Local Produce Min-Festival Sat. June 12th
LOCAL PRODUCE mini-Festival 2021:
Saturday, June 12th @ Gowanus Dredgers Boathouse
Information on Artists & Events
For more information on all the programs and activities offered by the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, please visit: https://gowanuscanal.org
CONCRETE TEMPLE THEATRE
Carlo Adinolfi and Renee Philippi, Concrete Temple Theatre’s Artistic Directors, collaborate on the Company’s newest work ‘Stranded”. Metaphors to describe the isolation and devastation caused by Covid-19 are abundant but the metaphor that has resonated with them most is that of being stranded alone on a desert island trying to find a way to escape, to rescue one’s self with the hope of rescuing others. This is their springboard for the piece that they have filled with puppetry and humor. Join them for a hands-on workshop after the performance!
ZUMBA w/ BUFFY
Buffy’s classes will make you smile and sweat because her goal is to bring joy to others through a wide range of movement. She has studied Afro-Cuban, West African, Brazilian, Jamaican and other dance forms for over 25 years. She believes dance has the power to connect and challenge. If she’s studied it, she’ll share it so be ready for Salsa, Samba, Bhangra, Bellydance, Afrobeats and more in her classes. Find her at buffy.zumba.com or join her most Saturdays at the Prospect Park Bandshell at 9am for Zumba.
LIL PARK DRAG SHOW
Lil Park Drag Show is organized by teenage drag creature Double Mx. Ectomy (aka Leo Lipson). Usually set in Tompkins Square Park, this DIY show was formed to create an accessible queer space where younger drag artists can develop and exhibit their drag in a positive and supportive environment. Find out more on their instagram— @mx.ectomy
PERFORMANCE PAR COURSE
Rejuvenate your body, spirit and mind at STH’s first “Performance Par Course” where the audience moves from station to station to enjoy new music and dance mini-performances while taking in the “fresh” Gowanus air and also getting in your Saturday interval workout !
Meet at the STH Information table at 12:50pm to meet-up with your group leader and where you can choose the right “speed” and impact for your particular body and fitness level
- Diesel athletes / runners ( HIgh + Multi-impact )
- Vigorous walk / joggers ( Low + Multi-impact )
- Mindful Movers ( Slow + No Impact )
Below meet some of the buskers who will delight and inspire you along your route – instead of applause, prepare to do jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, core work, and more at each station for one minute before running / jogging / walking on to your next performance and exercise stop.
Let’s sweat, laugh, get strong, have fun and enjoy your endorphin buzz along with the performers’ artistry. (Attention Seniors and Beginning Movers: we have a greatly modified, no-impact program to fit your body’s needs too – please join us!)
Liz Hogg
American guitarist & composer Liz Hogg has been described as “uniquely her own, writing independent music that doesn’t reflect the trends” (I Heart Noise), possessing “energy, expressive dynamics and phrasing” (American Record Guide), and “playing with a more distinctive and original approach that includes quickly-strummed chords, chiming arpeggios, and rapid-fire picking” (Geoff Cabin). Her playing has been further characterized as “strong, precise, and powerful” (Bushwick Music Daily), “radiating in its own light” (New Noise Magazine), carrying “élan and fine precision” (Fanfare), and “displaying a confrontational spectrum of emotions” (Music & Riots).
Jade Tourniquet
Jade Tourniquet is a New York City based haze gaze punk rock band. With Sasha Worms on bass and Moss Seymour on guitar, they focus on writing original songs and jamming in various parks throughout the lower east side and Brooklyn. They are inspired by The Distillers, My Bloody Valentine, Soccer Mommy, and Nine Inch Nails.
Leo Lipson
Lil Park Drag Show is organized by teenage drag creature Double Mx. Ectomy (aka Leo Lipson).
Sarah Besque & Bethford
Beth Leonard has been a dancer/choreographer active in New York since 1980. She recently created movement for Melissa Shiflett’s chamber opera “An Amusement” at Arts at University Settlement. Sarah Pope is a dance artist active in New York since 2003. Her most recent collaborations have been with Mark Lamb Dance, Catey Ott Dance Collective (Milwaukee), and Renee Gerardo Dances. Beth and Sarah had the good fortune to meet through Spoke the Hub, discovered that they loved clowning and each other, and thus became SarahBesque & Bethford, presenting dance/clown projects at various venues including the Brick’s NY Clown Theatre Festival, the Construction Company, and the Waterfront Museum, as well as at Spoke the Hub.
Slackjaw
Rob Meador (mandolin), is a founding member of the bluegrass group Slackjaw, and Celtic/sci-fi extravaganza The Highland Shatners. G. Doug Pierson (guitar) is also a founding member of Slackjaw, The Highland Shatners, and Clovis Noches. Rob and Doug have been active in the NY music scene since 1984. Ken Pierson is a music educator in NYC and has written a number of musical scores for dance and theater productions. Rooted in bluegrass, rock & roll, and country music, SlackJaw embodies an eclectic and lively style of nothing in particular but with a bit of everything.
Niki Theroux/New Dance
Nikki Theroux is a dancer and choreographer, working both solo and in intimate collaborations. Her work for LOCAL PRODUCE Festival explores how we are innately and inseparably connected with nature. Observing the cyclical pattern of death and rebirth in all forms of life, Nikki uses movement to dig deeper into what it means to be a part of this circle.
Thursday Rabbit
Thursday Rabbit is a band of Brooklyn teens. For LOCAL PRODUCE 2021, singer/songwriter Jaya Rao-Herel is joined by guitarist/vocalist Ella Greene, bassist Kendall Lambert, and drummer Ray Kohn, performing a mix of diverse covers and originals.
MARTIALS ARTISTS
Kyokushin Jutsukai Dojo
Kaicho Randolph James is the head instructor of the Kyokushin James Dojo. He has fought in Japan 3 times representing the USA. He has also taught for the military as a karate instructor and has over 51 years of experience.
Raízes do Brasil Capoeira
–has been here in Brooklyn for more than 10 years, led by Professor Curu, who is originally from Brasilia, Brasil and who’s been teaching classes for kids ages 4 and up as well as adults of all ages in New York and especially in Brooklyn. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in knowing about our classes and capoeira.
Aikido Of Park Slope
Aikido of Park Slope was founded in 1981. Hal Lehrman, the head instructor, has been practicing Aikido since 1964 and now holds the rank of 7th Dan and is shihan. He is among the highest ranked Aikido instructors in the United States. Sensei Lehrman also teaches and practices at the New York Aikikai, the headquarters of the United States Aikido Federation under the direction of Yoshimitsu Yamada, 8th degree Black Belt.
YOUNG ARTISTS DANCE & MUSIC on the GOWANUS
Edie Fine
Edie will perform a new dance work at LOCAL PRODUCE 2021.
Jazzarah Funaioli-Graves. & Laila Fieldman
Jazzarah and Laila are NYC based dancers, choreographers, and artists. They met at Locomotion Dance Theatre through the intergenerational Friday class and have taken this opportunity to unite once again after this long year to choreograph this duet. This duet captures the prominent emotions of being a kid during these tumultuous times.
Maduca Kubo
Maduca Kubo is a 17 year old dancer and actor in Brooklyn, New York. She has been dancing since she was three years old and has been recognized at many prestigious dance competitions throughout her career, including the Youth America Grand Prix. She hopes to pursue a career in the arts and loves performing!
Fujiko Ueda Studio 245 Hip Hop Students
This beginner Hip Hop kids class started November 2019. It was started by fujiko ueda (www.fujikoueda.net) a little bit before the pandemic. We have continued classes online since March 2020. In April 2021 we started having class at the studio.This is the first time for the kids to perform in front of an audience. Hope you enjoy!
Gowanus Wildcats
The GOWANUS WILDCATS DRILL TEAM, a not-for-profit organization, is an all-female drill team which originated in September 1970 in the Gowanus Houses Community Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Wildcats are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. Their instructor, who volunteers her services, is Renee “Juice” Flowers. She is an original Wildcat who took over leadership of the drill team in 1972. Renee and the Wildcats have been a part of the STH extended performance family for many decades and we hope to share the street stages for many years to come!
Sapphire Dance Squad
Sapphire Dance Squad is a National Award winning dance company repping BK and ATL. These beautiful brown dancers range in ages 5 to 15 and express themselves through creative dance and movement. They specialize in Tap, Ballet, Afrobeats, Caribbean, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical and Contemporary Dance. SDS comes with the fire and their hot eye-catching moves are a spectacle to watch. #squadup
Miki Tuesday’s Hip Hop Students
Miki Tuesday (aka Michela Deidda) hails from Italy and has been teaching Hip Hop to kids at Spoke the Hub for many years. During the pandemic, she has been teaching via zoom from her home in Italy and her Brooklyn zoom students are debuting a new work at LOCAL PRODUCE on their own.
THE MUSIC ROOM PRESENTS
The Music Room is a guild of independent music teachers, composers, and practitioners. We provide affordable teaching and practice rooms to our members by partnering with local organizations, and have two studio locations inside Spoke the Hub and Montauk Club in Park Slope. Our studios are curated to be inviting and family-friendly. Our goal is to support the practice of music in Park Slope through community-building and shared resources.
Aviva Jaye
Aviva Jaye (she/they) is an interdisciplinary performing artist primarily creating music, wielding voice, piano, harp, guitar + ukulele. She often combines acoustic + electronic elements to unlock a portal for listeners to venture, exploring the dimensions of empathy, self-awareness, social justice + futurism. https://avivajaye.bandcamp.com @avivajaye
Physical Kids
-is a Brooklyn folk-duo composed of Alaina Ferris (she/her) and Matt Schlatter (he/him). Their songs focus on the poetics of the every day. They will be releasing their first EP, A Simple Life, summer 2021. Alaina Ferris is currently a fellow at the American Opera project and just finished a three piece for The Brooklyn Youth chorus, which will premiere this winter. She founded The Music Room in January 2020. Matt Schlatter is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who goes by the moniker Io and Titan, which released its debut album Wandering Mind in 2018.
Mare Berger
Mare Berger (they/she) is a singer-songwriter, pianist, teacher, writer, gardener, and activist. Mare has been playing the piano for 34 years and teaching for 18. They have played at notable venues such as the pit for the Broadway musical Evita, The Jazz Standard, and The Bitter End. Mare curated a monthly concert series promoting women, queer, trans, and gender-non-conforming musicians and artists. In April 2020 Mare released an album “The Moon is Always Full” featuring their original songs and orchestration. You can order their album through their website: marielberger.com
Truth Bachman
Truth Bachman (they/them) is a composer, vocalist, and writer of socially-focused musicals. Bachman’s acclaimed Shapeshifters, about LGBTQ+ community, was developed at an ongoing residency at Joe’s Pub, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Musical Theatre Factory, and was the inaugural recipient of the Denovan Grant. Truth is an alum of New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio, Joe’s Pub Working Group, Theatre Accelerator, and NYU Tisch. Their recent album ‘Blue River” donates 100% of funds to Arts Education Programs within New York City’s boroughs. @truthbachman https://truthbachman.com @truthbachman
DANCE on the GOWANUS
Valerie E. Baloga
– comes from Northeastern PA but has spent the last decade in Brooklyn, NY. She never fell out of love with tap dance, which she started in childhood. She enjoys teaching and learning with her inspiring students at the Mark Morris Dance Center and Spoke the Hub!
Lori Belilove & The Isadora Dance Company
The Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation (IDDF) was founded in New York City in 1980 to extend the dream, dance, and indomitable spirit of the mother of modern dance, Isadora Duncan.
You were wild once. Don’t let them tame you.” – Isadora Duncan, American pioneer of modern dance
Careitha Davis/BodyRa Movement
Careitha Davis, a Brooklyn native with roots in Trinidad and Tobago, is a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher. From an early age Careitha started training as a dancer with Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn and Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in Modern, Jazz, Ballet and African while traveling as a young performer. Her teaching philosophy for Soca is for dancers to reach a level of freedom in their movement, building confidence through the vibration of Caribbean music. Most importantly, Soca brings forth love and a sense of community from the people
Eugene “Spydey” Jordan
– grew up in Hollis Queens, home to native hip hop icons like LL Cool J and Run DMC. He taught himself street dance moves and backflips by mimicking Michael Jackson and Usher videos when he was very young. He picked up Breakin’ at age 18 after watching it on T.V. and seeing it in his high school’s black history show. In his first year at college, he was introduced to Kid Glyde, son of Mr. Glyde and president of the legendary B-boy Crew “The Dynamic Rockers”. After training and learning about hip hop history from Kid Glyde and Dynamic, Spydey became a member of the Dynamic crew, competing with them in world renowned breaking’ competitions like R16 and Outbreak; he has won dance competitions at “Battle for Your Life / New Jersey” and the 610 Mayfield Competition in Pennsylvania
Freestyle Repertory Theatre
Freestyle Repertory Theatre’s mission is to explore the art of improvisational theatre. This year, they have been gathering professional playwrights and audiences online in a live improv/writing show/jam mashup, Write Away! They have also created a video series, Home Fooling: Teach Your Family to Play Improv Games with You, and been teaching remotely at P.S. 321. Normally, the company also tours to tri-state area schools with their show, Theatresports, performs at the Gallery Players, and teaches at P.S. 124, P.S. 107 and P.S. 212. www.freestylerep.org.
Elise Long/ Spoke the Hub Dancing
Elise Long is the Director & Founder of Spoke the Hub Dancing. She has been teaching and making original intergenerational “folk dances” for legions of trained and untrained dancers of all ages for over 45 years. Additionally, she has created several of Brooklyn’s most dynamic and enduring community new dance and arts centers. Her work has been presented at both highbrow venues including BAM and Lincoln Center, and in more lowbrow settings including beer halls, ice cream parlors, protest marches and on the Staten Island Ferry. Recently she was called the “OG of the Gowanus” where she has been making public art and art public since 1985.
Nicolas Fiery & Sofia Correa
Sofía Forero Correa was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. She studied at Joffrey Ballet and graduated from The Ailey School- Certificate Program. She has performed pieces by Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Alvin Ailey, among others. She founded The Heraclitus Project in 2018. Nicolas Fiery began his training of Funky Styles techniques with Lady Del, and studied Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern and Acting under the direction of Candice Alekan at Arts En Mouvements.. He founded MUMOS and graduated from The Ailey School Certificate program in 2020. He is currently dancing for Earl Mosley, Melanie Futorian, the Japan Performing Arts and The Heraclitus Project.
Tatiana Keegan
Tatiana Keegan fell in love with ballroom dancing as a teenager in her native Russia. After coming to America, she became U.S. national champion and has placed among the top couples in the world in Latin American dances. She is also a passionate teacher in a variety of ballroom styles.
Hannah Klinkman and Sean Langford
Sean Langford is a dancer/trainer/choreographer based in Brooklyn. Hannah Klinkman is a dance artist, meditation teacher, and dance/pilates teacher also based in Brooklyn. Hannah and Sean met while creating a new show with Momix in 2018 and have continued to dance together on their own. They first premiered the virtual version of Buffering at Spoke the Hub’s “Winter Follies 2021” and are creating a new work to be premiered in December 2021 with Spoke the Hub’s support.
Mari Meade Dance Collective
Mari Meade is a choreographer, educator and dancer maker born in California, raised outside New Orleans, and currently based between France and NYC. In 2020 she co-founded Moulin/Belle, a residency retreat centered on creativity, sustainability and accessibility in Dordogne, France. Her NYC based company, was formed when she received a fellowship at Lincoln Center Education in 2009. Meade was awarded the New York Choreographic Institute, UNC School of the Arts Choreographic Institute Development Residency, Doug Varone’s Devices, and was an Artist in Residence at Chez Bushwick (NYC), Triskelion Arts (NYC), CDI (CUNY Dance Initiative) (NYC), and Lake Studios Berlin (Germany). She has shown work nationally and internationally.
Mamiko Nakatsugawa
-is a dancer, choreographer, model, actress, and yoga teacher from Miyagi, Japan. Her unique style of dance which is mixed with the classical elements and contemporary essence, allows her to share her work and collaborate with artists nationally and internationally.. She is currently working for Jon Lehrer Dance Company as a company member since 2019. She had opportunities to work with various choreographers such as Paul Taylor, Merete Muenter, Katherine Maxwell, Peter Chen, Omri Drumlevich, Matthew Westerby, Jim Cooney and many others.
Claire Porter
Claire Porter, www.cportables.com, is a choreographer who combines the spoken word with dance and comedy. She has received many commissions and awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship. Coming up: “Writing & Moving, a Creativity Retreat” Aug 1-7 in Maine.
Sachiyo Ito
For over 50 years Sachiyo Ito has brought together East and West through her delicate and powerful performances of classical, traditional and contemporary Japanese dance.
ART LILLARD & HIS HEAVENLY BIG BAND,
BASIC SWING LESSON and DANCE PARTY !
Art Lillard’s Heavenly Big Band
Art Lillard’s Heavenly Big Band has been delighting local audiences with its uplifting and danceable sounds since 1987. Led by drummer-composer Art Lillard, the band performs an extensive repertoire of original songs varying in style from swing to samba to jazz ballad to bossa nova. Also in the band’s repertoire is a cornucopia of fresh, new arrangements of old jazz and swing standards and a few other surprises. The 16-piece ensemble, including vocalists, features flutes along with the more traditional saxophones and brass. This mix gives the band its unique, rich, bright signature sound.
Jenny Sowden / Brooklyn Swings
Brooklyn Swings is a great chill place to learn how to swing dance. Swing dance is a Black American Folk Dance that was made popular in Harlem, NY and is danced all over the world today.
Brooklyn Swings offers Level I & Level II series in TWO locations in Brooklyn! Plus a weekly dance. Come enjoy the music, dance, history, people and the international swing dance community at large!
KoKo / OPEN SOURCE
Build A Fort with KoKo !
Come help us build a fort with KoKo! Kids will be challenged to get creative with repurposed materials to build a castle-style fort. Using simple engineering techniques, kids will get creative and create towers, rooms and bridges or anything that inspires them.