banksy Connolly” when she’s quietly behaving), this unpredictable ball of fluff has wriggled her way into our hearts for good. You can follow Banksy on Instagram @banksysighting for daily updates on her shenanigans.

Photo: Brian Bolanowski.

7. PROFESSIONAL: Outlet Dance Project

Luminarium made its New Jersey debut this fall at the impressive Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. I felt honored to be selected as one of the choreographers creating new work for The Outlet Dance Project, as it meant my own New Jersey artistic debut as well. Performed by Kim and myself, Weathered was created in relation to Linda Cunningham's striking bronze sculpture War Memorial III. This towering duet used 1970s CBS Vietnam newscasts as a sound score—at times, standing tall as the heroes of war, and at others, becoming engulfed by the darkness as were the civilian and military victims of battle. I described the impetus behind the new work in my application proposal:

“As a choreographer and visual artist, I often find my work revolves around the concept of the present intermingling with the past. Be it facing a past iteration of one’s self, or connecting with those who came before us, my work has been described as “haunting,” and “cyclical.” So, too, do I feel this when witnessing Linda Cunningham’s War Memorial III, whose abstracted towers of bronze strike the eye as both piercing upward through the ground while simultaneously melting back to whence they came. Researching the installation further, I find this duality of rising and falling to be beautifully metaphoric—from standing tall as veterans to withering and being forgotten, this “war memorial” begs to be set in motion.”

Performed on October 7, 2017, Weathered will hold a special place in my memory for years to come—in addition to marking my first Mid-Atlantic performance, it happened to fall on my 30th birthday! Not only that, but the sculpture itself was created in 1987, so it, too, was celebrating its 30th year on this earth. Call me sentimental, but there is something satisfyingly synchronous about marking that key milestone together (not to mention spending the day with poor Kim, who was sweating buckets under 40 yards of black satin in the 90 degree sun!).

8. PROFESSIONAL: Leaving Art New England

Relocating to New Jersey meant a shift in my work as a designer as well. In October 2017, I officially resigned from my role as Art Director of Art New England magazine. During my five-year tenure at ANE, I oversaw the magazine’s growth from 60 to 120 pages, bi-monthly; designed its feature, column, and review layouts; and mocked up a total of roughly 1,500 covers (only 28 of which ever made it to fruition). Nothing quite compares to holding the physical manifestation of a project in my own two hands—thumbing through its pages, and marveling at the cover’s fully-realized design. Equally engaging are feature layouts, which have proffered me the most room for creativity—from discussing the piece as a whole with the editor to enhancing the writer’s words through imagery. As I move on, I’m grateful for the friendships I’ve made while holding this position, and for the breadth of artists I’ve had the pleasure of working with and promoting nationally.

9. PROFESSIONAL: Dance International

In the fall, I was proud to add another publication to my list of freelance dance critic assignments: Dance International magazine. My first review for this Canadian-based print publication is set to appear in the February issue, and I’m grateful to its Editor Kaija Pepper for helping me adjust to the magazine’s writing style. Keep your eyes peeled for a piece on Boston Ballet’s Obsidian Tear, with works by Jorma Elo and Wayne McGregor.

10. PROFESSIONAL: Moderated 100 Years of Modern Dance

At this stage in my career, I’ve spoken on a variety of panels covering the topics of entrepreneurship, choreography, arts funding, and legislation, to name a few. I ended 2017 with a new panel experience: as moderator. I was delighted when Kathy Hassinger, Artistic Director of Dance Currents, Inc., invited me to moderate her post-performance panel for 100 Years of Modern Dance at Green Street Studios in Cambridge, MA. In November, I had the honor of guiding a dialogue between local dance mavens Marcus Schulkind, Margot Parsons, Joanie Block, Ali Smith, Samantha Govoni, and Whitney Cover to an engaged audience who commented they wished the conversation could have gone on much longer! The event was a wonderful end to the year, and pushed me to participate in panels in a new capacity, while trying my best to employ my Libra balancing skills.

Kinetic Craft Residency: Thoughts on Metal

Before beginning this project, I never could have rattled off the five crafting elements (metal, ceramics, fiber, glass, and wood), yet now I find myself thinking about them all the time. Be it wrapping my hands around a hand-thrown mug, hearing the different pitches of a coin bouncing down a metal grate or enjoying the tactility of a journal’s weathered pages, I am now constantly aware.

While I would love to pair each of these with the five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch), I sadly don’t have the sanitation means to encourage our viewers to lick a series of metal spoons, or create the pleasing aroma of a burning wood fire inside the museum, so instead I’ve chosen to utilize the remaining three while focusing on the properties of each element that intrigue me most.

METAL

For Metal, I am focusing on its sound—from tinny tinkling to rich melodic tones. The page from my sketchbook below shows my preliminary thoughts and images for how I eventually grew to envision using metal bars and movement to create a large-scale, dance-propelled wind chime. As always, this project took several conceptual (and logistical) twists and turns through the creation process. Consistent across all versions was my intention to give the dancer a wide space for full-bodied movement, and to create a playable instrument of sorts. Yet getting there took several steps.

Preliminary sketches for Merli V. Guerra's Metal Breathing Installation; March 2017.

I first pictured the dancer in the center of several stationary xylophone-like structures of different tonal qualities, however I soon realized that in order to achieve a clear sound from each, I would need some kind of wooden striker. Suddenly I became aware of the fact that the dancer would likely need to hold the striker in her hand and intentionally move her hand across the chimes around her, which felt far too disconnected to me. How so? I wanted this to be a wind chime propelled by the complete range of the human body, rather than a single limb—regardless of how creative the performer might be as she danced from structure to structure, she would be limited to the use of one hand to ultimately "play" the installation.

Detail of preliminary sketches for Merli V. Guerra's Metal Breathing Installation; March 2017.

This led to the illustration above, in which I devised a way for all body parts to be able to instigate sound as the dancer moved through the installation, yet as I began setting it up, I soon came across another obstacle: delayed resonance. The cords, while clever in concept, actually caused a disconnect between visual and audio. As I moved, my body would push against the cord, pulling the striker away from the chime. It wasn’t until I had already released and moved on that the striker would then swing back into the chime and make its rich sound! The result was a delay of perhaps 1-2 seconds, yet it was enough to make it difficult, as the performer, to feel as though my actions were directly causing each sound, not to mention the visual lag similarly experienced by the viewer.

After trying cords of different lengths, weights, and stiffness, I ultimately omitted them—rehanging all of the chimes and strikers (a tedious task!) on a multitude of levels that now allows the dancer to move through them directly for the instant gratification of correlated movement and melody. I’m eager to set this up in a space larger than my 10 x 5’ living room and allow the dancer’s notes to reverberate throughout the Great Room and likely down the halls as well.

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This blog post is related to Luminarium Dance Company's upcoming one-week Kinetic Craft residency at the Fuller Craft Museum—Guerra's 2017 Cultural Community Outreach Project. 

Kinetic Craft

Luminarium Dance Company in Residence

April 18-23, 2017  .  10am-5pm, daily

Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton MA

 This project is supported in part by a grant from the Brockton Cultural Council, a branch of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

2017: Off and Running!

As a reviewer for the Fjord Review, my weekends often involve press releases, packed theaters, and notes scribbled in the dark.

Here we are—just four brisk weeks into the new year and already my plate is full with new projects, culminating events, and guest invitations now through April (and then some, but let’s focus on the next three months for now).

First, a recap of what these projects are:

Voices From the Future: I’ll be participating in Voices From the Future with a voice from the past. Luminarium company member Alison McHorney will perform the one-minute solo from my 2016 work The Grass Never Grows, set to a score of spoken poetry, at this event celebrating the LGBTQ community.

Concert at Longy Hall: Friend and colleague Mel Fitzhugh—a composer whose personal story and professional work are equally intriguing—has invited me to once again perform an improvisationally-inspired choreographic solo alongside cellist Christien Beeuwkes, this time for an afternoon performance of Mel’s musical works at Longy Hall. The concert will take place February 26, 2017.

Mad World: Aurora Borealis has selected Luminarium to be its Guest Artist for its Spring concert Mad World on March 11th, and has specifically asked us to bring my Phoenixial Cycle duet, last presented at the State House in Boston.

Five College Dance Department Careers Panel: I’m thrilled to be representing Mount Holyoke College’s impressive array of Dance Department alumnae at this event. On March 31st, one alum from each of the Five Colleges (Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, UMass, and Hampshire) in the five-college consortium will speak about their careers, advising current students studying in the field. I feel honored to represent my alma mater, and look forward to connecting with future choreographers (hopefully coming to Boston)!

We Create Festival: I’ve been a part of the 2016-17 cohort since September and have been developing new work with the guidance of my project mentor (and longtime friend) Jenny Zuk, developing an art installation exploring the theme of “hidden stories,” as it pertains to those with physical and/or mental disabilities. The culminating performance and exhibition viewing will take place April 8, 2017.

Kinetic Craft: For my annual Cultural Community Outreach Project (which is now in its 6th year), Luminarium will be in residence at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton for the entire week of April school vacation (10-5pm Tuesday, April 18 through Sunday, April 23, 2017). I’m constructing a series of “breathing installations”—a concept I first developed back in 2011 with Luminarium’s fabric installation at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Movement at the Mills—highlighting the five crafting elements: Textiles, Ceramics, Wood, Glass, and Metal. I’ve invited Kim to join me by creating the Ceramics installation, while I continue to develop the other four, each of which will have a dancer performing inside as part of the installation, around the clock.

Boston New Music Initiative’s Spring Concert: Last year, Luminarium was commissioned to create two new choreographic works to accompany two of the musical scores selected from BNMI's international call to artists. I’m excited to be working on a new work, set to John Allemeier’s The Devil’s Turn. This performance of live music and dance will take place at the Armory in Somerville, MA, on April 22nd.

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That’s the update for now. This quarter is packed with projects and events that lend themselves to interdisciplinary creation and collaboration—AKA, my favorite kind of work! As we speak, my bag contains a notebook full of thoughts and sketches, a 21-page musical score, a crumpled Groupon from Kim and my recent glassblowing adventure (research for Kinetic Craft), and a planner full of upcoming interviews and casual conversations scheduled with mentors and artists (often outside my primary discipline) to further enhance my work.

If this first quarter is any indication, 2017 is going to be an intense and invigorating year. Bring it on!

My Year in Review: Top Ten Professional Highlights of 2015

Each year, as our worn out calendars are replaced with the new, I prompt myself to compile a list of the past twelve months' most significant professional accomplishments. It's a (somewhat tedious) task I encourage everyone to tackle, if they don't already. For me, I find it both enlightening and reassuring. Each year speeds by quicker than the last, and it's easy during the lull to feel that nothing has been accomplished. Forcing myself to choose my "top ten" moments helps me to focus my sights on goals for years to come, while simultaneously allowing that often-ignored voice inside my head to say "See?? You did so much this year!" So here it is: My Top Ten Professional Highlights of 2015.

Luminarium receives the 2015 Gold Star Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council,
alongside the Arlington Cultural Council.

 
1. Night at the Tower Wins the MCC's Gold Star Award
So often artists work without recognition. We don't necessarily mind it in the moment, and over time it becomes the standard to go unnoticed and under paid for hours upon hours of extra labor. Then there are the moments that astonish us: 2015 started with a bang when I learned that my Night at the Tower performance—my largest (most exhausting) Cultural Community Outreach Project to date—had been chosen as one of just three projects (out of 5,000+ across the state in 2014) to receive the Massachusetts Cultural Council's prestigious Gold Star Award. To be recognized in this way is an incredible feeling, and gives weight to the work I've done thus far. Equally exciting was my interview with Dan Blask of the MCC. Take a peek!

The clay version of Margaret Lyster Chamberlain's work.

2. From Flesh to Clay to Bronze
Each year, for the past three years, I've been fortunate to work with some of New England's finest visual artists as their model. The first was with light painting photographer Larry Pratt, traveling to his studio in Falmouth, MA, and wading into the darkened waters of Cape Cod. The second was projection art photographer Judith Larsen, whose work has been featured worldwide, and was most recently honored with the Spirit Award at Maud Morgan Arts (an event fellow dance model Melenie Diarbekirian and I were excited to attend this summer). This year brought a new experience when the talented sculptor (and old family friend) Margaret Lyster Chamberlain asked me to drive down to her studio to model for her newest sculpture. The experience was beautiful. Meg's work, though stationary, is full of motion—as if an impressionist painting has come to life in 3D. For this particular project, the end result was never meant to look like me; my role was to strike the pose and allow Meg to study the anatomy of my muscles, bones, and even the way my hair brushed back across my shoulder. Meg's work has been requested in the past as well—my favorite being her piece The Leave-Taking, a commission by Quinnipiac University for Ireland's Great Hunger Museum. It was a wonderful experience to take a peek behind the scenes at her work, and to help in a small way with her new creation.

The Arts Fuse, Boston's online magazine for dance, film, literature, music, theatre, and more.

3. A New Role: Senior Contributor at The Arts Fuse
2015 brought several shifts in the Boston dance community. As Debra Cash stepped into the pivotal role of Executive Director of the Boston Dance Alliance, it left an opening on the staff of The Arts Fuse—Boston's online arts magazine for dance, film, literature, music, and theatre. I feel honored to have joined this fantastic publication as a Senior Contributor, and the critic who selects the Fuse's weekly coming attractions in dance.

With You, performed by Emerson Dance Company, 2015. Choreography: Merli V. Guerra. Photo: Nick Eaton.

4. Guest Choreographer at Emerson College
When the Executive Board of Emerson Dance Company (through Emerson College) selected me as the spring semester's Guest Choreographer, I was thrilled. The position gave me the opportunity to work with eight talented students dedicated to their craft—one of whom we later cast in Luminarium's professional production Filament. Over the course of the semester, I created a new piece centered around relationships and the daily interpersonal webs we weave. The work, With You, debuted in April to an enthusiastic audience of roughly 360 viewers on the Mainstage of the beautiful Emerson/Paramount Theatre, as part of Emerson College's Spring 2015 Showcase Momentum.

As usual, Concord Teacakes outdid themselves with this gorgeously decorated cake, reminiscent of our 2014 postcard!

5. Luminarium Celebrates 5 Years
As Jeffrey Gantz so adeptly pointed out in his recent review of Luminarium's work in the Boston Globe, "In the dance world these days, making it to your fifth season is no small achievement. And Luminarium Dance Company, which was founded in 2010 by Merli V. Guerra and Kimberleigh A. Holman, has not just endured, it has created 51 original stage works and is host to an annual 24-Hour ChoreoFest." As we end our 5th season in Boston, we now have 52 individual works, 16 self-produced performances, and 9 dance-on-camera films to our name. The work Kim Holman and I have been able to accomplish together (along with the tireless energy of our dancers, and generosity of our supporters and staff) is astounding. Whether presenting our work formally on stage, speaking as mentors to young artists, bringing dance to disadvantaged children, or breaking barriers through our public outreach events, our mission has remained the same: luminarium (luminary) - n. 1. a body that gives off light 2. sheds light on some subject or enlightens mankind.

Tyler Catanella and Merli V. Guerra in Idle Reverie. Photo: Ryan Carollo.

6. On the Road: Performing in Southern Vermont Dance Festival
In addition to traveling along coastal Maine this summer to perform in the Wiscasset Art Walk for a second year, Luminarium made its Vermont debut this July at the Southern Vermont Dance Festival. We submitted all six works from our 2014 feature production The Sleeprunner, so I was initially surprised when it was Idle Reverie that was selected for SVDF's prestigious Gala Performance. This quirky, edgy, and oh-so-relatable duet follows the inner musings of what could be described as “platonic pillow talk,” and—despite being choreographed faster than many of my other works—has resonated with viewers, critics, and presenters more than I ever anticipated! So, on a sunny summer Friday, I enjoyed the charm and good food of Brattleboro, VT, with family, then performed Idle Reverie with dance partner Tyler Catanella later that night alongside notable companies and choreographers from throughout New England. The performance marked 5 out of 6 New England states in which my work has been professionally shown... I'm coming for you, Connecticut!

7. Appointed to the Arlington Cultural Council
The ripple effect of Night at the Tower's success extended beyond its ensuing press, media, awards, and support: It shifted the way I viewed my work and its direct involvement with the community. I'd always prided myself on using my yearly Cultural Community Outreach Project to highlight a local cultural or historical landmark through art and dance, yet Night at the Tower left me with a growing urge to help beyond my annual project. If this work could have such a powerful impact on a town through just one night, then I wanted to become a more active part of the community on a regular basis. Synchronicity struck again, as I was soon approached by members of the local cultural council. After attending several meetings and formally applying, I found myself standing in Town Hall before the Board of Selectmen—a group who already knew me and my work better than I could have expected—and was officially appointed to the Arlington Cultural Council in September. I joined just in time to help the council determine which proposals would proceed for 2016 funding, and now cannot wait to serve as the liaison to several of these creative artistic ventures.

Opening address at the Boston Young Alumnae Speed Networking Event.

8. Speaking Engagements & Panels
As always, the year was peppered with various invitations for speaking engagements and panels. These events and private meetings are not only an honor to participate in, but are moments I genuinely look forward to throughout the season. This year I had the opportunity to weigh in on the Boston dance community's future with its key funders and presenters behind the scenes; served on the Cambridge Arts Council's Dance Review Panel to determine 2016 grant funding alongside distinguished local dance experts Jean Appolon, Brenda Divelbliss, Joe Gonzalez, and Pamela Newton; and once again spoke at the Boston Young Alumnae Speed Networking Event, where I was introduced as "Mount Holyoke's biggest bragging right!"—A lofty title to be sure, and one I hope to fill over time.

Chun-Jou Tsai and Matthew Kyle perform Merli V. Guerra's Phoenixial Cycle. Photo: Ryan Carollo.

9. Taking Pride in My Work: Phoenixial Cycle
It's been a few years since I've added a single piece as one of my top accomplishments. Phoenixial Cycle—which debuted at Luminarium's feature production Spektrel—is my heftiest work to date, and quite possibly the most ambitious as well. From set design to costume design and from simple sketches to living, breathing choreography, this work challenged me and my dancers in new ways, with an end product that prompted some of the most glowing feedback I've ever received. As Celina Colby of Trends & Tolstoy so eloquently voiced, "Guerra’s piece turns a torturous, generation-wide phenomenon into a beautiful, haunting performance." Others raved that it gave them "chills" and "so much to think about." To know that my work managed to reach beyond the stage and touch so many viewers on a deeper level is all I could ever ask for in a work, yet this piece was also a joy for me to watch as I stood in the balcony show after show. My dancers were not just going through the motions; they were fully embodying the spirit of the story I sought to convey—to the point where, at times, I couldn't remember how I even thought of the movements they were now dancing so passionately.

Amherst Storybook Project by Merli V. Guerra, Luminarium Dance Company.
Preview and/or purchase the book online.

10. My First Self-Published Book
I remember sitting in a cozy restaurant in Stowe, VT, with Sean this past March, talking out the details of my Amherst Storybook Project. He listened carefully, offered his own thoughts on the work, and ultimately complimented me on the idea. "But," he reminded me, "didn't you say this year's project would be more low key?" "It is!" I exclaimed optimistically. In comparison to the permits, weather snafus, politics, and expenses of Night at the Tower, the thought of creating a book (indoors, nonetheless) seemed simple enough. Yet as the number of participants involved grew from 5 to 12 to 34, the demand for a purchasable product increased far beyond my initial plans. The solution? Give myself a crash course on self-publishing and pull the trigger. The final book (of the same name) came out gorgeous, and arrived just in time for our culminating event at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, this November. After performing in front of the children's artwork and presenting a few company favorites, we sat down for a Q&A with the audience—many of our most thoughtful questions coming from the kids! There are two moments from this collaboration that I'll carry with me always: 1) Watching the joyous meetings between young and old as the artists, writers, and dancers met and signed each other's books, and 2) Knowing that the famous Eric Carle himself held my book in his hands one week later, along with a note thanking him for all he's done for children's book art and literature. A fantastic way to end the project.

#happiness

11. "Duration of Relationship: Forever"
And yes, this year there's a bonus 2015 highlight. It may not fall under the category of "professional," but it is certainly a milestone. On November 3, 2015, I was recovering from the intensity of a recent show week—and simultaneously coming off the flu—when my night (and my life!) took a major shift. Never have I been in a relationship built on such mutual respect and pride in each other's work; someone who sees the value of a balanced lifestyle, from smart saving to joyous traveling and nights on the town; someone who irritates the hell out of me for knowing me better than I know myself (but two can play that game); or someone whose entire network of family and friends is as warm and welcoming as my own. Yes, Sean Patrick Connolly. Let's do this.

My Year in Review: Top Ten Professional Highlights of 2014

Hard to believe another year has come to a close. So much has happened and continues to unfold, but after sifting through the events of the past year, it's safe to call these ten my top professional highlights of 2014:


1. Calling to You's return to Boston

Merli V. Guerra and Joe Gonzalez, leads in Calling to You.
Deborah Abel Dance Company. Photo: Liza Voll, 2014.

The year began with the Boston return performance of Deborah Abel Dance Company's Calling to You to a packed house, and was likely my last time working with Joe Gonzalez as my fellow lead performer and partner. (Enjoy Philly, Joe!) The production is now in talks of heading back overseas in the coming season. Stay tuned for the next grand adventure, currently slated for Brazil.


2. Judging the Boston College Annual Showdown

l. to r. Sarah-Katarina "SKooJ CorE-O," Reia Briggs-Connor, and 
Merli V. Guerra: Judges at the 2014 Boston College Showdown.
Photo: Christopher Huang

Early in the year, I was invited to act as a judge at the 2014 Boston College Annual Showdown. Little did I realize what an incredible night awaited... Held in BC's Conte Forum stadium (complete with impressive theatrical lighting, fantastic DJ, and two giant video feeds panning the crowd), the annual dance competition boasted the talents of 14 dance teams to a sold-out audience of 3,500! Joining me as judges were Reia Briggs-Connor, owner, choreographer, and dancer for Phunk Phenomenon Dance Complex (middle), and Sarah-Katarina "SKooJ CorE-O," founder and director of Boston Community Dance Project, and artistic director of Static Noyze Dance Company (left). The evening was an absolute blast, and I was given the delightful opportunity to indulge my inner Simon Cowell.


3. Swank. So much swank. (And also speaking)

Mount Holyoke College Speed Networking Panel at the Lenox Hotel, Boston MA.
Merli V. Guerra, Guest Panelist.

This spring was the season of attending swanky arts events and speaking on panels... In addition to judging the BC Showdown, I was invited to: Speak at Mount Holyoke College's 2014 Breaking Barriers: (Re-Defining) Entrepreneurship Conference on its Innovation in Art & Design Panel (alongside keynote speaker Alicia Stewart, Senior Producer of CNN's In America); speak at the Mount Holyoke College Speed Networking Panel as its youngest panelist (Lenox Hotel, Boston MA); and mingle alongside fellow grant awardees at two different Cultural Council award celebrations, one with Kim at the Mayor's Office, City Hall in Boston, the other in Arlington. All in all, a busy (yet rewarding!) spring.


4. Designing Art New England's largest issue to date

With print media facing serious concerns competing against online periodicals, I was proud to watch Art New England continuously grow in size and revenue throughout 2014. This year marked the company's 35th year as New England's leading art magazine, and I'm fortunate to have a front row seat on its progress as its designer and Production Manager. The July/August 2014 issue was not only the largest issue ever printed in its 35 years, but my most favorite cover to date.


5. Night at the Tower: Award nomination for my largest Cultural Community Outreach Project to date

Luminarium's Night at the Tower
Photo: K. Holman, 2014

Never in my years of work in the field of bringing art and dance to the greater community have I felt more passionate about an event as this one. Night at the Tower was a huge success despite a myriad of obstacles: Months of government red tape, creating new permits, acquiring equipment, harnessing electricity, dodging tornado warnings and a huge hurricane, and oh ya...creating new choreography! In the end, this event was exactly what it aimed to be: An evening to enjoy this 90-year-old local landmark, while celebrating the town of Arlington through its history, its children, and its art, while fostering community through the joy of professional dance. Beautiful. As if this wasn't thanks enough, Night at the Tower was recently nominated for Massachusetts Cultural Council's prestigious Gold Star Award for being an "exemplary cultural program" that "celebrates diversity, fosters collaboration, showcases artistic excellence, and provides learning experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds." Having led the annual Cultural Community Outreach Project for Luminarium for the past three seasons, I am so grateful for the nomination, as this event was by far the most exceptional we've produced in our time here, and the town of Arlington could not have been more welcoming, supportive, and engaged. For press, testimonials, photos, and videos of Night at the Tower, click here.


6. Reigniting my Classical Indian Dance training: Teaching at Endicott College and performing at Mount Holyoke College

Merli V. Guerra performing with Nataraj Dancers at Mount Holyoke College.
Photo: Jim Coleman.

Much of my choreographic style stems from my training in Odissi classical Indian dance. I've been a member of Nataraj Dancers since 2006, traveled with my guru to India in 2007, and performed on tour with the company in Japan in 2009. Since then, I've stayed connected to the company while creating my own work in Boston. This year I was fortunate to join the company in reproducing an older work "Songs of the River" for Mount Holyoke College's 2014 Faculty Showcase. It was wonderful reconnecting with past colleagues, professors, and fellow performers, though strange to realize I no longer overlap with the current student body! Still, wandering into the lobby following one rehearsal, they quickly made the connection between their new performance peer and the college dance major featured on the giant banner above our heads at the lobby entrance. As I continuously find, I am often famous and nameless in a single moment. 2014 also led to teaching two master classes in Odissi at Endicott College, as part of the Dance Department's World Dance Course. Though I find teaching modern stressful, I thoroughly enjoy teaching Odissi in a master class format to all ages, especially at the college level, since I began my studies of the form during college myself. In 2015 I hope to return to Endicott and perhaps add more to the list!


7. From model to the MFA

At the 2014 SMFA Auction. Merli V. Guerra with artist Judith Larsen.
Photo: Jill & Bob Armstrong

Those who know me know that I'm a fairly steady person, but that doesn't mean I lack adventure. Periodically opportunities arise that I once never thought I'd do, and modeling nude was certainly one of them. Yet here I am in the photo above, attending a chic VIP opening night celebration at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, standing next to world-renowned artist Judith Larsen, having modeled for a new series of video projection photographs. Learn more about the process, and see the final images here.


8. Somerville Arts Council

Each year Kim and I work hard applying for grants, from large to small, local to national. It's often difficult to understand the inner workings of how the grant selection process unfolds. How are these decisions made? How are the monies divided once chosen? This year I had the fortune of serving on the Somerville Arts Council's Guest Panel for Dance, Theatre, and Multidisciplinary Arts, reading all applications, viewing support materials, discussing each with my fellow arts panelists, and ultimately deciding the money provided to each awardee. I now have a deeper understanding and appreciation for all that these councils do, and look forward to serving on another panel down the road.


9. Two TV interviews

Kim and I have had a busy season, and are grateful for all the press Luminarium received throughout 2014. New to this season were TV interviews! Enjoy the two above: 1) My interview with Arlington Public News regarding Night at the Tower and 2) Kim and my interview with Glenn Williams on Boston Neighborhood Network's It's All About Arts.


10. The Sleeprunner: Triumphantly ending Luminarium's 4th season with three sold out shows

Luminarium's The Sleeprunner was our largest production to date, and by far one of the most talked about productions we've created. As we head into 2015, Kim and I are excited to continue shaping and perfecting this show to the fullest, with hopes to bring it back not just in Boston, but beyond. Stay tuned for more Sleeprunner action in Season 5, and in the meantime, a huge thank you to all who came and packed our theatre with giggles, gasps, and applause.

Ok, 2015. It's time to top last year and make this season the greatest to date...no pressure!