To say there’s a lot going on would be a tremendous understatement! I have been thinking about family and loyalty. As some of you know Penelope McCourty has rejoined our staff as Co-Director of Education along with Maya Visco. Our original Education Director Andrew Jannetti now directs our out of school programs including School Breaks and Summer. Having all three on staff at the same time is quite remarkable. They are so different, and bring a wealth of talent, experience and commitment to BAX but what they all share in common is that they have found a “good fit” here as a base of exploration, development and leadership.

“Good fit” brings me to the task currently at hand – reviewing the Parent/Choreographer Space Grant applications. We got a huge response to this new opportunity from new parents, ones with two or more children, artists we are familiar with and those new to us as well. It struck a chord about this unique period of time when children are very young, every moment is a juggling act, and priorities get re-arranged. I will be participating with Chase Granoff at a lobby talk at New York Live Arts next month, talking about two artist families and their unique challenges as well.

Come see shows by student and professional artists at BAX in March, April and May. Check out our website, I would love to see you here.

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My thoughts for this month go in so many directions. I sat in on our AcroBAX workshop and I am stunned by how far they’ve come and how skilled they are. Kudos to these students and their teacher Helen Tocci. Faculty member Jules Skloot took me back to when I taught the Boy’s Movement class when she came into my office thrilled with the boys who are registered this trimester. Her delight with their concentration, enthusiasm and willingness made my day! I am also in the midst of our annual Artist in Residence Festival. New work, on its way, in our theater. I feel lucky to be a part of it. This time of year is a clash. Half way through the year’s residency with all the plans for next year pushing us ahead. Speaking of which, our newest artist opportunity, the PARENT/CHOREOGRAPHER SPACE GRANT, has gotten a huge response from all over the country… clearly an idea that matched a pressing AND GROWING NEED!

Hope I see you soon!

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This is BAX’s 21^st season. There’s always a start, and it’s always new and somewhat surprising. This year was no exception. Our space grantees, Xan Burley/Alex Springer, Lee Sunday Evans and Katy Pyle presented (to sold out shows) developing works the first weekend of December. These artists and our 2011/12 resident artists represent most of our season. They are developing dance and theater works using BAX as their artistic home.

The way artists participate is interesting to me. Last season, Dean Moss curated the performers from his Nameless Forest. This season, Nameless Forest performer Kacie Chang will be teaching INVESTIGATING PERFORMANCE. Dean says about Kacie: “Sometimes there’s a someone who comes into your process who works as a catalyst. Kacie Chang is that for me and my work. She understands my intentions and manifests them in a way that pushes the work forward. For more than 15 years we have worked together to develop the performance tools that form the basis of my recent collaborations. Having helped create them, she knows them inside out. Someone said, ‘Kacie’s your doppelganger on stage.’ I think, frankly, she’s much better than that.”

One relationship begets another. AIR Dan Fishback is curating the students who will apply for Needing It: Performance in the Queer Community Tradition. Former AIRs Victoria Libertore and Faye Driscoll are curating. These are the kinds of relationships that foster a community of artists and audiences. So, “What’s THEIR BAX? ” It’s a home, it’s a venue, it’s a place of investigation and of support. I’m glad we live here together.

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I really like OPEN STUDIO. This is the third November that the BAX Artists-in-Residence (AIR) open their studio doors to each other, to our staff, to the public to see what’s going on right now with the works they’re creating. Then we talk and ask questions. In one Open Studio we also ate donuts. What I like best is having few expectations and feeling sponge like as I watch and listen.

This week I got to see brand new dance that Jillian Pena made. I got to hear Matthew Olmos talk about the characters in his new play and Morgan Gould ask us questions about how she’s shaping it as a director. Levi Gonzalez unveiled his experimenting with dancer and director with the stunning Natalie Green. Catharine Dill along with Sharla Meese drew us into a mystery of personal psychology and mystery. Mariangela Lopez and luciana achugar both introduced new work that surprised and intrigued. Audience responses were generous, insightful, questioning and at moments provoking.

This is one of three showings in the AIR year and it is a critical stage of development. What it reveals often influences the development of new work. Do you think this is important?
I’d love to hear from you.

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BAX has worked in partnership with Brooklyn public schools to provide dance & theater residencies since our founding in 1991. As a former teaching/artist, arts provider and a parent of two – I have been part of an important conversation about the profound lack of equity & access in the arts that exists school to school. I have worked hard as an individual and representing BAX to promote a fair allocation of resources.

In today’s climate these resources are even scarcer and the inequity even more obvious. Parent groups from some public schools are able to raise large amounts of money that not only support the BAX programs, but science labs, trips, supplies – The larger issue here is what WE ARE spending our money on as a society and what WE ARE NOT. Who’s making money and who is doing without? One of the slogans at recent demonstrations at Wall Street is “we are the 99%”. Even the schools that are able to raise money are part of that 99%. It should not be necessary for parents to raise money for what should be basic. Our children should expect to have dance, theater, art, music and high standards of academic learning, physical education, and enough supplies that parents are not asked to provide toilet paper from home!

This approach to school funding, in which the barest functioning of the school is the parents’ responsibility rather than a right bestowed on all children by the public, is dangerous and will only get more so. BAX’s dance & theater residencies receive state, city, foundation and corporate support – but the schools who have the ability to raise money in large sums have deeper, longer, more developed programs. In one school the entire program was cut due to lack of funds (reinstated this year, at least in part). In lower income schools a successful fundraiser brings in $1,000 as opposed to tens of thousands of dollars raised by PTA’s with wealthier families.

But this fight is not between schools or between families. It is not about which school has enough printer paper or a working copy machine. It is about all families advocating in the loudest and clearest ways to make sure that all children receive the kind of education that we want for them. Class size, academics, arts, physical education, good food, after school – these are not entitlements. These policies will not be changed by listening to legislators rail about teacher accountability and asking us trust the free market to fix these unfair policies. Perhaps these smaller and larger dialogues will move us to a larger and more profound demand for EQUALITY AND FAIRNESS. We are committed to do our part.

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