Photo by Michael Anton Parker





































Selected Choregraphed/semi composed Works:

1999 -Urban Studies
2000 -Live Quintet
2000 -Dead Quintet
2000 -An Angel Inhabits
2000 -Ceiling Fan in Philadelphia
2000 -Playground
2001 -Curtain
2001 -Snow in May
2002 -Airport
2003 -Print
2003 -Sand In My Soda Pop
2003 -Forced Cuddling
2003 -Home Movie
2004 -Places I've Never/Been
2004 -Ceiling Fan Remix
2004 -Baltimore
2004 -P.S. 41
2005 -Wrong Boat
2005 -Blind Date
2006 -The Disappearing Floor
2006 -My Little Monstrosity
2006 -Games Without End

Performance Archive:

Dec 10th
Improvisation with Corrie Befort
SuperDelux, Tokyo, Japan

Nov 9th/10th
Bowerbird presents:
PIA MATER

Performed by Amnesiac Music and Dance
at Mascher Space Cooperative
155 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
November 9th and 10th, 8 p.m.
$5-$25 sliding scale, pay what you can.

Choreography - Nicole Bindler, in collaboration with the dancers
Set design - Paul Santoleri
Costume Design - Patricia Dominguez
Lighting design - Zornitsa Stoyanova

Dancers: Adams Berzins, Liza Clark, Patricia Dominguez, Eve Hanan,
Kilian Kroell, John Luna, Graeme Mchenry, Shannon Murphy, Sara Narva,
Naomi Pressman, Molly Root, Michelle Stortz and Amberlee Woods.

Composers/musicians: Tim Albro, Ashley Deekus, Andy Hayleck, Katt
Hernandez, Michael Anton Parker and Bhob Rainey.

www.bowerbird.org, www.Macherdance.com, www.nicolebindler.com,

Nov 3rd, 8 p.m.
Excerpts of PIA MATER
NY dance exchange
CEC, 3500 Lancaster Ave, Phila, PA
www.cecarts.org

Oct 12th/13th, 8 p.m.
The Drought, inspired by J.G. Ballard's book
Choreographed and danced by Nicole Bindler
Music composed and performed by Andy Haylek
Hampshire College, Amherst, MA

Oct 6th, 8 p.m.
Improvisation with Leonel Kaplan (trumpet),
Andy Hayleck (bowed metal, electronics)
and Nicole Bindler (movement)
CEC, 3500 Lancaster Ave, Phila, PA
www.bowerbird.org

Oct 5th, 8 p.m. + 9 p.m.
Excerpts of PIA MATER
Headlong First Friday
Spirit Wind, 213 New St, Phila, PA

Sept 20th, 12:00-3:00 p.m.
Sound Space: Japan/USA
Open rehearsal with Ensemble N_JP
Ryuko MIZUTANI (koto)
Ko ISHIKAWA (sho)
Kazuhisa UCHIHASHI (e-guitar)
Gene Coleman (bs. clarinet)
and dancers Nicole Bindler and Alissa Cardone
Studio B, 209 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA

Sat, June 16th, 8:00 p.m.
Bindler dances with Tim Albro (guitar, electronics)
Also dancing, Alissa Cardone (Boston), Melisa Putz
and Eun Jung Gonzalez (NYC).
Broad St Ministry http://www.bowerbird.org/

Sat, June 9th, 8:00 p.m.
Amnesiac Music and Dance premiers excerpt of
PIA MATER, Choreographed by Nicole Bindler
Mascher Space Cooperative, http://mascherdance.com/
155 Cecil B. Moore Ave. Phila, PA.

Thurs, May 17th, 9:30 p.m.
Signal Quintet w/ AMD
Dancers: Nicole Bindler, Naomi Pressman, Liza Clark, Sara Narva,
Michelle Stortz, Gabrielle Revlock, Zornitsa Stoyanova, Summer Schultz,
John Luna, Graeme Mchenry, Adams Berzins and Rebecca Patek.
Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave. Phila, PA.
http://bowerbird.org

Sat, May 12th, 9:00 p.m.
Bindler dances with musicians:
Dan Breen, Melissa Moore, John Berndt
Chiara Giovando, and Andy Hayleck
Red Room, http://redroom.org
Baltimore, MD.

Fri, May 11th, 8:00 p.m.
Screening of "Rosemary, That's for Remembrance":
Short dance for the camera by Nicole Bindler and Loren Groenendaal
Masher Space Cooperative, http://mascherdance.com/
155 Cecil B. Moore Ave. Phila, PA.

Sat/Sun May 5th and 6th
Philadelphia Contact Improvisation Festival
Classes, Jams, performances, dance party, food and more!
Check this link soon for more details:
http://phillydance.com/ci/

March 30th, 31st, 8 p.m.
and April 1st, 3 p.m.
PIMA Group:
"What a Quaint Scene We Were That Night"
Choreographed by Melisa Putz
CEC, 3500 Lancaster Ave, Philly, PA.
http://www.pimagroup.org/

Thurs, April 5th and/or Sat, April 7th
Improvisation w/ James Ilgenfritz.
San Diego, CA.
For details check: http://jamesilgenfritz.com

Feb 2nd, 8 .p.m.
One And One
an evening of Music/Dance duos:
Nicole Bindler and Andy Hayleck
perform "The Drought" inspired by J.G Ballard
w/ costumes and set by Dave Lavendure.
Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave.
Produced by Bowerbird.

Feb 20th, 6 p.m.
Tabadol Project
Music and dance improvisation
featuring artists from Lebanon and the U.S
Kennedy Center, Millenium Stage, D.C.

Feb 23rd, 9 p.m.
Tabadol Project
Music and dance improvisation
featuring artists from Lebanon and the U.S
Community Educcation Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave.
Produced by Soundfield and Bowerbird.

Dec 3rd, 3 p.m.
Kiss/Kick my Ass
The Parlor, 1170 S. Broad

Nov 11th, 2006. 8 p.m.
PNDME performs new work by Asimina Chremos.
Sponsored by Philadelphia Dance Projects
Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine St., Phila, PA.

Nov 10th 8 p.m.
Nicole Bindler, Reuben Radding, Gregory Reynolds trio
Plus 4 sets of amazing experimental music.
CEC, 3500 Lancaster Ave, Phila, PA
Produced by Bowerbird.

Nov 4th 8:00 p.m
PIMA Group Fundraiser
Mascher Space Coop
155 Cecil B. Moore Ave., Phila, PA.

Oct 30th, 8:00 p.m.
Soundfield Improvised music and dance.
CEC, 3500 Lancaster Ave, Phila, PA.

Oct 8th, 1 p.m.
An Assembly Such as This
Choreographed by Melisa Putz
CEC, 3500 Lancaster Ave., Phila, PA.

Sep 9th/10th, 2006. 1-6 p.m.
PNDME performs "Games Without End"
as part of the Philly Fringe Festival.
Mascher Space Cooperative
155 Cecil B. Moore, Phila, PA.

Jul 30th, 2006. 6 p.m.
*Tabadol Project -Postoned til the fall*
Kennedy Center, Millenium Stage
Washingon, D.C.

Jul 22nd, 2006. 8 p.m.
Improvisation with Leandro Barzabal
from La Plata, Argentina. and others
Slought 4017 Walnut Street, Phila, PA.

Jun 24th, 2006. 8 p.m.
and 6-25-06
PNDME performs in
Dance House at the Drake
as part of the New Festival.
Philadelphia, PA

May 29th, 2006. 8 p.m.
Improvisation with Tim Feeney
The Nave Gallery
Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church
155 Powderhouse Blvd., Somerville, MA

May 28th, 2006.
Dance/Music/Video performance
at Gallery 119, Lowell, MA

May 26th, 2006. 8 p.m.
Philadelphia New Dance and Music Ensemble
Performs "My Little Monstrosity"
at Casania Studio, Cambridge, MA.

May 19th, 2006. 8 p.m.
Bowerbird @ Nexus Gallery
Philadelphia, PA

May 6th, 2006. 8 p.m.
PNDME performs "Natural Habitat"
Mascher Space Cooperative
155 Cecil B. Moore, Phila, PA.

Apr 22nd, 2006. 1:00 p.m
Open Rehearsal with the Philadelphia
New Dance and Music Ensemble.
Susan Hess Studio
2030 Sansom Street, 3rd Fl.
Philadelphia, PA.

Apr 2nd, 2006. 8 p.m.
New Dance Alliance´s
Performance Mix Festival
Bindler performs "Wrong Boat"
With Bhob Rainey,
at the Joyce SoHo,
155 Mercer Street, NY, NY.

Mar 30th, 2006. 8 p.m.
Philadelphia New Dance
and Music Ensemble
performs with Second Nature
at The Theater Project.
Baltimore, Md.

Mar 12th, 2006. 2-5 p.m.
Second Sunday Contact Improvisation Jam.
2-5 p.m. beginner's basics class, $5.
3-5 p.m. jam, $3-5 donation.
The Parlor, 1170 S. Broad.
Philadelphia, PA

Feb 25th, 2006.
Cinqefoil:
In my dream, I met somone who was awake.
An evening of alive music and dance by the five:
John Berndt, Nicole Bindler, Asimina Chremos,
Carol Genetti and Ayako Kato.
Hexameter Studios, Chicago, IL. $5

Feb 18th, 2006. 9 p.m.
Improvisation and antics with John Berndt
at the Red Room.
Baltimore, MD.

Jan 13th, 2006. 8 p.m.
Jan 14th, 8 p.m., and 15th, 3 p.m.
New Edge Mix performance
Bindler Performs "Wrong Boat"
With John Berndt and Shinjoo Cho
at the Community Education Center
3500 Lancaster Ave.
Philadelphia, PA.

Nov 3rd, 2005.
Tour of Argentina begins
with Leonel Kaplan.
Detail tba.

Oct 16th, 2005.
D.C. Improvisation Festival
with Dan Breen and Andy hayleck
(musical saws)

Oct 14th, 2005. 8 p.m.
Philadelphia New Dance and Music Ensemble
Performs "Blind Date"
CEC, Philadelphia, PA

Sep 25th, 2005. 1:30 p.m
High Zero Festival
Outdoor performance in Wyman Park
with Kate Porter, Claire Barratt,
Melissa Moore and Rose Hammer.
Baltimore, MD

Sep 17th, 2005. 7 p.m.
Sept 2-4, 8-11, 15-17.
Philadelphia Livearts Festival
Bindler performs in "Bardo"
Choreographed by Leah Stein
Outdoors at Broad and Spruce Streets.
Philadelphia, PA.

Sep 2nd, 2005. 8:30 p.m
Sept 2-4, 8:30 p.m.
and Sept 3rd. 3:00 p.m.
Philadelphia Livearts Festival
Bindler performs "Print"
Christ Church,
Church and American St.
Philadelphia, PA

Aug 25th, 2005. 8 p.m.
Bindler performs "Wrong Boat"
With Leonel Kaplan and
Jonathan Vincent
Also, Improvisation with
Estelle Woodward, Jeff Arnal
Bhob Rainey, Sean Meehan
and Leonel Kaplan
Chez Bushwick, 8pm
304 Boerum St #11,
Brooklyn, NY.

Aug 19th, 2005. 9 p.m.
Improvisation with
Leonel Kaplan
John Berndt and
Bhob Rainey.
RedRoom, Baltimore, MD

Jul 29th, 2005. 8 p.m.
Dance/Music improvisation with
Susan Alcorn, John Bernt and others.
Highwire Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Jul 3rd, 2005. 8 p.m.
33 Hours
Dance-Theater camp showing
The Parlor
1170 S. Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA

Jun 24th, 2005. 7ish
"Is Something Happening?"
Site specific performance
with Dance Theater Camp.
Outside of Christ Church and vincinity.
Olde City, Philadelphia, PA.

Jun 5th, 2005. 2:30 p.m
Nicole Performs "Wrong Boat"
with Jonathan Vincent. 
CasaNia benefit for Oxfam
Cambridge, MA

Jun 4th, 2005. 8 p.m.
The Curiosity Channel
an Evening of Cozy Improvisation:
Nicole Bindler, movement
Joe Burgio, movement
Teresa Czepiel, movement
Katt Hernandez, violin
Vic Rawlings, cello, electronics
Liz Tonne, voice
Walter Wright, analog synth and video
Coziness will happen in a Fort Point loft,  
for address and other info email:
CuriosityChannel@yahoo.com
Requested Donation: eight dollars

May 28th, 2005. 8 p.m.
Collaboration with John Berndt,
Asimina Chremos and Carol Genetti.
At theThe Creative Alliance,
Baltimore, MD.

May 15th, 2005. 3 p.m.
Lost Spirits
Community Education Center
Philadelphia, PA

May 14th, 2005. 3 p.m.
Lost Spirits
Philadelphia Museum of Art

May 14th, 2005. 8 p.m.
Lost Spirits
Community Education Center
Philadelphia, PA

May 13th, 2005. 8 p.m.
Lost Spirits
Choreographed by Ju-Yeon Ryu
Philadelphia Museum of Art

May 7th, 2005. 9 p.m.
IT TAKES TWO (3)
Vox Populi Gallery
1315 Cherry Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA
www.hungrymonsters.net

Apr 3rd, 2005. 9 p.m.
Dance/Music improvisation
with Katherine Porter
and Russell Kotcher.
True Vine Records
1123 W. 36th St
Baltimore, MD

Apr 2nd, 2005. 8 p.m.
East Coast Dance Exchange.
Performances by Hana Van Der Kolk,
Leah Stein, Alli Ross, Teresa Czepiel
and Nicole Bindler.
At The Parlor, 1170 S. Broad St.,
Philadelphia, PA

Also from 2-5 p.m. at The Parlor,
Hana will teach a Yoga and Dance
Improvisation workshop.
For reservations/information
call 215-732-0130.

Mar 17th, 2005. 8 p.m.
The Walt Whitman Arts Center
Women's History Month
Camden, NJ

Feb 27th, 2005. 8 p.m.
Colloration with John Berndt.
Also Performing: PIMA group
Estelle Woodward and Jeff Arnal.
Kensington South Forum.
1627 N. 2nd street.
Philadelphia, PA

Jan 8th, 2005. 9 p.m.
Guest appearance in
Geodesic Gnome.
Red Room
Baltimore, MD

Dec 11th, 2004. 8:30 p.m
Two, Two
Dance and Music Improvisation by
John Berndt, Nicole Bindler,
Joe Burgio, Jessica Newman and others
RedRoom, Baltimore, MD

Dec 10th, 2004. 8 p.m.
Two, Two
Dance and Music Improvisation by
John Berndt, Nicole Bindler,
Joe Burgio, Jessica Newman and others
Highwire Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Nov 6th, 2004. 8 p.m.
Studio Series
John Berndt, Nicole Bindler, Joe Burgio, Teresa Czepiel,
Katt Hernandez, Jessica Newman, Bhob Rainey
and Stephanie Sherman
CasaNia Studio, Cambridge, MA

Sep 30th, 2004.
High Zero Festival
Baltimore, MD

Aug 31st, 2004. 8 p.m.
Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues and Ideas
at The Bridge Series
Williamsburg Art neXus Brooklyn, NY.

Aug 27th, 2004. 8 p.m.
Stephanie Sherman in Equador!
performs "Places I've Never/Been"
Choreographed by Nicole Bindler.
Produced by Frente Independiente de Danza
La Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana (CCE)
la Sala de Artes Escénicas "Mariana de Jesús,"
Quito, Ecuador.

Jul 30th, 2004.
Shawinigan Street Theatre Festival
Shawinigan, Quebec

Jul 24th, 2004. tba
Collaboration with Asimina Chremos
Silverspace, Chicago, IL.

Jul 9th, 2004. 8 p.m.
Virgin
Fresh Choreography from Boston's
newest dance scene.
Dance Complex, Cambridge, MA
Produced by Zoe Dance

Jul 2nd, 2004. 8 p.m.
Dance and music improvisation
with Nicole Bindler and John Berndt
The Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD.

Jun 26th, 2004. tba
Terri and Bo's performance/picnic
Georges Island, details tba

Jun 25th, 2004. 8 p.m.
Curiosity Channel
Nicole Bindler, Joe Burgio, Bhob Rainey
Dance/Music improvistion
Invite Only, to recieve an invitation email
curiositychannel@yahoo.com

Jun 17th, 2004. 8 p.m.
Bon Voyage Olivier
Dance Improvisation at Loft 211

Jun 5th, 2004. 2:00 p.m
Bon Voyage Nicole
Dance Improvisation performance/picnic
Community Growing Center, Somervile, MA

May 22nd, 2004. 8:00 p.m
Somerville Theatre
Somerville Struts

May 9th, 2004. 2 p.m.
Debra Bluth presents an improvised work at 'Dance on the Top Floor'.
I'll be performing in Debra's piece.
Robsham Theater Arts Center Boston College.

Mar 27th, 2004. 8 p.m.
CasaNia Studio, 46 Porter Road Cambridge, MA 02140.
$8 Suggested Donation, call 617-491-5144 for reservations.
Studio Series presents: Hana van der Kolk and Melissa Putz with PIMA group

Mar 14th, 2004. 9 p.m.
Zeitgeist.
1353 Cambridge Street, Inman Square,
Cambridge, MA.
Nicole Bindler and Daniel Abraham (dance)
with Bopants (music/video)

Mar 6th, 2004. 8 p.m.
Artists@Large
37 Everett St., Hyde Park, MA
Improvisational Video by Walter Wright,
Dance by Nicole Bindler, Joe Burgio
and the John Voigt Music Ensemble.

Feb 7th, 2004. 8 p.m.
Dance Complex
536 Mass Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge.
Call 617547-9363 for reservations.
Shared Choreographer's Concert
Featuring a new solo choreographed by Nicole Bindler
entitled: 'Places I've Never/Been'

Jan 31st, 2004. 8 p.m.
CasaNia Studio, 46 Porter Road Cambridge, MA 02140.
$8 Suggested Donation, call 617-491-5144 for reservations.
Studio Series presents: Rythea Lee & Deborah Butler

Jan 30th, 2004. 7-9 p.m.
Zeitgeist
1353 Cambridge St.
Inman Sq., Cambridge, MA
electrovideomove
nicole bindler, joe burgio, teresa czepiel, dial 8, dj vartan, drt, paul kafka-gibbons, grenadier, lena, heather mcquiston, nauzeeaun, ukuphambana, w2

Dec 14th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Philadelphia, PA.
Performance with John Berndt and PIMA group
at The Table Space

Dec 12th, 2003. 7:30
Baltimore, MD.
Transmodern Age: Otherworldly Adornment. Organized by Catherine Pancake and Featuring 10 performers/artists/musicians from Baltimore, Boston, New York, and more at Chela Gallery

Nov 30th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Hyde Park, MA.
Dance/music improvisation at Artists@Large
with John Bernt(reeds, electronics) Produced by Ian Thal.

Nov 14th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Boston-New York Dance Improvisation Exchange
At The Stable in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Dances by Hana Van Der Kolk, Rafe Cohen, Alli Ross, Jesse Johnson,
David J. Roe, Nicole Bindler, Lailye Weidman and Fabio Taveres.

Nov 7th, 2003. 7 p.m.
Cambridge, MA.
Multimedia performance at the Zeitgeist
with Janene Higgins(video) and Katt Hernandez(violin).
Produced by Walter Wright.

Oct 31st, 2003. 9 p.m.
Lowell, MA.
Halloween at Evos Arts
Over 30 artists including several other local dancers,
Joe Burgio, Su Eaton, Heather McQuiston and Marilda Castro.

Sep 27th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Cambridge, MA
Nicole Bindler and Asimina Chremos
perform original dance works at CasaNia Studio

Sep 24th, 2003. 7-9 p.m.
Cambridge, MA
West Meets East at the Zeitgeist
Sound and movement artists from Portland, Oregon: Scott Smith, Bryan Eubanks, and Kathleen Keogh, will join Canta-Somervilleans Bhob Rainey, Vic Rawlings, Daniel Abraham, Nicole Bindler and Joe Burgio

Aug 27th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Hyde Park, MA
Nicole Bindler/Alli Ross and Cosmic Spelunker Theater at
Artists@Large

Jul 12th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Baltimore, MD
Nicole Bindler, Alli Ross (dance) with Catherine Pancake, John Berndt,
Andy Hayleck (music) at the Redroom

Jul 6th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Chicago, IL.
The Innocents (Bindler/Ross) and Echo Den (Chremos/Genetti)
at the Spareroom

Jul 4th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Chicago, IL.
Nicole Bindler, Alli Ross and Asimina Chremos
at Links Hall

Jul 2nd, 2003. 8 p.m.
Brooklyn, NY.
Lailye Weidman, Alli Ross, Nicole Bindler, Fabio Taveres, Zoe Klein at Williamsburg Art neXus

Jun 29th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Florence, MA
Lailye Weidman, Alli Ross, Nicole Bindler, Pipoca, Mindy Zarem
at the Wildlife Sanctuary.

Jun 28th, 2003. 8 p.m.
S. Boston, MA.
THE INNOCENTS: kick-off tour fundraiser!

Dance/Theater by:

Nicole Bindler
Alli Ross
Lailye Weidman

and special guests:

Joe Burgio
Emily Peck
Bhob Rainey
Vic Rawlings
Leila Simon
Mindy Zarem

@ Loft 211, 211 A St in South Boston.

Jun 27th, 2003. 8 p.m.
THE INNOCENTS: kick-off tour fundraiser!


Jun 5th, 2003. 7:30 p.m
Cambridge, MA
Seeing Both Sides: Symposium on Israel and Palestine.
Lailye Weidman, Alli Ross and Nicole Bindler perform 'Print'
Lesley University, Marran Theater.

May 18th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Cambridge, MA.
Annual Open Floor Showcase
Choreography by: Daniel Abraham, Nicole Bindler,
Kelley Donovan, Su Eaton, Barbara Freedman,
Liz Heichelbech, Carey McKinley, Heather McQuiston,
Ian Thal, Lailye Weidman, and Mindy Zarem; also with
dZig dZag and Walter Wright. at Green Street Studios

May 11th, 2003. 7 p.m.
Cambridge, MA
Pax Dansare: dances of peace and war.
Lailye Weidman, Alli Ross and Nicole Bindler
perform 'Print' at the Dance Complex

Mar 29th, 2003. 12 p.m.
Worldwide Peace Demonstration
Boston Common
Zaitoun Dance Troupe
performs Palestinian Dabke

Mar 1st, 2003. 8 p.m.
S. Boston, MA
Mobius Works-in-Progress. Produced by Marjorie Morgan.

Feb 15th, 2003. 8 p.m.
Boston, MA
Nicole Bindler, Joe Burgio(dance) and Mike Bullock(Bass)
at the Berwick Research Institute







Dear friends and colleagues, Here is some writing about my visit to Japan. Please let me know if you would like to continue to receive performance announcements but don't want to receive these writings. I've added subject headings for the various sections, so feel free to scroll down to the topics that interest you. Here's a link to some video of Corrie Befort and I dancing outdoors: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6CAwxVHrs54 Here's a link to her website with details about our upcoming performance in Tokyo: http://www.cbefort.com/ Please note the change in venue.

Best wishes, -Nicole


Intro
I'm here in Japan for two weeks to dance, rehearse and perform with Corrie Befort. This project was funded in part by a professional development grant from Dance Advance. I'm staying this week in Ebina, outside of Tokyo with Corrie. Next week I'll be staying in Tokyo with another dancer friend of mine from Philly, Rebecca Lloyd Jones.

When I arrived on Sunday the 25th, after 20 hours of traveling, I stood transfixed in the Shinjuku train station, waiting for Corrie to pick me up. A man asked in English if I needed help and I said no. I must have looked a mess standing there in the center of the station, people streaming around me, suitcases and bags strewn at my feet, circles under my eyes, slack jawed, mesmerized by three women in pink bunny costumes dancing in a video ad on the side of a building, standing there as if in the midst of a petit mal seizure. I must have looked terrible, but I was actually very happy. I knew that Corrie would come. I called her cell from a pay phone. Of course, she had said take the "South Exit" and I had taken the "New South Exit". Duh.

Corrie lives in an agricultural area, outside of Tokyo called Ebina. She lives on a quiet, pristine street in a very spacious house. Her husband is in the navy and is stationed in Japan. We went grocery shopping on the Army base. There were bowling alleys, bars, McDonalds, grocery stores and movie theaters. Many of these military families live in Japan, but they stayed in America. Corrie and her husband don't live on base. She's been studying Japanese intensively here for the past 3 yrs and has immersed herself in the Japanese dance community.


Aikido
On Monday we went to an Aikido class on the army base, where Corrie has been practicing for a few months with a Japanese teacher. I had studied Aikido for one year, ten yrs ago and a lot came back to me; the rolls and terrible wrist twisting. One guy said I was a natural as he winced in pain from my terrible wrist twisting. I was taught how to bow, how to get up with my left foot first and go down with my right. We practiced rolls and pushing each other up and down and wrist twisting. One guy said, "Don't look down, you've been looking down your whole life", which was a condescending thing to say, especially since he had just been showing me how to place my feet *down* on the floor.


Onsen
The Onsen are natural hot spring baths. We found one hidden in a garden of bamboo trees with wooded pathways, creeks and fire torches. An old man appeared at a sliding door and invited us in. He struck a drum several times as we took off our shoes. For real. We were led to a tea room with Western Classical music playing. It was ornately decorated with chandeliers, and smelled musty. Then we were directed to the hot spring baths where we washed at shower stalls, seated on these tiny stools. Then we boiled in the bath there for awhile. There is an interesting thing about slippers here. They give you slippers to wear indoors, but then there are different slippers to wear in the bathroom, so you're always changing footwear and it's always too small for me. Also many of the toilet seats are heated.


Rehearsal
We've been rehearsing at Corrie's community center, a very short bike ride from her house. The studio at the center has windows that open out to rice fields. In our first rehearsal, flocks of sparrows darted towards and away from us. As they flew towards us they expanded and then they contracted as they sped away, all in unison. We performed solos for one another as a way to become acquainted with each other's movement. As we soloed dozens of birds danced behind us. We also practiced improvised text and movement and contact improvisation. At our 3rd rehearsal we were joined by Yuki Enomoto who will be performing with us next week. We directed each other in impromptu solo compositions. One person would dance, another direct and another watch. We did every configuration between us and learned a lot about our different directorial styles. Yuki directed me to find a place where I wanted to be and to make myself very comfortable, whereas I directed her to perform a previously choreographed phrase over and over while singing a song she could barely recall from childhood, to the point of exhaustion. I was very demanding, but her solo was stunning. Our most recently rehearsal was outdoors on a gorgeous day. You can see footage from that rehearsal here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6CAwxVHrs54


Ohno
Kazuo Ohno's studio is outside of Yokohama. We had to walk up steep hills and stairs to reach the studio. from the top we saw the twinkling lights of the city. Houses were packed very close to one another, but there were still tons of trees and gardens flourishing in the crevices. The studio was tiny, in a house at the top of the hill, filled with chairs, couches and knick knacks. I think there must be a living space somewhere in the house, because Yoshito Ohno seemed right at home.

Yoshito Ohno's class was the most surreal experience I've ever had. An Italian dancer who's been studying with him for years offered to translate for me. He began by asking us to walk slowly. We walked as he played Western classical music for approx 90 seconds. Then he lectured for 5 minutes on the importance of every moment and how it is a gift to be alive. We walked again for 90 seconds. He made postural adjustments with little fans. Then he gave us all artificial roses and discussed the similarity between us and the rose. He touched the crown of my head and said this is the head of the rose and my feet are the roots. He had us run with the roses, asked us to let go of our ego, to disappear and be the rose, have the rose initiated our running. Then he cut a sheet of paper with a box cutter and asked us to cut the space. He said that if we lift our chins we won't have the power to cut the space. It seemed like an Alexander lesson on LSD.

Then he gave us sheet of gauze and asked us to dance with the gauze and to let the light fabric teach us about delicacy. He said all this was very serious, of the utmost importance, that when we get old we won't be able to dance unless we understand this lesson of delicacy. He talked about other dancers who possess(ed) this delicacy: Martha Graham, Pina Baush, his father, Kazuo Ohno. He had us dance to some ambient music, and then some more classical. At one point he thought we were being irreverent and careless, so he told us to dance for all the children in the world who can't sleep.

Dance for all the children in the world who can't sleep.

In other circumstances, I would have laughed because it sounded so heavy handed, but I was exhausted from standing for 2 hrs, listening to him lecture and the ambient music, My nervous system was totally fried. My dance had very little movement. I mostly just stood there with gauze in my hands, crying. After class we had tea and snacks, chatted and laughed like normal people.

At my second class with Ohno, people were already practicing their slow walking when we arrived. He had us dance with just our hands, then walk backwards, then dance just with our backs, then walk around while threading a needle, then push against the wall, then push against the air as if the wall was there. He talked about Buddhist philosophy, existence and nonexistence. I hardly understood a thing. He played Amazing Grace over and over and I cried while walking slowly. Again we had tea and snacks. Yoshito Ohno had a wonderful sweet presence with his students. He exuded warmth and affection. I told him his class was very meaningful to me, though I didn't really understand a lot of it. He said I taught him as well and he gave me a fake rose and a piece of gauze to practice with. I will practice, though I don't even know what I'm doing when I'm dancing Butoh.


General Impressions
Here is where I list all the strange things I've seen so far:

At 5 o'clock there's a song that plays from huge speakers to let people know it's time to go home from work.

The neighbors warn Corrie not to hang up her clothes on Yellow Dust Day, when yellow dust blows in from China and dirties her clothes.

The Japanese are so economic with their design. Corrie's pantry is in the floor. The sink water feeds into the toilet. They leave their bath water for days, reusing it over and over (showering beforehand)

The technology here is astounding. The rail system is extensive and efficient. Everything talks to you, the escalator, the bathtub. And the bath plays a song that chimes throughout the house when it's full. In some places there are fake flushing sounds at the toilets for modesty.

Everyone is so polite and organized. People line up for the train. Corrie lost a bag of new clothes on the train and retrieved it at lost and found. Not one stole it.

Many people wear masks because of the pollution and/or because they're sick.

Everything really is smaller here, I keep hitting my head on the handles on the trains. I haven't seen a single homeless person.

When I up I check my email and correspond with people who are going to bed. It's yesterday in America. When I go to sleep I check my email and they're waking up.

Flashing lights everywhere.

There is a second hand store called "hard-off", and an Americana shop specializing in super detailed beach boy station wagons called "rod sports".

"bottled water" in a can


Excursions
We rode a train through the foggy Konagawa mountains - absolutely stunning. We went to Odawara to see the ocean. There were massive concrete dumbbells lining the beach to protect the highway and city from typhoons. The sand was black and there were flying fish. The day was cold and overcast but the water was warm.

The main street of Odawara was lined with colorful translucent balls, strung from building to building
and hyper cheerful folk music played from speakers. I couldn't decide if this was whimsical or creepy.

The next day we rode our bikes along the Sagami river and visited some temples. It's fall here and there were red and yellow leaves falling continuously around it.


Tokyo
I arrived in Tokyo on Sunday and have found the experience to be quite daunting. I'm very allergic to the air here and it's hard for me to figure out what to eat when I'm on my own because I have a lot of food allergies. I feel overstimulated and very foreign most of the time, punctuated by moments of pure magic.

I'm staying here with Beka, her sister, brother in law and their tiny baby in their tiny apartment in Ikebukuro. I feel totally in the way. The only place for me to stretch is on the baby mat. Luckily they work 9-5 and I don't wake up until after they're gone. Otherwise, it would be a zoo. They've been extremely generous with me, cooking me dinner and teaching me how to eat Japanese food. Apparently everyone dips their own spoon in the same dish to serve themselves. I was politely told to hold my bowl close to my face so the food doesn't fly off the chopsticks and onto the floor. Oops. Beka made me miso soup for breakfast and we had mochi with green tea for snacks. It's the real deal.

On my first night here Beka took me to a "rehearsal" with her theater company, Science Projects, directed by Yelena Gluzman. The rehearsal consisted of a meeting at an Italian restaurant, where we stood at the bar for 2 hrs (food is cheaper when you stand) talking about Gurdjieff and expanding consciousness. Yelena, the director, gave them notes for her new piece "Worman" over wine and cheese and I was a fly on the wall. I tried to imagine what the piece looks like from their conversation. There are two casts, the Americans who are savages and the Japanese who are an anthropological film crew studying them. Fascinating.


Goldengai
Then we went to this area of Shinjuku that has dozens of bars that only fit 5 people at a time. We wandered into one that already had 5 people in it. The bartender encouraged us to come in anyway and we squished in. It was very festive in that little room. They all asked Ruskie? Ruskie? Because apparently it was a bar frequented by Russians. The funny thing is that Yelana and her performer, Dima were both born in Russia and speak Russian, though they're American citizens. I'm of Russian ancestry, but don't speak Russian. Beka is Of German ancestry, is American, but was raised in Japan. Lauren, another performer is Australian. So there were all these Japanese people speaking Russian, Japanese and English with us, but couldn't figure out who was what. Every bar in Goldengai has a theme. The decor in this place was eclectic. Lauren speculated that the theme was Papua New Guinea/Folk/JapaneseAvant-Garde/Dance/1970's Performance Art. There were masks on the wall and photos of the owner everywhere, doing ballet, playing the piano, doing expressive dance. This was a very special evening.


Anna
I took a contemporary dance class from a woman named Anna (one name only). Her movement was very fast and small and since I was a foot taller than her and the other dancers I looked really dumb doing it. Plus, she played this haunted house sounding music which made it seem even more strange. 10 mins before the end of class I sprained my finger during an inversion and was relieved to have to stop. I iced it and it seems to be fine.


Karaoke
Beka insisted we do this. She explained that Karaoke is just to entertain yourself, not to perform for others. It's true. We got a private room and alternated singing. As I sang she checked the menu for her next song and I did the same. Occasionally we watched each other, but mostly we regressed to age 10, alone in our bedrooms, pretending to be pop stars, singing love songs about boys who "don't even know we exist". She sang Japanese songs from when she was a kid and I sang a lot of Cyndi Lauper. We were required to order drinks so we got Oolong tea. When the guy brought it in, I stopped singing, suddenly embarrassed. This was very different from doing Karaoke in bars in the U.S., which is more like performing for strangers, pretending to be a pop star. This Karaoke was different, it was a solitary affair.


You must be an artist!
I walked around glamorous Shibuya at night feeling alienated. Everyone was posturing and I felt frumpy and foreign. The choreography of the main intersection was amazing. At the red light, the people would pile up as the cars raced by. Then at the green light, bicyclists would cut through the remaining space before the pedestrians completely filled the street. It reminded me of Ohno's image of cutting the space. I watched the filling and emptying several times. The flashing lights and ads on the buildings were seizure inducing. Back in Beka's quiet neighborhood, I was stopped by a Japanese woman who asked me where I'm from. I said New York to make it simple, (Philadelphia? Where's that?) and she asked if I'm an artist. She's a painter and she loves to dance too. She said she knew I was an artist because of the way I look as she touched my fisherman's paints. I was wearing at least 7 different colors, as usual, and probably looked a little crazy, as an artist should. She looked a little crazy with a white furry hat askew, dangling earrings and a long knit sweater. She was pretty, but had yellow teeth and her eyes were kind of intense. I was thrilled to have the company and found it unusual to have a Japanese woman stop to chat in the middle of the night. We talked for 20 mins and exchanged emails. She asked me to meet her sometime and teach her contemporary dance. I sort of smiled and nodded.


Ohno
Tonight was the strangest class yet. We danced for a total of 12 minutes in the 2 hour class. Yoshito Ohno spent the rest of the time telling us about the history of Butoh. He spoke in poetry so by the time the English translation reached me it was a mess. I did understand that he told a lot of anecdotes about Hijikata. Hijikata didn't eat for 2 weeks before one of his dances, so that he would be as emaciated as the Japanese farmers were during WWII. Ohno said that Hijikata used intense repetitive jumping as a training tool. I remember practicing this jumping with Deborah Butler when I studied with her in Boston. 15 minutes of continuous jumping, followed by extremely slow, contemplative movement. The jumping was very effective in exhausting the body to the point where the ego is totally dead. What's left is just the body moving. Apparently Hijikata went to a cemetery to discover what death smells like?! Butoh is sometimes referred to as the dance of death. Ohno also said it is the dance of babies. Ohno said that he never knew why Hijikata liked to dance to Amazing Grace. He wasn't religious at all, but Amazing Grace was his song. He also talked about Marcel Marceau, and how he possessed the presence of a Butoh Dancer.

We danced with roses and paper again. Then we had tea and snacks. I met a Japanese dancer based in Japan and Amsterdam who curates the Tokyo Contact Improvisation Festival and she invited me to send her my resume to be considered as a teacher there. Serendipity! I also met a Japanese man at the class who is not a dancer, but is a beautiful mover. I asked him what brought him to the class and he told me that his parents met in Ohno's class 30 yrs ago. He is estranged from his parents, but wants to learn more about them, so he is studying Butoh. I was honored that he shared this with me.

I took 4 different trains back to Beka's. As it got later each transfer was more intense. I was catching the last trains before closing. People were running through the stations, packing like sardines into the last cars. Many people were drunk, falling asleep, falling down.


Misc
Sushi-go-round: Sushi circles on a conveyor belt and you grab whatever you want, only $1.00 per plate!
Business men read manga (comix)
Each train has it's own song.


Dancing in Shibuya
Beka and I taped a small dance we did in Shibuya in the main intersection. http://youtube.com/watch?v=0soeMuZbwpw
I added some Swedish pop music to the movie because it seemed just right. Please tell me know what you think!


Ohno
Here is some video of Ohno's class. http://youtube.com/watch?v=K7nSi4e0DLI

I was late to my last class with Ohno because I got on an express train and it took me too far. My most glamorous moment in Japan: I had missed dinner, was starving, so I ate sushi with my bare hands on the train. When I got there he was demonstrating presence and delicacy by having three people dance near buckets of water, sensing the water. Then he talked about the preciousness of life and every moment. Then he had us walk with flowers. Then we ran with flowers and he demonstrated crying out "mama, mama look at the flower run" to show us the level of curiosity and joy we should have while running with the flower. He said that we should dance with the honesty and innocence of a child, that our feelings of sadness, anger and joy should be transparent in our dancing. He asked us to open our eyes, see the space we're dancing in and have a soft, wide gaze.

This class was about watching. He had us watch each other and told us to watch with our bodies, not our minds, to dance as we're watching and have empathy for the people we're watching. He said watching is where you learn, everyday life is our teacher, dancing and gardening are no different. Once again I cried while walking slowly. Ohno's studio has been a sweet reprieve, a place where I can drop in and feel. There's a Japanese woman who I've seen cry at every class. It's lovely to watch her dance because she's so present with herself.

I've felt safer in Ohno's studio than anywhere I've ever been. It's very powerful for me to go to a place where we talk about mortality because I think about death everyday. My father was sick for most of my life and I watched him progressively decay over many years. There's a book of photos of Kazuo Ohno at the studio; haunting pictures of him dancing in women's attire, and then pictures of him aging. The final photos are of him bedridden with his family dancing around him. The last image is of Ohno, mouth agape, hardly conscious, hardly breathing with an infant lying face up on top of him, smiling. I've never seen images of someone so honored at the very end of their lives.

After class we had tea and snacks. There were dancers from all over the world there and it was very festive. Then Ohno performed the most wonderful thing I've ever seen. He performed a Butoh dance with a puppet of Kazuo Ohno to "Can't help falling in love with you". Yoshito Ohno disappeared and all we saw was the grotesque, beautiful movement of the puppet with the crooning voice of Elvis Presley. I would have taped it for you all, but my battery died. Tragic.


BabyQ workshop
Yoko Higashino, the director of BabyQ teaches dance improvisation and technique twice a week at her tiny studio in Koenji. Yoko is an intense lady. One minute she'll be standing calmly and the next minute she'll bend backwards and end up twisted on the floor, effortlessly. When she demonstrates an improvisational concept, she dances full-out as if in performance.

After a long warmup she taught us a movement phrase. It was a very luscious, dynamic and beautiful piece of choreography. It was simple, precise, and juicy, something to sink my teeth into. It was short and easy to remember, but intricate enough to want to repeat and refine. It was fun to play with phrasing. She gave us the opportunity to practice many times in small groups.

It was hot in there. Some of her younger students drew faces in the steamed windows. Yoko was a wonderful blend of precision and passion, amazing to behold. She was always slightly off balance, dancing at the edge of her ability, not in her comfort zone. Unfortunately, she's one of those dancers who would rather be dancing than teaching. She's extremely intelligent, but didn't watch her students closely enough.

After the phrase we improvised for an hour. Her directions we simple: initiate from our pelvis, our head, different body parts, etc. Then we had to sync up a hand with another body part, which made for some unusual unison movement within our bodies. I sensed the energy in the room diminishing and I craved more specific guidance and attention. I craved a teacher Like K.J. Holmes (Hi K.J!), who is able to sense the energy of the room and shift dynamically between internal and external focus, keeping the dancers totally engaged. For example, in one of K.J.'s classes, she had us work with partners, internally focused, touching each other's backs with our hands as we moved. Then, when she sensed us all zoning out, she had us clap our hands in front and behind of ourselves, to wake us up and shift our focus to the outer world.

Though I appreciated Yoko's extreme talent as an improviser, I craved this kind of specific attention from her. I saw her discovering new and interesting things in her body at every moment, but she wasn't able to convey to the class how to be this present and embodied. She spent a total of 30 minutes of class time at her Mac, working on her playlist, which consisted mostly of hip hop, and she spent at least 5 mins staring at the floor, trying to articulate her directions for us. She should have spent that amount of time, before and after class taking notes and trying articulate her methods more clearly.


Noh theater
I spent Sunday with Helena Espvall, my friend from Philly who is here for 2 months playing music. It was her second day here and she had that shell-shocked, wholly-shit-I'm-in-Tokyo look on her face. She described difficulties with the shower and water heater in her apartment, all sorts of technological and logistical mishaps. We went to see a Noh Theater performance, recommended by our friend Gene Coleman. The Noh Theater was so slow and inaccessible to us it was practically unwatchable. Men sang to one another while moving very slowly across the stage, but there wasn't the tension that Ohno has when walking. There was a containment to the walking that made it almost invisible and I became very sleepy.


BabyQ Performance
The BabyQ performance was the opposite of Noh Theater. There were 12 dancers thrashing about to loud electronic music. There was violence, rape, gay sex, straight sex. One guy mimed jerking off and humped the wall. Another man pulled a woman's hair and they pushed each other to the floor. A woman sprayed water all over her body and made farting noises against her wet skin. There was awkward coughing and scratching. In the last scene a man peed or ejaculated on a woman. I'm not sure what it was supposed to be, but it was actually only water, I think. Total spectacle. The few moments of pure dance were beautiful, particularly Yoko's dancing. She was transcendent and was the only one on stage who could embody these painful emotions and experiences authentically. The other dancers seemed to need more direction. They were acting out the *idea* of pain. At the end of the evening the usher handed out feedback forms and I wrote to Yoko that the portrayal of violence without any reflection or insight just perpetuates the violence. For example, during the rape scene I looked around at the audience and several men seemed very aroused. I asked one of the dancers who I had met in class if Yoko's work is typical in Tokyo and she said that BabyQ is definitely the most edgy dance company in town. I wonder if Yoko is exploring all of these dangerous images without reflection because she feels an urgency to perform these taboos?


Capoeira Party
Beka took me to a party with her Capoeira friends. Most of them have gone to Brazil to study. I asked them why they chose a Brazilian martial art when there are so many Japanese martial arts. They said they were attracted to the creative aspect of Capoeira. It's not just a sport, but includes song, dance, and improvisation. The more experienced Capoeristas had the forward slopped shoulders that develop from years of practice, very different from the typical Japanese posture where the shoulders are more balanced from front to back.

Beka and I were worried because her whole family had a stomach bug. We ate Korean bbq at the party, but were concerned that we might start vomiting at any moment. Beka kept saying "don't think about it, don't think about it". One of the Capoeristas is studying acupressure and traditional Chinese medicine. He gave Beka a strange tincture that he said contained bull's testicles and sheep's uterus. She drank the whole thing and said it tasted like umeboshi plum. It's supposed to give you energy. She was revved up for the rest of the night and the next day too.

The Korean bbq was amazing, all different parts of the cow grilled and wrapped in a huge lettuce leaf with rice and kimchi. They complimented me on my use of chopsticks, then later, once they were more comfortable with me, admitted my performance was only so-so. I asked them what their struggles are, since everyone seems so affluent and comfortable here, employed, housed, feed and well dressed. They told me that there are homeless people, but they stay in the parks and by the river, invisible to the foreigner who stays in the bustling neighborhoods. They also told me that the Japanese struggle with suicide, that 5 x's more people kill themselves than are killed in car accidents.

I couldn't get a clear answer as to why the suicide rates are so high. It's puzzling.


The Glamour
Our performance was not the culmination of my work here. This writing is. Our venue was changed last minute due to double booking at SuperDelux, through no fault of Corrie's. The curator, who had messed up the scheduling found us a spot at restaurant. After all this site-specific work I was open to the idea, but the space was too challenging, too many variables, so I decided not to dance. The other performers went for it and there were some truly amazing moments, like watching the waitstaff contend with the dancers in their space. Corrie is brilliant at picking up on the movement that's already happening in a space and enlivening it. She's a masterful improviser. The other two dancers were less facile in this environment. They resorted to typical dance moves that looked trite in this environment. Corrie and I discussed the evening afterwards. She was incredibly understanding of my decision not to dance. We made plans to meet again in Seattle and Philadelphia and decided that this evening was not the culmination of our work together, but just one awkward evening.


Misc Japan:
I'm Beka's first American friend to see her home. She is extremely graceful at flowing between cultures. She grew up here, but has lived in the states since she was 14. She seems totally at home here even though everyone assumes she's a foreigner and marvels at her perfect Japanese.

Beka's neighborhood is very peaceful, trees, quiet, tiny specialty shops. Just a few blocks away is lights, cars, chaos. It seems that tradition and modernity live side by side here.

If it weren't for Corrie and Beka helping me find my way, I would not have been able to accomplish so much in 2 weeks. Left on my own, it would have taken me months to find my way.

Old world/New world. In Europe and Asia there's a sense of of cultural history everywhere. In the Americas everything still feels young and ripe with possibility. The new world feels clumsy, like it's still finding it's legs. The old world is rooted, has integrity and depth, but change happens slowly.

I loath to admit that I've been frequenting starbucks. The Japanese have the best tea in the world, but they don't know how to make coffee.

I met a guy named Michael Barron who is in the cast of Worman. Coincidentally, he was in Argentina when I was there and I met him at my BsAs performance.


Observations:
Everyone warned me about the expensive food. I've found tons of cheap, healthy food, full meals for $5-$10. What's expensive is dance classes: $20-$30, performances: $40 and the trains: $15-$20/day.

Vending machines sell cans of hot corn or bean soup.

There are free eyeglass cleaning stations outside of eyewear shops.

People shout into bullhorns and microphones outside of stores.

People stand with advertisement signs at intersections for hours.

People hand out free tissues with advertisements on them.

There are no garbage cans anywhere, but everything is clean. Where do people put the garbage?

People wear costumes to work. In restaurants and stores all the salespeople have matching hats and jackets.

Women wear shorts and high heeled boots in winter w/out tights.

Pachinko http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko is an addictive game where men sit in smoky halls, paying to move tiny balls around in this machine and if they do a good job they win prizes like a rice cooker or shampoo.

There are people pushers on the morning trains, wearing white gloves. They direct people and push them on the train to pack them in.


My Ailments:
head cold
fall allergies
fatigue from pollution/nosebleed
stomach bug
sprained finger
mystery swollen knee


My Merch:
kewpie doll http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kewpie_doll_(toy)
an individual cup with a lid and screen that you can brew tea in
belly warmer
toe socks
t-shirts with nonsensical strangely lewd English
extremely fine tipped pens
business card holder (they love business cards here)
thin bungy cord for my bike basket (every bike here has a basket)
reflective gear for my bike spokes