This blog, right here, is up for Dance Advantage’s top twenty dance blog and for the best “dance organization” blog.  And we’re behind.  Please scroll down and vote for the Frame Blog in BOTH categories. Click on the logo below to vote.

Frame loves Dance Advantage, the fabulous blog by Nichelle Strzepek found at www.danceadvantage.net.  Many a time, our “links we like friday” come from articles I’ve read on Dance Advantage.  They are hosting the 2nd Annual Top Dance Blog Contest.  To vote for us, just comment below! Each comment helps us in this contest.  Comment away!

Thanks for your support!

Photo shoot today for our monthly performance installations at the Photobooth on Montrose that begin in January!  I’ll keep you updated on twitter and facebook today with some behind-the-scenes shots.

I am always curious about what dancers are doing during the Christmas season.  Shocking to some audiences, there’s a lot more that goes on besides the Nutcracker.  Pageants, operas like Amahl and the Night Visitors, gigs as wintery mythical creatures at fancy dinner parties… the list goes on and on.  What are some of the craziest gigs you’ve gotten as a dancer during this holiday season?

The thing about being a Frame Dancer in a dance film is that you’re a huge part of the process until it’s editing time.  Then I take over.  So I am always curious what the dancers feel and think both going into the premiere, and after they’ve seen the finished product.  And there’s this funny time between when I’ve finished editing and the premiere when I’m dying to talk to the dancers about it, but I try as much as I can to hold off and let the film do the talking.  It’s a unique experience for me as the director and for the dancers.

I’m doing a series here on what the Framing Bodies dancers thought of the film after they saw it.  They all wrote about what the experience was like during the the making of LOVE ME, but we haven’t heard from them yet about what they thought and felt seeing themselves, seeing each other, and seeing the entire picture revealed.

Stay tuned!

–Lydia

Original Post Date: 11/09/11

Are you a composer or know one?

We are all about collaboration here at Frame.  All about it.  And once a year, we open a Music Composition Competition to find new collaborators for our live and film work.  Last year’s winner was Micah Clark.  His music was in both Mortar, Sylphs Wrote and Satin Stitch.  A talented composer, his works were necessary for the work that we made, and played an integral role in shaping the piece.  Mortar would not be Mortar without Micah Clark.  The reason we selected his music was the depth of the sound.  I heard Stravinsky and Debussy and his own voice.  An old, old soul but at the same time fresh.

It’s that time when we open the competition again, to find this year’s winner and collaborator with Frame.  Here are the details:

2011-2012 Frame Dance Productions Music Composition Competition

Note: The deadline is January 6, 2012.

Frame Dance Productions announces its competition to select a piece of music for its upcoming Spring season. Its two-fold purpose is to offer outstanding emerging composers a forum for their recognition as well as an opportunity to collaborate with the dance performance company, Frame Dance Productions. We are looking for completed pieces, or for samples in consideration for a future work.

Award and Performance
The winning composer’s music will be the basis of a new original work– film and/or live and will be featured prominently as a collaborator with Frame Dance Productions.

Eligibility
All composers, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, are eligible.

Submission Guidelines
Works may be written for solo, duo, trio, quartet, or quintet.
Acoustic works that utilize electronic playback are also acceptable.
Electronic music is accepted and encouraged.

All music must be unpublished.

Interested composers should submit:

• a recording of the piece on a CD
• a biography, with current address, e-mail address, and phone number, and
• a stamped, self-addressed envelope, if they wish their music returned.

Entry Fee and Deadline
The entry fee is $15.00 and composers may submit up to three selections.  Make checks payable to Frame Dance Productions.

All entries must be postmarked no later than Friday, January 6, 2012.
Frame Dance Productions is not responsible for lost or damaged material.
The winning composition will be announced at FrameDance.org on Friday, January 28, 2012.

For submission details please email Lydia.Hance@FrameDance.org.
For more information on Frame Dance Productions, please visit FrameDance.org.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Framers!! Here’s some of our family

Small and mid-sized modern dance companies are always fighting opposing mistresses named Administration and Art. I often see companies deflate and fade due to a lack of administration and weakness on the business side. And when that doesn’t happen, too much time with Administration and not enough time with Art leads to a deteriorated relationship with the sensitive and emotional Art. And then we have dull work.

So what does a small dance company do to avoid this problem? One that cannot yet hire an Executive Director or one that doesn’t have an office staff. Is it really just a business-sense battle of the Artistic Directors?

I very much enjoyed this article written by Lizzie Leopold and posted by 4dancers about this very topic.

What do you all think are the keys to success for a young and growing dance company?

I’m a fan of DanceMedia.com as a forum. Our short flim, “There’s a Height Limit” is up for Dance Video of the Month, and we relish your votes. But today I want to point you to a trailer for the new Joffrey documentary called “Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance.” I am looking forward to this, check out the trailer.

And while you’re there, hop on over to our page and vote Frame!