Meet a Dancer: Alison McHorney

In preparation for Luminarium's 2016 feature production PORTAL: Stories from the Edge, Luminarium's Publicity Intern, Lillian Gaylord, has interviewed each of the performers to better introduce them to you—our followers. Enjoy getting to know Alison McHorney, then come see her perform at the show: November 11 & 12 at the Boston University Dance Theater. Grab your tickets here!

Alison McHorney

Company Member since 2015

LG: Merli’s new work, “The Grass Never Grows,” is about the danger and allure of slowing down. She mentions that many in the company had not heard the titular phrase before. What was your reaction when you heard it? Did you find it insulting or complimentary? How does it, in your mind, frame or tie in to the piece?

AM: I had missed the first rehearsal and, contrary to most dancers in the piece, I started learning movement before I heard that phrase. I had heard it before, and in an odd way I had always found it comforting. I know people say "don't let the grass grow under your feet" as a warning to not grow complacent or lazy. But I think that everyone's place in the world isn't necessarily to do something great, that success and artistry should be something to struggle for, and cherished all the more because of that. The world will go on without you, the grass will continue to grow. I like knowing that, scary though it may be. Motion for the sake of motion without progress doesn't mean much, and taking the time to let the grass grow under one's feet, to take time to reflect, could be more beneficial than moving forward only hoping one is making progress.

Alison rehearsing for Guerra's "The Grass Never Grows," 2016.

LG: As an artist, do you struggle with the idea of slowing down? How has that influenced your work in this piece?

AM: Working as a dancer, I did take a little time off after college but it turns out I'm not allowed to slow down. My body is so used to rehearsals and classes that when i was not dancing on a regular basis I injured myself more seriously and frequently. My body literally won't let me stop dancing. I know I'll have to slow down one day, but right now I can't see that happening. As far as slowing down artistically, creativity expands with experience and exposure to different ways and phases of life. Like many artists whose craft requires physical exertion, I hope that when my body doesn't allow me to dance like I can today, the art continues to remain as large a part of my life as possible.

Alison flying through the air in this summer's debut of The Hostess Diaries, another piece
she'll be performing in at PORTAL.

LG: You’re also in the TEDxCambridge Piece, which was first shown at the Boston Opera House, what are some of the differences you, as a performer, feel between performing a piece that has already been received (and received well) versus performing a piece for the first time?

AM: I love the TEDx Piece. It's a perfect blend of Merli and Kim's choreograhic styles; it's athletic, and it's tremendous fun to perform. Since it was a commissioned work, it was made very specifically for that event and that stage. It will be different performing it in a theater with a deeper, narrower stage. I'm excited to be able to showcase it again, but to me it'll always be the Opera House Piece.

PORTAL: STORIES FROM THE EDGE

NOVEMBER 11 & 12 . 8PM

Boston University Dance Theater

Boston MA

BUY TICKETS

Meet a Dancer: Amy Mastrangelo

In preparation for Luminarium's 2016 feature production PORTAL: Stories from the Edge, Luminarium's Publicity Intern, Lillian Gaylord, has interviewed each of the performers to better introduce them to you—our followers. Enjoy getting to know Amy Mastrangelo, then come see her perform at the show: November 11 & 12 at the Boston University Dance Theater. Grab your tickets here!

Amy Mastrangelo

Company Member since 2011

LG: You're one of the most senior members of the company. What's your relationship with the other dancers?

AM: As I have been for the last five years, I'm grateful to be a part of Luminarium. I value so much the opportunity to learn and grow as a dancer alongside my fellow company members. Gabby and Nikki have a contagious energy and enthusiasm whenever they move. Alison, Katharina, and Dream have such a refined balance of strength and grace. Melenie and Katie have a joy so visible in their movement, it reminds me why I love to dance just by watching them. I feel like every member of the company brings something unique to our group, which makes for a collection of eclectic and diverse movers. I love being with these people, I love dancing with these people, and above all, I love performing with these people. It's an incredible gift, when you're able to do what you love alongside people that you love.

Amy does creative partnering with some of Luminarium's youngest viewers at Summer in the City 2016. 

LG: You studied dance at Boston University; how does it feel to perform at your alma mater?

AM: Performing at the BU Dance Theater is like coming home for me. I spent hours, semesters, years, of my life in this space, and it is truly an emotional experience to be back within its walls. I'm the dancer I am today because of the classes I took, the pieces I performed, the work I created, and of course, the incredible people I moved with in this theater. I'm so excited and again, grateful, to be in a physical space that is so important to me, and to share it with my Luminarium family.

Amy Mastrangelo, performing the lead role in The Hostess Diaries at its July 2016 debut at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. Come see the piece onstage in PORTAL, November 11 & 12.

PORTAL: STORIES FROM THE EDGE

NOVEMBER 11 & 12 . 8PM

Boston University Dance Theater

Boston MA

BUY TICKETS

Meet a Dancer: Katie McGrail

In preparation for Luminarium's 2016 feature production PORTAL: Stories from the Edge, Luminarium's Publicity Intern, Lillian Gaylord, has interviewed each of the performers to better introduce them to you—our followers. Enjoy getting to know Katie McGrail, then come see her perform at the show: November 11 & 12 at the Boston University Dance Theater. Grab your tickets here!

Katie McGrail

Company Member since 2012

LG: You are in at least four out of the five pieces being performed in Portal, do you have a favorite piece, or one that challenges you the most as a dancer?

KM: Each of the pieces are so different. I feel like with each one I tap into different aspects of myself, so rather than being challenged by one particular piece, I think the challenge in performing all of these works in one show is that of embodying such different things one after the other. But that is what makes the process both fun and interesting. I can feel myself holding and using my body in very different ways in each piece. With rabbit hole cycles, which I’ve been lucky to have had a long process with, I feel the sound score intensely in my body. It feels otherworldly and urgent. That is juxtaposed with the Wayside Inn piece, which is an embodied history. This piece also feels otherworldly, but in a much more ethereal way, in which I feel a sense of floating through time and space. And THEN, there is the TEDxCambridge piece, which feels energetic and upbeat and is physically and mentally challenging due to it’s specificity. I also feel intensity in this piece, but in a much more playful way than rabbit hole. The other two pieces are still so new in my body, I’m still working on finding this kind of clarity in them. :)

Katie performing in The Hostess Diaries, also referred to as the Wayside Inn piece.
Photo: Karen Irwin Photography.

LG: How does your work with Luminarium tie into your Sociology-based Human Relations degree or your certificate in Community Action & Public Policy? If it doesn’t, in what other ways have you integrated those degrees with your work as a dancer/choreographer?

KM: Sociology is the study of human society. By choosing a more interdisciplinary route of study with Soc-based Human Relations, I learned to take a sociological lens and got to integrate some work in psychology, education, and human development. What could be more related to the creative, choreographic process?! To me, dance and choreography is often a way to make sense of ourselves and the world around us. I definitely feel this sensibility in both Kim and Merli’s creative processes. My background in Soc-based Human Relations informs how I understand myself and my world, and is therefore inherently present in how I understand and embody each of these works. I often find working with Luminarium feeds my curiosity about such things similarly to the way the study of those fields does.

You also asked about the Community Action & Public Policy piece of my degree. On a somewhat different note than the performative focus, I have always appreciated the community orientation of Luminarium’s work. I love the work Kim and Merli both do to bridge the gap that sometimes exists between communities, community art, and high quality performance work. I find that the opportunities to work with Luminarium in community projects, showing work at festivals and historical sites, teaching and putting on workshops for children and communities to engage actively with dance, feeds this part of what I think is powerful and important about dance.

Katie, performing in the original version of rabbit hole cycles, 2015. Photo: Ryan Carollo.

LG: Both “rabbit hole cycles” and the TEDxCambridge piece have been performed before, but “rabbit hole cycles” has been reworked for this performance. Does this make the piece feel entirely new compared to the TEDxCambridge piece, or do you feel because they are both being performed in a new space for a new audience that they are each new in their own ways?

KM: I think they will each feel new in their own ways. rabbit hole cycles has been reworked for this show, but we have been in process with it for so long that in many ways I feel more at home in this piece. TEDx is familiar in that it is the same version we performed at the Boston Opera House, and I’m so looking forward to showing it again! But yet it still feels new, especially since TEDx was a one-night performance. The space will certainly influence the feel of each of these pieces as well, which will bring another element of newness to each. And as always with live performance, each experience is unique to the particular moment it exists in. I really think everything that’s going on in and around the theatre—from the audience to the weather to whatever may be happening in the larger world—affects the feel of a performance!

PORTAL: STORIES FROM THE EDGE

NOVEMBER 11 & 12 . 8PM

Boston University Dance Theater

Boston MA

BUY TICKETS

Meet a Dancer: Melenie Diarbekirian

In preparation for Luminarium's 2016 feature production PORTAL: Stories from the Edge, Luminarium's Publicity Intern, Lillian Gaylord, has interviewed each of the performers to better introduce them to you—our followers. Enjoy getting to know Melenie Diarbekirian, then come see her perform at the show: November 11 & 12 at the Boston University Dance Theater. Grab your tickets here!

Melenie Diarbekirian

Company Member since 2011

Photo: Kristyn Ulanday

LG: The “rabbit hole cycles” was first performed for Spektrel, and has been reworked for this year’s show, can you talk a bit about what was reworked and what that process was like?

MD: A duet between dancer Nikki Girroir and I has been added to the beginning of rabbit hole cycles. Other additions are still in the process of being worked out. It's been an interesting challenge diving back into this lengthy work, especially to get back into the mental state. The words that come to mind when performing this piece are dark, sneaky, and loony. It's been a challenge mentally, not only to figure out how to portray these emotions with the new choreography added and what my relationship with Nikki is, but getting the sequence of the piece has taken a number on my brain as well.

Melenie and Nikki rehearsing their new opening duet for rabbit hole cycles.

LG: You dance with various companies in the Boston area; what is unique about Luminarium?

MD: I feel grateful to have been with Luminarium for going on my 6th season. Every year, there is a new piece (or few new pieces) created that either involve intricate lighting, and/or some sort of prop.  In some cases, the source of light is the prop. These elements never take away, but add to the overall performance, and because we use them so often, it makes us stand out among other companies in the Boston area.  

LG: As an artist, how do you relate to the theme of Merli’s new work, “The Grass Never Grows Under Your Feet”?

MD: To be honest, I have never heard of the phrase "The Grass Never Grows Under Your Feet."  Merli introduced this to us in rehearsal and it's safe to say no one else knew what she was talking about either. After explaining to us what it meant, I relate to this phrase more on a personal level. I'm always looking to get things done, or want fast results for everything I do. When I slow down I feel as though I'm wasting time, or I'm not doing absolutely everything that I can be doing within 24 hours of a day. This piece explores what happens and what possibilities come up if you actually take the time to slow down and "let the grass grow under your feet." I'm looking forward to pulling from my own experiences when performing this to contribute to the piece as a whole.

Melenie performing with Luminarium at the Boston Opera House in June 2016.

LG: The TEDxCambridge Piece was a rousing success at the Boston Opera House, are you excited to be performing it again at BU?

MD: It's always a bummer when you only have just one shot to perform a piece that you put so much time and effort into. It doesn't allow you many chances to experience the difference from one performance to another. Needless to say, I'm definitely excited to bring this piece to the BU Dance Theater! 

PORTAL: STORIES FROM THE EDGE

NOVEMBER 11 & 12 . 8PM

Boston University Dance Theater

Boston MA

BUY TICKETS

Meet a Dancer: Gabby Pacheco

In preparation for Luminarium's 2016 feature production PORTAL: Stories from the Edge, Luminarium's Publicity Intern, Lillian Gaylord, has interviewed each of the performers to better introduce them to you—our followers. Enjoy getting to know Gabby Pacheco, then come see her perform at the show: November 11 & 12 at the Boston University Dance Theater. Grab your tickets here!

Gabby Pacheco

Company Member since 2014

Photo: Kristyn Ulanday

LG: How long have you been with Luminarium Dance Company, and what drew you to the company initially?

GP: This is my third season with Luminarium! They were one of the first companies I found as I was graduating college and I found that their ideas and movement related so closely to what I had done in school.  It made college to real world transition so easy!

Gabby Pacheco performing in the first iteration of rabbit hole cycles in 2015.
Photo: Ryan Carollo.

LG: Of the three pieces you’re in, is there one which you relate to the most or that was the most challenging/interesting?

GP: Although all the works interest and challenge me in different ways, rabbit hole cycles really sticks out due to its content and character play. We have spent more than a year picking this piece apart and can continue to do so for much longer and find so much within the work. I appreciate the depth of the work and I think it allows so much room for interpretation. That challenges me as the dancer to be very clear and precise when performing to guide the viewer in this journey.

Gabby sharing her thoughts on performing at the Boston Opera House
in Luminarium's behind-the-scenes documentary. View the documentary here.

LG: What was it like to perform the TEDxCambridge Piece at the Boston Opera House? Are you excited to bring it back to BU? Why or why not?

GP: It was an unreal experience performing at the Boston Opera House! The entire process in itself was so memorable and we tried to soak up every minute of it. I am excited to bring it to BU and to see how the size or shape of the stage can change the performance. I’m also interested to see what Kim and Merli have up their sleeve for lighting and stage design. I can’t wait to bring it back!

PORTAL: STORIES FROM THE EDGE

NOVEMBER 11 & 12 . 8PM

Boston University Dance Theater

Boston MA

BUY TICKETS

Meet a Dancer: Katharina Schier

In preparation for Luminarium's 2016 feature production PORTAL: Stories from the Edge, Luminarium's Publicity Intern, Lillian Gaylord, has interviewed each of the performers to better introduce them to you—our followers. Enjoy getting to know Katharina Schier, then come see her perform at the show: November 11 & 12 at the Boston University Dance Theater. Grab your tickets here!

Katharina Schier

Guest Performer since June 2016

LG: You are in Kim’s new (currently untitled) work, she mentioned that the process was pretty in depth and “outside the norm,” could you elaborate on that?

KS: Having the opportunity to be a part of Kim’s new work has been very special because Katie and I are able to participate in the creation of the work. It is not just a duet of two dancers, it is a duet of Katie and I. This is unique from other processes where you may just learn a sequence of steps from a choreographer. With Kim we have been experimenting with her ideas and I feel that Katie and I are able to help materialize some of Kim’s artistic visions. For this reason stepping out and watching ourselves on video after Kim’s rehearsal is breathtaking and special because in a sense I had not “seen” the choreography before then. This is because she really experimented with movements on OUR bodies instead of showing as all the choreography and asking us to learn it from her dancing.

Rehearsal photo of Katie and Katharina manipulating movement from Kim in the studio.

LG: Do you feel that the discussions, compositions, and trust exercises helped you connect to the work and to Katie? If so, in what ways?

KS: I definitely feel that the discussions, compositions and trust exercises Kim conducted helped me throughout this process. This is my first season working with Luminarium and for me, feeling comfortable and welcome in rehearsals allows me to feel creatively uninhibited which I really appreciate in a dance rehearsal. Through many of the events and rehearsals with Luminarium I feel I have been able to connect with Katie individually but also I have began to get to know her as a dancer and that is key in creating such an intense and closely intertwined duet. 

Katharina performing at her first event with Luminarium:
300 Years at Longfellow's Wayside Inn, July 2016. Photo: ryan Carollo.

LG: Is this your first time working with Luminarium? If so, what drew you to the company? If not, how does this show compare to work you’ve done with them in the past?

KS: I feel my path crossed with Luminarium Dance Company by chance, but I could not be happier or more grateful that it did. I feel in Luminarium I am not just a dancing body but that it is a place where the dance artist is a contributing creative asset. This is my first time working with Luminarium and I hope to continue to have opportunities to be a part of their process.

PORTAL: STORIES FROM THE EDGE

NOVEMBER 11 & 12 . 8PM

Boston University Dance Theater

Boston MA

BUY TICKETS

24-Hour ChoreoFest Thoughts 2016

Luminarium's 24-Hour ChoreoFest 2016. Photo: Ryan Carollo.

9:00PM- Kimberleigh A. Holman, Artistic Director, Co-Founder of Luminarium Dance Company

We just kicked off our fifth annual ChoreoFest and the energy in the building is amazing. I get to kick off the yearly ChoreoFest blog extravaganza and that’s never happened before in the five year history of this festival. We pulled two themes from Karen’s incredible sorting hat: “eerie interludes” and “beauty of chaos, ugly perfection.” While the first is comical in a ‘you’d have to know us’ sense, the second (sure, maybe a bit cliche) delights me on a making level. I love how genuine true chaos is, it’s impossible to replicate and perfect in that sense. This year Merli and I are setting a duet on ourselves (long story) which is something we’ve joked about for awhile and now find ourselves in the midst of. I hope that by the end of the 24 hours we’ve made something that feels right for us, something that we could potentially keep working on. Time to start brainstorming…




10:00PM- Kayla Luoma, Adult Company Member/ Vet; Kelsey Rainville, Teen Apprentice of Boston Community Dance Project

We are super excited to be a part of such an awesome experience. This is our first year attending the 24 hour ChoreoFest and so far we are having a blast! With having our theme: "This is why I..." and song choice picked we are feeling really strong about our concept because we feel it is such a common subject that anyone in the audience will be able to make their own connection with. We are just starting our routine and already cannot wait to see where the choreography takes us. We hope our energy and creative minds will be just as strong up until the last few hours of the 24 hour process and are looking forward to seeing what all the other talented groups have created. Follow the artistry!



11:00PM- Karen Krolak, Monkeyhouse Artistic Director & Choreographic Guru for the festival

Just finished making the rounds to all the studios with Kwaq7aj' (Pronounced "quacks" the 7 is silent) and am pleased to report that all the groups are riffing off their themes with gusto. Kwaq7aj' is still hoping that someone will use the Sir Slops A Lot movement phrase that she has been perfecting down in the heavenly Studio 7 (Thank you, thank you, thank you, Barr Foundation for investing in this magnificent space and please do not tell the other companies that it is air conditioned!!!) 

Frankly, I love this stage of the creative process - people are playing and laughing. Seeing how they sketch out ideas together shows so much of their kinesthetic logic. I highly recommend switching between the live feeds to get a sense the unique flavor of each choreographer. 

If you are in the area, you can also come down to Mass Ave and watch Monkeyhouse through the windows on the first floor. I have been very amused by all the flashing blue and red lights from the police and fire patrols on the street. Perhaps Kim can replicate that for Aisha's duet tomorrow...

Cassandra, our Dance Complex representative just emerged from the office announcing that she is going to play with the theme she pulled "On Cloud 8". How fantabulous that even the staff is getting in on the adventure of 24 hr Choreofest.



12:00AM-  Emily Jerant-Hendrickson, choreographer


Things have been going well so far. It was strange at the beginning to start a new work with bodies already in the room; usually I have some material or a concept in mind before I begin rehearsals so this really pushed me to dive into creation head first. Maggie just did a run through of what we have so far and the solo is about a third of the way done, so better get back upstairs!



1:00AM- Lillian Gaylord, Publicity Intern for Luminarium Dance Company


We have reached a milestone in the evening! The 1:00AM meeting was a rousing success with everyone sharing their thoughts, challenges, and successes. The differences and similarities between each group has led to some interesting pairings. The groups will meet and perform what they have come up with thus far in order to see the work through fresh eyes. Some of the big ideas discussed and generally agreed upon during the meeting was the subjectivity of art and performance as well as the challenge of providing constructive criticism without getting entrenched in the negatives, or going too far the other way and only providing the positives. All of the companies are working to create a piece that is not only visually appealing, but that tells a narrative that will resonate with all.



2:00AM- Choreographer


It's getting to the point where my body is taking over for what my brain is lacking in... The process has been going really well, my brain is just starting to slack off a little in comparison to what I need it to be doing! We still have a lot of time left so I'm excited to see where it will go!



3:00AM- Jennifer Webb - Choreographer- Bridges Dance Theatre


We are all still going strong. Luminarium has made us feel at home and supported. Collaborating with other groups helped us to identify where we needed to focus next in our creation process as well as which moments were clearly articulated . I am looking forward to seeing where the work goes in the next few hours.



4:00AM-Alexis Haddad - Dancer - Bridges Dance Theatre

Four AYE EMMM.....SO far so good! Since this is my first year participating I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. However Carolyn and Jen our fearless leaders are extremely organized and have a vision. Rehearsal is going well and we are making a ton of progress. We are accomplishing a lot while still being very collaborative with 12 people. On a personal level it feels good to be back in the studio after nine years. I love performing but man do I LOVE collaborating, creating and choreographing. Its been good for my body but more importantly for my soul. Really looking forward to seeing what everyone else has created and at the end having that feeling of accomplishment. Being able to sit back, reflect and say yeah I was part of that, I helped create and perform that in 24 hours with no sleep. Also God Bless Coffee


5:00AM- Sarah-Katarina "SKooJ" Founder/Director of BCDP

Boston Community Dance Project is well on their way! The creative process has made us become movement warriors! As we keep taking ambitious leaps in our piece, the struggle for stamina, longevity, and body awareness is real but our bond together is keeping us trucking through! It was so great to get feedback from Nozama to see another perspective on our piece! As time is counting down I feel everything can evolve more and do not want to stop to make changes, edits, and alterations but at the same time decisions need to be made to make the dancers and myself feel confident. Mixing two pieces of music has stalled the process a bit to pick the right sections of each song and make the routine come together. ChoreoFest is honestly an absolute black even more the trials and wish we could do this every week! Happy Dancing!

6:00AM-Aisha Cruse, Monkeyhouse Choreographer

So, sometimes you're standing in a dance studio eating a sandwich looking at a folding screen thinking "what do i want from you," and then bam it's a security blanket. It's always been a security blanket and then your piece is about safety and change and how to deal with your past self as you're aging and your ideas about who your future self should be and then it's 3 am and your piece is done. Surprise!

7:00AM- Andrea West, Monkeyhouse Dancer

Connecting to another human through movement is an amazing feeling, even more so in the middle of the night when your head is out of the way and nothing but trust is left. Ive learned so much from letting go and trusting my experience. Never would have thought an overtired brain would serve me well, but it has ultimately enhanced my experience and allowed me to throw myself into this without hesitation. I'm proud of myself and all I can share this experience with.


8:00AM- Arianna Patel and Katherine Leary, Bridges Dancers

We're definetely at a loss for sleep,  but the overall experience has been an adventure from start to finish. Being able to get feedback from other dancers and choreographers has made the process much easier because they were able to tell us what worked well and what didn't. We would definetly do it again!


9:00AM- Gracie Novikoff, Co-Director of Nozama Dance Collective

We are leaving many unanswered questions with our piece, and that's okay! We are embracing the "work in progress" nature of this incredible festival. Our piece begins with the dancers in a la-la land state, and the work explores the limits of that space. At 4am we got to the point where the dancers had broken the boundaries of la-la land, and we had numerous roads we could go down. Very uncharacteristically, we chose none of them. We are leaving the piece in a tumultuous place, and we want to leave the audience wondering what will happen to these ladies next. We are anxious for feedback on what an audience member imagines happening. We are excited to keep playing with this piece and the choreography, but we cut ourselves a break and called it at 5am for a very necessary 2 hour nap on some dope tumbling pads. We woke up to a solid Spotify wake up playlist and, needless to say, Nozama runs on Dunkin' and we are ready to tech!

This was an amazing experience for us. We tapped into the true collective nature of our company and all of the participants aided in choreographing and contributing. A good chunk of the piece is improvisation, which allows the audience to see each dancer's unique contribution and style. This process brought us together, bonded us as a team, and showed us what each incredible member of this family can bring to the table. 

Luminarium at the Historic Wayside Inn

On Sunday, July 24, 2016, Luminarium presented the culminating performance of its annual Cultural Community Outreach Project—dedicated to highlighting an historical community establishment through the integration of dance and the arts.

For its 2016 project, the company chose to showcase Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA, as it celebrated its 300th anniversary as a local landmark of great historical significance. Viewers were invited to picnic on the lawn while watching one of Luminarium's three performances throughout the afternoon. The company created three new live performance pieces honoring the Wayside: One focused on the land, one on the inn, and a third that condensed the Wayside's 300 years of history into a 3-minute theatrical introduction. Viewers were also eager to visit the grist mill, where Luminarium's latest film—an experimental film featuring slow-motion dancing with flour—was projected onto the mill's large stone wall.

Following the event, Merli V. Guerra (Artistic Director and leader of this annual endeavor) shared with the company:

We received a ton of glowing feedback from strangers of all ages and backgrounds about every aspect of the event. A few highlights included an historian who’s written many books about the Wayside saying that we truly “got it” and "captured the history" and essence of the Wayside. An elderly woman approached me to say that she isn’t able to make it into the city any more and was so appreciative to have professional dance of our caliber brought to her town—and that her sister was so thrilled to hear about the event the night before, that she hopped in the car and drove three hours up from CT to join her! Mark, our incredible Wayside tech helper, told me that the music carried all the way to the chapel, and that many of the visitors there inquired where it was coming from, then promptly raced over to the mill. And of course there were so many young dancers in attendance who had never seen contemporary dance before, but were excited to see more now. In case you didn’t think you were making a difference—you are!

Below is a list of press, footage, and photos documenting this successful event. Many thanks to all who were involved in this project, and for those just viewing it for the first time, enjoy!


VIDEOS:

The Hostess Diaries, filmed and edited by Guerra.

Another copy of The Hostess Diaries, including opening remarks by Guerra (choreographer) and Mali Sastri (composer), was filmed and given to us by John Doherty.


TV COVERAGE:

WMCT-TV in Marlboro: News clip featuring interviews with Guerra and Company Member Amy Mastrangelo, alongside footage from the 1:30pm performance.


Sudbury TV: A full 30-minute segment showing footage from the 3pm performance.



PRESS (IN PRINT):

Preview in The Town Crier.

Preview in MetroWest Daily News.


PHOTOS:

We are grateful to have been sent so many stellar images of this beautiful event. Click on the thumbnails above to view the full gallery including photos by Karen Irwin Photography, Maria Fonseca Photography, and frequent Luminarium photographer Ryan Carollo.

Supported in part by a grant from the Sudbury Cultural Council,

a local agency which is supported by the
Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.