2013 RECAP

2013 was a GREAT year:  Awakenings and Beginnings Dance Festival, our 8th Kinesis, NECTAR: Love AllWays, Green Space Blooms Festival, Residency at the Dragon's Egg in Connecticut including a studio showing, 1st Thursdays event outside in front of Marshall's with a bunch of peeps, ADaPT Festival in NY and on the West Coast including an awesome round two with the Cut the Edge Emerging Genre Installation, Red Ribbons and Memories Dance Concert, our 4th MixMatch Festival, our tri-city Minty showing, and the Family/Friends/Dance Festival.  

 

LOS ANGELES

 

Awakening & Beginnings Dance Festival @ Diavolo Theater, Moulton Ave, Los Angeles - January 19th

We had a fabulous time premiering "One World is Never Enough".  Thank you Beth Megill for the lovely write up on your Blog Dancing Poetess and congratulations Noelle on doing an incredible job filling the house to OVERFULL! 

http://dancingpoetess.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-awakenings-and-beginnings.html?spref=fb

 

We loved hearing the collective "aww" when Dolby the Dauchsie trotted out onstage behind ArtBarker Karyn Laver for his part in the process.

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SANTA BARBARA

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Santa Barbara Dance Alliance Kinesis concert - February 1st & 2nd 
What a tremendous gift to be able to perform this work thrice alongside other SB choreographers.   

Very special thanks to Hylla Fischer and Alberta Fujihara for helping ArtBarker's out with props set-up. 

 

SOOOOO Much positive feedback!

 

Misa & Stephen Kelly’s piece “One World is Never Enough” engaged the audience and engaged my poetic self to a deeper understanding of true Kelly talent. The piece “One World is Never Enough” stood out in the Kinetics 2013 dance production like a diamond on a newlywed woman. I would recommend The Kelly Twins to any person who wishes to think on a deeper level and be inspired. Bravo 10/10

Chris Hoffman

(Santa Barbara, CA)

 

Dear Misa and Stephen,

I didn't get a chance after the show last weekend to speak with you about how I enjoyed your piece.  It had a feel of a kind of cross between Meredith Monk and Pina Bausch to me. 

Nancy

Artistic Director Nancy Evans Dance Theater (Pasadena, CA)

 

Hi Misa,

After our hurried conversation in the hallway yesterday, I wanted to follow up by saying that I think it's fantastic that you're doing such innovative work, and that you are not afraid to take risks!  That's one reason why I say I think you are our (SB) most inventive choreographer, and I'm always delighted to see your work!  I applaud your effort whole-heartedly (and of course I'm including Stephen in this also), and remain your devoted groupie!  BRAVA!!! for EVERYTHING you do in the SB Dance community!

Huge hugs and much love,

Susan

Susan Alexander Teaches, Santa Barbara CA

 

Dear Misa,

I loved the piece last night, by the way!

Delila

Delila Moseley, owner Montecito School of Ballet, Director UCSB Dance Company)

 

Under the newly formed performance collective, Art Bark (formerly Sonnenblauma), Misa and Stephen Kelly co-choreographed One World is Never Enough. This piece had it all: charming children at the beginning, a cute Dachshund running across the stage and paper airplanes thrown by the audience! Set to a complex soundscape (that I can't even begin to recreate in my memory), this piece played like an abstract impressionist painting, offering the audience a series of images and scenarios that hinted at travel and relationships, but left the majority of the meaning to be formed by the observer. Very Art Barkian!

 

Beth Megill,

Dancing Poetess Blog

Faculty Moorpark College, Director Beth Megill and Dancers

 

“Thought-provoking...eliciting joy”

Weslie Ching

Nebula Dance Lab dancer

 

 

NECTAR: Love Always - February 9th @ 8:00 - Yoga Soup

We had opportunity yet again to not only share creative work but to assist Cybil Gilbertson in her administrative process in producing the event.  We also had the good fortune to be there to provide technical support lending NECTAR our video projector, Stephen managing sound, Misa helping set up and coordinate the day of.  GREAT community effort!

VENICE BEACH

MAX10 @ the Electric Lodge - April 1st, Venice Beach CA

We previewed a wonderful new solo set to a sensitive score collaboratively created by Phillip A. Mergatroide and Isa Topete.

 

LONG ISLAND CITY/QUEENS

Green Space Blooms Dance Festival in NY! 

ArtBark International is performed Friday April 19th (Misa premiered Patchwork Chameleon) & Sunday April 21st (Jo and Misa performed Unzipped)

 

 

What an awesome time in NYC!  So cool that we have an office in Brooklyn. Gnarly schedule for Misa but she returned to the West Coast quite refreshed with a heart full of gratitude.

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"In her grey costume with a peek of mustard yellow, the dancer’s wide eyes pan the intimate space tothe group of serious audience members. I’m pulled into the performer’s tale, and I can’t help elicit a smile of wonderment.

The dancer invites us into her world. At first glance it seems lighthearted and youthful. She bounces across the stage; her pigtails bobbing up and down. A high-pitched screech escapes her lips as an infant would when experimenting with sound. What is she trying to tell us?

The dancer appears frustrated at times; slapping her foot against the floor and thrashing her arms above her head. I can identify with these moments of intensity, and the mover deals with them honestly and with integrity.

 

Patchwork Chameleon is an insightful exploration of communication—demonstrating the unconventional ways people interact with the world around them. We can all learn a tremendous amount from this unique perspective of sound and touch. It’s a gift to witness."

By Trina Mannino, Brooklyn NY choreographer, writer and ArtBarker!

 

 

SANTA BARBARA

May 2nd - 5-8 pm, 1st Thursdays, in front of Marshalls: 

ArtBark International & Friends presented 3 hours of dance, physical theater, music, magic and improvisation with ample opportunity for audience participation. Participating Companies/Artists include: Ajde, ArtBark International, DramaDogs – a Theater Company, Got Country?, Honeysuckle Possums, Montino Bourbon, Nicole McKenzie Improv Group, Noah Block.   Please see our facebook page for photos and video.

LEDYARD, CONNECTICUT

May 22nd - May 29th - Residency at Dragon's Egg in Conneticut!

The Residency, in short, rocked our orbits so much so it will take many moons to adjust to the new expressions stirred in our beings.  Mojca Majcen reunited with the Kellys and carved out two new works and revived repertory.  Trina Mannino arrived to tidy up the duet she set on Stephen and Misa remotely via use of skype rehearsals and other internet resources.  Mariko Reynolds arrived to work on the Life Drawing Score.  While there they made new friends and hosted a studio showing for the Ledyard and Mystic communities.  The Dragon's Egg is also home to the Mystic Paper Beasts Theater company and the Kellys made good use of the opportunity for a photo shoot.

 

BROOKLYN, SANTA BARBARA, PASADENA

 

ADAPT FESTIVAL in three cities

 

Center for Performance Research (CPR), Brooklyn, NY                               

ADaPT Festival 2013: Program Orson

 

 

Center Stage Theater, Santa Barbara, CA                                                  

ADaPT Festival 2013: Artist Brunch, Master Class, Program Jules, Program Arthur

– Producer, Choreographer (Patchwork Chameleon, Unzipped, One World is Never Enough), Performance, Organizer

 

ARC Pasadena, Pasadena, CA                                               

ADaPT Festival 2013: Program Ray

 

The Pescadrome, Santa Barbara, CA                                                                                            

ADaPT Festival 2013: Cut the Edge Emerging Genre Installation

                                                                                                                             

Montecito School of Ballet, Santa Barbara, CA                                                              

ADaPT Festival 2013: Master Class Series – Barbara Mahler, Rainbow Underhill

 

 

PASADENA

August 17th

ARC PASADENA Rubans Rouge Dance Company - Guest Artist

Red Ribbons & Memories Dance Concert

ArtBark International offered up "Patchwork Chameleon" with the work equally well received as it had been in New York and Santa Barbara.  

Audience Feedback "I was so moved!" Wendi Baity - Relentless Dance Theater.

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SANTA MONICA

August 24th

Miles Memorial Playhouse

MixMatch Festival 

On the matinee show Stephen and Misa Kelly performed Trina Mannino's "Recall is Never Replay"  In the evening the Kellys again performed "Recall is Never Replay" and Misa had yet another opportunity to perform Patchwork Chameleon.  

 

Audience feedback "they won" 

(husband of Emily Watson Dance Company about his favorite work on the program) 

"I loved that" 

(what Stephen heard as the lights faded)

Director Amanda Hart's feedback 

"the audience adored you. And this makes me SO happy because you present excellent modern dance and people can't get enough. You make the modern dance world so much stronger."

Dance Writer - Beth Megill: Fulll Review 

"If you have not seen Misa and Stephen on stage, you should! This husband and wife duet is quirky and thoughtful, nonsensical and endearing. The movement and choreographic structure was non traditional, including gestural phrases set to spoken text that seemed related only by chance at times, but it also felt entirely appropriate. The ending, in which the two slowly entwine in a reclined embrace, wraps up the dada-like piece with a string that can't be explained in words and can only be  felt in the gut."

 

G R A T I T U D E!

It was wonderful to make new friends and equally wonderful to deepen the relationship with fellow creators.

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BROOKLYN

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Dragon's Egg Concert at Triskelion Arts

Sunday September 29th

118 N. 11th St. 3rd Fl
Brooklyn, New York 11211

New York ArtBarker Trina Mannino will share work on the program

TICKETS:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/435662

 

BROOKLYN, SANTA BARBARA, CELJE

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November 3rd

Minty

TRI-CITY Studio Showing

NYC, Santa Barbara and Celje, Slovenia

ArtBark International and Friends

Event One: Celje, Slovenia - IGEN Dance Studios

Event Two: New York - time/place TBA

Event Three:  Santa Barbara @ Yoga Soup 2:00 pm