IT'S ALMOST SHOWTIME! 

So we asked Megan...

In CoEXIST, how do you prepare for a performance?

anytime I perform, it's important to me to have a small work out that day, in order to warm up, and I often find myself needing some quiet time.

coexist is unique in that the performance space varies a lot. so does the stage, or lack thereof, and the type of dancing, so I like to see and be in the space for a while and consider how the piece fills in.

Don't miss out tonight! The show starts at 7pm and we want to see you there!! www.coexist.com!!

We asked Sean...

What are you most nervous about in preparing for the show?

Making sure that I have all the movement down and correct. And not messing up the choreographer's image of each piece.

Better make sure it's ready, Sean! Tomorrow is finally the show and we can't wait! Get your tickets and more at coexistdance.com!

We asked Kelsey...

What do you like about performing with CoEXIST?

I enjoy performing with CoEXIST because I feel like I can be myself on stage with the other company members. I don't think nerves are a big factor in my performance. If anything, it helps.

Come see Kelsey and the rest of the CoEXIST members perform! Visit http://www.coexistdance.com/ for info about tickets!

We asked Lauren...

How has your experience as a company member evolved since joining?

In terms of experience as a company member and how I go about conducting myself in rehearsal and performances, I don't actually feel as if anything has changed for me. I feel equally committed, invested, and inspired by the people and art surrounding me. 

Since joining in January 2012, many things in the company have changed: rehearsal space, company members, company rep, expansion to different styles, and the addition of a junior company. In that sense, I feel an evolution adjusting to bigger spaces and readjusting to smaller performance spaces, opening up to more dance genres to help evolve my versatility as a dancer and being able to work with the younger junior company members and just being a role model to them as a member of a professional company. 

I feel the same way about CoEXIST as I always have but the changes that have along with the company have shaped and added more into life as a dancer and person.

We asked Whitney...

As a dancer, what do you do to ensure you are fully embodying the choreographer's intent?

I take the information the choreographer provides, 

then try to empathize with the character or concept, like actors do. 

I blend my own experiences with the choreographer's shared experiences

and play with the execution. 

After that, the director's ongoing criticism is most valuable 

to provide immediate feedback on ways to alter my performance 

so that it is as fully and accurately embodied as possible.

We asked Sean...

Are there moments where you feel dis    conne     cte     d from the material in "Dream Baby Dream"? How do you cope with that?

I feel disconnected from the material 

when the movement style is new and not totally in my body. 

I cope with it with 

practice 

and trying to look like the choreographer. 

I just keep going over the movement in my head 

and focus on myself and 

the relationship between the other dancers. 

We asked Antoinette...

about "Dream Baby Dream"...

How do you

"make this piece your own" 

while maintaining your 

assigned role 

in the dance?

I make the piece my own by just  

focusing 

on what I bring to the piece individually. Its ultimately Katie's vision but 

without the company it would stay just a vision.

Just knowing that always gives me a 

sense of purpose 

and importance in the company with the director and my fellow company members!

What was she thinking?!: Inside the mind of Artistic Director/Choreographer Kathleen Glynn

As we prepare for CoEXIST Celebrates 5, Artistic Director and choreographer Kathleen Glynn takes the time to give audiences insight into "Dream Baby Dream", the newest addition to CoEXIST’s repertoire.  We hope this conversation provides a fresh perspective on the viewing of the piece when it debuts at the show on Monday, June 23, 2014 @ Act II Playhouse in Ambler! Tickets available here!

Tell me about the piece.

The name of the piece is "Dream Baby Dream". I committed to the name during towards the end of the choreographic process. It is named after the song I chose for the piece, which is off the latest Bruce Springsteen album. 

What is this piece about?

As the process continued and as I searched for music - I realized "Dream Baby Dream" was perfect for this piece. This piece is where I would like to stop and look around as I approach the 5 year mark with CoEXIST. It illustrates the struggles, relationships, beauty, creativity, ideas, failures, successes, craziness, and brilliance that have brought CoEXISTdance to this point, to this dream. The choreography and movement also reflect that - some of my evident choreographic tricks will debut, some new manipulations will take the stage, and everything in between. As a director and as a choreographer, I am proud of what our 5 year mark reflects. I am proud of this piece :) 

Where did you find inspiration for "Dream Baby Dream"?

This piece was so weird for me because I had NO IDEA what it was about when I started. Normally, I am inspired or distraught about something and I use that as fuel to dance. This time, I wanted to create movement first. I fell in love with the phrase I created and realized afterwards it would look beautiful if I pulled it apart and stitched it back together throughout other phrases of movement.

Were there changes between your original vision/choreography and what was set on the dancers?

Actually, not really! I wanted this piece to be a combination of scattered and organized chaos and those breathtaking "ah" moments” - moments of purity I call them. I like to think I have created both [types of] moments; the dancers do a lot of work in duets and trios and then come together to perform very fluid, specific choreography together. 

Once you see your dancers embody a movement phrase, does that change the way you move forward in your process? How does that inform the next decisions you make as choreographer?

This question is intimidating. I think my answer is sometimes. There have been a few occasions where I change my mind once I see the dancers own the choreography. For example, with "Blackbird", I was adamant about the dancers figuring out how to be birdlike. I asked them to watch birds in their everyday life journeys. Megan did this so well I think she is more bird than she is human! With "Dream Baby Dream" I knew I wanted a sequence of broken-up duets and trios, tied together with group unison, and then repeated with different groupings of duets and trios, brought back together with more unison. The only thing I really considered when assigning the duets/trios was challenging dancers to work with other dancers they have not worked very closely with before. 

When do you know it is finished?

Honestly, are we ever done editing and tweeking?

Does this piece overlap in any way with other pieces in the CoEXIST repertoire?

If I had to choose a piece, I would say this piece is [most similar] to "Beacon" (except without the flashlights). They are similar in the way that multiple things are happening on the stage at once, and then everyone unites with a common sense of time, space, movement, or all three. I love creating that feeling. 

Do you appreciate audiences integrating their own subjective experiences of the piece to make meaning of it?

Absolutely! We make art for each other; it is meant to be shared. We do not create things to hide them. This piece has turned into something very specific for me - my journey as a director and as an artist - but I always love hearing how others interpreted a piece. I hope everyone is touched by this piece in some way or another, there is no wrong answer. 

Relay for Life

Relay for Life 

was a great success: community, dancing, fighting for a great cause...it couldn't have been any better!  And with many of us having personal ties to battling cancer, the event was close to our hearts.

Here's a little taste of what happened Friday, May 30.  Enjoy!

Though we changed rehearsal to the afternoon, many of us had places to be in the morning, whether running errands, dancing in a Flash Mob, or getting our cars fixed. As always, coffee is a good kick-start, which gave us energy as we came together for rehearsal later..

 Katie and Kelsey arrived first, who had a meeting while we trickled in with excited energy and warmed up.

Then we rehearsed! We ran all the pieces for later that night.  There were some confusions about counts and movements, but we always find a way to communicate and work through our conflicts, whether with the dance or with each other. So we danced and danced..

...and took a couple breaks along the way. 

The more we dance with our newest member, Sean, the more we love him. Look at him workin' hard! 

With all that hard work, our bodies needed refueled, so to Applebee's we went! The salads were great, the service was not, and the company was divine. 

Then...finally...after months of preparation...Relay for Life! After getting ready at Katie's house, we walked to Amosland Park to set up our table. To support Relay and do a little fundraising of our own, we held a raffle for 4 different themed baskets: beach, lottery, fitness, and (of course) dance! We also sold Yankee candles earlier this year. Thanks to all who supported!

We lounged in the beautiful grass and soaked up the sun. We got a little silly at times, too.

Together we walked laps and made new friends.

Here are the Professionals together! This was after an inspirational speech by a survivor during the opening ceremony. It's always so touching to watch survivors, fighters, and caregivers make a lap around the field with the support of everyone else cheering them on from the inside of the track.

 And what a way to end... Antoinette may not have gotten to eat ice cream from the truck like she wanted, but she DID get to meet and walk around with Santa.

Well, we didn't quite end on that note. After all the fun and games in the park, we got serious and performed six CoEXIST pieces between the Jr. and Professional companies. We were reminded of the beauty in bringing together community and dance. Everyone was there for the same reason: to support the end of cancer, and it was touching to be there supporting the same cause with others, supporting each other.  This is what CoEXIST and what life is really about, and I think I can speak for everyone involved with CoEXIST when I say how proud I am to be part of such a strong group of of artists and humans.

May Dancer of the Month: Sophia Severson!

May Dancer of the Month: SOPHIA SEVERSON!

1.  What is one of your favorite dance memories? 

     My favorite dance memory is getting 3rd place overall for my solo at Dance Xplosin Competition.

2.  Which genre of dance do you enjoy best? Why? 

I like the style of tap and hip hop equally. They are my strongest style of dance. 

3.    Who is a role model to you?

My role model is Miss Janice. She has taught me with hard work and dedication anything is possible. She pushes me to be the best dancer I can be and her hugs are the best. I love learning my solo with her this year. We had so much fun!!

4.    Where do you hope your dancing will take you?

 I hope dancing will take me to be a hip hop dancer for someone famous!!!!

5.    What is one of your favorite songs to dance to?

My favorite would be jazz, tap or hip hop to any song by Pitbull. I love him!!!

6. How do you feel before a performance? Do you have any pre-performance routines or traditions?

When I am backstage I get very nervous and run through my dance in my head. Sometimes I get so nervous I feel like I'm going to pee my pants!! 

7.What is your favorite thing about CoEXISTdance?

 I met new people and was able to dance at LovePark! That was really cool!!!

8. What is the hardest challenge you have overcome as a dancer?

My challenge was to prove my age because nobody thinks I am almost 12and can do advanced dance steps.

9. What is your absolute favorite dance step (or trick)?

My favorite hip hop step is pop, lock, and drop it. I like to shake my booty! LOL

10. Which dance accessory do you have to have for class?

 I always have my favorite hair tie and sports bra!!!

11. Have you ever had to make a last minute change to a performance? What happened!

Yes, I had to make a slight change the day before a competition in the choreography of my solo and I remembered it!!!

12. Which day of the week is your favorite? Why?

My favorite day of the week is Friday because I have no homework and I can hang out with my friends.

13. Do you have other hobbies besides dancing? What are they?

I play CYO Volleyball for St. Madeline's Parish. 

14. When is your birthday?

My birthday is May 29th. 

15. How has CoEXISTdance helped you as a dancer? As a person? 

Coexist brought a lot of dancers together to share their love of dance. 

World Dance Day 2014!

On Sunday afternoon, 04/27/2014, CoEXISTdance juniors and professionals met at the Piazza at Schmidt's to perform for the 5th annual World Dance Day.  We shared the stage with many other dance companies and performers from all over Philadelphia, including Contempradance Theatre Co., Underground Dance Works, Illstlye & Peace Productions, and more!  Even CBS came to enjoy the fun, and they took some great pictures! Click here to view them!

This year, CoEXISTdance brought quite the variety of pieces! We performed Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, and a brand new modern trio entitle "Blackbird". One of the most significant changes in our performance from last year is the involvement of the junior dancers.  Three of the five pieces performed Sunday incorporated members of both companies.  It is exhilarating to see how much these girls have blossomed since their start with CoEXIST.  If their technique doesn't catch your eye, their smiles and bursting energies certainly will make you stop.  The professionals have proudly stepped up as role models and show equal enthusiasm for dancing on stage with the mini CoEXISTer's.

World Dance Day was the perfect way to show off our hard working juniors, give a little taste of some new professional material, support the Philadelphia dance community, and most of all celebrate our dance passions with friends in the beautiful sunshine! We cannot wait for next year's World Dance Day already! 

Guest Artist Reflection: Alie Vidich

Guest Artist Reflection: Alie Vidich

Alie Vidich came into the studio with a down-to-earth smile and calm demeanor. Once class started, the room was upbeat and groovin’ side-to-side and back-to-front. The sneaker-wearing Vidich shouldn’t have surprised us with her Zumba-like warm-up, considering she teaches the practice and is also well-known for her large movements that can be seen from a bridge. Yep, a bridge! Alie + the Brigade has been working since 2012 on INVISIBLE RIVER, a dance performance project that takes place on, hanging from, and around Strawberry Mansion Bridge. Check out updates on this work at http://www.alieandthebrigade.org/.

In anticipation for Relay for Life, Vidich worked with fifteen Junior Company members to create a Flash Mob to be performed at the event.  Jr. dancer, Haley Galloway,  reminded us why a Flash Mob would be perfect for this event.  “In a Flash Mob you have to think of dance moves that people watching can also learn. It will attract other people’s attention.” 

Our own brigade of dancers impressed each other and impressed the representing Professional CoEXIST members. Not only were they able to keep up with the fast-paced class, but their commitment in class had them quickly executing the moves and performing with a smile. Maddie Ash said, “Your dance teacher isn’t telling you to put your leg up to your head and do a thousand turns. In a Flash Mob, you just let all your energy out.”  Julia described it as “a combination of different styles of dance,” and Kashmir said “it’s spontaneous and… different things.”

Vidich’s ongoing suggestions and playful teaching style challenged and improved the quality of performance from the company. They did not just learn a fun combination – this was a full-on production! Formations, learned steps, and self-invented choreography melded together to create the Flash Mob in less than two hours!

We’re very excited to be bringing this to Relay.  “When you’re at something like Relay for Life people don’t expect you to just jump out and start dancing,” Maria Grandizio explains.  Come see us perform our Flash Mob on May 30, 2014 at the Norwood Relay for Life at Amosland Park! Support our fundraising at: here! 

Relay for Life

April's DotM: Haley Galloway

April's Dancer of the Month: 

Haley Galloway

One of my favorite dance memories was in my old studio, when I was probably 10 years old, for competition our song was "let's get loud" it was a great dance. When I was younger we performed really early in the morning, and our dance was one of the very first ones. The judges of the competition said our dance was the dance that got everybody awake and happy to start the day so that felt really good to have a dance like that.

My absolute favorite genre of dance has to be lyrical, because lyrical for me is a kind of dance that really tells a story and I like to connect with the dance. The movements of lyrical are beautiful and I get to really express myself. When I go to competitions I always love watching lyrical the most because the ones that tell a story are always memorable. 

My role model is Miss Katie. She always has been since the first time I had her as a teacher. She teaches me a lot and her dances are always the best. 

I hope that my dancing will take me through college and be part of my career. In college I will minor in dance, I hope to be a dance teacher or choreographer and inspire people to dance and to love dance the way I do.

I have plenty of favorite songs to dance to, but recently my favorite to dance to is holding out for a hero by Ella Mae Brown. I don't have a choreographed dance to it, but I wish I did.

I feel really nervous and anxious before a performance. Before a performance sometimes my team tries to give little pep talks, we huddle in a circle and we all point our foot.

My favorite thing about CoEXIST is that we get to dance with new people and try new ways of dancing. I like master classes also, to learn new styles and see what other people focus on when they're dancing.

The hardest thing I have overcome as a dancer is pointing my feet. Most dancers can point their foot and it looks beautiful but my feet don't point the correct way because of a certain bone, so it's hard for me because I have to work twice as hard. I used to get yelled at all the time because teachers would think I wasn't pointing my feet.

My favorite dance move is a calypso jump, it took me a while to finally get it, but I love it.

Thursday is my favorite day of the week for dance, because we start with comp jazz which usually exhausts me, but then I have pointe, pointe is a challenge but I like to challenge myself and see myself improve. Lastly, I have modern. I really like my modern dance this year, so it's a good end to my day.

My birthday is September 16, 1998.

CoEXIST has really helped me as a dancer and a person because it gave me a feel for how to handle auditions in the future, and it gives me experience with dancers that I really didn't know that well, it was overwhelming at first but now I feel accomplished because of CoEXIST. 

Keila Cordova Dances.... with CoEXISTdance!

On a rainy lazy Saturday afternoon in March, the Jr. dancers of CoEXISTdance were moving, sweating, stretching, exploring, and reaching outside their limitations. Keila Cordova gave an amazing master class to our dancers, inspiring and challening them all at once!

The class began with an intricate exploration or diagonal lines and making Horton-inspired T shapes. (Re: "What is Horton technique?" Check out here: http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/February-2007/Technique-The-Hows-of-Horton)"The movement style was very tight and controlled", Julia Huppman noted. This linear technique of modern was something very new to most of the dancers, another student, Erin Moran, commented that "The movement was unique!"

Dancers were challenged to count in six as opposed to the traditional eight count while creating T shapes and simultanesouly changing their facing from the mirror to the floor and back again. "The most challening part for me was the T because you had to keep your core strong",  Abby Miller said. Dancers learned how to maintain a see-saw relationship between their torsos' and legs' in order to demonstrate a perfectly proportional T. Their abdominals certainly got a workout from all of the T work they performed!

After a thorough warm-up and modern technique exploration, the class ventured across the floor. The Jr. Company tried Egyptian Walking, which challenged them to hold a 90 degree shape across their arms and chest. Dancers also worked on isolations and walking across the floor at the same time. This allowed dancers to stay strong in their focus and physicality while having fun with each other. Abby Miller mentioned, "Keila taught me how to stay strong and have fun at the same time. I will remember that." Dancer Alexa Fooskas mentioned, ""I did not know that I could hold up my knee and shake it out at the same time." This class was a wonderful opportunity for dancers to achieve new potentials they did not believe they could!

The remainder of the class included balancing, connecting with other dancers, and reaching outside physical limitations. Dancer Sophia Severson said that ""I will not worry so much about my size while I am dancing!"and fellow Jr. dancer Haley Galloway "I was inspired by Keila's speech about dancing outside of your limitations. No matter how short or tall you are, you can use your dancing to become whatever you want to be." Keila truly passed along a lifelong lesson to our dancers through her beautiful words and gentle presence.

To conclude class, Keila pushed our dancers to travel in a reaching T in pairs. Dancers would start at opposite corners of the room and do their best to make eye contact with each other while traveling. Dancer Maria Grandizio mentioned, "I will take Keila's lesson about making eye contact into my other dance classes and performances". The exercise was quick, challening the dancers to think on their feet and to jump into new connections with different dancers each time. Dancer Maddie Ash notes, "I will remember what it felt like to be paired up quickly with another dancer and make a connection with them. It was fun!"



Keila Cordova surely shook things up in the Jr. Company, waking us up for spring! The dancers fell in love with Keila's nurutring teaching style and inspirational stories, we are so excited for her to see us perform at World Dance Day on April 27th! Check out http://954dmc.weebly.com/world-dance-day-2013.html to see pictures from last year's World Dance Day performance!

Rush, Bounce, Jab, Rotate - choreograph a dance and show me =)

With having over 30 classes to choreograph for I always try to find different ways to be unique and inspired. For example, for "Chorus Line" - "what I did for love" I took the words being yelled out at the audition in the movie, wrote them down and made movement from there. It turned out beautifully!

In rehearsal Kathleen had us make movement from 4 words - rush, bounce, jab, rotate. To remember what I did for next week I'm writing down my steps which is sometimes not helpful because you won't remember what a certain word translates to in movement. Dance is universal & art can be interpreted in a vast variety of ways. 

Here's a chance to make your own dance to your own music interpreting these steps! Feel free to post or send me a video! FB Page, Instagram, twitter, Any way & I'll post them all together on my youtube channel. Here are the steps!

Start on floor, facing front on your right side curled in. Quickly walk around to face the back while still staying in your side. Slap floor with left hand. Bicycle legs twice. Switch to face front again.

Push up on left elbow, up on hand, back down to elbow and all the way down. Jump feet in to face left twice. Jump up to standing.

Right elbow hits side, repeat w/ left, right elbow again into a right pencil turn. Arms up to jump vertically, drop, both arms back to come front & fall back

Take 2 steps back.

Step out on right, head roll right, body roll around keep legs straight, left had pushes right elbow up as right arm threads through and straight up. Drop left arm and bring feet together.

"Release your brilliantly creative self!"

Much Love, 

Lauren.

Jr. Company Rehearsal and Important Dates!

March - June 2014



MARCH:
Saturday, 03/29/2014, Master Class with Keila Cordova, 12:15pm - 2:15pm
Sunday, 03/30/2014, 1pm-3pm Rehearsal

APRIL:
Sunday, 04/06/2014, 1pm - 3pm Rehearsal (Yankee Candle Due!)
Friday, 04/11/2014, Master Class with Alie Vidich, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Sunday, 04/13/2014, 1pm - 3pm Rehearsal
Tuesday, 04/22/2014, Ronald McDonald House, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Sunday, 04/27/2014, World Dance Day, 12noon - 2pm

MAY
Sunday, 05/04/2014, 1pm - 3pm Rehearsal
Sunday, 05/18/2014, 1pm - 3pm Rehearsal
Friday, 05/30/2014, Relay for Life, 4pm - 10pm

JUNE
Monday, 06/23/2014, 9am - 12noon Full Company Rehearsal
Monday, 06/23/2014, 7pm: CoEXIST Celebrates Five!

Pink: Rehearsals
Orange: Performances
Blue/Grey: Master Class

Springing Into Full Bloom

It’s that time of year where we’re jumping for Springtime joy, leaping through allergy season, and making bounds through fields of flowers. 

Okay, so maybe that last one only happens during daydreaming, but you get the picture: warm weather is coming and the world is recovering from winter’s cabin fever.  With an overabundance of energy, dancers are channeling positive energy into a heavy performance season.  Unfortunately this energy can also twist ankles, sprain backs, and produce many other injuries which dancers tend to baby for a solid five minutes before prancing back into rehearsals.  This is the perfect way to re-injure or show loathing frustration towards our bodies.  Sara reminds us about being stubborn with injuries…

"Our body speaks to us, but not by words, by feeling. An injury or something hurting us is a way our body is telling us to S  L  O  W    D  O  W  N and take care of ourselves. We are dancers. Our body is the instrument. If the instrument does not get proper care, there can be no song!"

March Dancer of the Month: Kayla Munger

Name: Kayla Munger   Month: March

 

1.    What is one of your favorite dance memories?  I performed a dance competition number with a broken ankle and I did not even know it was broken! 

2.   Which genre of dance do you enjoy best? Why?  Musical Theatre; I like to portray a character and express it to the audience. 

3. What is one of your favorite songs to dance to?  Baby That's Rock-N-Roll. 

4. How do you feel before a performance? Do you have any pre-performance routines or traditions?  I get very nervous and I need to make sure my "barf bags" are available! I have been known to get sick during and after performances! 

5.   What is your favorite thing about CoEXISTdance?  Experiencing new teachers and dancing with girls from other dance studios. 

6.   What is the hardest challenge you have overcome as a dancer? That I do not give up and also my height and weight. 

7.   What is your absolute favorite dance step (or trick)? Leg Holds.

     8. Which dance accessory do you have to have for class?  My sports bra. 

     9. Which day of the week is your favorite? Why?  Friday - beacuse its the         only day I do not have dance class and it gives me a chance to hang out with my friends!  

   10. When is your birthday? May 30th

Great work, Kayla! Make sure to come back soon and check out our April Dancer of the Month!