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 BACKGROUNDLaura Schandelmeier & Stephen Clapp are renowned for their daring virtuosity, visual elegance and strong sense of social responsibility. An innovative duet company, they create works that reflect their individual and combined experience of contemporary culture. Highly energized choreography includes ruminations on action and re-action, conflict, empathy, and transformation – creating motion narrative with a sensual luster and dynamic variety. A commitment to the intersection of art and social justice fused with an edgy exploration of dance and theater, Laura Schandelmeier & Stephen Clapp have forged a unique blend of artistry, cultural synthesis, community engagement and contemporary commentary.
OFFERINGSPerformances
The Loving Project: E-Race, a full-evening dance/theater work, explores interracial marriages and non-traditional partnerships in historical and present-day contexts. Reflecting upon social issues including racism, sexism and gender bias, the work aims to uncover what makes union across cultural boundaries viable.
Haunted unearths local lore and ghost stories of Mount Rainer, Maryland, where some say the story behind “The Exorcist” took place. Set to an original score by vocal duo Leah and Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia, and percussionist/performer Kofi Dennis, Haunted draws from acts of possession, ghost stories, and rituals to create an enthralling motion narrative.
Portals offers a magical glimpse into the celebrations, rituals and intimate moments shared between two people. Examining the transformative process of evolution, and the five major rites of passage, the dance features an original score by Clapp.
WORKSHOPFor all Audiences: Open Door Projects provide audiences the opportunity to see first hand the artistic process, where Clapp and Schandelmeier show their works in progress.
For Pre-K Teachers: Taking Chances Making Dances: Strategies for Emergent Literacy through Stories and Movement
How can you jump like a rabbit? Can you "jump" with your hands? How can you use your body to jump on a low level? In this interactive workshop, participants will investigate the answers to these questions and learn strategies to tell a story through Interactive Movement Experiences - experiences that explore one or more open-ended physical problems. Through dance, participants will create experiences that connect to emergent literacy skills and explore the use of Descriptive Language Strategy.
For 6th Graders: Transitions to Middle School
There are a number of transitions in life, each representing a "rite of passage." One significant transition for pre-teens is the one from elementary to middle school. This transition tends to destabilize many students, requiring them to re-establish a sense of their identity. The workshop series offers arts-based experiences such as movement problems, theater explorations, story circles, visual art expression and writing to explore life transitions. This workshop grew out of the Portals project.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Laura Schandelmeier is a dance artist who works as a choreographer, performer and teaching artist. Director of Schandelmeier & Company from 1988-1994 in New York City, her work was commissioned by Dance Theater Workshop and Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church. From 1995-2004, she worked as a solo performer in the DC area and 2004 she began collaborating with Stephen Clapp. In DC, her work has been produced by The Kennedy Center, Dance Place, The IN Series, and by Washington Performing Arts Society in Martha @ Dance Place, curated by Richard Move. She has received several awards for her choreography including grants from the Harkness Foundations for Dance, support for international projects from the Suitcase Fund, and Individual Artist Awards from Maryland State Arts Council and Prince George’s Arts Council. She has taught a range of ages, specializing in integration of the arts into early childhood curriculum as well as artist workshops through The Field.
Stephen Clapp is a dance artist, choreographer, theater artist, composer, and writer. He has performed nationally and internationally with CatScratch Theatre, ClancyWorks Dance Company, and The Other Theatre in addition to Dance Now Productions. In 2006, he received an Individual Artist award from the Maryland State Arts Council for Solo Dance Performance. In addition to his own projects, Clapp has collaborated with Schandelmeier on full-evening duets including Rappaccini’s Daughter (2004), The Dragons Project: Power Play (2006), Portals (2007) and Haunted (2008). Clapp has toured throughout the East Coast and has facilitated arts-based anti-racism workshops with partners from Alternate ROOTS (Atlanta, GA). Together with Schandelmeier, they have had works presented by Dance Place, Madcap Players(DC), the Goose Route Dance Festival, Joe's Movement Emporium (MD), Alternate ROOTS and the University of Maryland. He currently teaches youth at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, Maryland. |
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