“My first language was Spanish, until the age of four, when I went to pre-school and started to learn English. My family comes from Mexican and Spanish decent, so I grew up [with] and I still go back home to a family that speaks Spanish, and that’s how we communicate. I don’t really associate myself with a particular identity. I mean, obviously my background roots me, but growing up in two different cultures and with language barriers has made me question my cultural identity. I’ve always had to teach myself things at school [when] I was struggling since my mother couldn’t help me with homework or anything because of language barriers. I went to a small private “hippie” middle school that enriched me with knowledge of the world and it was a unique experience, definitely different from a traditional public school.
I grew up watching the Spanish news channels as opposed to watching American TV, so I was aware of rapes and wars going on when I was six. In retrospect, I was exposed to so much violence going on at a ridiculously young age and it’s crazy, but MANY people are living in those events we see on television. It made me upset that we don’t appreciate much except our cell phones or our Facebook notifications.

I’ve also been associated with Hindu and Buddhist culture since some friends’ families are very spiritual. There’s a Hindu spiritual leader and guru, Mata Amritanandamayi (or simply known as Amma) who travels around the world doing humanitarian activities and she is known as “the hugging saint”. She dedicates her life to alleviating pain, physically and emotionally, through an embrace. She’s embraced over 32 million people. I started going to see her when a friend’s family invited me, and it completely transformed me. I felt (and still sometimes feel) alien when I’m there, since the majority are people who come from India and are completely Hindu…and then there’s me. I associate with the spiritual aspect of that, and I’ve just been exposed to Hindu culture though week-long retreats.
In short, I don’t have a cultural identity since I’m a medley of multiple cultural sources and environments. I don’t know and I think it’s ok not to know and to simply be, since we’re all people in the end and where we come from doesn’t necessarily have to define us.

I struggle between making work about important issues and making something simply beautiful. Also I’m interested in all the arts, though I’m only a visual artist. I draw inspiration from all the artistic disciplines Cornish offers, and it’s important to be exposed to all of the arts and to meet people from those areas. It expands your mind and creativity!
I’m just a freshman, so I have plenty of time to experience much more of the Cornish spectrum. I see myself using art as a tool to teach and open people’s eyes as well as to support myself. So there’s two sides: being a professional artist here and supporting myself in galleries and whatnot, and then there’s using art around in other countries to aid in some way for selfless reasons.
Cornish is very in the now. It’s very contemporary, and I find it important to be around art happening here and now so I can maneuver around it and try to make some sort of impact [with my work], I hope.

Being exposed to a variety of cultures and drawing from every one of them has made me see things from a global perspective. As an artist, the cultural aspect of me has made me conscious of things happening now around the world that we tend to be oblivious about, and I have found it important to address these things in some of my work.”

In its second season, ASHANI DANCES features pieces that are traditionally strong, but with big, unusual twists, such as being set to the music of Tina Turner. Sam Picart (Dance ’13), one of the founding members of the company, elaborates that the challenging combination of athleticism, ballet, modern, and theatricality can be attributed to Harrison’s professional experiences as a dancer. “The vision and the movement vocabulary are fresh because of Mr. Harrison’s distinguished and eclectic background.”

Harrison professionally performed with repertory companies that required him to develop range and versatility in ballet, modern, West African, and jazz styles, resulting in his particular brand of choreography. “The hybridization of ballet, modern and African based movement is not intentional,” he explains, “I am Jamaican and historically our culture has emerged from African descendants fusing their cultural heritages with those of the English, Chinese and Indian into a unique and unintentional new cultural expression. I believe that see the world in a multi-faceted way and that this comes out in my work.”

If you don’t know what exactly that means, the Africanist movement aesthetics that are celebrated by ASHANI DANCES are, as Harrison explains, “the ‘aesthetic of cool’ - creating the illusion of being calm (perhaps ‘cocky’ or as if nothing is happening) particularly when the material is challenging”. Other characteristics are low center of gravity and grounded movement (“not pulled away from the floor like ballet”), use of deep plies (for non dancers, that’s a low bend of the knees and legs), extreme athleticism and virtuosity, isolations of the pelvis and rib cage, strong rhythmic focus, and individuality in interpretation of material.

Camryn Kelly (Dance ‘12), who danced in “Neo Funk Ballet” last year (the piece set to James Brown), said that the dancers were encouraged to watch videos of James Brown so that they could “embody him” as a performer and add authenticity to the performance. To Kelly, this was a refreshing break from predictable Seattle themes. “Iyun’s strong technical background, influenced by the Horton technique, and his pride in his work, has brought crisp, straightforward, and aggressive performance.”

It’s not just Harrison’s talent alone that produces these eccentrically beautiful ideas, it’s also the creative dancers and artists that work collaboratively to make them come to life. “Part of the decision to start a company is motivated by my work as an artist-educator”, says Harrison. “I was observing that many of my exceptionally talented students were graduating from college and did not have a place to continue growing […] because they were not able to compete with seasoned professionals for the few jobs that are available.” In every work, Harrison makes a point of giving new, emerging artists a chance.  “I believe that my work and mentorship will help these pre-professional dancers to reach a new level of maturation and hence make them more competitive”.

Picart appreciates that “this unique and diverse company gives the opportunity for the younger artists to learn a lot from the more experienced company members. Also, being asked to respond quickly in a professional setting and not a school setting is important to experience because the environment is different than that of class”, meaning high professional standards. Both Kelly and Picart agree that they feel a sense of ownership and pride in being a featured performer, as well as heartfelt gratitude. Picart concludes, “It has always been a dream of mine to dance with a professional company and to have this opportunity so early in my career and while still in school means a great deal to me.”

This season’s Cornish students, alumni, and faculty:

Brenna Monroe-Cook (Cornish Faculty)- Professional
Ariana Bird (Dance ‘14)- Founding member
Camryn Kelly (Dance ‘12) – Founding member
Sam Picart (Dance ‘13) - Founding member
Sean Rosado (Dance ‘15) - Founding member
Kelton Roth (Dance ‘12) - Founding member
Autumn Tselios (Dance ‘13) - Founding member
Taryn Jensen (Dance ‘13) - New member
Trevor Miles (Dance ‘15) - New member
Thomas O’Neal (Dance ‘16) – Apprentice
Lindy Lou Smith (Dance ‘16) – Apprentice

Also featured in this season’s performances:
Ben Morrow- (Cornish Dance musician)
William Hayes (Music ’13) – Composer

For more information about their current season, visit the Ashani Dances website.

“I’m a second generation Korean living in America. My parents were born and raised in Korea, then moved to America while they were still in their early 20s. The fact that my mother still primarily speaks Korean to me and because the community I’m surrounded by outside of school is mostly Korean, I don’t feel fully American or Korean. I’m sort of in the middle. My life reflects a mostly American lifestyle but I have a lot of Korean cultural influences on me growing up. I’ve also done a lot of traveling to the Middle East and at one point have lived in Uzbekistan. I’ve encountered a lot of cultures that have been slowly shaping my identity as a person.

Being able to be a part of a culture that survives and thrives beneath the “American (people outside of America view the USA as being primarily Anglo-Americans)” culture, I’ve been able to incorporate this sort of view-point into my pieces. I tend to show a lot of themes that relate to being an “outsider” looking in. This ranges from generational differences, sexual differences, and cultural ones (this one particularly relating to my travels and the experience I’ve obtained from that). Actually, for my BFA, I’m doing a piece on my current place as a woman and where I am in terms of my sexual experiences. […] I have a lot of work that clashes with today’s perspective. I grew up in a community that tells me to keep my body sacred until the day of marriage. I just see it as one more thing that makes me more of who I am as an artist.

Originally I was not going to go to Cornish or any art school. I think literally Cornish chose me.[…] I think Cornish has a very real possibility to further develop the artists here on an international level. There are internship programs to go abroad. A lot of the international connections that I’ve made are because of personal trips. After I graduate, I want to start my art career outside of America. So I definitely see myself practicing art in other countries!

I think more than anything, I’ve learned to let what makes me different, define me, rather than degrade me. I think it’s so easy to disregard the things that people don’t understand in you. Sometimes because I’m so different than the rest of my peers, I wonder if I am a real artist or not. It’s a long process to understand your identity as an artist and what kind of artist you choose to put yourself out there as.”

JU: So, how did hip hop save your life? (or the main character’s life)
ALC:Well, I feel like there is a major misconception about hip hop. It is often lumped into the category of “rap music” and accused of oppressing women and corrupting our youth, when in fact, it is a cultural artistic movement—an amalgam of expressive platforms that is constantly reinventing itself and giving a voice to those who wish so badly to speak and be heard. For me, hip hop became the vehicle for self-expression—both musically and emotionally, and actually kept me out of trouble growing up. It not only helped me express both the deepest and most ridiculous parts of myself, but it actually aided me in discovering who I was as a human being. In Hip Hop, the main character finds both his voice and his purpose through rap and spoken word.
JU:Where did your subject material come from in writing this play?
ALC: The material in this play comes from various sources. As a writer, my work, for the most part, tends to be grounded firmly in reality, so a good amount of material comes from experiences and interactions I’ve had. In a loose sense, material also comes from my personal life, growing up in South Seattle. A lot of it has to do with my love for hip hop music and spoken word poetry, as well. Some of the best advice I’ve heard, in regards to writing is to “write what you know.” That’s what I did.
JU: What are the main messages of the play?
ALC: In the play, I attempt to explore the interworking of the family unit. The story is essentially about an African American family and their struggles. I also try to address issues of urban gentrification, poverty, and sickness. I try to shed light on a particular urban experience in America, in hopes that people will see that on the surface, a person may look different, we may range in class, and differ in economic status, but the everyday struggles are just the same.
JU: How have people responded (to readings of it, at this point)?
ALC: The response so far has been really, really promising! Even from the early readings in playwriting class, my peers (both inside and outside of class) gave some very useful feedback and support. The cast has been essential in lending input and giving the play a heartbeat. Figuring out how to sort of integrate and meld hip hop and spoken word into a theatrical forum has been an exhilarating challenge to explore. Elizabeth Heffron and Kate Jaeger have also been tremendous.

Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu , taught by Michelle Miller, is a traditional style of Chinese martial art. It has been described as “not only practical in application, but also graceful and artistic in nature(1)”. Tong says “from Michelle, I learned a lot about patience and power”. The Encyclopedia Britannica notes that “The term kung fu can also signify careful preparation for the performance of any skillful endeavour without interference from the intellect or emotions(2)”, which would be helpful to dancers and other Cornish students.

Daniel Nery Dos Santos Filho and his wife Aileen Panke, founders of the Seattle Bahia in Motion organization, taught on Capoeira. Their website describes capoeira as “an Afro-Brazilian form of martial arts that began as a means to stop the oppression of African slaves in Brazil. It is a hybrid of African fighting techniques and native Brazilian folk dance styles that has grown into a celebrated global art form(3)”. In person, class was an energetic and entertainingly feisty set of drills and stylized sparring, set to traditional music filled with shouts and calls. Tong commented that “From Capoeira I learned agility and speed… [and] that perfect posture and technique isn’t necessary to move beautifully.”

Research references:

1.“Kick it, Kung Fu Style: Learn Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu with the City of Lancaster.” Targeted News ServiceOct 19 2010. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 15 Jan. 2013 .

2.“Kung fu.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

3. “Bantos Capoeira Seattle: History”www.bahiainmotion.com. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. http://www.bahiainmotion.com/

Although the performance is not obvious in its reference of these events, the wild, soulful, fierce joy is visible in the dancers’ movements, and glimpsed in their faces. This comes from a deeper connection that Brown helped students to establish with the underlying idea of a second line. “I didn’t even know what a second line was when this process started, and was unaware that such a spiritual event existed,” reflects student Arianna Lawson. “We are performing more than just movement, we are performing for the people who are not with us anymore. I’m dedicating it to my grandmother… Knowing it’s for her connects me to the movement even more.” Peacock responds similarly, “It’s hard to focus on moving forward and rejoicing when faced with tragedy; but as a collective people come together and lift one another up with these celebrations that we are emulating.  I find that I get emotional right in the thick of the dance.  It’s a combination of the intense physical investment, and memories from my own past that come to my mind as I perform this piece.”

Students worked directly with Brown for one of two weeks during her residency at Cornish, and from their reports, it was a demanding and deeply inspiring experience. “Learning the movement was a challenge in itself, but the hardest part was repeating the phrases until Camille felt they were up to her standards”, says student Colleen McNeary. “We were all exhausted after the first day, but it was a great feeling to be pushed to the limit of our physical capabilities.” Lawson also found the process physically exhausting, and said “I could tell she was invested, whole heartedly, into our process which made her inspire me to work even harder than I already was.” Peacock agrees and adds “I admire how hard she has fought to get where she is today, and how she instills that fight into her dancers.  I was trying to do one of the phrases she showed, but kept messing up.[...] When I finally got it she said, “You have to fight for it.”  I try to remember to, “fight for it” as much as I can, whether it’s performing, taking class or living life.”

Also in October, artists and arts appreciators gained insight into the method of rehearsing and choreographing used by Camille A. Brown & Dancers in an event at Cornish, in which company member Juel Lane gave a lecture and demonstration speaking about this work. The public was also invited to an open rehearsal as part of the same event, included in the Arts Crush featured series. Students compare Brown and Lane’s contributions by saying “Where Camille would bust out movement and drill us; Juel would take time and break things down deeper and fine tune that movement” (Peacock) and “It was great to have both of their energies and see the friendship they have developed over the years they have worked together.” (McNeary).

About dance based on current events, students say that New Second Line succeeds where others may fall short. “Dance that portrays real world events can sometimes become too literal, which in my eyes is not always successful,” says Lawson, “New Second Line works because the movement is there for a reason, which makes the piece make sense.” Peacock elaborates, “Dance that portrays real world events [is] an excellent tool to bring awareness to social justice and change.  I think New Second Line is precisely that.  The more I research and dig into what second lining is, and what it means, the more I understand how Camille wants to capture the resilience a group of people displayed in a moment when they faced [horrific events]. I also found it very touching that Camille and members of her company dedicated this piece to the loved ones they lost in Hurricane Katrina.”

Many of the students involved in Brown’s residency at Cornish and this performance of New Second Line feel that it was a career-changing experience. Richard Peacock, for one, says so:
“Working with Camille has been the highlight of my time at Cornish. Camille created a bond with each one of us in the week that she was here.  What she’s done at Cornish is something special; and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and work with such a beautiful and inspirational person.”

More information on the Camille A. Brown & Dancers company may be found at camilleabrown.org
The Cornish events calendar may be viewed at cornish.edu/news
The Camille A. Brown Residency was made possible with support from the Bossak Heilbron Charitable Foundation.

Learning this music through hard work has instilled a patience in him as a teacher that students appreciate.“Paoli is a very relaxed yet serious teacher. He showed his passion and enjoyment in what he does, translating it to hard work to motivate us,” says student Nozomi Jones. “The unusual rhythms were often difficult to follow but he was extremely patient.”

“Paoli fuses straight-ahead jazz with African, Mediterranean & Caribbean folkloric rhythms to create a new dimension of Latin jazz that is global, energetic, and modern”, describes Mejias’ website. He’s a Grammy nominee (Mi Tambor, Best Latin Jazz Album, 2005), he’s played with artists such as Tito Puente, Dave Samuels, Dave Valentín, Paquito d’Rivera, Chick Corea, David Sánchez and Danilo Pérez, and gives master classes and residencies in several countries. With incredible talent and inspiring work like his, Cornish was honored to bring him to campus.

Mejias came to Cornish this Fall for an artist residency with the Music department. For two weeks, students learned about Latin American and African styles and rhythms, gaining confidence and skill in fusing them with Jazz and other kinds of music.  “The music we played in Paoli’s class was hard but very enjoyable. [...] He would get us to sing in a foreign tongue and dance ritualistically which was extremely invigorating, immersing us totally in the music and what surrounds it. It was not only musically exciting but just as a person getting to explore another culture so fully was inspiring”, says Jones. For her, the complex Tabla rhythm she learned with Mejias was a topic to bring along to her Rhythm class for further dissection. “It was a difficult task that everyone became enthusiastic about.”

Paoli Mejias is coming back to Cornish this Spring for another two-week intensive on Afro-Caribbean rhythm, exploring its influences on contemporary Cuban and Puerto Rican music. For vocal or instrumental Music students, this promises to be a lively and challenging opportunity. Jones concludes, “Paoli showed us that being able to play music is a gift, and that it will be hard but it should always be fun. ”

The play was shown from September 12th-15th 2012, featuring one ASL translated performance, and was widely lauded by the Cornish community (see earlier post for more information). Murray gave this written interview in October 2012:

Ubben: How did you write CODA? Was it part of a Cornish class or program, and were there any prompts that brought you to create it? Inspirations?

Murray: I started writing this version of CODA last Spring in my playwriting class when we were asked to write a solo show. In truth, I attempted to write a different version my Sophomore year when I decided that I wanted to audition for the Original works program, but the style and my lack of ability made it difficult for me to excute. It also came down to “how many actors do I know that know sign language?”, the answer being “just me”. When presented with the prompt to write a solo show, I thought it was the perfect framing device to tell this story without being weighed down with finding actors who were fluent in sign language. People are/were always telling me how cool it is that I grew up with Deaf parents, and that it must have been so different, so I wanted to write a play exploring that idea of “different.”

The play started out as just a collection of different scenes that I had written around the idea of having Deaf parents and the character Tim, and I had no clue how they were connected to the arc of the story, or for that matter, what the story I was trying to tell was. Through the course of the show, many scenes have been added and many have been subtracted from what was presented at Cornish for my Senior Project [The September performances of CODA] and there will continue to be additions and subtractions as I continue work on it. I didn’t even find what the story was, or why I was telling it until four weeks into my rehearsal process and six months into writing. I finally figured it was about coming of age, and the realities we create around our experiences growing up.

Ubben: How was your experience of letting another person in on your work (Director Lindsey Leonard)? How did that expand/modify your idea of the work (if it did)?

Murray: It was extremely important for me to bring in another set of eyes, and more importantly another set of eyes that I trusted and also didn’t know much about the world that I was exploring. Lindsey helped to shape the piece, allowed me to play comfortably within the text and the form, and guided me through the creation of each of the characters. She was also very good about discussing with me what was and wasn’t working in the piece so that I didn’t lose the audience or have unnecessary material.

Ubben: You’re in the Original Works [Theater] program, what is that like? How do people’s diverse histories and personalities come out through their plays, and how are they drawn out?

Murray: (This is a mammoth of a question, hah). For me the program is simply exploring characters and stories through different mediums such as clown, directing and playwriting. All of our history shows up in our work and the best stories come from when we write what we know.

Ubben: How do you feel the community responded to the play? Did you get comments from students, Seattle people, others?

Murray: It seemed that the Cornish community, the Deaf community (the few that came), and the random stranger community all responded extremely well to the show. It was more than the feeling of obligation to say “good show,” people had detailed responses about what they liked and how it affected them. I had so many conversations after the show, heard so many conversations sparked because of the show, and continue to have conversations two weeks afterwards. And isn’t that why we create art? To spark conversation? For me that is a big reason.

The gathering also marked the second annual signing of the Book of Commitment, a tradition that was begun in 2011 at the start of Cornish President Dr. Nancy Uscher’s inaugural year. The book was passed across the aisles, for students, staff, and professors to sign their name to this statement of commitment to the Cornish community:

“I will maintain respect for the dignity and integrity of each person.
I will safeguard the practice of free and open expression.
I will accept personal accountability for my decisions and actions.”

The first graduating class to attend all four Convocations will commence this Spring in 2013. As every year, the joy of seeing familiar faces after the Summer, and the anticipation of another year’s art creation filled the room. 2012-2013 promises to be a good one!

This group, under the umbrella of AIGA (the professional organization for design), brings students to Cornish’s South Lake Union campus every third Saturday of the month to learn from guest artists, make challenging projects, and prepare stronger portfolios.

The once-a-month workshops began In 1994, when Cornish attendee and graphic designer Paula Onodera Wong and her friend and fellow artist Glenn Mitsui decided to organize this free activity at Franklin high school. They created the group in response to Wong’s concern about the violent atmosphere and insufficient arts funding her daughters experienced as students. The lessons of the guest artists and workshop leaders were designed to “help young people develop a positive sense of self and to be shown [...] that they have all the talent and ability they need to make it in the world”, says Program Director Laura (Gildersleeve) Marks, who is coincidentally also a Cornish alum.

18 years later, “The program [...] has worked with more than eight local schools, 500 students, awarded more than 90 scholarships and more than $250,000”, Marks tells us. “It’s been a model and inspiration for other AIGA programs across the country”. Link’s growth and continuance beyond the original all-volunteer group has largely been made possible by a generous grant from the Coyne family foundation. Its funders, Jean Coyne (who now heads the foundation with her son Patrick Coyne) and her late husband Richard Coyne, both attended Cornish as well.

Cornish is proud to host the AIGA Link Program, and to recognize the brilliant work of our alumni in its beginning, sustenance, and future.