Janelle Monae | "This is a reminder that I have work to do."

Did you catch Janelle Monae on the Black Girls Rock! 2012 Awards?? This is one of our favorite magic moments from the star studded awards ceremony honoring women of color. Monae says, "I didn't have to change who I was to become a Cover Girl... I've learned through my journey that perfection is often the enemy of greatness. Embrace what makes you unique, even if it makes others uncomfortable. I believe it is our uniqueness, and our unique ideas that make us rock."

To learn more about the Black Girls Rock! organization CLICK HERE. 

And to learn more about what INSPIRIT does to INSPIRE young girls, learn more about our PROJECT: Becoming.

Sydnie L. Mosley | What does Shange think?

Company member Sydnie L. Mosley recently guest wrote for the Barnard Center for Research on Women Blog regarding Ntozake Shange's thoughts on Tyler Perry's interpretation of For Colored Girls.

On Wednesday, November 7th I had the pleasure of attending “Ntozake Shange on Stage & Screen” sponsored by Africana Studies at Barnard. The event began with a screening of Tyler Perry’s film adaptation of Shange’s choreopoem for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q & A with Ms. Shange, Soyica Diggs Colbert, Assistant Professor of English at Dartmouth College, and Monica Miller, Associate Professor of English at Barnard. With so much negative criticism surrounding Perry’s 13 million dollar film adaptation, the question burning on every one’s mind was, what does Shange think?

I was relieved to learn that her thoughts aligned with the criticisms I’d been outlining in my head since I first saw the film over a year ago. Shange was frank: "Tyler Perry's greatest challenge with for colored girls was what he was about to tackle." In other words, Perry could not grasp the radical nature of the work, and it was clear, at least from an artistic standpoint, he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Read more at BCRW BLOG. 

Where Is She Now? Beatrice Capote | INSPIRIT Alumna

INSPIRIT nurtures tomorrow's women in dance performance and choreography. Our blog series Where Is She Now? catches up with some of the fabulous women who have come through the company blossoming into brilliant artists.

Beatrice Capote, dancer, teaching artist, and choreographer, is a native of West New York, NJ where she began her dance training at Amaryllis Dance Academy. She then continued her dance training at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center where she performed works by Troy Powel, Tracey Inman, Sharon Wong, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Milton Myers, Earl Mosley, Fred Benjamin, Maxine Steinman, Denise Jefferson and other notable artists. During her dance training at the Ailey School, she was chosen to perform “Wade in the Water” from Alvin Ailey’s "Revelations" repertoire. In addition, she was featured in the book Attitude, eight young dancers come of age at the Ailey school by Katherine Davis Fishman. 

Upon completion of training, Ms. Capote attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and worked with choreographers such as Oliver Steele, Brenda Daniels, Jenn Nugent, Paul Matteson, Craig Patterson, Juel Lane, and Camille A. Brown. Professionally, Ms. Capote has performed with INSPIRIT, a dance company, Camille A. Brown and dancers, Maverick Dance Experience, Dawud Jackson, Sita Moves and more. She performed and worked with INSPIRIT, a dance company for 5 consecutive years. During her time with INSPIRIT, a dance company, she was appointed rehearsal director under the direction of Christal Brown.

Attitude, eight young dancers come of age
at the Ailey School, Katherine Davis Fishman

In addition, Ms. Capote has taught different genres of dance through arts in education programs at the Ailey School, Sociedad Educativa de las Artes, Children’s Aid Society, Bronx Charter School of the Arts, and YMCA. She worked as an after-school program coordinator at South Bronx Economic Development Corporation, overseeing several arts and education programs. Recently, she assisted junior division teachers at the Ailey School, assisted choreographers at the Earl Mosley Institute of the Arts, and substituted classes at CMDE.

Ms. Capote is currently on faculty at the Alvin Ailey School, attends Montclair State University
where she will earn a degree in Dance Education May 2013, and continues to perform with different choreographers. Moving forward, she is auditioning for dance companies and Broadway.


Our one-on-one with Beatrice
What was your favorite INSPIRIT rep to perform? 
Past Her Rites was my favorite piece to perform with INSPIRIT. It is a fun and memorable work.  Past Her Rites showcases the dancer's technical ability and delivers a message about women working in a male dominant society.  It is INSPIRIT's signature piece.

How did INSPIRIT prepare you to be where you are today? 
INSPIRIT is a unique company in that the dancers learn how to administratively manage a company, education programs and more. This knowledge helps me as I pursue my endeavors as a performer, choreographer and educator. The ladies of INSPIRIT also taught me the importance of unity. Christal Brown is such an inspiration. She has helped me understand the value of being yourself and fulfilling your desires. I take everything I learned and carry it with me.

Contact Beatrice

Alexandra Joye Warren | Huxtable Baby

It's no secret that our Artistic Director and her hubby Hashim Warren are having a baby. Every one in the INSPIRIT family is looking forward to her arrival!

Check out Alex and Hashim's new blog --


Huxtable Baby
Two 80s babies, raising their own.

Life as a Modern Dancer | Christal N. Brown

photo credit: Kimara Dixon

"I believe the success of my career is based on the sheer action of saying Yes to God's continual instructions along a winding path of discovery. Because my first goal was to be a dance teacher, the performance world was totally foreign to me. Therefore, I never turned down any opportunity to dance regardless of the pay, the genre, or the venue. As long as my integrity was not compromised I committed myself to fully investing the talent God gave me to further my understanding of the field of dance. Saying 'yes' positioned me into a lot of great roles and more often into the company of mentors, friends, colleagues, and teachers, who led me full circle to my current professorship."

Read more about our Founding Artistic Director at dancingwords.typepad.com.

INCommunity | Election Day!

The women of INSPIRIT encourage every American citizen to exercise their right to vote today. 

Still don't know where your polling site is? Or what the process is like? Click below.

http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm

Where Is She Now? Candace Thompson | INSPIRIT Alumna

INSPIRIT nurtures tomorrow's women in dance performance and choreography. Our blog series Where Is She Now? catches up with some of the fabulous women who have come through the company blossoming into brilliant artists. 

Candace Thompson, born in Trinidad and Tobago, has come a long way to pursue her art in New York City. Having been trained in ballet, modern and contemporary dance, she graduated from Adelphi University with the Ruth St. Denis award for excellence in her department. She has since had the honor to dance with Andrea E Woods/Souloworks, Germaul barnes/viewsic expressions dance, INSPIRIT, a dance company, Makeda Thomas/Roots and Wings Movement!, Sydnie L. Mosley Dances, and most recently, Forces of Nature Dance Theater. Candace also is a part of a two woman team that runs the Dance and Performance Institute, an organization that promotes and presents contemporary dance and cultural research in Trinidad and Tobago. Candace looks forward to adding to the dance landscape in the US and the Caribbean through her work in performing, teaching and arts administration.


Our one-on-one with Candace
What was your favorite INSPIRIT rep to perform?
It is a definitely a tie: Performing Past Her Rites meant so much to me because I had been working hard towards being cast in the company's signature piece and I was honored to finally be able to perform it. On the other hand I loved performing Dreams and Visions because it expanded my toolkit as a performer having to improvise for most of the piece.

How did INSPIRIT prepare you to be where you are today?
INSPIRIT bridged the gap for me between college and establishing myself as an artist in the real world. Working with the company exposed me to unique choreography, surrounded me with other breathtaking artists and inspired me to step out of the parameters I had unconsciously set for myself. I was also able to learn administrative tools that helped me to go on to work with other organizations. I am so thankful to be an INSPIRIT alumna!

INSPIRIT Recommends: An Evening of Mavericks at BAAD!

An Evening of Mavericks at BAAD!

Friday, November 9 

8pm 

Tickets $20

PURCHASE TICKETS

Performing three repertory tasters before unveiling the urgent multimedia masterwork, Reference Point. 

Performed within dance theater modalities, Reference Point uncovers processes of regaining control when things fall apart: love addiction, drugs & religion, escapism. The reference point is “how” we cope, how we get through the day. It is the internal, familiar place we always come back to that triggers our basic need to survive, control and carry on through the irresolvable. Expressed through live dj accompaniment, multimedia and spoken word, Reference Point is an urgent piece not to be missed.

Carrie Plew | INCollaboration

Recently, company member Carrie Plew worked with friend Heather Mims to create a new duet to be performed at UNC-Greensboro. The event was a reunion concert for John Gamble Dance Theater, a company she performed with for 10 years. 

The duet is based on the theme of a sister relationship, exploring the ideas of supporting one another, demanding to be supported, or refusing to support one another--literally and figuratively.

INSPIRIT during Hurricane Sandy

So we've had a few rainy days off, and what are we up to? Spending our time on social media of course! Here are a few of the fun shares by INSPIRIT company members during the FRANKENSTORM.


Carrie writes:

"One last walk before we officially batten down
the hatches for the night. We just made it
 before Bloomberg said 'Get Inside Y'all!'"

Nicole writes:

"Sandy, can't you see, I'm in misery

if u hit hard, my house goes dark,

there's nothin' left for me

my car has flown, here comes hailstones!,

I sit and wonder why-y-y oh why you hit me, oh

Sandy" -John Travolta (Grease)

Rebecca shares:

"Sometimes when you're not prepared for a hurricane
 you have to break out the Menorah in case of a blackout!"

Remi shares:

Sydnie shares:

Our hearts go out to all those who suffered any losses or damages during the storm. Stay safe and be well in this storm recovery period.

INSPIRIT Women: Rock the Vote!

top left: Allegra Romita, right: Alexandra Joye Warren
bottom left: Carrie Plew, Luisa Martinez,  right: Luisa Martinez, Allegra Romita

VOTE!

THERE'S ONLY 1 WEEK LEFT UNTIL ELECTION DAY.

BE SURE TO GET OUT AND VOTE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2012.


check out more VOTE's at #PilobolusVoteProject

Where is She Now? Rhea Patterson | INSPIRIT Alumna

INSPIRIT nurtures tomorrow's women in dance performance and choreography. Our blog series Where Is She Now? catches up with some of the fabulous women who have come through the company blossoming into brilliant artists. 

Photo: Matt Murphy

Rhea Patterson 

a Midlothian, Virginia native, received her B.F.A in Modern Dance Performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her M.A. in Arts Administration from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD.

Rhea began her performance career as a concert dancer earning professional accreditation through Urban Bush Women, INSPIRIT, a dance company, NathanTrice Rituals, Dayton Contemporary Dance Second Company, Bermuda Dance Company, Hope Boykin Dance, and Eleone Dance. In 2006, Ms. Patterson made an unexpected transition into musical theater when cast in the first national Broadway tour of Sweet Charity, the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls and Wicked.

Rhea is currently a permanent cast member of Wicked on Broadway while continuing to work on her solo project in collaboration with cinematographer Michael T. Cano.

Our one-on-one with Rhea

What was your favorite INSPIRIT repertory work to perform?

Becoming. I felt really connected to that work as I was there in every stage of its creation. I can still picture the opening diagonal sequence.

How did INSPIRIT help you get to where you are today?
Having been in the company during its humble beginnings, I realize that limited resources do not have to affect the quality of the work. In fact, it forces you to think and problem solve creatively.

Keep up with Rhea at rheapatterson.com.

INSPIRIT Recommends: Draft Work: Malcolm Low and Paloma McGregor

Photo: Whitney Browne

Saturday, October 27th

3:00pm

Free and open to the public.

DANSPACE PROJECT

INSPIRIT alumna Paloma McGregor presents "Building a Better Fishtrap."

Curated by Ishmael Houston-Jones, the DraftWork series hosts informal Saturday afternoon performances that offer choreographers an opportunity to show their work in various stages of development.

Performances are followed by discussion and an informal reception during which artists and audiences share perspectives about the works-in-progress.

Civic engagement through movement: VOTE

Ileana Jiménez, teacher and founder of feministteacher.com, and her high school students speak about the importance of young women voting in the upcoming election. Jiménez recounts a story of being a child with her mother in the voting booth; it is there that her mother instills in her the importance of civic engagement through the movement of pulling the lever in the booth. The simple action not only registered her mother's vote, but registered the significance of women taking action in the political process - past, present and future.

Where Is She Now? Carlita Ector | INSPIRIT Alumna

INSPIRIT nurtures tomorrow's women in dance performance and choreography. Our blog series Where Is She Now? catches up with some of the fabulous women who have come through the company blossoming into brilliant artists.

Photo by Joey D. 

www.carlitaector.com // www.facebook.com/TeachingArtistCarlita // @CastCarlita

Carlita Victoria Ector is a Raleigh, North Carolina native. She attended The University of NC at Greensboro where she earned her BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography, and K-12 Dance Education. Her favorite credits include -- National Tour: Chuck Davis & The African American Dance Ensemble, Industrial: Glee Project Promo featuring Darren Criss (Lead Singer),  Regional: Dreamgirls (Lorrell Robinson), Hairspray (Little Inez/Dynamite), Shani Collins/Eternal Works (Soloist), and Urban Bush Women (Apprentice).

Favorite performances: American Dance Festival (NC), Dance Africa (TX), Jacob’s Pillow (MA), Dance Theatre Workshop (NY), Ailey Citigroup Theatre (NY), Alliance Francais (Accra, Ghana). Choreography presented in NC, NYC and Seoul, South Korea. Carlita recently returned to the states after almost 2 years in South Korea performing original musical theatre works with Gyeonggi Village Theatre Company, dancing with PAS Jazz Dance Company of Seoul, and studying and performing West African dance in Ghana.

Our one-on-one with Carlita
You have certainly accomplished a lot in many realms of dance and theater. What projects are you working on right now?

Currently, I'm doing a 7-month run of Hairspray as Little Inez & Aladdin at Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Utah. I'm also teaching, teaching, teaching! I do an annual Dance Residency Tour to various schools and studios. Next, I'm headed to Dallas, TX to sing and dance in a Christmas show "Festival of Lights."

What was your favorite INSPIRIT repertory work to perform?
Past Her Rites - the music, movement and and costumes combined to tell an important story. It's a dance you'll never forget.

How did INSPIRIT help you get to where you are today?
I met some amazing women while working with INSPIRIT. I learned a lot about being a teaching artist, really defining my own movement set, and being proactive about my goals. I was able to explore my love for modern, safety release technique, and I even discovered that giving musical theatre a try might be fun too!

Where Is She Now? Paloma McGregor | INSPIRIT Alumna

INSPIRIT nurtures tomorrow's women in dance performance and choreography. Our blog series Where Is She Now? catches up with some of the fabulous women who have come through the company blossoming into brilliant artists.

Paloma McGregor has presented choreography
at venues throughout New York, including The Kitchen, Harlem Stage, EXIT Art, SummerStages, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Dixon Place and Bronx Academy of Art and Dance, as well as at UCLA, Yale University, The Dance Place in Washington, DC, the McKenna Museum in New Orleans, Cleveland Public Theatre and California Shakespeare Theater. She has toured internationally as a dancer with Urban Bush Women and Liz Lerman/Dance Exchange, and has collaborated with directors Patricia McGregor and Neigel Smith, multidisciplinary artists Mendi+Keith Obadike and musician Greg Tate.

She is co-founder of Angela's Pulse, which creates collaborative performance work rooted in building community and telling undertold stories. Among her awards: 2012-13 Arts Leadership Fellowship from the Kennedy Center's DeVos Institute; 2012-13 iLAND grant and creative residency; 2013 Wave Hill creative residency; 2012 Jerome Foundation Travel Grant; 2010 QuAD creative residency; 2010 Harlem Stage Fund for New Work grant from the Jerome Foundation; 2009 Voice & Vision creative residency.

Our one-on-one with Paloma
What was your favorite INSPIRIT repertory work to perform?
My favorite INSPIRIT work to perform was my solo from "Becoming..." It is a work that I learned in one rehearsal and performed just one month after moving to New York. The work tracked the development - physical and psychological - of a solo figure; it was a great practice to be attending to how someone "becomes" as I was becoming an artist in New York. Christal's luscious movement vocabulary was a pleasure to embody.

How did INSPIRIT prepare you to be where you are today?
INSPIRIT was a home space that both allowed me to grow and allowed me to take on responsibilities to help the organization grow. Christal Brown has created a place where women artists can unearth their potentials - as dancers, choreographers, teachers, designers, administrators; where women create their own place, supported by strong community, and thrive.
---
Check out Blood Dazzler - Paloma's collaboration with director (and sister!) Patricia McGregor at Harlem Stage.

 

To keep up with Paloma's work check out her website AngelasPulse.org.

My Country Tis of Thee

Last week's Presidential debate left a lot to be desired. To start, my ovaries were completely ignored. Call those little organs self-centered, but they've been the center piece of this election season for the past 10 months, and when we finally get to a debate? Ignored.

On the bright side, the event did focus on the economy, healthcare and education - all extremely important issues. It's just too bad the President didn't bring his A game. Mitt Romney stood on stage with his perfectly quaft salt and pepper #JustForMen ad hair (word to twitter), and told lie after lie with the straightest face, a well executed argument and delivery. Meanwhile, the President struggled to be as clear, concise and confident as his opponent, even when spouting proven facts. If I were an uninformed undecided, based on that presentation alone, I would lean toward Mitt. My Country.

My country is in an interesting place. In this two party political system, one side has created a pretty political puppet - a talking head, while the other side is failing to present itself as consistent, persistent and confident in its choices.

My country is a place where those with power and privilege bank on the uneducated staying uneducated, and prey on people's fears and prejudices.

My country is a place where we can elect a president who runs on the platforms of hope, change, and "yes we can!" - but quickly forget that WE includes I, and change does not occur overnight.

Where Is She Now? Melana Lloyd | INSPIRIT Alumna

INSPIRIT nurtures tomorrow's women in dance performance and choreography. In celebration of our performance this week with the newest cohort of dancers, we are kicking off our blog series Where Is She Now?, catching up with some of the fabulous women who have come through the company blossoming into brilliant artists.

Melana Lloyd - dancer, singer, actress - got her training in concert dance, but now graces stages all over the country in Broadway productions. Melana has performed in the national tours of Hairspray, and most recently The Color Purple. 

Our one-on-one with Melana

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born and raised in Lafayette, LA.  I moved to NYC to attend graduate school at New York University--Tisch School of the Arts.  After teaching in a public school for 2 years in Brooklyn and dancing with INSPIRIT, I was bitten by the musical theater bug.  Always just considering myself a "dancer with a big mouth," I am now smitten.  I owe a great deal of gratitude to my parents, family, dancing family, friends, and all those who have taken a chance on me.

Life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself.  Get in the habit of creating! 

What was your favorite INSPIRIT repertory work to perform?

The Nina Simone Suite -- Past Her Rites

How did INSPIRIT help get you to where you are today?

INSPIRIT came into my life at a very integral time.  It gave me a place to train, commune and perform when I had no other place.  

A place to be... 

A place to learn and grow.... 

A place to regroup while still in pursuit.

To keep up with Melana and her pursuits, check out her website HERE.

Where Is She Now? Krystal Butler | INSPIRIT Alumna

INSPIRIT nurtures tomorrow's women in dance performance and choreography. In celebration of our performance this week with the newest cohort of dancers, we are kicking off our blog series Where Is She Now?, catching up with some of the fabulous women who have come through the company blossoming into brilliant artists.

Krystal Butler is a native of Washington, DC where she graduated from Duke Ellington School of the Arts, training in Ballet and Horton technique under the direction of Charles Augins and Sandra Fortune. After high school, she received a scholarship to the American Dance Festival in 2004 and again in 2008 where she had the opportunity to work with artists such as Louis Johnson, Christopher Huggins, Robert Battle, Earl Mosley, Camille Brown, and Dianne McIntyre, to name a few. She holds a B.F.A. from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus in Dance Performance. 

While in New York, Krystal danced with the companies, INSPIRIT, a dance company under the direction of Christal Brown and Forces of Nature Dance Theatre. In 2006, Krystal performed in the play "JUNKANOO" at venues such as the Lincoln Theater in Washington, DC and at the National Theatre of Dakar in Dakar, Senegal. Krystal recently toured Europe as a dancer with Pilobolus Dance Theater in the show MAGNIFICO Circus. In October 2011, Krystal worked for Pilobolus Institute as a teaching artist. She is now touring with the international Pilobolus show Shadowland throughout Europe.

Our one-on-one with Krystal

What was your favorite INSPIRIT repertory work to perform?
My favorite piece to perform hands down was "Past Her Rites." I loved everything from the costumes to the music in that piece.

How did INSPIRIT help get you to where you are today?
INSPIRIT was my first professional concert dance job. I received my first pay check from Christal. I will never forget it!

INSPIRIT also gave me the knowledge, creative allowance and freedom to form into the versatile artist I am today. With all the talented women in the company I learned so much, unconsciously. In my work now, I say to myself all the time, INSPIRIT taught me that. I'm grateful that I am apart of the sisterhood that INSPIRIT has created throughout the years.

INSPIRIT Recommends: The T: Dance, Watch, Reflect

MAVERICK DANCE EXPERIENCE presents:
The T: Dance, Watch, Reflect is an experimental venue for selected artists to have their finished work fully produced and presented in a safe place for constructive feedback in support of advancing their creative process. It is an evening of possibilities, risk taking and sharing. Enter the experience, alter your perspective.

DANCE: Storytelling Made Visceral

WATCH: Artistry In Motion

REFLECT: Share Your Thoughts

- JOIN THE COLLABORATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS -

Presenting Artists:
Maverick Dance Experience, Marcus Lavan Braggs, Michael Cerwinski, Eve Chan, Jessica DiMauro, Lorena Egan, Kristen Klein

Location: Baruch Performing Arts Center
25th Street Between 3rd Ave. and Lexington Ave., NYC

Box Office: (646) 342-4083

PURCHASE TICKETS