News & Eventsof GOH Productions

2011-12-07T14:49:00.001-08:00

Art in Odd Places: 2011 RITUAL

2011-10-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Art in Odd Places 2011: RITUAL features a wide variety of actions, participatory performances, theatrical presentations, public installations, and small and large-scale interventions all of which revolve around the concept of ritual. Happening from October 1 to 10, along 14th Street in NYC. Come and visit the sites and see performances and art installations!

The Absolute Ensemble Goes Multiculti with Arabian Nights - WQXR

2011-08-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

The Absolute Ensemble Goes Multiculti with Arabian Nights - WQXR

Giselle at La MaMa Moves!

2011-06-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

East Village Dance Project performs Giselle as part of La MaMa Moves! Festival, 2011.
Performances are on Sunday, June 19 at 2pm and 4pm. Tickets and more information is available at www.lamama.org or call 212-475-7710.

We have performers, aged 3 1/2 to adult performing traditional scenes from Giselle as well as some with a modern twist. Take a look at the pictures of some of them below! (all photos by M. Tornay)

East Village Dance Project is a project of GOH Productions and supported by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Hyde Watson Foundation, Charlotte Ruby Cantor Fund, and private donations. Contact: www.eastvillagedanceproject.com

Art in Odd Places at New Museum's Festival of Ideas

2011-06-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

From May 4-8 Art In Odd Places participated in The New Museum's exciting and educational Festival of Ideas for the New City--hopefully an annual event. Here are some pictures of the aiop crew:

The booth

A fountain

News"boy"

Bubblewrap geisha
(photos by Karen Hatch)

GOH Board Meeting today in NYC!

2011-03-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Sherry Erskine, Marika Blossfeldt, Don Trammel, members of GOH Board of Directors, and to Advisor Steve Boss.
Welcome to the new members, Roberta Levine and Farzad Mahootian.

Our first meeting since the Avenue C Studio opened will happen today, March 5.

I am excited to welcome everyone from out of town (Sherry and Roberta) and to the in-town members and new faces. Thanks for coming on board.

with love and care,

Bonnie

OUR NEW HOME FOR EAST VILLAGE DANCE PROJECT

2011-01-13T10:15:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Avenue C Studio!

2011-01-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. ELLEN STEWART. Our MaMa of La MaMa. Everyone has a story about Ellen. I met her first in 1975 or so, when I was visiting New York as a budding performer and choreographer. We met numerous times since then. I would catch her as she walked her dog, since I was just around the corner. If you wanted to talk to her, you had to do that. Meet her "by chance" in the morning dog walk time slot, and approach her for a gig, an idea, a festival, a chat, a kiss, a hug. Whatever it took. We fought. Everyone fought with her. We had one big one in 1989, but I went back. I brought projects from various corners of the world to Ellen. Between Ellen Stewart and Beate Gordon (who became my "real" boss at Asia Society in 1982), I had two Mamas, who I wanted to be like when I grew up. I now feel obligated even more than ever, to continue to work, across borders and across so-called enemy lines. Ellen, your spirit will continue to move me forever. I am blessed to have known you and learned from you.

here is the obit from Time Out NY today:

Ellen Stewart, who died this morning at the age of 91, was a force of culture. When she founded La MaMa back in 1961, Off-Off Broadway theater was in its infancy; in the 50 years since, she has been a vital agent in its growth and expansion, and up until just a few years ago she could still be seen regularly at her East Village drama center. A lifelong internationalist, Stewart helped introduce America to the work of Jerzy Grotowski and his Eastern European contemporaries in the 1960s, and La MaMa's archives are like a geological cross-section of theater innovation. Adrienne Kennedy, Israel Horovitz, Tom O'Horgan, Andrei Serban, Charles Ludlam, Elizabeth Swados, Mac Wellman, Ping Chong, John Kelly, Robert Patrick, Julie Bovasso, Taylor Mac, the Talking Band and Mabou Mines are just a few of the countless artists she helped wean in her peerless career. Stewart racked up many awards, including Japan's Praemium Imperiale and a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant, but her greatest honor lay and lies in the incalculable influence of her passion. Off-Off Broadway has lost its mother, but her legacy is everywhere to be found.

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YOU ARE INVITED!

2011-01-11T21:23:00.000-08:00

ANNOUNCING AVENUE C STUDIO OPEN HOUSE!
JANUARY 9, 2011

from the desk of Bonnie Sue Stein

In spite of the stressed economy, and the decreased funding for the arts, East Village Dance Project (EVDP) in partnership with GOH Productions has opened Avenue C Studio at 55 Avenue C, near East 4th Street in Manhattan. We are the only studio east of 2^nd Avenue in the East Village, and we are the new permanent home for the EVDP youth program which has been running in studios all over the neighborhood for the last 14 years. Also, the recently formed East Village Dance Project Jr. Company, a group of teens, will be rehearsing and developing new work at Avenue C Studio! EVDP offers a full week of classes in ballet, modern, improvisation and jazz classes for ages 4 to adult. Check out the website for details: www.eastvillagedanceproject.com.

Also, we welcome our good friends at Movement Research who have moved their offices to 55 Avenue C and will offer some of their programs in the new studio space!

OPEN HOUSE was on Sunday, January 9. Councilperson Rosie Mendez stopped by as well as 100 of our friends and neighbors and kids. The EVDP Jr Company performed twice, and we launched our first full week of classes. Come by! Take a class! Rosie promised to dance again, after revealing that when she was studying at NYU, she actually took a few modern dance classes. Go Rosie!

2010-12-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

2010-12-15T16:03:00.001-08:00

Bonnie Sue Stein

November 30, 2010

Tonight was the first performance of GATHERING SPACE at Al Balad in Amman, Jordan

My thoughts tonight and today were all about water. There is not enough here.

In the desert, there is little or no water.

Maybe we need to cry more to create tears? Then turn them into water?

Water

Tears

It’s about water and tears.

We fear the tears.

The tears tear us up.

We tear up with tears.

We are torn.

We are torn with the tears.

I do not want to expel water from my eyes because that is a waste in the desert.

I must conserve these tears

Why not drink our tears? Or cry crocodile tears.

Crocodile tears (or superficial sympathy) are a false or insincere display of emotion such as a hypocrite crying fake tears of grief.

Am I (are you?) crying crocodile tears instead of real ones?

The women in the first row at the performance tonight were crying during Sizzle’s last song. I was also crying. The song is so emotional, and the dancers are doing Palestinian dance steps on top of a camouflage tarpaulin. The image is all together, birth, death, life and pain.

November puppets, from Fox to the Daily Show

2010-11-27T05:37:00.001-08:00

The Daily show featuring puppets from the Czechoslovak American Theatre collection.

Art in Odd Places 2010 - CHANCE

2010-10-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

East Village Dance Project - Register for Fall!

2010-09-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

Announcing the new season of classes with EAST VILLAGE DANCE PROJECT. Please register for classes for ages 4 to 18!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-09-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Just a short note to wish a Happy New Year to those that celebrate in September, and to pass along greetings to those that begin their year every year at any time they prefer to.

More later about the exciting things happening with the ever-expanding GOH family....

2010-06-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

June 1, 2010. Kazuo Ohno, pioneer of dance in Japan. grandfather of butoh and good friend died at 3am on June 1 in Japan. I remember him fondly and with reverance. He was the embodiment of dance, death, life, grace and horror. We will all miss him.

ABSOLUTE ENSEMBLE IN AUSTIN!

2010-02-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.texasperformingarts.org/event/absoluteensemble

Absolute Bach Re-invented in NYC!

2010-02-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

At Le Poisson Rouge, February 19, 2010
Tickets: http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/612

Conductor
Kristjan Järvi’s musically-omnivorous band, Absolute Ensemble, is on tour with chart-topping pianist Simone Dinnerstein, making stops in Toronto, ON; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; and Austin, TX.

Their concert, entitled Absolute ...Bach Re-invented, takes Bach’s music as a starting point and creates an off-beat journey from Baroque to rock to Gypsy folk and hip-hop. The program includes Innovation J.S. by Charles Coleman (based on Bach’s Inventions No. 5 in Eb Major and No. 8 in F Major); Reinventions by Gene Pritsker featuring Ms. Dinnerstein as soloist; Undertow by Matt Herskowitz (based on Bach’s Invention No. 9 in F Minor); Raga on a Theme by Bach by Mike Block; and toopART Reinventions by Daniel Schnyder.

Dedicated to performing what founding music director Kristjan Järvi calls “music without borders,” Absolute Ensemble bridges the gaps between all genres of music, fusing its classical roots with everything from jazz and rock to world music and hip-hop.

Mr. Järvi designed Absolute Bach Re-invented to showcase multi-talented members of the band who also write music – Charles Coleman is the ensemble’s resident composer, Gene Pritsker is a guitarist and rap artist, Matt Herskowitz is a keyboard player and pianist, Mike Block is a cellist, and Daniel Schnyder is a saxophonist.

The program premiered at Musikfest Bremen, Germany in 2008, with Simone Dinnerstein as the featured soloist. Simone, who has recently signed an exclusive recording agreement with Sony Classical, is known for her intelligent but emotive performances and has been called “a throwback to such high priestesses of music as Wanda Landowska and Myra Hess,” by Slate magazine. The New York-based artist gained an international following because of the remarkable success of her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, which she raised the funds to record. Released in 2007, it ranked No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Classical Chart in its first week of sales and was named to many “Best of 2007” lists including those of The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The New Yorker. Her follow-up album, The Berlin Concert, also gained the No. 1 spot on the Chart. The Washington Post calls her, “a phenomenon in the world of classical music.”

Absolute Ensemble is Kristjan Järvi, conductor; Adam Taubic, violin; Shalini Vijayan, violin; Edmundo Ramirez, viola; Mike Block, cello; Mat Fieldes, bass; Hayley Reid, flute; Keve Wilson, oboe; Michiyo Suzuki, clarinet; Damian Primis, bassoon; Wayne du Maine, trumpet; Mike Seltzer, trombone; Gene Pritsker, guitar; Matt Herskowitz, piano; Damien Bassman, drums and percussion; and Holger Schwark, sound engineer.

celebrating Ellen!

2009-11-17T13:51:00.001-08:00

Celebrating Ellen at La MaMa on November 1, 2009. Randy Gener captured this image of La MaMa's Associate Producer, Bev Petty and GOH Director, Bonnie Sue Stein after the event! It was a moving event, in which the Annex Theater was renamed Ellen Stewart Theatre! Ellen is 90 years old this year, and we celebrated her wide, wild and wonderful journey!

Twelfth Night Opening on November 12

2009-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

Review of Vit's new show by Joan Acocella in the New Yorker:

This week, at La Mama, the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre presents “Twelfth Night,” for sixteen marionettes performing on three tea trays (the beach, Orsino’s palace, and Olivia’s house). This sounds pretty camp, but, in fact, it’s an entirely respectable piece of modernism. It’s minimalist. (Three tea trays!) It's artificial. (The actors, being eight inches tall, can sit in teacups while declaiming their lines.) It’s also reflexive; it’s about puppetry. Read more

Dance at the FAB FESTIVAL

2009-09-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER 26, 2009
FAB FESTIVAL
4th Street (between 2nd & Bowery)

East Village Dance Project Teen Dancers will perform, Exit Stage Right To Bach at 2:45 pm.

Three-Tea-Tray "Twelfth Night"

2009-09-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

NOVEMBER 12 TO 29, 2009
LA MAMA E.T.C.
"TWELFTH NIGHT"

Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater will perform "Twelfth Night (or What You Will)," the timeless Shakespearean tale of mistaken identity and misplaced matrimony, as part of La MaMa Puppet Series 3. This three-tea-tray production, adapted and directed by Vít Horejš, will feature 22 eight-inch toy marionettes and three (more or less) live performers. To tell Shakespeare's tale of twins separated in a shipwreck, the production will have eight- inch wonders of Czech craftsmen cavorting on the sands of Illyrian beaches, almost perishing in tumultuous waters teeming with giant fish and turtles, and bathing in champagne at the court of that paragon of Uptown decadence, Count Orsino. The lovelorn Count Orsino, the bumbling Toby Belch and his clowny compadres will be cast with woodenheaded actors. The waterfalls of wooing words written by William Shakespeare are adapted by that modern master of Bohemian rhapsodies, Vit Horejš.

FREE Summer Puppetry at the NYPL

2009-07-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

from the Czecholslovak-American Marionette Theatre

Kacha and the Devil (not Salt over Gold)
Free performances at the following New York Public Library branches this summer.
For addresses and directions go to NYPL.org

July:
7/18-2pm at Countee Cullen
7/20-3pm at Parkchester
7/22-3pm at Hamilton Fish
7/24-2:30pm at Huguenot Park
7/27-6:30pm at Seward Park

August:
8/18-1pm at City Island
8/20-3pm at Harlem
8/21-2pm at Baychester
8/22-2pm at Bronx Lib. Center
8/31-2pm at Muhlenberg

Last Three Performances: Yoshiko Chuma's "Not About Romanian Cinema: POONARC"

2009-06-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

Are you planning to see Yoshiko Chuma's show at Danspace Project?
There are three more shows: June 11, 12, 13 at Danspace project at St. Marks Church.

Please contact www.danspaceproject.org for ticket information

ANDY HORWITZ from Culturebot says don't miss it.

Yoshiko Chuma and The School of Hard Knocks/ROOT CULTURE at Danspace Project June 4 to 13

2009-06-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

June 4 to 13, 2009
Presented by Danspace Project as part of the City/Dans series
St. Mark's Church, 131 East 10th Street (at 2nd Ave.), Manhattan.
Thursday through Saturday:
pre-show begins at 8:00 pm; performance at 8:30 pm.
$18.00 ($12.00 for members).
Box office (866) 811-4111
www.danspaceproject.org

Here is an excerpt of the description of the piece from Yoshiko Chuma's website.

"This next installment in Chuma's ten year project, "A Page Out of Order" (culminating in 2011), features artists of all disciplines from Japan, Romania and the USA. The word "POONARC" in the title is an acronym for "Page Out of Order Not About Romanian Cinema." This production is inspired by Chuma's interest in the cultural scene currently emerging in Romania. It is imagined as a personal and public dialogue with Romania. Since 2007, Chuma has journeyed five times to Romania, meeting filmmakers and actors and visiting and filming locations used in the their movies. Despite its name, this piece uses several clips from recently acclaimed Romanian films. Intercut with still photos and video taken on their locations, the film clips serve as a backdrop to text created by Jake Margolin with the ensemble. Like previous installments of the Page Out of Order series, there is text dealing with cultural identity and language, accentuating similarities by pointing out differences. This colloquy is interrupted by dance, some furious some slow. Solos and duets are staged in and around the seven-foot aluminum cubes which have been an integral part of the Page Out of Order series since its inception."

Summer Retreats and Activiites at Polli Talu

2009-05-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

Polli Talu (literally, "Polly's Farm") is a traditional Estonian farm complex situated near the Baltic Sea, 150 km southwest of the capital city Tallinn, not far from the port town of Virtsu. It consists of five log buildings with thatched roofs made from locally-harvested reeds. The structures date back to the beginning of the 20th century. Here is the schedule for summer 2009:

Dance Workshop for Women
Cornelia Freise (Germany) May 22-24

Kundalini Yoga Intensive
Marika Blossfeldt (Estonia/USA) June 13-14

Dancing Beauty and Majesty
Cornelia Freise (Germany) June 26 - July 2

An Evening of Dance for Women July 1
Cornelia Freise (Germany)

International Kundalini Yoga Retreat July 8 - 14
Marika Blossfeldt (Estonia/USA)

Delicious Nutrition Wellness Retreat July 30 - August 5
Marika Blossfeldt (Estonia/USA)
KUNDALINI YOGA Intensive August 15 - 16
Marika Blossfeldt (Estonia/USA)

Green Aesthetics Workshop August 21 -23
Awaken your Perception for Natural Beauty
through Tai Chi
Leon Miller (USA/Estonia)

Whole Foods Cooking Intensive Sept. 26 - 27
Marika Blossfeldt (Estonia/USA)

Kundalini Yoga Intensive with sauna Oct 2 - 4

To register for any of these retreats please contact Polli Talu.

East Village Dance Project: End of Year Concert 2009

2009-05-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

On Sunday May 17, 2009, East Village Dance Project students and teachers are honored to have the opportunity to perform in LaMaMa' Move Dance Festival. The festival features professional dancers from all over New York City. EVDP will be performing a mini Firebird, Les Sylphides excerpts and more.

For tickets go to
www.lamama.org or to the La MaMa Box office at 64 East 4th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.