George and George // photo by: Blaine Truitt Covert

I watched BloodyVox last night. I loved it! I think people assume that I’ve already seen shows I present. More often, I know the artists by reputation, I’ve seen a sample, and am watching the actual show for the first time along with everyone else, when they perform here.

So I got to watch BloodyVox for the first time after offering it up, based on a longtime relationship with BodyVox.

BodyVox was uniquely prepared to jump into a virtual realm. They’ve been making films for years. Their work translated perfectly onto the screen. It’s not a static view of a stage production. It’s a brilliant work of art on film, using a wide variety of locations, moving through a series of dance pieces all beautifully tied together. I was so impressed by both the vision and the film making and think it should get an academy award for sound editing.

I was completely engaged throughout, I laughed, anticipated, loved the twins, the gothic fun, and Catch of the Day. I wanted desperately to share it with my entire board, my friend Sue Sprinkle who once thought she didn’t like dance, my friends Anne Marie in Anchorage, Peggy in Homer (who I think was the one who dubbed BodyVox “Alaska’s Dance Company”) and Katie in Kodiak. I wanted to share it with my friend Abbey Alter whose piece “Nightscapes” I danced in 35 years ago, a piece which would fit right in. I wanted to share it with Gary Black who gave us such great support this week, with Bonni Brooks who wrote me so beautifully about BodyVox this summer, with local dance tribe Courtland Weaver, Samantha Reynolds, and Anne Ruggles, and uber BodyVox fan Hailey Zervantian. I wanted Jamelle Duszynski to see it – she would LOVE their sensibilities, both gothic and creative, which she utterly shares. I wanted to share it with you. I channeled all these people while watching BloodyVox last night and because of that, in some way, I got to share it with them.

This is what Bonni wrote:
As I’m traveling in my mind to the places that have meaning for me in the hopes that I can travel again soon, BodyVox, PCP and OK Go are so tangibly present for me that I’m traveling back to those moments with the same power and impact as a storm on the coast of Maine or a hike in the Scottish Highlands.  What you do has that much meaning for so many of us…thank you!

Under Taken // photo by: Blaine Truitt Covert

Watching last night didn’t transport me to a place, it transported me to those I wanted to share it with.

Like BodyVox, I love Halloween. The creativity it fosters makes it my favorite holiday. If like me you’re missing that creativity, trick or treating, or perhaps getting together with your friends for a Halloween party, you can still watch BloodyVox tonight or tomorrow. Then it’s gone!

BloodyVox is family friendly. Parents if you know your children to be sensitive to these kinds of things, you may want to preview it first before watching it as a family.