Video Blog # 5

Long Live
July 4th - 6th
Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto, Canada
Purchase Tickets at
http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=23081



Between working with the musicians, getting marketing stuff done and rehearsing things are getting pretty busy .... not a chance to blog much this week...so here is a short one.

Suzanne Liska, Lee Walder, Marlene Latour and Chelsea O’Brian Plus Ensemble in rehearsal

Video Blog # 4

Catch the Magic!
Long Live
July 4th - 6th Betty Oliphant Theatre, 404 Jarvis Street, Toronto, Canada
Purchase Tickets at http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=23081

Video Blog Week # 3

Catch the Magic!
Long Live
July 4th - 6th (Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto, Canada)
Purchase Tickets at
http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=23081

Week # 3 Blog

Karen Kaeja helping me make a mold for Robert's head piece
Step # 1 (plastic wrapped around head)

Step # 2 (start putting plaster strips ons)

Step # 3 (waiitng for it to dry)

Step # 4 (I have attatched wire antlers that I made and then covered the whole thing in fiber glass. Know it sits on a heater off gassing)

Update Notes
Snowblink band members Daniela Gesundheit and Dan Goldman are driving to Toronto from San Francisco. They will start rehearsals soon. I am excited to see the piece with live music.

We did our first big run through on Friday. The piece as a whole has "lived up in my head" for so long that it was surreal to see it live. During the run through I was running sound and video taping while also trying to get a sense of the piece. I like to watch my work form my "heart" but with all the technical jobs I was doing it was hard to do this. My stage manager is attending some rehearsals this week so hopefully I will get the chance to just watch.

I watched the video over the weekend making transitions and edits notes. Its really the same process as writing..... you get it all out and then you edit it down to its essence. With a title like "long Live" I really must make the piece just the right length (not to long) :-)

Lots of work ahead. I try to balance my time between marketing and the creative process. Few hours of sleep are the result but my adrenaline keeps me going.

Catch the Magic!
Long Live
July 4th - 6th
Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto, Canada
Purchase Tickets at http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=23081

Week # 2 Video Blog

Introducing the youngest REAson d'etre Company members

Emerging Dance Artist - Teisha Smith
Teisha Smith began dancing at the age of four training in Ballet and Jazz at Louise Woodvine Dance Academy in Barbados. Teisha recently received her degree in Theatre Performance, majoring in dance, from Ryerson University. While at Ryerson she had the pleasure to work with inspiring choreographers and guest teachers such as Vicki St Denys, Kathleen Rea and Eddison B. Lindsay. Since Graduating she has performed Kathleen Rea’s IRE ( 2006) and is presently working with the Coalition of Black artist (COBA) and REAson d'etre productions.

Apprentice - Marlene Latour
Marlene is a recent graduate of the George Brown College Dance Performance Program. Since graduation Marlene has performed in Kathleen Rea’s Close Knit for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, 2007 and in ‘Silhouettes’ Dance Company where she choreographs and performs at various events around the city. She is thrilled to be a part of this production and has thoroughly enjoyed spending her time with such talented dance artists.


Catch the Magic!
Long Live
July 4th - 6th
Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto, Canada
Purchase Tickets at
http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=23081

Photographs of Tom Brouillette Teisha Smith and Marlene Latour by Greg Schilhab Photography

Week # 1 Video Blog

July 4th - 6th (Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto, Canada) Purchase Tickets at http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=23081

Spring Rehearsal Week # 1

Picture # 1
The day before the first rehearsal
my home-studio was a costume and prop workshop
....cat not included

Picture # 2
Costume designer Amelia Ehrhardt measures dancer Marlene Latour

Picture # 3
Testing out the headlight prop

Picture # 4
Dances Suzanne Liska and Robert Halley warming up

I was really nervous to start again after not having worked with my dancers for three months. Sometimes it is good to get distance from the creative process but this time around I just wanted to keep working without a break. The December rehearsals had so much momentum to them that it was hard to hold my excitement about the piece over the winter months but at least I had time to do lots of administration and marketing work for the production
Kathleen Rea

After the "Long Live" photoshoot

After the "Long Live" Photo shoot I sat on Jarvis street, with all the props and costumes, waiting for my lift. I was a pretty funny sight. The National Ballet School security guard approached me because he thought I was setting up shop to sleep over! I convinced him that I was a modern dancer and not to worry. He still seemed worried but left me alone. Some people started taking pictures of me because they thought I was taking part in some sort of art installation! Then a real dog started sniffing the bum of the prop dog and everyone thought this was really funny. Sometimes I think I am actually an installation artist.


Photographs taken by Suzanne Liska

Thankyou for visiting the Blog

"Long Live" - dance-theatre

with live music by Snowblink http://www.snowblink.org/

choreography by Kathleen Rea http://www.reasondetre.com/Artist1.htm

danced and co-created by Tom Brouillette, Robert Halley, Karen Kaeja, Marlene Latour, Suzanne Liska, Chelsea O’Brian, Teisha Smith and Lee Walder

Lighting design and dramaturge by Tristan R. Whiston

Constume desgin by Amelia Ehrhardt

July 4th - 6th, 2008 at the Betty Oliphant Theatre
(404 Jarvis Street, Toronto)

Tickets http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=23081

photograph by Greg Schilhab

The creation of Long Live was supported by Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and Ballet Jorgen Canada