Technical difficulties

So I have 3 pages of text I've written about the last two days and the computer here at Polanco does not want to work with me on cutting and pasting, so I'm sorry, you will have to wait till 2:00pm when I can get back here with my laptop and cut and paste it all wirelessly. SOOOOOOO frustrating. Just know that everything is going amazingly well, everyone is in good shape, although starting to get worn. It's good there are only two more performances. We all miss our friends and family, believe me, but the Company's presence is having an amazing affect on everyone who see and works with them. A lot of work and a lot of magic. I really do promise more details on the last few days tomorrow.

January 27, 2010—Day 2

Today is Wednesday, right? So I am already a day behind, but I'm trying to catch up...
Yesterday was our first full day, and that is a gargantuan understatement. About the full part. Woke up, had breakfast, came to The Meeting Place. It is a newly renovated theater, English bookstore, theater supply shop, meeting place for English speaking people and Dominicans. So Midd students lead their first class, which went really well in a very tiny space. There was a warm-up, improvisation, fantastico. Then lunch at Polanco restaurant, which had its ups and downs. Too many tourists, including us. We walked around after lunch, played tourists then headed back to the hotel. Back to the Meeting place at 5:45 for the first rehearsal of the two groups working together, Teatro Balsamo and Dance Company of Middlebury. They are doing several children’s games and songs and it is such a good time—to watch and do, according to Phillipe. After rehearsal we walked to the local cable television station because, yes, Arisleyda, leader of the Balsamo theater group, had arranged for an interview with the two groups. So 22 people piled into a tiny studio and were interviewed en masse. Except for Nicole, Jenn, me and Elian, Arisleyda’s grandson who was half-asleep wedged between us, which was fine by us.

Then to dinner, ordered at 9:00ish and done at 11:00pm. Home, Bed.

Those are the facts, the intinerary. They don’t in any way tell you the thousand and one meetings, kisses, phrases of Spanish both beautiful and broken, laughter, movement. Really in the first 48 hours these Middlebury students have made so many great connections for themselves and others through dance and art. So many small moments of friendships starting, being open to learning, to others. Much more on this tomorrow, I need to catch up on what happened today—two classes, two rehearsals, PB&J sandwiches in a kindergarten classroom where the student dared each other to come in and talk to us. Yeah, I’ll get that down tonight and try and get that to you tomorrow. Meanwhile let's see if I can load some video...mmmm...

Here is a pic of us back in the studio working with Aurora School--hope to post pictures from here tomorrow!

So—in the Newark Airport, half –asleep. I was trying to get online to post on FB, but you have to PAY for internet access in this airport! Come on now, that’s not friendly.

I got to Jenn’s at 8:00pm last night, but we didn’t get to bed until 10:30pm. I miraculously woke up without much difficulty at 2:30am and we headed to the MCFA after a brief discussion about the pros and cons of wearing socks with sandals (Jenn decided against the look.) We lumbered onto the bus and dozed our way to Burlington to make the 6:00am flight. I’m starting to have those great get to know you conversations with different members of the company and group. Liz and I talked about her senior dance concert work coming up. The subject is borders—borderlands, definite and permeable, the affect they have on those around them. I grew up next to the U.S. –Mexico border in Southern California, so it was great to chat for a bit about where I am come from. One of my favorite things about working at Middlebury is hearing the stories of where students come from and how they got here. So Liz is from Vermont, and Cat is from Oakland, Phillipe lives ten minutes from the airport I’m sitting in.

Our flight to Puerto Plata leaves at 9:05, arriving at 2:00pm. Time is a funny thing when you get up at 2:30 to start traveling. The lines between minutes and proper times of day become those permeable borderlands…I think I need more coffee.

Now—9:26pm Day 1 Arrival in Puerto Plata—

Quotes for the day “I think I’m done driving for the day.” Jenn Ponder

“She’s trying to be cute” Alex (not talking about Jenn)

“I can see why you love it down here, they love art as much as you do.” Michael Chorney

So, safe arrival, much maneuvering of rental cars, people, bags, taxis, taxi drivers, then finally loaded and ready to go. When you drive in a new place it’s always overwhelming, but trying to caravan 4 vehicles through Duarte Day traffic which is ribboned with streaming motoconchos is another. But the drive itself is stunning. It is so verdant with grasses and palm trees, crayola red and yellow irises. The mountains are steep and rich, making a frame around Puerto Plata, the sea creating the last winding edge. There are people walking, riding, talking, sitting, fixing motorcycles and go-carts on the side of the road. There is a small white van in front of us that is apparently a bus, since it stops for an old woman standing in front of a ramshackle shelter. Christian says it’s like a dream, which is exactly what I was thinking.

We get to the hotel fairly quickly. The big pink Hotel Lomar, No. 8 on the long Malecon boulevard. The street that sits between the town and the ocean, the Malecon is extrememly busy today since it is a national holiday. I have never seen so many small motorcycles outside of a motorcross competition in my life.

We settle, get unpacked. Gather for a group meeting, then off to La Sirena for food and sundries. Jeremy has already walked there and back by the time we are ready to go. He describes it as a cross between Walmart and Carnivale. It does indeed have everything from Guavas to gallons of yogurt—just the right fuel for dancers. By the time we get back, we are late to meet Penny’s friend Moreno who is a local arts advocate. He has invited us to watch a carnivale rehearsal with local kids, including his own daughter Mylin. Most of Midd Company is already tired, so they take a break while we head to Parque Central.

We pull up to a building that is covered in murals and is in need of some fairly serious repair and clean-up. Moreno is there and introduces us to Gerson, a painter. When we walk into the building, with its enormous foyer and grand staircase, you see two things. Huge temporary walls covered in canvases ripped with color and energy. (Do you think Van Gogh ever visited the DR? Maybe.) Moreno leads us down a hallway where some kids are hanging out. They range in age from 7-14 and are totally stunning. The room has some boxes pushed into the corner and somewhere is a CD player. Moreno asks the kids to show us their dance for Carnivale, a festival that takes place after we leave, and Mylin comes to the front to lead them. They are very focused, but manage to steal looks at Penny and I while they are dancing. Whenever Penny smiles or nods her head, they look so pleased.

After much applauding and a few pictures, we head upstairs to check out a set of rooms that houses their workshop area. They have created a few masks from brown paper bags and what looks like 30 weight Valvoline. Traditional Paper Mache, but Rambo style. The mask is done in the Taino style, and Moreno explains some of the symbolism. Penny has described Moreno to me as the Dominican Che Guevara. Only he is working on the changing the world through the arts instead of socialism. Penny and Moreno talk for a bit while I wander around and try to take a few art pictures.

We get back in time to round up a very tired and sleepy group and drag them to dinner. Note to self: crossing the Malecon on Duarte Day--muy dangerissimo (is that right, David?) We manage to order food and drinks and eventually we all eat. The students are exhausted (poor Jeremy) and eventually trickle away after doing higher math to figure out the bill. We get back to the hotel, I write most of this post, then fall asleep on the laptop. Whew.

Pt 3 of Post Concert and Pre Trip

Nic Patterson! The fabulously beautiful and talented coordinator of the Dance Program at Middlebury. She is the QFE of the trip--Queen of the Envelopes. They hold all our receipts and money and will be organized and turned in on time! Thank goodness for Nic. She and I also work together at the Shoreham Inn, in beautiful downtown Shoreham, population 1100. So we both work crazy hours, have kids and husbands and will probably collapse on the beach on our first free day.
So as I said, we are post concert. The company was so together, mature, creative, responsive, just a real pleasure to watch. I have seen a LOT of dance in my time (said the crochety old lady) and it has NOT been all good, unfortunately, for a variety of reasons. Especially Improvisation. That can get really stuck in a series of movements, or narcissistic, myopic, noodly-ee, or just plain boring. Not with these guys. They are great observers and participants in this highly evolved process they do with Penny. I remember (said the crochety old lady) when I was in my college company and Improvisation was used as part of our warm-up before we moved on to worship at the altar of this thing that was MODERN DANCE. Everything dripped with pathos and symbolism, and probably in the process lost a lot of what it was trying to achieve. The other half of the concert this weekend was set work choreographed by Christal Brown and members of the company. I love Christal's work which has all the stuff I love--line, beauty, relationships, shape--plus new ideas, delivered just so. If it's hard to follow how I write about dance, I can only apologize. I can dissect it in the proper vernacular for you later if you like, but right now I'm gonna give you the heart of it for me. Christian and Sophie's work was really interesting and mature and crafted as well. When I have a few minutes later on (cause I gotta get packing) I will tell you what everyone said in the Q&A after the concert.
So, I do have to get packing, finish the bills and clean one last bathroom before I can head to Jenn's later tonight. Wow, I'm really going.

Alex Vasquez! She is a sophomore and dance major as well. Her family is from the Dominican Republic and she visits every year. She was amazing to watch in the KIDZ/NUNOZ piece in the company's concert on Friday night. Alex seems to be so profoundly in the moment of that piece, it almost hurts to watch her face at the end. Her movement is so strong, so fast, Jenn says she seems to blur on stage. Next picture is for my friend...

Post-Concert and Pre-Trip

So it's Sunday and I'm taking a break from chores and packing to do a little equipment check. I know most people going on the trip are not cleaning their bathroom, kitchen or floors, but I have this weird thing about making order before I do something new or unknown. It's comforting so I go with it. Anyway, I sent out this blog address to the Company and asked if they had any pics to add and I got a few to post. I wanted those loyal few who are following me to be able to put the face with the name. So this is Sarah! She is a sophomore from Raleigh, N.C., a dance major and portugeuse minor, a great campust tour guide and swing dancer. Next is...

The week before

So, away we go--at least with the planning stages of our trip to the Dominican Republic. We leave next Monday, January 25th at o'dark thirty (I believe it is 3:00am) from the parking lot of the Mahaney Center for the Arts, or MCFA. There will be 14 of us in all--dancers, teachers, designers, musicians--loading into vans and lurching toward Burlington. It's a much smaller and tighter group than the one that went to Cuba in '03. That group consisted not only of the company and folks from the dance program, but also friends, parents, tour guides and a couple of local teachers. I was one of the teachers then, but a member of college staff now. I will be working with the members of the company as they work with two different groups of elementary students, creating their own work about their neighborhoods and communities. I will also be taking pictures and video and trying to maintain this blog on a daily basis while we are in Puert0 Plata.

The organization of a trip and tour like this is astounding. Penny has been working for months to line up performance dates and venues for the company as well as cultural exchanges and teaching experiences. I think there will be something like four or five performances while we are there, plus all the rehearsals and classes. Jenn and Nic have been working as well on the 1001 details that go along with touring a company of college students in another country. ( I still need to get that receipt envelope from Nic...) As for me, well, I am a little bit behind. For the Cuba trip I had books, read up on the history and brushed up on my 20+ words of Spanish. But this time, there just didn't seem to be time. And so I am madly trying to quiz myself on how to say foot, hand, arm, back, again, faster, slower, energy, and instead of Spanish I am thinking in high school French which is decidedly unhelpful. But it will come to me in time.

Everyone has been so excited, and the Company has worked so hard on the pieces for the Concert, it all seems a little unreal that we are going. After the earthquake happened in Haiti, I was unsure about how everything would proceed. But Penny contacted her people in Puerto Plata and they say everything is okay there. So we will push forward and make connections and art with the people and places there, because moving forward and having a positive impact where you can is essential in life and art. Si? Si.