Saturday, September 20, 2008

In the Media

http://www.cantieridanza.org/
http://ammutinamenti.wordpress.com/il-quotidiano-del-festival/

daka premier

from alice & anh

-we did it. last night was the performance ... we were to go fourth, then second, then fourth, then finally second. what an emotional rollercoaster. i think some other dancers were trying to fuck with our heads. there was tons of smoke and alice got to sit in the booth with the tech boys. .. who are actually our age (opposed to the techs here in the states who are ... not). we were so amazing. one girl commented "it was, i think, the best one i have seen yet. i do not have to think when i watch it. it was simple, the lighting, and the images were beautiful." and we said, 'omgomgomgomg. graaaaazie.'

-katie and devin left last night so it is now just alice and I. we were done with our task and partied hard. but this morning we went to the feedback session to receive comments about our piece. gooood stuff.

-a bit crazy to be finished with months of hard work in less than 11 minutes. but now we can move on the bigger things. Madonna - here we come. TOUR 2009!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Catching You Up To Today: 9/16/08

So much has happened since I arrived on the 10th but I'll pick up from where Anh left off. The opening of the Sanford/Gosti studio went beautifully. The food spread was incredible: olives, chunks of parmigiano, slices of prosciutto hand cut at the studio, spicy peppers stuffed with tuna, breads and of course pasta and vino. I could go on and on about the food because it was so fabulous, but more fabulous was the support from friends and family that came to the opening. The girls and I mingled for a bit before it was time to do our improve behind the scenes and I think I speak for everyone when I say we were rather nervous. Alice's parents had strategically placed collected items into a wall like structure so we could perform behind it without anyone seeing. Behind the wall we hooked up a camera that connected to the T.V. where I guests were visiting and when our performance was to start, the video would stream live to the T.V. making it appear as if we had recorded our improve earlier on. All and all I think the improve went really well considering Devin, Anh, Alice and I have never improved together like that before. It lasted for about 15-20 minutes and you could tell the minute our audience noticed something happening on the T.V screen because everyone fell silent. Alice's mom graciously tried making conversation with her guests to relieve the silent pressure if you will, but everyone seemed content remaining quiet. Our performance ended and we appeared out from behind our hiding spot, the crowd cheering. With excitement in the air, adults and children started dancing together to new music and old which ended the night on a fabulous note. 
The girls and I as well as Lorenzo, Marzia, Marco and Olga (dear friends of Alice) continued dancing however for the rest of the evening outside the city at a club called Red Zone. According to Lorenzo who is a PR for the club and has his own table which was huge for the night, Red Zone is the most famous dance club in the center of Italy if not for the whole country. He got us in for a discounted fee, free alcohol was served to our table every half hour or so and most importantly we got a chance to dance to some outstanding music. Tons of lights, fog machines, a giant disco ball, sexy men in booty shorts, it was quite the scene to see. Our night ended at 6AM followed by whip cream filled pastries at a bakery back in town. WHAT A NIGHT!
Since then we've started to get down to business rehearsing and taking workshop classes at Alice's studio. Bruno our workshop instructor and Alice's old teacher is absolutely fantastic. He attentively pays attention to all his students--providing advice, corrections and motivation throughout the entire two hours. During warm up he kindly translates counts, steps and explanations into English so Devin, Anh and I can understand. Our last combination was too much fun and he plans on expanding on it today. Needless to say I'm incredibly sore because this is the most movement I've done in months. I came down with mono in early August and wasn't allowed to dance or rehearse. Now that I'm better, my body is on the brink of falling apart because it's not use to moving. Okay that's not entirely true...again I'm just really sore, but I'm taking it day by day and thus far things are going really well. Tomorrow we leave for Ravenna and the festival will start. AHHHHHHHH it's going to be great. 
P.S. Two Italian magazines have advertised Anticorpi XL and Alice's name made it into both of them. SHE'S FAMOUS!!! 

The SHOW - Lo Spettacolo

Come see us! Veniteci a vedere!

VENERDì 19 SETTEMBRE
Dalle ore 21.00, Artificerie Almagià, via Magazzini Posteriori biglietto € 7,00 (Posti limitati, si consiglia la prenotazione)
Here you are!
- Schuko (Lombardia)
3 - Alice Gosti (Umbria) DAKA
The end of a love affair-
Luca Zangheri (Marche)
Null - Marta Zollet (Veneto)
F.S.A. Fakeness Selfdestruction Anticlimax - Helen Cerina (Marche)

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Itali-Anh!

Day 1 in Italy was a bit strange, as it should be. Devin and I were just two lost Americans in the airport trying to figure out the public pay phones that really should be looked at for user-friendliness improvement. We figured it out though, and eventually when we found Alice, it was such a relief...
The first thing we had to do of course was have coffee...I will have to say that cappuccino will never taste the same unless I am in this country. I must say a cup of this and a pastry a day makes me miss eggs in the morning but I just urge the girls to feed me soon after breakfast.
We took the most ridiculous 5 hour tour of Rome guided by our favorite Italian. She showed us many many sites, many of which I cannot remember names of now but I will have them recorded one day when I catalog the many pictures we took. My blurry camera phone was not cutting it when it came to capturing the detail of all the monuments, statues, and fountains. Hopefully, when we scan Devin's, I can keepsake better copies.
Later after we exhaust ourselves from walking around the city in a large circle, we go back to Alice's best friends home where we gather our bags to visit her home town, Perugia! Ah, what a beautiful city. I think because it is on a hill, that's why it feels the most at home (so far compared to Florence and Rome). Or maybe it's the fact that Alice knows this city the best.
Lots of walking and such makes dancers hungry, right? So every time a meal draws near I am fiending for some delicious authentic italian food...I don't think i will ever make a sandwich without prosciutto again! And mozzerella balls? I think i need a cold bowl of them next to my bed every night.
Day 2 was a relaxing kind of day where we begin to figure out the details of our Ravenna trip and how to bring Katie to us...
Best of all, this evening we got to take our first dance class in Italian at Alice's old studio. It was 'stretching' class ... yeeeaaahh...I guess we needed it.
Day 3 was Firenze. Beautiful, hot, and has a great market. nuff said. Alice left us on day 4. DAK had a great time but missed her very much. Pictures to come...
Ok...So we are preparing to perform in the inaugaration of Alice's parents' studio. We plan to do a site specific improv and eat and drink and chill old school. The studio is such a great place. I hope we can do this everytime we come back.

Well, I miss Seattle, but am not quite ready to come back. I need to freshen up my Italian and eat at an Italian grandmother's house. ;-) Once this happens - oh yea, and when we perform - then I cannot wait to come home to try and mimic all the great things I experience here. I hope summer is good for you too, whereever you are! Devin, Alice, Katie and I will be keeping you posted on all the good stuff 'til then.

pace - a

Friday, September 12, 2008

DAKA in Italia - Firenze


Finally Katie met us on the 10th in PG, and the next day we adventured right away to Florence.
I came back here in PG, since my video INbetweenLINES is showing for Germinazioni 2008,
http://test.leartiincitta.it/?q=node/219

DAA in Rome


DAA at the colosseo, rome



Fontana di Trevi in rome

Katie met us the next day in Perugia. On the 9th I went to get Anh and Devin at the airport in Rome and we spent a crazy tourist day in Rome then catch the train to Perugia! We almost did not make it, trains in Italy are never on time!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Here in Italy

Hello all,
the trip has finally started. On the 2nd I packed and left Seattle, really early in the morning. My roommate and I went to the Hurricane cafe to have a last American breakfast, at least for a couple weeks. I got to Rome on the 3rd and ran into Mark! how awesome!
Katie, Devin and Anh will be arriving on the 9th at the Rome airport...from then we will be mixing site seeing with rehearsing and taking some classes at my old studio...
that's that for now
the passed is always heavy!
Alice