New Rock Om Rehearsal shots NYC

Some recent Rock Om rehearsal pics, from Gina Gibney's studio 6, and Anna Sperber's 'Brazil' studio in Bushwick!

 Brazil studioin Bushwick (Brooklyn, New York) - Clare, Hunt, Matt and Erica

 In studio 6 at Gibney Dance - Krista, Alicia (over from Ireland!), ChristinaNoel and Clare working on one of the Rock Om travelling sequences.

 In studio 'Brazil' - Hunt and Clare, Matt and Erica.

 In Studio 6 at Gibney Dance - Krista, ChristinaNoel, and Clare being creative on paper after an improvisation.

Brazil studio - Matt, Erica, Hunt, Clare and Krista our rehearsal director.







 p.s. Our apologies - our website will be down for a day or so while we do maintenance - Rachel 

Audition NYC - male dancer

We are looking for a male dancer over 21 years old for a continuing project with strong improvisational & partnering skills, along with solid modern / ballet training. A background in martial arts, yoga, or meditation is a plus. You should be open to working in a process-oriented way as the work is extremely collaborative, and based in meditation and improvisation. Dancer must be available to commit to Tuesday night and Thursday morning rehearsals beginning August 23rd - end of Sept, totaling 4 hours a week, and rehearsals in Nov, Dec & Jan (times TBD). expandance has booked performances in Boston in January and a tentative week long Ireland tour in April 2012. All performances are paid and travel expenses covered.

Audition will be Wednesday August 17th from 12-2PM. If interested, please email your resumé in PDF format, headshot, and a cover letter introducing yourself to info@expandance.com with 'Audition' as the subject line. We will respond with further information.

Sunday's surprise playlist

Hello all,
Here is the playlist Alicia and I put together for Laurie's performance on Sunday. These are all available to download on iTunes -  we've linked to You Tube here for you -

1. The Cat Empire - Miserere
2. Mika - I See You
3. The Cat Empire - Down at the 303
4. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
5. Jem - It's Amazing
6. Florence + The Machine - Cosmic Love
7. First Aid Kit - Heavy Storm
8. Ani DiFranco - Evolve
9. Laura Love - Mahbootay
10. Rufus Wainwright - Oh What a World

Laurie danced to number 7. The video is up somewhere on Facebook - we'll get it here soon!

- Rachel  

Improvised Performance this Sunday in Dublin - YOU choose the music!

THIS SUNDAY Aug 7th

Laurie Schneider will perform a completely improvised piece using the expandance technique as her starting point. Laurie is a gorgeous improviser, so this in itself will be a beautiful show. But...what? Not exciting enough for you? How's this: Not only will she not know her movements before she steps on stage, she won't know the music she will dance to either. 

Alicia and Rachel (both currently in New York City) have created a playlist of 10 songs for Laurie, each of which contains a message from us to her. Some are literal - in the lyrics of a song, for instance. Others are pieces of music that represent a shared history between the three of us.

Laurie hasn't seen the playlist (we're sending it directly to the event's organisers) - nor will she see it until after her performance. The first time she will hear the music will be when she is already standing in front of you, in her first moment of performance. And YOU dear audience, will get to choose what Laurie dances to. When you enter the performance space on Sunday, you'll be asked to choose a number between 1 and 10. Don't think about it, just blurt out the first number that comes to mind. Laurie will dance to whatever song corresponds to the number on the playlist most popular with the audience. In the event of a tie, a coin will be flipped to determine the song.

The playlist will also be available to audience members after the show, should any of you be interested in viewing it and talking to Laurie about the meaning behind our choices. And we'll put it up here on the blog.

Laurie's intention behind this work is in essence to have Alicia, Rachel, and her audience in charge of the piece. Vulnerable? Yup. Courageous? We think so. Magical? It just might be!

Check it out.

The Church Bar

Junction of Mary St & Jervis St, Dublin 1, Ireland

Sunday 7th August 2011 at 8pm

Performance takes place in The Cellar of Church Bar as part of 'Celebrating the body in dance' - A summer evening of dance filled with belly dance, flamenco, tango performances, live music and dancing, hosted by Junonia Dancemble . This event aims to celebrate a positive body image through dance and to promote a familiarity with the work of Bodywhys! There is no cover charge at the door and audience will be given the opportunity to make a donation if they so wish! http://www.bodywhys.ie/

Come make a dance film with us!

Are you a young person interested in dance & film?   Want to collaborate with other young people on an exciting dance project? 

Then come join us at Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge for a week-long contemporary dance workshop for teens from July 18th through 22nd.  The workshop will be run by expandance founding member Alicia Christofi-Walshe and will include daily technique class, choreographic session, and video viewing of contemporary dance work.  Over the course of the week the participants will develop a dance film through collaborations with a local filmmaker.  All levels and abilities welcome!

photo credit:  Mary Hutton

Date:  July 18 through 22nd 11am to 4pm daily

Venue:  Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare 
Cost:  75 euro for entire week, 
Bookings:  www.riverbank.ie or (045) 448327 
Further information: Alicia@expandance.com

News: Mhuintir Chríonna at NUI Maynooth

expandance Over 60s have been invited to take part in Kildare County Council's Dance + Movement Summer School July 13th at NUI Maynooth.  


The group will be taking part in workshops and sharing an excerpt of their most recent work Mhuintir Chríonna at a showing with Macushla Dance Club and CoisCéim's THE PERFORMANCE GROUP. 

expandance Over 60s are supported by The George Bernard Shaw Theatre and Dance Ireland.

'little Time little Space' at Mamuska night!

What a night, what a crowd, what a performance!

As a prelude to the performance and to add to the high drama of getting to the space the heavens above roared with thunder and the streets were engulfed with rivers of rain and hailstone. Not to be detered we made it to La Cathedral and got down to buisness
. 
A big thank you to Ailish and Kathleen for their open, smiling, connected performance they gave of 'little Time, little Space', to Brigit at the Back loft who organised the night and the audience for their connection and willingness to come along for the ride!

So many memories and a great sense of being home was felt in the Back loft. This was the space were expandance was born in ICNWP 2006. Almost 5 years on in different continents, 3 new children, a marriage and so much more in between... I am looking forward to what comes of the next 5!

Pics and video links to the night coming soon :)

little Time little Space rehearsal shots, Dublin!

Shots from tonight's rehearsals with Kathleen Doherty and Ailish Claffey at Studio 99 ( expandance's Dublin home!) for tomorrows performance of 'little Time, little Space'.

Connection, joy, laughter, listening and moving without judgement..... Roll on tomorrow night!

Doors open at 7pm, Admission free (donations optional) at Mamuska @ the Back loft, La cathedral, St Augustine street, Dublin 8.

Performance Friday 10th June, Dublin

Mixing it up expandance stylie we are delighted to perform ‘little Time, little Space’ at MAMUSKA DUBLIN on Friday 10th June. This will be the second time ‘little Time little Space’ will be performed since its development by Alicia with new expandance members Ailish Claffey and Kathleen Doherty.

Mamushka Night features a packed line-up of exploratory performance and film to challenge and inspire. Audience and artists get to mingle in an atmosphere of play and discovery. Admission is free (Donation optional.)  For more information and full list of who is performing check out  http://thebackloft.blogspot.com/

NOTE I have also mentioned to Alicia that our next piece should be called ‘ Loads of Time, Loads of Space, Fully Funded and Child care covered!’ …. and then hopefully it will be as a self fulfilling a prophecy as ‘little Time little Space’ has turned out to be! Hope to see you this Friday