Each December, I love looking back at the blog and seeing its journey over the course of a year. Plus, I end this year's list with 3 other side projects of mine.
Humbly, in my own small way, I hope these posts contributed to and supported larger conversations about equity, voice, and self-care during this insane year.
I want to thank my dedicated group of Patreon monthly donors. Every dollar went towards paying writers this year. I am super proud to say that every contributor in 2020 was paid for their writing! (If you are able, please consider joining Patreon and donating $2-3/month to keep the blog going strong in 2021! Thank you.)
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Artist Profiles. At the heart of the blog are the artist profiles, which are self-interviews. Artists open their hearts and share about their career paths. The list also has become an archive, now with 172 interviews. In 2020, I was thrilled to have Liv Schaffer, Mark Travis Rivera, Raissa Simpson, and Joan Lazarus share their stories.
Movement Poems. At the beginning of the pandemic and shelter-in-place, I started to share Movement Poems as a creative option to try at home. The poems are meant to be springboards for improvisation and short composition studies. Each poem is also paired with a song of Michael Wall's, which you can stream from his website SoundFORMovement. Access the 52 poems here.
"Why Improv?" Essays. Check out the 7 essays and musings on improvisational practices.
Dance Dictionaries. This was one of the delights of the year. In May, 5 artists wrote new definitions of dance terms based on the pandemic, dancing at home, and working solo. Check them out!
New Journal for Technique Courses. This summer, I created a third version of a journal to use in an undergraduate or graduate level technique course. You can print out the journal free of charge or write into the PDF version. In particular, the journal considers distance learning and online learning. Download it for free here.
Dancing Around Race Cohort. In July, 6 members of the Bay Area's Dancing Around Race cohort created a powerful collaborative essay called "Compassionate Labor Deserves Intentional Rest."
On the Creation of Meet Us Quickly with Your Mercy. Check out this essay and dialogue between Jo Kreiter and Rahsaan Thomas about the making of a work by a Jewish choreographer about racial justice and prison abolition.
Michael Wall's Music for Dancers. In October, I interviewed composer Michael Wall about his 2020 projects and new offerings for dancers on his website soundformovement.com.
Plus, outside of Life as a Modern Dancer, I wanted to share 3 other personal projects in 2020:
Dancer Wellness Cards. Working with fellow dancer (and calligrapher) Claire Calalo Berry, we made a deck of 31 cards with words to help us get through our days (abundance, open, receive, lineage). Pick a card for daily inspiration or as a theme to bring into a class or rehearsal. You can purchase a deck through Etsy.
"Market to Market" Blog. I couldn't help myself this year during quarantine, and I did start another blog called "Market to Market." This one is specifically about marketing for artists, arts orgs, and small businesses. Check it out here!
Medium.com. Last, I wanted to mention that some of my writing appears through medium.com as well as this website. I shared 7 pieces this year, including "Movement Themes for These Times" and "New Curatorial Practices: Online Dance Performances."
I am hopeful for 2021 in so many ways, including keeping Life as a Modern Dancer growing and expanding. Stay tuned to hear about our first college intern in the new year! Please stay in touch! (randalldanceprojects@gmail.com)
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