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A WAY TO EXPERIENCE AND MAKE SENSE OF AN ARTISTIC JOURNEY

SECOND STORY REHEARSAL #44

9/6/2017

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August 23, 2017
CREATING WITH A TOUCH OF NOSTALGIA
​We did not rehearse on August 16th as most of the team was away on vacation.  With Mandy and Sherri still out of town, Jonathan and Lorena return to the studio today.  They are accompanied by Dawn and Daniel, dear friends/former dance colleagues and roommates who have flown in from England to visit Jonathan and his family.  The close personal and professional bonds between Dawn, Daniel, and the Second Story dancers are evident when they attend today’s rehearsal.  What a wonderful reunion!

It’s great having 2 extra pairs of hands for child care – but the four adults are outnumbered by 5 kids:  Dawn and Daniel’s 8-year-old daughter Elizabeth and 3-year-old daughter Mary, Edgar, Eliza, and Sebastian.  Fortunately, all the children are very familiar with the dance studio environment and generally play well together.

Since she hasn’t taken class for years, Dawn is excited to join Jonathan and Lorena for the warm-up.  Daniel chooses to stretch on his own.  Since Lorena is eager to dance, everyone agrees on an abbreviated version of exercises and across-the-floor sequences.  Dawn does well, her years of training in evidence.  The dancers all have a great time doing what they love most – together!

During a brief break, the parents set up the kids with a movie on a tablet.  Daniel volunteers to take the kids to the lounge area and supervise movie time.

With the children in another room, Jonathan and Lorena can fully focus on augmenting the big phrase in Jonathan’s piece.  This segment of the dance was originally created for Mandy, but Jonathan wants Lorena and Mandy to dance it together.  Lorena initially learned the material a couple of weeks ago, but watches a video of the section to refresh her memory.  While practicing, Lorena makes a couple of mistakes that Jonathan actually prefers to his original steps; Jonathan calls them “happy accidents.”   

After making a few more adjustments, Jonathan choreographs new material to add on to Lorena’s part.  We see a lot of movement on hands and knees and rolling on the floor.  Jonathan develops choreographic ideas and tests them out with Lorena.  Together, they evaluate the material, refining certain movements and changing others.  With Dawn offering feedback on their choices, the dancers experience a satisfying collaboration.  Jonathan is delighted that he and his colleagues have completed choreography to a big chunk of the music.

​All too soon, the kids return to the studio.  But Jonathan and Lorena are excited about the quality of their work and grateful to share their process with Dawn and Daniel.  This has been a true celebration of   the creative process, life-long friendships, and parenthood. 
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    Genesis of Second Story

    Authors

    Sherri Muroff Kalt, founder of Process Portraits, LLC and author of Portrait of an Artistic Journey: The Creative Process in Real Life Context, is a Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in psychology. She began her career in marketing and sales in New York City with L’Oréal, Monet Jewelers, and Givenchy. READ MORE

    Jonathan Riedel, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Riedel Dance Theater, began choreographing professionally in 1999. In 2002, he staged his breakaway hit,The Unsightful Nanny, on the Limón Dance Company, and in 2003 he founded Riedel Dance Theater, presenting its inaugural season in NYC and Italy. His work quickly became known for its taut, intelligent humor and poignant dramatic power. DanceView Times proclaimed it “brilliant," "profoundly moving," and having "an ingenuity and timing that would make Petipa jealous." ​READ MORE

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  • Home
  • Back Stories
    • Jonathan and Sherri's Back Story
    • Allie Kaye Dakers' Back Story
  • About Us
  • Blogs
    • Jonathan Riedel/Second Story Dance Project
    • Allie Kaye Dakers/Middle School Drama Club
    • Jonathan, Allie and Sherri Artist Round tables