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THE MISSING PEACE

the blog

The Missing Peace Blog is a place to follow the creative process behind the development of The Missing Peace, a performance event. Each choreographer will post highlights from the rehearsal process, workshops, and volunteer opportunities.

Be a part of The Missing Peace.

Created by: Jamie Erin Murphy, Brady Sanders, Shana Simmons

The Creative Process And What Remains

10/5/2017

1 Comment

 
By Brady Sanders
What do I want to say? How do I want to say it? Will what I'm attempting to  say be communicated successfully and in an accessible and impactful way? These questions are vital to my creative process and are helping guide the development of What Remains.  

The WHAT and the HOW.
What Remains is inspired by my experiences with Alzheimer's Disease. I hope to embody not only my own hopes and fears for the future, but also personal experiences of care givers and others who have been impacted by the disease. This video clip is of the What Remains cast experimenting in rehearsal with flash lights and a movement phrase inspired by the words "mood shift", "aggravated", "aggressive", "frustrated", "unsure" and "confused".  I wanted to explore the idea of feeling completely lost; having no idea where you are, who is around you, or who you are.  Though I find it unnerving at times to workshop an idea in real time with the dancers, allowing room for experimentation has become an extremely valuable tool in the creative process and often leads to more unique, innovative and visceral choices. While I don't know how yet or even if this experiment with light and imagery inspired phrase work will be integrated into What Remains I do know that experimenting during the creative process informs what I say, how I say it and how it resonates with an audience.

If you have an experience with Alzheimer's Disease and are willing to share your story please contact me at bradylsanders@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!


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stop rehearsal observation

9/28/2017

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By Lauren Forsythe
​This past Sunday I,as a JAMpress Management Fellow, had the opportunity to observe one of the STOP (by Shana Simmons) rehearsals. The rehearsal focused not only on learning choreography,but also connecting one's mental state to physical movement. Shana lead the group through a series of exercises to challenge dancers. 

It was interesting to hear feedback from the group on their experiences from the exercises. Many of the dancers made connections to control issues, self-motivation, and the freedom felt in the mind and body after being restricted. As an observer, I could not see the internal struggle with restriction, relaxation, and control that each dancer was going through, but the experiences they described are struggles that go far beyond just dance. 

Check out footage from the rehearsal on JAM's YouTube channel, JAMstation. 
https://youtu.be/VxNiT0D01xw
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First post...the beginning

9/22/2017

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The idea for creating The Missing Peace was sparked in January 2017 among the cold, bitter weather of NYC. Three choreographers split a time slot for the APAP Presenters Festival, which happens annually. What they didn't expect was how cold and bitter the weather was going to be. During these cold and bitter conditions, these creative minds shared one warming idea: to present a show inspiring hope.
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INSPIRATION

WHAT REMAINS- by Brady Sanders

"I was inspired to create What Remains by my first hand experience with Alzheimer's Disease. Millions of people worldwide are impacted by Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. I hope to embody not only my own hopes and fears for the future, but also personal experiences of care givers and others who are impacted by the disease. When we forget ourselves and our loved ones, what remains?"

ME VS. ...- by Jamie Erin Murphy

"My inspiration for Me Vs... came while feeling lost after ending my collaboration with my choreographic partner. My struggle in re-discovering myself as a person and artist sparked a fascination with individuals' identity and what makes us who we are. It's not always an easy or clear cut journey when finding your self-identity, nor does it always stay the same. I am highly inspired by how we find communities that help support who we are and how those groups help us to not be alone in the struggle."

STOP- by Shana Simmons

"After a personal acquaintance committed suicide in 2015, I couldn't understand WHY someone would take their life. WHY the choice would be to stop it. Originally, by creating STOP the solo, I was expressing the pressure a person might feel in life. The pressure of time, never-ending... I feel this piece needs to veer in the direction of a person finding the help they need. Bringing a positive light to the continuation of life, not the ending of it. Every person is valuable and we need to support each other to feel that."
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  • Welcome
  • Upcoming
  • About SSD
    • PRESS >
      • VIDEO
      • IMAGES
    • OUR PEOPLE
  • Contact
  • Presenters
  • PROJECTS
    • CONSTRUCTED SIGHT
    • ELEVATE: a triple bill of female choreographers
    • THE MISSING PEACE (2018) >
      • THE MISSING PEACE BLOG
      • The HOPE Series
    • OBJECTIVE I (2015)
    • PASSENGER (2014)
    • RELATIVE POSITIONS (2012)
    • COLLABORATIONS
    • CHOREOGRAPHY >
      • RED ROVER, RED ROVER
      • GROUNDED IN THE SOIL
      • OF ELEPHANTS AND ASSES
      • DANCING SOLO
      • QUIRKE
      • BITS... PIECES...
      • RESONANT PASSINGS
      • TEA PARTY
      • A-PART
      • WHAT IS YOUR...?
      • CRUNCH
  • DONATE
  • TEACHING
  • Insights & Ink: A Blog