media
media, cotd. — performance photos
media, cotd. — performance photos
media, cotd. — performance photos
media, cotd. — performance photos
praise for
THE WAY YOU MOVE YOUR BODY
“It is everything I love about theatre.....it’s bold, it’s brave, it complicated, it’s thrilling, it’s joyful.” — STEVEN WILSON, M . F. A . C A N D I DAT E
“I managed to get to a half-dozen performances over the week of the New Works Festival and thought most of them were very good, each in its own way. But The Way You Move Your Body was the most courageous, risky, and viscerally moving of all the work I saw. Courageously conceived, courageously performed, and courageously presented to your audience.” — DOUGL A SS DEMPSTER, D E A N O F T H E CO L L EG E O F F I N E A R T S
“It was so interesting, different, uncomfortable, and happy. I have thought about it a lot and I think you totally accomplished what you set out to do…make us examine our attitudes, especially the fear, of people that are different. What has really stuck with me is how the person that I thought to be the most disabled and “scary” in the beginning seemed to be the most warm and joyful in real life. I hope I will always remember what you showed me Thursday night. It was a great evening.” — PETIE LEWIS, CO M M U N I T Y M E M B E R
participant quote
“The Way You Move Your Body has been a memorable moment of growth in my life. To look past the aesthetics of the body and find the core, the pure passion for movement, is what this this piece brings to the table. I was humbled by the opportunity to work with a mixed abilities cast because it showed me that anybody can dance, the expression of movement is universal, to share it with everyone is truly a life-altering experience.” — M O RG A N TAY LO R , DA N C ER
Audience Response
“This was the single most inspiring and brave piece of art I’ve ever seen. I will carry this piece with me always.” “BR AVERY! Celebration! Inclusivity! Community! JOY! Thank you for sharing all these!”
“Touching, moving, necessary, beautiful.”
“AS BOTH family and friend to people with mixed abilities, this piece was incredible. This show should tour, everyone needs to see this.” “THIS piece changed me.” “CHALLENGING, then exuberant.”
“I WAS MOST MOVED by the moments of vulnerability and intimacy. I thought about how we all have things about ourselves that we sometimes consider a disability. The beauty of the piece was seeing each person’s body be touched, held, and proudly shared.”
project description
The Way You Move Your Body is an evening length dance-theatre piece featuring a cast and team of diverse bodytypes, ages, backgrounds, and experiences. Lucy Kerr was inspired to create this piece a couple years ago after suffering from multiple injuries that prevented her from dancing in the technical and classical forms she was trained in. It was during this time that Lucy began to think about people with extreme physical limitations; people that will forever be foreclosed from participating in technical forms of dance and will always be marginalized when trying to navigate public space. In response to these prejudices, Lucy wanted to create a work in which conventional notions of dance, disability, and aesthetics would be suspended and the audience would be lead to appreciate the unique rhythms and movement possibilities of diverse bodies. After doing a significant amount of research on disability studies in performance, Lucy created this work as part of her Philosophy Honors and B.A. Theatre and Dance Thesis. Her written Thesis applies social theories to disability in performance, examining how categories of “normal” and “abnormal” body-types create ingrained prejudices which can be both enforced and challenged through physical performance. The Way You Move Your Body premiered this past March as a “must see” event at The 2013 Cohen New Works Festival presented by the University Co-op.
The Way You Move Your Body seeks to take the audience on a journey through the unique experiences, struggles, and joys of the mixed-ability dancers. The piece interrogates and dissolves body fears, assumptions, categories, and prejudices in a courageous work that brings the audience out of its comfort zone in order to recognize the ills of a prejudiced society and realize the hopes for creating a more integrated community. The first section of this piece is a comment on disability stereotypes and the traditional representation of disability in performance, which has presented disabled people as grotesque, comical, inhuman, asexual and pitiful in the context of the freak show and popular movies. The dancers push through oppressive social perceptions into the second section of this work, in which “normal” and “abnormal” categories are dissolved in a final celebration of difference.
production excerpt
“There are three major ways people see me: like I should be locked up away from society, like I’m so courageous for doing everything I do, or like I’m some poor thing that needs fixing. I think, feel, and dream like everyone else. I do face unique challenges, but that doesn’t make my life any harder. Most people are too busy to take a deep breath, but my disability has taught me to enjoy the little things in life. I just wish people would see me as a person, not the disability.” —SUSIE ANGEL (SCENE II.II)
cast and crew
Created and Directed by Lucy Kerr Choreographed & Written by Lucy Kerr & Company COMPANY Susie Angel, Morgan Taylor, Tanya Winters, Jamie Schanbaum, Juanita Butler, Juan Munoz, Joey Gaona, Jack Leahy, Reema Bounajem
ACCOMPANIST Mic Vredenburgh
DRAMATURGY Lucy Kerr & Jack Leahy
ADVISOR
PR/GRAPHIC DESIGN, PROGRAM & POSTER DESIGN Raquel Breternitz
VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER Meg Seidel Sam Nicole Ortega Charlie Pearce
COSTUME DESIGN Lucy Kerr & Kirsten Schröder
Rebecca Rossen
PERFORMANCE EDITORS
SET DESIGN/BUILD
Chuyun Oh, Steven Wilson, Brett Tribe, Emily Stout
Lance Green & Daniel Berkowitz
SOUND DESIGN Lucy Kerr
LIGHTING DESIGN Gavin Cantrell
STAGE MANAGER Brett Tribe
MUSIC emptywhale, Another Neglected Hobby, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Tocher, Coolio, No Way Out, “Pop Music Mix” by Lucy Kerr and Michael McNamera, and Clive Tanaka Y Su Orquesta
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PAGE 12
UNIVERSITY
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Lawmakers defend Powers press THE DAILY TEXAN featured photo
Local c joins advoc gay ri
By Joshua Fechter
State Sen. Kevin Eltife, R- the University that so many Feb. 13 meeting. The maTyler, filed a Senate resolu- of the current students and jority of the questions came tion honoring Powers, join- former students have for primarily from three reAt a time of strain be- ing two more resolutions this great institution. I see gents: Alex Cranberg, Waltween President William filed in the House by state a man who always puts the lace Hall and Brenda PejovPowers Jr. and members of Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas University first, someone ich, each appointed by Gov. the UT System Board of Re- and chairman of the House who stands up for what he Rick Perry in 2011, which gents, Texas lawmakers de- Higher Education Commit- believes even if it may not marked the beginning of a be politically popular.” more public opposition to fended Powers’ record and tee. All three passed. Eltife, a UT alumnus, The resolutions came af- Powers by the regents. heaped praise upon him at a Serving the quesUniversity of Texas at Austin community since 1900 ceremony on the floor of the said “I see a man [in Pow- ter regents intensely continues on page 2 ers] who shares the love for Tuesday, tioned February Powers19, during Texas Senate on Monday. facebook.com/dailytexan 2013 their POWERS dailytexanonline.com @thedailytexan
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Barbara Jordan Week kicks off with discussion featuring her former students. PAGE 6 Faculty Council passes legislation opposing campus carry similar to a bill it passed in the last two legislative sessions. PAGE 6
SPORTS Texas diver Will Chandler battles through Crohn’s disease, an ailment that kept him out of the pool all of last season, but not this year. PAGE 7
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Lawmakers defend Powers
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By Joshua Fechter At a time of strain between President William Powers Jr. and members of the UT System Board of Regents, Texas lawmakers defended Powers’ record and heaped praise upon him at a ceremony on the floor of the Texas Senate on Monday.
State Sen. Kevin Eltife, RTyler, filed a Senate resolution honoring Powers, joining two more resolutions filed in the House by state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas and chairman of the House Higher Education Committee. All three passed. Eltife, a UT alumnus, said “I see a man [in Powers] who shares the love for
the University that so many of the current students and former students have for this great institution. I see a man who always puts the University first, someone who stands up for what he believes even if it may not be politically popular.” The resolutions came after regents intensely questioned Powers during their
Feb. 13 meeting. The majority of the questions came primarily from three regents: Alex Cranberg, Wallace Hall and Brenda Pejovich, each appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2011, which marked the beginning of a more public opposition to Powers by the regents.
By Hannah Jane DeCiutiis
While several state senators continue to advocate for LGTBQ rights in the Texas POWERS continues on page 2 Legislature, similar support for religious equality has become more apparent in Christian churches nationwide. In an overwhelming maThe Longhorns have jority, congregation members yet to win a road of the First United Methodist game, but get what Church, or FUMC, voted to could be their best join the Reconciling Minischance at picking one tries Network. The network, up against TCU. PAGE 7 founded in 1982, advocates Texas hit .348 in its for the rights of gay individuseason-opening als to serve in United Methseries and will look odist ministry and be marto stay hot against UTried in the church. The vote Arlington. PAGE 8 took place Feb. 10, making the church, which is located on Lavaca Street, one of more than 500 United Methodist communities to advocate for religious gay rights, accordAustin Java transing to the Reconciling Minisforms into a comedy tries Network website. club every Wednesday FUMC senior pastor Rev. night. PAGE 12 John Wright said the vote required more than 75 percent Tunesday takes a of the congregation voting look at STRFKR’s latest favor toTexan join the Staff network, Sam Ortega in| Daily album, Miracle Mile, rather than a simple majority. as well as other new He a said the actual vote surVarious dancers of mixed abilities rehearse at Anna Hiss Gym on Monday evening. The performers are working on dance piece releases. PAGE 12 passed the requirement by far. choreographed and written by dance and theatre major Lucy Kerr, that incorporates people with and without dance abilities. “For six months we have been in an intense process of discussion and discernment trying to make sure that evThe Daily Texan, a eryone had an opportunity to 113-year-old campus be exposed to the issue and to institution, faces life-orSam Ortega | Daily Texan Staff voice their opinions,” Wright
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death financial troubles. The newspaper’s student staff and the Texan’s readers and supporters must step up and take the newspaper’s destiny into their own hands. PAGE 4
By Hannah J
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Various dancers of mixed abilities rehearse at Anna Hiss Gym on Monday evening. The performers are working on a dance piece choreographed and written by dance and theatre major Lucy Kerr, that incorporates people with and without dance abilities.
New disclosure policies bring privacy concerns New disclosure policies UNIVERSITY
bring privacy concerns By Jordan Rudner TODAY
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THE DAILY TEXAN
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
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tuesday’s topic 3
Zachary Strain, Page Editor
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THE WAY YOU
Move Your Body
“The Way You Move Your Body” is among 39 other theatrical works selected to participate in the 2013 Cohen New Works Festival presented by the University Co-op, which began Monday and runs through Friday. “Because [people with disabilities] are usually marginalized and rejected from society, they’re usually typecast,” said Lucy Kerr, a senior dance and theatre student. “They’re not considered beautiful for their unique capabilities so I was really interested in the performances that made them able to express themselves.” Kerr began working on the piece — designed for a group of mixed abilities
dancers — in the fall of 2012. The piece exposes as well as celebrates various body types by incorporating abled and disabled dancers. It aims to blur the lines between the two. The festival is taking place through the theatre and dance department, with most of the shows scheduled to be performed in the Winship building. “I’m a big advocate for people with disabilities,” said Juan Munoz, a cast member who has cerebral palsy. “We can do anything anybody else can. It may take 10 times longer, but we’ll get it done.”
Photos by Sam Ortega | Daily Texan Staff
THE WAY YOU
Move Your Body THE DAILY TEXAN
“The Way You Move Your Body” is among 39 other theatrical works selected to participate in the 2013 Cohen New Works Festival presented by the University Co-op, which began Monday and runs through Friday. “Because [people with disabilities] are usually marginalized and rejected from society, they’re usually typecast,” said Lucy Kerr, a senior dance and theatre student. “They’re not considered beautiful for their unique capabilities so I was really interested in the performances that made them able to express themselves.” Kerr began working on the piece — designed for a group of mixed abilities
press
dancers — in the fall of 2012. The piece exposes as well as celebrates various body types by incorporating abled and disabled dancers. It aims to blur the lines between the two. The festival is taking place through the theatre and dance department, with most of the shows scheduled to be performed in the Winship building. “I’m a big advocate for people with disabilities,” said Juan Munoz, a cast member who has cerebral palsy. “We can do anything anybody else can. It may take 10 times longer, but we’ll get it done.”
photo story, cotd.
Photos by Sam Ortega | Daily Texan Staff
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4
6 1. Tanya Winters and Morgan Taylor rehearse the first section of the piece, meant to portray a freakshow. 2. Juan Munoz lays on the ground to stretch his body and relax. 3. Project director Lucy Kerr demonstrates choreography to Jamie Schanbaum. 4. Jack Leahy holds a pair of prosthetic limbs as he walks off stage at a dress rehearsal. 5. Schanbaum reflects for a moment as she waits for makeup to be applied on her. 6. Schanbaum and Juanita Butler meet face-to-face in an intimate moment of the dance piece.
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Get an in-depth look at the cast and its experience: bit.ly/dt_move
press
THE DAILY TEXAN
video story
h t t p: //d a i l y t e x a n o n l i n e .co m / v i d e o / 2 013/ 0 3/ 26 / t h e - w ay-yo u - m ove -yo u r - b o d y
review by
STEVEN WILSON
“The final piece I wish to write about is Lucy Kerr’s dance piece, The Way You Move Your Body. It was thrilling to be a part of the audience for this well thought out piece. Lucy brought together able-bodied dancers and mixed them in with performers with a wide range of disabilities to create a performance hybrid that combined beautiful choreography with personal autobiography and bold social commentary on what it means to be a human being in society. The performance seemed to have two phases. The first was a type of circus, freak show aesthetic that all the performers leaned into in such a great way. The second phase was a beautiful coming together of the disabled and the abled into some harmonious and incredibly joyful moments. There was a young performer, recently diagnosed with a type of meningitis that caused her to lose both legs and all of her fingers. To watch this fearless performer do a dance in phase one of the show on two pairs of stilts, giving her the appearance of some type of space age spider was just as powerful as this same performer re-appearing in phase two to dance a duet with an able bodied performer, only after removing her prosthetic legs.
MFA candidate
Directorially, it was a reminder of how we make motion. Lucy was able to take two performers that were in electric wheelchairs and seamlessly integrate them into the musical choreography with dancers. It did not appear jarring. It did not appear as if it was something that the audience should just accept. She clearly thought about the motion of the electric machines in contrast with bodies. She continued to do this type of work throughout the piece almost intentionally pushing opposite forces together to create profound moments of beautiful movement that one may not think could work at first thought. The performers threw themselves at the piece with abandon and revealed deep truths. This is a piece that you could easily drop into the “feel good” category. Or you could also accuse it of being rather exploitative. But to do so, would be a disservice. Lucy did not just put these different types of individuals together and stop there. She rather meticulously choreographed this piece with a rigor that I found extremely provocative. The dance party at the end of this piece felt the most honest of all the others’ dance parties!” — STEVEN WILSON, M . F. A . D I R EC TI N G C A N D I DAT E, U n i ve r s i t y of Te xa s a t A u s t i n
media, cotd. — press photos
media, cotd. — press photos
media, cotd. — rehearsal photos
media, cotd. — rehearsal photos
media, cotd. — rehearsal photos
media, cotd. — rehearsal photos
media cotd. — video
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media cotd. — video
Jamie’s S t or y h t t p: // w w w.yo u t u b e .co m / w a t c h? v =W KO s a i U M I Vo
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Te a s er / Tr ailer h t t p: // w w w.yo u t u b e .co m / w a t c h? v = u u X _ L R6 I D d 0
further press links and credits
S OCI A L M E DI A T UMBL R h t t p: //m oveyo u r b o d y p ro j e c t .t u m b l r.co m /
FACEB O OK A B OU T PAGE h t t p s : // w w w. f a c e b o o k .co m / T h eWayYo u M oveYo u r B o d y
FACEB O OK E V EN T PAGE h t t p s : // w w w. f a c e b o o k .co m /eve n t s /10 6 8 5 4352 8 3 6 3 6 8 /10 8 75 4 559313 014 /
PRESS DEPA R T MEN T BL O G S h t t p: //d d c e . u t e x a s .e d u /d i s a b i l i t y/ 2 013/ 0 3/m a rc h -2 2-29 - co h e n - n ew - wo r k s - f e s t i v a l / h t t p: // b l o g s . u t e x a s .e d u / f i n e a r t sd i ve r s i t y/ 2 013/ 0 3/ 2 5/ t h e - co h e n - n ew - wo r k s - f e s t i v a l /
FOR M ORE M EDI A , IN FORM AT IO N, A N D QUES T IO N S, CO N TACT LUCY K ERR AT LUCY.P.K ERR@ G M A IL .CO M
about Lucy Kerr
L
UCY KERR is a dancer, choreographer, and scholar interested in social philosophy, contemporary dance, and dance for social change. Lucy received her early training at Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan. In 2009 she continued her education as a B.A. Dance Major and B.A Philosophy major at The University of Texas at Austin. Lucy trained in ballet for ten years and she has trained in contemporary with Yacov Sharir, Jennifer Mabus, Lyn Wiltshire, and Holly Williams. Lucy has also studied choreography with David Justin and Donna Unchinozo and has delved into contact improvisation with Brandon Gonzalez and Butoh with Ellen Bartel, Vangeline, and renowned Butoh artist Imre Thormann. Lucy is a regular participant
of Body Shift, an ongoing project between Forklift Danceworks and VSA Texas, where she dances, performs and choreographically assists with mixed-ability performance workshops. While working as a PR and Marketing Intern at Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre in the Summer of 2012, Lucy gained experience helping run and promote a dance company. Lucy has choreographed and taught for HITS Theatre and Grady Middle School in Houston, TX and worked as the co-leader, dance teacher, and choreographer for The Children’s Theatre Workshop in Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the Summer of 2013. Lucy holds University Honors and received The James W. Moll Endowed Scholarship in Drama for the 2012-13 year and the Dr. David
about Lucy Kerr, cotd.
Nancarrow Scholarship in Theatre and Dance for the 2013-14 year, as well as having been the recipient of a Merit Scholarship at Interlochen Arts Academy in 2008-09. At the University of Texas Lucy performed on the main stage in Dance Repertory Theatre, Ears, Eyes + Feet, and in graduate student works at The Cohen New Works Festival presented by the University Co-op in 2011 and 2013. With a passion for getting out into the community, Lucy has performed works with local musicians and artists and has created a number of site-specific improvisational and Butoh performances. Lucy is an avid researcher and is working towards completing her Philosophy and Dance Thesis on Disability in Contemporary Performance. Lucy has recently been asked to guest lecture on her thesis to undergraduate courses and clubs in the Philosophy department. Lucy has choreographed about nine works including The Passions, which premiered as part of the 2011 Cohen New Works Festival, ODDWORLDS a multimedia dance work as part of Ears, Eyes + Feet in 2013, and her biggest project to date, the evening-length mixed-ability dance theatre work, The Way You Move Your Body, which premiered at The Cohen New Works Festival in 2013. Lucy is the director, producer, choreographer, and sound and costume designer for The Way You Move Your Body.
T
HE WAY YOU MOVE YOUR BODY was considered a “must see” event at the New Works Festival and received praise from faculty, students, and the community. Following the performance, Lucy was asked to present excerpts and a video presentation of the work at Austin Community College’s Carnival Ah, and the work was then chosen by VSA Texas to be performed at Knowbility’s “Access U” conference this past May. Lucy strives to create original work that is surreal, visually stunning, emotionally stirring, and has social meaning and drive to inspire change. Lucy is interested in how the experiences of marginalized groups are represented in performance and how performance can further social activism. Lucy is looking forward to collaborating with VSA Texas, telling the story of The Way You Move Your Body in an episode of PBS’s “Arts in Context”, and participating in local art films. Lucy seeks to continue developing and presenting The Way You Move Your Body to diverse audiences across the country in order to share her drive to challenge problematic social norms which create disability prejudices. Lucy strives to communicate that diverse bodytypes should be appreciated for their unique and valuable movement possibilities and are not transfixed by limitations or “disability” identity. She will finish her thesis in December and is working towards starting her own dance company, titled “OTHER Dance Theatre.”
THE WAY YOU MOVE YOUR BODY