Kat's First Blog!!

Hi from Kat, AXIS’ latest Intern!

It’s great to come in to such a welcoming office when you’re thousands of miles from home!
I flew over last Wednesday from the UK after graduating from The Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds, UK and completing a summer of traveling adventures. (Including discovering belly dance in Morocco – something I hope to pursue whilst staying in the bay area)!

My first week has been great. I’ve been preparing for the exciting upcoming Home Season performances and working on the itinerary for AXIS Dance Company’s tour next month to the Lied Center. Lincoln. Plus I’ve got really good at leaving voicemail messages.

It’s wonderful to be in an area cram packed with so many dance styles and variety in Contemporary Dance. I hope to make the most of this during my stay and have already done an Irish jig, shaken my hips Bollywood style as well as keeping up my ballet technique. I’m looking forward to seeing what new contemporary work is emerging around here too and AXIS is a great place to start- maybe I’ll head up to watch rehearsal later!?

My experience of physically integrated dance is that the companies have a strong sense of community and know how to have fun whilst exploring new realms of movement. I am an emerging artist associate with CandoCo Dance Company in the UK, which has led to me creating a duet with a new friend, Kimberley Harvey, that I hope to return to in January. I have also undertaken work experience with StopGap Dance Company where I took class and had a taste of behind the scenes action. I am sure that my time with AXIS will build on these skills and open my eyes to the world of dance Stateside!

Cheerio!

AXIS Summer Intensive 2010 - last post from intern Cayenne

Congratulations to all the 2010 AXIS Summer Intensive participants!!! I am so proud of all the beautiful dancing and so glad I got to be a part of such an amazing collaboration.


Day 3:… 25 dancers of various ages, walk, motor, hop or wheel through the studio space, chanting different syllables;

"..huh, huh sss,sss, whooO, whOO eeeEEEAAaah eeeEEE…"

This is the AXIS Summer Intensive, a part of our technique class warm-up. For me, the uniqueness of the AXIS Intensive was a focus on the mental and social aspects of dance. The range of backgrounds, ages, and physical abilities were very enriching.

To see what I mean, check out our latest updates on YouTube and Flicker!

In the afternoon we had improvisation, and during composition we created solos inspired by anatomical pictures (for example knee joints or the shoulder). We then combined solos to create a duet, finally combining duets to create a piece for the showing at the end of the week. I loved watching the metamorphosis and evolution of all the beautiful quartets.




It's been a wonderful AXIS Summer, and I wanted to thank all the people I've met - staff, dancers, board members, and fans, for being so welcoming! I also want to thank all the summer intensive participants. It was an amazingly warm, friendly, and supportive group, and I really felt comfortable challenging myself. I hope that you can all take some of that openness into the real world and pay it forward. The last thing I would like to say is, hopefully you got some rest first : ) but keep on DANCING! - Cayenne Ross

AXIS on cover of New Mobility magazine!

AXIS was honored to grace the cover of this month’s New Mobility magazine. You can read the article on physically integrated dance online!

The last act of the 2008 Sins Invalid performance opened with a dark stage backlit with dusk-blue. To the sound of a pulsing Maori keening chant with techno highlights, wheelchair dancer Rodney Bell slowly lowered down onto the stage via cables. Sometimes dangling upside down, sometimes appearing to somersault, Bell, a T3-6 para, gyrated along the way. He slapped his chest and thighs — warlike gestures punctuated with grunts — and when he finally had all four wheels on the ground, his face, painted with traditional tattoos, appeared to the audience. The dance, sensual and aggressive, might have been a holy ritual.

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