Last night, I had the opportunity to perform as a part of
the HATCH Scramble at The Hunter. It was the official kick-off for the HATCH
Festival, and it was phenomenal. I was a part of an improv game that was the
baby of Ann Law from Barking Legs. Marcus Ellsworth, Jim Pfitzer, Angela Sweet,
and another dancer whose name I didn’t get participated. It was interesting,
and, to be honest, went A LOT better than I initially thought it would.
We all bounced off each other (or, however many people were in each piece did). Exactly what we did and how we did it is hard to describe, but the best way I can attempt to articulate it is to say that it was a series of riffs. We (the dancers, two poets, and a storyteller) riffed off each selected theme, off each other, and off the audience. It was grand.
We all bounced off each other (or, however many people were in each piece did). Exactly what we did and how we did it is hard to describe, but the best way I can attempt to articulate it is to say that it was a series of riffs. We (the dancers, two poets, and a storyteller) riffed off each selected theme, off each other, and off the audience. It was grand.
I had to leave the group a little early to prepare for my set. I hit the bathroom, went to the locker that The Hunter staff permitted me to use, got a drink, and then was ready. I had to wait for someone to turn the lights up in the area I was performing in, but after the technical issues got knocked out, everything was a go.
Initially, the crowd was very small and intimate. There were several events taking place simultaneously, so I wasn’t surprised and definitely wasn’t offended. I began with Love’s Theme, which is a poem I wrote about ten years ago for a girl I had a HUGE crush on when I was in high school. The deeper I got into the piece, the more people I saw start to enter the space. By the time I finished the poem, the crowd had tripled, and more people kept coming.
It had been a very long time since I performed without a microphone, and in this instance, it was liberating. I felt so completely free while I was on that I walked around and into the crowd while performing, interacted with people, etc. The Hunter has always been a magical place for me to perform. There’s so much energy there, and you can feel it reverberating off the walls. It was a beautiful experience.
After 30 minutes (my allotted time), I ended my set, introduced Jim Pfitzer,
and then went to air out for a little bit. I was covered in sweat (hey, I was
WORKING!), but I was buzzing. It truly was a blessing.
After I cooled off, I had the chance to talk to people who had seen the set. None of them had ever seen me perform before, so it was really affirming to be able to connect with them and to have evoked something within them. That ALWAYS touches me, and I hope that that remains the case until I eventually make my exit from this life.
I’m really looking forward to the rest of the events for HATCH and 10x10. It’s an honor to be included, and it truly means a lot to have what I do as an artist and organizer for MANIFEST and Speakeasy valued. So, if you’re aroundChattanooga
After I cooled off, I had the chance to talk to people who had seen the set. None of them had ever seen me perform before, so it was really affirming to be able to connect with them and to have evoked something within them. That ALWAYS touches me, and I hope that that remains the case until I eventually make my exit from this life.
I’m really looking forward to the rest of the events for HATCH and 10x10. It’s an honor to be included, and it truly means a lot to have what I do as an artist and organizer for MANIFEST and Speakeasy valued. So, if you’re around
Blessings
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