On this storied adventure of becoming a caretaker for my father, plunging into ambitious waters of dance making has me getting swallowed into the undertow, as the current continues to strongly pull me away from the stuff that keeps me one with myself. Thus, the long pause in my blogging chatter. Sigh! It’s not been easy of late, to rally my task force to get back into NYC for a swim. That being said, I dove in head first this December, as I made my way to the studio again to launch a new project. Ideas have been brewing for some time now, and actualizing them will include, dancer, Payton Primer, for starters.
You’ve seen Payton in ACD’s performance with the American Dance Guild at the Ailey Citigroup Theater production back in 2022. She is the consummate professional dancer, not only competent technically, but also equipped with an arsenal of expressive gifts that she shares generously with an audience. Not all dancers are artists, but Payton shines as one, and our first rehearsal for this project to be, had artistry written all over it. In our short hour and a half together, I felt as if no time had passed between us. It seemed like yesterday when we were rolling around the floor together, giggling, creating, and as well, sharing deep personal thoughts on where the pin had been pushed into our colored, and somewhat tarnished maps of life. If every chapter were shiny, and easy going, no doubt, the art world would look lackluster and boring, right?
Watching as she carved her way through space — swirling, and extending her beautiful limbs beyond her personal sphere, the disjointed pieces of myself began to knit together, as oneness arrived again! I was so far from dad duties. I was back making sand castles on the beach while the waves gently crested, and fell upon the shore. Delighted to no end that Payton swam laps around this new material so quickly, I left feeling fulfilled and inspired that the process had begun for the project to be — more to be revealed in 2025!
And, to top it off that day, my husband and I went to see Alvin Ailey at City Center, where we met up with company member, Christopher Taylor. Christopher formerly had worked with ACD in several projects, and also knew Payton, as they danced together in a piece at the Citigroup Theater, several years back. That was the concert where I originally spotted Payton, and circled her name in the program. Looks like we’ve come full circle!