For a short time we are putting up Crease and There’s a Height Limit on youtube.  We usually post on videos our own website, but for a special surprise at Boheme on Thursday, we needed them on youtube.  What’s at Boheme?  Well, come anytime between 5pm and 10 pm and everything you drink helps our fundraising.  What’s not to love?   Enjoy!

We are ready to get back into our fabulous clothes from American Flora for our show tonight at the Photobooth.  Sleek, soft, eco-friendly on the top, and wacky doodle shoes on the bottom.  I, for one, am wearing flippers.  Oh, excuse me, apparently they are actually called fins.  eh.  We have a lot of fun in store for you: Frankie Avalon, hula girls, a crazy doll, and my dance debut in fins.  This is officially the zaniest Frame show yet.

Quick Facts:

Where: The Photobooth on Montrose at Montrose and Westheimer.

When: Tonight! 8pm

Tickets– no tickets, but we take donations.

Thank you to American Flora, sponsor of the costumes for our monthly series called Framed! at the Photobooth on Montrose. 

LOVE ME at Archway Gallery, plus a fantastic live dance that moves in and out of Archway and onto Dunlavy St.  7:30 pm.  2305 Dunlavy, Houston.  Tickets: www.framedance.org/boxoffice.

We are so stoked about our fabulous clothes for the Photobooth series (happening again this Friday at 8pm!) that are sponsored by American Flora.  They are an amazing eco-friendly dance and yoga wear company that is now expanding into even more exciting products.  We at Frame Central feel super special, because these products aren’t even up for the public to see yet.  However, if you are interested, contact mary@americanflora.com to get your American Flora before they sell out.

Here’s the announcement:

AMERICAN FLORA introduces its latest additions!

Since our launch in June 2011, The Tote Bag has been flying off the shelves!

Originally designed with dancers and yogis in mind, the Tote has taken on a personality and purpose, ranging from beach bag to farmers market tote and everything in between. It’s traveled all over the world!

Our continued enthusiasm to design fun and useful bags has brought us to another place. We’re now offering a Mini Tote, perfect to use as a purse to carry your cell phone, sunglasses and wallet. We’ll be showing the black Mini Tote with black strapping and some surprise colors.

The Cosmetic Bag offers the latest in style and function. An oversized zipper allows the bag to open with ease. Our signature grommet continues to be a show stopper!

All three bags are made from re-purposed billboard tarps, with a black exterior and a unique graphic interior.

Lastly, our excitement turns to our new bath and body product. American Flora’s Coconut & Sugar is a body scrub made with only organic ingredients. We’ve kept it simple. It’s irresistible virgin coconut oil keeps people asking. “Can I eat this?”

LOVE ME at Archway Gallery on Thursday, 7:30pm.

Denise Wilborn, cast member of LOVE ME, reflects on seeing the film the first time:

Step.  Step.  The first time I saw our film, I did not know what to expect.
My sister was there.  Friends from work were there that night.    What would
they think?  Would they see me somehow differently?  Was this endeavor,
digging up my experiences of love, too personal and too tender to share with
the world?  I was pretty much on pins and needles during my first viewing.
What words did Lydia select from my reflections?  Which of my movements or
phrases of choreography did she keep?  What of me was pruned and left on the
“cutting room” floor?   As I relaxed, I saw not the isolated pieces of 13
dancers’ movements and words, but rather the whole we created together as we
quickly transformed through trust into a dynamic creative community.  My
words blended with Loueva’s words and Donna’s words and Neil’s words.
Alex’s stretch complimented Norola’s reach complimented my bend.  A story
mosaic unfolded as the myriad of dance expressions and word utterances
became, not my story, but rather, our story.  I was not alone on the big
screen.  We were up there together.

Turn.  Lift.  The second night my husband of 29 years was in the audience.
He supported me in so many ways in my previous dance life.  He seldom saw me
from a comfortable seat in the audience because he was back stage cuing
lights, pulling curtains, and dodging dancers.  Never had we sat
side-by-side at any of my dance concerts.  Tonight was different.  How
intimate.  How close.  This night I watched ‘Love Me’ with different eyes as
I saw nuances I missed the night before, of word, dance, and story.  I
listened more closely to my friends’ reflections, my friends hearts.  I
heard the sadness, disappointment, challenge, and joy love brings each day
to our lives.  I also closely watched my husband.  What was he thinking?
What was he wondering?  Did he know he is the reason I could, can, risk
words and steps each and every day?  From the screen came my words, “You are
firecracker red, intense, sparkling, bright against the dark, fiercely
faithful, brilliant, alive.” Did he hear my words and know they are his?

Recover.  The third time I watched ‘Love Me’ I was excited, relaxed,
comforted, and knowing.  Or so I thought.  Another friend joined me, unable
to be there for the previous screenings.  One of the 13 dancers was seeing
our film for the first time.  As I experienced their initial reactions, I
realized how unique each of us is as dancer, artist, person.  We all bring a
personal collage of expectations, perceptions, beliefs, emotions, and
experiences into the theater.  While we all viewed the same film, each of us
answered back according to ourselves.  We all try to make sense of life, and
love, in many different ways.  Everything old is new again.

Repeat.  I will be there again.  Same film.  Same words.  Same dance.  Same
dancers.  Different space.  Different audience.  I wonder what I will come
away with this time?  I wonder whose words will touch me?  I wonder who in
the audience will be encouraged, challenged, to trust, dance, write, create,
and love?  I wonder…

We have a LOT of Frame coming at you this week.  Reminder, the audience member who attends and documents attendance at the most Frame events in February will receive a trophy and the title of Fanatic Frame Fan.

Thursday 7:30 pm at Archway Gallery, LOVE ME and break out live dance surprises

Friday 8pm at the Photobooth on Montrose, the second in our installation series.  This is quirky and fun.  No serious faces allowed.  Great celebration of the weekend.

Saturday evening you may or may not see us breaking into dance around the Houston Theater district.  We may or may not be there… 7- about 8:30pm.

We love people, fans, friends, dancer lovers and dance questioners.  Come hang with us.  We’re fun, and you’re always welcome.

A lot of the process of making LOVE ME was difficult.  Difficult for non-dancers to dance, difficult for us to process difficult parts of our selves, difficult to work in a new group of people/strangers, difficult to be honest with ourselves, difficult to let go of control and let the process happen.  But I know that that is why the end result is so honest and real.  We fought ourselves.  And we won by making something beautiful out of the rough parts of ourselves.  Here’s what Norola Morgan wrote about the second rehearsal:

LOVE ME screens this Thursday at Archway Gallery.  7:30 pm.  Tickets here.

To get you ready for LOVE ME this Thursday at Archway Gallery.

Brought to You by Frame Dance Productions, written by Kelli Meyer

Those who know me well, know I love the idea of writing, but when comes to the “sit-down-and-do-it,” well, I kind of fall short there. But so far I believe one of my expectations of this project is coming true: I’m actually sitting down and writing!

The First Rehearsal

So I must admit I was really nervous on my way to the first night of rehearsals. There were so many things to worry about: will traffic let me get there on time, will I get lost, will I look stupid? As it turned out I wasn’t the only one walking in a little late and Lydia hadn’t started without us. I did stumble through the short interview. Even though she only asked us what we did for a living, what our reactions to the project were, and expectations, it seemed like I couldn’t find coherent words to express myself. Yay for editing! Right? When we started warming up, Lydia surprised me by having the curtains closed, covering all the mirrors. My initial reaction was, “Wait! I won’t be able to see if I’m doing this right!” but my second reaction was sort of a humorous feeling of relief. “I won’t be able to see myself, and therefore how stupid I think I look.” So anxieties were destroyed. Though, I still felt awkward moving around being as I haven’t been to a dance class in about ten years. But I started to get used to it as the rehearsal went on, and it was really fun, and inspiring.

I think about half of the room was professional dancers who knew each other, but everyone was very open, especially for a first session. I really enjoyed the exercise we did with movement and words. Lydia had us move as if a part of your body was pulling you (like your hand, or knee or head). Someone said a word, like “Love” and we would all move, then someone else could say another word such as “Comfort” and we would stop moving until someone else said another word.

Besides movement, we each had a notebook. Inside the notebook was a writing prompt. We were given a few minutes to write on the prompt before warming up. My prompt was “I felt love when…” I thought of the first time my husband kissed me. It felt great to write in those few minutes. Later, we were split into small groups. Each person shared what they wrote with their group and the rest of the group wrote what they felt were key words to their stories. Then we all shared our notes with our group. It was so interesting and really amazing to see what people get out of other people’s stories, even simple words. In our group Denise used colors as vivid personifications. Instead of writing words from the stories, Cassie chose to use words and phrases that came to mind from hearing the stories. From the stories Lydia had us pick certain words or a phrase and start to create movement to go with that phrase. I tried to find a rhythm in my phrase before moving. That helped me a lot. Although I still think my movement imagination is a bit limited. The exciting thing is how that will change in the next month. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to next Wednesday.