While we are all so eager to be at live events, I am so grateful to have been able to participate in two virtual Zoom gatherings from my home in Costa Rica. Without this option I would not have been able to be a part of either of them. On Monday night, November 22nd, The Martha Hill Dance Fund’s Celebration honoring two dancers started with a film and panel discussion via Vimeo, followed by a social gathering via Zoom. On Saturday afternoon, November 20th, The Sacred Dance Guild had a panel discussion on Dance as Healing, and I was pleased to be one of the five panelists. It is exciting to see how well events can now be organized and technically handled online.
Let me begin by sharing the first event, “A Panel Discussion on Healing,” which is part of a larger series called “Is This Sacred Dance?” Back in the late 80’s and into the 90’s I was a member of the Sacred Dance Guild and occasionally led workshops at their conferences. As Artistic Director of the Avodah Dance Ensemble I was often invited to represent a Jewish perspective, as the majority of the members were Christian. I was really surprised to be contacted by the current President, Wendy Morrell, this past spring. She was reaching out to explore the possibility of my participating in one of their quarterly events featuring a panel. My name had come up at an organizational meeting, and they were able to find me via a Google search and my postings on this blog. Wendy and I had a lively conversation and it was very interesting to hear how the organization was addressing the question “What is Sacred Dance?” After hearing about my recent work with domestic violence survivors and my work in prisons she thought I would be an excellent fit for the fall panel on healing.
There would be five panelists and each of us would be given five minutes to introduce ourselves and the kind of work we did. Then the moderator would ask three questions before opening it to any questions that had been submitted via “chat.” I enjoyed preparing and refreshing my presenting skills. Zoom is easy because you can have notes or read what you have prepared, with the camera still seeing your face and not what you are reading unless you do a screen share. We were also asked to have a closing movement gesture.
When the day arrived I was prepared and ready to go. And of course, the electricity went off 10 minutes before the program was to begin. Losing electricity happens often in Costa Rica. As my house is closest to the guard house in our community, I have a small generator to keep my internet and the guard house internet working during a blackout. Wow, was I glad to have that! So I let the moderator know that I didn’t think it would be a problem and she decided that I should go first just in case it was. And so I presented mainly about my work in prisons and in making films with domestic violence survivors.
I thoroughly enjoyed hearing each of the other four presenters, and I liked the variety of approaches that were shared. Each of the presenters has a unique background, and presentations were well organized. I strongly recommend going to this link to learn about the presenters: Alexia Jones, Priya Lakhi, Ilene Serlin and Carla Walter. https://sacreddanceguild.org/event-details/?event=651
Screenshot of the publicity for the program
The recording of the event has now been posted along with two earlier panels. Here’s a link to YouTube if you want to watch the program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zlJsV44uHo&list=PL-1ZesdI7wMeVx_P2Gae9zGTOlYGVP78M&index=3
On Monday night, the Martha Hill Dance Fund honored Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Heidi Latsky. The presentation on Vimeo began with film clips that I think are from the documentary made about Martha Hill. What a wonderful way to open the evening, seeing Miss Hill and other dancers reminding us of the roots of modern dance!. (I just discovered that Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter is available to rent or buy at iTunes and I look forward to getting it very soon.) Next were two short films summarizing each of the honorees.
I was particularly thrilled that Jawole was being honored. I knew Jawole from the time she was a graduate student at Florida State University in Tallahassee in the late 1970’s when I was living there and often attending dance classes at FSU. I have a very vivid memory of seeing an early piece of hers in an evening concert of student works and thinking, “Wow… that woman has something important to say.” It stood out and stayed in my memory to this very day. Perhaps that piece for women provided a beginning for what has become one of her most well-known pieces, Shelter. Shelter officially premiered in 1988 and is set for 6 women. It was first performed by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1992 and then revised in 2017. The Ailey website describes it as “a passionate statement about the physical and emotional deprivation of homeless people . . . the compelling message that the poverty of individuals will inevitably lead to the destitution of all humanity.” It has been performed by both an all-female and all-male cast.
The other honoree was Heidi Latsky. I was not familiar with her work at all and look forward to knowing more about her. What was very fascinating was the video section showing her work with bilateral amputee Lisa Bufano. She began doing this work in 2006 and refers to this time as an intensive period of creation. To learn more about Heidi and Jawole I suggest going to the Martha Hill Dance Fund site that tells about the evening and gives full bios: https://www.marthahilldance.org/martha-hill-virtual-celebration-2021
Danni Gee led an excellent discussion with Heidi and Jawole. Then, in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Jose Limon Dance Company, the Vimeo portion ended with a section from There is A Time, choreographed by Jose Limon in 1956.
Following the formal presentation, many of the 80 attendees from the Vimeo section stayed to visit with each other via Zoom. There were four breakout rooms, and once one figured out the technology it was possible to move from room to room. It was great fun to see faces that I haven’t seen for years and say a quick hello! The main topic of conversation was about what live dance events people had attended. The occasion was a delightful event in the true spirit of The Martha Hill Dance Fund, which was founded to honor, perpetuate and reward Martha Hill’s commitment to dance education and performance internationally.
Screen shot of invitation to the event.
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