Review: On These Tracks

On These Tracks by SPUNKandCOmpany Dance.
Photo: Rob Loud.

Last night I had the pleasure of viewing SPUNKandCOmpany Dance's newest performance On These Tracks. Held at Green Street Studios in Cambridge MA, the show received a full and appreciative audience.

For those in the field of dance, this performance certainly did not offer anything new, nor did it push boundaries. From costuming to choreographic structures, the show played out like a series of college composition classes, with each new piece acting as a study. Yet simplicity is not always negative, and by the end of the night, it became clear that these nine new works had engaged the audience on a quieter, more intimate level than any comp class could.

SPUNKandCO's mission behind the scenes as a "strictly collaborative" ensemble is heightened by the strong individuality encouraged of each dancer on stage. Performers Kara Fili, Jillian Grunnah, Andria LaRocco, Miriam Lundgren, and Tara McCrystal each bring their own unique qualities to the work--from body type to movement style to emotional interpretations of the work--and by the end of the night, we feel we know each of them personally as a result.

Collectively, On These Tracks benefitted from this as well. Inspired by Steven Millhauser's novella Enchanted Night featuring "quirky characters who intersect, collide, and nearly miss each other, illuminating the inherent closeness of us all," the performance offered a series of moments, and in each the characters found new ways to connect through physical and emotional intersection. With the stage set bare and wing-free, and the thought behind each new work inherently simple, On These Tracks urged viewers to relax, observe, and (for once in the world of art) to not over-think. With time, these simple scenes added up to create a whole that snuck up on us: Our own internal introspection.

Though a largely somber series, works such as Grunnah's Peek-a-Boo and Fili's Out to Play offered much-needed comedy and a breath of fresh air, keeping the overall feel of the show light and charismatic. Visual and choreographic repetition between the first and last works (Restless and Dawn, both facilitated by McCrystal) helped the show come full circle, while the sheer brevity of McCrystal's solo work Recall left the audience satisfyingly caught mid-breath. Still, it was the final work that pulled the audience inside the performance for the first time. Drawing back the curtain to reveal the theater's masquerade from its ordinary daily studio, and bringing the dancers downstage within feet of the audience, Dawn allowed us to feel intimately connected to these five characters, while even tempted to join them on their trek. Wonderfully aiding this final moment was the show's lighting designer Jon Bonner, whose lighting choices helped connect the dots beautifully throughout the evening.

In the end, if your goal as an audience member or regional presenter is to support a production pioneering new possibilities in the world of dance, On These Tracks may leave you wanting. But if you are a thinker, a reader, an onlooker, or a daydreamer, On These Tracks will offer you an outlet to put aside the theatricality of professional dance, and instead enjoy the freedom of sincerity through movement.

Learn more about SPUNKandCOmpany at their website.

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!

Review: Chun-jou Tsai's The Dream Project

It's no small feat to fill a theater on a chilly winter night in Boston, yet Chun-jou Tsai's The Dream Project succeeded with an over-sold crowd packing the chairs and floor of Green Street Studios' modest space.

Chun-jou Tsai's The Dream Project.

The buzz of supportive excitement was palpable, met with a tinge of tender humor watching third-grade performer Jasmine Teng shakily hold a series of intricate poses pre-show. Teng, an award-winning artist in her own right, is an impressive performer at her young age. When the performance began with a distanced duet between Tsai and Teng, the two moved seamlessly with adept precision and elastic flexibility. Serving at times as a glimpse into Tsai's past, and at others perhaps her inner child, the duet set the scene for the show, and turned our focus to Tsai as its pivotal character.

The beauty, yet difficulty, of Tsai's choreographic style stems from its breath of quick staccato foot and hand gestures to its luxuriant full-bodied twists and rolls through the spine. Unfortunately, not all of the company can keep up. While all technically strong, most lacked the emotional and physical clarity that makes Tsai such an intense force on stage. Still, dancers Wisty Andres and Jorge Delgado should be commended for rising to the challenge and beautifully executing Tsai's choreography to the fullest.

There were a few aspects of the show that, in its current form, held the view back. For one, the work was disappointingly short! Despite starting half an hour late (with the audience waiting uncomfortably on the stairs at an unattended box office), the performance ended at 9:10 after a mere 40 minutes of dance. While it's true what they say "Leave the audience wishing for more," the show could have benefited from one final sequence to tie everything together, while serving up a meatier night of theatre for its viewers. The choreography, too, could benefit from a little variation and smoothing: At times, the quick tempo of all performers onstage was so uniform that it became cumbersome for the eye to follow for a ten-minute stretch; at others, the company's impressive acrobatic lifts were handled overly laboriously to the point of taking the audience out of its trance and simply worrying for the safety of the dancers. Within the larger context of the work as a whole, these are small details that with some future tweaking and caressing can easily heighten the work to the next level.

Chun-jou Tsai performing her solo in The Dream Project.
Photo: Lumyr Derisier. 

By the end of the evening there were two works which stood out the most: One, a gorgeous trio between Tsai, Delgado, and Brian Washburn (another excellent dancer who disappointingly never reappeared, even in the work's climactic closing scene); the other, a captivating solo featuring Tsai. The trio, with its intricate entanglement of detailed lifts, leaps, and limbs, was breathtaking. These three perform so well together that their bodies seem linked by an invisible force, each landing in exactly the right spot, providing just the right foothold for the next. Emotionally, the work brought to mind simultaneously an inner struggle and the need to mentally (and physically) take a moment to pause. Similarly, the solo reached a heightened level of emotional and physical endurance. Though alone on stage, Tsai's movements were mimicked, balanced, and at times surrounded by a large-scale video projection against the back wall featuring black dots of ink bleeding into unseen water. The two came together harmoniously, creating a sinuous duet with both ink and dancer spiraling through the depths of the mind.

It's not often we see such high-caliber performers and attention to detail in a debut performance such as this one. If her work continues to progress from here, Tsai promises to become another leading voice in the Boston arts scene. Special mention should made made, too, of the thoughtful costuming (Eugenia Kim), video animation (Bowie King), and lighting design (Hai Dang Nguyen) that so well complemented the movement onstage.

To learn more about The Dream Project, visit the event page.

Black and White and in the Nude: Modeling for Judith Larsen

The first week in June, I found myself once again on the threshold of producing another issue of Art New England magazine, with all decided but the cover. For once, though, I was determined to see one image rise to the top of the list. Judith Larsen (world-renowned photographer and wife of equally famous artist Peik Larsen) had sent us her images to be shown at out of bounds 2014. The image I saw immediately peaked my interest, and eventually I succeeded in making it our July/August 2014 issue cover:

Art New England's July/August 2014 issue cover, featuring SHIMA by Judith Larsen.

I couldn't help but let the artist know how happy I was to have put her image on our cover, and let her know I was curious about her work. One thing led to another, and in chatting we discovered that we're both projection artists with a love of using the body as a canvas! As if that wasn't a cool enough connection, Judith soon asked me to join her in the studio to model for her upcoming photo series...

...Here's the catch. In order to create these gorgeous images, Judith projects black and white images onto nude bodies against a black backdrop, then inverts the photograph to create these beautiful, ethereal figures. Oh, did you miss the catch? Nude bodies.

There was once a time when the timid ballerina inside me would have politely declined, but luckily over the years I've come to love the unexpected adventures that arise when working, performing, and collaborating as a professional artist. Judith's works are incredible, and have been shown all over the world. No level of self-consciousness was going to stand in my way this time, and before I knew it, I was borrowing Kim's bathrobe and heading to the studio!

PLEXIS by artist Judith Larsen, featuring models Merli V. Guerra and M.D.

The first photoshoot went well, and as we walked in a few weeks later for round two, we were greeted with a mesmerizing sight. The worktable was now covered in prints from the first session, with paper doll cutouts of M.D. and myself in contorted poses, sometimes inverted, other times against the original black. It was beautiful and surreal at once--hard to believe we were the subjects in these intricate otherworldly photos!

Ultimately, we spent the afternoon fine-tuning two of the images, followed by an afternoon of me trying to untwist my body and work out the kinks of holding each pose for an hour! We had an absolute blast, and loved the two final products: PLEXIS (above) and EMERGY (below).

EMERGY by artist Judith Larsen, featuring models Merli V. Guerra and M.D.

A few months later, I was invited to attend the opening VIP reception for the annual sale at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where EMERGY was framed against the wall. Judith welcomed me into the space, introducing me to viewers, and we both were excited to see the final product proudly displayed for $3,000.

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

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

At the 2014 SMFA Auction. Judith Larsen and
Merli V. Guerra with Larsen's EMERGY.
Photo: Jill & Bob Armstrong

As I joked when accepting this gig, a nude photoshoot should really be on every "real" artist's bucket list. So I suppose I can call it quits and check it off my own, yet I have a feeling this is just the beginning of working with Judith, and hopefully just another story to add as I continue along the "real artist's journey."

View more of Judith's work at judithlarsen.com.

The warmest northern town...

This summer I, and the ladies of Luminarium Dance, have been fortunate to perform every other week for nearly the entire summer season, darting around from Boston to Cambridge, Somerville to Arlington, and most recently Massachusetts to Maine.

Rose and Merli barely survive their Maine moose attack.
Photo: K. Holman

Oh glorious Maine... How long we anticipated this trip!

The casual shopper.
Photo: Merli V. Guerra

Jess, Rose, Amy, Melenie, and Kim strolling Wiscasset Village.
Photo: Merli V. Guerra

There are times when the simplest of Luminarium performances become the most meaningful and most heartfelt. Wandering the streets of Wiscasset, ME, a few hours prior (and a few passing-vehicle catcalls aside) we found ourselves in a town village on the water surrounded by art galleries, small boutiques, cozy cafes, and most importantly enthusiastic locals!

"Luminarium Gives Wiscasset Art Walk Added Dimension"
Wiscasset Newspaper

Never have I traveled to perform and felt so instantly well-received. The warmth of this town, its residents, visitors, shop owners, and artists took this monthly artwalk to a whole new level. Truly, the Wiscasset Art Walk is a destination for locals and travelers alike, with beautiful works ranging from classic to contemporary lining the walls of the dozen-or-so galleries, while balloons bob in the ocean breeze to mark one's path. As performers, we scattered ourselves along the street, performing in window fronts and cafes, sidewalks and piers. From the artwork shown to the music played, it was easy to find new inspiration in each venue...and wine.

"Luminarium in Maine, 2014"

And as the evening came to a close, it felt especially appropriate to enjoy the biggest response in the smallest space. Two pairs of musicians who had never before played together carried the tune as Luminarium slinked its way along the narrow corridor of Mac's Place. Exhausted, elated, we joined our supporters at a local restaurant for a late dinner, jogged up the hill to our beautiful vintage abode, and marveled at the clarity of the Milky Way—a sight seldom seen back home in Boston.

Thank you, Wiscasset Art Walk, for bringing us to your state, your town, your local waterfront. What a fantastic 2014 Tour for this Boston company.