Emerson, probably best known in the district for his 15 years as founder and artistic director of CityDance Ensemble, sees Company E as the next step in promoting cultural exchange and partnerships through dance. While CityDance most certainly began this process with its tours to places like Russia and the Middle East, Company E picks up the reins having already worked internationally in countries including Peru, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Israel, Russia and China with the support of the US State Department, presenting the work of world-class, cutting edge choreographers from across the globe and teaching master classes, workshops and performing lecture demonstrations along the way.

While the company’s performance calendar has them in Israel, Switzerland and Belarus in early 2012, they will open their 2011-12 season this weekend in D.C. as presenters instead of performers. Presented in partnership with The Embassy of Italy/Italia Cultural Institute, the Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS) and RED International Performing Arts (an Italian cultural association under Artistic Director/President Bruno Valentino Perillo), Company E kicks off their season with Sacre: The Imperfect Dancers Company of Italy.

Based in Rome, the Imperfect Dancers Company is led by Artistic Directors Paola Catalani and Walter Matteini. Having received critical acclaim from the European press, the company is enthusiastic about an American debut, where they will showcase Matteini’s ‘signature’ work, Sacre, a bold and physical piece set to Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

The Imperfect Dancers will also perform Thinking Outside the Box, another work of international origins having been developed in residency at the National Choreography Centre in Nantes and then premiered at the International Tanz Festival in Regensburg, Germany. The piece, which explores the tensions of free will and love, is at the same time softly expressive and intense as the dancers move fluidly, punctuated with convulsive extensions and quick footwork.

Bringing The Imperfect Dancers to D.C. is a perfect beginning for Company E’s international season, proving right from the start the reciprocal benefits of what dance exchange can do for communities. “The DC scene needs to take in new art and see new things,” Emerson says. “Thanks to the work that Company E is doing, I see dance literally all over the world now, and I wanted to begin to share that with DC audiences.”

Sacre: The Imperfect Dancers Company of Italy, will be performed at the Lansburgh Theatre – Harman Center for the Arts, 450 7^th Street NW in D.C. on Saturday, December 10th at 8pm and Sunday, December 11^th at 2pm. Tickets are $18 for general admission, $12 for students and seniors and can be purchased at the Harman Center for the Arts Box Office, by phone at (202) 547-1122, or online at www.shakespearetheatre.org. Patrons are advised that the performance contains partial nudity.

Guest post written by Ilana Burger

Science is about movement – collisions, gravity, force, mass, acceleration. Essentially, science can be demonstrated through use of the human body.

Science writer, John Bohannon shares his “modest proposal” to ease the financial burden by using dancers instead of PowerPoint.

So often we turn to PowerPoint and presentations that don’t capture an audiences attention or make our content understandable. Bohannon talks science and politics as dancers explain what he is saying through movement in his choreographed talk from TEDxBrussels, with dancers from Black Label Movement.

Political figures and education systems always want to cut the arts first, but Bohannon makes the case that supporting the arts, in turn supports our economy.

Let me know what you think about Bohannon’s “modest proposal” by commenting below or finding me on Twitter @Lokitis.

Limitations

1. Whoever creates the Google+ Page is the sole administrator of the page and content. The login would need to be shared, or only one person is responsible for monitoring the page. Google has said that within the year a multiple admin feature would be released.

2. Because the Page is created through a Personal account, the separation of professional and personal is a bit fuzzy. When using Google+, make sure you know which account is active and who you are posting as.

3. Email notifications are sent when people or pages add you to their circles, instead of when someone comments or shares your Page’s post. As a community manager, it is more important to see when someone shares your comment or references your Page, so you can quickly respond.

Opportunities

1. The competitive advantage for Google+ is that Google created it. There is immediate SEO value to Google+ and +1 as ranking factors. Linking a company’s website and social profiles together on Google+ creates a roadmap for Google and may even lead to improved rankings on brand searches.

2. Companies always have a tough time tracking social media. Google+ is going to have Google Analytics integration as well as Ripples, which is a way to track how your posts and content is shared within Google+.

3. You can become eligible for Google+ Direct Connect after placing a snippet of code on your websites header.  Direct Connect allows anyone searching for your business in Google to put a ”+” before your brand name when typed into the Chrome browser and be taken directly to the Google Plus brand page. This has intriguing potential for online reputation management.

For more information about creating and optimizing your Google+ Page for Business, check out my post on the Search Mojo Blog.

As I watched Bill T. Jones before the performance standing on the side of the stage before the show, I was struck by the sheer honor it was to be in his presence and thankfulness for the gift he has given the modern dance world. He continues to define and defend modern dance and tonight’s performance was no exception.

While Story/Time is not finished, it is an evolving piece that takes chances and is influenced by John Cage’s Indeterminacy and time. The work is exactly 70 minutes and the stories that Bill T. Jones reads are reminiscent of Merce Cunningham in that the order and what stories are said is entirely up to chance.

The piece was brilliant; the quality of the movement was fluid and effortless as images flashed before our eyes and quickly melted away into another story with a quick ring of a bell. Only the melodrama story was repeated – and it was repeated with different characters and without voice.

My comfort while watching the piece was challenged – sometimes with the language that was used or the movement, as is the style of Bill T. Jones – always defying boundaries.

During the Q&A after the performance, an idea was brought up that was addressed in one of the stories Bill T. Jones said during the work. During the performance, a story was something along the lines of, “I was listening to John Cage and as I continued with my story I lost him, and that disturbed me.” During the piece I found myself thinking this exact thought because it was hard for me to listen to Bill as I watched the dancers and it was hard for me to watch what was happening in the movement when I focused on the stories. A woman in the audience mentioned, “If you let it blur a little – it begins to all cohere” – the music, voice, movement, scenes. Bill T. agreed with this thought saying, this work was “not designed to look at straight on.”

Bill T. Jones has not performed since he retired from dance 5 years ago. He wanted to create a work where he could participate in the dance, and choosing to use his stories and live voice were effective and evocative.

What is so great about dance is we each have a unique experience connecting with the imagery that is conveyed by sound and movement. And during the Q&A when someone gave a wishy washy answer to a specific question and was not aware of how to articulate their thoughts, Bill T. Jones quickly reminded her, “That sounds like a fake answer. Try Harder.”

—

If you saw this performance I would love to hear your thoughts, find me on twitter @Lokitis. And for more information about the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and the organization Live Arts, check out the New York Live Arts website.

If you are in Charlottesville, the company is performing at the Paramount today (11/11/11). Additionally, the live broadcast Bill T. Jones: A Good Man is airing on PBS today (11/11/11) as well.

Keswick Vineyards, located right outside of Charlottesville, has a strong social media presence with a twitter account updated by Kat Schornberg. The bio of the @keswickvineyard profile says, “Keswick Vineyards is a family owned & operated vineyard & winery east of Charlottesville, VA. I am one of the owners daughters & the wife of the winemaker.” Having one family member with a strong connection to the company or organization maintain the account is a great way to uphold their reputation as a family owned business and add a personal touch. Keswick Vineyards also has a Facebook profile and a blog.  The blog is run by the winemaker Stephen and has a lot of interesting insights into the process of winemaking. The Facebook profile has 2,654 friends and the Twitter profile has 1,056 followers. The three tools are key ways to connect with their audience.

Veritas Winery has both a twitter and Facebook account. I went there a few weekends ago and was blown away with how beautiful and elegant the tasting room, lawn and vineyard were. I really enjoy the videos they post on their website about wine tasting too.

On that same day I made a stop at King Family Vineyards. The vineyard was beautiful and the wine tasting staffer was very helpful in making recommendations of places to visit during our day adventure. King Family has both a twitter and Facebook account, although they do not have a link to their twitter account on their website. More people are friends with them on Facebook than on twitter because of this, however that seems to be a trend of all the vineyards. King Family promotes their polo matches, music events and weddings via social media.

I only mentioned three vineyards social media presences in this post, but there are so many ways to engage with vineyards in Charlottesville online. Here is my twitter list of all things (and people) Charlottesville. Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions of twitter profiles to add.

I hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend!

** Today we honor those who have served to protect the freedoms of the United States and to the family members who have suffered loss. Words cannot describe the gratitude we feel. **

I am now a Junior Account Manager at Search Mojo, a search engine marketing agency. Search Mojo specializes in search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising. This is a great opportunity and I am excited about learning more!

Now that I am closer to Richmond and I am consequently closer to Terra Dance Project. Terra Dance Project is a new collaborative dance company made up of six dance graduates (5 from JMU) looking for ways to integrate their education and shared experiences into quality, ‘real-world’ art. The company rehearses, teaches and performs all over Virginia. I am excited to dance with my JMU alumni friends and share our art with you! Go to the Terra Dance Project website to learn about the company members and any upcoming performances.

The show consisted of several world premieres from the beginning of an evening length piece by Christopher K. Morgan, one of Dance Magazines Choreographers to Watch (look for the article in April), to pieces by winners of the 2011 CityDance NEXT Commission for upcoming choreographers.

The first piece, Roger and Lucie, was a funny love duet between Jason Garcia Ignacio, who played a janitor, and his mop. The mop was given the name Lucie LaFrange and Ignacio really gave her a personality. Lucie started as a shy character, but Ignacio’s dance moves and persistence persuaded her to love him.

Christopher K. Morgan’s Limited Visibility was a dynamic piece that left me wondering what would happen next. The choreography and lighting effects intrigued me. The back wall of the stage was exposed emphasizing the honesty of the piece. “What are the things we hide from public view?” Limited sight, limited lighting and limited clothing did not stop the dancers from fully exploring different feelings and uncomfortable actions with the audience. Extensive lighting cues (most completed by the dancers), high heels, platforms, chairs and rolls of marley helped the dancers take part in answers to the question.

The second half of the concert was my favorite due to the extensive partnering and movement sections. Hold Your Breath Until The End, choreographed by Gregory Dolbashian, winner of the 2011 NEXT Commission and You Go First, choreographed by Loni Landon, winner of the 2011 NEXT Commission, were expressive, movement-driven duets. The energy and strength of the dancers was completely engaging and some of the movement reminded me of the seamless flow of Doug Varone’s dance style. Watch the video below to learn more about their choreographic process working with the CityDance members.

The last piece was a beautiful work based on reflections about family. Paul Gordon Emerson, CityDance Artistic Director, and the dancers choreographed Conversations with My Father. The dance was beautiful and highlighted special moments with each of the dancers. The dancers danced alone, learned from other dancers and worked together as a unit. The costumes, lighting and set fit the piece perfectly. The movement quality was impressive and I would love to see this dance again.

The CityDance Ensemble is “a modern dance company that can compete with the best… (The Washington Post).” Did anyone else get a chance to see this concert? What did you think?

February 5 | 8:00pm
February 6 | 4:00pm

Tickets | $17 – $22
Purchase Now | http://danceplace.org/Performances.aspx?Sc=274

Unevenlane presents the second concert in its debut season. Featuring works from Director Mary Lane, the concert will include performances of “Three Steps” and “What RU Missing” which was commissioned by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of Performing Arts for Everyone and the Millennium Stage. “Three Steps” and “What RU Missing” were performed at the Kennedy Center and more recently as part of a dance concert in Lexington, VA featuring the Moving Arts Initiative. The premiere of the title work “DANCE.” will feature dancers Tina Fratello, new company member Chanel Smith, and director Mary Lane.

You can find more information about Unevenlane at: http://unevenlane.com/ or @unevenlane or on facebook.

The entire situation from NBC’s perspective seems due to poor ratings, and Conan explains, “it was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule.  Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.” Conan expressed respect for the previous ‘Tonight Show’ hosts and argued that making changes to NBC’s “long-established late night schedule” will be harmful to the ‘Tonight Show’. “The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show,” wrote Conan.  Bumping back “The Tonight Show” will also affect Jimmy Fallon’s “Late Night” show.

NBC faces a difficult situation dealing with Conan’s arguments and we will continue to see decisions made and public statements both written and on air. What should Conan’s next PR move be?

And if you haven’t heard enough about the situation, David Letterman, who airs on CBS, offers some “free genius TV advice” for NBC:

Thank you for reading, “People of Earth.”