Pulse Magazine

in this issue Martha Graham:The birth of a dance Disconect in Iceland Pointes that can save: The create project by Bloch Discover Ouro Colective

CONTEMPORARY & MODERN DANCE

ISSUE 001

JULY 2015

in o u f irst issue d anc e s a round BEGIN N I N G S

EDITOR’S LETTER

illustration SHANNON ABLES

This last month I was traveling around Europe and discovered some con re, consequibus exces vollacienis aut aliquunt pos remquae voles alitaquam aut as aut et entessuntis dolute occaborit, quae veratur acid eatia peruptasimi, untiam ut mossitam nam harum fuga. Nem et ad mi, cone magnisquas rem nusapedit re volutem fugia doluptaecum nonsed quae omnia senis re, tem quo et eicUli se antideatil hae esci sula num egera intus, Ti. Ductus, se morissu sustum inat pericat quastem niumus Mulicaediis.

Opoportem Patabeffre civis facienatu mactatus egilibus pul vivit, cor at intensuam linproris?

Ahae pri parissenat, quam que consta vidin-

Brieuc Gaut editor in-chief

BEGININGS

editor’s letter

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ulse’s first edition is dedicated to beginnings. The world we live in, the work, home and community we reside it plays a large part in our ability to find and maintain a happy life.

The key is to be aware and that is where the designing part enters the picture. Paying attention, living consciously, and not wandering blinding through each day is how we design the life that will make us feel happier. Each of us will need different details to make us feel happy, so we must get to know ourselves. Experience, reflecting on these experiences, will guide us to the understanding of who we are. And the equation that has been so perplexing to so many is really quite simple, bring together equal parts pleasure and productivity and you will find the happiness that you seek. - See more at: http://www.thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/?s=BEGIN+&cat=0#sthash.bGlVpYT7.dpufAs human beings, we gravitate toward what will make us happy, comfortable and safe. With that said, and keeping Morrie’s piece of insight in mind, when you are given only so many hours in a day, the most important items should float to the top of your schedule. Work – in order to support yourself and your family, time to eat – in order to be energized so you can make it through your day with a sound and capable mind, and the list goes on. By looking at your life, prioritizing what is truly important, it will make it easier to decide on what you have to do and what can wait.

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COVER This last month I was traveling Ugia con re, consequibus exces vollaciena. Nem et ad mi, cone magnisquas rem nusapedit re volutem fugia doluptaecum nonsed quae omnia senis re, tem quo et eicIrit; errae poptientra?

Quid portem forum menatortemo videmul icoerrit at, Catia quita

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WE

WHO

WE

ARE

Brieuc Gaut Chief & Creative Director

Constanza Strivaldi Editor

Martha Windsor Editor

Benjamin Landstorm Art Director

Louise Thomas Art Director

Kim Frederickson Business Operation

Madeleine Niemetz Business Operation

Guillerme Brunet Editor

Tom Ables Editor

Joshua Adam Web Administrator Anna Clark Business Operation

Brieuc Gouci Photographer David Joules Photographer

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CONTRIBUTORS

special

CONTRIBUTORS

kRISTINA Ralph In t his issue : Photographed the beautiful Olga Kuraeva A beginning: When I start taking photos as a job Dance is: art Favour ite Body par t : Neck

Marie Brunet In t his issue : Interview Filipa A beginning: when I moved to NY Dance is: the body speaking Favour ite Body par t : Shoulders

Alex Franco

Jan Lehner In t his issue : Photographed the beautiful Olga Kuraeva A beginning: When I start taking photos as a job Dance is: the soul speaking without saying a word Favour ite Body par t : Ear

In t his issue : Photographed Ouro Colective A beginning: Falling in love Dance is: amazing and beautiful, but I can’t!

Favour ite Body par t : Hair

Clara Shilland In t his issue : Make up Olga Kuraeva A beginning: When my son born Dance is: freedom Favour ite Body par t : Chin

contributors

Nich Knight

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In t his issue : Photographed Iceland A beginning: Every new trip Dance is: freedom Favour ite Body par t : Shoulders

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FEATURES ON STAGE

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A pointe to remember

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An Art project that became the starting point to something bigger

Iceland A place to disconect and to start over

023 Ouro Collective The start of a dance collective group as new way to dance

023 The birth of a dance Martha Graham

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EVERY ISSUE

ON STAGE

NOTES

DANCER

InPULSE

BODY

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TO TECH

Stay Tuned & focused

Book your place in the upcoming dance festivals

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TO FOLLOW

Instagram acounts we are following

TO THE SOUL

Inner Balance

Currently in our playlist

The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

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023

InART

Henri Matisse

TO INSPIRE

Once Upon a dream The story of the girl behind the most wished slipers

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023

POINT OF VIEW

TO LEARN

Anatomy of a Pointe Get to know from A to Z the pointe components

Naming Names The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

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ON TOUR

DANCER FOOD

Bananas The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

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DANCER WORKOUT

Pilates

Balerina Bag The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

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DANCING WITH

The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

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BEAUTY MOVES

How to make the perfect bun

The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

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Olga Kuraeva The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

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FOLLOWING

Ouro Collective The Significance of Sources

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ON STAGE

NOTES

Notes for life, Design, Culture & Lifestyle

Naming Names 09

Olga Kuraeva 011

Balerina Bag 021

Once Upon a Dream

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A story of a former dancer, architect, who is now desining the most wanted shoes

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NOTES

to the soul

Inner Balance Living our lives is a journey, and so therefore, is maintaining the balance. photography SHANNON ABLES

K

by SOFIA OLIVEIRA

eeping one’s balance is a dynamic skill that requires constant attention. Just as a gymnast demonstrates their agility on the balance beam by concentrating their focus and not becoming distracted so as not to fall off, so too must we train our focus on the balancing of our wants versus our needs, our demands versus our more pleasurable pursuits and our personal boundaries versus keeping close healthy relationships.

Every aspect of our lives is a practice in keeping our balance, and in order to be successful, whether it be how we raise children, handle our money, manage our health or nurture both our personal and professional lives, we must always be tending to it. Living our lives is a journey, and so therefore, is maintaining the balance.

If we want to improve, change our course or help our children and society grow, movement in a certain direction will be taking place simply by the definitions of each of these words. Consequently, it is our responsibility, to be able to keep the rope taut, not too loose, but not so tight that minor mistakes can’t be corrected.

While this may seem like a difficult task, all of us are trying to balance at this very moment. Some of us are having more success at it than others, but such a gift is something that is honed with practice. Being able to balance effectively comes from practice, a conscious daily effort and an ability to recognize what’s most important.

What is most important, you might ask. For everyone, this answer will be very different, but in general terms, it all comes down to the simple statement shared in Tuesday’s with Morrie, uttered by Morrie Schwartz himself, “Love wins. Love always wins.” And so if you keep that in the back of your mind at all times when making decisions and handling difficult schedules, you’ll make the right choice. Just trust yourself.

As human beings, we gravitate toward what will make us happy, comfortable and safe. With that said, and keeping Morrie’s piece of insight in mind, when you are given only so many hours in a day, the most important items should float to the top of your schedule.

Work – in order to support yourself and your family, time to eat – in order to be energized so you can make it through your day with a sound and capable mind, and the list goes on. By looking at your life, prioritizing what is truly important, it will make it easier to decide on what you have to do and what can wait. SA

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to inspire

by SOFIA OLIVEIRA

photography SHANNON ABLES

Once Upon a Dream We take you further behind the scenes of Josefinas in our conversation with Filipa Julio, a former architect and now founder of the Josefinas brand.

J

osefinas are a Portuguese brand of ballet flats designed by Filipa. The first thing that strikes you about the Josefinas team when Pulse contacted them is how warm and passionate they are.

We came across Josefinas, a young Portuguese brand specialising in ballet flats on Instagram. The Josefinas brand is an example of a brand that has really harnessed the power of Instagram as a way to spread the word about them and to engage with their customers. Their Instagram campaign, Where do your Josefinas take you? encourages customers and fans to share pictures of Josefinas in their daily lives and travel.

The Josefinas Instagram account is updated throughout the day with re-grams of their customers’ photos and the brand regularly interacts with its customers through the comments. Josefinas was in fact recommended by Instagram—the first and only Portuguese brand to have received this special message from Instagram: Thank you for being an important part of the Instagram story.

All Josefinas ballet flats are designed in-house and handmade in a traditional Portuguese atelier. This video shows the same pair of hands creating a pair of Moscow ballet flats from start to finish—from the initial pattern-cutting to the stitching and gluing, and right down to the the tying of the bow (which is adjustable, allowing for a tighter or looser fit).

The brand’s growth has been purely organic— through word of mouth, social media and bloggers and they do not do any paid advertising. With just over 12,000 followers on Instagram amassed since they launched just over a year ago, Josefinas may not be a mega brand and their small scale production probably makes it difficult for them to scale up in the same way that Repetto or French Sole have, but we suspect that they are happy staying that way. Josefinas also collaborated with another Portuguese brand, Fine&Candy, to produce Osaka, a limited collection consisting of only 25 pairs. A darling among the Portuguese fashion community, Josefinas are eschewing the mass luxury movement and are content to cater to a select group of consumers who wish to be a part an exclusive experience. With their bridal line, in particular, Josefinas provides a made-to-order experience — returning us to the era of true customised luxury.

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to inspire

How has your previous career as an architect helped you?

F: Being an architect has made me look in detail to the proportions and harmony of Josefinas. I think that is the biggest asset that I bring from by background.

S:

Why did you decide to design ballet flats instead of other types of footwear? How does Josefinas distinguish itself from other specialist ballet flat brands, such as Repetto and French Sole?

F: I was a ballerina for many years. I started dreaming of having a shoe line of my own and naturally this adventure in creating a new luxury brand took me towards ballet flats.

Josefinas ballet flats stand out because, besides being beautiful and natural (I only work with top quality materials), each and every pair is handmade by the best shoemakers in Portugal. It was difficult sourcing a shoemaker whom satisfied our standards in terms of quality. By a happy coincidence we were introduced to our shoemakers, Jorge and Carlos, by a mutual friend. The savoir faire within their hands gives birth to a unique pair of Josefinas.

Unlike other brands that have their ballet flats made in big factories, each Josefina is handmade in a traditional Portuguese atelier. Also, Josefinas are incredibly comfortable. They’re like a second skin to your feet.

Hundreds of our clients and even fashion bloggers have told us that Josefinas are the most comfortable ballet flats they’ve worn! to inspire

S:

What was the toughest thing about getting started?

A year ago, when I started Josefinas, I had no money to do it, and everybody told me to give up. But with incredible persistence, I made my dream come true. I spent a year researching materials, testing, trying out different experiences and I looked for help among my friends and even among people I didn’t know but who believed in me. I think that maintaining the perseverance and never giving up is the hardest.

S: F:

What is your creative process and where do you draw your inspiration?

F: My inspiration comes from adventures: places around the world, special moments and other amazing women like Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton. These two great women inspired my bridal line.

S:

Tell us about the profile of the typical Josefinas customer.

F: Josefinas fans are women who appreciate the exclusiveness of their everyday footstep – exclusiveness, comfort, elegance and femininity are words that describe Josefinas fans.

We treat each and every costumer as unique; we want S:

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This photos show the same pair of hands creating a pair of Moscow ballet flats from start to finish—from the initial pattern-cutting to the stitching and gluing, and right down to the the tying of the bow (which is adjustable, allowing for a tighter or looser fit).

SEE the video at: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=E5N0FhNTndc

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NOTES

to inspire

our clients to feel that they’re special and unique, just like Josefinas. We send them all the love and I think that’s one of the reason we are loved all around the world.

I’ve read rave reviews about the packaging (it sure looks gorgeous!). What was the thinking behind the packaging design and what effect on customers did you hope to achieve?

S: Thank you! I wanted every women who receives Josefinas to feel special, to feel like they’re the only woman that matters in the world. Our pink and black box is feminine and pretty and, at the same time, simple and exclusive. I have to mention that I have new surprises coming soon…

F:

Our shoemakers, Jorge and Carlos with their hands give birth to a unique pair of Josefinas. Unlike other brands that have their ballet flats made in big factories, each Josefina is handmade in a traditional Portuguese atelier.

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to inspire

Tell us about the special Moscow and Bride collections.

S: Our bridal line (Grace and Kate) and Moscow are very special. Grace and Kate are made for the bride for her special day. We don’t carry stock of them, which means that each and every bride (or even those who are not!) will have them handmade for the special day. They are priced higher than our more accessible collection due to the materials used and the different construction model.

F:

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Moscow was launched with a very special box. Each box, entirely made by hand, was inspired by the patterns of the Ballets Russes costumes. The ballerina in the box is painted by sacred art artists, and the pink Swarovski crystal on the box’s drawer pulls out to reveal the Josefinas Moscow. We like to surprise our customers and do things that others might be hesitant about or afraid of. Handmaking a true music box is very expensive as you can imagine. But we’re wiling to take those risks so that so our customers will have access to new, original and beautiful things.

We also have a more accessible line, along with our more exclusives ones. It all comes done to what you’re looking for!

How did the campaign Where do your Josefinas take you?” come about? How has social media played a role in your marketing and customer engagement efforts?

S: I see Josefinas as being a part every woman’s life journey. Are you travelling? Getting married? Going F:

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NOTES

to inspire

Ever bought a pair of ballet flats and have it delivered in a music box?

Moscow was launched with a very special box.

Each box, entirely made by hand, was inspired by the patterns of the Ballets Russes costumes. The ballerina in the box is painted by sacred art artists, and the pink Swarovski crystal on the box’s drawer pulls out to reveal the Josefinas Moscow.

to the office? Stepping out at night and dancing until dawn? Standing on your tiptoes to kiss who you love?

Josefinas highlight these events that are a part of our customers life and it’s an honour to be a part them. With Josefinas our clients can achieve whatever they put their heart and mind to. This is how and why Where do your Josefinas take you?” came about.

Regarding social media, Instagram has a very important role since we highlight our clients’ moments with Josefinas. We re-gram them wearing Josefinas—what we call the famous top-view pictures. On Instagram, our customers occupy a very special place in our story. Also, with Instagram, we can hear their opinions or respond to their requests almost immediately.

No longer is a brick-and-mortar store a prerequisite to building a successful luxury brand. How has e-commerce shaped the industry and how has that affected the business model of Josefinas?

S: I think traditional e-commerce sometimes turns the relationship with the customer less personal, for example, with automatic emails and less engaged customers.

But to us, this was an opportunity: Josefinas believes in WOW” customer service that is very personalised, even though we only sell online. We go the extra mile, because we want our customers to be happy with a pair of Josefinas. Even though we don’t meet face to face with most of our customers, we feel that we are friends, and that they are happy to give us feedback, send us their personal thoughts, and even sometimes, share part of their lives. We are very grateful for that!

F:

Finally, what has been the biggest surprise in your Josefinas journey so far?

F:

The biggest surprise has been all the love we receive every single day from all over the world. Knowing that Josefinas brings love to our clients and are a part of their special moments is truly my biggest reward. SO

to inspire

S:

BUY at http://josefinas. com/store0FhNTndc

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illustrations SHANNON ABLES

NOTES

to learn

Anatomy of a Pointe Shoe Pointe Shoes might be kmown for ballet dancers, but we challenge you to explore its anatomy now and after dance with them

Glossary of terms Binding The Tape that finishes the top edge of the Upper which also encases the Drawstring.

by SOFIA OLIVEIRA

Block/Box The hardened area of a pointe shoe which includes the Vamp, Wings and Platform surrounding the front section of the foot. The Block/Box is made from the application of numerous layers of special fabrics, all with different shapes, bound together by the paste in between each layer.

Drawstring A length of either cotton cord or elastic cord encased within the binding that allows the Upper to form a snug fit around the foot.

Last The foot shaped mold around which the pointe shoe is manufactured.

Outsole The outer most sole of the shoe and for pointe shoes is made from leather.

Platform The flattened surface at the toe end of the pointe shoe which allows the dancer to balance ‘en pointe’.

1.

2.

3.

Shank/Insole A combination of a number of layers of special materials into a unique profile which forms the structural anchor similar to the way a spine supports the human body. Shanks/ Insoles are developed in different profiles creating various levels of flexibility.

Throat Line Sock

Upper All the parts above the shoe’s sole that are joined together to become a single unit which is then attached to the Insole and Outsole.

Shank / Insole (concealed inside)

4. Drawstring 5. Modified Vamp 6. Binding 7. Side Seam 8. Wing 9. Block / Box 10. Vamp 11. Platform 12. Heel Strap 13. Outsole

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Wing Each of the two symmetrical sides of the Vamp directed toward the heel. The outer edge of the hardened toe Block/ Box that contain a graduated amount of material and paste.

The Wings can vary in shape and hardness depending on the style of pointe shoe or the dancer’s preference.

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ON STAGE

DANCER

photography SHANNON ABLES

The people who we want to dance with

NAMING NAMES 09 The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

Naming Names 09

Olga Kuraeva 011 PULSE

Balerina Bag 021

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point of view

Naming Names

by KRISTIN KUSANOVICH

photography VIRGINIA JOHNSON

The Significance of Sources in Modern Dance Technique

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point of view

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odern/contemporary dance is experiential and its practitioners have a penchant for fusion, integration, assemblages and communal intent. Modern/contemporary dance is also known for being an open-minded forum in which the intermingling of art forms, genres, historical approaches and new experimentation is encouraged.

Given this complex number of inputs and inspirations, it is both common and seemingly acceptable practice for a modern dance teacher to present movement without necessarily acknowledging the artistic family tree it is likely derived from, to effectively not pass on whose kinesthetic findings are being cited through the enlivening exercise of dancing. To effectively function outside of PULSE

any stated or implied lineage.

This article and its research investigates the perceived value for students when dance teachers ‘name names’ as they conduct technique class, thus facilitating a sort of untangling of origins of movement sequences, methods, and whole styles in some cases. Based on data collected from college-aged respondents to an anonymous survey and analyzed using a constant-comparative analysis and open-coding process, the findings reveal some possibly surprising insights about the next generation of dance artists.

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point of view

point of view

“Respondents noted in 86% of the cases that the majority of their teachers in modern/contemporary appeared to mix styles, so they were aware that fusing is happening”.

Fusion as a Given

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n an era of fusions and borrowings in which an artist is expected to be a uniquely formed creature ready to synthesize and embody the multiplicity that is one’s training, it becomes apparent that at some point, the concept of the real origin of movement sources for dance teachers, as well as students, can become clouded. By definition, modern dance is big, and it appropriates.

I would argue that the ephemeral art of dance is not so ephemeral as we might assume it to be. By that I mean, things actually kind of stick around. We share PULSE

ideas through time, one might say, intergenerationally; but we also share in the immediacy of our peer group, laterally, in the present. Sometimes movement ideas are conveyed slowly with great deliberation and care, though sometimes with great haste and fervor. Movement ideas become ingrained, entrenched, absorbed and are hard to shake out. Oral and kinesthetic tradition keeps them as alive as stories of old. With greater understandings and appreciations of the notions of appropriation, remixing and ultimately issues of plagiarismat the forefront of other fields (music, for example) it is timely to look at where the teaching of modern dance is positioned in terms of tendencies by teachers to either hide or reveal the historicity of “their” technique.

The teacher of a modern dance technique class is a product of various trainings that effectively create a new synthesis and understanding of what to teach and how to teach it. Except when teaching an unmodified, single origin curriculum, as in Martha Graham or Merce Cunningham’s technique, though those certainly changed through time, a teacher of dance is likely to have been exposed to dozens of techniques that might inform pedagogy and praxis, all of which he or she intends surely to pass on, at least in an embodied fashion, through movement. All of this can be done with or without any reference to lineages.

I did not come to this research because I experienced this lack of orientation but for the opposite reason – I had this style of clear explanation throughout my childhood training in JoAnne Black’s Willow Glen Creative Dance Center for Children. But from then on the rest of my education in dance tended to be different. Rather than sort all these experiences out verbally, it seems more common for a modern dance teacher to present movement without necessarily acknowledging the artistic family tree that a movement is likely derived from.

Some movements are not necessary to acknowledge the origins of every time we utter them – every French term (used in a non-Francophone modern dance class context) is derived from Ballet, and every dancer knows that “the Ballet” is therefore the source of the ubiquitous “plié, tendu, degajé, relevé, etc.” However, though ballet styles vary, nevertheless, ballet as a general origin of movements having French-named terms is infinitely more transparent when quoted by modern dance doers.

Unlike ballet, however, modern does not have codified terms. Many movement sequences that certain modern dance artists invented do not have names, but are called something for convenience, such as “Jose Limon style brush lunge swings.” Lester Horton numbered his etudes and fortifications and one can refer to them that way.

But entire modern/contemporary classes occur everyday in every country that are entirely movement based with no reference to the name of an exercise, or any personal or communal origins.

Therefore, it seems, though it remains to be proven, that most movement is presented as ‘unsourced.’ This

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point of view

point of view

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research investigates the effect of teaching modern dance technique in a manner that calls explicit attention to the sources of particular movements whose origins are traceable to a particular culture, time period, artistic movement or individual visionary. Under examination is the perceived interest among young adult dancers in having their teachers ‘name names.’

By surveying a group of dance students who have had many different modern dance teachers and have therefore been exposed to multiple styles of modern dance, possibly even both ‘unsourced’ and ‘sourced’, the research did not reveal a preference for “just movement,” without explanation, but rather a preference for PULSE

“movement, plus” a knowledge of the origins of movements on the part of today’s learners. The question of ownership/appropriation/plagiarism becomes especially charged when the derivation is readily traceable to a singular artist of the past or school of thought that permeates our work still today. How much do students value knowing about the collaboration and collision that creates the prismatic field of modern dance?

To take things from another’s culture or tradition and adopt them for one’s own is to appropriate. Appropriation in itself is neither good nor evil and some would argue that on some level all ideas shared that lead to new actions or behaviors require some amount of approaugust 15

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point of view

priation. It has negative connotations because we often are referring to negative ways people have carried out appropriation.

Teachers gain cache, they stand to benefit from their knowledge, or rather from the knowledge they impart that we associate them with because they imparted it.

They can experience increased student interest, student engagement, teacher ratings, higher school enrollments, cache as an artist, etc., by having the latest or greatest techniques or methods that attract developing performing artists to be associated with their persons. So where collaboration and appropriation mingle there are some penetrating questions to ask ourselves. This article can only pose questions regarding appropriation. Fuller studies exist that elucidate this point.

The title “Naming Names” refers to the pedagogical practice of intentionally connecting what we are doing in the dance class to the origins or originators of the exercises, when these are known. The definition of “origins” is deliberately left open, because in dance we

point of view

“in dance we could have learned something from an individual person who herself was passing on someone else’s findings, an oral tradition, a book, a film, a company’s or group’s training method, a YouTube video, a conceptual framework or another field altogether”

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could have learned something from an individual person who herself was passing on someone else’s findings, an oral tradition, a book, a film, a company’s or group’s training method, a YouTube video, a conceptual framework or another field altogether. Though we may love the beauty of the mosaic with all its mystery and wholeness seen from afar, I wondered if the next generation of dancers also may appreciate the opportunity to understand the sources of some of the more prominent pieces that comprise the total picture of a dance teacher’s training.

I figured that dancers who are mid-career like myself might have a different view of the importance of history or a different relationship to lineages in the teaching of the arts. In fact I was fully prepared to consider that after analyzing the data, I might learn that it makes no difference to my students or others’ whether we ‘name names’ or not, and they might have been politely tolerant of this penchant of mine for many years now. That would be good to know.

Whether one would adjust one’s pedagogical approach based on apparent lack of interest by one’s students in ‘naming names’ remains a question – sometimes the values of a teacher being different than students allow for a cross-generational exchange of ideas and attitudes that would all but dry up if student interest led all subject matter and content delivery. This said, anything a learner might perceive as irrelevant deserves close scrutiny.

Ultimately this small study does get at the ethics of teaching and what we believe in imparting—whether students would report they wish for it or not. So here are the findings of this preliminary research in a nutshell: All respondents reported at least 4-6 years of dance training with the overwhelming majority of respondents falling into the ‘over 10 years’ of training category. The average intensity of involvement was listed as 3 times a week for intensive technique classes or equally demanding rehearsals, with 25% of respondents noting that they engaged at this level with dance training for 4 or more classes a week regularly. So the respondents are not comprised of casual visitors to the field of dance.

Respondents noted in 86% of the cases that the majority of their teachers in modern/contemporary appeared to mix styles, so they were aware that fusing is happening. Moreover, 32% of the total polled said they would characterize 90% of their teachers as mixing sources of movement in teaching technique classes.

According to this data, a low percentage of dance teachers never explain the sources of movements, sequences or principles they are using in dance class.

Only 8% according to responses never explain anything in this regard. 75% of teachers sometimes explain. Only 17% usually explain origins or sources.

Apparently, whether teachers acknowledge others or not, they don’t overwhelmingly take credit for their content either. 27% reported never having a teacher claim ownership in any way of any material taught.

18% said teachers rarely claim ownership of material for themselves. 45% said that teachers occasionally claim august 15

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point of view

Ecuptatur? Sa quati rehent, quistibus volupidunt andem

“in dance we could have learned something from an individual person who herself was passing on someone else’s findings, an oral tradition, a book, a film, a company’s or group’s training method, a YouTube video, a conceptual framework or another field altogether”

NAME Kristin Kusanovich AGE 42

point of view

DANCE Contemporary

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She been teaching and performing modern dance for over twenty years.

Mrs. Kusanovich was certified in Children’s Creative Movement in New York, attended New York University, and has established vibrant programs in both Minnesota and California for children aged 3-10.

She currently is on the faculty of Santa Clara University’s Theater and Dance Department where she teaches all of the movement pedagogy classes.

ownership and no one said it was a usual circumstance.

Regarding sorting, while 15% of the students surveyed claimed that they would be able to usually sort out the origins of movements in a class with mixed sources, most students said they would not be able to sort out the origins of movement, with 40% saying they would sometimes, and 40% saying they would not be able to do it at all. The most fascinating finding for me was that 83% of the respondents said that overall, they would really prefer that their teachers would reference origins or name names as long as it doesn’t slow down or interrupt the flow of class. The remaining participants stated no preference. Though it was also an option, no one said they really like the idea of just dancing/moving/experiencing a blend of things and not having their teacher(s) referencing origins or naming names.

Though this article provides just a summary of some of the findings from this study, and though there is more research underway with a larger sample size, the findings

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here seem to imply that teachers ought to divulge more, not less, regarding their own influences along their own journey, without sacrificing the pacing and rigor of the technique class. The findings might lead us to question the common and highly acceptable practice of fusion without regard for sources, in which historical origins are rendered the purvey of dance history seminars alone. Today’s students seem to be in tune with the idea that they are connected to a history that is not always revealed to them in its fullness. Today’s teachers of modern/contemporary dance, in doing more to reflect on and reveal their own sources, may engage and enlighten a student’s sense of purpose, belonging and groundedness in the art form. Perhaps too, dancers who witness a teacher’s practice of naming names might be more likely to honor that teacher later for any enduring, unshakeable notions, approaches or forms that continue to enliven and inform their practice as artists. KK

august 15

photography VIRGINIA JOHNSON

DANCER

dancing with

Olga Kuraeva

by KINBERLY MANKY

We talked with the russian dancer Olga Kuraeva, to reveal you some of her contemporary dance thoughts, moves and her own work as a dancer.

NAME

Olga Kuraeva AGE

30

DANCE

Contemporary MUSIC

Bonobo A PLACE

Vienna dancing with

A CHOREOGRAPHER

043

Pina Bauch

A DANCER ADVICE

Dance the way you feel like.

Allow yourself to move your inner voice.

O

lga Kuraeva is one of the key visionaries of the Finnish dance scene. She has worked as a dancer, choreographer and teacher in Finland and abroad since 2010.

How old were you when you started dancing?

I was 9 years old when I started classical ballet but previous to this I did artistic gymnastics.

R: O:

Growing up, who were your influences as a child?

My mother was a huge influence. I also admire “Las Cuatro Joyas de Cuba� (the four jewels of Cuba), who were: Jose Fina Mendez, Mirta Pla, Aurora Bosch and my wonderful teacher Loipa Araujo. I would also like to R: O:

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give a huge thanks to my country, Cuba, which has had a strong cultural influence with regards to ballet.

When did you join the English National Ballet company?

O: 2006, seems like yesterday.

R:

What is your favourite kind of role and how do you prepare for it?

O: Don Quichotte is a real favourite. I prepare myself for a performance for at least 2/3 hours in advance. I like to have plenty of time to do my own make up and hair style. I also look for a quiet place to relax and think about the performance before it begins.

R:

august 15

DANCER

dancing with

“I prepare myself for a performance for at least 2/3 hours in advance” If you had not become a dancer, what might you be doing?

O: I think I would have liked to study psychology.

R:

R: O:

What do you wear for class/ rehearsals?

I like to pamper myself with lovely leotards and skirts.

What will be your next performance/role?

My next performance will be the Spanish dance in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcraker. dancing with

R: O:

045

What gives you the most pleasure in terms of dance?

O: I am a bit of a technique perfectionist but ultimately what gives me the most pleasure is to act and communicate with the audience. KM R:

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august 15

DANCER

on tour

Balerina Bag This month we were on the road with Hee Seo, and reveal you now photography SASHA MASLOV

her dancer routines and secrets

by SEUNGHEE SUH

look inside her bag Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile P E R F U M E Packages of Bloch pointe shoe R I B B O N S Three pairs of custom-made S H O E S from Bloch; two makeup POUCHES Vemma Thirst hydrating DRINK Salonpas capsicum patch Ms. Seo uses for her back

A NAME

Hee Seo AGE

30

DANCE

Ballet MUSIC

Chopin A PLACE

New York A CHOREOGRAPHER

Pina Bauch

A DANCER ADVICE

If you want to pursue dance in life, practice is not enough, you have to be obsessed and dance must be your addiction.

047

s a principal dancer with New York’s American Ballet Theatre, Hee Seo spends half the year on the road.

In recent months, she performed in “Swan Lake” in Australia, “Sleeping Beauty” in California and “Cinderella” in Washington, D.C. Starting this week, the 29-year-old will dance in nine different ballets during the company’s spring season at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House.

Ms. Seo began dancing at age 12 in her native Seoul. She joined ABT as an apprentice in 2005 and became the company’s first Korean principal dancer three years ago. Now that she spends about half her day en pointe, Ms. Seo totes around her essentials in a black, battered Fendi bag turned dance bag.

Her most important items are her custom-made pointe shoes from Bloch—Ms. Seo is an advertisement model for the manufacturer. She carries three to six new pairs a day and alternates them in class and rehearsals to break them in. Ms. Seo can go through a pair a day once the shoes become too soft to support her feet.

Her morning routine involves sewing the rib-

bons and elastics on a new pair of shoes.

Her pointe shoes kit is a Ziploc bag filled with ribbons from Bloch, a roll of elastics from Chacott, a needle and dental floss, which she uses instead of thread. (“It’s much stronger,” she says.) The company provides all of the items, including the shoes.

She carries around Salonpas capsicum patches to alleviate the back pain that has developed after 17 years of dancing. She uses a green massage ball to roll around her back and the balls of her feet.

Buried inside her bag are two perfume bottles: Acqua di Parma Rosa Nobile and Penhaligon’s Ellenisia. She spritzes them on after a quick shower during the five-minute breaks between rehearsals as a courtesy to her partner. “I wouldn’t want to dance with a sweaty partner,” she says.

Other items include a notebook where she jots down corrections from the ballet masters after rehearsals, Band-Aids for her feet and packets of Sqwincher energy drink. Her makeup pouch is filled with assorted lipsticks from Clinique and YSL, though she prefers a fresh face offstage. SS

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Biofreeze pain-relieving GEL Ms. Seo applies to her calves for muscle stiffness Bandage WRAPS Two massage BALLS Penhaligon’s Ellenisia PERFUME Packets of Sqwincher energy DRINK Altoids and Orbit GUM A ballerina NECKLACE given to her by a fan.

august 15

ON STAGE

BODY

Everything you need to know to have a dancer body

Naming Names

09

Bananas 011

The perfect bun 021

PILATES 021 The best workout for the perfect dancer body

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BODY

dancer workout

by Jessica Cassity

photography Alex Franco

Pilates

Pilates-Meets-Barre Workout for a Dancer’s Body

J

ohanna Crosby, a Pilates teacher and dancer tell us how pilates can be the best workout for a dancer and how it shapes our body.

Long legs and lean limbs aren’t reserved for bruised toes and headache-inducing hair buns; you can get the dancer’s body with these moves from Sadie Lincoln, creator of this workout and founder of barre3.

Using both a pilates ball and ballet barre, the moves gently sculpt the inner thighs, arms, and waist, and also improves flexibility and coordination. The ballet-pilates hybrid is all rooted in dance, so it uses some dancer lingo like ‘Port de bras’ (the soft-looking—but strong and stable—positioning of your arms, used in the Lateral Ball

How it works Slide and Dancer Slide) and ‘Releve’ (to lift the heels, used in the Narrow Bridge Lift, Cat-Cow, Dancer Slide, and Warrior III Core Hold) .

Do each move for 1 minute. Go slowly for the first 30 seconds, taking 2 counts to complete each part of each movement. (In ballet this is an adagio tempo.) Then, pick up your pace for the last 30 seconds and take just 1 count to do each part of each movement (an allegro pace). Each full run-through of the 8 moves will take about 13 minutes. Aim to complete 2 or 3 sets.

Want more?

Do the moves on your own, or follow along with Lincoln on our exclusive video:

HEAD-TO-TOE WORKOUT FROM BARRE 3

Get more ballet into your workout with this

KICKBOXING-BALLET FUSION WORKOUT

about JOHANNA When did you start dancing: When I was 6 years old. Never stoped since then. music: Lately I am listening to Sigur Ros food: I can not stop eating avocatos with honey what is your body advice: Treat it as your temple. Respect it and devote to it

SEE Johanns’s video at pulse.com/body/ health

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BODY

dancer workout

First Try

You will need 1. Body Bar 2. Pilates Ball swan on ball Lie faceup with ball under hips and arms on floor in a low “V” position, palms down. Draw abs in, slightly rounding lower back. Lift one leg and then the other so both legs extend up with feet over hips to start.

warrior

Stand facing barre with left foot forward in a high lunge (knee bent, right leg back and straight, heel lifted). Extend arms overhead with palms facing in to start.

BInhale. Exhale as you bend right knee toward floor, then lower arms out to sides at shoulder height and rotate torso right until left hand touches barre. Inhale, and reverse move.

Repeat for 1 minute. Switch sides; repeat.

SWAN ON BALL

incline core passe Lie faceup with ball under hips and arms on floor in a low “V” position, palms down. Draw abs in, slightly rounding lower back. Lift one leg and then the other so both legs extend up with feet over hips to start.

BInhale as you draw left foot toward right knee and reach leg right.

Exhale back to starting position.

Repeat on opposite side. Continue for 1 minute.

WARRIOR

PLAYLIST Let it Go – James Bay Hold Back the River – James Bay Trouble – Halsey Tremel – Glasser (Jamie XX Mix) push pull – Purity Ring Light a Fire – Rachel Taylor Yours – Ella Henderson

listen to it HERE pulse.com/ body/workout/ pilatesplaylist

INCLINE CORE PASSE 053

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august 15

beauty moves

How to make a perfect Bun Not sure how to make a bun? Follow these step by step instructions to help you make a secure bun.

B

efore you start, you will find it helpful to read all the instructions first, including the instructions on how to insert hairpins. A ballet bun generally sits in the centre of the back of the head and is not visible from the front.

The most effective pins for securing a bun are hairpins. Hairpins have several crimps (waves) in the middle of each prong, which help the pin grip the hair. The thicker, less flexible pins provide the strongest hold.

Bobby pins are best used to hold down flyaway hairs or fringes and to secure curls or plaits. To use the bobby pin, it is best to hold it with the raised prong on the top side and slightly open.

by KINBERLY MANKY

illustrations VIRGINIA JOHNSON

BODY

1.

Hair brush

elastic

4.

2.

You will need 3. Hair 6. Hair net 7.

Hair pins 8. Bobby pins

Long handled comb

Hairspray

5.

Hair gel

How to...

1. Hold the ponytail at the end and twist it firmly until it is all twisted into a rope. Then coil the ponytail into a flat circle around the hair elastic, continuing the coil in the same direction as the twist in the ponytail. This will stop the ponytail unravelling. Tuck the ends of the ponytail under the bun. Then place 3-4 hairpins around the bun to secure it, without taking your hands off the bun (see instructions for inserting hairpins). Next, place a hairnet over the bun. At this stage, you can make any adjustments to the shape of the bun.

2.Brush all the hair towards the centre back of the

head. Gather the hair into a tight ponytail and secure with an elastic band, ensuring that there are no bumps.

To stop frizzy and fly-away hairs, apply a small amount of gel evenly from the roots to the ends of the hair, with your fingers or with the comb. Brush or gel fringes back off the face and secure with bobby pins if necessary.

3.Hold the pin at the closed end, with the prongs facSEE the video at pulse.com/body/ health

055

ing the centre of the coil. Insert the prongs a little way into the edge of the bun, catching a small amount of the bun edge. Then turn the prongs in and back outwards to catch some of the hair outside the bun. Lastly, turn the prongs inwards again and push into the centre of the coil. Insert as many pins as you need to all around the edges of the bun, until it feels secure.

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august 15

BODY

dancer food

You'll never look at a banana the same way again after discovering the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet.

N

ot only do bananas rank among the fruits eaten the most, they are also by far the most cultivated kind of fruit on the planet, more than 100.000.000 tons are produced each year. Asia and Oceania are the main production areas.

95-97% of the harvest goes directly on the fresh market while the remaining amount is used for processing Numerous edible varieties exist which can be divided into two main categories: the dessert banana (Musa sapient, Musa nana) that comes in many sizes and colors (from yellow to pink or even black), and the plantain banana (Musa paradisiacal).

The “Cavendish banana” is probably the best-known variety, as it is marketed under the brand name “Chiquita”.

There is hardly any professional sportsman out there who hasn’t already been caught snacking on a banana, and for good reason! The yellow fruit provides essential nutrients that help increase stamina and reduce the risk of cramps.

Wrapped in the most natural kind of packaging, the banana is rich in potassium, magnesium and vitamin C, plus has fewer calories than you would guess from its sweet taste.

In addition, bananas provide impressive medical benefits. High in potassium, bananas are officially FDA -recognized to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke. Also, bananas not only reduce PMS symptoms but also help to overcome bad temper due to their high levels of tryptophan, an amino acid, which is converted into serotonin, i.e. the neurotransmitter that makes you happy!

dancer food

by KINBERLY MANKY

photography VIRGINIA JOHNSON

Body Bananas

057

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august 15

BODY

dancer food

05 you get smarter Potassium-packed fruit helps learning because it makes the pupils more alert. Students find that they have more brain power and do better on exams when they eat bananas at breakfast and lunch.

06 good for blood Vitamin B6 in bananas is useful in the hemoglobin and antibodies development in the blood.

10

07 iron body

Healthy Banana’s facts

01

Bananas are rich in iron too, and can help individuals with anemia.

Iron rich foods, such as bananas help stimulate production of hemoglobin in the blood.

02

you get stronger

nervous system

Potassium in the bananas helps in reducing the risk of osteoporosis by reducing the calcium deficiency.

Bananas also consists a compound known as fructooliosaccharide, which encourages the growth the beneficial bacteria in the colon to absorb calcium

Regular banana eating reduces the risk of deaths by stroke by about 40%

eye sight

03

Regular consumption of bananas can prevent the macular degeneration development which is responsible for the loss of vision in most adults.

menstrual disorder Cooked banana flower along with curd is a very good remedy for menstrual disorders. Banana flower raises progesterone with can reduce the bleeding.

09

04

energy up Bananas suply proper carbonhydrates necessary to replace the muscle glycogen (muscle sugar)

10 makes you happier Bananas release a mood regulating substance called tryptophan which is converted to serotonin in the brain and thus elevates mood and makes you happier.

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bowel health Bananas are high soluble fiber which helps to restore and maintain regular bowel function.

MORE HEALTHY FOODS

visit us at: pulse.com/body/ health

august 15

BODY

dancer food

Start your day, gluten free These simple pancakes have just 5 ingredients, take minutes to make, and are guaranteed to please.

2 large bananas, peeled ½ cup Sunbutter 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon baking powder Grapeseed or vegetable oil, for cooking time

cost

per serving

$$ cost

• Calories: 56.9 • Fat: 3.6 g • Protein: 2.6 g • Carb: 5.5 g • Fiber: 2.4 g • Sugar: 0.3 g • Sodium: 92.7 (without salt) A gluten free, nut free, dairy free recipe that makes 12 pancakes.

Preheat the oven to 200ºF. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add the Sunbutter, eggs, and baking powder. Mix well.

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat until a drop of water sprinkled on the pan sizzles immediately.

Brush the pan with oil and let heat for a few seconds.

Ladle ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the pan for each 061

pancake. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the edges appear dry, about 5 minutes. Gently flip and cook for another minute or until the bottoms are browned and the pancakes feel firm to the touch.

Keep the cooked pancakes warm in the oven while preparing the rest. Serve warm.

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SEE more recipes at pulse.com/body/ recipes

august 15

ON STAGE

InPULSE

We tell you what’s going on in the stage of technology, fashion, music and more

INSTAGRAM 021 The most inspiring instagram accounts that we are now following

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to tech

Keep tuned & focused

We selected some of the best products on the market to keep you updated on tech

by KINBERLY MANKY

photography VIRGINIA JOHNSON

InPulse

Watch Out! Then recently watch from Apple, is the new gadget you want to keep you tuned watch more at www.applestore.com

Say Daaaance!

Then recently watch from Apple, is the new gadget you want to keep you tuned watch more at www.applestore.com

Listen Then recently watch from Apple, is the new gadget you want to keep you tuned watch more at www.applestore.com

listen again Then recently watch from Apple, is the new gadget you want to keep you tuned watch more at www.applestore.com

H

ow we raise children, handle our money, manage our health or nurture both our personal and professional lives, we must always be tending to it. Living our lives is a journey, and so therefore, is maintaining the balance. If we want to improve, change our course or help our children and society grow, movement in a certain direction will be

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august 15

InPulse

to listen

On the playlist We select some of the best artists to listen to while you dance. photography VIRGINIA JOHNSON

LISTEN mONO

by KINBERLY MANKY

chet faker built on Glass year : 2015 notes: Overgrown, Blake has matured as a singer and composer, sprinkling shades of Joni, hip hop and R&B over his most sophisticated production yet. genre: instrumental, neoclassic best music to dance: Life Round Here

to my parents year : 2013 notes: Overgrown, Blake has matured as a singer and composer, sprinkling shades of Joni, hip hop and R&B over his most sophisticated production yet.

OLAFUR ARNALDS

the chopin project

genre: indie, r&b,electronic

year : 2015

Do the moves on your own, or follow along with Lincoln on our exclusive video: Head-to-Toe Sculpting Workout from Barre3.

Get more ballet into your workout with this Kickboxing-Ballet Fusion WorkoutOpie iam et; es rei pulla in Etriti, conum publina, publis estia Simus sente facis inem ne invo, dem ium consil vervigna, vidi, nem pubis sunum senderessum

best music to dance: Life Round Here

notes: German-Japanese pianist Alice Sara Ott to join him in the development of what would inevitably become the full-on release of The Chopin Project

Let it Go James Bay

genre: instrumental, neoclassic

Hold Back the River James Bay

best music to dance: Verses

Trouble Halsey

James Blake

sigur ros valtari

overgrown year : 2013

notes: Overgrown, Blake has matured as a singer and composer, sprinkling shades of Joni, hip hop and R&B over his most sophisticated production yet. genre: indie, r&b,electronic best music to dance: Life Round Here

067

year : 2014 notes: Overgrown, Blake has matured as a singer and composer, sprinkling shades of Joni, hip hop and R&B over his most sophisticated production yet.

HOZIER hozier year : 2014 notes: Overgrown, Blake has matured as a singer and composer, sprinkling shades of Joni, hip hop and R&B over his most sophisticated production yet. genre: instrumental, neoclassic best music to dance: Frozen

genre: indie, r&b,electronic best music to dance: Varúð

Tremel Glasser (Jamie XX Mix) push pull Purity Ring Light a Fire Rachel Taylor Yours Ella Henderson Tremel Glasser (Jamie XX Mix) push pull Purity Ring Light a Fire Rachel Taylor Yours Ella Henderson

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august 15

InPulse

to follow

This month we are following this dancers’ instagram accounts.

Nissian

Nissian

@nisian

@nisian

by KINBERLY MANKY

photography VIRGINIA JOHNSON

Feeling inspired by

Nissian

Nissian

Nissian

@nisian

@nisian

@nisian

Nissian

Nissian

@nisian

Nissian

@nisian

@nisian

SEE how to enter hashtag us to let us know your account.

Nissian

@nisian 069

Nissian

Nissian

@nisian

@nisian

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know more at

pulse.com

august 15

InPulse

in art

Dance (I)

by KINBERLY MANKY

photography VIRGINIA JOHNSON

A monumental image of joy and energy, Dance is also strikingly daring.

ARTIST

Henri Matisse French 1869–1954 CLASSIFICATION

I

n March 1909, Matisse received a commission from the Russian merchant Sergei Shchukin for two large decorative panels, Dance and Music (now in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg). This painting was made quickly as a compositional study for Dance, which was intended to hang on the landing of a staircase, approached from the lower right. This may be why the lower figure leans into the painting, increasing the sense of movement, and why the figure at left is so large, slowing it. Drawing visible beneath the paint shows that Matisse started with two smaller figures where the large figure is now.

Painting Oil on canvas

FIND ME AT

The Museum of Modern Art MoMA 11 West 53 street, New York, USA

DATE

Paris, Boulevard des Invalides 1909

071

@ LEARN MORE AT www.moma.org

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august 15

iceland a place to disconnect

by SHANNON ABLES

ph o tog ra phy SHANNON ABLES

I

Iceland and marks the boundary between the Atlantic and Artic oceans, while straddling the mid-atlantic ridge.

It’s volcanically-active, rugged landscape is characterized by an abundance of striking lava field, mountains and glaciers.

In Southern Iceland, warm earthy tones mottle the rugged terrain, wild horse roam, and lone churges provide an awakening sense of scale to the vast landscape.

Along the south coast, the crisp black sand beaches of vik stretch out to the horizon, a contrast with the soft watery blues of the lapping waves. During Spring, in the North west of the island, the troll peninsula is coated with a blanket of powder white snow, the shoreline ridges casting a cool light on the Artic Ocean beyond.

warm earthy tones mottle the rugged terrain, wild horse roam, and lone churges provide an awakening sense of scale to the vast landscape

on this page Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio v

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on this page Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio v

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2

1

3

1.

Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium qui 2. abore vollorum eatem quid quodio 3. moleserferem earuptate pa nam quis et, sum dolum invelicta alitatest, 4. utati deri nis eati ut ommolup taturendist dit quo inumqui voluptus et, ipsam idis sequi ut labo. 5. Nem velestotas

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august 15

warm earthy tones mottle the rugged terrain, wild horse roam, and lone churges provide an awakening sense of scale to the vast landscape

5

4

Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio vel invendi tVoluptatur rescipsum nus voluptaspedi oditem atem ere, comniaspedit et

Our Trip My boyfriend and I spent a week driving along the Southern Coast and Western Peninsula of Iceland, with a few days reserved in between for the city of Reykjavik.

From the moment we left the airport, we were surrounded by breathtaking, otherworldly beauty. We got out of the car often — sometimes to see the big attractions (the Skógafoss and Gulfoss waterfalls, the Great Geysir), and at other times just to pet roadside ponies, climb a little mountain, or marvel at how small we felt in the vastness of the terrain.

Although it was below freezing during the entirety of our trip, we swam in many hot springs. Our meals consisted mostly of skyrr and fish stew. You quickly learn that there’s only so much you can plan for, as Iceland is the kind of place where it’s best to simply go with the flow. One of our favourite nights ended up being in a completely empty guesthouse in the middle of nowhere.

We watched the sky turn pink and ambled in the surrounding fields. The Snæfellsnes peninsula was also a highlight, and our favourite town was Stykkishólmur: a little harbour town with a huge marina and a bright orange lighthouse.

Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio v

Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio vel invendi t

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on this page Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio v

right page Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio v

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august 15

warm earthy tones mottle the rugged terrain, wild horse roam, and lone churges provide an awakening sense of scale to the vast landscape

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082

Our Tips How to go

Loc, ma, C. Etiam publi, unihilicus conum imus forbitisum, des? quam finatum interferitem taris, querio esedo, quast es auro vignatq uemquidem, nin

Where to stay

Henri Matisse French Etiam publi, unihilicus conum forbitisum, des? quam finatum i querio esedo, quast es auro vignatq

Where to eat Henri Matisse French Etiam publi, unihilicus conum forbitisum, des? quam finatum i querio esedo, quast es auro vignatq

Informations

Henri Matisse French Etiam publi, unihilicus conum forbitisum, des? quam finatum i querio esedo, quast es auro vignatq on this page

Special dancer tip

Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio v

For our trip we brought Etiam publi, unihilicus conum forbitisum, des? quam finatum i querio esedo, quast es auro vignatq

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right page Nihicias picipsuntius si reri to verorrum Mendi ab ium quiOd eaturio v

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discover

OURO COLLECTIVE

A dance collective that uses street dance vocabulary as a foundation for the creation and production of new work.

by CHARLOTTE HUDSON

photography JOURDAN TYMKOW

2

1

O

1. Mark Siller 2.

Maiko Myauchi 3.

Ouro Collective for Jourdan Tymkow 4.

Cristina Bucci 5. Rina Pellerin 6. Dean Placzek

Ouro is a Vancouver-based dance collective that uses street dance vocabulary as a foundation for the creation and production of new work. The diverse dance background of each five members is used as a catalyst for creation through constant exchange, dialogue and collaboration to generate an innovative movement aesthetic that aims to offer a unique experience to the viewer.

The name OURO comes from the Greek word, Ouroboros, which often symbolizes self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself. In the context of the arts, this is the ultimate goal: infinite creation.

After receiving support from the BC Arts Council the collective made its official start in September of 2014.

Their first collaboration presented itself in November 2014 with photographer Jourdan Tymkow using OURO as subjects for her project, An Embedded Memory. From this process OURO created a site-specific work, which was presented at Serpens Gallery and served as the premier for both OURO and Miss Tymkow.

OURO is currently working on their next creation as a collective entitled, M. Sessions. This piece shows the

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research that the collective has done through the past eight months on the amalgamation of hip hop, breaking, popping, locking, waacking and contemporary movement. Guided by their mentor, Amber Funk-Barton the collective also explores various choreographic techniques for the development of movement that is unique to OURO. The collective has performed excerpts of M. Sessions for Launch at Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre through Dezza Dance, at their feature show/gathering at Kits House and at BC Buds Spring Festival through the Firehall Arts Centre. Coming performances include, Drink.

Eat. Play. at the Firehall Arts Centre on June 18th and at Dancing on the EDGE on July 10th and 11th.

OURO’s vision is to bridge the gap between the urban and formal dance/arts community by fostering an inclusive dance environment and experience where artists of various mediums and the public can engage in. They work on pushing the boundaries on how street dance based works are creating and presented.

Through the constant organic movement of OURO Dance Collective, similarities with the environment are noticeable down to an elemental level. It is critical that august 15

3

4

“

The name OURO comes from the Greek word, Ouroboros, which often symbolizes self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself.

In the context of the arts, this is the ultimate goal: infinite creation.

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On this page Rina Pellerin, Mark Siller, Maiko Myauchi, Dean Placzek, Cristina Bucci Right page Ouro Collective performing for Jourdan Tymkow

are creating and presented. Through the constant organic movement of OURO Dance Collective, similarities with the environment are noticeable down to an elemental level. It is critical that we value our relationship with our community, including the landscape and the animals who live within it.

Who are OURO COLLECTIVE Cristina is a versatile Vancouver based urban dancer, choreographer and teacher whose career has taken her around the globe. She started as a self taught dancer with her formal training starting as a teenager.

Since then she has trained in Vancouver, Los Angeles and London, England in various street dance styles and jazz. The past 16 years have been dedicated to sharing dance with a wide demographic of people. She has worked with women and children in Vancouver’s downtown eastside, was head of the outreach dance program for Kidsafe and frequently teaches workshops at elementary and high schools. Her new focus is on creating new works and to continue training in her new found passion for contemporary/modern techniques.

Dean has been studying the art of breaking/bboying for the last 11 years. He has devoted this time to developing his skill and artistry within the dance as well as furthering his knowledge of the mentality and approach of the dance and culture of Hip Hop. Over the years, Dean has dabbled in many other dance forms, such as popping, house, and waacking and these influences can be seen, fused within his style in the context of breaking. Dean also continues to teach and spread his knowledge of hip hop and breaking culture as much as possible with various outreach programs such as BlueprintForLife. Dean is committed to spreading the artistry and the DANCE aspect of breaking as well as helping tear down the negative misconceptions about breaking and hip hop culture in general.

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OURO’s vision is to bridge the gap between the urban and formal dance/arts community by fostering an inclusive dance environment and experience where artists of various mediums and the public can engage in.

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On this page Rina Pellerin, Mark Siller, Maiko Myauchi, Dean Placzek, Cristina Bucci Right page Ouro Collective performing for Jourdan Tymkow

Maiko began her dance at 4 years old training at the Ecole de Ballet Classic and Tokyo Junior Ballet company in Japan. She carried on with ballet through high school but longed to experience dance in another country. She immersed herself in the jazz and hip hop community. Maiko soon began working with artists like Young MC, Elise Estrada, Cory Lee, Econoline Crush, and dancing for the Canadian Football League. Her tv and film credits include, Sucker Punch, Once Upon A Time, Hellcats, John Tucker Must Die, The Sorority Wars, Caprica, Impulse, Grave Halloween and Black Sash. In addition to working on screen, Maiko has become extremely passionate about contemporary dance and is part of the successful Canadian contemporary group The 605 Collective.

Rina immersed herself in street dance after graduating from high school. She has since trained in Hip Hop, Hustle, Vogue, Locking, and found her niche when she discovered Waacking. She has traveled across Canada and the U.S.A to train with some of the pioneers of street dance, and is determined to spread her knowledge and grow with her community. She is the co-director of Vancouver’s Waacking group, Konichiwaack, and has performed with various groups in Edmonton, San Diego, Seattle, New York, and Portland.

Mark has been fascinated by creative movement for over 12 years now. Inspired by Jackie Chan and old martial arts films. As his interest developed and matured he became obsessed with music and it’s connection to movement which gave it meaning. Honest expression, self knowledge and it’s resultant creativity is to him held in the utmost importance. He believes that through these means along with a firm understanding of the history and foundation of the dances and cultures you’re involved in, you can leave your mark on the world as a dancer and artist.

Mark recently became part of “BlueprintForLife” a company that practices social work through hip-hop in underprivileged communities, and puts on week long workshops with 100+ kids.

Mark hopes to continue learning, teaching and exchanging on his journey through dance, making new connections and friends as well as taking on new challenges and creative pursuits. CH

OURO COLLECTIVE dancing around july.

25-30. Vancouver

dance fest 30. Montreal jazz for all 13-14. Impulz Tanz, Vienna 20. Budapest

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discover more dance at ourocollective.com

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a po i n te

to r ememb er In spired by th e pa ssi on for d an ce and the appreciation of ballet as an ar t for m , tal en ted d esig n ers len d th eir gen erosity to h elp engage th e ball et community aroun d Au stralia . b y ADELAIDE GLAM

p h o t o g r a p h y PETER FISHER

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Friends of The Australian Ballet SA (FABSA) in 2013 planned a fundraising venture they referred to as Create.

Create. was the brainchild and hard work of committee members Michelle Lesley, Miranda Hodge and Rachel Gelis. An idea conceived, literally around the kitchen table, the project grew organically. With the support of Bloch Australia the Friends of The Australian Ballet approached over 30 Australian designers from fashion and interior design to artists and jewelers.

Like many little treasures that hail from South Australia, Create. grew beyond its humble beginnings with brands such as Sass and Bide, Perri Cutten, Akira Isogawa and Rachel Gilbert and design experts like Sybella Court, Michelle Leslie and even celebrity Hair dressers such as Sydney’s Brad Ngata clamoring to embrace the ‘invitation to Create.’.

It was an exciting amalgamation of fashion, art, design and of course ballet.

The excitement generated by the Create. 2013 project saw the collection being individually auctioned at Bonhams in Sydney.

In 2015 Create. is back with a slightly different feel. With a strong South Australian contingent, we are celebrating all things wonderful and clever about South Australian fashion, art and design. Of course the excitement generated in 2013 was hard to contain, and this year we welcome back a few interstate designers.

A particularly exciting addition to the Create. stable this year is the offering designed and decorated by Bensimon. Albert Bensimon and his Sydney based team (and daughter) Tanya Hamersfeld and Hollie Sweet have literally taken the Create. concept to a whole new level. Inspired by the architecture, history and of course the romance of Paris they have encrusted a Bloch pointe shoe with diamonds, pearls, sapphires, silver, gold, moonstones, topaz, opals and hand carved cameos. Hand made Italian silver and rose gold wings complete their creation making it such a valuable piece of art in itself.

Fiesta Si Si, Alice Potter

Our shoe celebrates the simultaneous delicacy and strength of the ballerina.

Custom Digital Printed satin in a nest of laser cut floral steel wiring.

Dark Angel, Sally Phillips

Our shoe celebrates the simultaneous delicacy and strength of the ballerina.

Custom Digital Printed satin in a nest of laser cut floral steel wiring.

The Defiable, Tiff Manuell

Our shoe celebrates the simultaneous delicacy and strength of the ballerina.

Custom Digital Printed satin in a nest of laser cut floral steel wiring.

Baby It’s Cold Outside, Catie Nicholas

The creation of “Juliet “ the Pointe shoe is inspired from my childhood and present memories watching the magic of The Australian Ballet performances, being in awe of the classical form and its beauty as I am still to this day. Hand Painted Bloch Pointe Shoe..

This pointe shoes raised funds for Act For Kids to preventing and treating child abuse and neglect the kids

Sleeping Beauty, Cinquante

The creation of “Juliet “ the Pointe shoe is inspired from my childhood and present memories watching the magic of The Australian Ballet performances, being in awe of the classical form and its beauty as I am still to this day. Hand Painted Bloch Pointe Shoe..

Cuore Di Oro,

Caterina Veracalli

The creation of “Juliet “ the Pointe shoe is inspired from my childhood and present memories watching the magic of The Australian Ballet performances, being in awe of the classical form and its beauty as I am still to this day. Hand Painted Bloch Pointe Shoe..

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POinte tory

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It all began with a promise...

Jacob Bloch, a shoemaker by trade, immigrated to Australia from Lithuania in 1931 during the height of The Great Depression. Two years later he had saved enough funds to bring out his wife and three children.

Jacob’s love of music, theatre and dancing took him to the local ballet schools and at one of these schools he noticed a young dancer struggling to stay en pointe. Jacob promised he would make her a better pair of pointe shoes to dance in, and so he did. It was 1932 when the first Bloch ballet shoes were made in a candle lit workshop in Paddington, Sydney. At that time, Paddington was a far cry from the fashionable and affluent area that it is today.

Jacob’s reputation for making high-quality dance shoes spread rapidly. In the late 1930s many overseas ballet companies toured Australia, including.

The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Jacob made shoes for many of these visiting Russian ballerinas, including Olga Spessivtseva, Tamara Toumanova, Irina Baranova, David Lichine, Tatiana Riabouchinskaya and Helene Kirsova, all to their own specifications.

His effort was so successful that it generated the creation of a full range of dance products. Since that time the rapid growth of Bloch’s reputation has established the brand as one of the most trusted within the industry.

Quite simply, Bloch’s dance DNA is in every product we make. Today Bloch is fulfilling the promise made by its founder all those years ago. AG find more dance at bloch.com.au

r e at e

project

2015 On Tuesday July 7, The Advertiser Foundation and The Australian Ballet held a Gala Luncheon in the Ballroom at the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide and beautifully designed Ballet Pointe Shoes were unveiled to the guests.

The event took place to support and raise funds for The Australian Ballet (Children’s Productions) and Act For Kids (preventing and treating child abuse and neglect) As a part of the beautiful lunch, the stunning CREATE. project Ballet Pointe Shoes, were unveiled and put to silent auction. From some of Australia’s leading designers, to well known artists, each shoe was different and its own unique piece of art.

Dreams Come True, Heide & Stewart

The creation of “Juliet “ the Pointe shoe is inspired from my childhood and present memories watching the magic of The Australian Ballet performances, being in awe of the classical form and its beauty as I am still to this day.

ThE birtH of A dance

MARTHA GRAHAM

The story of the woman who gave birth to the Modern Dance Movement b y SHANNON ABLES

p h o t o g r a p h y SHANNON ABLES

M

Martha Graham’s impact on dance was staggering and often compared to that of Picasso’s on painting, Stravinsky’s on music, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s on architecture. Her contributions transformed the art form, revitalizing and expanding dance around the world. In her search to express herself freely and honestly, she created the Martha Graham Dance Company, one of the oldest dance troupes in America. As a teacher, Graham trained and inspired generations of fine dancers and choreographers. Her pupils included such greats as Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, and countless other performers, actors, and dancers. She collaborated with some of the foremost artists of her time including the composer Aaron Copland and the sculptor Isamu Noguchi.

Born in 1894 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Graham spent most of her formative years on the West coast. Her father, a doctor specializing in nervous disorders, was very interested in diagnosis through attention to physical movement. This belief in the body’s ability to express its inner senses was pivotal in Graham’s desire to dance. Athletic as a young girl, Graham did not find her calling until she was in her teens. In 1911, the ballet dancer Ruth St. Denis performed at the Mason Opera House in Los Angeles. Inspired by St. Denis’ performance, Graham enrolled in an arts-oriented junior college, and later to the newly opened Denishawn School.

Denishawn was founded by Ruth St. Denis and her husband Ted Shawn to teach techniques of American and world dance. Over eight years, as both a student and an instructor, Graham made Denishawn her home.

Working primarily with Ted Shawn, Graham improved her technique and began dancing profession-

Martha dancing with her students in her dance school.

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first experimentations at Eastman proved to be

the sparks of a new mode of dance that would revolutionize theories of movement in all of the performing arts

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One this page: Martha and Madonna at eos autaquia con nos expero volupta; Martha performing the lamentation at ctor alignih illabore, quis sequi tem sam Right page Martha dancing with her students in her dance school.

ally. In “Xochital�, a dance made specifically for her by Shawn, Graham danced the role of an attacked Aztec maiden. It was the wildly emotional performance of this role that garnered her first critical acclaim. By 1923, eight years after entering Denishawn, she was ready to branch out. She found her chance dancing in the vaudeville revue Greenwich Village Follies. At the Greenwich Village Follies, Graham was able to design and choreograph her own dances. Though this work provided her with some economic and artistic independence, she longed for a place to make greater experiments with dance. It was then that she took a position at the Eastman School of Music, where she was free of the constraints of public performance. At Eastman, Graham was given complete control over her classes and the entire dance program. Graham saw this as an opportunity to engage her best pupils in the experiential dance she was beginning to create.

These first experimentations at Eastman proved to be the sparks of a new mode of dance that would revolutionize theories of movement in all of the performing arts. For Graham, ballet’s concern with flow and grace left behind more violent traditional passions. Graham believed that through spastic movements, tremblings, and falls she could express emotional and spiritual themes ignored by other dance. She desired to evoke strong emotions, and achieved these visceral responses through the repetition of explicitly sexual and violently disjunctive movements.

Beginning with her Eastman students, she formed the now famous Martha Graham School for Contemporary Dance

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martha believed that through spa s t i c movements, tremblings, and falls she could express emotional and spiritual themes ignored by other dance

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in New York. One of the early pieces of the company was “Frontier” (1935), a solo performance about the pioneer woman. This piece brought together the two men who would be close collaborators throughout her life. Isamu Noguchi, the Japanese-American sculptor, created a sparse and beautiful design that replaced flat backdrops with three-dimensional objects. Together Graham and Noguchi revolutionized set design through this inclusion of sculpture. “Frontier” also included the sound design of Louis Horst, a close friend and strong influence throughout Graham’s life.

Soon after “Frontier”,Graham brought a young ballet dancer named Erick Hawkins into the company.

Together they appeared in one of her major works, “American Document” (1938). For the next ten years he would remain with the company and perform in many

Left page Martha dancing with her students in her dance school.

One this page, from top to bottom: Martha and Madonna at eos autaquia con nos expero volupta; Martha performing the lamentation at ctor alignih illabore, quis sequi tem sam

of her great pieces. The most famous work from this period was “Appalachian Spring” (1944), for which Aaron Copland wrote the score. In 1948 Graham and Hawkins married, but the marriage was short-lived. They continued to work together for a while and then made a permanent break. After this break, Graham plunged deeper into her work and in 1955 presented the world with one of her greatest pieces, “Seraphic Dialogue”.

“Seraphic Dialogue” was a powerful and moving version of the story of Joan of Arc. Throughout Graham’s career she would return again and again to the struggles and triumphs of both great and ordinary women.

Despite her age, she continued to dance throughout the 60s. It was not until 1969 that Graham announced her retirement from the stage.

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it’s permitting life to use you in a very intense way. sometimes it is not pleasant.

Sometimes it is fearful, But nevertheless it is inevitable

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For Graham, however, life away from dance was impossible. Though no longer able to perform she continued to teach and choreograph until her death in 1991. It is nearly impossible to track the influence of Martha Graham. Everyone from Woody Allen to Bette Davis cites her as a major influence. She is universally understood to be the twentieth century’s most important dancer, and the mother of modern dance. She performed at the White House for Franklin Roosevelt, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honor. She was the first choreographer to regularly employ both Asian- and African-American Dancers. Her contributions to the art of stage design and dance production are countless. Martha Graham’s continued experimentation and her constant attention to human emotion, frailty, and perseverance, is one of the greatest individual achievements in American cultural history.

THE DANCE COMPANY Martha Graham and her Company have expanded contemporary dance’s vocabulary of movement and forever altered the scope of the art form by rooting works in contemporary social, political, psychological, and sexual contexts, deepening their impact and resonance.

Always a fertile ground for experimentation, Martha Graham Dance Company has been an unparalleled resource in nurturing many of the leading choreographers and dancers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Merce Cunningham, Erick Hawkins, Pearl Lang, Pascal Rioult, and Paul Taylor. Graham’s repertoire of 181 works has also engaged noted performers such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Claire Bloom, Margot Fonteyn, Liza Minnelli, Rudolf Nureyev, Maya Plisetskaya, and Kathleen Turner. Her groundbreaking techniques and unmistakable style have earned the Company acclaim from audiences in more than 50 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

THE DANCE COMPANY The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance has the distinction of being the longest continuously operating school of dance in America and is a charter member of the accrediting organization, the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Students come from around the world to study at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, the only school primarily focused upon teaching the Martha Graham Technique and Repertory. JK

we recomend...

“Blood Memor y” is an excellent introduction into not only the dance world, but the world of a dancer “Blood Memory” is the story of Martha Graham, from a difficult childhood in the American West and her “wild” days in the Greenwich Village Follies to her own company that began with only two students. Her views on dance are interspersed with anecdotes about Charlie Chaplin, Louise Brooks, Indira Gandhi, Margot Fonteyn, Woody Allen, the Pope and Madonna including her collaborative relationships with Isamu Noguchi, Halston, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Louis Horst..

T itle: Blood Memory Author: Martha Graham Publisher : Doubleday; 1st edition August 1, 1991

FINAL POSE

Intersections

by ALEX FRANCO

photography BERTILL NILLSON

A monumental project from Bertill Nillson, that explores the shades and shapes upon human body intersections and architecture.

NEXT ISSUE Next month, Pulse will dance around INTERSECTIONS. If you have ideas, thoughts or just wanna say hello

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