Love Stutter

A Mid-Week Pick Me Up

2012-01-25T17:52:00.002-05:00

On Monday, a man made me mad. Tuesday, I kicked myself for erasing a year's worth of important information. I woke up this morning, Wednesday, and asked God, "What else you got?" She replied with a note from 5 year old Ashley:

I love ballet.

"Thank you for teaching me how to do ballet. I love you."

Empty Theaters

2012-01-22T15:40:00.000-05:00

This weekend, for the second time in a month, I went to see a dance concert in which the house was barely filled. “This is EXACTLY what I’m trying to avoid,” I remarked to my friend as we took our seats. “I don’t want to put on a fully produced show and NO ONE shows up. If that’s going to be the case, then what’s the point?”

As artists, we work so hard to create work and then even harder to show it in front of an audience. And for what? -- If the only people who show up are our loved ones. Trust me, I’m so glad when my parents can make a trip north on I-95, and my friends can take a night away from their busy schedules, but I make dances to connect, engage and communicate with audiences beyond people I know personally.

So as I’m jumping into a season of performances this February, March and April, I’m thinking about what I can do to make sure I’m not dancing to an empty house:

Partner with people and organizations that have a built in audience

Choose a size appropriate venue – I’d rather have standing room only, than mostly empty seats
Promote! Promote! Promote!

That's all I've got. You?

Dancing into 2012!

2012-01-15T14:35:00.000-05:00

2011 has come and gone & it was an incredible 12 months.
Thank YOU: the community that supports me, making the vision for Sydnie L. Mosley Dances a reality.

A QUICK Recap:
In January 2011, a group of dynamic individuals generously contributed to SEED THE DREAM, starting the business entity Sydnie L. Mosley Dances fiscally sponsored by The Field. February, March and April saw a slew of performances including the National Choreography Month (NACHMO) showing, Brooklyn Ballet's First Look, and The Pearl.

In May, we launched The Window Sex Project and June, July and August hosted 3 successful community workshops empowering women and their bodies through dance. As a result, I began creating my first evening length work which we showed in excerpt at Harlem Arts Alliance's September Artz, Rootz & Rhythm Festival, and in its entirety at Land Yoga in November. After that Work In Process showing we headed back to the studio during December to continue to work.

Thank YOU...
Dancers whose bodies bring my dreams to fruition.
Blair Hotchner and Diondra Sertorie, the most amazing interns and administrative support I could ask for.
Barnard College Dance, Center for Research on Women, and Africana Studies for your guidance, resources, and belief in my work.
Collaborating artists: Ebonie Smith, Leah King, Princess Dennis and Auzriel Hall for your brilliance.
Hollaback!, Stop St. Harassment, RINY Media, Land Yoga, AFIA sustainable fashions, Best Yet Market, Citizens Committee for NYC, INSPIRIT and the YMCA for your GENEROUS in-kind support.
DONORS who gave dollars to make The Window Sex Project happen.
Stanley & Crystal Mosley, my rock star parents who are there every step of the way.

I couldn't have done any of this with out you!

ONWARD!
Now it's January again, and we are revving up for an even more abounding year!

SAVE THE DATES!
(Go ahead. Really. Click the links to purchase tickets and write those dates in your calendar.)

February 4, 2012, 5pm & 7:30pm
Joyce SoHo, 155 Mercer Street, New York 10012
The Bootstrap Arts Festival Presents: An Evening of Dance at Joyce SoHo
featuring Ephrat Asherie Dance, Trainor Dance (Caitlin Trainor), Sydnie L. Mosley Dances, SAWTOOTH dancers (Cristina Jasen), and Shandoah Goldman.
Tickets $15 CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

February 24, 2012, 8 pm
Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX), 421 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216
...first... An evening of choreography by ANAE, Tendayi Kuumba, Sydnie Mosley, and Simone Sobers
Tickets $12/$20 CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

April 2, 2012, 6:30pm
Barnard College, The Diana Event Oval
The Window Sex Project: Performance and Discussion with guest moderator Professor R. L'Heureux Lewis
For more information...

See you at the show!

On Writing Dance

2012-01-11T13:34:00.000-05:00

Last night the Dance/NYC Junior Committee had the privilege of sitting and talking with dance writer Eva Yaa Asantewaa. Forever a student, I listened intently taking notes on what she finds important when writing about dance because let’s face it – writing about dance performance is not always the easiest thing to do.

First, she stated that she is not so invested in the term “dance critic.” Instead of criticizing what she sees per se, she is more interested in bringing her personal experiences to the reader. She said, “We are bodies watching bodies… and what emerges from that experience is precious.” How refreshing. Seriously, when is the last time you read a review and you felt the author wasn’t distantly looking down his or her nose at the performance?

Read More...

CupCake Kisses

2012-01-01T18:46:00.002-05:00

My family is awesome.

Today I want to tell you about my Stister who is awesome. She bakes the best cakes and cupcakes you've ever tasted, and I'm not just telling you that because she's my sister. I'm telling you because it's true.

Check out the un-biased review below:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;cup&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

For more information:
http://cupcakekisses.tumblr.com
@cupcakekisses86

To order, email:
cupcakekisses86@gmail.com

Joy & Happiness

2011-12-24T00:00:00.039-05:00

photo credit: Patty Jimenez

Grosvenor YMCA Tender Care Ballet Recital

December 16, 2011

May your holiday be filled with as much joy and happiness as I have when I dance my little ones.

Miracle on 172nd Street

2011-12-22T20:30:00.001-05:00

Today a miracle occurred.

For weeks, I have been frustrated with my 9th and 10th grade dance classes. The kids really are good kids, but they don't have much respect for authority and think that they should be able to pick and choose what is required of them. It's been difficult to figure out how to get them excited about dance, and connect with them so that they will trust that I know what I'm doing. Basically, if it's not hip hop, they don't have much interest in doing it.

"Miss, Miss... why do we have to do this?"

"Miss, I'm tired."

"Miss, I'm sick. I can't dance today."

Mmmhmm. Sure.

---

A couple weeks ago, I introduced the idea of constructive criticism to my 10th grade class. I divided the class into two groups. They each had a partner to watch in the other group. I asked them to watch their partner perform and then have a dialogue with them describing positive aspects of their dancing, and what needs work using the following prompts:

One thing you do really well is...

One thing that can use more work is... Here's a suggestion on how to make it better:...

---

Today's lesson plan:

Talk about details for the performance
Rehearse their dances
Watch a dance film for the remainder of class

I have one student who has a medical condition that keeps her from dancing, and another student who gets an attitude every time I ask her to participate. So I made them the rehearsal directors, as the class practiced for their upcoming performance.

When I was satisfied with their performance, I go to set up the projector and to my surprise I hear:

"No Miss! We can't watch a movie. We need to practice."

"Yoooo, y'all look crazy! Do you wanna get up in front of the whole school like that? Y'all need to get it together."

And without my prompting, Miss Attitude was on her feet arranging the class in lines, helping to clarify steps, telling people where to be. I left the dance studio to run an errand in the school office and when I returned I found them all working together, perfecting their steps.

The Day After

2011-11-14T00:28:00.000-05:00

I don’t want to leave this place. This intense place where I sleep hard because I’m so tired from the day. Then, I dream in detail of the work, and when I re-hash the dream play-by-play during my waking thoughts I have solutions to problems spots; wholes are filled. I don’t want to leave this place where any and everything that I read and see becomes fodder for creating. I see one dance show and it puts my work in perspective. I read a chapter from another book and it’s like a message from God. It’s like Never Never Land, except I’m not Peter Pan who just plays in this world. I’m Tinkerbell. I hold the magic.

Except I can’t stay in Never Never Land. At all. I’m pulled out by the fact that I have responsibilities. Though the only responsibility that I can seem to tend to with any consistency these past few weeks is my job: my Tuesday & Thursday 9-11, then 12-4:30 and my Monday & Wednesday 3-6. All the other time is laser vision focused on the project. Everything else in my life is literally strewn about with little to no order. I can’t find anything. Nothing is organized. Nothing is on time. Clothes and books and papers and bills are haphazardly swirling around me making me anxious and unsettled, but I have had no desire to tend to them until about 5 minutes ago... and even then I told myself, after another good night's rest.

I watched "A Good Man" today, the newest PBS documentary following Bill T. Jones. I sat on the couch with my lap top up, taking notes on the same page I took notes last night with my Works In Process audience. I was in class. Learning from who PBS and a lot of other folks have deemed a "master" choreographer. Maybe. Maybe mostly because he is twice my age and has been presenting dances for longer than my life. Maybe really because he makes the work I love to see, and live to make. A dance that can be read like a book.

Still. I saw myself in him. I saw myself in him wrapped up in a process where he is engrossed and constantly taking in new information: reading and talking and observing and maybe haunted and conflicted and thrilled and nervous and vulnerable and sometimes not knowing what the hell to do. But I think if he has it his way - and clearly he does - he doesn't leave Never Never Land either.

And so on the eve of the morning where I have to make myself get up early and be productive in traditional responsible ways, I dream about how I can stay in Never Never Land forever, and support myself. I wonder is it possible, really really possible to make money and maintain a healthy, organized life while being in this all consuming place?

Why I Will NOT Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-28T00:00:00.015-04:00

I am a part of 99%. Up until two months ago I was absolutely the working poor. One month ago my food stamps ran out, but now that my income is above the poverty line, I earn too much to reapply. I still need bailouts from The Bank of Stanley & Crystal.

I also understand my privilege in all of this. I definitely could have chosen to be a commercial performer in the entertainment business instead of a concert dancer. I am certainly bright enough to have gone to law school or business school or pursue some other profession that guarantees huge annual salaries. (Even though paying off those professional school loans would have majorly set me back for sometime anyway.) But I didn’t. It’s not my passion or purpose to do those things and I am okay with that. I’m not in this life for the money.

Yes, I want to be able to live without worry. No, I don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck. Yes, I think the American versions of capitalism and democracy are incredibly flawed. Yes, I think government and big business are way too intertwined. Yes, I think there needs to be a revolution in this country so that the wealth is more evenly spread. And yes, I am happy that a world wide population of people are mobilizing after what has seemed to be an unending era of apathy and complacency that has spanned my lifetime in the U.S.

Exhibit A: The original Adbusters ad poster doesn't even answer its own question.

But I absolutely will not sit outside downtown day after day with no clear articulated goals (see Exhibit A), purpose and tangible action plan. Especially when the goals are really to overturn a system of government. Are you prepared for a the next Civil War in the United States of America to pop off in 2012?

I’ll wait...

I didn’t think so.

Big business has been funding (read: influencing) our government since its establishment. The end. That's not going to change over night, and it's definitely not going to change with setting up some tents in the park outside the sky scrapers downtown.

More than anything though, I think what gets under my skin is the incredible privilege demonstrated by those participating in this on a daily basis. The number one reason why I will not occupy Wall Street is because I have to go to work. And I'm pretty sure that anybody else who really is concerned about paying their New York City rent, ConEd, keeping some food in the refrigerator, and paying down their student loans is also at work. Honestly, the only people who can afford to sit outside for a month and a half are people who have nothing to lose any way, and that is not the 99%. Maybe it is the growing 9.1% of the unemployed, but I repeat, it is not the 99%.

I made a speech!

2011-10-26T14:46:00.001-04:00

Remember that crazy September I told you about? Well, it included me talking to a lot of people about my creative work and my fellowship with the Barnard Center for Research on Women.

I'll say this: I was really in awe of the women who I sat on the panel with. I would not even begin to compare my work as an activist to theirs. I can only hope to meet a fraction of the change they have affected in their respective work, with this little project of mine. I learned so much just sitting there and every day that I engage with others as a forge my way into this world of feminist activism.

So without saying too much more CLICK HERE to see what we all had to say...

It's Real

2011-10-22T06:12:00.000-04:00

The thing about having a dream and having everyone I know get on board with that dream to make it real is that the dream actually happens. The ideas I have in my head actually manifest into reality. On the one hand, it is the most exciting occurrence ever. I stepped off a ledge on faith and now I'm landing softly, on a sprung floor with easy knees. That is favor, I tell you. On the other hand though, it is the scariest ish ever.

It's 5:06 am on a Saturday morning, and while I usually would be sound asleep hoping to catch up on the zzzzz's stolen from me through out the week, I can't do it. My heart is thumping loudly in my chest with anxiety.

I've been planning The Window Sex Project since July 2010, and with a series of a summer workshops in 2011, and what looks like a 9 month long creative process, in 2012 fully produced performances (or at least one) will actually happen.

With each rehearsal another huge chunk of choreography is created, and we are only days away from piecing together the entire choreographic structure that will be my first evening length work. whoa.

Forget being curated, with a half hour work presented at Well-Known Dance Theater. I just went straight for the gold. Self-produce an evening of my own work. What the hell was I thinking? I don't have any money (yet), or rich benefactors (yet). I'm still hoping I can pay all my bills month to month, and then save a little something. Yet and still, this thing is happening.

I looooove making this dance. Every rehearsal, my dancers and I burst into unending giggles. We discuss in depth our lives - how we carry ourselves through the world, how the world sees us. We translate thoughts into movement and movements into thoughts. We observe our daily world, look at videos, and read, and write and talk with our "window sex eyes" on. And each time a satisfying new dance phrase is made I erupt into my happy dance. Right now that dance is a fury of little gallops in place with clapping, or shaking jazz hands and hip wiggles.

Yesterday afternoon, I cased one of the potential performance sites. The grandeur of the room was a bit overwhelming. Any event held in that space is truly official. I'm about to be official. Which brings me back to the anxiety preventing my sleep right now.

This has to be good. There is no room for failure. Of course the success of art is subjective, but I've got to be confident about the product I present. Does it accomplish the goals I set for it? I don't want to be still creating up to the moment of performance and then when it goes on stage say, "Oh I wish I had done this, or had taken more time with that." I want to already know as much as I can about what I've created, so I am ready to appropriately respond to audience reaction. It takes a confident woman to bare the inner workings of her mind and heart to a public she may or may not know, and then be able to defend it in the court of public opinion.

I heard Edwidge Danticat talk today and she urged that we "create dangerously." All I keep thinking now, is have I taken enough risks with this dance? Putting the word "sex" in the title is not enough. It means nothing, if the work is not as raw and real as its title suggests. I'm not talking about risks for the sake of an art maker's risks. I'm talking about telling the stories of objectification, harassment, assault, violence that have been entrusted to me by women I know and women who I've met over the course of what has turned into my feminist activist's journey. This piece has a bigger responsibility than to just be a work of art. This work carries with it the responsibility to propel conversation and ignite something in people that wants them to change. It is an ultimately hopeful dance, but right now I'm just hoping I can finish making a dance that is worth allll this while.

Show Girls: Josephine Baker

2011-10-19T16:43:00.000-04:00

I was completely remiss when doing my show girls research because I forgot about the one and only Josephine Baker. Below I've posted a few videos of Baker, including her infamous "banana skirt" dance. What is a clear commonality amongst the videos is her showmanship. She took something as simple as gratuitous hip wiggling, booty popping, & pelvic thrusting (a dance known today more commonly as twerking), and turned it into a grand stage show. (This is actually just like someone else we know.)

Without further ado, Josephine Baker...

Show Girls: Gamma Rays of School Daze

2011-10-15T00:00:00.001-04:00

So, I've saved the best for last. School Daze has to be one of my favorite Spike Lee Joint's and there was a time when me and my best gals replayed this scene a million times to learn the lyrics and choreography. Let's just say, I'm glad there's no footage of this.

If you're just tuning into the Show Girls video series, all the videos are related to my choreographic process in The Window Sex Project. Click here to catch up.

School Daze

Honoring the Path

2011-10-14T15:23:00.000-04:00

VISIBLE, world premiere at Harlem Stage, now through Sunday

Last night, I just attended Visible, a world premiere at Harlem Stage choreographed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Nora Chipaumire. I highly recommend it. What I appreciated most about the work was that it honored history — black American history and American history at large. It honored how we all came to be here – no matter what our background. The work told a deeply meaningful story: In order to cross or even make it to the threshold of where you are going you have to bare it all and even then, those who you depended on, those who supported you, helped you get there, might not make it with you.

Continue Reading...

Show Girls: A Chorus Line

2011-10-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

*If you're just tuning into the Show Girls video series, all the videos are related to my choreographic process in The Window Sex Project. Click here to catch up.

And without further ado...

A Chorus Line

The Plight of the Teaching Artist

2011-10-12T00:00:00.008-04:00

My September was nutso. I have generally come to the realization that I am doing entirely too much all at the same time and it’s really not humanly possible – or maybe it is? – but only if I carefully schedule out every minute of every day. Remember Clare? Yeah, my life is something like that. I had three major events happen last month one week after another including a performance of my work in progress, a talk at a conference on Feminist Scholarship and Action, and my best friend’s wedding. To top it all off, the new school year started and while I resumed my work as Queen of the Dance at the YMCA, I also began a new part-time teaching job at an arts high school in the Bronx.

Let me say this: Praise God for my new job! It is a welcome change, challenge and pay check. Things I love about it include the fact that I get to teach technique and theory, and to people who are generally 5 foot or taller. While I love my babies, it’s a satisfying change of pace to stretch without asking, “What color are your butterfly wings?”

What I wasn’t exactly expecting though, was the intense amount of lesson planning that I would have to submit for approval, multiple staff meetings and other responsibilities outside of the classroom. Silly me? Perhaps.

As a teaching artist, I am equal parts teacher and artist — it is the artist side of me that enriches the knowledge I have to give to my students. Continue Reading...

Show Girls: Rockettes

2011-10-11T00:00:00.022-04:00

Today I'm showing a classic: the Rockettes Toy Soldier number from the annual Christmas Spectacular, which I saw last year live for the first time in 15 years and oh, what a spectacle. It included animals on the stage, streamers in the audience, a moving orchestra pit, a stage that moves in 3 parts and rotates, a 3D movie screen, and little people. It was the turn of the century world's fair packed into 2 hours in 2010, but I've digressed...

What I like about this routine is that it is about uniformity stacked on top of uniformity. The precision of troops who follow orders in the army is pretty much the same for Rockettes. Perfect formations are dependent on every one following exact individual directions to create a whole picture. Enjoy!

Rockettes

*If you're just tuning into the Show Girls video series, all the videos are related to my choreographic process in The Window Sex Project. Click here to catch up.

Devised Choreography

2011-10-10T11:20:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended a talk at Barnard College with Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Nora Chipaumire. They are collaborating on a new work set to premiere this week at Harlem Stage called visible. (I’ll be there on Thursday night! Who wants to be my date?)

Over the course of the talk, the choreographers were peppered with questions about process and Jawole mentioned a term that knocked me upside my head and has stuck with me ever since: devised choreography. She compared it to a theater process in which a director and players work together and through a series of facilitated improvisations create a script as a group. This process is named in the theater world as devised theater. What is important to note about this is that all the players help to create the script, even though it is created under a single director’s vision and guidance. The name “devised theater” though, alerts any outsiders to exactly what the creative process was and there is an automatic understanding of how important the performers were to the process.

Jawole said it on the panel, and I’ll say it again: we do this exact same thing in dance ALL THE TIME! But the process isn’t named so clearly and most times credit isn’t given when credit is due.

Read more...

Show Girls: FOSSE

2011-10-09T00:00:00.013-04:00

Today's show girls perform the work of Bob Fosse - a choreographer who defined an era in Broadway dance, and inspires one of my favorite contemporary performers (at least her choreographers).

A bit different from the Follies, but still reliant on this idea of a perfect spectacle are the girls in "Big Spender" of the Broadway classic Sweet Charity. The Fosse girls are raw and raunchy in comparison to the Follies girls, but nevertheless groomed to perfection for their role as hookers. Their choreography while wild at times, is still exact - to the tap of the finger tips, or the stomp of a heel. What this work brings to the table that the Follies doesn't is a sense of competition. These girls are doing their best to vie for the attention of a big spender.

Fosse

Show Girls: Follies

2011-10-08T00:00:00.003-04:00

This week I dove back into rehearsals for the The Window Sex Project. After a brief post-performance hiatus, the cast and I are diving into an October Choreographic Intensive - hooray! I'm super excited.

In rehearsal I'm starting with the revision of "Keep It Moving." As I mentioned in my post Margin to Center:

While watching the work on stage with fresh eyes, absolute absurdity is the phrase that kept returning to mind during the first section... Absurd like women as plastic Barbie dolls with limited mobility in their movable parts whose sole purpose is to be manipulated to someone else's satisfaction. Absurd like toy monkeys banging symbols. What "Keep It Moving" needs going forward in the rehearsal process is Rockette-precision. Arms this height. Legs that height. Counting out the 5 AND 6 AND 7 AND 8 AND... That section reads best when it is crispy clean as Auzriel's cheerleader pep song resounds "What you lookin' at? Huh? What you lookin at? Do you like what what you see? Do you like what what you see?"

I decided that if I was going to make this section work, I have to GO THERE. I have to really take a jab at the absurdity of women grooming themselves to fit into pre-made molds. I started to think of where this has come into play most obviously in dance and performance and what came to mind is Follies, Fosse, Rockettes, A Chorus Line and the Gamma Rays of School Daze. Over the course of the week, I'll be posting videos that are inspiring the choreography of what the cast and I have affectionately named: The Barbie Army.

Follies

What's great about the Follies - and all of the videos that I came across - is the absolute perfection in performance. It didn't matter how silly the girls looked with their arms draped in Christmas tinsel - girl after girl opened her arms to reveal perfectly quaft hair, flawless make up, and untiring smiles. Let's not also forget about our special ladies whose costumes included trains, head dresses and special things to carry or hang from the arms. Their slow walk not only ensured that they didn't trip and fall, but it allowed time for the audience to examine every bit of them as a fantastic spectacle.

So, whose your favorite girl? Mine is dressed in cotton balls.

Margin to Center

2011-09-18T12:52:00.001-04:00

“The significance of feminist movement [The Window Sex Project and its performance space] is that it offers a new ideological meeting ground for the sexes, a space for criticism, struggle and transformation.” bell hooks From Margin to Center

I'm not gonna lie. Yesterday morning I was hella nervous. Ebonie couldn't figure out why. "You're not giving people enough credit," she said. "People will stand with you on this issue." Still. I worried. There would be children in the audience -- and the opening dialogue is not for the light-hearted, although we did bleep out the profanity.

The language of my contract with the Harlem Arts Alliance kept floating to the forefront of my mind:

No interpretive dance... only traditional dance such as ballet or African.

Ha. Don't they know all dance can be interpreted? And they definitely saw the clips of my work... I'm not a ballet choreographer.
The sections I showed were 2 out of 3 sections I've made. Those two are the beginning, "Keep it Moving," and the ending, "Margin to Center."

While watching the work on stage with fresh eyes, absolute absurdity is the phrase that kept returning to mind during the first section. Absurd like, did he just say that? Did they make that up? No. All those comments are quotes. Absurd like women as plastic Barbie dolls with limited mobility in their movable parts whose sole purpose is to be manipulated to someone else's satisfaction. Absurd like toy monkeys banging symbols. What "Keep It Moving" needs going forward in the rehearsal process is Rockette-precision. Arms this height. Legs that height. Counting out the 5 AND 6 AND 7 AND 8 AND... That section reads best when it is crispy clean as Auzriel's cheerleader pep song resounds "What you lookin' at? Huh? What you lookin at? Do you like what what you see? Do you like what what you see?" I also want to re-examine the opening with the ladies "walking in the street." Their walks happened so fast -- I wanted more variation. Sometimes there was too much walking and sometimes there wasn't enough.

[Click Here to see Performance Footage]

Moving into "Margin to Center," I was so happy to see that the movement did exactly what I set out for it to do even though I think that it could have been more extreme. I borrow the title from bell hooks because the dancers finally take on some agency. They slowly begin to choose how they want to be seen, adjusting themselves and their clothes and the physical space that they choose to dance in. Still, in the performance I felt like the dancers were playing it safe, and that is largely due to the limited amount of rehearsal time we've had -- we just "finished" the piece last week. The performance qualities I need from them come from knowing the material so well that they can take risks and make choices within the construct of the work. This section is the moment where they are allowed their freedom and opportunity to express their individuality. In terms of movement that means they can jump HUGE, turn a million times, move in and out of the floor and I think there could be more (or revised?) partnering with more contact, weight sharing and lifts. I literally want them to share solidarity in this section's celebratory physicality. Between sweat and smiles there is intimacy, mutuality, camaraderie, and sisterhood -- bonds formed over shared experiences.

Regardless of my endless list of critiques forming while watching the piece with fresh eyes (seeing it along side a live audience and seeing it on video) the work accomplished exactly what I set out for it to do. The park was a perfect place for this performance. The reach of the sound system spilled over and beyond the borders of 145th Street and Bradhurst Avenue making the performance a head on confrontation with the daily street commentary directed toward women passerby's. Reverberating through the trees, grass and pavements was a booming tenor voice "I bet if I hit you in the head with a brick you'd turn around."

After the performance I eavesdropped on multiple thoughtful conversations, and so many people came up to me wanting to talk more about the work. Women told me they felt uplifted and inspired after seeing the work and that made me happy. My goal is that any and everyone watching the work will want to get up and dance after being a part of The Window Sex Project performance experience.

So we'll see how it goes, next time

---
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help produce the evening length work, and manifest this project to its fullest potential: CLICK HERE.

September Happenings

2011-09-13T05:46:00.000-04:00

Happy September! This month is crazy busy, so I'll dive right in with the announcements below. Please check out all the exciting dance related things going on and I hope to see you soon!

CHOREOGRAPHY
The creation of The Window Sex Project is well underway! Come out this Saturday afternoon in Harlem for a FREE performance where we will premiere an excerpt: "Margin to Center."

September 17, 2011, 2:30 pm
Jackie Robinson Park Bandshell -148th St & Bradhurst Avenue
Harlem Arts Alliance: Artz, Rootz & Rhythm Festival
Click Here for more information.

***We are still raising funds for a fully produced performance of The Window Sex Project. Thank you so much to all of those who have already contributed. We are making progress; however, THIS PERFORMANCE WILL NOT HAPPEN IF WE DO NOT REACH OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL! If you have not yet had an opportunity to give to our Individual Giving campaign, please CLICK HERE to learn how.

NEWS

September 12, 2011, 6:30 pm
Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Memorial Community Center's Auditorium, 34 West 134th Street (between Malcolm X Blvd & 5th Avenue)
Multidisciplinary Artist Discussion: “Make Your Art Work”

Hear from various Harlem Arts Alliance member artists on how they make their art work, how to seek and create opportunities and how to respond when opportunities find you. Come share your success stories in this open artist forum. Confirmed Speakers: Jaylene Clark, Harlem KW Project "Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale", Sydnie L. Mosley, Sydnie L. Mosley Dances and "The Window Sex Project" and Jonathan McCrory, The Movement Theatre Company

September 23, 2011, 3:30 pm
Barnard College, Columbia University - 3009 Broadway at 117th Street
Activism and the Academy: Celebrating 40 Years of Feminist Scholarship and Action

I will be speaking at a conference in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Barnard Center for Research on Women (BCRW) as a part of a plenary panel discussion, “Expanding Feminism: Collaborations for Social Justice.” Representatives from organizations with whom the BCRW has recently partnered will discuss the unique models of feminist action and knowledge that have been produced through BCRW’s scholar-activist partnerships. BCRW is a partner with Sydnie L. Mosley Dances in producing The Window Sex Project: Community Workshops.

Panelists: Amber Hollibaugh (Queers for Economic Justice), Sydnie L. Mosley ’07 (dancer, choreographer and teacher), Ana Oliveira (New York Women’s Foundation), Ai-jen Poo (National Domestic Workers Alliance), and moderated by Janet Jakobsen (BCRW) Click Here for more information and registration.

TEACHING
Grosvenor Neighborhood House YMCA Fall Class Offerings
This fall I will be teaching an array of classes through the YMCA's Tender Care Pre-School, After School and Adult Fitness programs. If you are interested in registering, please do so as soon as possible. Classes begin this week: September 12. GHNY is located at 176 W 105^th Street (at Amsterdam Ave). To sign up and for more information: 212.749.8500.

Baby Exercise Tuesday 9:30-10:15 am (8 months - 14 months, crawling or learning to walk)
Grown Up & Me Thursday 9:30-10:15 am (15 mo - 2 1/2 years, walking)
Busy Bodies Tuesday 10:15-11 am (3 1/2 - 4 1/2 years) Thursday 10:15-11 am (2 1/2 - 3 1/2 years)
Ballet Friday 10:15-11 am (3-5 years)
Hip-Hop/Jazz Monday 4-5 pm (5-7 years) 5-6 pm (8-11 years)
West African Dance (Kids) Wednesday 4-5 pm (5-7 years) 5-6 pm (8-11 years)
West African Dance (Adults) Friday 6:30-7:30pm

New Dance Faculty at DreamYard Preparatory School!
This fall I will begin teaching dance technique and dance theory for high school students at the DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx. Wish me luck!

Bill T. Jones on September 11

2011-09-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

All Hail Queen B

2011-08-29T12:21:00.004-04:00

I don't know about you, but the fact that last night Beyonce was able to single handed-ly turn the MTV Video Music Awards into the Beyonce Music Awards amidst a crowd of all of music's most major pop stars including Gaga and The Bieb, and she didn't even have a video nominated, sealed the deal for me that this chick is the absolute BADDEST in the pop music game. When she dropped the mic, it was absolutely over.

I have been a fan for a long time - I've got all Bey's albums and can sing them through and through - but I never considered myself a Stan until about 12 hours ago. Last night's performance pushed me over the edge to join in with my handful of Besties who believe whole-heartedly in the Power of Beyonce. I might not know her every move the moment (or before) she makes it, but when I see greatness, I've got to give her the due credit.

We all know that she is not the greatest vocalist or dancer or actress to ever hit the stage, but it's really not about that - especially not in the world of pop music. What talent she does have however, she has honed to absolute perfection. More than that, she has a top notch team that keeps her looking and sounding flawless. She works hard, and then her team gives her the extra push to put her and keep her in the lead.

So without further ado, I'm listing 5 reasons (in no particular order) why I love Beyonce.

The Return of Actual Talent + Showmanship Unfortunately, I was a teenager in the late 1990's, early 2000's. During my teenage era it seemed that there were no music artists out who truly knew what it meant to be an entertainer. (Janet Jackson's 1998 Velvet Rope and subsequent tour was the only beacon of light. NSync who I loved unfortunately was rendered meaningless amidst the plethora of manufactured boy bands. There was also Usher, but who knew he'd stick around?) Long gone were the days when a pop artist's back up dancers wore leotards and did pirouettes... or so we thought, until Beyonce. Now Gaga, Chris Brown and Beiber are all over the singing, dancing and really putting on a stage show, but Beyonce brought it back with her Dangerously in Love Tour. What I appreciate about her performances is that she wears costumes (fabulous ones), you can tell she practiced singing her songs and dancing her steps. Getting on stage is not some lackadaisical happenstance. It's work. And she werks.
She knows her history (or at least her writers, producers and choreographers do). I don't know about you, but I thoroughly enjoy well placed and thoughtfully used musical and choreography references. My favorite music references from 4 include "Party": I might be young but I'm ready -- Keith Sweat, anyone? and the Boyz II Men sample in "Countdown." Then let's chat about Beyonce bringing Bob Fosse from 1970s Broadway to 21st century pop culture. The "Get Me Bodied" video was nothing but "Sweet Charity" all over again, and the whole leotard, tights, and pumps style? She did not make that up.
She knows her audience. Part of the reason why Beyonce is so huge is because she has the capability to appeal to a wide audience. Her catalog runs the gamut, add her videos and performance and she's got something to appeal to most tastes. She appeals to men with her sexy and women with her anthems of empowerment. She's got tunes for lovers of hip hop, rock, old school and new school R&B. In Beyonce's dream world, the whole family listens to her music forever and ever. Amen.
The glass ceiling doesn't seem to apply to her. In terms of black women who rule the world, there's Oprah, Beyonce and then Michelle Obama. (I love Michelle and her job might be the most important, but it was the clout of O and B that got her to where she is.) Beyonce has been at the top of her game for like two or three years and her brand is everywhere and not going anywhere. In addition to the music industry, she has reached levels of stardom in most realms of popular culture including tv, movies, magazines, fashion, perfume... am I missing anything? The only people on the planet who don't know who she is live under rocks, and truth be told, it's simultaneously amazing and scary. Like, how do you turn your pregnancy reveal into a show stopping performance? That has to go down as one of the greatest PR moments. Ever.
Apparently, she's superwoman. Where Oprah seemed to make sacrifices in relationships, and Michelle seemed to make sacrifices in career (didn't she used to be one of Chicago's top lawyers?), Beyonce seems to have managed to have it all - career and family. I'm sooo interested to see how the baby will play out in her career. So far, Baby Knowles-Carter is a huge asset.

So tell me, why do you love Beyonce? (Because I know you do!)

The Help

2011-08-13T23:29:00.000-04:00

Note: I started this post months ago right after I read Kathryn Stockett's novel. I am compelled to update it and publish my thoughts on it since the waves of commentary recently hit the blogosphere and media at large regarding the novel, now feature film. Comments from folks (who haven't read the book) but have strong opinions why we should or should not indulge in this story line are getting the conversation started. Click here to read my initial thoughts and overview of the plot, then read on to find out what I think on black women as domestic workers, especially as a black woman domestic worker myself...

Reading the novel made me think a lot about my role as "the help," seeing how I'm a professional babysitter and all. I've babysat for black and white families whose financial status ranged from just making it to outright loaded. There are some kids who I've taken care of for years, or every day for concentrated periods of time and I feel like I practically raised them; they are my babies, just like Aibileen felt about the seventeen that she raised. She knew from the start that two year old Mae Mobley would probably be the last child she cared for and she wanted to do everything in her power to keep that child from growing up and turning into the racist employer that the others grew up to be.

I spoke with another young black woman my age a few years ago who commented that she resists being a babysitter because she is a black woman and she doesn't want to be viewed as The Help. I never even thought about it, up until that point. I know it's not my situation so I'm not worried about it. Still, go to the playground and most children are there with their nannies, often middle aged black women (though not often African American) who are full time help. I have to wonder, how is the contemporary babysitter/nanny culture of New York City any different than the maids in the 1960s south? Obviously we are not living in the same overtly racist society, but the set up is still the same.

Children spend large parts of their days or evenings with me on a regular basis, and while I am by no means replacing their mother, I play a major role in their development as a caretaker. I know for a fact that I have taught several children their manners, good daily hygiene habits, discipline, budgeting & shopping etc. I also try to instill in them a sense of self worth. When I first read the part about Aibileen having Mae Mobley repeat, "You are smart. You are kind. You are important," it reminded me of myself. There's one 3 year old girl in particular who I always tell, "You're a strong woman."

A few months back I was walking down the street with one of the white mothers I work for. We happened to run into a former babysitter for her kids - another young black woman who sits for a few of the same families in the neighborhood that I do. After we all exchanged pleasantries and a minute of small talk, we parted ways and kept on toward the train.

"You know not all the babysitters we have are black," she suddenly felt the need to explain. "Actually, the one who we interviewed before you was white." As her monologue went on she admitted that she felt slightly awkward about employing me in a domestic capacity especially given that she's white and I am black.

Wow, I thought. Here I was again with someone over thinking my job as a babysitter. The fact is that of all the jobs I could do with decent pay and flexible hours that will supplement my dance work, I CHOOSE to babysit. It just so happens that I am a black woman and many of the families I have been referred to work for are white. I was completely taken aback by this woman's admission, and her strong need to explain herself as if this was 1960s Jackson, Mississippi and this was the only employment opportunity available to me as a black woman, or she was holding some kind of preconceived notions about how (well) I would take care of her children because of who I am.

I indeed am hired help, but I have no ill feelings about taking on this role to make sure the rent is taken care of when the dancing doesn't pay enough. I love spending time with children, and would do it any day over waiting tables. I don't feel a need to avoid domestic work at all costs because my grandmother cooked for a white woman. This choice is a privilege, no doubt, and I acknowledge and am thankful for the women who came before me breaking all the rules to provide me with this privilege.

The thing is, as a young woman with two degrees post-high school pursuing multiple skills and talents, this privilege of choice is particular to my situation. As stated earlier, there is definitely a nanny culture in NYC that consists of colored (black, latina etc.) women who are career care takers. I wonder if they feel like they have as much choice and privilege about their situation as I do? I wonder if they are nannies because it was the job of the generations before them? I wonder what their stories are, and how closely they resemble the stories of domestics decades ago just trying survive and cope with an overtly racist culture.