Dear Friend of NOW-ID,
2016 has been a busy year that many of us will not forget anytime soon, for so many reasons.
In January We did a Meet The Artist event featuring Swiss director Rolf Heim, Danish composer Peter Bruun and Danish Musician and Artistic Director of the Copenhagen Figura Ensemble Jesper Egelund. A small concert followed by a conversation and Q and A with our audiences about the ideas and themes that we were exploring in EXODUS.
In February Charlotte and NOW-ID did a residency at Powder Mountain through Summit's Artist in Residency series. Summit Powder Mountain's Arts Initiative provides opportunities for working artists to produce site-specific work utilizing the inspiring landscape of Powder Mountain, Utah. The Film "Without Walls" was created in collaboration with cinematographers: Josh Eichenbaum and Marshall Birnbaum and dancer Kate Linsley.
In March Charlotte representing NOW-ID did a residency with Compania Danza Contemporanea CCU in Mexico creating a new work titled "Cut".
In May we held our annual Summer workshop Space As Collaborator presenting 8 pieces in 5 days and doing the final showing at the Leonardo Science museum in Salt Lake City.
In June we started rehearsals for our biggest undertaking yet as a company: EXODUS - a co-production with the Figura Ensemble out of Copenhagen. This project featured the work of 15 local, National and International artists. EXODUS, like its collaborators, took both an international and domestic perspective exploring human migration and movement, a topical subject nationally in political debate, and globally - most pressingly observed in the exodus from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe.
We did three shows locally in Salt Lake City at the Marriott Center for Dance in July and then took it to the Copenhagen Opera Festival and later to the Funen Opera House in August. The Politiken Newspaper in Denmark featured the production as one of the 10 highlights of the Copenhagen Opera Festival 2016 and called the production: "Powerfully explosive". We send our thanks to the Oticon Foundation in Denmark, who made the tour possible for us.
Charlotte stayed on in Copenhagen in August and did two residencies both with the Royal Danish Ballet School.
In September we held our annual Fundraiser House Of Apocalypse at Addictive Behavior Motor Works for 144 guests and featuring the work of 18 different artists. We presented opera, dance, a teenage punk band, a fire whiptress, a belly dancer, the Litas, The Queen of Gasoline and so much more.
In October and November Charlotte completed residencies at Simon Fraser University and at the Training Society of Vancouver, at Brenau University in Georgia, at Wichita State University and more.
And finally, in December we presented our version of a Christmas performance: It's Not Cracker at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in Salt Lake City. This work was performed over two nights and featured choreography by Charlotte, sets by Nathan and the performers: Tara McArthur, Brad Beakes, Gary Vlasic and dancers from the incredible BBoy Federation.
2017 begins with excitement as we head back to the studio to start rehearsals on a new project.
We would be remiss not to acknowledge that many of us look to the future with some anxiety but maybe it is important to remember the words of Maya Angelou: "Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage."
Remaining fearless, vigilant and thoughtful and allowing our voices to be heard through our artistic expression is an important thing to hold on to as we head into 2017. We believe that more than ever, artists who have the privilege of any audience must speak clearly about the issues that matter most.
We realize that we all receive many appeals for donations from all kinds of worthy causes. I’m writing to see if you would consider making a contribution to NOW-ID. As a relatively modest organization, your gift will have a significant impact on our ability to carry out our mission.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!