daCi USA's 6th National Gathering - August 2017
Hosted in Salt Lake City, at the University of Utah Taner Dance, Open Space will bring together a multi-generational community of individuals, all of whom are interested in supporting opportunities for young people to experience dance as creators, performers, and observers. This diverse community will collaborate to explore ideas connected with the conference theme – how landscape inspires movement interweaving and connecting, evolving and shifting, surprising and delighting as we are where our feet are.
Reflections on OPEN SPACE
By Rachel Kimball
Dance Specialist/Director, Arts in Education
Tanner Dance at the University of Utah
When I think of the daCi USA OPEN SPACE gathering in Salt Lake City, Utah last July 26-29, 2017, three words come to mind…wow, Wow and WOW!
Through the generous support and planning of the daCi USA board, University of Utah Tanner Dance faculty, staff and numerous community volunteers, the quote from the 1989 film “Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come!” holds some truth. Boy, did you show up! Not just by traveling to Salt Lake City from far and near, but you showed up with your dancing hearts, minds, creative and collaborative selves! We came from Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, Virginia, many areas of Utah, as well as other places across the United States. You showed up!
One of my favorite parts of the OPEN SPACE gathering was watching all of the incredibly skilled teachers, students, chaperones and volunteers create a space of support, collaboration and inspiration across the three days of dance.
Our opening night began with food trucks and the Utah Navajo Nation sharing with us their dances and stories. Kathryn Austin, Mary-Martha Ostler and Natalie Jones, worked together quickly and with skill to create the daCi USA collaboration piece with Winter Garden, FL’s CDPA and Salt Lake City, UT’s CDT’s dancers. This collaboration piece welcomed us to daCi USA OPEN SPACE and brought us together as the dancers finished the piece by dancing into the audience to connect us all. Each day of the gathering, dancers, teachers, and chaperones enjoyed the beautiful OPEN SPACES and studios at the University of Utah’s Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Education Complex (Tanner Dance) and Marriott Center for Dance. Finding shuttles, (or not) and walking up and down hills in the high altitude heat; learning to problem solve where to go and how to get there didn’t deter anyone from arriving and participating in the many classes being taught and taken. Morning skills and technique class, West African, Bharatanatyam, Scottish, Ballet, Ballroom, Jazz, Diavalo, Philippine, Early Folk Dance, Hip Hop, Jazz, Repertory and Visual Art were many of the dance and art forms experienced.
Each evening we were presented with dance performances from our children, teens and adults. Solos, duets, groups and dance film brought each evening to an interesting and inspiring finish. What a treat to see so many brilliant performances.
And the Core Groups; Arches, Bears Ears, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyon Lands, Mesa Verde and Zion guided by insightful and skilled choreographer partnerships, provided the OPEN SPACE for each daCi dancer to have a place to think, problem solve, collaborate and create which brought to life amazing group dances that were shared on our last evening together. This is the place where we met our new dancing friends, created stronger relationships and worked together creatively.
Celebrating the last night together at the Eccles Tower to “break bread”, watch the sun set and see the night and light view of Salt Lake City appear while dancing and singing became spontaneous, boisterous and entertaining. A beautiful ending to a beautiful gathering.
We left with exhausted bodies, invigorated hearts and minds full of new ideas and lasting memories. Brene Brown put it best, “For many of us, there is no form of self-expression that makes us feel more vulnerable than dancing. It’s literally full-body vulnerability. Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change”.
Thank you for being vulnerable, expressive and bringing every part of you to daCi OPEN SPACE. I truly believe that all who were at the OPEN SPACE gathering embodied the mission of dance and the Child international (daCi) by recognizing that every child and young person has the right to dance and striving to preserve the cultural heritage of all forms of dance for children. Creating opportunities for children and young people to experience dance as performers, creators and spectators valuing their perspectives with the utmost importance.
I was honored to watch it all come together. It couldn’t have happened without each of you.
With gratitude and a dancing heart,
Rachel Kimball
daCi USA OPEN SPACE 2017 Gathering Chair
