Author: dfrazier

We are closing in on our time in the quarry where we will put together what was created in separate rehearsals off-site, choreographing the whole to see The Quarry Project come to life. 

Starting this week, the infrastructure for the project will be assembled. The components of the stages will be constructed and painted, the rigging and cabling in the quarry will take place, and the stage sections from last year will be moved from my place to the quarry to be re-painted.

The weekend of August 9, 10, 11 will see all the stages installed and floated, ready for set elements the following week and the ensemble’s arrival on the 18^th. I am both excited and very nervous about the many untried factors. Thankfully, all the people who are assisting are accomplished in these areas and committed to the project’s success. 

Getting to know people through the making of an art project is a joyous experience, and the feeling of everyone pulling together is deeply gratifying. You can join in this effort with a donation. Click here.

Let me introduce two of the dancers, Paul Besaw and Avi Waring. Both were in Dear Pina and Threads and Thresholds and love dancing together. Here is a short clip from last summer of them goofing around at the end of their exploration session in the quarry. Their photographs were taken by Emily Boedecker.

Paul is Chair of the Dance Department at UVM where, thanks to his vision and persistence, there is now a major in Dance, housed in a re-purposed Elementary school. In this setting, students can dig deep into the study and real-life application of this art form. As a dance artist, Paul has created and collaborated on dances that have been seen in theaters, dance studios, art galleries, town halls, bars, barns, fields, forests, Korean city parks, empty power plants, and around a water fountain in Inner Mongolia, China.

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Avi is a native Vermonter who has danced in barns, quarries, horse corrals, in the snow, rain and sunshine and has loved every minute of it! She received her early dance training from the Vermont Ballet Theatre School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and Tulane University in New Orleans and she studied and performed improvisational dance and sketch comedy with the Heretica Dance Company of Zendik Arts. Avi teaches at Moving Light Dance and Ballet Wolcott. She is a co-founder of the Montpelier Movement Collective and is in demand throughout the state as a freelance dancer.

It is my intention to send out an August newsletter. Meanwhile, thank you for your interest in the arts. Support for The Quarry Project comes from the Vermont Community Foundation – Arts Endowment Fund, the Vermont Arts Council, the Oakland Foundation, the Amy Tarrant Foundation, the New England Foundation for the Arts, Polycor, the FlynnCenter, and many generous individuals. 

With deep gratitude, always,

Off-site rehearsals for the Quarry Project are complete. Now we look to August to put all components together in the quarry. Until now, we have been working on specific scenes and imagining what they would look like in proximity. Come August, Amy and I will, for the first time, be designing the flow of the pieces and putting the entire puzzle together in preparation for 2020 performances. We are excited to see these dances come to life in their quarry home. 

Meanwhile, there are several meetings at the Wells Lamson this month:

• The technical team has met at the quarry to discuss rigging, siting of performer and audience stages, and general infrastructure that supports the dance.
• Researchers and narrators John Thomas, Ilene Gillander held our third meeting at the edge of the quarry, the source and inspiration for their text that will accompany the performance. We walked around the village, then retired to Ilene’s house for lunch and further discussion.
• Next week, I meet with Lukas Huffman and his cinematographer to finalize the filming plan.
• I will be arranging a tour of the quarry to 17 ensemble members who have not been to the site. It is important they experience the power of the site before stepping onto the stages to dance on the water. 

Let me introduce two ensemble members who are in the TABLE scene. Their photographs were taken by Emily Boedecker.

Celia DeVoe has been dancing for most of her life having trained in NYC where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in dance from Marymount Manhattan College. At Naropa University, she earned a Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy & Somatic Counseling Psychology. Her day-job is as a Mental Health Clinician for young people and their families at Edmunds Elementary School in Burlington. In addition to being in the Quarry Project ensemble, Celia is administering the ensemble’s schedule and time sheets.  I am grateful for her focus, her deep skills and her commitment to this project.

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Andreas John lives in Calais with his 11 year old son Cedar. He is a builder by trade and has taken on the role of planning and executing the construction of all the performers stages. He has studied Authentic Movement with Jan Sandman and is a multi-disciplinary artist creating site-based work. interacting with found natural objects, photography, videography and music composition. This is his first experience with choreography and I am delighted with his energy, his input and how quickly he is picking up the material.

Your financial support of The Quarry Project is as important as all other aspects. Without your help, we cannot create and produce this public piece. Please contribute here. Your dollars will help pay the summer stipend of the dancers, each approximately $840, totaling $21,000 for the full ensemble August expense. 

And here is a short clip from last summer.

Appreciatively,

We are nearing the end of our off-site creation and rehearsal period based at Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio in Montpelier, one of our Presenting Partners. Thanks to their generosity, we have had ample time to develop the work and are ready to take it to the quarry.

In August, our time on site will be devoted to resolving all technical infrastructure, building and floating all the stages and spending two weeks putting the scenes/dances in the site. This will be the time to see how well what we imagined works in reality. Each day that it is not raining, the ensemble and tech crew will be on hand to run the scenes, make alterations as needed, correct problems when they crop up, and capture it on film. 

Here is a clip from last summer.

Let me introduce my two closest collaborators who have navigated all aspects of this project from the beginning. Their photographs were taken by Emily Boedecker.

Leslie Anderson and I have had 30 years to grow our collaboration and deepen our respect for one another as artists. She is NYC trained in visual art and ballet. She first joined my multi-generational company of women in 1992 but quickly shifted to being costume designer and someone I turned to for all aspects of creating. When we made a piece at the Kent Museum in Calais, her interior design skills were featured as she made this historic space into a dream- scape for the performance of Threads and Thresholds. For The Quarry Project she is combining both skills – costume and set – to make the worlds we inhabit on the water.

Amy LePage and I first made contact in 2010 at the Flynn Theatre when we were part of an evening of Vermont Choreographers. I remember when we were in the “green room” talking about our dance lives, I mentioned I was in the early stages of making a tribute to Pina Bausch and seeking partners to realize the choreography. She let me know she was very interested. Together with Hanna Satterlee we made Dear Pina and developed a strong bond in the process. When The Quarry Project began to take shape in my head, I asked Amy to create the dances with me. It has been a lovely partnership as we have encouraged and witnessed each other grow in our roles and creative lives.   

Support for The Quarry Project comes from the Vermont Arts Council, The Oakland Foundation, The Amy Tarrant Foundation, The New England Foundation for the Arts, Polycor, The Flynn Center, and many generous individuals. Please consider giving to support the work of Amy and Leslie, and ultimately, this project.

Gratefully,

This newsletter will highlight the two collaborators who create the primary public visuals for the project: Lukas Huffman – film director/editor, and Julia Barstow – photographer.  

Please consider supporting their work this summer, here is the link. We need to raise $12,000 to cover their stipends. 

The Quarry Project is funded by the Vermont Arts Council, The Oakland Foundation, The Amy Tarrant Foundation, The New England Foundation for the Arts, Polycor, The FlynnCenter, and many generous individuals. 

Julia Barstow and I met for the first time when she was a student at Bennington College, studying visual arts, dance, and journalism. In 2015, she studied photojournalism and Arabic in Rabat, Morocco. By 2016, she had her BA from Bennington and in 2017, we sat down to talk about The Quarry Project. To me, having danced with her in two workshops, she seemed a natural fit with her photographic emphasis on connection to place and her felt sense of the body in motion. Her initial images from that day in 2017 in the quarry launched the public face of the project. Her stunning photographs from summer 2018 are what have been gracing these newsletters. She will be in residence in the quarry for August 2019. She currently makes her home in Portland, Oregon.

Lukas Huffman and I have been partners since 2012 when he created the film for Dear Pina at Shelburne Farm’s Breeding Barn. He then went on to edit footage for Threads and Thresholds at the Kent Museum in Calais, and last year’s quarry film. He will be in the Wells Lamson again this summer to make the second of a trio of films that capture this project. When not in the quarry, Lukas is based in Brooklyn NY with his wife Lauren and daughter Clara where he runs Huffman Studios. Lukas’ past life as a professional snowboarder was what convinced me he could film dance. Here is a short clip from last summer.

In anticipation of green grass,

We are well underway creating and developing scenes and composing music in preparation for the full ensemble rehearsals in the quarry in August. There are 24 dancers, 6 musicians and the infamous “tall, dignified couple”. For the work I create, each performer needs a deep and abiding sense of self, a responsibility to others and to the setting in which we work. To foster those qualities, the entire group gathers once a month at the Contemporary Dance studio in Montpelier for a 3-hour workshop in building ensemble. We focus half our time on the skills required to move as one body, no leader, blending and supporting the group choice. Then we delve into the exercise Being Seen, which is all about honesty and courage. We end our time rehearsing the full ensemble SUITCASE scene.

Everyone in the ensemble is paid for their time and skills. This is my commitment to bringing attention to the importance of artists and their contribution to our culture. Each performer is paid $20/hr which translates to $1500/ person for this year. Each collaborating artist (choreographic partner, film director, costume & set designer, composer, historian) is paid on average $4,000 for the year. Your donation this month will go towards supporting their work. Here is the link. All donations are important and bring this unique project that much closer to a successful culmination. 

In that vein, let me introduce one of the ensemble: Willow Wonder and I have worked together since 2011 when she joined the Dear Pina ensemble. She lives in Barre Town with her family and teaches Pilates and movement classes in Central Vermont. She is an excellent improviser, dance maker and skilled at realizing the visions of other choreographers, yours truly included.  She earned her BFA in modern dance performance from SUNY Purchase in 1998. You can see her in the clips from Dear Pina, and Threads and Thresholds, previous Quarry Project newsletters and in the photo above from 2015’s performance at the Kent Museum. I am honored to be working with Willow again.

Gratefully,

The Quarry Project has proven to be a truly ambitious and far-reaching creation. Here is what we realized in 2018 and are anticipating for 2019:

AWARDS
The Quarry Project was selected for a National Dance Project (NDP) finalist award – a big deal for yours truly, 1^st VT dance artist to be invited to the final round, and one of a tiny handful of site-specific dance artists considered. I was encouraged to re-apply in 2019.

Cradle to Grave Arts was honored by the Vermont Arts Council, along with two other long-standing VT arts organizations for our commitment to working in community. The $5000 award sited The Quarry Project as an excellent example of Creative Placemaking.  

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Our August time in the Wells Lamson Quarry was magical, arduous, informative, and very encouraging: 

• We connected with many locals who shared stories of the quarry; 
• New stages were constructed with local help and six scenes were developed with 17 dancers and musicians; 
• A short film was created from the 2018 footage which will be screened during 2019; 
• The quarry owner, Polycor, continues to stand by this project, knowing its intrinsic value to the community, the state, the region and all its citizens;
• Our fundraising efforts for 2018 have been successful, which means a great start for this third year developing The Quarry Project; 
• Linda Waite-Simpson has come on board as the Project Coordinator. She is proving to be steady, smart, calm, efficient and highly competent. It means I can direct the majority of my focus on the design, creation, and development of this project. If you have questions about the project, they can be directed to Linda, either email or phone 881-8528;
• The Technical Team has come up with practical and safe solutions to making stable floating stages. This winter, a Technical Director will join us to develop and refine the infrastructure, be onsite this summer to make sure all is running smoothly and carry us through 2020;
• The full ensemble of 31 skilled performers (dancers and musicians) have begun. They are a powerful group. Starting in January, we will train and rehearse together, preparing for our 2019 Development Phase in the quarry, and ultimately, the 2020 performances.  

The Quarry Project is firmly rooted in the belief that art has the power to reveal, illuminate and clarify our worlds. Together, we are engaging with others, learning from the quarry history and our surroundings (the deep waters and high granite walls of the Wells Lamson), and honoring the long arc of the creative process. We are crafting a piece of art that, from all our research, is unique; nothing like this has been made anywhere. Please join us. Click here to donate, either in one lump sum or reoccurring over the course of the year.  Here is a short clip from 2018.

May this new year be a healthy one in all ways.
With Gratitude,

 

Update

August was a full month for The Quarry Project: construction of new stages, expansion of the infrastructure, rehearsals of the scenes created in the studio, and capturing them on film. Our days were deeply satisfying, shimmering with magic and at the same time overwhelming, scary and grinding. Ultimately, we got exactly what we sought in terms of a further understanding of the setting and the creative ideas that arose from it. We have a clear path forward.

Julia Barstow’s photographs of the HOUSE and CHAIR scenes beautifully capture the multi-faceted nature of this evolving project. A film clip will be ready next month.

I want to thank the following individuals, businesses and foundations for their part in 2018 Development Phase of The Quarry Project. It is clear that it takes many interested and committed people to bring such an endeavor to life:

I am profoundly grateful.

July 2018
Update of The Quarry Project

Summer is in full swing as are the plans to bring ideas and scenes into the Wells Lamson quarry for development. Here are the salient points since last I wrote:

CREATION & DEVELOPMENT

1. Amy LePage, my choreographic partner and I had three June days of creating material for three scenes involving the bed, the house and chairs.  This week, we work with five dancers, expanding the ideas from June. Over the next four weeks, rehearsals will continue off-site.
2. A through-line of the project is couples in relationship: what do they need; what works for them; what doesn’t; what are they saying to each other, to others; what does compromise look and feel like…that sort of thing. For this summer, we will be developing three duets.
3. Dave Severance is creating the music, working with a band of five for this summer’s iteration.
4. Stefan Jacobs will bring new lighting – battery driven LED theatrical lights – to try out on the stages. He will also capture a quality recording of the band to be used in the film of 2018.
5. Six more stages will be constructed and installed in the quarry by mid-August.
6. Dancers and musicians will be on these stages with sets and costumes for the last two weeks of August to adapt the material to the very different environment of the flooded quarry.
7. The last week of August will be devoted to filming and photographing this year’s creative work.
8. John Thomas, historian/researcher/narrator for The Neighborhood Project and The Bus Barns Project has come on board. We are excited about our continuing collaboration.

FUNDRAISING

1. We held our first house-party in June at the home of Pat Robins and Lisa Schamberg who have been assisting me with so many aspects of this complex project. There were 25 people in attendance, most of whom know my work and with whom I have a long history – a perfect group to hear the first public announcement of the project.
2. The Quarry Project did not get funded by National Dance Project (NDP). We were ranked 22^nd of the 37 finalists with a strong project and application. Twenty artists received funding, including well-known choreographers familiar to you. The touring aspect to this grant was the sticking point for the panel – and challenging for me, too. I was encouraged to further explore the touring idea come fall and if the piece can be adapted in a comprehensive way, then we could re-apply to NDP in the winter.
3. Meanwhile, Creative Capital, another national granting foundation, invited the Quarry Project (and 999 others) to submit the full application having selected it from a field of 5,000 applicants. Out of the next pool of selections, 10% will be invited to take the final step, from which 46 projects will be funded. We will know by the end of the summer if we are in the 10%.

Any support you can give for this Development Phase is much appreciated. You can donate online or send a check to Cradle to Grave Arts – PO Box 8 – Chelsea VT 05038.

Here is a clip from last summer in my neighbor’s pond when I invited 12 dancers to come test out the dynamics of the prototype stage. Lots of laughter and splashing interspersed with discovering how to dance on a moving, super-responsive surface.

Once this summer’s development work in the quarry is complete, you will hear from me again with new images and ideas. We continue to be grateful for your interest in contemporary art and its capacity to shed light on new pathways.

Sincerely,

Three big pieces of news that have given all of us affirmation and energy:

1. A major donor has come forward with significant support for each year of the process.
2. The Vermont Arts Council has offered me a $5000 award (based on my history and The Quarry Project) for the work I do in Placemaking. Gratitude to the arts council board and Karen Mittelman, new executive director.
3. The Quarry Project and I are a finalist for the National Dance Project which supports development and touring of new work. 150 applicants across the country. 37 finalists. I am the only dance artist from rural New England and the only one with a site piece. Final application due June 1^st. Will hear at the end of the summer if The Quarry Project is one of 20 selected. Cross fingers and toes.

On May 4^th, the CEO of Polycor and I stood at the water’s edge of the Wells Lamson where I spoke in more depth about the vision I have for the performance. It was his first time at the quarry and he concurred with my feelings of awe and inspiration for it as a setting for dance.

Our May Community Information Gatherings have been low-key and sweet. I love getting to know those who live with the quarry in their back yards, hearing their stories. It is such an important part to my process.

In early June, Amy LePage and I go into a three-day choreographic retreat to begin making the movement vocabulary. We are excited to get going after having several conversations and sharing of inspirational images and writings.

Our kickoff fundraiser houseparty is being held in Burlington. I am grateful for Pat & Lisa and Sarah J’s support and belief in the worth of the arts in our lives. Their generosity means so very much. Thank you for standing with me on this project.

Here is the next film snippet from August 2017 by Micheal Fisher.

Sincerely,

Oh, April is indeed cruel this year. It is snowing. I continue to feed the birds. My lettuce starts are leggy, waiting. We are all waiting.

At the end of March, I took a trip to Quebec City to meet with Patrick Perus, CEO of Polycor, and the company lawyer to further clarify the relationship. Perus and I will see each other again in early May, and hopefully I will have the definitive green light that I am seeking.

Before I left for Quebec, a donor came forward with a big contribution/challenge that if matched by Polycor this year, will give the project strong legs on which to move forward. Thank you, Tom, for your generous, unsolicited pledge. Along with this promise, I brought all the words of support that flooded my mailbox when I voiced my doubts. Your belief in this project and my abilities accompanied me on my journey north. Gratitude all around.

Snow cancelled the first two of the Community Information Gatherings in March at the local school. At the most recent one, Steve Adams and Barbara Gavin shared their memories of growing up in town while the Wells Lamson was active. Their stories are just what I hoped to hear. We will hold more meetings in May, this time at Websterville Selectboard Meeting Room to continue to listen to our neighbors. People are stepping forward to chronicle the memories. These writings will be on-hand at each gathering and ultimately incorporated in The Quarry Project book that Leslie Anderson recently made.

Discussions are underway with Spaulding High School’s Work-based Learning program to engage students at all stages with this project.

Each day brings new ideas, discussions, and possibilities that give The Quarry Project even more definition and depth. Here is another film from last summer by Michael Fisher.

Thank you for your continued interest.
If you are able to make a donation to the 2018 development phase, you can do so securely online or you can send a check made out to Cradle to Grave Arts to PO Box 8, Chelsea VT 05038. The money will go to paying the artists involved in the quarry experiments this summer.
If you want to volunteer for various aspects of the project, the link is where you can sign up.

Sincerely,