happy new year with jiffypop....:)

O-H-...

...-I-O!
So, mdw and mtw shared Thanksgiving in Columbus. mtw is very successfully blazing a solid path for us here. The apartment is humble, but clean and charming and we are excited about this next stage (although the transition itself is causing a bit of stress). We are trying to employ a little grace, but will settle for survival. What doesn't kill us, right?

We boycotted turkey this year with hopes of finding sushi for Thanksgiving, but to no avail. We snacked at home instead and enjoyed being with the dogs. On Thursday morning (wake up little pilgrims, the sun is in the east...), mtw gave a great tour of his office and territory on campus (mdw is so proud). Here's a pic of the pups and mtw on campus:
mdw's greatest concern so far is the flatness of the landscape - ghd3 offered the following description of Ohio's topography: "you can watch your dog run away for three days..." Otherwise, it seems like it will be a good community for the next stage of our lives.

Supreme Court

So, we enjoyed a fabulous time in Washington, D.C. with mdw's family celebrating my mother's accomplishment as the recipient of the 2007 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence. My brother, ghd3 has a great overview of the weekend on his blog. We were all so proud of her! mdw enjoyed a family reunion with grandpa, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and siblings. It was good to be together! ghd3 and khd extended the reunion by joining us in Philly for a night together on Saturday following the DC festivities, sushi included.

mtw and I met in Philly on the previous Wednesday, and took the train down to DC early Thursday morning. We stayed with mdw's good friend Diane and her husband and two sons who have a fabulous place in the Capitol District. We enjoyed gorgeous, albeit crisp and cold weather, although mtw and I were shortsighted enough not to bring jackets since it was a balmy 70 degrees when we left Philadelphia.

Our friends were wonderful hosts, facilitating a simultaneous "girls night out" and "boys night in" and fresh cookies by the Jedi Cookie Master.

The weekend was full of family, history, sunshine, friendship, and opportunity. It was such a pleasure to celebrate my mom. She is so deserving for the work and service she has offered over her accomplished and inspiring career. I am honored to be her daughter, and am proud of her! A highlight was hearing Ruth Bader Ginsberg speak about my mother as a pioneer in her field and an advocate for women. mtw and I also enjoyed our photo op in front of the Supreme Courtroom (we also had one with Justice John Roberts, but haven't received the proofs yet).

mtw and I remain thrilled after receiving a very important phone call while touring the Capitol Building. mdw had been so strong to hold her tongue while in conference with a certain senator, and she was duly rewarded upon checking her voice mail just after leaving his office! Good things do come to those who wait! Let's just say we have much to be thankful for at this Thanksgiving time! Our Capitol tour also included a ride on the monorail in the tunnel system that connects the Capitol building with the Senate buildings. mtw especially enjoyed this Willy Wonka moment, sponsored by your tax dollars. The other pic is mdw just outside the Capitol building after receiving GREAT news (she is on the phone with mtw's family in the picture).

mdw and mtw also had the opportunity to connect with some mentors in the rotunda of the Capitol building (mtw with honest abe, and mdw with her suffragettes):

Performance, then Salt Lake City

After returning from Singapore, mdw's company performed the following weekend to sold-out audiences at Conwell Theatre as part of the LIFT Concert, a venue created to support past and current artistic endeavors of adjunct faculty at Temple University. My dancers were beautiful, as ever, and I was proud of the performance and grateful for the opportunity to perform. We performed "Fragment of (Me)mory" which has received a lot of "play" and positive feedback over the past year. Here's a few images (taken by my friend Gabe, a recent transplant to Seattle) from the piece for those of you haven't seen it. It is a highly physical piece that juxtaposes precise physicality with alternative light sources to both illuminate and obscure the dancers, drawing a metaphor for the malleable and often playful nature of memory:

The day of the final performance, mdw got nailed by a horrible flu that wiped her out for days! She was barely able to get herself out of bed to fly to Utah to present at a dance educator's conference, sponsored by her good friend Amanda. Despite the illness, we had a great time, and the conference was a huge success. We are piloting a community based movement workshop that aims at increasing communication between parents and teenagers. Both of our workshops were well attended, and very successful for us. mdw loved being with my dear friend (we even coordinated a Paradigm Dance Project reunion) with Alysia, laughing until the wee hours of the morning. I was able to see the Tolks, if briefly, and am glad to hear that their basement leaking is getting under control. The remodeling looks amazing! Mom and Dad treated me to sushi, and some delightful reminiscing about their early courtship. Also, the mountains and autumn landscape in Salt Lake were stunning - almost seductive enough to make me think I might be able to return there for longer than a four day stint...

Singapore

Whoosh...late October into November has been a whirlwind of activity, full of new sights, sounds, and stresses! Here is a re-cap of the highlights:

SINGAPORE
mdw had the amazing opportunity to visit Singapore as part of a professional development initiative, sponsored by Dance Advance from October 16-22nd. For those who want the full report, read below. It was an important trip for me. Otherwise, enjoy the pictures below and brief highlights below.

Honors to Buddha, getting ready for the Deepavali Festival in Little India in Singapore.

Local children on a field trip looking at a huge banana leaf in the market. Don't the kids look like little easter eggs in their beanies?

Some of the gorgeous flora/fauna at the Singapore Botanical Garden.

A mosque at call to prayer in Little Arab. I sat outside, listening to the chants and cried for the fullness I felt at that moment.

The participating American artists warming-up before an exchange with local artists at TTRP, a theater training program in Singapore.

mdw's "final report" on the professional development trip to Singapore:

I participated in the 2007 DANS Festival/Singapore trip from October 16-22, 2007, supported by Dance Advance. The very nature of the trip allowed me to both envision and re-vision my own approach to dance and dance-making within a larger context of dance makers, dance styles, and dance communities. As an independent artist, I have rarely had the occasion for an experience that provides the space, time, stimulation, and encouragement to saturate oneself in questions of creative process and creative self. I felt I could simply “be” an artist having had the obstacles of finances, planning, travel, interactions, appointments, meals, lodging, etc. removed through Dance Advance’s support. For the first time in a very long while, I felt unburdened as an artist, reorienting to dance as a significant and valued part of society. This experience has carried into my current creative decisions, prompting me to make more space for my art-making. Shortly after returning from the trip, I applied for and was granted a leave-of-absence next spring from my teaching duties in order to focus more fully on my artistic/choreographic development.

From the outset of the trip, the four other participants provided a forum in which we could consider artistic, aesthetic, and administrative concerns relevant to those who make and support art. Prior to takeoff, we had been provided with background reading on the Singapore artists and art venues we would be visiting, as well as critical readings for the international artists we would be viewing. Through these written words, I felt accountable to my responsibility as an artist as well as inquisitive about my role within a local, regional, national, and international constellation of art-making. I was invigorated to observe how (as Peter Sellars’ article probes) art focuses, draws focus, and re-focuses in a global society.

The initial orientation to Singapore itself provided a cultural backdrop in which to place the meaning of my experiences there. I saw an incredibly clean and vital city, one whose society and government mandate the preservation and tolerance of three main cultures: Indian, Malay, and Chinese. Still, there is almost a minimization of these cultural identities by an overwhelming emulation of Western capitalism. This is a unique environment in which to consider cultural difference as well as artistic development (for instance, the business of dance that I perceived at the core of Odyssey, one of the local dance companies we encountered). In my perception, the social programs of Singapore provide well for its citizen, yet place much of its ideology in the government-as-parent model. So much of what I learned about their implementation of health care, social services, education, employment, etc. seemed wonderfully compassionate and utopian. However, in looking at the nascent, almost non-existent independent dance scene, I sensed a loss of questioning, challenging, and disrupting the dominant power structure that often leads to honest, raw, and insightful inquiries of truth. I felt this “absence” in the discussion with Audrey Wong of the Substation – whose vision seems limited by the society in which it exists. It made me view the CEC, Parlor, Painted Bride, Drake, ArtsBank, Mascher, Philadanco studio, Performance Garage, and others with new eyes – grateful that so many places exist and invite formats for independent investigation – allowing artists to pursue their process whether banal or brilliant, benign or bare-naked. I felt grateful for options, and for my right to speak for or against any given set of ideals or norms.

The tour and discussion at the Esplanade with programming director Faith Tan was multilayered. The most obvious comment about that meeting is to acknowledge the splendid facility for performance they have created. The multi-use space fueled my longing for a dance-dedicated space in Philadelphia. A destination building where we might come to rehearse, perform, discuss, eat, share ideas, hang out, read, write grants, and interact with each other, perhaps crossing paths with someone we might not ever seek out on our own. I was also particularly struck by Faith Tan’s answer to my question about the absence of American dance companies in the DANS Festival – that dance from America is perceived as “tired” or “classic” and not as pushing boundaries and asking new questions of audiences and artists. She also mentioned only Graham, Paul Taylor, Limon, and Ailey when asked for examples. These companies do not necessarily reflect “contemporary” dance in my opinion and I am curious about what constitutes “contemporary” and why this distinction is important at this particular “contemporary” moment in art-making.

The artists’ exchange with TTRP was truly significant and relevant for me, as it provided the artistic dialogue, exposure, sharing, and shaping that I long for as an independent artist. To be in a space with peers who don’t want to make my work for me, fund my work, review my work, or ignore my work was incredible. I learned so much from this brief exchange, inviting new possibilities about how tradition/classicism can inform contemporary work, and how collaboration can change the course of creative process. It also sharpened my own artistic questions right now: How is the body used symbolically (social constructs, biological metaphor), and what contributes to the physical life of an idea? A professional outcome for me from this experience was to remove myself from current granting cycles and performing opportunities for a period to create space to really dive deep into my process. I want to make a philosophical shift from “making” work to “being” a working artist. This is a brand new approach for me – one in which I hope to cultivate discovery rather than desperation (due to timelines, granting streams, teaching duties, production schedules) in finding a work.

As a teaching artist, I was intrigued by the interactions with NAFA and the Dance Ensemble Singapore. I sense a readiness for growth as these institutions continue to train dancers and present them to the community. I wonder about the cultivation of an independent dance scene as these dancers graduate and create a community of dancers. I compared it with the flurry of independent dance activity that happens in Philadelphia - perhaps it requires an extensive “supply” before “supply and demand” becomes relevant. I am curious to follow the growth of this scene in Singapore over the next decade. My other observation of dance education was the incredible compassion and care of integrating and exposing students with traditional forms. I hope this does not become minimized in the training (as it is in the States, and even in the presenting format at the Esplanade). I applauded the TTRP model as one that finds equal voice for these forms, embodying history, culture, identity, and tolerance more so than a government mandate for multiculturalism.

The artistic nourishment I received from the performances we attended at the DANS Festival will carry me through many months ahead. The pure physicality and appetite for movement of Batsheva inspired me as a dancer and a choreographer. I want to be able to access that depth in my own dancing and to learn how to cultivate that in my dancers. Lucy Guerin’s “Aether” modeled an understanding and utilization of the craft of choreography without being pedantic. She made my question my own use of form that has led me down a query about movement image and meaning. I still think about the dancer I made prolonged eye contact with in Jerome Bel’s “The show must go on.” I care deeply about him and the journey we shared that night. I want to care about my audience as a dancer, and I want my audiences to care about me and the work I offer to them. I also want to create a brilliant piece one day that simultaneously builds and deconstructs choreography and theatrical artifice. “About Khon” with Pichet Klunchen and Jerome Bel has left me to question my own minimizing of traditional forms in my training and aesthetic. For the fist time in my dance training, I hold a professional/artistic goal to find an artist working deeply in a traditional form and to share dialogue and studio space for a period of time, rather than just a taste through the master classes and performances I have experienced to this point. Finally, the “Waves of Love” by the Whirling Dervishes reminded me that questioning and questing (whether spiritual, creative, emotional, etc.) is at the core of dance and that the starting place for the dancer is in the body, in physicality and corporeality. I am reminded of T.S. Eliot’s words from “Little Gidding.” The poem reads:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

The DANS Festival/Singapore trip allowed me to arrive (literally) where I started, but to see it in an entirely new way, as if for the first time. Two ideas that I hope to implement from this trip in my “new” Philly surroundings follow below:

1. Philadelphia dance artist exchange – idea of a “dance pal” who is very different from me in experience and aesthetic, and with whom I regularly exchange artistic dialogue (perhaps once a month). I hope we can create an artistic accountability and a sounding board from a fresh perspective in these discussions.
2. Explore “multiculturalism” and diverse cultural training – perhaps creating a class that requires a “modern” and a “traditional” dancer to collaborate in preparing and co-teaching a class to dancers.
3. Reject (for a 6 month period) constraints of (“day-job”) teaching duties, grant deadlines, performance venues and scheduling conflicts to re-center myself as an artist and choreographer and to cultivate my individual physicality.

The Halfway Point

mtw and I decided to meet up this weekend at the halfway point between Columbus and Philadelphia, which is Somerset, PA which just happens to be located near Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water and the charming town of Ohiopyle, PA.
We, along with the dogs, enjoyed crisp autumnal weather and thoroughly loved each others company during this much needed reunion! Some highlights from the weekend:

the entrance to Falling Water

mtw by the pool and guest house at Falling Water

md and mt handheld portrait

the wall clan taking a breather during a gorgeous hike

We both return to very busy weeks, including teaching, playing class, composing a new work, flying to Singapore, performing a work-in-progress, and as always, hoping for a call from Central America. Updates to follow...

Live Sculpture

Okay - not really, but my company did perform live in a sculpture garden on Sunday, October 7th. Here are a few candid shots about an hour before the performance. The day was beautiful, the audience receptive, and the settings gorgeous. Here are some of my company members playing among the sculpture that we used as the backdrop for a new work.

On your mark, get set...

GO! So this is the general pace of life chez Wall (both the Philadelphia and the Ohio editions). Academic life is keeping both mdw and mtw busy, challenged, and satisfied. mdw's birthday was last week - and warranted a weekend together in Philly - well mostly in Philly, mdw had to work all day Saturday for an Arts and Humanities Symposium at Princeton, and mtw was gracious enough to join her, and even accompany the class and activities.

We have no pictures to post from the weekend because we were too busy living it, but here are the highlights:

Italian dinner with my neighbors on the actual birthday - fun stuff, that.

Lots of "Happy Birthday" renditions from friends and family, especially the Tolks who called three times!

Sushi dinner on Friday - very yummy.

Many birthday gifts, including...drumroll please, Wii (the gift should reflect the giver, right?)!

Hiking with the dogs in Washington Crossing State Park in NJ, and along the Schulkyll River in Philly - both beautiful autumn outings.

Seeing Jodie Foster's new flick, "The Brave One."

Brushing up on logistics to call upon congressional representatives for advocacy.

All in all, a fantastic birthday weekend. The only thing missing was banana cake with orange frosting!

Owner Error

This was the scene last Tuesday after mdw returned home from a very long day at P'ton, and the dogs had spent a very long day at home awaiting her return.


These were the responses from the suspects:










Who is at fault?

Odin (whose going with the cute-as-a-bug-charm-my-way-out look), or Samantha (who has taken the poker-face-what-are-you-talking-about stance), or mdw (who left the "Good Dog Goodies" jar full of goodies and within reach)?

The jury is still out...

Four Walls (aka the Wall brothers)

So, in the weeks leading up to mtw's departure for Ohio, we had three consecutive weekend visits from mtw's brothers, some with their sweeties. They're a handsome crew, those Wall boys, and they will keep you on your toes (especially if Josh and mtw are engaged in their own version of WWF and book grenades). Their visits always guarantee a good time, little sleep, and the likelihood that mtw will revert to an m.o. of brotherly sarcasm and silliness.

Buckeye vs. Tiger

Okay, so as most of you know, mtw has started a new professional adventure in Columbus, OH at the Ohio State University. mdw continues her toils at Princeton, University - yes that's right, 500.84 miles away (echoes of Peter, Paul, and Mary's "500 Miles" song should ring in your ears right now..."Lord I'm 500 miles from my home.")

mtw has found a home away from home for us, a nice two bedroom apartment on Tremont Street, and mdw is caring for the dogs and row home in Philly. Except for a badly pulled quadratus lumborum by mdw in rehearsal last Friday, all is going well. mtw is thriving in his new environment, stepping up to the challenges of a regimented job and is looking forward to the first week of classes. mdw finished freshmen orientation at P'ton last week (the students really do get younger every year) and begins classes this week (still not sure how she will actually teach dance without the use of her lower back, but will solve that problem later - any advice ghd3?)

Now, for the debate at hand: BUCKEYE vs. TIGER

OSU Mascot: Buckeye - genus, Aesculus, of deciduous trees or shrubs belonging to the plant order Sapindales, buckeyes grow in North America, southeast Europe, and eastern Asia to India. The Ohio buckeye (A. glabra) is found mainly in the Ohio valley and in the southern Appalachians.

Princeton Mascot: Tiger -
A large carnivorous feline mammal (Panthera tigris) of Asia, having a tawny coat with transverse black stripes. Also, a person regarded as aggressive, audacious, or fierce.

OSU National Ranking: 57
Princeton National Ranking: 1

Spelling of mdw's name on OSU office mailbox (even though she doesn't officially work there): CORRECT
Spelling of mdw's name on Princeton office mailbox (even though this is her fifth year working there): INCORRECT

It's all in the details...

Remembering Loulou

Today marks one year since we said goodbye to Loulou. We still miss her very much (especially mdw and Odin). I was remembering last night her particular affinity for providing a special Loulou moisturizer to the lower legs as I would get ready in the morning. She would endlessly lick the lotion off of my legs the moment I stepped out of the shower. She even applied this technique to my face while I was still sleeping in bed. I miss her sloppy kisses. Those unique kisses were immortalized in the following poem excerpt written by a friend for me and Loulou:

A Girl and Her Dog

The lips I once considered kissing
A canine gives a lusty licking,
Which of me it must require
A second thought on my desire.

This girl and dog like two sisters
Sharing secrets, sharing whimpers,
Allowed to share their own affection
Has forced me into new directions.
For in kissing her I'd come to close
To whiskers, ears, and furry coat.

Thank heavens for whiskers, ears, and furry coats... xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo to loulou!

Cumpleanos Feliz!

Happy Birthday to jdt! You are a wonderful sister, friend, wife, mother, daughter, aunt, niece, cousin, woman!!!!! We are glad you were born, and we thank you for the beauty you put into this world. For example:

A Poem

Eddy

Your reverse current creates a receptive space,
Devoid of downstream-flowing water, but bursting with possibility.
You taunt our notions of flow along a path of beauty that begins where it ends where it begins…

Water rushes in, offering a safe haven where we rest, drenched with delight.


mdw, 8/31/07

Espana, REMIX

What a difference a year makes. mtw and I returned from Spain (our belated honeymoon) just over one year ago. Since the blog wasn't up and running at that time, I thought I would post a few highlights from our amazing trip! Our travels began in Madrid...

followed by a magical time in Barcelona (a hands-down favorite). Here is a shot from Park Guell, Gaudi's famous and spectacular creation, and one from the Miro museum...Then we headed south to Costa del Sol where we stayed at a beautiful timeshare (thanks Grandpa Meaders and dad for facilitating that!), and soaked up the sun on the southern coast.

We took a day trip to Tangiers, Morocco and embraced the sights, sounds, smells, and scenery of North Africa (check out mtw rockin' the kasbah wall).

It was so great to be exposed to so many people, ideas, and experiences that differ from our day-to-day routines. Some were liberating (late meals and siesta); some inspiring (Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia); some reassuring (Madrid's seamless metro system); some over-stimulating (Barcelona's Rumbla); some delicious (el Buey - an off the beaten path restaurant in Madrid that any visitor MUST visit); some challenging (the bullfight in Madrid and the ferry ride back from Tangiers), but all were well worth it! I am grateful for that time together with mtw and look forward to the many travels we will take in the future (especially those in the near future)! Hasta luego!

Back to School

So, I have a new alma mater to add to my growing list. I just finished a seven week intensive Spanish 102 course at the Community College of Philadelphia with flying colors. In fact, my "outstanding record" from both 101 (which I took at CCP in the summer of 2004) and 102 warranted me a letter from the Dean of Students, inviting me to enter their honors program. I'm thinking about it...

It was a great class, taught by a fantastic teacher - mi profesor Marco! The other students resented me a little because I really wanted to be there (as opposed to needing the credit). Now I will just have to figure out how to keep up my language skills and maintain my learning trajectory while teaching full time, choreographing three new works, caring for the pups, and having a long distance marriage. No sweat:)

El Mercado

We've had a busy and wonderfully intense couple of weeks. Our time in Central America was completely magical - we'll share more details in the future. I had a chance to practice my Spanish, and I got myself into trouble a few times because of overconfidence and faking a pretty good accent. All in all, I was proud of my language skills. The puppies were happy to see us upon our return, and we were truly happy to see them! mtw is making plans for the move to Ohio - looking for a place to rent, and figuring out how we will successfully manage two households. We have adopted the Durham family motto - "if there's a harder way to do it, we'll find it!" Preliminary preparations begin this week for Princeton (ah - the calm before the storm)! I love academia, but the pace of Fall semester is always a little daunting.

Back in Philly, we joined our neighbors, Rio and Toby, for a lovely brunch at Cafe Libro (a delicious Cuban restaurant near Old City). They actually took us out to thank us for feeding their fish while they were in China for five weeks - they had some great stories to share. Their trip actually overlapped with mdw's mom's visit to Beijing. After eating, we visited the Reading Terminal Market and enjoyed shopping for fresh vegetables amidst the crowds. I recommend a visit to the market next time you're in town.

Some are Gold

Make new friends, but keep the old...We had the pleasure of reunions with friends this weekend. On Friday, we drove down to Baltimore to spend the day with Diane, Bridg, the Scotts, and their collective brood of boys. It was so great to have a moment together. We went to the pool, missed a torrential downpour by seconds, enjoyed a pizza party, and basked in the comfort of good friends. Bridgett, Scott and Sammy are living in Romania, but will soon relocate to England. I'm hoping for a transatlantic reunion in the near future. Diane, Scott, Malcolm, and Phillip are living and thriving in DC. It was so good to be together. I only wish we had more time, but I'll take what I can get. Insert a picture of Malcolm below-he's two and wouldn't sit still for a face shot, but there are two action shots of him above.









Then, on Saturday, mtw had a mini-reunion with some old friends/band-mates as he played a jazz quartet gig at this gorgeous winery in Pennington, NJ. The surroundings were spectacular, the music festive, and the summer evening delightful.