Ah, we are through with the last show of the first season at Skwhirlhaus! It has been a long, exciting, challenging, thought provoking, entertaining, educational, emotional, and most of all inspiring couple of months. Watching, participating, and performing in these shows both onstage and off has been an experience I know I could not get anywhere else, and I am so honored to be a part of it all.
Skwhirlhaus has allowed me to grow so much; not only as an individual artist, but also as a part of the larger dance community. I now understand what an undertaking it is to get shows up and running; everything from putting a call out for submissions, communicating with artists, and promoting shows. Then the added challenges an outdoor stage confronted us with including running cables across the back yard to be configured to three little power strips at our "light board", setting up sound on the back porch (thank goodness for Matt Whitmore!), cleaning the stage (which is done most efficiently with a leaf blower and bath towels, by the way), watching the weather report like a hawk and searching for alternate rain dates or locations (for numerous artists and their dancers - impossible? no!)
I think, for me, what makes Skwhirlhaus so special is the sense of family and community. I've loved watching Maryn's daughter Naomi play and dance on the stage or in the yard during rehearsals or while we set up for shows. And the joy we all got watching little Sorci grow in Maryn's belly throughout the first season, and then for her to be here with us for the last couple shows, nursing while Maryn set up lights (so bad ass) or sleeping peacefully under the donations table, or being passed from one of us to the other while we got our pre-show tasks taken care of. Gathering all the artists for dinner that we had cooked to enjoy in Maryn's home was such a special pre-show time too. Having this sense of community and support among the dance artists in Atlanta is invaluable.
Showing my work Night Kitchen at Skwhirlhaus in this final October show was so special. I remember our very first show at Skwhirlhaus last October, Maryn's work Thread - the stage had just been built, before our little collective was even a thing, we were just a group of women who were all connected to Maryn some way or another and she called us together to perform in her backyard. We since then have presented 25 incredible artists on the stage, and I am so honored to say that I am one of them :) I am so thankful for Maryn and her beautiful idea that has blossomed into this amazing space for the community. Here's to a little break, and a great season at the 'haus!
still from Night Kitchen at Skwhirlhaus October 18th, 2013
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