New Place, Same Season, & Three New Projects

Photo by Solsticesoul Photography
As I welcome the month of December this year, I find myself in a completely new place. Yes, geographically I am in St. Louis instead of Connecticut, but it is more than that. Usually, December means preparing for Nutcracker performances and a variety of holiday performance events. For the first time in 17 years, I have nothing to do with the infamous holiday production or any of its derivatives. There are no nuts to crack this year for me. As much stress and drama it brings, the holidays don’t feel quite the same without it.

So, instead of ramping up to a series of performances, I am winding down to the end of my first semester at Webster University. The semester has gone well and I am enjoying my students and colleagues immensely. I feel blessed. But, I sense the impending full month off between semesters (what will I do with myself?!) and my mind is bristling with creative projects for the Spring.

I have three creative projects planned and will share them in more detail in upcoming posts.

  1. Singularity Project: I am collaborating with a interactive digital media artist on a project for the Webster University Dance Ensemble premiering in April;
  2. The Yellow Bench: a movement/theatre collaboration with Melissa Gerth inspired by the music of Leonard Cohen and his poetry from The Book of Longing; and
  3. CelloPointe: I am choreographing a solo for dancer Morgan Stinnett to complete a series of movements that has been developing over the last three years for this March concert in New York City. 

Sharing these projects here, on what Jakobi jokingly refers to as the interwebs, helps me organize some of the creative energy bubbling up, like a release valve. And, quite possibly, it is compensating for the annual surge that is missing in my life this year known as The Nutcracker.

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