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July 10, 2008 - It's been a busy summer already. We premiered Haunted at Dance Place with Leah and Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia and Kofi Dennis to wonderful responses...even though no press came (shame on you DC print media!) We'll be performing excerpts at the Alternate ROOTS Annual Meeting and the Network of Ensemble Theaters NET Gathering this August. We are also in dialogue with Nick Slie of Mondo Bizarro to bringHaunted to New Orleans, hopefully during the 2009 State of the Nation Festival with ArtSpot Productions. If you didn't get a chance to see it, you can check out the brief 2 minute video clip of Haunted on our website here.

We also just completed a quick new collaborative work with musician/composer Jonathan Morris. Paint it Blue was a result of an invitation to participate in the 2008 Source Theater Festival Mash-Up. Using film footage from Ray Schandelmeier in 1970, Laura, Jonathan and I explored the theme of surveillance and asked the question, "Who's watching us now?" You can raed Jonathan's blog here.

And for now, we've got a few weeks rest to get our 501(c)3 application submitted. We've been fortunate to work with a wonderful lawyer through Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts who is assisting us through the legal labyrinth of IRS form 1023. Soon, we'll be able to receive tax-deductible contributions, foundation and government grants, and corporate contributions for Dancenow Productions, Inc. It's an exciting time and a great time to be a dance artist!

We hope the summer is going well for you all. We hope to see you soon...maybe at the PG pool or out supporting some of the fabulous performance venues in the city of DC!

Peace.
Laura & Stephen

February 24, 2008 - Hi there! As the New Year quickly becomes not so new (hard to believe that March is right around the corner), the winter season was quite eventful and Laura and I have been burning the midnight oil - only one day off thus far since New Year's day! So what has been keeping us so busy? The National Performance Network’s Annual Meeting last December, brought us to New Orleans where we co-facilitated a professional development workshop for national touring artists as part of a team from the Alternate ROOTS’ Resources for Social Change Program. January found us at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference in New York where we showcased an excerpt from Portals as part of Jodi Kaplan and Associate’s National Boutique Roster. Closer to home, the InSeries commissioned us to create and perform the roles of Monteverdi’s doomed lovers in Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, which premiered in January at the ATLAS Performing Arts Center. We've been applying for grants like there's no tomorrow, and even through there is little instant gratification for this, if we don't ask...

Anyway, just yesterday, we set up our Portal again in preparation for a special repeat performance at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center coming up on March 4. We've also been in the studio with Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia in creating our 4th evening-length performance work, Haunted. On top of all of this, visits from Kip Lee and Carlton Turner have kept us in touch with the ROOTS community. Oh, and by the way, we're in the process of incorporating and applying for our 501(c)3 status. More to come about that later.

Hope the season is going well for you all. Sending you much peace.

L & S

January 17, 2008 - Hello! Laura and I are just coming back from APAP where we had a fabulous performance as part of Jodi Kaplan and Associates' National Boutique Roster showcase. This week, we're getting ready to perform in the InSeries production of Opera Triptych at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. We hope to see you soon and please join our mailing list!

Peace.

November 13, 2007 - Greetings! Hope the season is going well for you all. Here's a quick update about what we're up to in the near future...In December we will be on the team of facilitators for Principles of Working in Community, the professional development workshop offered by the Resources for Social Change Program of Alternate ROOTS for artists at the National Performance Network Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

In January, look for us in New York at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters confernece on the Jodi Kaplan and Associates' Boutique Roster Showcase at the Ailey Theater, Monday January 14 at 4:10pm where we will perform an excerpt from our latest full-evening duet work, Portals to original music by Clapp. The full work will also be presented by the Take 5 Series at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland on March 4, 2008.

Most recently, we have been commissioned by the IN Series to create and perform the roles of Monteverdi’s doomed lovers in Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, a mini opera featuring a soprano, tenor, baritone and string quartet. The work will premiere at the ATLAS Performing Arts Center in Washington, DC January 19 & 20 and 26 & 27, 2008.

We are currently working on Haunted, a new full-evening work that unearths local lore and ghost stories of the diverse community in which we live and work – Mount Rainer, Maryland, where some say the story behind “The Exorcist” took place. Created in collaboration with musicians Chloe and Leah Smith of Rising Appalachia and members of the Mount Rainier community, Haunted will unfold through arts-based experiences and story circles where community participants will be invited to share their tales. Revealing commonalities among people through relationships to the past, the unknown and community histories, Haunted will premiere on May 31 & June 1, 2008 at Dance Place in Washington, DC.

Just a quick update...hope to see you soon!

Peace.

Octoher 8, 2007 - Thanks to all who made possible and participated in the The Creative Convergence! Many connections were made and we hope that the dialogues continue and we can sustain the ideas and connections that were created and strengthened during this festival. Thanks especially to all the partners in Baltimore!

For more info, please visit The Creative Convergence page and check out these links for information about some of our partners: Alternate ROOTS Baltimore Theatre Project ClancyWorks Dance Company Community Performance Creative Alliance Free Fall Baltimore Goucher College Maryland Institute College of Art Red Emma's 2640 University of Baltimore

Thanks to all! We look forward to future collaborations!

Peace.

July 3, 2007 - Thanks to all of our fabulous friends and supporters, the premier of Portals was excellent! Made possible by the generous support of the Creative Communities Fund of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and over 25 individual donors, the opening of Portals was a great success!

We have recently signed on with Jodi Kaplan & Associates to assist with booking and promotions. You can check out our new 5 minute video here or if you would like to receive a high-quality dvd of the 5 minute video, please contact us and we will send you a dvd. We are also currently on the Alternate ROOTS 2007 Tour Roster. This means that any presenting organization who wishes to present our work may apply for an artist fee subsidy to cover a percentage of artist fees. You can feel free to contact us for more information about the Alternate ROOTS Tour Roster too.

Stephen has recently returned from Atlanta after teaching a two-day workshop with some amazing artists/social change agents from Alternate ROOTS during the Gathering at the Crossroads workshop. Stephen was able to meet some fabulous people at the US Social Forum and comes back to DC with renewed vigor and perspective. In partnership with Ashley Sparks, Adrienne Clancy (of ClancyWorks Dance Company), Carlton Turner (of Alternate ROOTS) and the Baltimore Theater Project, the DC/Maryland/Virginia/West Virginia Regional Rhizome of Alternate ROOTS will host Creative Convergence on October 5-7, 2007 in Baltimore. Creative Convergence aims to identify and share the strengths of artists in the DC-Baltimore region as an integral piece of a movement towards sustained social change. See here for more info about Creative Convergence.

Laura has been teaching for the 7th year in a row at the Greenbelt (MD) Creative Kids Camp. With an original musical by Christopher Cherry, Laura is choreographing and facilitating dance performances every two weeks through July.

As we move through the rest of our summer, you can be sure that we are gearing up towards the Alternate ROOTS 2007 Annual Meeting. This year's AM will be August 7-12 and will take place at the Lutheridge Conference Center in Arden, NC. Check out the Alternate ROOTS website for more info about the 2007 Annual Meeting!

We hope to cross paths with you soon! Peace.

December 6, 2006 - Laura was the recipient of a $10,000 commissioning grant from the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region's 2006 Creative Communities Fund. This grant award is for Laura & Stephen's latest evening length performance project, Portals, and the Open Door Project in partnership with Joe's Movement Emporium. Click Here to download Laura's CCI profile (832 KB).

Check back soon for more details about upcoming Portals events including Open Door rehearsals and other performances. Also, don't forget to check out a repeat performance of The Dragons Project at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage on January, 31, 2007. Until then, we wish you all a wonderful holiday season! Much love and Peace!

October 1, 2006 - Laura's recent performance with the Art of the Solo was a great success as she performed Pola Nirenska's Exhuberance with a host of other artists and works from some of the most celebrated dance choreographers of the 20th Century.

Laura and Stephen are currently in the studio to create their third evening length duet, Portals, to be presented by Dance Place in June 2007. Other upcoming news - Laura and Stephen will be working with Jane Franklin Dance Company as well as performing and/or facilitating a workshop during the Alternate ROOTS DC, MD, VA, WV regional rhizome event on November 19 at Joe's Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, MD.

And Holly Rae just turned 11 on September 20. Happy Birthday Holly!

August 30, 2006 - With the summer coming quickly to a close, we have been busy with traveling, performing and spending time with friends and family. From working in Paris, France with Clara Gibson Maxwell and planning for her Distillations project at Florida Southern College in February 2007; The Alternate ROOTS 2006 Annual Meeting where we had the honor of meeting and working with community based artists and activists from across the Southeast, around the country and across the pond in the United Kingdom; traveling breifly to the beach at Cape Hatteras, then to New England to visit family - now back in Mount Rainier, diving head-first back into work and the studio (On top of all that, we got married at Dorsey Chapel, with a fabulous reception at Dance Place...then a lovely honeymoon to Jamaica.)

We are currently in the development of a new evening-length work entitled Portals to be presented at Dance Place in June 2007. Stay tuned for more information about Portals coming soon. Also, check out our video clip of excerpts from The Dragons Project: Power Play.

We hope that you all are doing well and we look forward to our upcoming performances at Yes, Virginia Dance and Laura's performance with the Art of the Solo. And keep your eyes peeled for a look into our process of Portals thruogh the Open Door Project where we will open our rehearsal doors and invite participants into our process - in partnership with World Arts Focus at the new Joe's Movement Emporium! See you all soon. In Peace and Love...

May 13, 2006 - With the premiere of The Dragons Project: Power Play behind us (for now), we are very greatful for all the fabulous support from friends, family and dance/theater enthusiasts who contributed time, energy, capital, blood and intellect to the Dragons Project. And on we go...looking forward to collaborating with Nayo Watkins, Jessica Hirst and Omari Fox on a workshop for Alternate ROOTS' Resources for Social Change program at the Pedagogy/Theater of the Oppressed conference next weekend. Then on to Paris, France to work with dance artists and choreographer, Clara Gibson Maxwell. We are fortunate enough to be able to bring Holly Rae with us on this exciting trip. And finally, the summer will kick off with our wedding on June 17! We wish you all well and look forward to crossing paths with you all agian soon. With much love...

March 14, 2006 - The year has been a whirlwind thus far and our latest performance project, The Dragons Project: Power Play is fast approaching. This past January, we were invited to be part of the Winter Carnival, a 10-minute play festival with the Madcap players at the H Street Playhouse in Washington, DC, where we performed Endgame, an excerpt from The Dragons Project in eight performances for a new audience. February brought us the invitation to perform in the 25th Annual Choreographers Showcase at the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts where we had three more performances of the same excerpt. And in early March, we performed a larger excerpt of Dragons at Politics and Prose, a wonderful bookstore and café in Washington, DC as part of Dance Place’s Any Space is a Dance Place series.

Stephen recently received a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council for Solo Performance and Laura received an Artistic Assistance matching grant from Alternate ROOTS towards the purchase of a video camera. With funds from the Maryland State Arts Council, we have hired the fabulous Ilana Silverstein to help us with support for our administrative and production needs.

The full-evening premiere of The Dragons Project: Power Play will be presented by Dance Place on May 6 and 7, 2006. This new full-evening work is a movement-based fairy tale exploring the dragons in our midst as well as those we hold within. We have been working for over a year on this project and are very excited to share this new duet, featuring original music by Stephen. Please mark your calendars, tell your friends and check out our our Dragons Project page for more information!

January 23, 2006 - With the new year at our heels, Laura and Stephen have been engaged in the continued development of The Dragons Project. This month's performance of Endgame with Madcap Players at the H Street Playhouse has been quite a treat! Dipping back into the theater world has been particularly rewarding as has working with Madcap and the fabulous artists in the Winter Carnival. Also coming up, Laura and Stephen will be performing a section of The Dragons Project at Politics & Prose in Northwest, DC. This will be a 30 minute performance followed by a 20 minute discussion and "talk-back" with the audience. Thanks to Sarah Hemphill and Dance Place for this wonderful opportunity. Laura and Stephen will also be performing the Endgame section of The Dragons Project as part of the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts' 23rd Annual Choreographer's Showcase.

While it has been a trying time in these first few weeks of 2006, with the passing of Richmond artist, Richard Carlyon, Laura and Stephen send love and healing to Eleanor, Jason, Cheryl and the Rufty, Schandelmeier, Carlyon families who stood by Richard throughout his passing. And through these challenging times, Laura and Stephen urge us all to continue creating, dancing and making art. In peace, light and love...

October 6, 2005 - In these times of global struggle and national emergencies, many opportunities exist to actively support those who have lost family, friends and/or their homes in the Gulf Coast Region due to Hurricane Katrina. Alternate ROOTS is a Southeastern community arts organization which seeks allies to respond from our strengths as artists, activists, and cultural workers. We are working to support constructive self-determination by affected communities as the process of healing and rebuilding begins among Gulf Coast Communities.Click Here to find out how YOU can partner with Alternate ROOTS to support ARTISTS and CULTURAL WORKERS that have been directly and adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina. You can also print out and distribute this flier. Our actions can and do make a difference. In solidarity and peace...

October 1, 2005 - Laura recently performed with Clara Gibson Maxwell for the "Arts on Foot" performance of the Washington, DC Fringe Festival. Performing Maxwell's Trinity, Laura and Clara danced in an abandoned storefront to Ornet Coleman's music played through speakers via telephone by Tom Chieu in New York City. While they were performing, Stephen was in China. He has just returned to the United States after three weeks of traveling with his father - visiting Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, Yichang, Tongli, Guilin and Hong Kong. Whlie he had a wonderful time with his father, he missed Laura and Holly Rae very much and is very happy to be home again. He is also very much looking forward to getting back into the studio with Laura!

August 21, 2005 - Just returning to Maryland - Laura, Stephen and Holly spent a week at the Alternate ROOTS Annual Meeting followed by some visits in North Carolina, Virginia Beach and West Virginia. At the ROOTS Annual Meeting at Lutheridge in Arden, NC, Laura co-facilitated a two day studio with Nayo Watkins and Bob Leonard based on the Principles of Alternate ROOTS's Resources For Social Change Program and the Community/Artist Partnership Program. Stephen was elected to serve as Chair of the Executive Committee and will be facilitating the leadership of a dynamic, courageous and diverse group of artists that make up the current body of the ROOTS Ex Comm. Holly Rae spent her week immersed in creative activities with youth from across the Southeast US and performed in a fabulously sweet showing presented by the young participants of the annual meeting.

The ROOTS annual meeting also offered the opportunity to experience some amazing performances by Carpet Bag Theatre, Joe Woods, Lashanna Mickens, Lori Teague and D. Patton White, M.U.G.A.B.E.E., Looking for Lilith, Kathy Randels, Valentine Pierce, Mondo Bizarro, Raquel Almazan and Teo Castellanos, Dora Arreola and Andrea Assaf, Carolyn Morris, Bailey Barash, Chip Epsten, Jose Torres Tama, Theron Schmidt, Millicent Johnnie, Rudy Cano and a host of other dynamic and engaging artists! We also saw some extraordinary digital media work by ROOTS members facilitated by the fabulous folks with the Center for Digital Storytelling! Thanks to Carolyn Morris, Carlton Turner, Vanessa Manley and all who offered their blood, sweat and tears to make the 2005 Annual Meeting a treasure to remember! Onward and Peace...

July 26, 2005 - As midsummer 2005 has passed us through, Laura and Stephen are in the midst of creating their next evening-length performance work, The Dragons Project. Stephen has been busy building their website thanks to a grant from Alternate ROOTS. Laura has been teaching at Creative Kids Camp (with Holly Rae) in Greenbelt, MD. It has been a busy summer so far...and after a quick visit with Clara Gibson Maxwell in West Virginia this coming weekend, they are looking forward to the Alternate ROOTS Annual Meeting in August. Hope to see you there!

July 11, 2005 - Laura and Stephen recently performed an excerpt of their new work: The Dragons Project at PS 122 in New York City as part of The Field's Go Tour Roadshow. They met some fabulous artists from across the country including: Jennifer Lanier (Hawaii), Julie Troost (NYC), The Switch (NYC), THELOS Theater Group (Miami), Parallel Exit (NYC) and others, as well as fellow DC area artists: Jessica Hirst and Lotta Lundgren. Thanks to the Field staff, the staff at PS 122 and all the artists who made the Go Tour Roadshow possible! Read more about the Field's Go Tour Roadshow in the New York Times or in the article by Brook Stowe or on the PS 122 website!

June 14, 2005 - Laura and Stephen launch new website: www.dancenow.org Website goes live today!