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.

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

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.

INSPIRIT performs at BAAD! Friday, October 12

Christal Brown and INSPIRIT: The Evolution

Friday, October 12

8pm

Join INSPIRIT with new Artistic Director Alexandra Joye Warren as the company performs work from 2003 to the present, showcasing choreography by Christal Brown, Alexandra Joye Warren, Toni Renee Johnson and current company members. The evening will also include a sneak peek into one of Brown's newest collaborative endeavors "The Opulence of Integrity" performed by an all-male cast, as well as a performance via live feed by Christal Brown from Lusaka, Zambia.

Witness this amazing display of history as INSPIRIT prepares for their 10-year anniversary season in the spring of 2013!

$15 Student/Senior, $20 General Admission

PURCHASE TICKETS

Take 6 train to Hunts Points Avenue. Cross under Bruckner Expressway to 1st block (Garrison Avenue). Make right on Garrison and go 2 blocks to Barretto Street. Make left on Barretto Street to 841 Barretto in the middle of the block, right hand side, large warehouse, red door.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Alexandra Joye Warren | Artistic Director

Alexandra Joye Warren is the new Artistic Director of INSPIRIT, a dance company. She takes over the company after performing with INSPIRIT since 2006, while Christal Brown continues as the Founding Artistic/Executive Director. A native of the Washington, D.C. Metro area, Alexandra began her intense training as a dance major at Suitland High School for Visual and Performing Arts. She received her BA degree in Drama with a concentration in Dance/Pre-Medicine from Spelman College in 2003 and in 2006 received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Alexandra has been fortunate to work on projects with Urban Bush Women, Bill T. Jones, Paloma and Patricia McGregor and many other New York based dance and theatre artists. She is honored to lead this exceptional group of gifted performers and choreographers who consider themselves the next generation of innovators in the field of dance.

Company member Sydnie L. Mosley takes a moment to talk to Alex about the transition into her new role in the company since January 2012.

At a little more than 7 months into your new role, the company has accomplished a lot: auditioning and bringing in 4 new company members, creating and setting 4 new works, a successful kickstarter campaign, and a creative residency at Middlebury College. How are you feeling about the company's progress thus far? Are we on track with your vision?

I am so excited about the progress that the company has made in this time of transition. I think it speaks to the incredible foundation that Christal Brown has established for the company. This is evidence of a new era; if we can continue the legacy, everyone benefits. It's a shame to see dance companies that we've known and love crumble when the founder goes through a transition. I am so honored that Christal chose me as the one to pass the torch to. 

"I'm so honored that Christal chose me
as the one to pass the torch to."

I am bursting with ideas and I have realized that some of them may take time. In lieu of that, I feel like many of my goals for the company have been accomplished but I am not one easily satisfied. That pushes me to continue to think more creatively and continue to work harder to build upon the foundation that was laid out for us.

Can you tell us about a challenge and a triumph you've encountered thus far?

The biggest challenge so far, and triumph, was our Kickstarter campaign. It's a harrowing process! The fact is, that even if you are a dollar shy of your goal you get $0 at the end. Those last 24 hours of the campaign were intense but I am so grateful for all 51 people who backed our project and made it a success. Beyond the much needed funds we raised to go back into the rehearsal process, I think we made new friends and expanded our audience along the way which will help us in the long run.

What is a little known fact about you?

That's difficult! I think I'm pretty much an open book. Many people know that I'm also a DJ, trained at Scratch DJ Academy here in New York. There may be some folks that don't know how much I love singing. I once played the lead in The Little Mermaid when I was in Middle School! Now I mostly sing Soprano at Church.

What are you most looking forward to this fall?

Two things: Our show at BAAD on October 12th. It's going to be the first major debut of the new company and a big moment for all of us.  

Also, the birth of my first child. I can't wait to meet our baby girl! It's going to be an epic life changing experience, and I am really looking forward to it.

All we have is today...

Performing tonight at Callalilai Boutique was an exciting experience. It was raw material, mostly improvisational. We danced around the store and then in front of the boutique for 3 hours straight. Coming from a formal dance training background of performing arts schools and collegiate dance programs I am very comfortable on a stage or in a studio. But there's nothing like thrill of improvising just below Union Square in New York City. In a place saturated with art people can never get enough. It amazes me how captivated onlookers are at us. Some stop for a moment and smile, some linger for hours. The connection is pure electric. I have to soak it up and enjoy those moments for they are few and far between. All we have is today...

Alexandra Joye Houston

On Perseverance

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown

One of these days, we will be doing Project:BECOMING for adult women...the lessons that we try to uncover in our program for teen girls are universal and as I am sharing with these young women, I can't help but to also be changed in the process.

As we shared with the girls this week in our Project:BECOMING Harlem session, to be successful in life you've got to learn to persevere.

What stops us? The same things that stop them: being afraid, doubting our abilities, fears of not being inadequate but being powerful beyond measure.

In the past three years of my professional career as a dancer, I have seen many dancers come and go. Sometimes we think that we have to stop and get our life together. As Christal so loving pointed out to me this week, we should never have our lives TOGETHER! Otherwise, where would the greatest joys of life be? We would miss out on that amazing experience of figuring it all out. Learning and growing.

Perseverance is about feeling uncomfortable, making mistakes, being tired, doing too much, pulling back, growing taller in our spirit, finding out what works and letting go of what doesn't. We must learn how to do all this AND keep on going. Otherwise I would miss my whole life, trying to get it together.

Alexandra Joye Houston