LOOKING AHEAD 2011:

SonneBlauma's first bi-annual Festival
Santa Barbara SB-ADaPT Festival

Website: SB-ADapT Festival CLICK HERE

2010 Events - in short

Insanely busy in a delightful way

January: Studio Showing with Guest Artist Rubans Rouge Dans, Santa Barbara Dance Alliance's New Works Concert, NYC for the COOL New York Dance Festival and some exploratory work at the Met and MOMA.

February: Company auditions, NECTAR: Sex & the Body, We "Heart" our Patrons, Master Class at Santa Barbara City College

March: Sylvia White Gallery: 5x5x5 Performance Art Series, Dance Anywhere Project.

April: Participated in Keigwin & Co.'s Bolero at the Lobero, Santa Barbara Dance Alliance's Dance Day

May: UCSB Dance Alumni Studio Showing, "Behind the Words" at Center Stage Theater

June: 1st Thursdays at the Granada Theater, MAX10 at the Electric Lodge, "Integration" at Center Stage Theater

July: Trip to Monterey: Spector Dance Choreographers Showcase

August: Hunker down with some creative work

September: MIXMATCH Festival, Music Academy of the West Frank K. Kelly Memorial Concert

October: Hunker down with some creative work, Santa Barbara City College Dance Festival

November: Back to MAX10 at the Electric Lodge, Studio Showing

December: Hopefully another NECTAR

2010 in more detail

January 16th, 2010: Get Down, Get Groovy

Place: Montecito School of Ballet
529 E. Gutierrez, Santa Barbara, CA - USA
Time: 7:30 pm
Cost: $10, kids free
Program: Click Here

SonneBlauma opens its workspace to the community with an invitation to join them in celebrating a new decade of love, fun, and dance madness in an intimate studio showing.  Noelle Andressen’s budding Moorpark based company Rubans Rouges Dance will join SonneBlauma in showing work. Also on the program will be Erin Martinez presenting Flight.

There will be one work on the program not suited for children.

With that said, bring them anyways and when the time comes we can put them in the studio next door with something fun to do and a volunteer parent to supervise.

(done: we had a great time! Special thanks to Elizabeth Schwyzer for helping us get the word out in her Independent article Modern Dance Highlights.)

January 22-23: Santa Barbara Dance Alliance's New Works Concert

Place:  Center Stage Theater, Santa Barbara, CA
Times:  January 22nd: 8:00 pm, January 23rd 2pm & 8:00 pm
Cost: $50 patron, $25 general, $22 SBDA members, students and seniors
Get Tickets: Center Stage Box Office

Misa is draping herself in a new solo. The working title is Ranunculus.

It is a short and sweet work that celebrates a rite of passage that softens the wrinkles of time, brings sparkle to strands of hidden grey, and surfaces from the sea of the integrated collective unconsciousness a thing she calls a dance: driven, riveting, determined, and universal.    The work is energetic, athletic, emotionally charged, & soul rich. 

The music mix is broken down into three sections comprised of: Joan Jeanreneaud’s avant-garde composition “Kaleidoscope” for stringed instruments, the poetic classical music of Mozart’s “Diveretimento in E flat”, and the outrageously zany sounds of Bliki Circus’s 6 piece orchestra from Kyoto, Japan. The primary mix is accented with sound samplings such as that of an old telephone ring, laughter, and the haunting sound of a homeless woman’s wailing gleaned from freesound.org adding extra flavor and a bit of an edge to the work.

and...drum roll...Anaya is costuming the work! Wohoo...go team!

(done: yup, a great time...some wonderful pre-press written by Steven Libowitz of the Montecito Journal and Charles Donelan of the Santa Barbara Independent.)

January 26th-February 1st: Playtime in NYC!

COOL New York Dance Festival

Dates:  January 28th & January 31st
Times:  January 28th: red eye – 9:00 pm 
January 31st: my kind of time – 4:00 pm
Place: John Ryan Theater, 25 Jay St Brooklyn, NY
Cost:  FREE
Festival Website

About:  SonneBlauma is achieving its next goal in getting the work out there in the world!  We’re headed to NYC to perform in the COOL New York Dance Festival.   Around 60 contemporary dance companies and choreographers will be presented over 19 performances at the John Ryan Theater.  This is a stellar opportunity to introduce our work to New York City as well as others in the festival from all over the U.S. as well as abroad.  We are hoping to network and make the connections necessary to take our work to communities we have not been to as well as scope out exceptional work & provide opportunity for other dance companies to share their work with our community. (done - an amazingly good time!)

Exploratory Work

Date: During the week we are/were there
Time: Shhh...it was a secret
Place: The Met and MOMA: Museum Dances: Exploring Perceptions of Performance in Guerilla Spaces.

About: Never in a thousand years do I think anyone would be granted formal permission to officially "dance" in such settings when somehow the space begs for it to be so. So..take the space. A LOT of fun. Surprisingly enough it was SO not an issue. Subtle at first and then, well, why not, right there open and up front. The only request was to put away the video camera. The dancing was just fine. Youtube Link

February 7th: Company Auditions

Date: February 7th
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: Montecito School of Ballet, Santa Barbara

Please bring a cd with your bio and a selection of high resolution images of yourself dancing on it. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!

February 20th: NECTAR: Sex and the Body

Place: Yoga Soup
28 Parker Way, Santa Barbara, CA
Time: 8:00 pm
Cost: $10 general, $5 for kids under 12

If you missed seeing Misa premiere Ranunculus in January's studio showing, perform it at Center Stage Theater on the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance's New Works concert, or in NYC at the COOL New York Festival here is another chance! &....company member Melissa Block will be premiering her new solo "Better Than You." Hot darn!

Went extremely well! The show definitely took on a life of its own. The energy built and what it was asking of the performers became quite evident. Dancing without panties and some with feathers? Well, well, well - sort of like burning bras in the 60s...fun!

February 21st: We Heart our Patrons

Place: Montecito School of Ballet
529 E. Gutierrez, Santa Barbara, CA - USA
Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: by invitation only. Call to be invited. 805 569-0389

A private showing for our most loyal and faithful patrons. With that said & done we LOVE it when people crash the party! Call to get yourself invited!

February 27th: Master Class @
Santa Barbara City College

Place: Santa Barbara City College
Time: 1:00-3:00

Misa is going back to her roots to start the cycle all over again. Her first dance class was at SBCC with Kay Fulton and she is REALLY excited to be going home. What a journey. SBCC, UCSB, Cal Arts, launching SonneBlauma and to think we've been to Istanbul and back!

Had an awesome time! Non-stop fun flight. Pam and Bonnie are doing a fantastic job with these students. Passionate, committed, hard working, creative, nice solid little technique happening.... thanks so much for having us!

February 27th: Getty Museum

Museum Dances: Exploring Perceptions of Performance in Guerilla Spaces. SonneBlauma heads down to the Getty after their master class at Santa Barbara City College to activate one of their "dance scripts" for museum spaces.

We had to cancel due to rain!

March 5th: Sylvia White Gallery - 5 x 5 x5, First Fridays Performance Art Series

Place: Sylvia White Gallery
1783 East Main Street, Ventura, CA
Time: 8:00 pm
Cost: Free

As a part of Ventura's First Fridays SonneBlauma has been invited to perform at the Sylvia White Gallery as a part of John White's 5 x 5 x 5 Performance Art series.

Yippeee!! Going new places and spaces. Thank you John for this fabulous opportunity!

What a fabulous experience. Definitely headed in a new direction! We are hoping to go down again this year. We are offered 2 slots a year. Yeah! We love consistent gigs to look forwards to. Credits in the video.

March 26th: Sunken Gardens:
International Dance Anywhere Project

Place: Sunken Gardens, Santa Barbara Courthouse
Corner of Santa Barbara Street and Anapamu.
Time: Noon
Cost: FREE
Dance Anywhere Project Website

Why not, the bread & butter gig is around the corner, lunch break - do the normal everyday natural thing - dance on a lunch break. The community is invited to come dance with SonneBlauma. Warm-up, improvisation, snippets from repertory.

Misa & Melissa & Carla's P.O.A.
Arrive different places
Balances improvisation
Flocking
repertory lifts improvisation
Steps improvisation where the "stage is"
She does a bit of her solo
I do a bit of my solo
repeat repertory lifts improvisation
Flocking into walking meditation ending

We had a great time! We had no idea that 150 kids would turn up!

Here's a Youtube LINK to funky little video of the event. The intent was to try and make the act of dancemaking as normal and natural as breathing. The quality has a "home video" sort of feel to it. I had an "aha" sort of moment when watching the footage and the juxtaposition of the dancers and kids at play which was really one and the same. Dancers keep the sacred connection to kids dancing alive. They hold the space in "adult" realms helping to keep that door open for all adults energetically, to help facilitate the process of them re-remembering dance if they so choose.

April 23rd & 24th: Larry Keigwin @ the Lobero

Yup, we dig on Dianne Vapnek and what she has done for the contemporary dance community here in S.B.. Her latest set of shenanigans has resulted in bringing Larry Keiwgwin and his company here to S.B. and it is serious playtime. Misa is taking a bit of a time out within all of the busyness and is rehearsing with Larry and a host of other locals for the Larry Keigwin & Company concert. COME SEE! Tee hee... he wants local? Misa is going to show up @ rehearsal tomorrow in a pair of board shorts, a bikini top, her boogie board, and her Churchill fins...

Get info HERE

Awesome event! Misa had such a blast...what a treat to join 50 other locals onstage at the Lobero. Our only regret? Not taking pics to post.

April 24th: Santa Barbara Dance Alliance:
Dance Day

The plan is to meet at Border's on State Street at 2:00 and then walk up to our venue. Right now we are slated to perform in front of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Misa is going to scope out the space next week to make sure that it is large enough for the vision. Co-creators/collaborators are the entire Block Family (Melissa Mom, Patrick Dad, Son Patrick, & Daughter Sarah), opera singer Carol Ann Manzi, a very, very, very long piece of muslim, scant costuming in spring colors and lots of flowers. Fun, fun, fun!

We had an awesome time. The vision evolved and simplified. Patrick and Maritza engaged in a 30 minute performance art event and Misa and Melissa engaged for 1 1/2 hours. BLISS! A part of the process was moving slower than slow wrapping in colorful tulle. Viewers were invited to tuck flowers into the mover wrapping and make a wish. OMG! The blessings and beauty whispered into my ear! I loved the 4 year old's comment who tucked flower after flower into the folds "we are making her so pretty." Sigh, we live for those moments!

May 1st: UCSB Dance Department
Alumni Showing

Misa is helping to organize this event with Dara Ackerman, Christopher Pilafian, and Michele O'Neill. Although the showing is for alumni, students, faculty and staff of the dance department the event is open to family and friends of those in the concert. If you'd like to come and see us in this venue please contact us ahead of time and we'll get you on the list!

Place: UCSB Ballet Studio
Time: 5:00 pm
Cost: by donation

Schedule of Activities

Program

Awesome event! I could write reams about the positive charge this brought into the lives of those who participated. Misa's vision of more alumni/student interaction was made manifest with two alumni/student discussions. One vision wasn't enough - the second vision of launching the first ever Alumni Showing also came to fruition. It was just like what one might imagine heaven is like. Beautiful place, beautiful climate, yummy food, great conversation, connecting with loved ones...

May 7th & 8th: Center Stage Theater
Santa Barbara City College Dance Department

Yippeee....a recent invite. Thank you Pamela Lappen, it will be an honor to be with y'all as an alumni of SBCC's dance program. Misa is hungry to keep on performing Hughes Morton's solo "Ranunculus." Sending love and light to you and your family Hughes...

Place: Center Stage Theater
Dates: May 7th & 8th
Time: May 7th @ 8:00 pm & May 8th 2 pm and 8 pm
Cost: $22 adults, $17 seniors, $12 students

Flyer: Click Here

What an awe inspiring group of artists involved! They rocked my socks off. By far one of my favorite performing experiences second to our adventures in Istanbul. I am so hungry to set some dances on these amazing grouping of souls. It was so incredible to be back where it all started. Kay Fulton opened the show. She was my very first dance teacher and my work went right after that. It was so bizarre to have the students be so complimentary and to "look up" to my work as a goal to work towards. In so many ways - I am just one of them. I shot from the wings and compiled my impressions of the event. Enjoy!

Misa Created a fun collage of images/sound from the evening.

And...Justine Sutton's review.

"Dancing Out Loud in SBCC Spring Concert"

And...blush, blush, rock my world! An SBCC student review!

“The most interesting dance was that of Misa Kelly’s.  She is a creative genius, and her movement and vocal contributions were stunning.  Her dance forced the average person to think and live outside of their own box, and out of their comfort level.  It was not a work of art that we come across every day, but is an important one, and one that should be treated as culturally important.  Her vision as an artist could make a modest world more open, and consequently more progressive.  I loved this dance, and will probably remember aspects of it in every dance class I take in the future.”  SBCC Dance Concert Student 

June 3rd: 1st Thursdays - Granada Theater

All the Theatre's a Stage!

"From Process to Performance"

We'll be in the Granada Theater along with a host of other wonderful projects in this event organized by non other than one of Santa Barbara's super heroines, Laura Inks.

It is free! Drop on by...we'll be there from 6:00-8:00 pm.

DOWNLOAD the schedule and take a peek at the others that will be there! Thanks for organizing this Laura!

June 7th: MAX10, Venice Beach

Place: Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Avenue, Venice, CA
Time: 8:00 pm

Cost: $10 Both Misa and Stephen are taking works down to perform. VERY excited to be going back. This is an awesome venue run by awesome people attended by an awesome community. Just how we like it!

June 17th & 18th :
Fusion Dance Company extends an invite!
Center Stage Theater

Misa & Melissa will be performing their work-in-progress Under No Certain Circumstances.

Place: Center Stage Theater
Time: 8:00 pm
Cost: $15 general $13 Students/Seniors/Kids under 10

July: SpectorDance Choreographers Showcase

Road Trip! Misa, Melissa, Wesley, and Stephen are headed up to Monterey! Misa will have yet ANOTHER opportunity to perform Ranunculus and Stephen will have yet ANOTHER opportunity to share his work Lucky Ducks.

Friday through Sunday - we'll be performing on Sunday.
July 30, 31 and August 1, 2010
at SpectorDance

September: MixMatch Festival

Wohoo! Going back down to Venice Beach to perform at the Electric Lodge in this Festival on September 11th.

September 18th: Stephen Kelly in Concert with Carol Ann Manzi

The Frank K. Kelly Memorial Concert