The Battle Tomorrow

BATTLEWORKS DANCE COMPANY

@ the Joyce Theater

See Robert Battle's Reel Time, a collaboration with composer John King that explores social interactions through a deconstruction of traditional folk dance. Juba, a company premiere, will feature a live rendition of John Mackey's propulsive string and percussion score. Completing the evening will be two new solos, Ella and In/Side, and the perennial favorite Overture.

Regular Ticket Price
$34; Joyce Members $26

Your Ticket Price
FREE!

WHERE TO GO and WHEN TO GET THERE....

The Joyce Theater
175 8th Ave. (at the corner of 19th St.)
New York, NY 10011

By subway:
A, C, E, to 14th Street OR the L train to 8th Avenue OR the 1 train to 18th Street (& 7th Ave.)

Be at the Joyce Theater no later than 7:30pm!

Your assignment:
A little pre-show research. (Research is such an...academic word. Sorry.) Check out Robert Battle, The Battleworks Dance Company, and The Joyce Theater. Read over their websites, look at their organization missions, browse Robert's biography. There are Battleworks videos on YouTube and reviews of their work available if you just drop the company name in a Google search. Come with some understanding of what you're going to see - and maybe with a few questions you'd ask Robert!

See you at 7:30 tomorrow evening!

Summer TRaC at Deitch Projects

OS GEMEOS
TOO FAR TOO CLOSE

June 28 — August 09, 2008
18 Wooster Street, New York

In Too Far Too Close, Os Gemeos will be transforming the gallery into a fantastical cityscape with houses, doors, and passageways, all brought to life with their signature style of imagery. Building upon a group of artworks created for the Museum Het Domein in the Netherlands, this show features new paintings, sculpture, and installation bringing all the magical moments of their work together in one tightly knit dream world of an exhibition.

Meat Love

As I mentioned....



Jan Švankmajer (born 4 September 1934 in Prague) is a Czech surrealist artist. His work spans several media. He is known for his surreal animations and features, which have greatly influenced other artists such as Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, The Brothers Quay and many others.

Švankmajer has gained a reputation over several decades for his distinctive use of stop-motion technique, and his ability to make surreal, nightmarish and yet somehow funny pictures. He is still making films in Prague at the time of writing.

I posted a Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat film montage on the TRaC Facebook page, too, if you want to check that out.

Tuesday and Thursday, July 22 and 24, 2008

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
At our third class, we
-Free-wrote about a fly, watching our writing process, for about 20 minutes. Then, some of us shared.
-Got into pairs to discuss an article of Whisper and of Passing Strange in The New York Times.
-Got into other pairs to review each other’s work.
-Got a revised copy of “Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start to Write About a Performance.”

Thursday, July 24, 2008
We went to
-The Drawing Center to see the works of Frederick Kiesler in the Main Gallery.
-The building across the street to see the Drawing on Film exhibit. This exhibit was entrancing and hypnotizing.. literally!
-Deitch and were awe-struck by its colorfulness, the last ten minutes it was open. It was a really fun place to hang out! (“The Love Shack” and “The Dance Club”)
-See the recreation of Keith Harring’s Houston and Street and Bowery Mural.

-We got/ collected handouts from the museums.

Espo: I was the only one that signed the guest books. 0=]

Assignments
1) Send Eric any revised drafts of your work.
2) Let him know if you want particular feedback on anything.

The Drawing Center tomorrow!

Bärbel Neubauer, "Roots," 1996. 35mm film, 3:44 min. © Bärbel Neubauer. Courtesy Center for Visual Music. (Film still.)


Tomorrow, we go downtown to the only non-profit institution in the country to focus on the exhibition of drawings: aptly named, THE DRAWING CENTER. It was established in 1977 to "demonstrate the significance and diversity of drawings throughout history, to juxtapose work by master figures with work by emerging and under-recognized artists, and to stimulate public dialogue on issues of art and culture."

We'll be seeing one of their current exhibitions (on its last day!) called "Drawing on Film." From the website: "Drawing on Film will survey the practice of “direct film”—the process of drawing, scratching, or otherwise manipulating film stock to create images without a camera. The exhibition will present works spanning from the late 1930s to the present and will highlight an overlooked facet of experimental film. Many of the works to be exhibited are seminal films in the history of the genre—including Len Lye's A Colour Box and Norman McLaren's Blinkity Blank—while other, more contemporary works are being screened for the first time."

Leading us through the exhibition will be one of the curators of the show, Joanna Kleinberg! (What is a curator, you ask? Click here, I say.)


WHERE AND WHEN TO MEET:
(You have two options.)

EITHER: come to the High 5 office by 3:45pm and a group of us will head downtown together. We're leaving as soon as everyone who is coming to meet us gets there. Write eric an email if you are coming to High 5 at 3:45.

OR: meet us at The Drawing Center at 4:20pm, sharp! The Drawing Center is located at 35 Wooster Street in Manhattan. You can take nearly every train to get there.....

If you are traveling on the line, take the subway to Canal Street. Walk west to Wooster Street and turn right. Walk one and a half blocks to The Drawing Center. If you are traveling on the line, take the subway to Canal Street. Walk east to Wooster Street and turn left. Walk one and a half blocks to The Drawing Center.

Plan ahead, and be on time.
Do some research about the show on the The Drawing Center website.
And don't forget your little notebook + pen.

See you tomorrow!

The Bunny Is Watching...

Tuesday July 15, 2008
Our second meeting as a group at the Blaustein building on 56^th street went quite smoothly. We were honored to have Eisa Davis with us who answered our questions and described many aspects of our life to us. She was amused when we showed her the interview we had used to get some background information about her found here. Once she left, a mini-writer’s workshop began as we discussed our experiences writing the review for Whisper and Passing Strange.

Wednesday July 16, 2008
Pizza and a movie night! We watched THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Anyone who hasn't seen this movie should go ahead and find it!


Thursday July 17, 2008
We took a trip to two places on Thursday. First, we headed over to PS1 in Long Island City to see a beautiful but slightly creepy exhibit. The quiet and serenity of the bunnies still drives chills down my spine. We then headed over to Robert Lazzerini's studio in Brooklyn to talk to him and discuss his art, his life and what it means to be an artist in today's world.

blocking foot traffic in front of PS 122

Tuesday and Thursday, July 15 and 17, 2008

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
-Today, Eisa Davis from Passing Strange came to visit us! We got to interview her and listen to what it’s like to work with the cast and crew. Eisa, a Harvard-graduate, is currently a successful actress, playwright, and singer-songwriter.

Thanks for your time, Eisa, and break a leg on your final performances!

-We discussed the challenges of our writing.

Thursday, July 17, 2008
-We went to P.S. 1/ MoMA
-We visited Robert Lazzarini's studio.

Assignments 1 & 3 (Email to eric by Sunday!)
Assignment 2 (in your notebook before Tuesday!)

1) Using one [or two] of your reviews, bump up the word count to anywhere from 500-600. (Use the “Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start to Write About a Performance” sheet as your guide.) Bring two copies to class.

2) Set aside some time, free-write about the face of someone you love for minimum 15 minutes. Go as long as you can. Just don't stop in the time you set for yourself!

3) Write minimum 200 hundred word creative response about what impacted you the most at the MoMA/ P.S. 1. or Robert Lazzarini’s studio. Could be a play, an essay, a poem, a review.... whatever. Just make it powerful. Bring two copies to class.

[Thanks for posting this Espo! Note my changes in yellow......eric]

Discounted Theatre Tickets

Rush/ Lottery Information from Playbill.com

The TKTS link run by the Theatre Development Fund

ART in LIC. Queens, baby!

Week 2 outing: ART in Long Island City, Queens. 4:30 - 7pm

We're heading to PS 1 MoMA and Robert Lazzarini's studio tomorrow. First we'll see Arctic Hysteria and see what it means to be funded and shown by the most powerful modern art institution in the world; then we'll head to Robert's studio and speak with him about his work and how an artist lives in the NYC art world.

WHERE AND WHEN TO MEET:
(You have two options.)

EITHER: come to the High 5 office by 3:45pm and a group of us will head over together. We're leaving as soon as everyone who is coming to meet us gets there. Write eric an email if you are coming to High 5 at 3:45.

OR: meet us at PS 1 MoMA at 4:30pm. PS 1 MoMA is located at 22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave in Long Island City, Queens. Directions by subway, bus and metro north is linked here on the PS 1 website. The E, V, 7 or G train will work for you. Use http://www.hopstop.com to figure out the best subway route - and how much time it will take you to get there. Plan ahead, and be on time!

See you tomorrow....in Queens!

What's inside is NOT a lie.

OUR FIRST WEEK!!!

Tuesday July 8th, 2008
Our first week has been quite and interesting and busy one. The first meeting at the Blaustein Building kicked off nicely with everyone’s amiable demeanor helping lighten the atmosphere and helping everyone get to know each other. Eric cleverly maneuvered the class into intriguing conversations about reviews and criticism, a perfect way to start out our summer as Teen Critics in TRaC. Surprising us with a spontaneous (but planned) visit to Tom Sachs’ Bronze Collection, the group got a chance to go experience each other’s company outside our conference room and in a setting that we have to get used to over the next few weeks.


Wednesday July 9th, 2008
Then came Passing Strange at the Belasco Theater. Our first theater experience together was delightful and as cheesy as this sounds, a magical one. Stew’s charm settles upon everyone reverberating all of the key elements of the musical in a unique but broadway-esque manner. We took a few pictures after the show and in general, everyone had an AWESOME time.

Thursday July 10th, 2008

On Thursday, we ended up at Public Space 122 for the peculiar but interesting proto-type performance, Whisper. A new take on the perception of reality, the shadows danced around for 50 minutes as many of our minds simply stumbled through keeping up and patiently listening to the incessant and powerful dripping of water. I might have a bit of a problem writing that review tonight. That’s all for this week folks!
---Sahil

Tuesday-Thursday; July 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2008

Tuesday, July 8, 2008
At the Blaustein Building, we
-Introduced ourselves [while making use of nametags]
-Analyzed different types of advertisements/ front pages (magazines, newspapers..)
-Got into groups to read/ discuss articles, such as a concert review by a sportswriter
-Discussed the differences/ similarities between reviews and criticisms

At the Lever House Art Collection on Park Avenue, we
-Viewed sculptures, exhibiting the works of Tom Sachs
-Free-wrote for about 7 minutes (stream of consciousness)

Wednesday, July 9, 2008
-We saw Passing Strange at the Belasco Theatre. For a few of us, it was our second time, but for the majority, it was the first.
-We took pictures before and after the show.(One lady even decided to get in the picture with us!)
-Espo: “I stayed after to meet some actors, and I got to go ‘behind to gate’ with Eric and Eisa! ”

Thursday, July 10, 2008
At P.S. 122, we
-Got a handout
-Saw Whisper at P.S. 122
-Had a talkback w/ the actors, director, producer, and sound operator

Espo’s highlight of the night: I took the L the wrong way. Thank goodness Eric was there to save the day!

Sahil’s highlight of the night: Getting to really view up-close pictures of P.S. 122’s new show, Unpronounceable Symbol

Don’t forget!
1) Your two reviews, in no standard style or tone, are due today. (Passing Strange: 250 words; Whisper: 200 words)
2) Have at least five questions ready for Eisa Davis.

See you next Tuesday!

Passing... through our picture

courtesy of Minerva's camera...

What a face.

WHISPER tonight

Proto-type Theater presents:
WHISPER
@ Performance Space 122 (a.k.a. PS 122)
150 First Avenue on the corner of East 9th Street


A blurb on the show from the PS 122 website:

WHISPER is a visually decadent, aurally immersive performance that asks the audience to question 'what is real' in a world of increasing technological sophistication. Each audience member is given a set of headphones through which they hear the voices of three live performers narrating a fictional walk through a fictional city. Obscured behind a cinematic screen, the performers are seen as shadows, silhouettes or in stark clarity, creating a fully immersive sound environment to accompany their narration.

Directed and Written by Peter S. Petralia; Performed by Alice Booth, Gillian Lees, and Andrew Westerside; Music and Sound Design by Philip Reeder. Lighting by Rebecca M.K. Makus

www.proto-type.org ( <---check out the theater company's website!!!!)
running time: 50 minutes

Remember your little notebooks, pens and find PS 122 by 7:30pm so we can all go in together at 7:45pm sharp!


DIRECTIONS: (click here for your hopstop link to use...)
Performance Space 122 is located at 150 First Avenue on the corner of East 9th Street in the heart of NYC's East Village. It is easily reached on foot or by taxi, train or bus.

Or rock these Subways:
L train to 1st Avenue
F/V train to 2nd Avenue
N/R to 8th Street
6 to Astor Place

A trusty map from the PS 122 website.

passing strange in the afternoon

First class down, two thumbs up!
And we're just getting started.

Next on our summer agenda, we'll be Passing Strange.....

Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission.

Find the venue by 1:30 and make sure to be there by 1:45, the absolute latest. That's when we're heading in. After the show we'll do a quick sidewalk break-down before we split up.

The Belasco Theater
111 West 44th Street
(between Broadway and 6th Avenue)

Click here for Hopstop directions.

Check out more info on the Passing Strange homepage.

Don't forget your small notebooks and a pen for jotting down ideas, words, phrases, etc. during the show. Be discreet with them during the performance (no ruffling papers during quiet scenes!).

A few people asked about dress code. Anything you want to this show.

Oh, and one final thought for today on reviews vs. criticism. The key is not to simply say "this is bad" or "this is good." The interesting part - the core of we want to get at - is the WHY. Check out this TRaC post from last December: 2 questions to always consider....

Get it.
Is it starting to feel REAL????
We'll see tomorrow......

Critics Swap

Back in June in the British newspaper, The Guardian, the arts and sports critics swapped work for a day to see what would happen—a dance critic on horse racing, visual arts critic on football, theater critic on darts and a rock critic on cricket; a rugby columnist on the opera, a tennis writer on the visual arts, golf writer on classical music, and so on...

Arts Critics on Sports… http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jun/17/1

Sports Writers on the Arts… http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jun/18/art.pop

Take a look at these. It's going to be a lot like this for most of us. Fish out of water. Foreign territory. We're not experts. We're not supposed to be! We're just thinkers, out and about, open to new ideas and ways of seeing.

This should take the pressure off. Writing is writing. Doesn't matter if it's sports you focus on, or arts you love. If you write, you can write about anything....

See you all tomorrow!

Where do we meet?

SUMMER TRaC will meet for the first class on Tuesday, July 8th from 4:30 - 7pm at the Jacob Blaustein Building, (not at The Public Theater).

The Jacob Blaustein Building is located at 165 East 56th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue. The entrance is directly across the street from a store called Image Carpets. Check out the map below....



View Larger Map

You can walk there easily from the 59th STREET subway station (take the F, N, R, W, 4, 5, or 6) or from the 51st STREET subway station (take the E, V, or 6).

Go to www.Hopstop.com for the best, best, best website EVER to get around NYC. You put in your starting address and your destination address and it gives you detailed street and subway/bus directions. Did I say Hopstop.com was the best thing ever? It is. Use it and NYC is yours to explore.

SPECIAL NOTE :::: Bring an ID with you. Anything with your name on it.


Also, please bring a pen you like and pick up notebook (if you can by tomorrow). It should have approx 75 or more pages, and be at least 9" by 7." Something you could see yourself carrying with you everywhere you go. Mine looks like this beauty on the left.

Looking forward to meeting everyone tomorrow!

July Pizza and a Movie

High 5 HQ.
July 16.
5pm.

Check out details on the MAIN TRaC BLOG.... click here.
OR
RSVP to the FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE.

Either way, it's gonna be hot.

Come meet other High 5 Teen Reviewers and Critics, their friends and their friends' friends. All are invited.

Special Guest Artist: Ronnie Porto
He'll be watching the film with us, then telling you about working as a film screen-writer, a grip on TV and Movie sets (that's an electrician), and his upcoming world tour working on a new reality TV show.

SUMMER TRaC takes over!

SUMMER TRaC will be rocking the Multi TRaC blog for the summer.

We'll be seeing all kinds of events - reviewing far and wide.

Keep up-to-date with what we're doing on this blog from July to August.

Stay cool.