tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-575800415548801005.post3367070501691912679..comments2023-10-28T07:35:48.249-07:00Comments on Keith Hennessy blogs as Zero Performance: Dance.Eats.Money. - Ishmael Houston-Jones on The A.W.A.R.D. ShowKeith Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00851890263781094400noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-575800415548801005.post-40461175504711230642011-02-02T01:43:23.132-08:002011-02-02T01:43:23.132-08:00Sara - thanks so much for this vibrant historical ...Sara - thanks so much for this vibrant historical archive re-staging yes yes.Keith Hennessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00851890263781094400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-575800415548801005.post-27985259816386556032011-01-26T23:57:06.643-08:002011-01-26T23:57:06.643-08:00Hey Keith, thanks for posting Ishmael's trench...Hey Keith, thanks for posting Ishmael's trenchant piece, which articulated what many of us here in L.A. have been feeling. In response to his call for examples of more productive formats of community building, I want to mention the "first annual" Golden Unitard Pop-off!, a two-night competition at Highways in October 2007 that culminated in one lucky choreographer/performance artist winning--and having to don--the coveted eponymous garment. The event was the creative offspring of the GU3: Marcus Kuiland-Nazario, curator-producer of the storied Pop Tarts series; independent arts agitator and choreographer Meg Wolfe of Showbox LA (and a participant in the recent L.A. installment of the AWARD Show); and myself. The first night we had the preliminaries: three artists competing against one another in categories such as "The Portable Solo" (delimited to a 3-foot by 3-foot square of light), "(Wo)(M)Angst" and "Is that a prop in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" Finalists from each category advanced to the finals the next night, which were not nearly as baldly or loudly partisan by cheering fans, but featured pre-show trash-talking interviews and, at the end, the hoisting of the winner, Eko Supriyanto, onto the shoulders of the other participants. The stakes were bragging rights; the gleaming gold long-sleeve, turtleneck unitard (and yes, it had a zipper) and the Barbie cum Barberella superhero "trophy" by local artist Sophia Allison. ... Though the GU3 have been approached by venues and choreographers alike to make the event truly annual, other projects have taken precedent. Nevertheless, Golden Unitard has become a folk legend in the annals of local competitive performance ventures--even if it has been the only one until the AWARD show came to town. After sharing a fair amount of dismayed head scratching and shaking, discussions are now underway for the next incarnation of Golden Unitard. Though I was happily surprised at the sophisticated insight of some audiences, I agree, the model is flawed. Humor, especially at the hubris of false hierarchies, may not be an antidote to the lack of funding that plague dance but it's balm for the soul of a community sharing the challenges together. Yours in spirit, saraswolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03998493373562820403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-575800415548801005.post-78073486417562072542011-01-26T18:23:02.959-08:002011-01-26T18:23:02.959-08:00Ya ha...:)Ya ha...:)Michael Sakamotohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14037272441278818059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-575800415548801005.post-47471207081786259952011-01-26T17:33:28.565-08:002011-01-26T17:33:28.565-08:00Amen, amen, and hallelujah.Amen, amen, and hallelujah.Allison Wyperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05102215935730737616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-575800415548801005.post-60833849687466475292011-01-19T22:01:54.115-08:002011-01-19T22:01:54.115-08:00Hey Keith: Thanks for posting this. I do think the...Hey Keith: Thanks for posting this. I do think the impetus for the A.W.A.R.D. Shows was benevolent (get $$$ to dancers) the concept in practice has many problems. Thanks for the shout-out to http://lovedancemore.org/Ishmaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996407471121657133noreply@blogger.com