Did you miss a NextStage class? Classes will be recorded and posted on this page so you can view as you are able. The only portion not recorded is the Q&A.
Learn How You Learn
- “I can’t dance.”
- “I can’t pick up choreography quickly, if I only had more time…”
- “My brain just doesn’t work like that. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
- “ I freeze up when I’m in the room.”
Sound familiar? So many extraordinary artists have this perception locked in as their truth.
Wanna change that?
- What if you could learn how your brain and your body are already processing movement?
- What if that knowledge could help maximize your experience in any room where you need to move?
- What if you could claim the freedom, agency, truth and JOY your body was born to express?
Join award winning, multi-disciplinary theatre and film artist, Kathryn Van Meter, for LEARN HOW YOU LEARN: A no stakes, 4 week exploration of how you move. Kathryn is passionate about cultivating an Anti-Racist, embodied practice grounded in consent, joy and curiosity and is thrilled to be teaching offering this new class series as part of her continued exploration of what moves you?
Sessions will include:
- Mindfulness practice
- Somatic awareness techniques (how to drop into your body)
- Tools for when stress and anxiety flares (how to stay in your body)
- Warm up techniques
- Dance terms and vocabulary
- Slowing down to witness the wisdom of your brain and your body working in your favor
- A short combination from a different choreographer each week so you can practice that week’s skills in real time, on new movement, with no stakes.
Classes held at Aspire Kinetic Arts studio in Northgate. Classes are suggested at $25, but offering a Pay What You Will Discount! Your registration fees will go directly to support the choreographer you chose!
All classes are 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- June 6 with Richard Peacock
- June 13 with UJ Mangune
- June 20 with Sade Aset
- June 27 with Charlie Johnson
Richard Peacock
UJ Mangune
Sade Aset
Charlie Johnson
Antiracism in Your Individual Practice
The conversation of antiracism within our industry exists on both sides and is not just reserved for organizations. In this community-driven class come share space with Jay Woods to learn how independent artists* across disciplines can activate their personal artistic practice through the lens of antiracism. Jay will also guide us to understand how artists can feel equipped to be in conversation and action with organizations regarding antiracism. How can an individual’s practice of antiracism become a tool for organizational accountability and growth? Join the conversation and learn with us!
*We encourage all independent artists to attend no matter your primary focus or discipline. Designers, technicians, stage manager, orchestra members, teaching artists, actors, dancers, writers, this is open to all who regularly engage with organizations.
BIOS
Jay Woods: Miss Jay is a Seattle based artist-activist currently serving as the Co-Artistic Director of Sound Theatre and founder of Seattle Theatre Leaders. Jay has taught and directed internationally at institutions such as Village Theatre, ACT Theatre, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, bringing her Anti-Racism, community building, trauma informed practice in everything she does. Jay holds an MA in Directing from Edinburgh Napier University.
Thursday, June 3 at 7:30 pm
CONVERSATION: Kathy Hsieh will share from her years of experience in the grant and producing world how to do a true self evaluation of what your skills are so you can feel confident as you apply for opportunities. We’ll discuss how to find joy through the process of applying and how to seize an application process as an opportunity to create a work plan that will benefit you whether you receive funding or not. It’s all about your mindset. She’ll also share insight about what to expect throughout and after the process. A joy-filled conversation to help you discern what might be the right path for you.
Instructor
Kathy Hsieh
Kathy Hsieh is a founder and Co-Executive Producer for SIS Productions and is also an award-winning actor, writer and director whose honors include the National Association of Asian American Professionals in Seattle as their Artist of the Year, an International Examiner Community Voice Awardee in the Arts, and a Gregory Award for Sustained Achievement. Her scripts have been experienced in Vancouver, B.C.; Chicago; Minneapolis and Seattle. Artistic projects in the last year include Notes for My Daughter as part of Macha Theatre Works’ 17 Minute Stories, 14/48 Projects’ It’s a Wonderful Life, Harlequin Productions’ radio version of Snow in Midsummer, and Parley’s Patch and Piper Save the Multiverse. She has also worked with SIS Productions, Pratidhwani, Pork Filled Productions, Raisins in a Glass of Milk, Sound Theatre, ReAct, Seattle Rep, Book-It, ACT, Intiman, Taproot, ArtsWest, Living Voices, Seattle Shakespeare’s Wooden O and more.
Thursday, June 17 at 7:30pm
PRACTICAL: Representing yourself and your craft in ways that feel authentic and empowering on paper can be difficult. Sara Porkalob will lead us through this workshop that will use immersive storytelling exercises to mine individual experience, objectives, and tactics to develop personalized, specific language that you can use for grant writing, cover letters, artistic statements, and other such documents. Being aware of what you need to flourish and being ready to receive with open us to our full potential to thrive and grow.
Instructor
Sara Porkalob (she/her) is a theatre maker, cultural worker, and creator of the DRAGON CYCLE. She’s based in Seattle but soon will be working all over the nation. Awards and nominations include: 2020 nominee Seattle Mayor’s Arts Award, Seattle Times “11 Movers and Shakers to Watch this Decade”, 2019 nominee for Americans for the Arts Johnson Fellowship for Artists Transforming Communities, Seattle Magazine’s 2018’s Most Influential People , and 2017 City Art’s Futures List. She will be making her Broadway debut in 2021 playing Edward Rutledge in the official revival of the musical 1776.
DRAGON CYCLE is a trilogy of matrilineal musicals about her Filipino American gangster family; one play for each generation built around a central female protagonist. The first in the cycle, Dragon Lady, is the recipient of three 2018 Gregory Awards for: Outstanding Sound/Music Design, Outstanding Actress in a Musical, and Outstanding Musical Production. The second in the cycle, Dragon Mama, premiered at American Repertory Theatre (ART) and won Best Original Script and Best Solo Performance for the 2019 Elliot Norton Awards. ART has commissioned the third in the cycle, Dragon Baby; it will premiere on their stage in the near future.
Her areas of expertise can be divided into three categories: storytelling, creative consultancy, and relational culture building rooted in social justice application. Last year, she collaborated as a writer and consultant with the City of Seattle and their Creative Strategies Initiative (CSI), a new City effort that uses arts- and culture-based approaches to build racial equity in non-arts policy areas like the environment, housing, workforce and community development. Earlier this year Cafe Nordo produced her queer Victorian revenge thriller, The Angel in the House, and Artswest will produce her new play Alex & Alix, and she along with Justin Huertas and Kirsten De Lohr Helland are currently developing their new musical, The Lamplighter, in collaboration with The 5th Avenue Theatre. www.saraporkalob.com, @sporkalob.
SIS Productions is a production company that strives to create, develop and produce quality works that involve Asian American women, their themes, and Asian American issues. Founded in 2000, SIS began through the creation of Sex in Seattle, a 20-episode Asian American romantic comedy that ran for 12 years to popular and critical acclaim. SIS produces Northwest premieres of new Asian American plays, often introducing Seattle to playwrights like Lauren Yee, Michael Golamco and Julia Cho. We also partner with others to bring relevant work centering the voices of Asian Americans to the region. One of the first companies to do site-specific work locally through our Revealed theatrical walking tours of the International District, we partnered with The Hansberry Project, eSe Teatro and Pratidhwani, to create Represent! A Multicultural Playwrights’ Festival to showcase new work by playwrights of color. SIS serves as a resource for connection, diverse casting, and racial and gender equity in theatre.
You can find out more about SIS Productions at https://www.sis-productions.org/
Thursday, February 11 at 7:30 pm
Conversation: Join us for a conversation with Jay O’Leary Woods where we explore how we, as artists, can be our own best advocate. Jay will guide us as we consider how we can come back stronger by prioritizing wellness and positive self-esteem as we reenter artistic spaces after this prolonged pause.
Instructor
Jay O’Leary Woods
Miss Jay is a Seattle based artist-activist currently serving as the Co-Artistic Director of Sound Theatre and founder of Seattle Theatre Leaders. Jay has taught and directed internationally, at institutions such as Village Theatre, ACT Theatre, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, bringing her Anti-Racism, community building, trauma informed practice in everything she does. Jay holds an MA in Directing from Edinburgh Napier University.
Thursday, February 25 at 7:30 pm
Practical Lesson: Learning to take care of yourself as an artist is paramount. Sadiqua Iman, practitioner at Nile’s Edge Healing Arts, will teach us some practical ways to find and maintain balance, explore mindfulness, and practice body awareness. Come prepared to move, breathe, and connect to your inner joy.
Instructor
Sadiqua Iman
Sadiqua Iman performs as the character Namii and uses burlesque, storytelling, and dance to deconstruct issues of gender fluidity, relationships, and what it means to “strip down” outside of sexual connotations. She is Founder/Artistic Director of Earth Pearl Collective, a queer black womyns social justice non profit organization dedicated to healing communities through artistic collaborations. Sadiqua works as a freelance director, costume designer, teaching artist, and project manager in the Seattle area and around the country. She has directed an all woman of color cast of A Streetcar Named Desire to raise awareness of same sex domestic violence and created an interactive performances based on the disappearance of queer black leadership in social justice movements called We Be Dat. In 2018 she premiered an original boi-lesque ballet called Tail Feather that explored female bodied masculinity at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. Her most recent project was directing August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean at Chattanooga Theatre Centre in January 2020. Sadiqua Iman earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Arts Leadership at Seattle University. She was awarded the 2019 Arc Fellowship award by 4Culture and used the funds to open the new Afro-centered healing arts center Nile’s Edge.
Sadiqua Iman’s Additional Resources:
Thursday, March 11 at 7:30 pm
Conversation: Join artists Josephine Kearns, Aaron M. Davis-Norman and Jasmine Joshua as they share how producers, directors, designers and artistic decision makers can best support artists throughout the theatre-making experience, from season selection all the way through running a show. They will share their experiences in these areas as it relates to the TGNC and BIPOC artists and the various intersectional identities that are too often missing from the room. Let’s talk about what equity within the arts looks like, how we can amplify under used artists’ joy and talents and the practical ways these artists are bridging the gap between two communities to create one collaborative community.
Josephine Kearns (she/her) (March 11)
Josephine is a gender consultant, dramaturg, and educator who specializes in queer, transgender, and intersex identities. She has worked in theatres across the US and Canada as a pioneer in the field of gender consulting, supporting every aspect of productions from script and casting to marketing and production. Her experience spans fifteen years in professional theatre, staff positions at multiple trans-supporting organizations, and over 150 gender inclusivity trainings for schools, hospitals, government institutions, and arts organizations.
Aaron M. Davis-Norman (March 11)
Aaron is an educator, artist/activist originally from Compton California and holds a BM in vocal performance from Cornish College of The Arts. Aaron has performed in many musical arenas from opera, to musical theatre, to gospel and has worked with incredible musicians across Europe and North America. As an educator Aaron has worked with students both young and young at heart. As an activist Aaron fights for equitable theatre education programs for youth and diverse representation on stage and production teams. Aaron can be found teaching at Village Theatre KidStage and Cornish College of The Arts.
Jasmine Joshua (they/them) (March 11)
Jasmine is a Seattle writer, producer, actor, director, and gender consultant. They are the Artistic Director of the award-winning Reboot Theatre Company whose mission is to test new interpretations of established works through nontraditional casting and design. Jasmine graduated magna cum laude from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Jewish Studies. They also studied with the Larry Moss Studio and the Groundlings. Before moving to Seattle, Jasmine was a theatrical publicist in the Bay Area, managing clients from LORT theatres and Broadway tours to opera, ballet, and a monster truck rally. Directing credits: Reboot Theatre; Cafe Nordo; assistant director at 5th Avenue Theatre; associate director at Village Theatre. On stage: Intiman, Book-it, Seattle Musical Theatre, among others. www.jasminejoshua.com
Additional Resources:
Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 pm
Practical Lesson: Join us for a virtual voice-affirming lesson from Alexandra Plattos Sulack, Co-Founder of the Chicago based studio THE VOICE LAB.
The Voice Lab provides voice affirming services for transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals as well as music lessons for adults and kids in voice, piano, and guitar. Our teachers are educated, diversely trained pedagogues and performers. Not only is it our job to meet every question you have about the inner workings of the voice with a thoughtful and thorough explanation, but it is also our goal to hear you and understand what taking lessons means to you.
Alexandra Plattos Sulack (she/her) (March 25)
Alexandra is a performer, singer, and teacher/coach based in Chicago, and the Co-Founder of The Voice Lab, Inc. She believes that everyone has a voice worth sharing. Her work centers around meeting voice users where they are and co-creating a plan steeped in science-based pedagogy and play, so that their most authentic voice (singing or speaking) can emerge.
Additional Resources:
Thursday April 8 at 7:30 pm
Conversation: Does tackling financial planning, budgeting, and things like taxes stress you out and fill you with fear and anxiety? Join us for a conversation with Chandra Savage and Janell Johnson where we will discuss how to flip that mindset of scarcity to one driven by potential. We will talk about tactics that help us approach our finances one bite at a time and vocabulary that allows us access to the wide world of financial abundance. No matter where you are on your journey to financial wellness, we welcome you to join us.
Janell Johnson (she/her) (April 8)
Janell’s fifteen-year career in philanthropy has led to a breadth of richly fulfilling experiences: community foundation management, grant administration, program design and development, endowment building, family legacy planning, social justice advocacy, public administration, and community organizing.
As a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) experienced in gift planning’s financial and legal aspects, Janell stewards her expertise to open doors between philanthropists and the causes they care about. She has served in prominent fundraising roles at institutions such as the Arizona Community Foundation as Regional Director and Seattle Opera as Associate Development Director. She currently splits her time between managing Village Theatre’s Endowment and legacy program as Associate Director of Development and as a Philanthropic Advisor for Phila Engaged Giving. She believes that charitable giving is food for the soul; it’s not about the size of the gift but the size of the giver’s heart and their desire to make a difference in others’ lives that matters.
Janell has served on several boards and directs her time to causes that advance philanthropy and culture. She is Vice President of Inspire Washington, a statewide cultural advocacy coalition, and immediate Past President of the Washington Planned Giving Council, which serves to unite nonprofit professionals and legal and financial advisors to increase transformational philanthropy in the Pacific Northwest. She is also currently enrolled in The American College’s Chartered Advisors in Philanthropy program.
She enjoys spending time with her two sons and a feisty little Bichon Frise named Katie.
Chandra Savage (April 8)
Chandra Savage is an entrepreneur and financial trainer at The Financial Gem based in New York City. She believes in the power of investing in yourself and creating a positive relationship with your finances. After years of mismanaging her own finances, Chandra began to pursue financial literacy and it changed the trajectory of her life. For the past three years, working as a Financial Coach, Chandra has helped people change their mindsets around money to put them on the path towards financial freedom. On her financial literacy journey Chandra has gained knowledge and developed a passion for empowering people to get in touch with their finances, no matter how scary it may be. Ms. Savage also has her Intermediate wine certification and is host of the weekly podcast, Mo WIne-Wine, Mishaps and More, available on Apple Podcast, Spotify and other platforms.
Additional Resources:
Thursday April 22 at 7:30pm
Practical Lesson: It’s time to roll up our sleeves and take a Practical Lesson from Akeiva M. Ellis on how your business finances relate to your personal finances. Let’s get to work and learn how to prep for our taxes throughout the year, start a budget, and gain knowledge and begin to take control. Akeiva is very interested in supporting the artistic experience – so please feel free to send questions in advance so she can better support your needs. It’s a new world for artists and that includes financial well-being, let’s discover a new level of agency and understanding together.
Akeiva M. Ellis MSFP, CPA/PFS, CFP®, ChSNC® (she/her) (April 22)
Akeiva is a financial planner and educator. She is a Financial Education Specialist at Ballentine Partners LLC, a wealth management firm based in the greater Boston area serving high net worth individuals and families. At Ballentine, Akeiva also serves as co-leader of the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce. She is also the founder of The Bemused, a financial literacy brand catering to young adults.
Akeiva holds a master’s degree in Financial Planning. She is one of the youngest Certified Public Accountants and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals in the nation and has a passion for helping young adults like herself build wealth.
To learn more about Akeiva check out youtube.com/bemused or follow her on IG @thebemused .
Additional Resources:
Box Office
(425) 392-2202
boxoffice@villagetheatre.org
Box Office Hours
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Closed daily from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
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