1. How did you get involved with the work LET ME INTO YOUR SKIN?

I was fortunate enough to be under scholarship of Kevin Patterson, director of APA, when Michael sent him an email looking for a young, capable, male dancer for his upcoming piece. After a few messages were sent back and forth between the three of us and my participation in a company class, Michael gave me the thumbs up and it’s been a blast ever since.

This piece is actually one of my personal favorites to both dance and perform. Being able to do it again a year after the premiere is very exciting for me. After being away from the dance for so long, I found that I could connect with it in new ways after being able to experience more of what life has to offer. It’s fun to compare the two experiences.

2. LET ME INTO YOUR SKIN is inspired by the play BEAUTIFUL THING and was commissioned by Diversionary Theater in 2011. Can you tell us a little about theme or plot of the dance?

LET ME INTO YOU SKIN is definitely a piece that everyone can connect with. It tells the story of that hesitant first love, and the fears, confusion, and rewards that come along with it. You’ll find yourself, as I did when first learning the piece, remembering key moments from your first love as they are expressed through Michael’s wonderful choreography.

3. Did you have any trouble acclimating yourself to Michael’s particular movement style? What was the most challenging part of the process?

Oh yes. I remember feeling a bit lost when I auditioned for LET ME INTO YOUR SKIN by taking Michael’s company class a few weeks before the rehearsal were set to begin. Horton was a very different style compared to the smooth, soft lyrical dance I was used to, and gave me plenty of challenges. Michael however saw something I did not and gave me the part. From then on I was submerged into a crash course of Horton and, as a result, it has become one of my favorite styles to experience.

4. Near the end of the dance, you and Nicholas Strasburg share a kiss. How well did you know each other at that time? Was it uncomfortable?

Nicholas and I didn’t know one another before this piece, so part of me expected there to be some discomfort, but I was very wrong. Nicholas has a wonderful personality that I felt comfortable around almost immediately, and after a week of being so connected through lifts and the overall experience of re-enacting a first love, the kiss came as easy as a handshake.

5. Lastly, you have been away for about a year dancing on a cruise ship. Are you happy to be back in San Diego?

I am thrilled! I missed being a part of the “dance world”: taking classes, experiencing what other dancers had to share, being able to exercise my creative mind, etc., and wasted no time getting back into it. I actually started rehearsal for this piece the day after I got back! I was so sore after the first two days and didn’t mind it at all. In fact, I loved it. Jumping back into the routine of working with Michael and Nicholas again was so easy it almost felt like I had never left in the first place. It’s good to be back.

You don’t want to miss John’s performance in LET ME INTO YOUR SKIN. HIDDEN AGENDAS open this weekend, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 7pm. Purchase tickets at www.MalashockDance.org.

Nicholas Strasburg in rehearsal for BUMP IN THE ROAD.

1. When BUMP IN THE ROAD premiered in 1996, the subject matter was considered daring and some would even say provocative. Do you think this still holds true in 2012?

I do believe that the subject matter will still be considered provocative. Even if the topic can be addressed in casual conversation, I feel that the physicality is kept behind closed doors…for the most part.

2. Michael received a Lester Horton Award for his performance? Does this put any added pressure on you or is this something you really think about?

No, those specific things don’t put much pressure on me. What does is performing and fulfilling the piece to Michael’s satisfaction. A solo has a bit more pressure because there aren’t other dancers to possibly draw attention. It’s just you and the audience. This solo in particular demands the audience’s attention.

This role has been performed by only two other people in 16 years (Michael and Jeff Bulkley). I will be the third. I am more excited to be a part of this legacy than I am worried about pressure from its previous clout.

3. BUMP IN THE ROAD’s sound score is somewhat unique. Specifically, it is a series of rhymic pantings, gasps and exhalations. Is this an actual CD sound score or are these done live as part of the performance?

This aspect of the dance is interesting because it makes each run unique. The breaths are generated by me during the dance, live. Each move generates a quick or sustained breath that becomes the soundtrack for the piece. It also emphasizes the feeling, theme and atmosphere of the piece.

4. Much of Michael’s work explores people and relationships going through dark changes and transitions. BUMP IN THE ROAD is a comedy. What is more challenging for you – comedy or drama?

Comedy is much, much harder for me. I tend to laugh at the joke intended for the audience, in turn giving away the “punch line”. It’s a much more subtle art to be funny than it is to be dramatic. It’s almost funnier the more subtle the joke is. That is the difficult part for me. I want to push the envelope, but sometimes all that is needed is slight nudge…an innuendo, if you will.

Make sure you don’t miss Nicholas’ performance in BUMP IN THE ROAD. This work will be part of Malashock Dance’s spring performance HIDDEN AGENDAS. For tickets, go to www.MalashockDance.org. Seating is limited, advance ticket purchase is recommended

Behind The Curtain is a unique opportunity to get exclusive insight into the inner workings of Malashock Dance performances, programs, and events through first-person accounts from those that make them happen. From performers and choreographers to directors, producers, and beyond, our varied cast of contributors will provide an entertaining insiders look at what happens “behind the scenes” at Malashock Dance.

Khamla Somphanh talks dance:

I love the entire process of going to class.  Whether participating as a student or arriving as a teacher, you begin class with anticipation and leave with an experience.  That experience is shared by the class and feels different every time.  I have had wonderful teachers and each one was committed to giving their all for every class.  I strive to be that teacher and notice that commitment is an energy that is contagious.

I am so excited to be part of the 4 Sundays in February Master Class Series.  Although I teach ongoing classes at various studios in San Diego, providing a 2 hour class will have a different feeling and intention.  My classes are based in the Lester Horton technique with an awareness of movement through space, weight change and natural momentum while using the foundation of classical modern technique.  I enjoy bringing all of those aspects together and love seeing it make sense and develop their bodies.

I was first introduced to Horton in the performing arts high school I attended and found myself immediately attracted to the physicality and simple lines that could translate from one body to the next.  As I continued my studies, I learned many other forms and four Horton to be the foundation in helping with the longevity of my career as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and forever student.

Come join me in class.  I will be present with as much as I can give, take and share.

Khamla Somphanh

Check out a video of  Bradley’s class  HERE and then hear all about it directly from him below:

4 Sundays in February (2/19/12) Master Class Instructor Bradley talks dance:
When asked to describe my technique or my choreography I used to get irritated. My chosen communicative tool is dance, and it speaks for itself, so why would I talk about it? I’d spent nine months teasing movement out of my brain and into the bodies of my dancers in order to make a work of art. Why would I reduce all that effort and energy and heartache to a few tepid sentences? I have struggled to find the proper, eloquent words to communicate something I always felt could only honestly be spoken about through movement. However, the necessities of being an artistic director forced me to open my mouth, and this is what came out. I still am not sure if it is proper or eloquent but it’s honest and that’s all I can offer.

I love when people fall down. I love seeing someone drop something, or spill food or drink on themselves. I love when my pencil breaks as I’m writing, or I accidentally give myself a paper cut while trying to create stacks of paper in the name of cleaning. These little interruptions that force me to change direction, or slow down, or reformulate a plan make my inner child smile. Walking into a plate glass window is the surest way to make me your new best friend. There is no greater joy in life than watching someone trip over a crack in the sidewalk, stumble a few feet, throw their paperwork and coffee into the air, lose a shoe, and finally succumb to gravity. Do not mistake me for a sadist; I take no pleasure in other’s misfortune.

What fascinates me is the immediate moment after a trip, but before the fall; when the fear has registered in the brain but before the self-awareness has taken back over. That moment when the autonomic nervous system kicks in, pushes the ego aside, the façade finally drops, and the unvarnished you peeks through. Gone is the self-assured, well put together, able bodied walker, a real self has poked out from behind the mask–limbs flailing, spit flying–as the body tries desperately to right itself. The moment of completely unselfconscious letting go is the moment I crave. When emotional baggage, plans for tomorrow, the echo of last night’s triumph or failure, the inner monologue all cease and you are totally in the here and now trying to prevent disaster. These moments often occur only in moments of great surprise, often coupled with pain or embarrassment. But they are more organic to me than the manufactured realism of play acting or emoting.

As such, for the overwhelming majority of my dance career I felt like an outsider in my own body. I didn’t want pretty and perfect, I wanted chaos and freedom. No matter which style of dance I tried (ballet, tap, jazz, Irish dance, breakdance), none seemed to replicate these images that swirled in my head. The impossible moves and liquid, crazed athleticism I conjured in my mind’s eye seemed to be forever trapped inside my skull. It was not until college when I met Stephanie Gilliland my first mentor, that I found what my body had been looking for: the permission to be itself. I spent three years investigating my body, listening to it, retraining it, and falling down a lot. I became unconcerned with the mirror and perfection and instead with the ride my pelvis could take, how far I could expand my kinesphere, and how intimately I could dance with my constant duet partner, the floor.

I take no ownership of this technique, of course, as I see it as a unique Los Angeles hybrid to which multiple dancers and choreographers have contributed. My own contribution has been to strip the artifice out of my dancing and let the choreography itself be the communicative tool. Rather than narrative, I strive for a visceral emotional energy exchange with audience members and fellow performers. I have found that this only occurs when I push my students, my company members, and myself out of our comfort zone and into territory that scares them, then delights them. The technique I teach uses a few structural and muscular foundations as a base upon which I add layers of high-speed, off center propulsion.

Therefore the best master classes I have taught are those in which the dancer’s completely let go of their beauty and fear of making mistakes and just enjoy the ride. I try my best to make the class as fun and engaging as possible, but this is also hard work. Hard work requires sweat, a few tears, and the occasional bloody, floor-burned foot. Those students who are preoccupied with looking in the mirror, making sure they hit all the right angles, and play follower to another’s leader seem to struggle. A dancer who pushes so far that they fall flat on their face earns a gold star from me, and possible future employment.

Check out a video of Jamie’s class HERE and then hear all about it directly from her below:

4 Sundays in February (2/12/12) Master Class Instructor Jaime  Nichols talks dance:

1. What originally drew you to dance?

I was drawn to dance at the age of 4 years beginning with "creative" dance and ballet. My mother was a dancer by avocation I used to ride with her to Beverly Hills where she took fascinating Afro-cuban/Horton dance classes with Elle Johnson. Johnson had been an early member of The Lester Horton Dance Company, along with Carmen de Lavallade, Rudi Gernreich, Alvin Ailey, Bella Lewitzky and Don Martin. And as a young adult I danced and toured with Elle’s company and was greatly influenced by her dance life with Lester Horton. I will never forget those days of discovery with Elle -she gave me a stage. One of the greatest influences on my dance life was my mentor Jaime Rogers. He was in the original cast of "WestSide" and danced with Jerrome Robbins, Martha Graham, Mat Maddox and all the greats. He was active in television , commercials and film.He was a hard charger and ever ready bunny that never stopped.

2. What motivates your teaching and/or choreography at this point in your career?

The dancers keep me going, just when I feel tried or unproductive a new face enters the studio and the energy draws me in. New music, life experiences, travel and my drive to move my body also makes me want to keep making movement and dance. I don’t think I will ever stop teaching dance it is too much of who I am. It is my core, my heart and my life.

3. What challenges can students expect in your class?

Maybe the pace at which I move along, the expectation that every moment counts, that dance is fleeting and deserves our attention while we are in "process". The dancer needs a state of total awareness -let go of what ever they were doing before they entered the studio and allow to be part of this time and space NOW.

4. How should students approach your class if they have never taken from you before?

With an open heart and mind. To be ready to begin slow with grace and build to a faster pace. Be ready not to stop!

I was originally drawn to dance because I loved to move, to be physically active, and to push my physical limitations. I was curious about the artistic side of movement and how it involved the whole being of a person. I was an athlete prior to dancing and wasn’t concerned about anything other than the body.

I am motivated to teach and choreograph to express myself and what I am drawn to in dance. I like that my choreography is an extension of where I am at a particular point in my life. It can be influenced by many things that inspire me and/or motivate me.

A student can expect to move a lot in my class and that they will be expected to not lose their own identity in my process. I am interested in dancers that offer their individual ideas through movement and therefore the class becomes collaborative in nature. I like to challenge dancers both physically and artistically.

If someone hasn’t taken my class I would encourage them to come and ask a lot of questions , make mistakes, and have a lot of fun. It should be challenging but can also be accomplished at the level they are at in their own training. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Malashock Company dancer and Malashock/RAW2: STRIPPED performer Blythe Barton talks to us about everything dance -

How long have you been with Malashock Dance?

I was first introduced to Malashock Dance in the 2008 Summer Workshop. Starting 2009, I apprenticed for one year before joining the company in the Summer of 2010.

What was name of your first dance concert with Malashock Dance?

My first concert with Malashock Dance was ‘Surface Tension’ in the fall of 2009 in Michael Mizerany’s Dance, “Wayard Glances”. “Tethered” was created for this concert. Right from the start, I was pushed as a physical dancer, emotional performer, and technical acrobat.

Do you have any favorite MD roles or pieces?

I loved some of the sections from ‘Shadow of Mercy’. I really enjoy character roles and the music of Leonard Cohen has amazing depth and inspiration for dance.

You are in 2 of the 3 pieces in Malashock/RAW2: Stripped. Do you have to do any amount of cross-training or additional training besides company class and rehearsal?

I take class with several dance teachers in addition to Malashock’s company class. I also rehearse and teach with other dance companies. All in all, I spend about 8 hours each day, moving around in a studio.

In Piece of Work, you portray a very sympathetic, yet unstable, character. What, if any, research did you do with regard to preparing for the role?

I have a very close family friend with schizophrenia and am intrigued by his unusual mental capacity and the difficulty that he has focusing on a single train of thought. Along these lines, I researched several videos of similar conditions where actions and reactions come and go quickly. With John Malashock’s direction, I was able to hone into this instability and unexpected nature of the choreography. John talked a lot about a bird-like quality of movement, to keep movements impulsive and unpredictable.

You were asked to sing, albeit badly, for your solo in Piece of Work. Did you feel self-conscious or uncomfortable?

Long ago, I came to accept that my level of vocal talent is zero to none. The character nature of this dance freed me of my tendency to be self-conscious about my singing. I could simply vocalize as the character and not as Blythe. When John first brought up the idea of singing, I made sure that “sounding good” was not part of his artistic vision.

You were also the costume designer for Piece of Work. Is costume design something you have interest in or was this a one time only event?

I have done quite a bit of costume design for my own choreography and enjoy the challenge of find items that fit with the intention of the dance and are suitable for the range of movement in the choreography. I was excited to take on the task of costuming ‘Piece of Work’, to make the characters distinct, yet relatable. The somber and neutral palate allows audience members to paint and project their own experiences.

Lastly, if you could describe Malashock/RAW2 for someone who has never seen Malashock Dance (or modern dance), what would you say?

Malashock/RAW2 is a diverse collection of movement ranging from staccato and sculptural, to fluid and sensual, to athletic and lithe. This concert pushes the boundaries of one’s capacity for technical dancing, yet at the same time presents very real and personable characters. To audience member: Come with an open mind, an open heart, and open eyes - don’t blink you might miss something.

Malashock Company dancer and Malashock/RAW2: STRIPPED performer Christine Marshall answers a few of our questions -

Dancer Profile: Christine Marshall

We sat down with Malashock Dance Company Member Christine Marshall to talk candidly about appearing in every section of Malashock/RAW2: STRIPPED and more.

How long have you been with Malashock Dance?

I began working with Malashock Dance in early 2007.

What were some of the first things you did with Malashock Dance?

My first dance concert with the company was Let’s Duet (2007), held at Qualcomm Hall. Prior to that were the On the Spot studio developments of Stay the Hand (2008), and a few non-concert projects.

What are your favorite Malashock Dance roles or pieces?

Silver and Gold (2007), a piece John Malashock choreographed on Michael Mizerany and I, remains my favorite to date. Subtle story telling, poignant music, and the elated feeling after nailing such precarious lifts are all very memorable.

You’re in every piece of Malashock/RAW2: Stripped .  Did you have to do any additional training, besides company class and rehearsal, to prepare for the roles?

Company classes and full days of rehearsals provide great training in and of themselves. After much repetition, the body becomes pretty capable of performing what is required of it. Apart from dance, I keep a daily practice of meditation and qigong. These types of exercises soften muscles, strengthen joints, and calm the mind. While it’s not specifically dance training, it is still very useful and a nice balance to my regime.

In Harem , you worked with guest artists Henry Torres and Angel Arambula of LUX BOREAL.  How was that process?

I loved working with Henry and Angel, their style, vocabulary, the movement in Harem —sequential, stemming from the floor, the gut, wherever, and moving through the body as circles or waves. They stressed organic movement, especially while partnering, where lifts emerge through sharing and leveraging one another’s weight. Nicholas Strasburg and I worked much to get accustomed to this approach to partnering. It’s more natural and easy enough for Nicholas to press or throw me above his head without sharing and leveraging, which is an ability that John (Malashock) and Michael (Mizerany) like to use to their choreographic advantage.

Henry and Angel were also extremely easy to work with as both have such gentle, straightforward personalities. Oh, and the opportunity to increase my little Spanish vocabulary (Angel instructed in Spanish) - that was icing on the cake!

In Harem, you had to perform with props (plums and watermelons).  What challenges did this present?

Ah yes, the fruit. To our luck, the plums were introduced into early rehearsals so we could get a hold (literally) on securing them between our knees, with our chin, and balancing them on our heads. There were also one or two occasions of condensation on a refrigerated watermelon that threatened our grips.

The largest fruit challenge, so I was told, was eating. In the dance, I tempt Nicholas with a plum as the other girls are eating their plum. The girls were challenged to eat them (at times unripe and sour), to the seed, within a short amount of time. The watermelon, however, was always welcomed refreshment.

At the end of Harem , all the women take a more aggressive stance against Nick’s somewhat misogynistic character.  Have you had to cope with this sort of viewpoint in real life?

Thinking about experiences with machismo or male chauvinism, I’m reminded of my life while residing in New York City. Typical NYC people keep to themselves when out and about in the city, but every now and then, some man will project his hoots, hollers, or catcalls at an unaccompanied girl. Whether recipient or witness, I always felt that sort of behavior was proclamation of (a wanted) power over her, which I found dull and aggravating.

Lastly, if you could describe Malashock/RAW2 for someone who has never seen Malashock Dance (or modern dance), what would you say?

Malashock/RAW2 presents three viewpoints on dance, just dance, no major storytelling, no elaborate costumes, no complex lighting. Dance is presented literally "raw". The movement is gritty, at times intense, but always honest.

Malashock/RAW2: STRIPPED dancer/Malashock Dance Company member Nick Strasburg talks DANCE -

Dancer Profile: Nicholas Strasburg

We sat down with Malashock Dance Company Member Nicholas Strasburg to talk candidly about the physically and emotionally challenging role he performs in Michael Mizerany’s “Desperate Love” from Malashock/RAW2: STRIPPED.

How long have you been with Malashock Dance?

I have been dancing with Malashock Dance since the Fall of 2008.

Do you remember some of the first things you did with Malashock Dance?

I believe my first concert was “Let’s Duet” and we performed “Spinning Away” and “Un-Nintendo-ed Outcome”…Unless you count the summer workshop, in which case it was Michael Mizerany’s “Feral .”

You are in every piece in Malashock/RAW2: Stripped.  Do you have to do any amount of cross-training or additional training besides company class and rehearsal to stay sharp?

I don’t know if I have to, but I go to the gym every weekday and attend company class twice a week.

Desperate Love examines the things we compromise for love (or the idea of love).  What compromise(s) does your character make for what he thinks is love?

I believe that my character sacrifices his modesty, or a representation of his own morals, in an attempt to attract others.  The obvious representation is that my character shows off his body for hopes of attraction, but with a deeper meaning, I feel he is giving up things he doesn’t want to in hopes of being loved.

In Desperate Love, you portray a sympathetic, yet flawed, individual.  He goes through some very dark changes.  What challenges did you find in playing such a role?

My personal life was going through a similar situation in which I was feeling unwanted by someone I loved.  At times, I felt that I was also compromising myself in order to stay with them.  So, my biggest challenge was to not take my role too personally and remember that I am portraying a character and not myself.

(Malashock Company dancer) Christine Marshall gets quite violent with you during your duet in “Desperate Love.”  It looks brutal. But was it fun to do?

Yes!  That duet is one of the most energetic and fun duets I have performed.  It looks as though she is beating the crap out of me, but really I am beating the crap out of myself.  It was a fun challenge to make something look worse than it was, and I want to assure others that I am not injuring myself…too much.

At the end of Desperate Love, you spend the last part of the piece in a dance belt.  Was the nudity a problem for you?

The nudity was not an issue.  I am very comfortable in my skin and feel that the art form of dance is used with the palate and canvas of the body. I prefer the audience to see the body in its fullest.

Lastly, if you could describe Malashock/RAW2 for someone who has never seen Malashock Dance (or modern dance), what would you say?

Malashock/RAW2 is a show about people.  It’s a show about issues people have, and the issues they contain.  It may be as benign as people passing and as complex as people in a three way relationship.  But it’s a show that brings to life the dance and movement that accompanies the themes of these relationships.  It’s not a direct interpretation of anything specific, so it gives you the opportunity to take away from it, what you need to.  Malashock/RAW2 does not spoon feed you, nor does it shove the meaning down your throat. Rather, it gives you the option to taste and take what you want/need.

Behind The Curtain is a unique opportunity to get exclusive insight into the inner workings of Malashock Dance performances, programs, and events through first-person accounts from those that make them happen. From performers and choreographers to directors, producers, and beyond, our varied cast of contributors will provide an entertaining insiders look at what happens "behind the scenes" at Malashock Dance.

Malashock/RAW 2 dancer MARIA JUAN  talks LUX BOREAL -

It has been a pleasure and honor to have been chosen to work with Angel Arambula and Henry Torres of the Tijuana, Mexico company Lux Boreal . Only once before had I seen a performance and taken one workshop class with them, but was quickly an admirer of their work. The ease and fluidity in their movements coupled with theatrical elements made me believe that I would be right at home working with them.

Beginning the rehearsal process, I relished in the movement phrases that were instructed to us. Their technique was one that I was familiar with and studied previously, which increased my initial comfort level. Their technical style is a combination of athleticism and sequential movement, with components of performance art intermixed to complete the Lux Boreal characteristic. This type of movement is what I have been vying for since I moved to San Diego two years ago. Yet, as rehearsals continued during the course of two weeks, I realized I was facing one of the biggest challenges I would have in my professional performing career.

During rehearsal, we ran a small section of the piece. Afterwards, the choreographers asked us what we were thinking of while we were dancing.

Silence…

While I thought I was "performing" the phrase they had just requested, they told us they wanted more. I realized at that moment that I was just dancing and not actually interpreting these movements internally. They then asked us to try looking at each other during the section; to make it more "human".  Such a simple statement, but it held such powerful meaning.

So many times we as dancers, execute phrases, slap a "modern dance stare" on our face, and get through the following fifteen minutes without ever realizing what we are performing. But as Angel and Henry said one day during the creative process, we need to "move", and not just dance. We are storytellers; utilize the technique as a tool not as the basis for what the piece is about.

So, as I continue to rehearse for Malashock/Raw 2, I am preparing myself a little differently than I have for prior performances. My goal is to find myself in the piece, as opposed to presenting the dancer I am trained to be. My second biggest challenge? Figuring out how to eat a plum in less than thirty seconds…yeah, you’ll see what I mean.

Maria