Suggested
subject areas to address in this years' retreat :
- How
do we arrive at a particular dance that suits each partner
together, and what focus fosters
that skill?
- Maintaining
both inward and outward attention in the process of engaging
with a partner
- Immediate
vs. habitual responses
- When
does physical contact reduce the connection
- Relationship
of a fluid physical practice to mental flexibility and creativity
- The
Dive-in vs. the slow-go models/ways of learning and confronting
fear.
- Activating
spatial energy/relationship while remaining connected to
a partner
- Trio
Partnering
Group partnering (flowing with more than 3 partners)
- What
elements are necessary to find enjoyment in every dance (despite
level/compatibility of partner/self)
- What
role do archetypes play into the contact relationship.
- Engaging
the backspace
- Site
specific dancing
Contact as a contemplative practice
Activities
to do in the area:
Frank
Lloyd Wright's faous architectural home "Falling Waters" is
located 40 minutes from the farm.
Old
Bedford Village is an historic recreation of pioneer life with
many authentic frontier homes moved to its compound.
Shawnee
State Park is a few miles from the farm where canoeing, swimming
(sand beach), fishing, hiking and bird wathing. The canoes and
kayak are very reasonable.
The
Bedford area is known for its antique shops and deals.
Buffalo
Watching is at Cedarrow farm near the Wild Meadows Farm. They
also serve buffalo for the brave meat-eater.
Jean
Bonnet Tavern is a large historical stone tavern and Inn that
housed Washington's army and was also used during the prohibition.
They have a Sunday brunch with incredible bread pudding.
Schellsburg
has a rich Native American heritage. Arrowheads and fossils can
be found in the area.
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General
Information: Wild
Meadows is surrounded by 200 acres of secluded mountains ranges,
and fertile valleys
near the
Allegheny mountains, an ideal
location for reflective thought and investigation into the Contact
Improvisation practice and art form. Some previous experience
is requested as this
will result in the greatest exploration potential as an ensemble.
Break periods
will be scheduled to enable participants to take in the glorious
natural surrounding of the farm and its cultural heritage. The
area is home
to Amish, Mennonites and Quakers. Also nearby are Architect,
Frank Lloyd
Wright’s
Falling Waters built with a creek running under it.
FOOD: is
included in the cost and will be communally prepared. Each participant
will be requested to assist in the preparation of 2-3 lunch/dinner meals
(with workstudy assistance) during the week-long retreat.
COST: $275
includes all food, lodging, workshop and performing costs except travel.
To pay online, click here.
DEPOSIT: $75*deposit
due by June 1st, remaining amount due July 20.
DISCOUNT: If
full amount paid by June 1, cost is $250 (a $25 discount)
WORKSTUDY: Two
positions available, first-come first serve
TRAVEL: Participants
can arrange with others coming from the nearby cities of Washington
D.C. New York City, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The farm
is 2.5 hours from Washington D.C., 5 hours from New York City, 3.5 hours
from Philadelphia and 2 hours from Pittsburgh. There are also buses and
trains to
Altoona or Breezewood near the farm where pick ups can be made.
If you would like to drive click here.
CONTACT: for
more information, email Cyrus at Wildmeadows@phffft.org or
by phone at the numbers below:
NEW YORK CITY: (212)
404-7808
NEW YORK CITY: (212)
404-7808
WASHINGTON D.C.:
Nicole Bindler, BA.,
LMT., is an experimental dance artist whose work ranges from complex
personal
and political commentaries to abstract explorations
of form. Her movement vocabulary is inspired by her studies of Modern
Dance, Butoh, Contact Improvisation, Yoga, Body-Mind Centering, Feldenkrais
and Martial Arts. She has choreographed over fifteen original dance works
and has performed dozens of improvised dances in cities throughout the
U.S., Canada, Argentina and In Berlin. Some notable venues include, Links
Hall, Williamsburg Art neXus, The Joyce Soho, The Somerville Theater,
The Creative Alliance, The Theater Project. In August 2004, her solo "Places
I've Never/Been" was performed in Quito, Ecuador by dancer, Stephanie
Sherman. Bindler has performed in The High Zero Festival, The Transmodern
Age Festival, The Shawinigan Street Theater Festival, The Imagine Festival
of Arts, Issues and Ideas, The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, the D.C.
Improvisation Festival, the Performance Mix Festival and will be featured
in Dance House during the 2006 New Festival in Philadelphia. She has
taught New Dance, Improvisation, Contact Improvisation and Experiential
Anatomy in Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia and throughout Argentina.
She is currently curating the 2006 Guest Artist Contact Improvisation
series at Susan Hess Studio in Philadelphia. She also teaches creative
movement to 1st-3rd graders at the People For People Charter School.
Daniel Burkholder (Washington, DC) is a dancer, performer, choreographer,
and improviser. He is the Director of The PlayGround (a movement based
improvisational performance group), Co-Director of Improv Arts, inc
(non-profit improvisation performance umbrella organization), Co- Curator
of the DC International Improvisation Festival and on the Steering
Committee for the West Coast Contact Improvisation Festival. Daniel’s
work has been commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts and has been presented in New York City, San Francisco, and throughout
the Metro DC area. He currently teaches at University of Maryland College
Park, CityDance Center at Strathmore, and Joy of Motion Dance Centers.
He has also taught as guest artist at Sonoma State University in California,
to performers at Cirque du Soleil, as well as master classes at numerous
dance studios, universities and festivals. Daniel holds degrees from
Sarah Lawrence College, American University, Moving On Center/School
for Participatory Arts and is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner.
Cyrus
Khambatta has presented choreographed and improvised works independently
and with his dance
company in eight U.S. states and fifteen
countries on three continents. Some notable venues include The Spoleto
Festival USA (SC), The World Expo (Lisbon), New York Improvisation
Festival The Young Choreographers Festival (Venezuela), the Seattle
Festival of Alternative Dance and Improvisation and The Budapest Kontakt
Festival. In 2003, he was awarded California's
Daman New
Choreography
award and in 2004, his company was selected for The National Dance
Project's Regional Dance Development Initiative. He curates Beyond
the Threshold, a Seattle-based international festival for artist's
collaborative projects, The Fireside Series, a local Seattle-based
improvisation
festival, The Youth Dance Empowerment Project and Wild Meadows Improvisation
Retreat. His own contact and improvisation inspired choreography has
been commissioned
by Ririe
Woodbury Dance
(UT), Donald
Byrd's Specturm
Dance Theatre (WA), and other companies and universities/colleges.
He has taught at numerous universities and dance programs internationally.
He recently build a 26' x 30' studio in his backyard, which serves
as
a rehearsal
space
for
his
company
and
several
others.
For
more information,
please
visit the company’s
website at www.phffft.org.
Sharon Mansur (Minneapolis, MN)
is a contemporary dance performer, improviser, dance maker, teacher and
community organizer recently relocated to Minnesota. Since 2002 she has
been the artistic director of mansurdance, a performance project that integrates
choreography, improvisation and experimental multi-media performance in
traditional and alternative venues. For the past fifteen years her dances
have been presented throughout the East Coast and abroad. Sharon has received
support from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Virginia
Commission for the Arts, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Bossak-Heilbron
Charitable Foundation and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and
Humanities. Mansur has had the honor to collaborate with various U.S. and
international dance and music artists, and from 1998-2000 she performed
for Sara Rudner in New York City. She has been associated with the DC International
Improvisation Festival since 1996 and has taught at the Wild Meadows Improvisation
Festival(PA) and the Dartington International Improvisation Festival(UK).
She is a Certified Laban/Barteneiff Movement Analyst and a reiki practitioner.
www.mansurdance.com
MORE INFO:
THE
HOUSE was
built in 1875 by Quakers. It is rustic but has all the comforts
of home.
It has three floors. There are five medium size bedrooms that can
fit 1-3 people each and a large finished attic space (the floor
is rough so bring something fo your feet) which can sleep up to
10 people. There are an assortment of mattresses, air beds and
futons. If you have special needs, contact us before coming. The
house has a kitchen, two full bathrooms, a laundry room (because
it is a septic minimal loads are permitted), nearly wrap around
porches. The first floor has a large dining and living room. There
is also an out of tune piano.
THE
BARN-STUDIO is
approximately 32 by 45 feet. It has three poles in the middle of
the space. It has an older marley floor (Paul Taylor's old marley).
It has huge doors that open on one side to the road so that it
can feel like it is open air. It is located about 100 feet from
the house.
Climate: The average
high temperature for the period we will be at the farm is 83 degrees
and the average low is 60 degrees. It rains at least once in the
week, so bring rain gear if you need it. It does get cool in the
evening, so dress accordingly.
Critters: Although
I have never seen a single tic during all my trysts through the
woods, ther is a good eal of poison ivy, so it is a good idea to
have an extra pair of long pants, socks and a 2nd pair of shoes
if you plan to traipse through the woods.
Other
Items to Bring: The
sun rises early and is quite bright throughout most of the bedrooms.
However, if you need an alarm clock to wake up, you will need to bring
this. For those who are light sleepers, it is recommended that you
bring ear plugs in case snoring is an issue. If you need allergy medicine,
please bring it.
Travel by Car:
Coming from Washington.
D.C.
From Constitution
Ave, take I-66,US-50 West for 0.4 miles. Bear right on ramp at
sign reading "US-50 W Arlington Blvd
/ G W Parkway" and
go Northwest for 0.3 miles. Continue on George Washington Memorial
Pky,Gw Pky and go Northwest for 9 miles. Continue on ramp at sign
reading "I-495
N to Maryland" and go West for 0.4 miles. Continue on Capital
Beltway,I-495,I-495 Innerloop and go Northeast for 3.9 miles. Continue
on I-270-Spur at sign reading "Exit 38 I-270 to Rockville /
Frederick" and
go North for 2.0 miles. Continue on I-270,Dwight D Eisenhower Hwy,Washington
National Pike and go Northwest for 3.9 miles. Continue on ramp at
sign reading "Exit 8 to Shady Grove Road" and go North
for 900 feet. Continue on I-270 Local,Dwight D Eisenhower Hwy,Washington
National
Pike and go North for 0.5 miles. Continue on ramp at sign reading "I-270
N to Frederick" and go North for 1000 feet. Continue on I-270
and go Northwest for 24 miles. Take ramp at sign reading "I-70
W to Hagerstown" and go Northwest for 0.7 miles. Bear left on
I-70 and go Northwest for 76 miles Continue on Lincoln Hwy,US-30
and go West for 26 miles to Schellsberg. At stoplight, take a right
on
Route 96, go about 1/4 mile, take a right at sign to Fishertown.
Go about 3 miles, pas an electrical substation and behind a large
red
barn situated immediately on the left of the road, take a left onto
Smith Road. Go up road (becomes gravel) and house (grey-blue) is
3/4 mile up on left.
Coming from New
York City
Take the Lincoln Tunnel at W 39th St at sign reading "I-495 W
Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey / Newark International Airport" and
go Northwest for 180 feet. Bear left on I-495 and go Northwest for
3.9 miles. Continue on ramp at sign reading "N.J. Turnpike South
to Trenton / Newark Airport" and go West for 0.5 miles. Bear right
on I-95,New Jersey Tpke and go Southwest for 6 miles. Continue on ramp
at sign reading "I-78 to Exit 14-14A-14B-14C / Newark Airport
/ Holland Tnl and US-1 / US-9 / US-22" and go Southwest for 1.7
miles. Continue on I-78 and go Northwest for 400 feet. Continue on
I-78 Express Ln at sign reading "I-78 West Express to Garden State
Parkway / Clinton" and go West for 9 miles. Continue on I-78 and
go West for 126 miles. Continue on ramp at sign reading "I-81
S to Harrisburg" and go West for 0.8 miles. Continue on I-81 and
go West for 37 miles. Bear right on ramp at sign reading "Exit
17 US-11 to New Kingstown / Middlesex / Turnpike and I-76" and
go Southwest for 0.3 miles. Turn right on US-11,Harrisburg Pike and
go West for 1.0 miles. Turn right on ramp at sign reading "Penna
Turnpike to Philadelphia / Pittsburgh and 1-76" and go West for
0.7 miles. Bear right on I-76,Pennsylvania Tpke and go West for 81
miles. Bear right on ramp at sign reading "Exit 11 US-220 / I-99
to Bedford-Altoona / Johnstown" and go North for 0.2 miles. Turn
left on US-220-BR,PA-4009 and go North for 0.3 miles. Turn left on
ramp and go West for 0.7 miles. Turn right on US-220,Appalachian Thwy
and go South for 1.9 miles. Continue on ramp at sign reading "US-30
W to Greensburg" and go West for 0.3 miles. Bear right on
US-30,Lincoln Hwy and go West for 8 miles. From here, follow directions
as indicated
above. Coming from Philadelphia
Take highway 76 out of Philadelphia toward Harrisburg and continue
until Bedford exit 11. Follow directions as indicated above.
Coming from Pittsburgh
Take 376 out of Pittsburgh and onto The PA Turnpike (76) toward Harrisburg.
Exit at Bedford exit 11 and follow directions as indicated above.
*The deposit and
fee are non-refundable unless the workshop is cancelled for any
reason beyond the control of the payee.
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