A Thought-Leader In Family & Children’s Dance Classes | Houston, TX
Frame Dance is a thought leader in dance education, inspiring the next generation of movers, makers, and world changers by offering dance classes for adults & children, multi-generational ensembles, professional performances, networking events, and film festivals. We are nestled between West U and the Museum District.
We believe in developing the whole dancer, teaching critical life skills such as creative thinking, leadership, collaboration, and resilience through our artful and playful dance curriculum at our studio and in partner schools.
Our adult modern dance classes are designed to offer you the joy and magic that’s possible when you create space in your life to move, to grow, and to share in the creative process with a like-hearted community.
For more than ten years, Frame Dance has brought radically inclusive and deeply personal contemporary dance to Houston. Led by Founder and Creative Director Lydia Hance, whom Dance Magazine calls “the city’s reigning guru of dance in public places,” the professional company is made up of six acclaimed co-creators committed to collaboration. Frame Dance has created over 50 unique site-specific performances and nine dances for the camera screened in festivals all over the United States and Europe. With an unrelenting drive to make dance in relationship to environment, Frame Dance has created dance works for and with METRO, Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, Houston Parks Board, Plant It Forward Farms, CORE Dance, Rice University, Houston Ballet, 14 Pews, Aurora Picture Show, and the Contemporary Arts Museum. Frame Dance’s productions were described by Arts + Culture Texas Editor-in-Chief Nancy Wozny as “some of the most compelling and entertaining work in Houston.” Creative Director Lydia Hance is a champion of living composers and is dedicated to work exclusively with new music.
Creamy Salad dressings don’t have to be full of saturated, trans fat, and bad for you. Sure Kraft Ranch dressing is creamy and pretty yummy when dipping chicken fingers or dressing your salad. However, it is full of trans fat, chemicals, artificial coloring and preservatives.
Check out this nicely dressed salad.
Homemade Creamy Chipotle Salad Dressing
Ingredients
2/3 cups Plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 teaspoon Chili powder
4 teaspoons Lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Directions
Step 1
Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Step 2
Wash and chop romaine lettuce, add chopped onion, and tomatoes.
Step 3
Pour dressing over salad and toss well.Top with grilled chicken and sliced avocado for a yummy, well-balanced meal.
This is a wonderful alternative to mayo and sour cream based dressing and because the Greek yogurt is fully packed with protein. There are endless possibilities for this dressing! Change-up the flavoring by adding some dill and onion powder or a great veggie dip. Put a dollop on a baked sweet potato for a creamy substitute to sour cream and butter, or make a savory spread with chives and onion powder to spread over a whole wheat bagel.
Rachel Holdt! She’s an emerging dance artist, choreographer, filmmaker, budding dance scholar and performance artist making work in academic and professional settings for the past six years. In the past few years, her practice has evolved to include technology for dance performance incorporating dance for film, gaming devices, projection, and software. She recently completed coursework at Mills College for her MFA in Dance Choreography and continues to create, perform, and research performance technologies.
Her research investigates the role of integrated technology for dance education at the university level. Future research will be directed towards required, integrated technology pedagogy for post-secondary education. She is excited to be creating and presenting performance works and critical theory focused on the intersection of dance and technology, and will continue to develop work that includes and investigates this developing field.
What music inspires you the most in the classroom; in the choreographic process?
Having recently completed my MFA at Mills College in Oakland—and having worked with and been exposed to the world-renowned experimental musicians there, I do approach this particular topic with a great deal of self-realized snobbery.
Inspiration comes from many sources, and less is definitely more, but soundscapes that evoke ideas are the most compelling. Jacaczek, a polish electro-acoustic musician is one of my most fruitful sources of inspiration in both the classroom and for choreography. I tend to lean heavily towards the electronic artists, but there are very few acoustic or traditional musicians that move me as deeply. I find that electronic musicians can create an environment that can be more loosely interpreted than direct methods of traditional musical artists, giving me freedom to create with the sound or directly oppose it. Some other favorite electronic artists are Squarepusher, Aphex Twin (AKA Caustic Window and AFX, Richard D James), Autechre, Ulrich Schnauss and Goldfrapp.
I had the privilege to work with two very different musicians during my time at Mills College and I will shout out to them here for their incredible work and amazing music. An electronic artist working with feedback loops and closed circuits is Nicholas Wang. Also, a jazz pianist who composed an entire evening length work for me in January is Brett Carson.
Since I am a writer and have a deep affinity for words, I also find conversations, text, and spoken work inspire my work almost just as much as sound. The Prelinger Arcives—a free source for music, sound, video and more—are a wonderful source for sound of this kind. Their archive is expansive and has provided me with rich inspiration for many of my works.
Traditional musicians that are capable of getting my creative juices flowing are rare, but there are a few that inspire every time. A few of the old faithful’s are– Max Reichter, Morton Feldman, Wim Mertens, Zoe Keating, Yann Tiersen, Nortec Collective, Beats Antique, and Ludovico Einaudi.
What are your three favorite tracks to teach a modern dance class to?
When teaching a Modern class, the following three tracks are my top three picks– Jacaczek, album Glimmer, track Goldengrove. Autechre, album Anti, track Djarum. Max Reichter, album Memoryhouse, and track November (first runner up is also Max Rieichter, album Valse Avech Bachir, trach Into the Airport Hallucination.
What are your top tracks to get the rehearsal process going?
When I’m floundering for inspiration, I listen to ABBA. Yes, they are old, but boy are they fun! I find their upbeat tempo and harmonies get me inspired to move around the room. For more reflective creations, I love Everywhere I Go by artist Lissie. John Cale also has some interesting takes on music, which can completely change my direction at times, and Sigur Ros evokes some interesting ideas.
Pick 5 tracks that should be on every dancer’s iPod?
Aphex Twin, Polynomial-C
Darren Korb, (from Bastion Soundtrack), Build That Wall
Blumenweise Neben Autobahn, Ulrich Schnauss
Oltremare, Ludovico Einaudi
Zoe Keating, Legions(war)
Yan Tiersen, L’Absente
Do you have a ‘secret weapon’ song or artist when you need go-to inspiration?
Video Game Soundtracks
Some interesting musicians to watch or Rising Stars – Rosina Kazi, Ensemble Mik Nawooj
Last night was DiverseWork’s Fashion Fete and we had a fabulous time dancing on the catwalk and in the rafters. Here are some pics from rehearsal, hair, makeup and the performance. Thanks for having us DiverseWorks! Fashion by Ashley Horn.
Happy Monday Framers! Today we are flashing back to the VERY FIRST EVER MFA Monday Column. Enjoy!!
Confessions of an MFA: Day 1
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about connections in dance and the dance community. I’ve come to the conclusion that, really, the relationship between a dancer and company, a teacher and school, an artist and product, all follow the path of a romance. First, there’s a honeymoon phase – everything is exciting and new, every word spoken is brilliant, every action is appealing. Then you stumble upon your first fight. Suddenly, those parts that were once so endearing are now incredibly irritating and need to change right now. Finally, you settle into a comfort with each other, knowing and accepting the quirks and, hopefully, making each other a little bit better.
Such has been the nature of my relationship with dance. It feels as though there are constantly parts of me in each phase of the relationship, continuously cycling between fighting with each other and comforting each other. We break up and get back together. It’s a messy and confusing relationship, and perhaps not always the most healthy one. But when it’s good, it’s so good, and so I can’t let it go.
About six months ago, I made a decision that, many days, feels like the craziest one I have ever made. Without a job or a plan in place, I packed up an oversized Uhaul, attached my car to the hitch, and drove across six state lines to move from the Bay Area to Denver, Colorado.
For many people, this would be a big deal, you probably should have done it sooner situation. For me, the queen of planning, organizing, and budgeting, this was an epic, earth shattering life change, one which I did not handle particularly gracefully. There was a great deal of time spent crying into a blanket, staring longing at a bottle of wine and realizing it was only 1 pm on a Tuesday, and so opening it was not acceptable. I think I probably said “I’m getting on a plane back home tomorrow!” at least ten times.
In this haze of tears and wine (although it didn’t get opened at 1 pm, it certainly was opened eventually), I started to reflect on what exactly it was that I was missing so intensely. Of course I missed my friends and family and knowing my way around. But what truly lay at the core of my sadness was that I felt so alone. I no longer had a community of any kind that I belonged to, and that was something I hadn’t ever experienced.
As an artist, our community is my inspiration. The work that my friends, colleagues, and mentors are doing is what motivates me to do the work that I am doing. Without being a part of that community in a new city, I felt completely devoid of stimulation, devoid of creativity. I felt alone with my tumultuous relationship with dance.
I came to the realization that the dance community is my web of well-being. They are the people that I go to when I want to sing the praises of dance and when I need to vent on how dance has treated me. They are, for lack of a better description, my girlfriends. And even though our community may not always be in the honeymoon phase, I think we always reach a place of comfort and support.
Slowly, as the months have passed, I am starting to find my dance community here. It’s certainly not something that can be forced, but something that I can keep trying to build and develop. It’s a new relationship and I just hope to hold off our first fight for as long as possible.
Mary Grimes is a dancer, choreographer, writer, teacher, and working artist living in the Bay Area. Since receiving her MFA in Performance and Choreography from Mills College, she has started working as a dance writer and critique, writing for such magazines as Dance and Dance Studio Life. She has had to opportunity to work with accomplished choreographers including Trisha Brown, Yvonne Rainer, Molissa Fenley, and Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Her choreographer has been presented nationally. In the future, Mary hopes to continue her work as a dance writer and is excited to see where this path will take her.
Hi Framers! We have some more great news about another Framer’s show coming up tomorrow! Dancer and Costume Designer Ashley Horn has an exciting show this Sunday at Frenetic Theater, 7pm. I am thrilled to be a part of it! The rehearsal process has been very exciting as she is testing the limits of our memory with movement and structure. Find out more below and see the photos by Ashley Horn; Dancers: Shanon Adams, Lydia Hance and Mallory Horn.
The Persistence of Vision is an exploration of the ways that subtle evolutions in memories can compound, and over time transform events into things very different from the truth. Persistence also touches on the difficulties people may have relating when their shared memories, believed to be identical, are disparate.
Dancers were each given varying amounts of information about the process, choreography, and structure and were asked to make decisions based on what they did or did not know.
A set made of monochromatic symbolic items will be divided into compartmentalized sectors which dancers and audience move through. The piece is set up as an installation and is meant to be seen by the audience from the inside, with viewers free to move from sector to sector at their own pace.
Ahoy, Framers! Our newest member to the Frame team, Emily Pau, selected some wonderfully fun videos for you on this Links We Like Friday! We also want to send a special shout-out to 2013 Frame Dance Music Composition Winner Rob McClure on his birthday!!
Some of you know that our film “There’s a Height Limit” was selected to be a part of TenduTV’s Essential Dance Film Collection. We are really excited! We need your help getting the word out and sharing with your networks. We actually receive a portion of the ad revenue each time someone watches it. (ca-ching!) Would you take a moment and share with your friends?
Frame Dance Productions announces its competition to select a piece of music for its upcoming Spring season. Its two-fold purpose is to offer outstanding emerging composers a forum for their recognition as well as an opportunity to collaborate with the dance performance company, Frame Dance Productions. We are looking for completed pieces, or for samples in consideration for a future work.
Happy Monday morning, Framers! This is the final installment from Dance Source Houston‘s Stephanie Todd Wong. They just launched a new website, so after you read this fabulous advice, head on over and check them out!
Surrender to the Process
A few parting pieces of advice…
Immerse yourself in the place and program. If you going dedicate the time and money, you might as well make it worth your while. Don’t hold back.
Try to enjoy it. You’ll be exhausted and stressed, but try to maintain some perspective and have fun.
Luxuriate in the structure. Once you finish, you’ll be forced to create structure for yourself, which isn’t easy. So enjoy it while you can.
Be okay with being overwhelmed. It’s going to happen, and it’s okay. This too shall pass.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable. You’re going to spend a fair amount of time outside of your comfort zone, get used to it. And if you’re not being pushed there, you’re in the wrong place.
Embrace your colleagues. They will become some of your closest friends and collaborators. They will most likely also piss you off and annoy the hell out of you at times, but that’s part of their charm.
Challenge yourself and allow yourself to be challenged. Be wiling to hear what your professors and colleagues have to say about your work. This can be exceptionally difficult, but necessary to true growth.
Challenge your professors and colleagues. You should take this time to question everything and everyone. Nothing is sacred.
Take risks. You will never have a safer place to fail. Make use of it.
Stephanie Todd Wong moved to Houston in 2008 after spending ten years in Washington DC as a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher and dance administrator. Stephanie holds a BA in Dance from Mercyhurst College and received her MFA in Dance from George Mason University in 2004. While living in Washington she was a dancer in the Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company, which performed in various locations in DC and New York City. She also had the privilege of working with Lorry May, founding director of Sokolow Dance Foundation to learn and perform Anna Sokolow’s The Lament for the Death of a Bullfighter. As a choreographer, Stephanie’s work was presented at both Joy of Motion and Dance Place. Stephanie also spent time teaching dance and worked to create a high school dance program for The Flint Hill School in Vienna Virginia. Beginning in 2007, Stephanie began working for Dance/MetroDC, the local branch office of Dance/USA, serving as its Programs Associate and ultimately its Interim Director. In this role she was responsible for creating and executing all the organizations programming, including the Metro DC Dance Awards, a region wide awards program that took place at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Stephanie became Executive Director of Dance Source Houston in 2011 and currently sits on the Advisory Board for Arts + Culture Magazine and an Affiliate Working Group of Dance/USA.