#creativerisk

As we celebrate 25 years of teaching & learning we are asking alumni to tell us what they remember and where they are now.

FACES OF BAX | Zoë Klein

Performed for the annual young people's performing workshop showcase (one year I was mentored by Martha Bowers) when I was in 5th grade through high school (1990-1997).

became the Technical Director at BAX 2001-2006

left BAX to produce Paradizo Dance full time 

was board member for 1 year at BAX before relocating to San Francisco for professional circus training after I was on 5 episodes of America's Got Talent

I perform for Amara Tabor-Smith/Deep Water Arts, Ramon Alayo Dancers, Kim Epifano/Epiphany Sonic Dance Theater and Zaccho Dance Theater. 

I am the Producing Director at CounterPulse, which is an experimental dance theater and artist advocacy, opening a new 3-story brand new theater in 2 weeks in downtown San Francisco.

I received a 5 month Artist in Residency to produce an 30min acrobatic dance narrative around the emotions, experience and concerns of international adoption.

Zoë Klein

AIR: Melanie Jones (2013-2015)

I wish you had been there. On December 8th and 9th we hosted 240 families and nearly 300 students at seven concerts showcasing dance, theater, tumbling and acrobatic dance (we call it AcroBAXers). I felt joy, amazement, pride, tenderness and excitement. But what did I SEE?

I saw 6, 7 and 8 year-old boys paying such close attention and giving each movement such lovely dignity. I saw 2, 4 and 5 year-old creators. I saw pre-teen limbs, voices and energies, creating and performing collaboratively and with such grace! Kids who understood the history and power of Hip Hop. Teens performing with sophistication, skill and passion. And really, that’s just a little part of it. I am in such awe of our teaching artists and our Education staff who have brought Education at BAX to this incredible level.

What’s ahead? Two more trimesters of classes. Kids original work at Youthworks. The Teen Arts Conference. All our Performance Workshops in their own shows in March and May. Please join us. You’ll have a fantastic time. And please give generously to our year-end campaign. Your support sustains us.

As we approach a new season I am thinking about all the artists at BAX. Young artists in classes, resident artists developing new work, artists who rehearse in our space and our teaching artists. They all share so much in common. They imagine, they learn, they develop, they have found a home at BAX. I hope that this year you visit just one program you did not originally come to BAX for. If you are a professional artist, come and visit one of our youth classes during Open Class Week November 12-17; if you are a teen artist visit one of our Artist In Residence Open Studios the weekend of  November 17 & 18.

This season we start our 22nd year of providing a home for arts and artists in Brooklyn and I am happy you are a part of it.

Stop by and see me anytime, I am on the second floor in the rear office.

At staff meeting today I was asked to expand on some comments I made about the past four days at BAX.

Let me just state the facts first:

Saturday and Sunday 11/16 & 17 marked the OPEN STUDIO  weekend for our Artists in Residence,LOVE/FORTЀ a Collective (Marjani Forte and Nia Love), Max Steele, Anna Sperber,  Katy Pyle,Melanie Jones and Erin Markey.

Monday night 11/18 we welcomed 12 new Upstart Festival artists in dance & performance to join us for a roundtable discussion.

Last night 11/19 10 artists who participated in NEEDING IT, directed by Dan Fishback and part of BAX’s participation in the HELIX QUEER PERFORMANCE NETWORK.

Twenty eight artists, eight audiences all sharing one room – the Theater at BAX.

I am struck by these four days as a particular moment in time when a concept becomes a reality. Talking about artists in progress – artists of all ages and stages – is one thing, EXPERIENCING IT is something else.

Some glimpses:

Eight students from our Dance Performing Workshop I class, eyes sparkling and providing valuable feedback as part of the audience for MEMORY WITHHOLDING (Love/Fortѐ)

An artist expressing the need for a welder and 4 different people in the room knew one – another gets information on  set designer, another a help with social media, another  a sewing machine – as  the UPSTART artists participate in – “I HAVE / I NEED”  a sharing of resources!

Beautifully, physical, brave work from a queer artist in NEEDING IT – who radiated pleasure at the response they got from the invited group of audience members.

Artists In Residence being excited/challenged with each other’s work – lots of people – eating, drinking, talking in our hallways about artists and work!!!

More soon…

Today, I am writing about REFLECTION. Reflection is one among a group of inspirations that include practice, choice making, transformation and collaboration that assist us in talking about BAX’s core values. These inspirations are milestones along the path of development.

Reflection might encompass the way we look at our choices, our work, and times of our lives. It might be inspired by a song, a smell, a fleeting thought. REFLECTION can include feedback. What do you see, hear, or feel when you experience a student’s theater piece or an artist’s new work? It is often the key element that guides us forward and provides the light that helps us to navigate to the next step.

We can reflect on the past or the present. Those reflections can lead us to take a deep breath and dare to stay still, or a deep breath and take a bold step forward.

In September and October, I had the incredible opportunity to interview 10 people – artists, students, parents, faculty and board members as they reflected on REFLECTION. Stay tuned to see and hear what they had to share in the ARTIST IN PROGRESS REFLECTION VIDEO.

AND as we near the end of the year, I am also asking you to reflect on your experiences at BAX. With a teacher, a performance, a child. Reflect on its value to YOU.

Hold that thought and stay tuned…