I feel like a blog needs an introduction. I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. I feel like I don’t understand the Internetz. I can has cheeseburgers.
So what is this all about? What is it here for and what am I doing?
Mad King Thomas has had to discuss our mission statement lately. It seems like “Making Things More Awesome” isn’t quite clear enough. (I mean, come on folks, that’s pretty self-explanatory, right?) So we’ve been talking about what it is we do, what we want to do, and what we care about. One thing we’ve mentioned (which we’ve known for a long time) is that our work exists as part of a discussion, and one of its functions is to spark more discussion. If I were back in college I’d say we’re interested in adding to the discourse. Hell, I don’t have to be in college to say “discourse.” Discourse discourse discourse. That sounds dirty.
We’ve also been talking about our approach to dance, which is what I like to call “the kitchen sink approach.” Anything could go into the performance. Talking, eating, posing, on-stage costume-changes, bananas, farting, pop music, silence, poetry, cardboard sets, elaborate Victorian furniture, overheard conversations, ping pong balls, off-key singing, and, maybe, if we’re feeling truly adventuresome, some dance moves. Whatever moves us, whatever forwards the exploration of whatever subject it is we’re interested in.
If thinking and talking about the world is the idea- the things we love and the things we hate, the problems and mysteries- if making the world a better place is our motivator, why stop at performance? If we believe in collaboration (and we do!) then why stop at our three heads. Let’s get the world in on this thing! Let’s ask the Intarwebs!
So we’re putting our process online, in hopes that others will chip in with their thoughts, and in hopes that people who are interested in hearing and thinking more will find some of it here. Usually we sit around in our living rooms and talk about our dances for months before we make them. We’ll still do that from the comfort of our living-room-rehearsals, but now we’re also committing to putting some of our thoughts out (at least once a week!) into the vast series of tubes that Al Gore was kind enough to invent for us.
Ultimately what will this blog contain? Sometimes essays or personal narratives. Sometimes photos. Sometimes rants. Sometimes links to articles or YouTube. Sometimes long stream-of-consciousness mental vomits. Sometimes just a couple of sentences. Sometimes stories. Sometimes reviews or impressions of shows we’ve seen. Sometimes images or ideas. Sometimes found text, poetry, quotes. Sometimes discussions about feminism. Hegemony. Theories of Oppression. Queer Theory. Bicycles. Sustainable living. Performance. Art and art-making. What makes dance. What makes us mad. What makes us swoon. What sustains us. Uncensored blatherings that will make us un-hire-able in any respectable setting. Anything else we think of. Sometimes a shout-out to our moms. Hi Mom!
Pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. Maybe that too. We hope you’ll enjoy, comment and come back!