04/07/2020
Frustrated friends! Do not despair! I am inviting and reminding you that Inanimate 48 Inanimate Dance is happening April 17-19. What is it? A virtual creative challenge—participate where you are with what you have. You have 48 hours to make and submit an object-based dance film for the challenge. Objects must be weight-bearing. I know many of you are separated from your training spaces and that feels impossible. Get creative, and check out some of the submissions from past challenges on the Inanimate Dance web site (link in my bio). I’ve seen: yoga balls, a-frame ladders, chairs, coffee tables, bike racks. Flip through some of these images of me and my friends and collaborators , . Keep in mind: social distancing restrictions—don’t use a playground that is closed and stay away from others! Safety is paramount—the last thing our hospitals need is dumb injuries coming in, so exercise conservative choices. Lean into framing, editing, music, concept to make your submission stand out—don’t assume that the only way to make a dance film is to do all your hard stuff on your usual apparatus. Think about storytelling or how we might look at dance and movement differently outside the box of the stage. I’m honored to be a curator for this year’s Inanimate 48 challenge, and I hope you’ll join me in demonstrating that art thrives in times of darkness and uncertainty. Entry fees this year are pay-what-you-can to accommodate our many friends and colleagues who are financially stressed by these circumstances. I can’t wait to see what you make! Photos by me, Melissa Roberts, Conrad Skelton, Katie Schmidt, and Nolan Edgar.