Marya’s Blog
WHAT’S YOUR BAX
A five year old is walking down the street and points to our bright red doors, “that’s MY BAX” she says. After a year of celebrating 20 years of BAX we are taking our 21st year to answer
WHAT’S YOUR BAX?
NY Public Library’s Oral History Project | April 17, 2012
This past month I was interviewed by Eva Yaa Asantewaa for the Oral History Project at the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. I was invited by Susan L. Kraft, Oral History Project Coordinator, who I remembered from years past when BAX was on Douglass St. She and assistant archivist Cassie Mey (who is performing with AIR Jillian Pena this month at BAX) were incredibly helpful and provided us with everything we needed to be comfortable and make a recording. It was an amazing experience to travel with Eva for four hours, over two recording sessions in my personal and professional journey in the “context of significant changes in our society, city neighborhoods and arts communities.” (from Eva’s blog) I found myself reflecting on so many people, places, events and on the founding, sustaining and future of BAX.
I am grateful for this opportunity and thrilled that the critically important contributions of our artists and arts leaders will be remembered and be accessible to future artists, scholars and the public.
For more information about using the archives of the NYPL’s Jerome Robbins Dance
Division, click here.
Click HERE to read Eva Yaa Asantewaa’s blog post about this.
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The Awards Season | March 20, 2012
This is the awards season. Starting in early April and ending in mid May we will award at least ten space grants and residencies to dance and theater artists for our 2012/13 season. This process is a long one and involves many people. First the artists and their projects and intentions. Then the reviews, the panels and finally the awards. Watch for announcements in early June.
It is also time for our BAX Arts and Artists in Progress Awards. The 2012 awardees are choreographer, performer and visual Jon Kinzel; master teacher, choreographer and performer Pat Hall; and the Director of Programming at The Club at La MaMa and Curator for the annual La MaMa Moves! Dance Festival (who is also an artist) Nicky Paraiso. On May 5, 2012 they will be honored and in turn they have chosen Mark Robison (Co-Founder Character Gererators); Pamela Patrick (teaching artist); and Todd Richmond and Paz Tanjuaquio (Co-Founders of Topaz Arts) to “pass it on to”. We’ll be celebrating at the BAX BUILDING with George Emilio Sanchez as host and performances by Dan Fishback, Mariangela Lopez (Salon) and Helen Styring Tocci & Calia Marshall.
In many ways these awards share much in common with the values we hold and put to work at BAX. Individuals and institutions who make up an artistic community that supports the development of work and of artists over time. The quality of the work we do here at BAX, they way we work with artist, students and connect to one another gives us important information on what we look for in others and what we see in this year’s awardees! COME JOIN US.
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February 2012 | February 21, 2012
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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So Many Thoughts | January 25, 2012
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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21st Performance Season | December 13, 2011
This is BAX’s 21st 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.
