A Poem of Thanks

For the past eight years, I've been involved with a program called Building Community Through the Arts which helps foster a feeling of community in Maine high school classrooms. This program has awarded me with a wonderful opportunity to help create some harmony in our world. It's amazing what art can do and I am as amazed by the results as anyone. Read my article about BCTA here.

Below is a poem of thanks written by a Bangor high school public speaking class. The poem came with a video of the students using the hallways, lockers and doorways of Bangor high school as site specific dance spaces. When kids can be so inspired to celebrate themselves and their learning, you can know something good is happening in public education. I am so thankful to be part of it.

Here is the poem:

Louis,

Since you were here,
A room is now a space to twirl and dance randomly
A beat is something to stomp and repeat
A friend is someone to spin
Other schools are not always people to defeat (I love this line!)
A doorway is a chance to stop and pose
An empty corridor is a place to sidestep and waltz
A line of people has the possibility of the stroll
A hope is something to leap about
And you're someone we couldn't have done this without.

You've opened our eyes
And opened our hearts.
You've shown us things
We never would have seen.
We're out of our shells
We've come alive
Now we are ready to take life in stride.

Thank you!
Bangor High Class 5/6

Magical Passes

Magical Passes

Now that I've finally figured out how to post videos to the web, here is one of my favorite pieces that I created while teaching at Bowdoin College. The piece is inspired by a book by Carlos Castenada called Magical Passes and is a how to book of physical exercises done by sorcerers of ancient Mexico. The music by Virginia Rodriguez is one of my all time favorite pieces. Hope you enjoy!

Audition Notice

Audition Notice

Louis Gervais
http://www.louisgervais.org/
in association with Add Verb Productions
http://addverbproductions.com/
is seeking:

Dancers comfortable with speaking
and/or
Actors interested in movement and dance.

Audition to take place January 22, 2007, 7 p.m.
@
New Dance Studio,
61 Pleasant Street,
Portland, ME 04101

Performance dates: Gala Event, Three shows: March 1 at the Portland Museum of Art;
March 3 (evening) and March 4 (matinee) at USM Portland, 2007

Rehearsal dates:
January 29, February 5, 12, 26 and 28 2007, 7 - 8:45.

Casting:

All dancers/actors are encouraged to audition.
We desire a mix of age, race, genders and orientations for the cast.

Project Description:
Dancer/actors will collaborate with choreographer Louis Gervais to create a theatrical dance pieces to be incorporated in a new play by Cathy Plourde and Chiara Liberatore. Play addresses issues of sexuality, parent-teen communication, and community. Project to coincide with Portland's Real Life. Real Talk. Coalition social marketing campaign.

Pay? Yes. Budget is being finessed, and we can be specific in January.

How to audition:
Bring resume and headshot or photo
Wear comfortable clothing,
Bring pen and paper
warm yourself up and be prepared to dance, speak and create.

Contact:
Louis Gervais
Louisgervais@hotmail.com
(207)380-2690

The Veil

The Veil is a dance is inspired by barriers; known and unknown, air and water, life and death.I am really excited to be present this video here on my blog for many reasons. This piece, created on and danced by Bates College students, is the result of an experiment. For me it's a breakthrough in my amateur understanding of technology, but the experimental nature had to do with changing the shape of the performance area so that it would imitate the sightlines of a camera. By designing the space in this way the dance happens within the single shot and no action is lost. Watching dance on video is never easy and I was inspired to create piece that might make the transition from stage to the internet. Leave me a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays!

As things get busy with holiday fun and shopping stress, people just want to dance.

Adult dance classes and the Tuesday night contact improv jam will continue straight through the holiday season slipping in and around the big holiday days. There will be classes December 19 and 26. Hope to see you there!

Adult technique happens at 5:15 to 6:45 and the improv jam goes from 7 - 8:30.

Today, December 12 is the last day of classes for the semester at New Dance Studio for the 3:30 to 4:30 pre-teens.

This Friday, December 15 at 7:30, I'll be performing my new solo "The Secret of Life" at Dance USM. Go here for all the information about that performance. Hope to see you there as well!

Have a great holiday season!

Louis

Kenneth Hagin & Kenneth Copeland - Pentecostal Bedlam

I'm not really sure what's happening in this video, but it seems like folks are having a group hallucinatory experience to me. I can't quite figure out if it makes me feel good or not.