I am Celeste Miller (she/her), the Artistic Director of Dance Ensemble/ACTivate. I am currently sheltered-in-place at an artist-in-residence shelter in Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia. On the traditional territory of the Eastern Cherokee, Sautee is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northeast Georgia. I am sheltered-in-place here in a pod with the folx who created the artist space. In addition to remote teaching and directing Dance Ensemble/ACTivate, I continue to explore my own dance-making, creating non-narrative narratives that reflect the times. Currently I am interested in how a single-placed camera can be the partner in a choreographic exchange of solo dance-making. This has been a challenging and soul searching semester for dancing with one another, but I am grateful for the dancers who have supported one another in rising to choreographer Ted Shawn’s challenge, “Dance we must!”
I am Mira Livia Berkson, a fresh ’20 alum thankful for the opportunity to keep my creative Grinnell connections alive. Since March, I have been roommates with my 92-year-old Oma. My body is often curled on the couch or hunched in a chair playing cards or doing a puzzle and my mind often follows, so it has been very important for me to have this dedicated time to move my body-brain. Additionally, especially since I do not have friends who live nearby, I appreciate the consistency of ensemble and the opportunity to expand my understanding of what “interactive” can mean.
I’m Halvor Bratland, and I’m a second-year Grinnell student. I’ve been taking part in Dance Ensemble this semester from the safety of my parents’ house in Northfield, Minnesota. I found my way to dance through musical theatre, and I’ve found it to be a great way to stop myself from shrinking entirely up into my own skull. Dance Ensemble has shown me new ways to express myself, connect with others, relate to feelings, and orient myself towards the world, and it’s also just a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed starting to explore the many possibilities at the crossroads of dance and video, and I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to make something together with these wonderful people.
My name is Lilith Orion Hafner. I am living in the woods in a metaphorical bubble at a converted summer camp run by A Place Beyond in Prescott Arizona. This small community, cut off from the outside world by a pandemic and physical distance, is both tight knit and isolated. The exchange of dance with folks outside my bubble helps me ground myself in creativity and within my community. Artistic collaboration gives me a small avenue of embodied existence outside my physical space. I hope you join us for a moment in this coexistence.
Anushka Kulshreshtha is a senior and this term, she has been dancing with the ensemble from her dorm room overlooking the MacField. Pandemic restrictions have been a “new-grad lite” experience, in that they have made her reckon with how life would be different after Grinnell while still being in that familiar space. Dance has been a part of her goal to make as much art as she can during her senior year and she cherishes her time with the ensemble as a space to move, process, share, and pose for zoom.
Maya Kusunoki-Martin (she/they) is a fourth-year Linguistics lover and television enthusiast from San Gabriel, California. She is currently living off-campus in Grinnell near Central Park with four loving housemates. This is Maya’s first semester in Dance Ensemble, and, alongside her friends, it has quickly become a grounding force in these unstable times. As a firm believer in the power of self-discovery through creation, she has been able to use dance as a way to reflect and practice radical vulnerability.
I am Misha Rodell and I’m a second year currently at home in Illinois. While I miss Grinnell and in-person classes, I’m enjoying taking lots of long walks with my dog. Dancing during this pandemic has brought me so much joy. It has pushed my creativity and changed the ways I think about dance. Dancing brings energy, excitement, and connection to my life. I love going to Zoom class and dancing, talking, and laughing with everyone in Dance Ensemble.
I’m Kayley Rönnkvist, a second year who has been dancing this quarter from Grinnell. I found a love of dancing with friends at Grinnell and, through their encouragement, began taking dance classes last spring. Though hesitant to take online dance, I joined ensemble in October and have found it to be a wonderful way to slow down, be in tune with my body, express myself, and move during the day after so much sitting for online classes. Online dance has pushed me to think in new ways and find creative uses of my space and technology. Best of all, I’ve found a loving, supportive community to create and laugh and spontaneously make ooblick with over Zoom.
I’m Derin Sivrioğlu, a second year student from Turkey. Currently I am in Istanbul and missing Grinnell so much. Dance Ensemble has been a great opportunity to feel a little bit closer to Grinnell and Grinnellians over the past semester. It felt so good to share a space with wonderful creators and dance with them, as I have grown so much as a dancer. I can not wait to do more and more works with these wonderful people in this wonderful community.
