Full Radius Dance

We Will Re-emerge.

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Fri, 22 May 2020 21:17:00 +0000

It is a difficult time to be a dance company. It's a difficult time for everyone.

When we left rehearsal on Monday, March 9, 2020, none of us knew that this would be our last full cast rehearsal for the foreseeable future. How could we have known? The Covid-19 virus was a looming threat that we were well aware of but we didn't envision its deadly impact on our communities. By Wednesday night, we were all beginning our social isolation and self quarantine.

I thought we'd hibernate for two weeks. It's now been well over two months.

From left to right: Matt, in a wheelie, leans back into Courtney, who is in a lunge
with her left leg forward. Julie stands on Courtney's leg. Peter, in his chair, braces
Julie's left hip with his right hand. His left hand is braced on Ashlee's knee. She kneels
beside him with her right hand clasping Julie's left hand above Peter's head.

What have been the repercussions? Performances have been canceled for the remainder of the season resulting in lost opportunities and lost revenue for Full Radius Dance. We've lost that valuable time we share in the studio that we use to hone our technique, work out complicated partnering moves, and create new work.

Because of the resiliency and commitment of the Full Radius Dance board, director, and dancers, we will re-emerge. Did you know that one meaning of the word "emerge" is the appearance of new properties or species in the course of development or evolution? What have we learned? How is Full Radius Dance evolving?

We've just began to scratch the how dance thrives in the virtual world. We've begun to offer online classes and how to use our cell phones to create individual videos that are being edited to create a cohesive whole - a way of coming back together. These practices provide another level of accessibility for the company's work and we'll continue to offer them. And we've learned that our community of supporters and donors value our work. Our recent Power2Give campaign, sponsored by the City of Atlanta's Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, exceeded its goal! Thank you to all who gave!

There will come a time when we'll be able to gather together again in the studio, the theatre, and other performance spaces. We'll greet each other face to face. Until that day, we'll continue to develop and evolve. We will reemerge.

Checking in with Board Member Nadya

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Tue, 12 May 2020 14:27:00 +0000

Nadya Zeitlin is a curious dance designer and teacher. Her main inspiration is dance theatre and her favorite question is “what if?” Her moving arts education includes intensives with teachers from Portugal, Israel, Ireland, Slovakia etc as well as workshops and classes in the United States.
Nadya has presented her works in various venues in Atlanta since her relocation in 2013 and curated two multi-disciplinary shows herself. In 2015 she produced and directed a short dance movie "...and then the dishwasher got broken". Her work for the Solo Theatre’s Little Prince won Best Choreography at the International Festival of Russian-Speaking Children's and Youth Theaters in Washington, DC in May 2019. She's currently working on a site-specific dance company to extend ideas from her latest evening-length performance. In March 2020, Nadya joined the Full Radius Dance Board.

1. How are you?

Some days are good, some days are bad. But now it's much better than in the beginning of the quarantine. Mostly, because I have quite interesting projects on hands (including a short movie for Full Radius Dance, which I'm really excited about) and this keeps my brain happy ideating and designing new products of art. I absolutely can't live in a world consisting of household chores only and I'm happy that I'm getting out of it.

2. Where are you spending your social isolation?

In an apartment with a beautiful lake and little forest, squirrels, geese, turtles, ducks and ducklings. That's a great company for our 4 years old girl.

3. What's your social isolation movement practice?

I'm not taking any classes currently. I spent most of March in bed due to sickness, April was adjusting to "no daycare situation" and now I just don't know where to start. So I'm taking small steps: Surya Namaskar every morning, intensive walks and dancing to Franz Ferdinand music "like no one's watching" (to my daughter's surprise).

I plan to start taking some online dance classes next week (I really do!).

4. What do you miss most?

Nadya, with shoulder length reddish hair, smiles warmly
at the camera. Over her left shoulder, the
Japanese cartoon character Tortoro peers at us.

I miss studio rehearsals most. It's a very unique and special experience - to see how a dance is born out of nothing in front of my eyes, read stories that human bodies tell and how they share ideas and complement each other.

Another thing is - coffee shops. That intense coffee smell, people working or chatting - it was a perfect atmosphere to concentrate and work on new projects for me. Now I'm trying to do it in a kids room with a silent supervision from Totoro on the wall and loud intrusion from kid herself.

5. What are you reading or watching and/or what have you just finished?

I'm watching a lot of dance and dance theatre performances, mostly from other parts of the world. Like Damien Jalet's SKID or their magnificent collaboration with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui called Babel 7.16 (still available online!). Yesterday I watched a theatre production of Frankenstein with Jonny Lee Miller as the Creature and Benedict Cumberbatch as Frankenstein which National Theatre shared for a limited time. It was breathtaking.

These are works that I've heard about and dreamed to see in full, and that's happening now! That's the best part of the lockdown for me.

Also, I re-discovered The Futur - educational platform by Chris Do. Tons of super valuable free materials on their YouTube channel and podcast about marketing, brand management, education etc for creatives. Inspiring stories, practical advice unfold one after another in my headphones when I cook or do dishes.

Another thing that keeps me energized is free introductory classes at General Assembly. It's a great way to tap into professions that are in high demand right now: coding, data analysis, digital marketing etc. I'm pondering how to apply all of this knowledge into arts / dance world.

And, of course, Netflix.

Checking in with Peter

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Thu, 07 May 2020 17:08:00 +0000

No, it is not a picture of Peter L. Trojic
but of Peter Rabbit. Why? Why not!

Peter L. Trojic is a disabled dancer, originally from New York City, who began dancing in 2015. In addition to Full

Radius Dance, he dances with Heidi Latsky Dance (HLD) and has previously worked with Marked Dance Project (MDP). He also has a passion for acting and performance. Peter works in accessibility and technology as it relates to performance with a focus on the betterment of accessibility practices from both the audience and performer. He works with the belief that if we prioritize accessibility at the beginning, art will be better. He went to Queens College for a B.A. in Urban Planning and Environmental Studies. Peter has performed at the United Nations, the Whitney Museum, The New York City Highline, and the Lincoln Center Atrium. Peter joined Full Radius Dance in September of 2019.

1. How are you?

Considering the world as taken a sabbatical I'm OK, just worried about my friends and family, especially in NYC.

2. Where are you spending your social isolation?

Midtown Atlanta. I was too sick to travel to NYC at the start and my parents live in Queens (the epicenter of the outbreak). When I was better, I decided to stay here as my parents didn't want me back. My mother was working part-time as an internist and was worried about spread. So I'm all alone in my apartment - a few days away from using my tennis ball to make my very own Wilson.

3. What's your social isolation movement practice?

My Apple Watch yelled at me and told me I wasn't moving as much so I'm trying to fill the activity circles without lowering the goal (it's hard!). Also cleaning and video chatting. I moved into my new place in December and I never really took the time to "unpack". I'm doing my best to stay active inside. I'm taking dance and yoga classes on social media zoom or hangouts. Trying to stay connected with friends via Video conferencing and wondering I haven't done that sooner (pre-sabbatical).

4. What do you miss most?

This is going to sound funny but hugs. Being in the same room as people. The only person I've really spoken to in-person are the people at the checkout counters.

5. What are you reading or watching and/or what have you just finished?

I caught up on Big Little Lies - Meryl Streep is amazing. Unorthodox was such a good but intense mini series. I watched Contagion for the two weeks I was sick and feverish; it's about a viral outbreak in Atlanta. It wasn't until the last scene in the last episode that I realized they used the rooftop behind my building as the hospital and that's when I decided to not watch movies/shows like that until this is over

And of course Crip Camp which is a phenomenal documentary on the disability Civil Rights movement in the USA

Checking in with Ashlee Jo

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Grounded in the perspective that dance-making lives in the primal, physical, emotional and spiritual consciousness of all humans, many of Ashlee Jo Ramsey-Borunov’s productions and projects center on collaboration, community participation and making dance available as a creative practice for all people. Since 2007 Ms. Ramsey has organized and directed several full-length performance projects that invite the participation of multiple choreographers and artists of various disciplines. In addition to her role as artistic director and event producer, Ms. Ramsey has shown work, performed or taught in North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Arizona, Austria, the U.K., and India. In 2016 Ms. Ramsey became a certified teacher with DanceAbility International and has lead several community dance projects at recreation centers, universities, and libraries in North Carolina and Alabama. As a new resident of Atlanta, Ms. Ramsey teaches at Core Dance and is honored by the opportunity to work as a company member with Full Radius Dance, which she joined in May 2019.

1. How are you?

I am OK. I vacillate between being lost and rambling in space/time and feeling focused and structured. I am using the time at home to take care of house projects that I have always wanted to do. So far they include building and planting raised bed vegetable gardens, building and hanging wall shelves, converting our full size bed to a queen size… and more. This weekend, we are going to build Alex a wheelchair ramp that lets him into the creative room and our screened in back porch.

Ashlee, in dark leggings and a red and
white Full Radius Dance tee-shirt,
balances on her right arm and right leg
on the edge of her raised garden bed.

Every morning I make breakfast for everyone and then spend some time just with Alex, dressing him and helping with his digital learning assignments. It has been lovely being together with the boys. It feels like we have this little bubble home where we just continue to get to know each other. The workload of cooking, cleaning, helping with schoolwork and teaching life/social skills is more than usual, but what else am I going to do? They went to visit their biological mother in Kentucky a couple weeks ago. As much as I look forward to having time to myself, I found that during social isolation I really missed having them around.

I am also using the time to reset my energy and intention. The longer I am away from my usual work, the more I feel the need to investigate what is really important and how I can be contributing. In one corner of my mind I am trusting that this situation will be over soon and we will be back to rehearsals by May or June. In the other corner I question, “how would I behave if I thought this would last until the end of the year? ...If I thought my company might not be there on the other side of the pandemic?” Each day I grow more eager for action.

2. Where are you spending your social isolation?

I am spending my social isolation time in my home. I live in a house with a husband, two kids, one kid’s assistant and three cats. The property adjacent to our backyard is a 3 acre forest, so I also spend time with squirrels, deer and birds. We have a family of Barred Owls who have a raucous nightlife. Last call must be around 3:30 am because that’s when they all chime in.

3. What's your social isolation movement practice?

I am learning how to work out at home. Under normal circumstances I go to the gym 2-3 times per week to do high intensity cycling and strength training. Now I am doing high intensity workouts in our “creative room.” These workouts involve a lot of fast moving, jumping, burpees… lots of movement that I am not used to! While this is fun it is so hard! I am also learning humility. I fit right in at the gym where everyone is sweaty, huffing and puffing, and physically struggling. Doing this in front of the three gentlemen I live with is a little embarrassing. I hope I am setting a good example for my stepsons!

In addition to more vigorous workouts I also practice yoga 3-4 times per week. This includes trying-to-be-hot-via-space-heater hatha yoga along with kundalini yoga.

4. What do you miss most?

Hands down, I miss Full Radius rehearsals the most. While I miss the Whole Foods hot and salad bar, my budget does not!

5. What are you reading or watching and/or what have you just finished?

I've signed up with a program called “The Life-Force Academy” online. This is a collection of Kundalini Yoga teachings, classes and workshops. I learn a lot about Kundalini Yoga through this program so I count this as “reading.”

I also listen to a lot of podcasts including:

Guru Singh Podcast - Recordings of Guru Singh speaking. As a Kundalini Yoga guru, his lectures focus on self-discovery, universal intelligence, tolerance and saving the world.

Recovery 2.0 Podcast - Hosted by Tommy Rosen and usually including discussion with world-renowned leaders in various fields of health and wellness. Recovery 2.0 is a program of tools and holistic strategies to thrive in recovery from addiction.

The Lucas Rockwood Show - A Podcast focusing on various topics of health and wellness.

The History of India Podcast - Self explanatory!

I also binge-watched one of my favorite Danish shows, Badehotellet, or Seaside Hotel. My husband and I have been binge-watching The 10th Kingdom (yeah we are so silly!)

On Netflix I watch a lot of nature shows such as Our Planet, Beak and Brain, and Dancing with the Birds.

Finally, I watch a lot of how-to videos on building things.

Checking in with Matt

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Following a two year apprenticeship with Full Radius Dance, Matthew Smith was excited to return as a company member for the 2019/2020 season. With prior experience in TV and film acting, he is energetically turning his talents towards dance.

How are you doing?

I'm doing OK, my sleep schedule has gotten off track so I'm trying to fix that. Any time I get any lengthy amount of down time my body suddenly thinks my new bed time should be 5 am so that's been interesting!

Where are you spending my social isolation?

I'm staying in my one bed room apartment with my girlfriend who is unfortunately considered essential staff so I've been getting a lot of time to myself.

Matthew, with dark hair and a beard, is in a
side tilt in his wheelchair, right arm outstretched
and left hand making contact with a
button on the washing machine.

What's your social isolation movement practice?

Well I just got a pair of 1 pound wrist weights so I've been playing around with those as well as using my hand cycling machine for cardio. When I can I like to get out to the top floor of the parking deck at our apartment complex, no one ever actually parks there so I can do laps in my wheelchair or dance around, it's nice to get some fresh air too. I have also gotten into the habit of practicing my side tilts while I do laundry as you can see.

What do you miss most?

I miss my dance family! I miss seeing all the smiles and hearing the laughter of rehearsals! I miss everyone's creativity, getting to figure out new movement with everyone!

What are you reading/watching and what have you just finished?

I'm revisiting a lot of anime from when I was in high school, also finding new favorites like Beastars on Netflix which Toni (my girlfriend) completely fell in love with!

Checking in with Courtney

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Courtney Michelle McClendon grew up in the mountains of Johnson City, Tennessee and began dancing as a small child. She trained classically in ballet, modern, and jazz, performing with the Greenville Ballet Theatre and Trinity Arts Center. Deciding to focus her energy into modern dance she attended college at Radford University where she earned a B.F.A in Dance. While there, she found a new love for choreography and began to create dances for showcases and benefit concerts. During this time, she created several research-based projects, the largest of which culminated as an evening-length showcase entitled Full Spectrum. Throughout her dancing career, she has had the privilege of performing works by Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theatre, Kyle Abraham, Inessa Plekhanova, and Amy VanKirk. After graduating from university, she performed as a company member with Mountain Movers Modern Dance Company where she continued to grow as a choreographer and a dancer. During this time, she found a new and exciting passion for aerial work, taking up both aerial silks and Lyra. Courtney joined Full Radius Dance in May of 2019.

1. How are you?

I am doing well, going a little stir crazy but trying to stay active in both mind and body during this time! I am trying to focus on good things, like how I am getting to spend time with my family that I never get to see these days.

2. Where are you spending your social isolation?

I have traveled up to Tennessee to stay with my family. I am living in a house with 5 people, a dog, and 3 very large fluffy cats.

Courtney poses against a brick wall with one leg lifted
with the sole of foot on the opposite leg. Her arms
are out to the side as if receiving. She wears a
black Full Radius Dance tee shirt and bluish
grey leggings.

3. What's your social isolation movement practice?

I walk around my neighborhood to get some sunshine and fresh air daily, as well as working out and doing yoga. On the weekends we try to find a very isolated remote place to hike, which is easily possible to do where we are! I also have been taking some dance classes online, as well as teaching some dance classes online!

4. What do you miss most?

I miss my people, I miss walking into the studio and hugging everyone and having that very human connection.

5. What are you reading or watching and/or what have you just finished?

I am currently re-reading Into Thin Air by John Krakauer. It’s my favorite book, I highly suggest. I am also binge watching The Great British Baking Show on the side and it making me want to bake all the things!

Checking in with Douglas

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 15:49:00 +0000

Douglas Scott is the Artistic/Executive Director of Full Radius Dance.

1. How are you?

I'm good. I'm sure I'm not alone in dealing with a myriad of feelings - anxiety, hope, frustration, and anticipation. In the end, I'm coping and I'm good.

Douglas, with glasses, brown hair, and
a graying beard, has s pensive look
on his face. In the background are the
waters of Lake Lanier.

2. Where are you spending your social isolation?

With my husband in our fifth story condominium near Tech Square. We have a balcony which we visit often to report on whom we see walking on the street. We also have the privilege of a second home on Lake Lanier and we've been able to spend time there as well - in even more social isolation than in Atlanta.

3. What's your social isolation movement practice?

I give myself a 45 minute class, sometimes more, sometimes less.

I'm exploring old exercise notations from my notebooks - why didn't these 'stick'? Why did I stop teaching them? Company members, beware! I'll have plenty of new material when we resume classes!

4. What do you miss most?

I miss being in the lovely, messy, complicated, and fulfilling exchange that takes place in rehearsals.

5. What are you reading or watching and/or what have you just finished?

I recently completed Bobby Barnett's autobiography, written in conjunction Cynthia Crain-Lee. I've got Deb Spera's Call Your Daughter Home on my night stand. Deb and I were classmates at Western Kentucky University.

I'm watching a variety of home design shows on Amazon. Just viewed my way through Design Doctors.

Checking in with Julianna

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 19:35:00 +0000

Julianna Feracota is a professional dancer previously based in Chicago, Illinois, joining Full Radius Dance in September of 2019. She began her training at the Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park, IL and continued her education at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. She graduated in December 2018 with a BFA in Dance and a BBA in Accounting. Julianna has trained extensively in ballet, contemporary, modern, and Graham. She furthered her studies at summer dance programs with AXIS Dance Company, Orsolina28, DanceWorks Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Company, and San Francisco Conservatory of Dance.

1. How are you?

I am sleepy, loopy, focused, lazy, energetic, refreshed, bored, calm, frustrated, nostalgic, worried - sometimes all at once or not at all. But I’m always grateful and hopeful.

2. Where are you spending your social isolation?

In a red brick home located in a suburb of Chicago with my parents, younger brother, and our family dog.

3. What's your social isolation movement practice?

I have been taking virtual movement classes offered by the wonderful and generous dance community. I enjoy kickboxing and working out, and I like to Rollerblade around my neighborhood.

Julianna, with her hair in a single braid and wearing roller blades
,sits on concrete stairs. A black railing and the lower half of a
black door are in the background. A medium-sized dog with
a white muzzle and black nose sits beside her.

4. What do you miss most?

I miss my routine. I miss riding my moped, Bessie. I am missing the 'Pollening', which I have yet to experience as a recent arrival in Atlanta. I miss dancing together in a large studio with my dance family - making both physical and emotional connections through movement.

5. What are you reading or watching and/or what have you just finished?

I love watching TV and movies. I’ve mostly been bingeing Grey’s Anatomy. There are enough seasons and the characters experience enough drama to engage me through a year of quarantine! (let’s hope it doesn’t come to that)

To educate myself I watched Crip Camp and for pure entertainment and shock value I watched Tiger King. I highly recommend both!

Checking in with Lindy

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 16:15:00 +0000

Lindy, a woman with long hair and bangs,
leans against her kitchen counter. She wears
glasses and has a contemplative look on her
face. Her shirt is red and her pants are black.

Lindy Dannelley joined Full Radius Dance in 2011 bringing both her theatrical experience and her Montessori teacher training to enrich educational programs for children and adults alike. She is a contributing writer for "Rolling Without Limits", "Two-Thirds of the Earth" and other online sites. She is happy to expand on her musical theatre roots with a new focus on the power of music and dance. She graduated magna cum laude from Georgia State University with a BA in Theatre and English.

1. How are you?

I am well, trying to stay safe but occupying my mind while I wait for my out patient procedure to be rescheduled. (Keeping fingers crossed that we keep the mid April date). My family's good and everyone is healthy at this time, for which I am so grateful.

2. How are you spending your social isolation?

Catching up on different projects, including scrapbooking and going through 9 years of dance rehearsal videos. (Found some real gems). I've been organizing closets and doing a lot more cooking for my family and for some of my neighbors.

3. What's your social isolation movement practice?

I have become a great fan of @morning.wiggles on IG (here's my contribution https://www.instagram.com/p/B-NhfsSlKLP/ ) I found some old FRD floor exercise classes on video that I've been using as well. Playing with our dog, Charlie is also a lot of fun.

4. What do you miss most?

My grand daughter, Clementine. She's growing so fast, and just starting to REALLY talk. We video chat and share videos but I can not wait to just be with her.

5. What are you reading or watching and/or what have you just finished?

It may be odd, but I really haven't been watching much more TV that I did before. I have been catching up on a good deal of audio books. I just finished "Where the Crawdads Sing" (excellent and highly recommended) and am about to begin the new N. Scott Momday poetry "The Death of Sitting Bull" .

Reflections During the Pandemic

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 14:00:00 +0000

I spent the first week - and a few days of the next - of my social isolation in mourning for the loss of rehearsals, cancellations of performances, and in the upending of my creative life.

Full Radius Dance is a large part of my identity. Being unable to go into the studio and work intimately with my dancers had created a void in my day-to-day existence.

Beyond my personal experience, I was permeated with concern for our world. What would be the new normal?

I got annoyed and realized I needed to reset my thinking. Yes, things had been lost (and more may come), but I knew brooding wasn't my best response to these unnerving times. Perhaps I could find comfort in what I could control?

In consequence, my days have become task-oriented. Every morning, I jot down three to four assignments. I try to strike a balance between administrative and creative work while adding in a household chore. Here's Thursday's list:

Review and complete the Georgia Council for the Arts amended services report.
Verify that the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs has our final invoice.
Start the edit of the company members video homework.
Organize the second bedroom closet.

First two were checked off the list, the third is 95% complete, and I got a good start on the fourth.

I'm discovering how the discipline I've developed in my creative life can sustain and nourish me during these difficult times.

Oh, want a sneak peek of the video homework? Check it out here:

https://youtu.be/NOLYLypvOB0

- Douglas

Free Performance at the High's Second Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 18:53:00 +0000

Join us for a free performance at the High Museum of Art's Second Sunday with free admission to all visitors! Full Radius Dance will be performing a work-in-progress entitled "The Art of Disability".

July 14, 2019
1:30 PM and 2:30 PM
The Robinson Atrium

July 2019 marks the 29th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. The ADA gives civil rights protections and assures equal opportunity to individuals with disabilities for access to businesses, employment, transportation, state and local government programs and services. To celebrate this momentous legislation, Full Radius Dance, the High Museum of Art, and Emory University’s Disability Studies Initiative have partnered to highlight artistic excellence and advocate for equal access to the arts.

The partners conducted new, unprecedented research within the High Museum’s permanent collection, surveying artworks created by artists with disabilities, that depict disability, or can be viewed through a disability-centric lens The research will ultimately culminate with a site-specific work performed by Full Radius Dance within the gallery spaces of the High Museum. Audiences will have the opportunity to make powerful new connections between disability and artistry. The High Museum education department will support this experience and lens on the collection year-round, producing a family self-guide, a tour, and a teacher resource to facilitate meaningful discussion.

Hope to see you there for this first look at an exciting new dance.

Learn more about Second Sunday here.

For information on accessibility, click here.

For directions and parking, click here.

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 14:30:00 +0000

Full Radius Dance returns to 7 Stages Theatre Mainstage for Gone Too Far This Time – Full Radius Dance in Concert. The company is in performance on February 8^th and 9^th at 8:00 PM and February 10^th at 5:00 PM. On the program are Unexpected (commissioned by the 2017 Art on the Beltline, a juried public art exhibition), the re-imagining of Bar Songs (last seen in 2010), and the premiere of Gone Too Far This Time. This new work is inspired by the final writings of British author Virginia Woolf and features guest artist Carolyn Cook.

Gone Too Far This Time highlights Full Radius Dance’s theatricality, pioneering technique, and inventive partnering - all hallmarks of the company’s celebrated style.

7 Stages Theatre Mainstage, 1105 Euclid Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

Tickets: $20.00 for Adults, $15.00 for Seniors 60+ and Children 12 and under, $12.00 for Groups of 10 or more – must be purchased at the same time. Tickets available for purchase at www.fullradiusdance.org.

And new this year is “Together! A Show for Kids”, a sensory friendly performance for youth ages 4 through 12 and their families. ‘Together’ features exciting dance works, an interactive movement segment, and post-performance “Q & A”. This performance will be offered on February 9, 2019 at 10:30 AM, also at 7 Stages Theatre Mainstage. Tickets are $5.00 and available for purchase at www.fullradiusdance.org.

Auditions Announced for 2018 - 2019 Season

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 13:43:00 +0000

SAVE THE DATE!

Questions? Reach out to us at fullradiusdance@gmail.com.

The Danger of the Superlative

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 22:15:00 +0000

Be forewarned this is a post by Crotchety Old Douglas (COD) - A choreographer, artistic director, and dancer of oh so many years in Atlanta.

Creating the right message for your dance company or performance is hard. I get it.

It's difficult to craft a press release or a social media post that grabs the attention of potential attendees. There are so many activities vying to capture the interest of an audience and to encourage ticket purchases.

Once again, I get it.

But are you, honestly, "Atlanta's premiere dance company" or "the leading physically integrated company in the Southeast United States"? How did you determine that you were "featuring Atlanta's most elite choreographers"?

How does exalting yourself above others further your art and how is it supportive to the larger community?

Please, give it some thought.

Douglas

The 24th Annual MAD Festival!

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Wed, 09 May 2018 13:20:00 +0000

Purchase your tickets now for this evening of exceptional dance!

The Modern Atlanta Dance Festival (MAD), now in its 24th year, returns to the Balzer Theater at Herren's, home of Theatrical Outfit. Showcasing the diversity and excellence of the local dance scene, the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival (MAD) provides two nights packed with dance from seven choreographers!

Created by Douglas Scott and Full Radius Dance to showcase the diversity and excellence of the local dance scene, the MAD Festival strives to present the best of Georgia’s modern/contemporary dance, allowing audiences to experience a variety of choreographers, techniques and artistic visions in a single evening. Over the past two decades, Full Radius Dance has presented more than 65 companies and independent choreographers with over 600 dancers gracing the festival stage.

This year’s performances, offered on May 11 and May 12, 2018 at 8:00 pm, feature work from both established companies and independent choreographers:

· Core Peformance Company: July 13, 2016: 4:10 PM (excerpt) - the themes and ideas of memorial, memory, and relationship are explored by choreographer and conceptual artist D. Patton White.

· Meaghan Novoa: Ima (Mother) - expresses the gentleness, strength, and chaos of femininity through abstract movement.

· Okwae A. Miller and Artists: The g[Ray] Boi – a collaborative, interdisciplinary work examining the complexities of black gay men.

· Ruchi Ahuja: soft animal – sparked by a keen interest in psychoanalysis, Ahuja’s work looks at the vast capacity embedded within the unconscious.

· SWADanceCo: Refraction – through a blending of tap and contemporary dance, Refraction explores how a shared memory may be recalled the same or differently.

· withhart.dance.projects: nostalgia – a solo work using repetition and movement both small and sweeping to tell a story known only to the dancer.

· And host company Full Radius Dance: too far this time to come back again – delves into the place in a course of action beyond which reversal is not possible.

Lee Harper, founding director of Lee Harper & Dancers, arrived in Atlanta in 1975 to choreograph Leonard Bernstein's MASS for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra beginning a long relationship with the organization. In 1980, she founded her school and dance company, Lee Harper & Dancers. She is the recipient of numerous honors including two choreography fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mayor's Fellowship in the Arts for Choreography. Miss Harper served on the faculty of the Northside School School of the Arts for four years and as anartist-in-residence at Woodward Academy. “As the current artist-in-residence at The Westminster Schools, she remains dedicated and unwavering in her mission to bring movement into the lives of as many young people as possible.” (ArtsAtl.com, 2018)

The MAD Festival is pleased to announce that Lee Harper & Dancers will perform Tristesse on Saturday night in honor and celebration of Ms. Harper.

General Admission: $25.00 Adults, $20.00 Children 12 & under, Seniors and Working Artists, and $15.00 for Groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available for purchase at www.fullradiusdance.org.

The Messiness of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Sat, 21 Oct 2017 12:30:00 +0000

You may not know this about me but I've been a weekly volunteer at the Midtown Assistance Center
( http://www.midtownassistancectr.org/) since 1997. Yes! Twenty years. I value my experience at Midtown Assistance Center (MAC).

On 10/19/2017, I showed up for my usual hours. After an orientation session on our new paperless system, I jumped into seeing clients. The majority of appointments were fairly normal; helping folks with rent, utilities, or Marta cards.

One client stood out today. She was a young mother of three. Her oldest, a son maybe 6 to 8 years old, was autistic.

They've been living on the street for the past few nights, hoping that his disability payment, once it begins, will allow them to move into a motel. The interview and initial assistance went smoothly. Then she needed to change the diapers of two out of the three, her son had an accident in the waiting room, she left her two other children to attend to him, and then needed to attend to her youngest. It was a challenging situation because of the accident and then the need to stay with the son and daughter while she attended to the baby for both me and the MAC staff.

But so much more so for her. My heart ached. My challenge paled in comparison to her reality.

Life is difficult. Life is messy.

Now I'll try to connect the dots. This is my train of thought.

Full Radius Dance recently made our NYC premier at the Harlem School of the Arts. When I watched "Do You Know What You Are Doing Now" in rehearsal and performance, I realized I created a messy dance. A dance that relies highly on the attitude and feelings of the performers. One that is not so concerned with the line of the body and the ease of execution. It was about the 'now', not an utopia.

My client wasn't living an utopia. Far from it. But she was living. This is the essence I explored in "Do You Know . . ."

Revealing truth through movement.

That's my goal. - Douglas Scott

Disability. Dance. Artistry. Network - Join Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Yes! Sign Me Up!

In February 2017, we shared the exciting news that Full Radius Dance is one of six recipients of Dance/NYC's Disability. Dance. Artistry. (DDA) Fund. This grant is dedicated to production costs for integrated dance performances in the metropolitan New York City area from January 2017 through March 2018 including our performance of 'Do You Know What You Are Doing Now' at the Harlem School of the Arts on October 13 & 14, 2017. Mark your calendar!

We invite you to join Dance/NYC's Disability. Dance. Artistry. Network: an exclusive community dedicated to promoting integrated and disability dance artistry, and advancing inclusion and access to the art form for disabled people. As a member of the DDA Network, you will receive exclusive e-newsletters with information on integrated and disability dance artistry in the New York City metropolitan area. In addition, your contact information may be shared with the five other recipients of Dance/NYC's DDA Fund: AXIS Dance Company, Jess Curtis/Gravity, The Dancing Wheels Company and School, Kinetic Light, and Heidi Latsky Dance, as well as certain disability service providers with whom Dance/NYC has partnered.

YES. I WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE DDA NETWORK!

Full Radius Dance is supported, in part, by the City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council, and the Georgia Council for the Arts under appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. The Council is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding provided by Dance/NYC’s Disability. Dance. Artistry Fund, made possible by the Ford Foundation

What's the Word I'm Looking For?

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Recently, I watched a video shared on Facebook. Perhaps a friend called it to my attention? I can't recall. Anyway, it appeared in my feed and was about a dance class for people with disabilities so of course I clicked 'play'!

I was struck by the forced enthusiasm of the instructors and in the inappropriate, to my ear, language used. These were adult students who used wheelchairs. Some had developmental disabilities as well. Instruction was provided in a manner suitable for youngsters not adults.

I've struggled how to describe the effect of their words. Condescending? Cosset? Infantilization? To treat as if still a young child. Yes. That's the word I am looking for! Do you agree?

Why is age-appropriate language important? Bobby J. Harris states it beautifully:

"The answers touch on a number of important areas in a person life. Age-appropriate interactions help to develop independence as an adult. It also helps to build a positive self-image. It helps to combat negative stereotypes that people with developmental disabilities are like children. Most importantly it helps them to find a common ground and similarity with other adults of a similar chronological age."*

-- Douglas

*http://ezinearticles.com/?Do-Adults-With-Intellectual-Disabilities-Have-the-Right-to-Color-With-Crayons?&id=8810872

#18 of 25: 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 14:00:00 +0000

As I review the programs for the 2008 concerts, Sideshow and The Holiday Spectacular II, a few memories pop up:

In Giants In The Sky, JoJo Butler, with Sarah Kelly-Kerr sitting on her shoulders, standing on Laurel Lawson (and her wheelchair). They were covered by a humongous hoop skirt and glided across the stage - the giant in the sky.
The mermaid, the wild man, the strong woman, and the snake charmer invited and challenged people to stare in Sideshow. One section was a very tricky duet with Laurel and me, using her chair as our pedestal. We maneuvered about, switching positions, and never once touched the floor.
The third section of Sacred (The Book of Love) I hold fondly. We later performed it in the hallway of an Italian villa as a gift to a bride and groom during our Italy tour. Later still, my husband and I walked down the aisle to this same music.
Winter was one of Full Radius Dance's most successful integrations of dance and aerial choreography. In the piece, JoJo Butler and I ascended to the trapeze to explore the area between earth and clouds. - Douglas

Where Are They Now? Cherie Carson

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Cherie Carson. Photo by Dany Nieves.

Memories... I have many really wonderful memories of working with Douglas and the early days of Dance Force (Full Radius Dance).

I remember Kelly Oaks Dent being almost 9 months pregnant teaching us her part in a dance. She slid into splits, talking about what to do and where to put your hand and i know my eyes must have gotten super big. She said "I'm fine" and kept going. Next week she delivered.

I remember learning Lori Teague's dance with eggs and laughing and giggling as we tried not to break those raw eggs. It was so much fun.

I remember learning Aldo Melito's "5 Great Aunts from Berwick" - what a wonderful and fun piece to dance. Loved all of us dressing up as his aunts.

I remember being honored by Douglas when he commissioned me to have the company learn a new dance I wanted to develop. Upward Climb was performed at the King Plow Arts Center, Atlanta, GA in 1995. It was a group piece using various heights of stilts to suggest the attitudes of classism.

I danced with Douglas and Dance Force from 1991-1995. In 1995 I moved to Florida and began to develop more site specific works. In 2000, I moved to the Bay Area and continue to live here today. Since 2005, I have been artistic director of UpSwing Aerial Dance Company. Our mission is to inspire and share our love of original, aerial dance and that the idea of aerial can be extended to reveal human imagination, our relationship to each other and to one’s inner self. Creative expression and safety are our two core values in our classes and performances.

Cherie performing "Kiting"

I am currently working on a series of pieces in with we are creating atmospheres. The first piece
"Teardrops" was presented in Dec 2016. It is a 45 minute aerial dance piece about the inner landscape of tears, performed in purple teardrop fabrics hanging at different heights.

We currently are working on "Origin of Happiness". Two dancers attached by one rope on a pulley system explore the deep regions of the heart. Premieres Aug in Seattle. - Cherie Carson

Learn more about Cherie's work at:
www.upswingaerialdance.org
https://www.facebook.com/UpSwingAerialDanceCompany/
https://www.instagram.com/upswingdance/

#17 of 25: The Holiday Spectacular 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 14:00:00 +0000

In December of 2007, Full Radius Dance presented The Holiday Spectacular! The Spectacular was inspired by the celebrity-hosted holiday specials of television past. Think Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Perry Como.

Our very special guests were The Von Krapp Family Singers, a parody of the famous family from The Sound of Music, The Von Trapp family. The Von Krapps* (Barry, Mary, Carrie, Jerry, Larry, and Shawnekwa) sang holiday classics such as I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and Feliz Navidad with a very krappy spin.

We performed revivals of Schmaltz with Flowers and That Snow Waltz and a new companion piece, A Nutcracker Suite, set to Duke Ellington's jazz interpretation of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker overture. Rounding out the program was Sentire. The word 'sentire' is from the Latin meaning to perceive, feel, know; probably a figurative use of the literal meaning to find one's way.

Ten years later, I'm still finding my way. That hasn't changed.

Neither has a section of duet movement from Sentire of which I was particularly fond. It has worked its way into The Legend of the Dragon school show and, most recently, into our Dance of the Little Swans as performed with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra. It still looks as fresh as when I created it. - Douglas

*The Von Krapps were performed by John Jones, Kimberly Juergen, Kristie Krabe, James Lentini, Sean McCord, and Lise Wilson.

#16 of 25: 2006 - the year of Dance Synergy

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 14:00:00 +0000

The national tour of Dance Synergy:Celebrating 25 Years of Physically Integrated Dance In America was the brainchild of Mary Verdi-Fletcher. Mary is the founder of Dancing Wheels (Cleveland, OH) which is the first professional dance company in the USA to integrate dancers with and without disabilities. Created in 1980, the season of '05/'06 marked Dancing Wheels' 25th anniversary. To celebrate this occasion, Mary amazingly created the opportunity for a national tour with two other dance companies. Full Radius Dance, alongside AXIS Dance Company (Oakland, CA), filled out the bill. We shared performances in our home cities of Atlanta, Cleveland, and Oakland.

In Cleveland and Oakland, Full Radius Dance performed Both Sides Now. Here are my original program notes: "Both Sides Now unfolds with two distinctly different versions of the 1960s song classic: one upbeat and youthful; the second, introspective and seasoned. The contrast in the music and movement reveals how the words of our youth can be rediscovered and reinterpreted as we gain maturity and experience. " We also performed the work in Atlanta and added the premiere of Passione and the trio from Crawl/Climb (2005).

You can see excerpts from Passione at Silver, our 25th anniversary concert on March 10 and 11. Get your tickets here.

In Fall of 2006, we revived Passione, Crawl/Climb, and reached back a decade for Song of Bernadette (1996). No program notes. Was that due to lack of program space, lack of time, or my laziness? Hmm. I'll go with choice number one. - Douglas

#15 of 25: Remarkable Work, Year 2005

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 14:00:00 +0000

"In honor of Full Radius Dance's 25th anniversary season, I (Douglas Scott) am writing 25 blog posts - one for each year. I'll do this prior to 'Silver', our celebratory concert on March 10 and 11, 2017. - Douglas Scott, Artistic/Executive Director"

I take it back.

My dear friend Catherine Dansby-Smith made a suggestion that I switch to haiku so I could complete the task. Ah, I wish I was that brilliant. I'm not, so I've decided to remove the self-imposed deadline. My new goal? Finish by the end of the season on June 30, 2017. I hope I'll still inspire you to attend Silver, Full Radius Dance's repertory concert. For tickets, and more information, click here.

The year 2005 is personally remarkable for two dance works from two different concerts*, each receiving premieres: Crawl/Climb and The Vortex of Family.

In Crawl/Climb, I mined dark thoughts to create a work inspired by lyrics from Tuesday 3 a.m. (Latter Days soundtrack). I'm happy to report that my memory of the song proves to be accurate as the true words match my recollection. The original: "And I could call up to heaven, I could crawl down through hell." One of the outstanding sections of Crawl/Climb was a lovely, deeply spiritual trio for JoJo Butler, Laurel Lawson, and myself. You can see the revival of this work, now danced by Kimberly Sausman, Lindy Dannelley, and Eric Graise, at Silver.

The Vortex of Family, once again, featured JoJo, Laurel, and myself. With a score commissioned from Allen Welty-Green, Vortex chronicled a complicated, complex relationship of three siblings and was partly inspired by the Jonathan Franzen novel The Corrections. The three of us were so in sync. I remember doing a handstand with JoJo sliding in to catch me with her feet and then I'd unfold over Laurel's body. To be so physically and emotionally connected onstage is a blessing. - Douglas

*The concerts were Crawl/Climb and The Cry of the Bean Sidhe (Banshee).

#15 of 25: Missing - 2004!

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 14:00:00 +0000

In June 2004, the Full Radius Dance repertory concert was titled As the Horizon Fades. I have the postcard in the archives but, alas, no program to spur my memory. It's gone missing!

What else was on the program beside the title work?

Thank goodness for Google. A search uncovers a preview of the performance written by Tom Bell, then the dance writer for Creative Loafing. Here's what he had to say:

"Three paintings from the Louvre, three cello songs performed by Yo-Yo Ma and a passage from Victor Hugo's The Toilers of the Sea. In the nexus of this intensely interdisciplinary collection of inspirations, choreographer Douglas Scott has found one of his finest dances. As the Horizon Fades, premiering in its entirety this weekend at 7 Stages, sails the spiritual seas in flight from an angry present toward a distant misty shore. (The Hugo passage observes that as one horizon falls behind, another appears ahead.) The dance is set on Scott's Full Radius Dance, a "physically integrated" company that includes some dancers who dance in wheelchairs. . . .

Also in the show: Scott's 5 x 7, a meditation on fate set on Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, and guest choreographer Hilary Benedict's Skipping Stones, a lovely, sensual and languid work with the feel of a Southern high summer at dusk."

Read Tom's complete preview here.

In December 2004, we presented One, Two, Three, More! with the premiere of Melanie Lynch-Blanchard's Fallout and Schmaltz with Flowers which, paired with That Snow Waltz, created The NOTcracker Suite. Fallout was an athletic work that began with a series of diving rolls. Right up our alley!

No nice program covers or postcard photos for this blog. Instead, here's a cat picture! Doesn't everyone love a cute cat in a wheelchair? - Douglas

Where Are They Now? Kate Holland

noreply@blogger.com (Full Radius Dance) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Kate is a dancer, choreographer, yoga teacher and, now, a Sound Education Director for Cymatic Technologies. Kate choreographed and performed with Full Radius Dance from 1996 through 2000 - Douglas

Dear Douglas,

Kate Holland in "dreaming paradise" (2015)

Many years and many dances later, I was so excited to hear from you and about your continued success. You have always given generously of yourself and your opportunities to all of us, as dancers, choreographers and friends.

I can honestly say that you truly allowed me to put my dreams and visions onstage alongside of yours in a most remarkable way. Those moments on stage with you are memories that are forever in my heart.

I am still dancing and believing in all that it can do! Keep going, keep believing.

Love and Many Blessings,

Kate Holland