tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29034362694596694462011-12-11T19:14:12.371-05:00thoughts. dance. choreographies. poetries. making things.melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.comBlogger491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-41942165891238214332011-02-22T16:14:00.002-05:002011-02-22T16:18:25.613-05:00

springtime cometh Though it may seem that this is a never ending winter filled with snow, frigid winds, and cabin fever, there are still many exciting cultural things to check out this month.  I will be performing at the monthly Folk-Off, dancing to Joshua Sotomayor's music as part of the line-up. The skinny is listed below. It has been nearly 2 years since last we performed together and back by

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-50289101382009665632011-01-28T14:07:00.001-05:002011-01-28T14:09:48.068-05:00

when the signs get clearerand knowing what it is you want to do with your life When I think about it, the signs were always there. I have always been a girl of ideas. At the age of four, I sang Mary Had a Little Lamb to my father and professed, "Daddy, I want to be a singer." And then there was the time when I collected jewelry boxes of beads and sat outside with with my sisters and neighbors and

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-37114340048333824022011-01-12T23:28:00.000-05:002011-01-12T23:28:49.586-05:00

pretty little things This week I had my first rehearsal of pretty little things with the dancers that have been chosen for the project. The research conducted this fall gave me a palette of rich ideas that will continue to be explored and developed over the course of the next few months. As I move forward and seriously invest my time in starting my own dance company, I will be on the look out

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-42560072035755649992010-12-23T15:41:00.000-05:002010-12-23T15:41:27.749-05:00

artistic statement, 2010 my work is not aesthetically about anything. i aim to make dances from my heart. the product will be vile at  times, at others, almost ethereal. -melissa west on her work.

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-4064435539245037702010-12-16T00:24:00.000-05:002010-12-16T00:24:07.584-05:00

thought of you  a dance animation film http://vimeo.com/14803194 "Thought of You" by Ryan J. Woodward i wish the video could show here but i think this simple animation video of a pas de deux is both heartfelt and emotional. in this late hour, it has me thinking and wishing and wanting to move around but i am fully stuffed from an evening of holiday parties. i want it to be summmer. i want to

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-36111507565003437692010-12-15T17:09:00.001-05:002010-12-15T17:10:48.160-05:00

come to the holiday show and tell! In the spirit of free everything nyc during the wintertime, I am sending out an invitation to the Council for Arts and Humanities annual holiday show and tell! The show and tell encourages artists of all mediums (dance, poetry, visual, performative, music, photography, etc.) to present samples (live, dvd/cd, performance, etc.) of their work and in the meantime,

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-39546120094466497492010-12-14T23:13:00.000-05:002010-12-14T23:13:24.317-05:00

all i want for x mas is scene from all i want for christmas is a dog, charlie brown  Here is my xmas 2010 wish-list, i wish for: peace in the world  clean water for everyone lots of nutritious food for all sweet and fresh wintry air max to be happy on xmas (this is my nephew and one super cute baby) my family and friends to be happy and healthy for 2011 and beyond peace of mind oh, and a

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-47365085928332336732010-12-14T00:12:00.001-05:002010-12-14T00:12:57.963-05:00

all there is ever was and is nighfall, squibnocket sound, september 2010. the world is constantly changing, moving. the leaves are all gone. wintery sun peaks through. i am lost but will be found. i love cherries by the waterside. early morning ferry rides. travels within my mind and body. persimmon cookies. pageantry and the ritual. the movings-on; the cold air imbibing my lungs... feeling

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-12515067650736285262010-10-20T14:26:00.001-04:002010-10-20T14:27:45.925-04:00

melissa west/the indēpendent movers the independent movers dance the choreography of melissa west. performances for 2011 in the works. call for movers! hey all you dancey people!!! i am creating a new work. i am looking for a cast of 5-7 dancers (in addition the 3ish i am working with currently) interested in working with experimental movement, the avant garde, tanztheater and the following:

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-20742580356323245372010-08-18T16:02:00.001-04:002010-08-18T16:03:19.605-04:00

some plans upon returning to nyc After a few days of studying with Doug Elkins and hearing him talk about dance and his approach to teaching, I am thinking about my return to New York. One of the things I hope to do when I return is teach. I would love to start teaching and presenting work on Staten Island. I think the island is so deprived of merited movement art programs, concerts, and studies

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-35594168051812719182010-08-17T23:11:00.003-04:002010-08-18T16:32:16.335-04:00

remaking People in the Sun As I stated earlier this evening, I have decided to recreate People in the Sun, a work I created two springs ago for my senior thesis at Hunter College. It was part of a larger work, Pictures, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper.  This piece is especially dear for me for a number of reasons. I had just started choreographing and was constantly exploring and

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-40705080884881253962010-08-17T16:22:00.001-04:002010-08-17T16:24:34.964-04:00

melissa west makes dances/fall season schedule This fall I will return to a lot of creations, re-stagings, and work at hand. This makes me very excited. While at the Yard, I intend to restage People in the Sun as a solo for an October performance (tba). I have already begun to do so, check out this clip of my practice from yesterday in which I work on my petite allegro. I am also watching

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-67356101552838564182010-08-10T21:40:00.001-04:002010-08-10T22:47:18.131-04:00

solo meditations with tree and nature (variations on trees and nature. play each one at the same time and watch them simultaneously, it's pretty cool. this is not set material and, quite frankly, my body has felt tense lately so it's not as fluid as i would like. but please enjoy the landscape as i dance a little in the sunset for you)  

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-54236358944429322022010-08-10T19:25:00.004-04:002010-08-10T19:30:43.150-04:00

a series of streams the following is a series of stream-of-consciousness writings i have written over the course of the past few days (both before and after my departure for the yard) Paul Taylor in the park. Extraordinary. Farewell, New York City.  I depart in forty-eight hours . Excitement abound. I am on the train to Bronxville. Going to see Josh for the last time. The sun set on the dancers.

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-35617217170292303422010-08-10T00:20:00.004-04:002010-08-10T16:21:49.272-04:00

the story of stuff and why it matters Check out this website, http://www.storyofstuff.org/, to learn more about sustainability, how to change our habits of consumption, and where our trash really does go. It is a bit upsetting to hear these things but they're fairly recognizable. The world's societies and natural resources are truly in need of committed change and awareness in order to save and

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-53656748664918601842010-08-09T22:37:00.001-04:002010-08-09T22:41:15.965-04:00

chilmark day three it is a quiet evening here in Chilmark, Mass. I can hear the crickets outside as the darkness settles in around the commune. the last day or so has eased in, i arrived here very upset and in desperate need for a change. i am finally settling in, and suspect that a few more days and i will feel really relaxed here. i had a lot to say before but i don't feel it's necessary to

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-64367424158099325432010-08-08T10:26:00.001-04:002010-08-08T10:27:04.525-04:00

welcome to the vineyard Well, I arrived safely to the Yard. It took me almost 12 hours to get here due the enormous amount of traffic we encounter. I arrived in the dead of night, fairly appropriate since everything I do is mildly complicated for no good reason. I did not see much on the car ride to my destination, just a lot of woods and back roads, Chilmark is very secluded from the rest of the

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-42633430953763757482010-08-05T12:35:00.002-04:002010-08-05T12:39:33.840-04:00

paul in the park paul taylor performance free this evening! I am super excited about tonight's free performances. In anticipation, I have watched an early filmed version of Esplanade on Youtube, probably 10 times already. Here is my favorite section from the dance, the very last section which is the most kinetic and also the most urgent. Much of my dance work owes a lot to this dance. Enjoy!

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-63887526183994981082010-08-04T01:33:00.001-04:002010-08-04T10:36:39.525-04:00

when grocery shopping becomes rocket science and why the middle class should protest whole foods I am just perusing the internet when I come across an article on SILive, the Staten Island Advance's online mag. Trader Joes, an organic, reasonably priced, bulk grocery store may or may not be setting some roots on Staten Island in the near future. That's awesome. No really, I love buying organic,

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-34631382345124924532010-07-27T00:49:00.001-04:002010-08-09T16:10:52.935-04:00

remembering merce The sun shined brightly as I arrived at Battery City Park around 7.00pm for the River to River presentation of the dancer's celebration of Merce Cunningham's life. It is one year since he has passed and the dance community honored him by presenting dances from Susan Marshall, Lucinda Childs, Bill T. Jones and others. Though I arrived late, I was able to catch a few dance. I

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-19948593158895216432010-07-24T16:39:00.001-04:002010-08-09T16:12:49.598-04:00

tonight at center for performance research an inde news break!! A friend of mine emailed me a link telling me about performances of Galvanic Folklore from the Accelerating Universe, an evening of dance work by Cori Kresge, whom I have never heard of but after looking at her website, I think I would like to see her work. It seems aesthetically pleasing-- spatially expansive and virtuosic with a

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-40159457164919888422010-07-15T17:31:00.003-04:002010-08-09T16:11:44.133-04:00

free dance in nyc summer 2010 Check out these upcoming FREE events in NYC!: As part of the River to River Festival: Paul-Andre Fortier will be presenting a solo, 30x30 from July 16-Aug 14th, 12.00pm-12.30pm. It is located at 1 New York Plaza. Fortier is a Canadian choreographer presenting this minimalist, site-specific piece. I am very excited to see the first showing tomorrow at noon!  The

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-71372927657744018812010-07-09T20:46:00.001-04:002010-07-09T20:52:16.596-04:00

the spectacle and the score Yoshiko Chuma and the School of Hard Knocks at Lent Space I had the privilege of working for Yoshiko Chuma during the creation of her latest piece, A-C-E One, a site-specific performance commissioned by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's SITELINES Festival and the River to River Festival. The piece was presented this week at Lent Space, a public park that is

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-78217624706164066082010-07-03T12:09:00.003-04:002010-08-09T16:14:05.612-04:00

body haiku this was found scribbled on an old receipt in my bag (note: this is not a formed haiku, but rather a short poetic thought i had) being ready helps meapply the philosophical to the practical.the figurative headto the literal knee. i think this was a discovery i made during the spring time. the head-body connection was increasingly solidified for me. i had previously thought them to

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-27502272134263947292010-07-03T11:42:00.002-04:002010-07-03T12:15:56.723-04:00

indē update This month, I have been hard at work with Yoshiko Chuma and the School of Hard Knocks. As her production assistant, I have been purchasing props, taking notes during rehearsals, scheduling, and sending many emails and correspondences to those involved in the preparation of this project. In addition, I have also been involved in the rehearsal process and will be featured in the

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-73413595089603580152010-06-06T19:28:00.000-04:002010-06-06T19:28:11.046-04:00

oldie but goodie This is one of my favorite feel good songs. It will always put me in a mood of nostalgia. Reminds me of early college. I learned the choreography in my bedroom. Ah, good times :) Enjoy-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odcLa4qj2hs True Blue, Madonna (1985)

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-48308181359073880632010-06-04T22:53:00.032-04:002010-06-05T12:26:30.662-04:00

Interviews 101A Year of Interviews in Retrospect I have never been on as many interviews as I have in the past year. It all started when I graduated during the height of the century’s first recession. Okay, so it actually started when I decided to double-major in Dance and Creative Writing. My undergraduate curriculum certainly molded me into a well-rounded, articulate, educated young woman.

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-46738608641594150682010-06-04T21:23:00.013-04:002010-06-04T21:38:33.871-04:00

the artist is present and thoughts on lady gaga I came across a YouTube video this evening featuring Lady Gaga in an interview in which she discusses her thoughts on Marina Abramovic. The first thing I find particularly troubling about this interview is Gaga's get-up. She is so clearly, perhaps overtly, channeling Madonna via the Blonde Ambition years. It is obviously a conscious pop-allusion,

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-42128986429079887242010-06-02T20:00:00.001-04:002010-06-04T21:34:04.792-04:00

blog in transition Monday was the 31st of May. All along Metropolitan and Graham avenues were parked U-Hauls waiting patiently as silent hipsters moved out of their apartments. Teddy bears and bags of shoes; the 31st is notoriously moving day. Before this year, I never moved. I grew up in my childhood home where I was sheltered from that day when you move your belongings from one place to

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-55539604679822908692010-05-24T15:03:00.000-04:002010-05-24T15:03:55.788-04:00

So, I am getting a computer!!! Woohoo, Finally!! As soon as I do, I will write about: my recent involvement with the SITELINES Festival production of Yoshiko Chuma/The School of Hard Knocks ACEone, a site-specific dance performance to take place July 7-8. I am serving as their Production Assistant. lmcc.net, http://yoshikochuma.org/ working with the East Village Dance Project for the upcoming

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-80309370755354327582010-05-20T00:50:00.002-04:002010-05-20T00:50:18.136-04:00

vimeo killed the radio star http://vimeo.com/indemovershaker  check out my new vimeo account... well, don't-- yet (i have no vidz since i do not have the resources) but keep it in the back of your mind for the near future. vimeo. the new youtube? -liss  

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-61612190863299866342010-05-20T00:28:00.001-04:002010-05-20T00:29:16.811-04:00

after coming home at 2.00am from the movement research 2010 gala the other night, a few things are apparent: i am part of a super cool dance community where the people i aspire to be like (ie, vicky schick, levi gonzales, lucinda childs, etc.) mix and mingle with fresh kids straight out of university (cough:: me!). the sense of heirarchy known in the dance community is not overwhelming here.

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-24735823982130024562010-05-15T20:37:00.004-04:002010-05-17T16:16:25.494-04:00

monster listening to verdi's requiem thinking of you as the world turns fast like a spinning top the stucco wall bears weight of warm summer air the cooling down the winding--- the sweet serendipitous you holding me, the cooling like oedipus through the cracked earth half blind with splitting tongues i struggle toward the moment where the water meets the sand reaching for your hands, those

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-80019397284616310152010-05-14T22:38:00.002-04:002010-05-14T22:38:53.332-04:00

melissa west makes things ii. So, this is the way the world (universe, multiverse) must work: everything is transient, constantly in transition, and therefore nothing is ever solid. Not even you or i. I read in the God Delusion (I must find the exact passage to cite it,) that one physicist theorizes we are not the beings we were in the past because our atoms and particles are not the same as

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-76432791606450308132010-05-13T14:25:00.000-04:002010-05-13T14:25:16.530-04:00

knowing you is complicated a video by mary ellen carafice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_TPkK0Iz2s&feature=player_embedded  this video surrounds moments captured during the creation and performances of Knowing You is Complicated choreographed by Mary Ellen Carafice and performed at the Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse this past March. Enjoy! :)

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-13631473595765139532010-05-12T22:50:00.000-04:002010-05-12T22:50:58.908-04:00

These are some of the photographs taken by Walter Jalbert of my piece, They Taste Good to Her, performed April 8-9 2010 at Hunter College and scheduled to be restaged at the WAXworks series, Triskelion Arts Center- June 27 2010. These were just some of the photographs. I will post video as soon as I have the resources. Some people to formally thank regarding the creation of this piece:

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-76579349169089463912010-05-09T18:41:00.001-04:002010-05-09T18:42:06.352-04:00

photographs from dance jam 1, may 1 2010  photos taken by Anjola Toro

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-24243852534614715862010-05-09T18:19:00.001-04:002010-05-09T18:42:53.596-04:00

a day at the races upper east side socialites take over hunter college I had the utmost pleasure of house managing an event today at Hunter College. It was a music recital for local, manhattan (and london... and occasionally jersey city) bred youngsters playing the piano as virtuoso-like as they possibly could. What I could not get over was how grown up these children were; they had i-phones and

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-82386870654339587982010-05-07T23:48:00.003-04:002010-05-07T23:55:41.292-04:00

melissa west makes things a brief entry so, everything i learned in college i am quickly tossing out the window. this is because experiential learning, i feel, is the most effective guide to formulating one's criteria for living and creating. so all of those textbooks and rules and rules for rules sake turn out to all be a hoax. i read more books in the past year than i ever did in college and

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-50400826230336380722010-04-29T18:39:00.001-04:002010-05-09T18:21:17.412-04:00

dear reader, i still do not have continuous access to a computer (many tears). so, i will make this brief update: performances/happenings/etc. mondays at judson church: movement research presents free performances every monday at 8.00pm at Judson Church (55 Washington Sq. West). It features low-tech performances with many artists of diverse content, influence, and presentation. Wednesday's at

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-57188049117727591042010-03-11T15:28:00.000-05:002010-03-11T15:28:32.234-05:00

Hello Dear Followers, As I type this from the Brooklyn Public Library computers, my sadness over the death of my beloved laptop overwhelms me. It is with regret that I announce the diminished frequency of my blogposts until I get a new computer (i might be getting one generously from a friend and/or family member)... I will write as soon as I can. Lots of updates/articles to come. Happy Spring

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-82717291764912942182010-02-25T16:05:00.004-05:002010-02-25T16:09:32.035-05:00

The slushy new york snow decided to fall once again today. I had thought that spring would be shining upon us in no time but alas we must wait. So, in dance related news-- I just read an article from the New York Times, stating that Christopher Wheeldon is leaving the company that he founded. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/christopher-wheeldon-leaves-dance-company-he-created/?hp

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-4810408603449698072010-02-17T18:43:00.002-05:002010-02-17T19:11:21.582-05:00

I have been hard at work, doing many a things to keep my life afloat. Today was the unofficial first day of my internship with Movement Research. I will be doing class registrations for various classes over the next few months. I took an early morning technique class with Gwen Wulliver, whose movement is both cerebral and fluid. I know these words get thrown around a lot but I felt the movement

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-28548998999074754352010-02-10T14:04:00.000-05:002010-02-10T14:04:39.294-05:00

this morning we awoke to snowy rooftops across brooklyn. in the distance, the church with the two tall towers peaks in white. i remember passing through dreams and thinking of the snow and my father. in the early morning, i went for some water and looked outside to see dusty trees. birds sleeping. i am reminded of Hayden's poem, Those Winter Sundays. this poem brings a lot on me, constantly

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-73571937045064073762010-02-07T22:58:00.003-05:002010-05-13T15:12:13.740-04:00

yoko ono performing "Cut Piece" josh and i eating pancakes out of a bag walking from metropolitan ave. to queenz. taking pictures of the empire state building the late winter frost the long walk home.

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-48178755914638819152010-02-06T20:11:00.000-05:002010-02-06T20:11:13.147-05:00

This is a video created and developed by a friend of mine, Katherine Rojas-- a dancer and artist from Columbia. We studied dance together at Hunter. Anyways, this is a dance for video that she created last spring and it has finally been posted on youtube. I think it has been captured quite nicely and the cinematography is really well done... the colors are vibrant and the soundscore gives an old

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-89755216996332535012010-02-06T19:53:00.000-05:002010-02-06T19:53:25.855-05:00

It started long ago. I was eight years old. It was dusk. It was twilight, the time just between the hours when the darkness and light create a purple haze over us. The fireflies were out. Daddy was working the night shift-- we loved when he did because it meant we were free-- no worries, no yelling, no early bedtime. Mommy cooked dinner early. We went outside to play. During the summer months,

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-10226562491477106192010-01-30T14:51:00.001-05:002010-01-30T14:52:35.245-05:00

this song reminds me of my youth, riding in cars, pink sunsets, roy orbison. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fAPEUWowEc i haven't written a poem in months. the last ones went into my manuscript for my last poetry seminar at Hunter. I should post those poems.

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903436269459669446.post-27827208662064416812010-01-30T11:39:00.001-05:002010-01-30T13:49:22.306-05:00

So, this is the song that is running through my head at this moment-- I attribute it to last night when, home alone on a Friday night, I decided to turn off the Head Bangers Ball (a program specifically set for late night Friday's on Q104.3 for all of us metal heads who will be home) and listen to whatever else was on the radio. No, I am not proud of it-- but I figure it appropriate since this

melissa westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18425031774913242672noreply@blogger.com0