Ashley A. Friend's Page

hey gorgeous

Hi Ashley. Gah, I've been away from Dance-tech and am now getting your reply. I was with Stelarc at Cornell in Ithaca. Berkeley is treating me well...do you have any shows coming up?? I'll be in NYC in a couple of months.

Hi Ashley,

So great to hear from you! What a small world we know!
The residency went really well at San Luis Obispo- the students were great, Diana is awesome, and the town is beautiful. It was a great trip.
I'm actually at the airport in Phoenix right now- just finished a week-long residency at Scottsdale Community College. Do you know Angela Rosenkrans? She's the director of the dance program there- a surprisingly strong program for a community college! I made a new work for the company dancers. Ah, to be an artist :) yay.
I hope your trip back to NYC went well- you didn't end up in the Hudson, did you?
Take care, best of luck, and have a wonderful and prosperous new year.

YAY OBAMA!

All the Best,

Chad

Chad Michael Hall
Visiting Assistant Professor
Dance Program
Loyola Marymount University
424.634.2113
ChadMichaelHall.com

Hey ladybug,

You are here. I am here. Yet we aren't together. I called you back this morning.
can't wait to see you, n

In considering where we are now, at this stage of our evolution, I see a species caught in the web of survival constructs of bygone eras. While a few people hold onto power, because they are out of touch with the realities of most people, the rest struggle to have a life. I always think of my tomatoes in my backyard - how a bit of technology helps them: water every morning, a wooden steak to support the stems. This is timeless. Just as food, shelter, and love are timeless for us. When any construct is overused, it disables. Too much water drowns. Too much support becomes obstacle.

Maybe directional opposition, weight, and balance will always be there for us. Maybe the classic model of dance technique will hold its place. But there is a new breed of tomatoes among our dancing-thinking community. We'll need to devise technique to work for them - us - and you are among those pursuing that.

We have to realize that every moment is a new moment... no matter what remains of the past we are circulating within and around.

Ashley, I had lunch with Stelarc this past Spring and he mentioned your name and that I might be interested in your work. When I saw your name here I remembered the reference and thought I would send a note. Your work and thoughts on dance and technology look incredibly interesting... I would love to learn more/discuss ideas!

THis is post for the video:
Hi Ashley. This is great. Your idea about the environment, the natural raw environment, being a scary body brings up a couple of things for me. 1 is that this work resolves the tension of dance when technique creates a dichotomy between internal space and external space. The relationship between internal space and external space can be construed many ways, but ultimately space is an extension of ourselves (we are part of ecology).

Speaking of Ecology, we spend most days in architecturally neutered spaces, so we are not equipped to deal with the changing terrain of unaltered nature. Dancing in Sololos, going outside and feeling how muffled the dance suddenly felt, makes me notice how our architectural spaces centralize human beings. It's a skewed reality.

Ultimately, media calls for adaptability to change, at least cognitively - upgrades and digital spaces take us to new interfaces at hyper speed. At the same time, our relationship with nature has never been so predominately important - going green, fuel crisis, Amazon land laws buckling, sustainability.

During a time of heightened awareness about the importance of our balanced relationship with our environment, and our need to adapt to changing virtual and digital spaces, I find this moving adventure proactive, and courageous.

JC

on the road as well. amsterdamned in the moment. i'm lousy with blogging, so you have to nag, if you want more information.
g

hey ashleyyy!
how is your tour coming along? i'm just about to leave glasgow and return to continental wilderness.
g