Below, you will find 24 entries (one collected every hour) from start to finish of the inaugural 24-HOUR CHOREOFEST. Each entry comes from a ChoreoFest participant, sharing their experiences with all of you. Many thanks to our ChoreoFest Production Liaison Matt Johnson, who single-handedly gathered these entries every hour of the festival.
Please also enjoy this 30-second promotional film, created by Michael Russell (Great Idea Media LLC) at on site at midnight of the festival:
24 BLOG ENTRIES:
7:00pm People are pouring in. A little bit of anxiety, but excitement too in the room. -Michael, Videographer & Editor, Great Idea Media LLC
8:00pm what an eclectic, curious array of themes we have pulled out of the hat...some people are looking a little baffled- Jessica, Luminarium
9:00pm Meeting is complete, snacks have arrived, companies have dispersed to their respective and the smell of creativity is in the air! ...or is that the coffee brewing... The all important caffeine machine is percolating away; wonder if we'll want an IV drip of the stuff by the end of the night. Regardless, this is going to be fun! ~Matt, Production Liason
10:00 Did you know that the giant squid has the largest eyeball in the animal kingdom? Well if you did, your wrong! It is the colossal squid :) Let's have a squid debate ~ Nikki, Monkeyhouse
11:00 We look so lovely...lack of sleep, sweat....yep. We just took a minute break to document this on photobooth. Sorry folks, these photos are "secret". ~ Renee, Renee and Sarah Mae Dance
*EDIT* Fans and windows have been adjusted to provide a more beneficial choreographing environment.
12:00 Just finished the first meeting of dancer's after session one. Coffee is definitely starting to become key to the process even though we are all still going strong. The second session is where we really see how the nights going to go... 4 a.m. is going to be hilarious. - Dave, People Movers
1:00am This has been such a process... Meeting with the choreographers in the last hour was very telling: All were greatly enthusiastic, and excited to keep the momentum going as we head into this second 4-hour segment. However, the more we chatted, differences started to emerge... Some pushed fast and hard the first 4 hours to create a larger section of choreography, while others are slowly pacing themselves throughout the night. Some have found inspiration in the movement of their dancers, while others are deeply focused on their choreographic themes. As a group that is working on the idea of "addiction," it is so easy to fall into one track at this late hour: coffee addiction! Humor has its place in our work, but we are excited to expand this theme to encompass more possibilities through relationships with other movers in the space, and the objects around us. Looking forward to touching base with everyone again at 4am! - Merli, Luminarium
2:00am I'm definitely starting to lose my energy. So much that it's even hard for me to cohesively put all of my thoughts together to form a sentence. My brain really wants me to just shut down, but my body wants to keep pushing through. I'm super sweaty, super sleepy, but still really inspired to keep dancing. - Melenie, Luminarium
3:00am I feel RAW. Ripe. Beautiful. This collaborative synergistic process has been incredibly powerful and therapeutic! Yes, you've heard me right. The theme we picked was "Imperfection is a Whale" and within this theme we have explored and exposed our insecurities. How exhausting!! I find that being sleep deprived makes us even more vulnerable which, personally, brings me more into my body and creativity just flows. Just breathe. I loved these ladies before this fabulous project... this just solidified our soul sister kindred spiritnessssssss. I need a shower. Time to unstickafy! ~*~ Marinda (1,000 Virtues) ~*~
4:00am Well it's 4 am and we are starting the "choreolympics." The process has been fun and interesting. My energy has definitely been up and down, but now I'm feeling the crash coming on. My brain and my body are no longer working together. Our group has worked really well together so far and we are getting a lot out of our concept. This is such a great experience! I'm looking forward to the rest of the process. -Jessica, The People Movers
5:00am We are still up and actually really excellent at Twister! Playing with music and transitions and thinking of what our theme "secrets" might mean in terms of sound. Learning about how to work with our sleepy creativity. Falling into our weight and snuggling between creative bursts. :-) ~ Sarah Mae, Sarah Mae and Renee Dance
6:00am We've just woken up and we're fresh and inspired by the sunrise that is warming the studio. From the top floor of the Dance Complex, the view of turquoise and copper is really magnificent. Now it's time to divide our time and prepare for the tech rehearsal. :) ~ Anne Goldberg, *(Synthesis Aesthetics Project)
7:00am Wow wow wow! It's 7, and I've been awake since 10 am on Friday, and yet I am totally and completely still awake. Feeling great... is it the coffee? Is it excitement? Am I just that strange of a human being? (yes to all of the aforementioned.) I am waking the lovely dancers/co-director up in 15 minutes, and we will put an ending on our piece, and run it a couple times before teching at 8:30. Then I get to see everyone's work, as I light their pieces. I was a tiny bit worried about being a choreographer/participant and also organizer and tech director/lighting designer, but it's been smooth sailing. Now, don't expect any Broadway lighting design, but I think the beauty of this show comes in its simplicity. 11 hours ago I knew very few of the people in this building, and I had no idea about the 11 minute choreo-baby we would conceive in the space. Now... there's a piece, six, to be exact, and they don't need anything fancy because they stand on the sheer feat that they were so so freshly created, and that's pretty beautiful already. Here we go... the final stretch! Off to finish our Luminarium piece, tech 7 groups (don't forget our opening act Jo-Me dance arriving around noon!), get through a dress rehearsal and two performances... and then? Who knows! I REALLY hope anyone reading this will come check out our show, and the crazy feat that's happened in the last half of a day! -Kim, Luminarium!
8:00am After a brief nap I went downstairs to start taking pics of the tech rehearsal (I'm the photographer). It's amazing how twelve hours ago they were choosing topics and now each group has a fully choreographed dance. I've just seen the lighting for Luminarium's dance and it is awesome! Here's to creativity and all nighters! -Michelle Boule, photographer
9:00am It is 9am and we have finished our dance! We got ourselves some much needed coffee and are taking a little break before our tech rehearsal at 9:30. We got our costumes sorted out this morning and now its time to tackle the music. I can't believe how much we got done in just 7hrs of rehearsal. This has been a very interesting experience thus far. I can't say I have ever danced on such little sleep. Looking forward to checking out what everyone has come up with later today! - Sarah Feinberg, Monkeyhouse
10:00am Definitely a lot of tired dancers and choreographers here at The Dance Complex. Troupes are running through their tech, checking lighting and sound, then disappearing to the coffee shop or a comfy spot to nap. But things are certainly coming together. It looks like during that time from midnight to 8AM was really successful for everyone. And it looks like everyone has done a great job! Can't wait to see them all back to back during the shows! - Michael, Videographer & Editor, Great Idea Media LLC
11:00am We are now finishing up our tech. rehearsals, and we will soon be running the dress rehearsal before the two shows. Though the early morning hours were pretty rough, I'm feeling slightly refreshed after having showered and having a good breakfast. I think we are all plugging along on a fairly small amount of sleep, but I'm really looking forward to seeing all the pieces in the dress run. We did come together throughout the night to check in, but we haven't really had much chance to check out what the other groups have created. I think it's going to be quite a diverse show! -Louise Layman, Luminarium
12:00pm I am now watching the last group run their dance for dress rehearsal. This is... almost it! I have watched dances that make me laugh out loud, and watched dances that make me want to cry because they are more honest that I thought we had the energy for at this hour, and they make me look at myself in ways I want to but don't want to..and they have all surprised me... no sleep for the weary, or the stretchy. I'm going to go melt into my leotard right now, and feel thankful that I am surrounded by beautiful dancers dancing beautiful and terrible things. ~Sasha Krumholz Lynn, 1000 Virtues
1:00pm There have been hours that have lasted longer than others throughout this process. 5 am was one, as I sat on the floor next to one of our very delirious choreographers and tried to make sense of an intricate pattern of paper plates on the floor...7:30-8:30 was another, as we were awoken from our all too short comas in order to learn one final movement phrase and finalize our transitions. But I believe that this final hour until our performances start may be the longest yet. Muscles are tightening up, fog is settling over my brain, and I keep drifting off in the mid....dle of a sent.... ~Jessica Jacob, Luminarium Dance
2:00pm I just got off stage for the first show. I can't even believe that I am awake, never mind dancing. Every time I see a dance performance, I without a doubt am awe-inspired the inexplicable dedication that goes into a sweet little show. For what? Not for money. For the impulse to move. For the desire to express ourselves. For the irrepressible vitality within. For real. ~ Chien-Hwe, 1,000 Virtues Dance
3:00pm It is so nice, in a mixed concert, to be able to speak to the audience right before you perform - not only in giving something of a "narrative" context but also in being able to create an emotional relationship. At least that was true for us today, following Sarah Mae and Renee, whose piece was so powerful and sweet, with our piece being so much more about straight whimsy and ridiculosity. Being able to give the audience space to take in what they just saw, take a breath, and prepare for taking on a new emotional experience really makes you feel good about what you're doing in the world. ~ Jason Ries, Monkeyhouse.
4:00pm When I woke up this morning as the sun rose over Boston, I thought I was dreaming. Working through an idea at 6 AM didn't feel like a choice - it was what we were doing. I trust these people to create great work, and it has been truly educational to witness the end product of such a quick process. Everyone is so committed, so intense in their commitment to showing; it feels like the work comes from a spontaneous, unharried place that we all should go to more often. Brava Luminarium. I look forward to the next wonderful opportunity ~ Martha Cargo, Synthesis Aesthetics Project
5:00pm I am so impressed with and grateful for my EXTRAordinary dancers who pushed through a whole lot of really tough conditions to make something really unique and inspired. I am so happy to have been a part of this event. I am constantly inspired by not only them but the whole dance community-- groups of people who will push through and create even in the most extreme of circumstances. I am so drained but at the same time so filled with joy. Thanks to all who made this experience so fulfilling! ~Kate, The People Movers
6:00pm Post show. We made it! This experience has reawakened the joy of dance for me. I love working with Kate and having some new faces join The People Movers brought a whole new energy and chemistry. The two most amazing things I observed was A. how much can actually be accomplished if you lock yourself in a studio with an impending goal, and B. being tired and pushed to extremes creates a great sense of camaraderie between total strangers. I whole heartily enjoyed this experience and can't wait to see what comes from all my new found inspiration. ~ Ayla, The People Movers
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