Kickstarter

The Sound Bite:
Nicole Wolcott, critically acclaimed dancer and choreographer known for her dynamic physicality and comedic talent, creates "One Hundred Beginnings" to be performed June 10-12, in New York City at Dance New Amsterdam. The piece will be further developed in Wolcott's artistic residency at DNA in the fall and performed as an evening length in December, 2010. Wolcott is working with Vanessa Walters, choreographer and performer for the music/art phenomenon Fischerspooner to develop this new piece. Together the two have gathered a cast of characters to use dance, spectacle and architecture to explore a world of awkward moments exposed, tender collisions, attempted fame, and survival in high heels.

The Pitch:
She really took a big bite on this one: the piece requires two 8x6’ rolling walls to be built, 6 pairs of really high heels for 6 fantastic characters, and um something to cover their bodies with too, rehearsal space, a lighting designer, sound designer, architect, composer and finally she must PAY THE DANCERS. Total budget: $16,000. But, right now the group is just trying to get the walls built and the dancers paid for the June show. As you can see they are getting close to our $2,500 goal to get those walls built. This is their first time on kickstarter, so they decided to set their sites at an intermediate level. However, since they are almost there with time to spare, they would love to "kick" past that goal and raise more. First priority: pay the dancers so they may continue their career as artists. "They" are Leslie Cujyet, Katie McGreevy, Ryan Lawrence and Vanessa Walters.

As you know, dance is underfunded and it ain’t a cheap craft. But, this is a love affair and as in any lopsided love affair, Nicole and her amazing partners in crime wouldn’t imagine leaving. Nicole is propelled forward in this endeavor by her past success as a dancer and choreographer; She has received awards, rave reviews and managed to make a living from dance in the crazy city of New York (www.nicolewolcott.com). Her parents are still in shock. With her and the very accomplished Vanessa Walters on the job (www.vanessawalters.com/site.swf), you can be assured that any donation will bear delicious fruit. Yum. For Nicole’s story and more about 100 Beginnings in Nicole’s words please read on….

The Story:
For the past 10 years, I have been a choreographer, teacher and performance artist based in Brooklyn, New York; my career has consisted of performing with dance companies, rock bands and video artists around the country and my own choreographic adventures for more that 17 years. Most of you may know me from my relationship with Larry Keigwin. I was the cofounder and Associate Artistic Director of the outrageously great company KEIGWIN + COMPANY (keigwinandcompany.com)….Now I have set out on my own.

It seems appropriate that my new piece is titled 100 Beginnings. I am excited to be joined in the creation of this by an amazing group of artists of high caliber artists: Choreographer Vanessa Walters (check out her and her work with FischerSpooner online), architect Spilios Gianakopoulos, sound designer Omar Zubair (of the Wooster Group) and composer Adam Crystal. Together Vanessa and I have gathered some fabulous movement artists to take a journey through the erratic rooms of the mind. We are all committed to this process and are grateful for your support.

100 Beginnings was inspired by a single image I had; looking into the corner of a white room with white carpet, a girl in a red dress runs/stumbles from the audience to fall face first into the corner cuing the music of the Rolling Stones’ Paint it Black,a moment passes and the walls begin to move, slowly closing in around her. She disappears, absorbed into the scene, behind what has now become one large wall blocking the audience’s view. Here the piece begins.

Through time it has evolved with the use of these ever shifting walls. They constantly slide through space to become intimate spaces, common rooms, hallways of a fun house, a back-drop for a rock show and a barrier between two people; and when they move, they act as a shutter for the audience’s eye capturing snapshots of an evolving story; the stage becomes an ever changing landscape showing the rooms of the mind. Following my interest in the themes of voyeurism and exhibitionism, aging, renewal, and the synchronicity between disparate characters, we are creating a world of awkward moments exposed, tender collisions, attempted fame, and survival in high-heels. Through this process we will see what story emerges for the girl in the red dress and the characters of her mind.