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Rodney Veal

About Rodney Veal

Rodney Veal, an independent choreographer and interdisciplinary artist, serves as adjunct faculty for Stivers School of the Performing Arts, Sinclair Community College and the University of Dayton. In addition, he currently serves as Career Community Coordinator for Connect for Completion at Sinclair Community College. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a B.S in Political Science and Visual Arts. He received his M.F.A in Choreography from The Ohio State University.

Rodney has choreographed and presented performance installations all over the Miami Valley; recent notable projects being Reveal: Five Zones of Beauty presented at the Springfield Museum of Art in the summer of 2011 and the GHETTO installation at the University of Dayton’s ArtStreet in the Spring of 2015. Rodney is currently in production on a yet as titled exhibit to be presented at the Southern Ohio Museum in the 2018. In addition, he can currently be seen as the Host of the Emmy© Award winningTelevision series THE ART SHOW on Think TV Channel 16 which is currently in its seventh season.

The Fire This Time

September 4, 2020 By Rodney Veal

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy

We have reached the tipping point as a community. The changes wrought by the global pandemic despite every rosy false projection are not going away anytime soon. Rising infection and death rates cannot be obfuscated by a reality television veneer or outright lies. The fight for racial justice and equality has exposed a raw and visceral wound that is acting like a mirror forcing us to confront the ugliest image reflected back just like the Portrait of Dorian Gray of Oscar Wilde fame. Like the character of Dorian in the novel, we cannot deny the rotting reflection of we are, a beautiful country with a decaying heart and soul. The decay comes from the poison of the original sin that haunts the founding of our country, the original sin of slavery. This sin is exacting a toll that we are in denial about paying. The bill collectors are demanding payment and we are disputing the final tally. Coronavirus is our late fee penalty on that bill.

The combined scourges of our racist past and our current undeniable diseased present are obliterating everything in its fire scorching path. The combination has exposed our collective and individual helplessness to block its inevitable conclusion. We are all staring into the heart of darkness and our fear/panic is palpable. We are looking for a lifeline to pull us to a place of safety that provides us a calming comfort. Holding out hope that maybe something of value and worth will be spared from the blaze and that we can rebuild from the ruins.

For many in our community, Dayton is and has been that safe harbor. A destination removed from the devastation. A community that is impervious to the winds of change that are sweeping our world. Our false sense of safety is rooted in the privilege of denial. Dayton has for the most part survived global conflicts, economic recessions, and societal unrest that other cities have never recovered from. This false sense of security has to lead us to encourage leadership that is more about maintaining the status quo rather than a leadership enlisted to encourage growth and Innovation. Instead, we have settled for a leadership dazed by the halcyon glow of nostalgia and myopic to the possibilities of what a visionary future may hold. Nostalgia has always been a crutch for maintaining the status quo.

Maintaining the status quo requires a certain type of leadership operating within a conducive environment. This type of leadership almost always cloaks itself in the veneer of middling respectability. A profound lack of intellectual curiosity and creative thought processes are hallmarks of their managerial style.

The twin scourges of the pandemic and racism have provided double metaphorical slaps to the status quo. Both slaps have produced a variety of responses from our leaders. Some leaders awoke from the slaps to a renewed sense of purpose, finding opportunities to deal with our problems with a certain amount of clarity and willpower. Other leaders turned their gaze inward by reflecting on and considering the severity of the consequences of their roles and looking to make amends. A small minority of our leaders punched back, obstinately refusing to address the stark reality of our challenges, retreating to a false narrative, and making decisions that dangerously contradict the harshest truths. A fatal denial that endangers us all. The danger of this approach is that our Pre-COVID world is gone up in a blaze that is leaving nothing in its wake. We cannot return to an empty lot and pretend that we have a beautiful mansion unscathed. Wake up!

The Great Reset

Yes, we are in dark dystopian times, and at times it feels as if we are being consigned to a fatalistic ending. Nihilism is a response reserved only for the privileged and over-indulged and doesn’t allow for what inevitably happens after a cleansing fire, a chance to rebuild. A massive reset that addresses a new design for our way of life. Embracing fresh ideas and concepts that provides a roadmap to a future that is inclusive, dynamic, and equal. If we had leaders who possess bold visionary and creative skills and a zest for life, we just might have a fighting chance to be reborn as a city, a Dayton 2.0. For this to happen we have to reset ourselves. We need to imbue ourselves with the ability to never accept bad and mediocre decision making. Exercise our rights as citizens to demand better from those who control the levers of power. If their incompetency causes damage or harm, exercise our rights to remove them from power. Hold them accountable at every point of their tenure.

Image courtesy of Tom Gilliam

We are all looking for inspiration and the motivation to rise up and meet insurmountable challenges head-on. We are all seeking the wisdom and guidance of exceptional leaders who will be an improvement from the gaggle of short-sighted leaders who are currently blocking our progress as we march toward a viable future. At some point, all of us have been lulled into the docile embrace of the mediocrity that governs us. We have let fear make us the pawns in other people’s games. We have let fear guide us away from who we truly are. Instead of talking about our past glories of invention and industriousness let us engage actively in the task of rebuilding Dayton from the ground up. We may be tired, battered, and burned by the fire, but we are also audaciously endowed with the forces of common sense, decency, and creative vitality that will see us through to an even unimaginably brighter future when that last ember has died. These latent powers lie dormant within all of us and the time to use those powers is now.

One of my favorite shows to watch during this period of turbulence and despair has been HBO’s West World and my favorite line from the show that I have adopted as a personal mantra is that, “This is the new world. And in the new world, you can be whoever the F**k you want.” So the question that I pose to Dayton is, who the F**k do you want to be?

Filed Under: Opinion, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Rodney Veal

Journey Into Darkness

August 31, 2020 By Rodney Veal

“To be careless in making decisions is to naively believe that a single decision impacts nothing more than that single decision, for a single decision can spawn a thousand others that were entirely unnecessary or it can bring peace to a thousand places we never knew existed.”

― Craig D. Lounsbrough

No effective leader makes decisions in a vacuum without the benefit of reasoned dialogue, data analysis in most instances to create policies and stated actions that lead to keeping an organization moving forward. This forward motion is in service of a cause greater than self or in most cases the betterment of one’s community however that is defined. No one disputes that sometimes these decisions are difficult due to the nature of the multitude of factors that are and must be considered. This alone makes leadership a role that is not for the faint of heart.

An elected official takes on the mantle of service to one agenda and one agenda only, a desire to be in service to one’s community. A belief that they possess the skills and the sheer force of will to make systemic change and improve the conditions by which we all function and benefit from democracy. All of the campaigning on pledges to wanting to improve the conditions on the ground for all and adopt policies and practices bolster those actions drive our willingness to participate in the electoral process of our democracy. 

Transparency is one of the unspoken tenets or hallmarks of democracy. That regardless of politics or personal ideology, The transparency of our public officials in their decision making is critical in order for trust to exist. That we are all working in good faith towards this state of institutional honesty. Our trusting votes as citizens, that we place in your leadership capabilities put you in the position to craft and shape decisions that maximize our potential for greatness and on the flip side, minimize the impact of making the tough decisions.

Amid this global pandemic and the subsequent devastation that is ravaging our communities on every level, there is not one aspect of our daily lives that has not been profoundly impacted. These changes have exposed every hidden malignancy that negatively shapes our society from systemic racism to wealth inequality and public health systems failures. Daily we all are having to make difficult decisions on how we learn, how we stay alive, and how do we continue moving forward in our new reality that is rapidly becoming normalized. People are hurt and angry and have one simple request from their elected officials, to be seen and heard about the decisions that will shape their lives. decisions that you in your role as an elected official must make.

Students from Stivers School for the Arts

As the Dayton Public School board and administration roll out their decision  regarding not only the economic and professional lives of their essential workers, I beg that they consider the lasting impact of those decisions. on the students as well. These essential workers have dedicated their lives to the building of relationships with their students that may mean the difference between success and failure going forward in their lives. The shockwave of this decision to temporarily furlough educators will be felt for years to come. This is not hyperbolic rhetoric, this a clear-eyed and sober appeal to you to consider in the final hours of before the gavel comes down in parliamentarian fashion at your meeting today, that no matter which way your decision falls that “history” does indeed have its eyes on you.

Filed Under: Community, Opinion, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Dayton Public School

VTA unveils newest performing arts space

November 8, 2018 By Rodney Veal

While the PNC Arts Annex has been open and operating for the past couple weeks, with performances from The Playground Theatre company The freshness and the potential of the space is undeniable. Located at the corner of Second Street and Ludlow, the PNC Arts Annex is a spacious and adaptable space for theatre, dance and music. As you walk into the lobby you first see the playful and skilled ceiling sculptural work of Landon Crowell. The Annex is made up of two main performing spaces. One is the highly adaptable black box theatre space with seating for just under two hundred. Also, the rehearsal space located on the Ludlow side of the building has the potential to be adapted for a variety of activities, only limited by the imagination.

As Dave Melin, President, PNC Dayton and Ty Sutton, the new CEO of the Victoria Theatre Association, unveiled the signage for the annex, I was struck by how people have been up in arms about the recent dark and sobering Frontline documentary and here was the the perfect antidote. The unveiling of new space for creativity and vitality. The investment in the future and private/public partnerships will make this turn around of Dayton meaningful and lasting. In the immortal words of Michelle Obama, “They go low, we go high” and look at what we can accomplish. Kudos to the Victoria Theatre Association for giving us another dream making space.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment, On Stage Dayton, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Arts Annex, PNC Arts Annex

A Tuskegee Airman Lands in Dayton

October 15, 2017 By Rodney Veal

Anyone who has made it to the age of 92 would have a planeload of stories to share about a life filled with adventures, but Lt. Colonel Harold Brown is no ordinary nonagenarian. An accomplished educator, air pilot and one of the few remaining members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. Lt Colonel Harold H. Brown has written a book chronicling this extraordinary life titled, “KEEP YOUR AIRSPEED UP:  The Story of a Tuskegee Airman.”

Completing his flight training and graduating from the Tuskegee Institute at the age of 19 in 1944 receiving his wings and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. Afterwards travelling overseas to join the 332nd Fighter Group, better known as the Tuskegee Airmen, stationed in Italy. After concluding a 23-year stint in the U.S. Air Force in 1965, Lt. Colonel Brown went on to serve as instructor and chairman of the electronics department for Columbus Area Technician School Now known as Columbus State Community College. Following his retirement 20 years later, Mr. Brown went on to found Brown & Associates, an educational consulting firm that he ran for 26 years until he retired at the age of 88.

At 92, Mr. Brown certainly shows no signs of slowing down, keeping active by traveling and making speeches to audiences of all ages; taking the time to share his wit and wisdom on overcoming adversity to succeed in a segregated America. As a Tuskegee Airman and American Patriot Lt. Colonel Harold Brown is a living role model and mentor for all Americans. The Lt. Colonel will be on campus at Sinclair Community College on October 25th to recount tales of death defying heroics in service of his country and his experiences as a lifelong educator.  Find a way to clear your calendar and attend this once in a lifetime opportunity to be in the presence of a living legend.

Lt. Colonel Harold Brown

“KEEP YOUR AIRSPEED UP:  The Story of a Tuskegee Airman.”

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

From 1:00pm to 3:00pm

At Sinclair Community College Building 12 in room 12-116 (Charity Early Room)

The event is free and open to the public

 

This special event is co-sponsored by Career Communities and the Diversity Office.

For additional information, contact [email protected], 937-512-4749.

 

Filed Under: Dayton History, Downtown Dayton, The Featured Articles

That’s How We Do It In Dayton

August 1, 2017 By Rodney Veal

Nothing is more cringe inducing when you are in the middle of conversation about projects and activities at the ideation stage either at work or in the community, when the voices of caution and timidity start chiming in; “that seems risky” or “I don’t know if the community will support this?” and my all-time favorite “that’s now how we do things here.” Internally the risk takers are screaming, but often we cannot get upset with the messenger, they usually deliver this cautiousness in an earnest knowing way; as if risky projects are initiated all the time in this mid-size city and they are unmitigated disasters.  With no overwhelming evidence of high risk successes or consequentially spectacular epic failures I would say that these comments deserve to be banished, especially at the ideation phase.

In the new book “Thank you for Being Late” Thomas Friedman talks about us living in an age of rapid accelerations, a world in which societal progress, technological advancements are happening at speeds that exceed the grasp of imagination, much less our capacity to deal with them. As the rapid progress (Dayton’s version) is occurring in our city, we have to acknowledge and accept that we are still behind other cities of a comparative size.  If every city in the world, and this is a global competition, is reaching for the same sort of civic projects and rebranding, then old tropes, lack of imagination and fear cannot be the starting point for any conversation or dialogue or path forward in developing our city. We all hear a lot of talk about our rich inventive history, our vibrant art scene, but scant talk about what this will look like in the future. Forecasting or visioning a stellar future requires huge imaginative leaps of faith and intellectual curiosity.

In my first year of Graduate school at Ohio State during our Fall convocation, a wonderful Professor of Climatology and Geology gave a great speech about his research in the field of drilling for ice core samples in a glacier in the Andes mountains. His fondest wish for us as incoming first year graduate students was to embolden ourselves to take extraordinary risks of failure in our research endeavors, “If you are not living on the edge, you are just taking up space!”  To that end where is the “edge” for Dayton?  We have seen the effects of businesses deserting downtown, white flight to the suburbs, certain industries vanishing right before our eyes, and a litany of common social ills.  On this front we are not unique, rebuilding our community by embracing/avoiding historical occurrences good or bad, blinds us to the rich potential of the future. In 2001 the late iconic French actress Jeanne Moreau stated in the Guardian Newspaper that nostalgia is “terrible” and poses a threat to life. “The life you had is nothing,” she said. “It is the life you have that is important.”

Every Sunday I visit my parents and family. Our weekly get-togethers are spirited, lively and a much needed recharge from prior week. This past Sunday I was watching a segment on WHIO about the future of the Dayton Airport, which contained some very good talking points for adapting to the new ways people engage and embrace air travel. In talking about plans for the future the conversation turned towards discussions about embracing Millennial habits and their needs as travelers. I remember shouting at the television screen that “it is too late to embrace change to attract millennials it is time to start concentrating on the emerging habits of Generation Z.”

This conversation to me underscores the need for dreaming about big and extraordinary things. That we need to be redirecting our energies towards the future, or we will be in a perpetual state of catching up to rapidly accelerating societal forces. We need to envision what will Dayton be in 2050.

I am an avid and voracious reader of Vogue magazine, as well as the Economist, Dance magazine, Wired, Fast Company, Flaunt, GQ, Town and Country, Washington Post, New York Times, Art Forum and scores of others periodicals. These are windows in the current society we live in and the future we are heading towards. I read in rotation at least six books at a time, fiction and non-fiction works across a broad spectrum of topics.  And I have at least five jobs and art projects that keep me going at all times, which sustains me in ways that go beyond mere monetary compensation. I am not unique or alone, this is the Gig economy in all its glory.  Non-traditional modalities for income, for connecting to purposeful work and being a global citizen are the norm.  No more thirty year careers at the same company and retiring, no gold watch, but I think we get something much better in return, the freedom of untethered possibilities. This a global career phenomenon with a growing local prominence.

Which begs the question; what are the new global economic realities on the horizon and beyond? How do we make Dayton adaptable and edgy enough to be receptive to these possibilities?  It can no longer be a conversation about retention of talent but also a parallel track of attracting talent, fresh blood and new ideas. New ideas that might be so radical that they scare us or whose impact cannot be readily ascertainable.  Ideas that are not safe or cautious. We have to live on that edge or we are doomed to be just taking up space.

 

Filed Under: Community, The Featured Articles Tagged With: change, risk-taking

Philanthropy is the New Black

July 27, 2017 By Rodney Veal

“We need to make this country welcoming to all enterprising, energetic, and ambitious people. This is the biggest no-brainer in the world.”  – Richard Florida

As we move at this accelerated pace of urban revival and civic engagement in Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Florida’s observation would seem, in his words, to be a “No-Brainer.” Why wouldn’t we welcome the most engaged energetic people to be a part of this renaissance?  I had previously stated that the lens of civic engagement is tinted by values deeply rooted in a classist vein, but now we are acknowledging how that lens can also be clouded by specter of race.

The mere mention of “race” raises the defensive shields of everyone involved. It makes us all uncomfortable, alters our rationality and undermines our decision making skills and contributes to a closed community.  It uncovers hidden fears and toxicity that shackle us permanently to stagnant social mores and conventions. For this conversation everyone will need to lower their shields like Captain Kirk in Star Trek.

In order for us to move forward we have to accept that there are uneasy race relations in our country which are historic and woven into our Societal DNA. Race relations are messy and complicated and fraught with landmines, quagmires and traps that sometime force us into inaction out of fear. If we want civic engagement and economic development parity, the collective “We” will have to step through this minefield.  We need to feel the force of the explosion of old tropes and ideas detonating and disintegrating as if we actually triggered a mine. No one willingly steps into a minefield, but for us to truly become a welcoming and open community we just have to bravely and boldly go where no one has gone before, (thank you Gene Roddenberry for my nerd creds.)

One such example of the boldness of inclusion is Hamilton the musical. Going beyond the spectacle and privilege of attending live theatre, how the subject of the founding of our nation and one its chief architects was presented by a multi-cultural and ethnic cast and crew with the intention of changing the lens of viewership speaks to that audacity.  Yes, it was clever in its use of rap as a vehicle to tell this dynamic story, the bigger story was the intentionality of the inclusion and diversity. When it comes to our urban core (which we call Dayton) that kind of intentionality has to come into effect. I applaud when it occurs, however the omnipresent flipside to this progress is tokenism.

Tokenism can very be debilitating to the civic engagement process as the flip side to the lack of inclusion. Tokenism hinders and binds us to an even greater extent than the lack of inclusion. It can create a false sense of progress. It becomes a tricky and complicated situation in these civic meetings and socially uncomfortable, when it becomes painfully and unappealingly obvious that it is occurring.  I am willing to acknowledge that personal discomfort not out of a need to avoid this particular social landmine, but out of a need to detonate it, in order to move forward. When we detonate this particular landmine, the blast will leave a lasting impression, an acquired social knowingness, that stings, hurts, shreds and decimates personal barriers and biases in this massive polemic we call “Race.” There will blood, but I also believe there will be the freedom of release and healing.

I fervently believe the next wave of civic projects and urban revitalization that occur must be inclusive. The next wave of progress must involve immigrants and other ethnicities being engaged in the decision making process and actually getting the job done.   Going back to my Sci-Fi Nerd Star Trek reference lower your shields. Do not ask me how to begin this process, I am not in possession of a magic road map to the minefield of “Race.” You as leaders and activists have to chart your own paths and bravely take the first step. Trust yourself to screw it up and be honest and verbal about it, take the hits.  Yes, it will feel inorganic and messy at first, but over time you will get the hang of it. If you stay still and take no action, progress will pass you by.

“If you’re afraid to die, you will not be able to live.”-  James Baldwin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Community, The Featured Articles

Philanthropy: Powerful When Personal

July 1, 2017 By Rodney Veal

Hooray! Dayton, Ohio is in the midst of an urban revival the likes of which we have never seen. A major revamping of our main library, Levitt Pavilion Dayton, A major housing construction boom, and of course major traction on the Arcade. There is a different energy and vibe to the Dayton urban landscape and the direction in which Dayton’s fortunes are heading; a forward momentum.

Photo by Tom Gilliam

We could debate the pro’s and con’s of each project mentioned, but that is a futile exercise of armchair commentary and anonymous social media commentary that at the end of the day is all sound and fury signifying nothing. The underlying thematic source of most responses to major public development projects is the desire for alternative thoughts and ideas to be heard and considered. And yes the diversity of voices in the public realm is vital to the continued upswing in the Dayton renaissance; something that underpins my personal value system.

I take my right to be in the “Room where it happens” very seriously. But that is a topic for another day. With being in the “Room” I am given a unique vantage point on these public projects, all of which are noble in the purest theoretical sense.  When we are in these meetings which are beautiful anachronistic formal exercises of contemporary business mores, (handouts, Introductions and PowerPoint and maybe a pot of coffee) we begin the process of Civic project management.  As an artist/culturalist I am privately amused at the human drama that unfolds, social machinations worthy of Edith Wharton. Trust me when I tell you most of these meetings never rise above the mundane and pragmatic. When these meetings are healthy passionate vigorous debates on what Dayton is and what it can become, that is when the possibility of bold and audacious action takes root, unfortunately this is the rare exception.

In order to have bold and audacious action requires a healthy acceptance of ambiguity and fearlessness. This attribute is commonly applied to artists and creative types, but of course skill, talent and openness needs to be present. I feel that this attribute can be applied to a Jeff Bezos, Melody Hobson, Oprah and Tim Cook (if you do not know who they are, Google them) leaders in other fields and professions. My private hope is that more people would throw caution to the wind, loosen up and let their passions fly in these meetings. I need more mavericks and rogue agents driving the next wave of urban development.

All of the aforementioned civic projects in Dayton are on a fast track, these projects are going to happen. I say this to push the conversation and dialogue to another place. What is your “personal” Levitt pavilion, what is your Main Library, what is your personal civic project? I have the great privilege to meet a lot of people from such diverse backgrounds, people who have passion projects that they want to see to fruition and take root in our community.  Some of these ideas are cool and quirky, while others are ideas that have taken root in other communities all over the world. Best practices worthy of duplication.  But the prevailing mindset is that we are dealing with finite resources and limited bandwidths for people to see these projects through.

Most of the decision making process resides in a very small cadre of individuals, and this where the question of diversity needs to be answered.  We all have a tendency to see diversity though the narrow lens of race and class.  For this conversation I want to focus on the role of class in the civic decision making process.  All too often in these meetings, there is a prevailing parochial middle class lens  that shapes and underpins the decision making process.  Which baffles me at times, as we have all to a certain extent  have achieved a level of recognizable professional success.

I argue that these achievements afford us in the professional class access to a broader world view through travel and access to information (Thank you technology). Yet we constrict the concepts and executable actions to what the community can bear and lowered expectations, that feels downright Victorian at times.  There is no empirical data to back this up. I call this the Dayton “Bubble”, which constricts expansion and prevents incursion and bold thoughts and ideas to manifest themselves. And if we would encourage diversity of individuals/ideas in “the Room” where decisions happen, I suspect that bolder projects and ideas would percolate to the surface, but we will never know until we all push for that diversity to happen. I would love to see blue collar workers participating in the  civic decision making process, housewives, nurses, janitors and students engaged in making Dayton better. Leaders, I challenge you to broaden the scope of who you invite to the “room”. I challenge you to be creative and fearless in forming your committees.

I am not a wealthy individual by any stretch of the imagination and those who know me joke that I am everywhere, working on everything.  I come from a Southern family with a ridiculous work ethic. It is true that my sense of civic engagement and a belief that being in service to others and the greater good drive these motivations. I give 30-40 percent of my time, energy and skills to that end. I do not expect everyone to be this obsessive, but secretly I do.  If you are not a part of the decision making process for these large scale projects then I challenge you to push, and get your personal projects off the ground.

Call up ten of your friends and each of you put in 100 dollars. Take that thousand dollars and get your project going, or whatever your project needs, Just do it. You may succeed spectacularly or not, but why not take the chance.  Now more than ever we need to deconstruct/dismantle the “Dayton Way” and we need to accelerate this renaissance to warp speed. Our city needs color, flavor, sophistication, energy and excitement.  We need to let go of the outmoded parochial thinking and look for ways to differentiate ourselves from the thousands of other cities on the planet, that are just like Dayton. Yes, this is a global game not a provincial one, the future is now.

 

 

Filed Under: Community, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Dayton Renaissance, Rodney Veal

Dancing Bodies and Melodic Voices Come Together

March 8, 2016 By Rodney Veal

Body & Voices_croppedJPEGMusica, Dayton’s Chamber Choir, is partnering with the Dance Department at Stivers School for the Arts to present Body & Voices, a program utilizing the talents of both musicians and dancers.

 

The Musica ensemble will be under the direction of Artistic Director, Dr. Jeffery Stern and the Stivers dancers are under the direction of Adjunct Faculty and Choreographer, Rodney Veal.

The Body & Voices concert will capture the spirit and convey the story of the American Civil War through song and movement. Our program tells this story in four sections: a study of one of the most popular composers of the time, Stephen Foster; a look into the burdens of war; exploration of songs representing the struggle to end slavery; and a finale representing American patriotism. Mr. Veal says, “we are very excited to be collaborating with Musica on this concert, which allows us to interpret these wonderfully arranged classic choral works through modern dance.”

 

Body & Voices will be presented in the recently renovated Eichelberger Hall at Stivers School for the Arts on Saturday, March 12 at 7:00 and Sunday, March 13 at 3:00.

 

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for Students and Seniors. For more information, call (937) 619-9755 or visit www.musicadayton.org.

Filed Under: On Stage Dayton, On Stage Dayton Previews, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Musica!, Rodney Veal, Stivers

Dayton’s Chamber Choir is all about Athena’s Voice

October 20, 2015 By Rodney Veal

Facebook_Musica_image10142015Athena’s Voice, is a unique celebration of the female voice in the creation of choral music. The choir will perform diverse and eclectic works ranging from the popular sounds of Carly Simon’s ultimate working woman anthem, “Let the River Run,” to the works of Fanny Mendelssohn (sister of the famous Felix Mendelssohn), who had a successful career as a pianist and composer in her own right. The concert will also feature Gwyneth Walker’s “How Can I Keep From Singing,” Eliza Gilkyson’s “Requiem,” Ysaye Barnwell’s “Wanting Memories,” and Rosaphanye Powell’s “Down by the Riverside”.

 

Abbie Betinis, a Minneapolis-based composer, has written a simple, yet profound work about 9/11 – her personal response to the helplessness and sorrow she felt following the tragedies of that day. “Blessed be the Lord, My Rock” is a profound work that speaks the universal language of contemplative sorrow.

The concerts will be Fairmont Presbyterian Church
3705 Far Hills Avenue
Kettering, OH 45429

Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 7 pm
Sunday, October, 25, 2015 at 3 pm

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors. They can be purchased online, or by calling (937) 619-9755.

Filed Under: Dayton Music

DCDC Produces a Wonderful Valentine for Dayton

January 28, 2015 By Rodney Veal

10869696_10152588672485698_5865534241906483139_oThis is definitely one of the must see dance performances of the 2014-15 season. Having had the pleasure and benefit of seeing HEARTSHAKES in rehearsal. I cannot think of a more delightful evening that one could spend at the theatre. Crafted with exquisite charm by Kiesha Lalama and set to the bluesy/soulful music of Alabama Shakes. This evening length work is ambitious theatre for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, a perfect prelude to Valentine’s Day. You do not want to miss this concert.

HEARTSHAKES
Saturday, January 31, 2015 – 7:30 pm
Victoria Theatre, 138 North Main Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402
www.dcdc.org
Tickets: www.ticketcenterstage.com
This evening length contemporary dance theater piece takes a sneak peek into the lives of various lovers, whose relationships collide and intersect throughout the span of one evening in a quaint but moody nightclub. Emotions are stirred. Hearts break. Hearts mend. One thing is certain, hearts shake as stories unfold to the gripping, passionate, and love stricken anthems of the Alabama Shakes debut album Boys and Girls. copa_kieshalalama_250

This is a must see event choreographed by Kiesha Lalama.

Choreographer, Kiesha Lalama has created more than 50 works to date. Kiesha choreographed feature film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Sorority Row and hit television documentary series Broadway or Bust (PBS). Theatrical credits include National High School Musical Theater Awards (Broadway), All Shook Up (North Shore Music Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (Kansas City Starlight Theatre), and Judge Jackie Justice, Ruthless! The Musical, and A Grand Night for Singing (Pittsburgh CLO).  Concert dance highlights include Shed (DCDC), Alegria (Giordano Dance Chicago), and Torque (August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble).

Lalama has created two full-length contemporary dance theater productions.  The Bench received rave reviews and was named by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s “Best of Dance” Top Ten list in both 2009 and 2010.  The Bench is currently under commercial development with Titus Theatricals.  HeartShakes for DCDC will launch the World Premiere in January 2015.

DMM Ticket Giveaway!

We’ve got a pair of tickets to giveaway to HeartShakes, so just fill out the form below and leave us a heartfelt comment about the someone you’ll take to the show if you win.  We’ll announce the winner Thurs night here! [form 55 “DMM Contest Entry – Generic”]

 

 

Filed Under: On Stage Dayton, On Stage Dayton Previews, The Featured Articles Tagged With: DCDC, Heart Shakes, Kiesha Lalama

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