Dance Anywhere

I’ve been following the Dance Anywhere movement for a few years now. And secretly I’ve participated in my living room. And now I’d like to rally some Framer support of the movement. What does it mean? Dance wherever you are on March 22 at 2pm central time. What if everyone, everywhere danced at once? Participate with us! Here’s some more information:

About dance anywhere®
What if there was a public celebration of dance everywhere, around the world, simultaneously? What if, in one moment, the whole world started dancing? Why wait for a performance opportunity to come your way? No audition, no application, no references, no formal dance training needed. Everyone is invited!

dance anywhere® is a simultaneous worldwide public art performance and we want YOU to be the star! For the past 8 years, people of all ages and artistic capacities have made dances in parks, museums, street corners, schools, work places, community centers, offices, and just about anywhere you can imagine. Participants have been professional dancers and artists, plumbers, doctors, soccer players, teachers and politicians. Some dances are choreographed, some are improvised, and some stretch the definition of what dance is.
We hope you will participate on Friday, March 22, 2013 at noon CA, 3pm NY: (click here for your time).

Where will you be?

At work? Taking a lunch break? In class? Running an errand? In line at the bank? The library? The grocery store? Walking the dog in the park?… Perfect! Your participation doesn’t need to be an event you plan months in advance! … Tap your foot, do a little jig, bob your head… You have our permission. And you will be joined by thousands around the world. Get together with your friends, family, colleagues or strangers on the street – wherever you will be – and have some fun!

the mission of dance anywhere®
Build community by engaging people worldwide in a simultaneous, public art, performance

Reconsider the definition of art, public space, and community

Make dance accessible to more people

Inspire creativity

Change perspectives through community art experiences

Artist Beth Fein first created dance anywhere® in 2005 …what if there was a public celebration of dance anywhere and everywhere simultaneously? Why wait for a performance opportunity to come your way? No audition, application, no references, no formal dance training needed. Everyone is invited no matter age or ability.

Beth Fein originally conceived the idea in an effort to acknowledge dance practice (rehearsal, class, etc) as an art form, that formal performances are only a part of dance, that the less observed dance practice is also an art form. As a dancer and visual artist, Fein has continued to develop this original concept to not only blur the line between art practice and art, but to dissolve the line that often separates art and dance from our daily lives. This is dance that transforms our familiar and ordinary locations.
To learn more about Beth Fein and her dance and visual arts practice visit www.bethfein.com.

–Lydia

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Written by Lydia
February 26th, 2013 at 5:57 pm
Posted in Posts

The Dance Anywhere association has organized simultaneous dancing across the globe.

Attempting to stay out of the rain, participants in a ballet dance flash mob line up beside Book & Game and part of Macy’s on Main Street at noon Friday for a few songs as part of international Dance Anywhere day. Photo: Matthew Zimmerman Banderas

WALLA WALLA — On Friday, a downtown flash mob made up of students of Whitman College and The Dance Center had to be moved across the street at the last minute, but did not call off their dancing because of the rain.

Flash mob organizer Idalee Hutson-Fish said she planned to stage the impromptu dance performance at Land Title Plaza, but at the last minute moved the impromptu event under the canopies along the north side of the Die Brücke building.

So customers of Macy’s and Book & Game got to shop for shoes and books while watching 40 youths create a line of pliés on the other side of the glass.

A group of ballet dancers, organized by Idalee Hutson-Fish, lining windows on Main Street. The dancers were participating in an international event called Dance Anywhere where people around the world danced at the same time, wherever they were. Photo: Matthew Zimmerman Banderas

Source: The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Dance Anywhere day: Why you might encounter a flash mob this Friday

by Maura Judkis

Glinda Torvik takes a turn with Bill Hamblin as they join other dancers with the Greater Memphis Square and Round Dance Association in February. (Jim Weber - Asscoiated Press)

Dance Anywhere is a simultaneous public art performance that encourages everyone to dance, wherever they are in the world, at a set time. This year, that time is 3 p.m. EST in the United States, which is equivalent to noon PST, and 9 p.m. in Paris. The event, now in its eighth year, was founded by artist Beth Fein.

Many of the dance groups that have added their Dance Anywhere performances to an interactive map are in California, with residents of San Francisco most likely to catch a performance on Friday. However, dancers as far away as Singapore, Buenos Aires, and Malmö, Sweden will participate. If you’re not brave enough to host your own solo act and there are no performances near you, check out this video of last year’s Dance Anywhere performances.

Source: The Washington Post – The Style Blog

Beth Fein & Dancers at Powell St BART Station , SF photo: Mike DiFilippo

Now that you have danced, share your experience with the rest of the dance anywhere community. You can upload your photos, videos, and stories directly to your profile. Log in to danceanywhere.org and scroll down to see your 2012 dance info. There are five icons next to each year you have participated. These icons will allow you to update your location and dance information, upload photos and videos, and share your stories of your dance anywhere experience.

It’s easy to share! 1. upload your videos to youtube or vimeo. 2. then from your profile page: just click on the triangle icon and then paste the URL of your video on youtube or vimeo. the video will show up automatically on your profile.To upload photos: 1. make sure that they are .jpg files, 2. then click on the photo icon and browse for the file on your computer. 3. Click upload and the photo will show up automatically on your profile. 4. You can also write about your experience by clicking on the pencil icon and sharing your stories.

Please post on your profile and share it on facebook and other social media!

by Ashley West

This Friday, March 30 at noon, celebrate a global improvisational experience that places dance at the forefront of the world’s consciousness.

Rejoice in the power of dance to link people in the sheer joy of shared movement. Check out the international overview and map for Dance Anywhere Day.

Come one, come all to this inclusive event at Stagebridge Senior Theater Company in Oakland. You need no dance experience. Greacian Goeke will direct a semi-improvisational routine created by her Rhythm and Moves class. Goeke has left open the possibility that planned movement may turn into spontaneous frolicking.

Dance Anywhere Day and Stagebridge are a perfect fit, as its seniors fearlessly claim their place daily in a youth-centric culture.

If the movement routine outlined here looks enticing, you may email Goeke for a complete movement plan.

The Dance

Participants will congregate at the First Congregational Church Atrium at noon sharp. Please show up rain or shine, as all will dance indoors if weather is inclement. Or, weather permitting, we will dance for a minimum of 30 minutes outdoors.

To prepare, dress in warm layers. Wear gloves and dress in bright, festive colors. Bring umbrellas, as they will be incorporated into the event.

Routine Overview

Goeke will call out the routine, so keep your eye on her.

Dancers will position themselves along an outdoor railing in front of the church, facing a partner. Make big, obvious movements that will make an impact from a distance.

Using the railing, do long, exaggerated dance stretches. At some point, you will pull colorful scarves from your sleeves. The whole crowd will perform the wave.

At a given signal, dancers who wish to perform solos will move away from the railing, shaping their bodies dramatically. The remainder of the group will react enthusiastically to the solos.

Participants should meet at the First Congregational Church at 2501 Harrison Street (across from Whole Foods). There is no charge for the event.

Stagebridge offers “affordable excellence” in the form of classes, performances and incomparable memories. Check them out today—Spring classes begin on Monday, April 2.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Celebrate ‘Dance Anywhere Day’ with Elder Flash Mob – Oakland Theater | Examiner.com

Theater Premiers: The Collection, Dance Anywhere & More

by Lily Ko

This Friday, Dance Anywhere will unite San Francisco at noon (PST), New York at 3pm (EST), Paris at 8pm, Rome, etc, with global hour of dance. In San Francisco, SFMOMA will be the stomping ground for this open dance-a-thon where everyone is invited to stop and do a little dance.

Source: SF Station, Spectrum

photo: weidong yang

Conceptual public art lovers: Friday at noon in San Francisco and major cities across the globe, dancers and dance lovers intend to pause to express themselves through movement. The event, “What If the World Stopped to Dance?,” is now in its eighth year. Dance anywhere creator Beth Fein explains, “Imagine if we all took a moment to dance. It changes your day, your mood. … When you stop to dance, you find inspiration and creativity you may have forgotten.”

Some of the San Francisco dances will be choreographed, others improvised. Among the professionals Friday noon are: Raisa Simpson & Push Dance Co. at the Oakland Museum of California; Kara Davis & Agora Project at San Francisco City Hall; Alyce Finwall Dance Theatre at the 343 Sansome Rooftop Deck; Beth Fein & Dancers at the Powell Street BART Station; RoCo Dance Youth Company at Depot Plaza Mill Valley; and Anne Bluethenthal Dance at SFMOMA. For more info: www.danceanywhere.org/participate.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/28/DDF31NPDQU.DTL#ixzz1qWyBNtr4

written by Keith Bowers

In two days, if you don’t know what’s coming, you might find yourself in a puzzling situation — here in San Francisco or pretty much anywhere in the world. Let’s say you’re taking your lunch break on Friday. You’re in line at an ATM when you notice someone dancing nearby. She’s really into it. She has no intention of stopping. “Oddball,” you think. Then someone cranks up a car stereo and joins her. Across the street in a courtyard is a group of people doing synchronized steps. Then you spot three more on a corner. Is there something going on you don’t know about? You bet. It’s Dance Anywhere, a coordinated effort to get people around the world to dance at the same time, wherever they are.

Dance Anywhere was created in 2005 by Bay Area resident Beth Fein, who says it has gained thousands of participants on makeshift stages such as train stations, museums, parks, and bridges. Organizers say people in 27 countries have joined the effort, and they have photos on a website to back that up. Fein is among dancers who believe the art form has become too separated from our daily lives, and this is a way to break down that barrier while also stretching the definition of what performance art is, and also to make a regular day seem really not so regular. Anyone, anywhere can dance at the appointed time, but the website lets Two-Steppers, Breakers, and Hustlers tell others where they’ll be and what they’ll do, so the whole thing can seem more puzzling and outrageous to those who don’t know about it.

Dance Anywhere starts Friday at noon. Check out its website to learn more.

“Dance Anywhere”

photo: weidong yang

The world is in the toilet, and at times it feels like a giant cosmic hand is just about to flush us all. But a glimmer of hope for humanity lurks amid events like “Dance Anywhere,” which advises even the two-left-footed among us to pause and bust a joyful move as part of a coordinated, global public art movement. Check the event’s website to line up your time zone (in San Francisco, it’s noon), and limber up for your solo macarena — or find your way to a free professional performance. Bay Area participants include Anne Bluethenthal Dance (at SFMOMA), Raisa Simpson and Push Dance Co. (at the Oakland Museum of California), and Alyce Finwall Dance Theatre (on 343 Sansome’s rooftop deck). In the words of Footloose: dance your ass off! (Eddy)

Noon, free

Various locations

www.danceanywhere.org

“It’s not just what’s put in a gallery or what’s put on stage,” Beth Fein says. “ But the practice of creating the art and making it valid within itself. It’s really intriguing. If you look at dance and other performance, often what happens in rehearsals can be just amazing and may not be what you get to see on stage.”

On March 30th 2012, at exactly noon in San Francisco, 3 p.m. in New York City and 9 p.m. in Paris and Rome, people around the world will spontaneously begin to dance. Not because of some widespread, modern re-occurrence of choreomania, but because of a concerted effort by dance anywhere®, which organizes a worldwide public art performance encouraging people to dance on street corners, in elevators, in parks … anywhere.

The underlying idea: to free ideas of performance and dance from the constraints of the stage, recontextualizing public space as a potential venue for art and interaction within a community.

Artist and dancer Beth Fein first created dance anywhere® in 2005 in an effort to blur the line that precludes us from incorporating dance in our everyday lives. The first dance anywhere® event in the Oakland and Berkeley area featured a street performance by dancers positioned on every corner for about ten blocks. As she observed the unwitting audience members lighting up and joining in on the unexpected performance, Fein recognized the potential for dance in street performances around the world.

Art in Odd Places interviewed founder Beth Fein to learn more about this novel take on dance and the upcoming performance on the 30th.

AiOP: What can people expect on the 30th?

Beth Fein: I would like to think that everyone, everywhere will all simultaneously stop and dance – even if just for a moment – no matter where they are: in a car, seated in a meeting, out on the street, in a class, a bank, at work…what would happen if we all had this moment of movement whether small and quiet or large and energetic together? You can also choose to be the audience and go to see one of these performances or join in with the more informal dances.

If you check the website you will see where to find performances, including where professionals and aspiring dancers will be dancing. If you can’t find one to attend, then you have the option of creating your own.

AiOP: Why do you ask people to send in videos and photos?

Beth Fein: dance anywhere® is a conceptual, participatory public art project – it is just an idea. Sharing photos and videos is a way to share the experience with their unknown fellow dancers. It creates community and inspires other dance, art and community experiences. I really look forward to seeing the photos and video – to see who danced and all the different dances that people create.

“ I think there is often a line between where “art” occurs, ” Fein says. “This is a more direct public art, where you’re reclaiming public space.”

AiOP: How can people connect with dance anywhere® if they live overseas (leading up to the 30th and beyond)?

Beth Fein: No matter where you live, you can be a part of dance anywhere®. The first step is to create a profile of yourself on the dance anywhere® website. You can say as much or as little about yourself as you are comfortable with. After dance anywhere®, we have instructions how to upload your media so that it appears on your profile. From these entries (they can also include, animation, drawings, paintings, poems or observations) we curate an online gallery.

dance anywhere® has also started a blog and we are interviewing participants about their dance anywhere® experience, how that informs their artwork, creativity and what they are doing the rest of the year.

You can also find dance anywhere®’s page on Facebook as well as an event and a group. These are places for everyone to talk about dance anywhere®, post photos, videos, ideas, and art that they are doing through out the year.

AiOP: With dance, although it’s fun to do, people often feel very shy about it because it is such a social thing. How does dance anywhere® encourage dance in a public space while rejecting judgment?

Beth Fein: dance anywhere® is public art that reclaims public space by having dance occur in spaces that belong to everyone, but it is also public art because the concept is that dance anywhere®, as a performance belongs to all who take part in it. That means that you can dance on the subway or in your kitchen or living room. You can get up and move your whole body, or dance in your chair. You could even quietly have your fingers dance on your desk or the arms of your chair. The definition of dance is wide open.

AiOP: How does dance anywhere® seek to challenge preconceived ideas about dance?

Beth Fein: dance anywhere® challenges the idea of dance as an art that necessitates a stage in a theater. Dance practice, as well as art practice is a continuum that encompasses daily work in the studio and class (dancers are always training) and rehearsal. There is so much intriguing and beautiful dance that happens away from the stage that dance anywhere® is an acknowledgement of this art practice as art. It is not so much whether dance is a fine art but rather that the process of creating dance (seen or not) is an integral part of the art of dance. This is also true for art in other media.

In the past, dance anywhere performances have encompassed six continents, over 30 countries, more than 315 cities and thousands of dancers.

AiOP: What’s in the future for dance anywhere® ?

Beth Fein: The future of dance anywhere® hopefully includes greater diversity of people, location and styles of dance.

We hope that dance anywhere® goes to school can partner with more schools and artists in the schools to promote learning through movement, and inspire both writing and artwork through the dance anywhere® experience.

dance anywhere®  looks to a future of being a spark of creativity for all artists not just dancers, so that we can continue to reconsider the definition of art, public space, and community.

Source: Art in Odd Places