Toni's Blog
This section could also be considered a bit of a blog by Toni Taylor and anyone else associated with Pi Dance Theatre. You will find comments on various topics of interest about the larger dance, theatre and art community and how we interact with each other and our audiences in the ongoing human conversation.
In defense of goofiness
I came across this video from 2008. Without giving it away, some guy named Matt from Connecticut very nicely set aside his ego and vanity by indulging in dancerly (in a very general sense) goofiness around the world, creating joy & happiness. Basically I laughed until I cried and felt the warm fuzzies for the future man kind. So watch the video & pass it along. The lesson here for all of us, artists & otherwise, is keep creating, sharing, and don't let vanity interfere with your process. If Matt can generate such joy with a pronounced lack of vanity, imagine what you can do.Thoughts?
Something on the Arts in this time of economic disarray
While these tricky economic times are hard for many of us, I wonder if perhaps artist can provide a bit of guidance on how to live well with fewer resources. After all, artists are, well artists, at creating something (objects and/or moments in time) out of nothing. All the "something(s)" that artists create have a vaule that can be measured by many rulers, social, cultural, editorial, and financial. Artists are also eternal students, gathering new skills and training required to keep up with what the demands of their creative works. They are also very good at getting their work presented in whatever means necessary. In a perfect world, everyone has ready access to appropriate and interesting venues, be they performance space or gallery with appropriate marketing and fundraising support. But even without this support, artists get their work out of their studios by hook or crook. With warm wether coming up, look for quick and dirty little guerrilla performances springing up around town, supported by the guerilla marketing tools of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Look for visual artists finding other display spaces for their work outside the gallery structure. As scary as these times are, these can be exciting times for artists. With little pressure from funders and presenters, who are suffering in their own ways at the moment and unable to be as supportive as they'd like, this is a perfect time for creative folk to do the work they want to do, being as creative in the sourcing of their materials and presentation as they are with their work. A great legacy of this time would be that artists created amazing bodies of work, and by example, provided a way for everyone to keep their creative spirits up, creating new opportunities for everyone. What do you think?
Reflections on a Decade (and then some) - Toni Taylor
If you are a dedicated reader of programs, you might or might not have noticed that that we’ve been making & presenting dances for more than 10 years. In 2003, our official 10th year anniversary, I felt that because I was still finding my voice and style as a choreographer and producer, celebrating a significant marker seemed premature.
The time has passed very quickly. A lot of good work has been created with many gorgeous dancers. We’ve been able to build a consistent level of financial & material support. With a new internet development plan in place and being executed, we look forward to build upon the level of support we have by re-building the PDT website and creating a presence on several social networking sites to continue community building for Pi Dance Theatre..
So much to look forward to. Getting the new dances currently in my head on the company to see the dancers make my ideas look better than I’d imagined and cntinuing our practice of presenting the work of company dancers who are interested in creating dances is particularly appealing. I also look forward to working with the dance community in the ongoing challenge of building awareneness of modern dance and finding ways to make the production process easier for everyone involved.
With an exciting future ahead of us I want to gratefully thank Pi Dance Theatre alumni (many of whom have gone on to start their own companies & businesses), our Board of Directors, collaborators, and supporters over the years. Without you, I’d have no choreographic voice.
I encourage us all to make our voices heard, whatever your medium and message. Trust that if you want to say something, someone will listen and if you’re lucky, talk back, thus the human conversation continues.