I wanted to say Thank You to everyone that came out to see the Aerial Salon. It is always a great pleasure to show you what we have been working on.
Here is a little more info about the performers and the pieces. Dec 2012 Cantina Royal
BRIGHT IDEAS AERIAL SALON
presents
ON THE ROPES
Cody Schreger (host) is a NYC native performing artist, choreographer and instructor. She has worked with companies such as Cirque Dreams, the Metropolitan Opera, corporate clients such as Mercedes Benz , TV shows such as Law & Order and at the international circus festivals of Albacete Spain and Latina, Italy. She also teaches ongoing aerial silks and Lyra classes in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For more info check out www.codyjs.com
Susie Williams (producer, performer) After graduating with a BA in Theater from Northwestern, Susie began training rope with Kevin O’Connor of Ecole Nationale de Cirque and continued at the San Francisco Circus Center. Susie has performed all over New York in theater, cabaret and corporate shows. When she is not in NYC, you can find her performing around the country with such circus legends as the High Flying Pages, The Flying Poemas and Gino Farfan. She most recently performed flying trapeze, spanish web and silks at Circus Circus. You can learn more about her here: www.circussusie.com and take class with her here: www.aerialartsnyc.com.
Lisa Natoli (curator, performer) is a Brooklyn-based aerialist and artistic director of Lisa’s Bright Ideas, which has presented work at the Brooklyn Lyceum, Galapagos Art Space, Gowanus Ballroom, MonkeyTown, Cantina Royal, Irondale Theater, and CBGB’s Gallery. She has also performed with Constellation Moving Company, Above and Beyond Dance, Emily Power Dance, and General Mischief Dance Theater and was a company member of Jody Sperling’s Time Lapse Dance. Lisa teaches aerial silks and rope at The Skybox and Embody Studios, and has led workshops at Bumbershoot Aerial in St. Louis, Miraas Aerial in Denver, and The Muse in Brooklyn. Lisa attended Alvin Ailey American Dance Center certificate program and holds a B.A. in Dance from The University of Iowa. www.lisasbrightideas.com
Melissa Canella (performer) One of my first memories was at the age of 3, when my mom took me to a routine doctors visit. When he entered the room, he asked, “Melissa, how are you feeling today?” and I said, “Look what I can do!” then excitedly performed a summersault for him in my birthday suit! Soon after, my mom enrolled me in dance lessons and two years later, gymnastics. I performed and competed intensely until about the age of 15. At 19, I had a brief stint teaching ballroom dance and at 21, I joined a professional acrobat troupe in New Orleans, Louisiana. When I was 23, I moved myself to New York and put myself through school at FIT. At this point in my life, I forfeited dance and acrobatics to focus on costume design and construction. Then, at 26, an accident left me with a severe neck injury that caused constant and often debilitating pain for the better part of 6 years. During this time, I continued to develop my sewing skills and was convinced that my body was far too injured for any kind of strenuous activities. If someone told me then what I would be doing here tonight, I never in my wildest dreams would have believed it. Thankfully, when I was 31, I discovered Pilates and delved for 3 years. This helped me to reconnect with my body and begin to heal myself, and at 34, I took my first aerial lesson with a friend of mine on her 10’ silk in her bedroom. I was instantly hooked, and after not performing in more than 12 years, on the eve of my 36th birthday, I performed aerial for the first time! Now, I can’t imagine my life without it. I currently make my living as a professional tailor in the fashion industry, but aerial has become my true passion, inspiration and motivation…and today, at 37, I feel better in mind and body than I ever have. Through this journey, I’ve learned that it’s important to dream, but even more important to DO. Always believe in the power of your self and never stop trying!
Elizabeth Munn (performer) is committed to exploring new ways of storytelling through multi-disciplinary collaborations. As a singer, she has been seen in performance in venues including The Kitchen, Galapagos Art Space, Mount Tremper Arts Festival and the Walker Art Center, where she created the role of Martha in The Making of Americans (dir. Jay Scheib). Other performances range from Monteverdi to Mozart to Reich, including appearances with Nautilus Music-Theater, Opera Moderne, NYMVAE, Golden Key Salon Recital Series, Opera Manhattan, Empire Opera, Regina Opera, Collective Opera Company, Lyra Baroque Orchestra, Virgin Ground, The Rose Ensemble and the Festival Dancing in Your Head Orchestra. As an aerialist she has performed at the Bowery Poetry Club, STREB and off-Broadway in Odyssey-the Epic Musical. She is honored to be a part of On the Ropes. Thanks to Lisa and Susie.
Gretchen Sampsen (performer) studies the art of rope with Lisa Natoli. She is also a static trapezist, studying with Natalie Agee and performing with Ruby Streak Trapeze Studio as well as Big Sky Works. In her professional life, she is a Chinese medicine practitioner.
Thank you everyone who donated time, effort, skills, and equipment.
Thank you Cantina for hosting our salon.
Thank you for coming out and seeing our work we hope to see you again soon.
Set List
Intro in silence walking backwards. Lisa, Cody, Susie
Lisa- music: Rachels 4 and 5 Trees
Title: It was Never Named
Cody
Gretchen- music Kid Koala
Cody
Elizabeth- music Rachels Letter Home
Notes( starts with E. humming and ends in silence)
Cody
Melissa- music Chopin
Title: Pride
Notes (rope trails across floor M. is standing at the edge of tail in dress)
Cody
Lisa- music Tiger Lillies Drowning
Title: Drowning
Cody
Susie- music The Beach by Dr. Dogg
Title: Holes
Cody and bow.
*** some extra info.***
Pride was choreographed specifically for Melissa with the help and mind of Melissa for a student show at the Muse Brooklyn. It was originally performed within a group piece. M has performed the piece as a solo at The Sky Box Variety show as well as in this salon.
Elizabeth’s piece was choreographed by Lisa. Lisa was making this piece for herself but thought it needed something she wasn’t finding. So she gave the piece to elizabeth to explore asking her to add her voice and manipulate the piece.
The first piece Lisa performed feels like a trio to Lisa but somewhere along the line L felt she needed to spend time with her ideas in a solo environment so she could better handle it and understand it when it comes time to make it into a group piece.
Susie and Gretchen choreographed their pieces***
