Helen Wicks Works

 

Hello,  In honor of the highlights, lowlights, and all the light in between, I present...  A year in rear view:       In the 1930s talkie technology (sound + moving image) was developed which put Vaudeville's live performers out of work. In 2020-21 a global pandemic has left performing artists jobless.       After conducting Vaudeville orchestras in the 20s and early 30s my great grandfather made a musical shorts production company, Mentone Productions, to adapt to the changing technology and times. This year, while many choreographers have become dance filmmakers, I have explored super 8 mm film as a medium for my choreographic process.       The audio in this edit is from Mentone Productions' 1930s recordings I hunted down in 2016. This video is an ode to the adaptability of artists navigating life in America for the past 100 years.  This work was possible thanks to the support from CA$H Grant and the one and only dance artist / collaborator, Erin Yen.  Photo of H. Wicks by Austin Forbord, Flyaway Productions 2021 Above is performance image from "Mercy" with Flyaway Productions in October. While dancing on the side of CounterPulse with this small steel suitcase was a healthy challenge, one of the best parts of this show was the friendships I built with the people who live in the windows I was dancing alongside.  Although the stars did not allign for site specific aerial work at Skybridge on Stevenson's Thursday night live performance party this year, I was honored to bring back a solo from the archive, "Human Ladders" featuring text by Anne Boyer. Helen Radio ventured out of her private song making cavern this year and put some recordings on the internet! Creative Movement in the Wild: I taught embodied creativity, dance, and acrobatics with groups in many innovative situations this year. We navigated weather, park permits, and COVID safety. It feels more important now than ever to support young people to move their bodies with peers while building confidence and coordination.  Support Live Performance and Individual Artists  Helen Wicks Works creates a collective space for societal healing. We invite viewers to access happiness and liberation by integrating curiosity, humor, and personal ancestral stories into athletic and spellbinding live performance. In 2022 we plan to curate multi-cultural conversations and live performance events that span generations. Your support goes directly to production costs and respectable pay to artists and collaborators.  Please consider making a single or recurring tax-deductible donation. Thank you for your support. It takes a village! Donate to Helen Wicks Works  Looking Forward: Joanna Haigood is at the helm and the plan is to fly on this 70' swing in Grace Cathedral. There will also be dancers working on a 100' ladder and another stunning aerial installation you will have to come experience IRL, February 2022. Tickets and more info on the installation performances that will take place mid February here. Thanks for your engagement. Sending resilience your way in these winter days. In health from heart to heel, Helen    Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Helen Wicks Works

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