Congratulations is in order...

I am so thankful to have been a part of this event and to have wondered what in the world you were going to present this evening and to have been so excited by the work that you did together and the worlds that you showed to everyone.  You made so many choices together!  Congratulations
 -Lindsay

I'm setting up the lobby space as a collage of our process this weekend. The audience will experience the frantic energy of the Charrette through images, text, and quotes that will create a three dimensional version of this blog!

Here are more pictures of the theater today! All hands are on deck creating unique lighting and set landscapes for each piece.

Sonja adds some last-minute details to Group 3's costumes!

The final touches are being put on the electronic music scores for Groups 2 and 3. As the performers enter the space for run-throughs, how will the newly composed music affect the dynamics of their movement?

We are in the theater for tech rehearsal! In less than 3 hours the final pieces will be performed for the audience. Don't miss this exciting event at 6:00pm in Mandell Theater!

Group 2 Rallies. Script Changes. Music review.

I am belatedly taking over today amidst all the logistics of tech & performance planning. Our morning has been consumed by troubleshooting with group 2: Their writer, who begins and marks the trajectory of their entire piece, has gone MIA, along with his text! It is almost lunch time and kudos for rallying to create something new; at the 11th hour- after all of yesterday's planning. Special shoutout to Marcie Mamura for stepping in as our emergency writer (we accosted her as she walked through the doors to monitor today's DDE rehearsals). #alwaysready

“I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes, in some area, an athlete of God. Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.”
― Martha Graham

PERFORMANCE DAY!!!

HERE IS A CLIP FROM YESTERDAY'S REHEARSALS IN THE MANDELL

Day 2 has come to an end! Tomorrow is filled with last minute touch-ups, tech rehearsals, and the final performance at 6:00pm. Finishing out the last few minutes of today's work time, Group 3 runs through their in-progress piece on stage.

Group 1 is in the dance studio creating movement to be performed in conjunction with the other performance elements:

Group 3 has created fantastic props and costuming out of mundane objects. Take a look, and see if you can identify the elements used:

Our AMAZING one-man tech crew Rahul has been helping all of the teams make lighting and set decisions throughout this process. He will be working late into the night to set all of the light cues just in time for our rehearsals tomorrow. Rahul's shirt says it all...

The glories and frustrations of technology! Steve works on the electronic music score and receives an error screeen; meanwhile Jonathan creates digital images to be incorporated into Group 1's performance:

The ideas are flowing!! Group 1 has choreography movement sequences that physicalize their theme of layering. Check out this video of Courtney performing the dance:

Our costume designer Sonja has constructed some amazing garments out of a small amount of fabric. These are inspired by the garments donated by Fashion Design students!

Two of Group 3's members explore how body percussion can be used through movement:

Group 3 is experimenting with found objects in the MoCap studio. These foam squares form a three dimensional prop for the dancers to interact with.

Here is another video of our amazing musicians! They took Group 1's inspiration of layering and created an original improvisational structure that builds from one instrument to a full layered sound, fulling realizing the theme of INTERWOVEN.

An excerpt of text from Group 2's Alice in Wonderland monologue:

"You've been given a temporary spike in intellect and awareness tonight, enough so that you are aware of the existence of some of the inhabitants of my planet." -Jeremy Cox (Charrette participant)

By accessorizing the stage with flower pedals, Group 2 transforms the space into a fantasy world in which Alice in Wonderland falls down the Rabbit Hole.

Also take a look at Group 2's movement phrase, choreographed and performed by Charrette dancers:

The Green Screen in the Motion Capture studio is used to gather images and videos, which can then be manipulated and transferred onto backgrounds. The Digital Media students are using this technology to create interactive projections used onstage.

Working within an "Alice in Wonderland" concept, Group 2 is in the process of finalizing  the score composed by Steve. Everyone's input and opinion is taken into account to create this collaborative work.

We caught one of our Digital Media participants Jonathan sneaking in some dancing of his own while setting up the spotlight...  (He's got some moves!)

The lighting of the Performance Charrette piece is crucial to constructing the space in a distinctive way. Our Tech participants are exploring all of their lighting options by experimenting with spotlights, geometric shapes,projections, and color stories.  How will the lighting affect the mood of the performance?

The Motion Capture Studio is currently the home to Group 3. The dancers are choreographing movement that is indicative of the INTEROWVEN theme, and manipulates gestures created by our Guest Artist Lindsay Browning.

Steve is in the process of creating a spooky, minimalist electronic score for Group 1's performance. Take a peek inside the inner workings of the composition:

Group 1 is taking over the theater! Setting an improvisational structure for the music, shaping the stage by utilizing various curtains and screens, and creating a light plot.

Music sets the tone for the entire performance, which influences the choreography, digital media components, and lighting design. Our group of incredibly virtuosic Charrette musicians are working to create a unique sound for each  piece, while building in improvisational structures and incorporating recorded music into the live performance.

Day 2 has begun! Group 3 is picking out gobo lights that will sculpt the space. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the day.

Philadelphia Visual Artist Ricardo Rivera / KLIP Collective

Site specific Video Instillation in New Orleans a few years ago.  Art created by Philadelphia Visual Artist Ricardo Rivera / KLIP Collective.

*The video seems kind of blurry but you get the idea!  Mapping video into small specific spaces!

What Happens when you let everything in?

There was a life size birds nest instillation at the Arsenale in Venice, Italy in October...

When you peeked inside a hole in the nest, this is what you saw....

I think a lot about my time is college, about my freedoms even among all of my commitments to studying.  

I had the freedom to be in a studio space with air conditioning and heat and with bright lights and huge mirrors.  

The Theater was beautiful and I now wonder why I didn't make more art in that Theater.  Why did I not make more Art in that Theater while it was waiting… 

I am so thankful to see you men and women moving forward, working in your spaces together and making Art.  Your ideas are valid and are worth being fleshed out, explored and presented…have fun and know that your first idea, your second idea or even your third idea about choreography, lighting, media, costume, set or design may be just a stepping stone to the real performance art you're working towards!

I'll be happy to see you tomorrow!

*CHECK OUT THIS PAGE TO SEE MOVEMENT IN COSTUMES...

The following Quote is from Sonia Biacchi's Artistic Statement...

"The Costume Drama is only one of the elements of a show.  In addition find a place for the music, lights, movement of the dancer, space and time..."

It is the end of night 1 and all of the Charretters are gleaming with ideas. As we move into Day 2, the participants will continue working to refine their ideas and work collaboratively to produce amazing performances. Until tomorrow, the costumes are laid to rest...

Who knew adding an umbrella to a circle skirt equals a jellyfish? Group 3's experimentation has taken them into unforeseen territory!

Group 2's signature piece was created from melted trash bags. With a statement collar and intricate weaving, the participants must determine how to transform this piece of "trash" into an eccentric "treasure".

Our student Costume Designer for the Charrette, Sonja Greisemer, explores the possibilities of the garment's styling with Group 3 dancer Cara Slemmer. Inspired by the structured
design, the participants will find unique ways to construct the stage space with set, lighting, and projections.

Focusing on the fabric of the garments created by Drexel Fashion Design students, Group 1 is discovering the intracacies of layering. The dancers explore the tactile sensations of these elements:

The beginnings of an original composition by our Charrette musicians. Their task: use a combination of virtuosic musical and pedestrian sounds to create a unique soundscape for each piece.

Group 3 is in the Motion Capture Studio brainstorming ideas! How will they shape a sonic landscape to represent their interpretation of INTERWOVEN?

The Charrette Has Officially Begun!

The time has come! The Performance Charrette: INTERWOVEN begins tonight!

Three groups of students from a variety of fields will gather tonight to begin interdisciplinary experiemntation. The teams will then be given a set of parameters and three days to create a collaborative work of Dance, Digital Media, Photography, Fashion Design, and much more! Follow the Charrette blog to get a sneak peak at each team's progress throughout the weekend, complete with videos, photos, and testimonials.

The final showcase with be on April 6th at 5:00pm in Mandell Theater, and it is free and open to the public!

Sign-Up Now!

Registration for the Performance Charrette: INTERWOVEN is now open! Don't miss your chance to collaborate with peers from across a variety of disciplines to experiment and investigate the depths of creativity. Students who are interested in participating must commit to three days of intensive work April 4-6, culminating in a final showcase on the last day of work. To sign up, please visit: performancecharrette.westphal.drexel.edu

Lindsay Browning- This Year's Guest Artist!

Costume Design will play a crucial role in this year's Performance Charrette: INTERWOVEN by creating wearable art that the teams will manipulate in their performance. Lindsay Browning, a local dance and theater artist, will be the Guest Artist for this year's Performance Charrette, taking place April 4-6. Check out a video of Lindsey's recent work with Italian fashion designer Sonia Biacchi.

Theme Announcement!

The Performance Charrette is an incubator for creative experimentation for students across all fields. In one weekend, interdisciplinary teams create artistic work that combines the resources of Dance, Digital Media, Fashion Design, Photography, and more! This year, the Performance Charrette will take place April 4-6 with the theme of INTERWOVEN. Visit the Performance Charrette website below for more information about this exciting opportunity: http://www.drexel.edu/westphal/undergraduate/DANC/PerformanceCharette/