Poetry and dance portray the coming of age of women

By TOM KANE

HIGHLAND LAKE, NY — Karen MacIntyre and Mary Greene, both close friends, have been working on their art since they were kids—even though they may not have been aware of it as art. Now, they’re collaborating in a mature representation of each of their artistic work.

Choreographer MacIntyre has been dancing since she was three or four. “I would always perform little stories for my family before I started going to ballet classes when I was six,” she said. “After that I became more and more serious about ballet as I progressed into the upper grades.”

After high school, where she grew up in Denton, TX, she studied dance and got a BFA in Dance from the University of Texas at Austin.

With Greene, the story is somewhat the same but not as focused—she was writing poetry at an early age in a journal. “I can’t remember exactly how old I was but I know I was very young,” Greene said. She didn’t start writing poetry seriously until she was 29.

With both women, however, their art is a source of inspiration and an integral part of their upbringing.

This week they are excited about collaborating this Friday and Saturday, July 8 and 9, at 8:00 p.m. at the NaCl Theater in Highland Lake, NY.

MacIntyre, the Director of the Triad Dance Ensemble, is the producer of the performance called “Are We There Yet,” a collection of old and new dance works choreographed and performed by company members and guest artists.

The first half of the evening will feature new choreography by MacIntyre and her Triad group, who will debut “Seven Ways Home,” created in collaboration with Texas jazz composer Freddie Jones. MacIntyre spends her winters in Texas where she was born but spends her summers in Sullivan County where she owns a home.

Joining her will be her long-time dance students Kristen Borstelmann and Maria Sinew.

Jones, a trumpet player, composed the music. “Seven Ways Home” dramatizes the energy of the seven chakras.

“The first three chakras are close to the earth and represent our primal needs, our desires and our digesting of life,” she said. “The fourth or heart chakras demonstrate heart issues; the fifth chakras involves our communication; the sixth reveals our psychic connection; the last dwells on our god-energies. The last is demonstrated by constant spinning.”

Ensemble member’ Eileen Miller, will perform in this first segment with a debut of her production called “Up From the Ashes We Soar,” with dancers Lily Herman and Molly Rust following a Native American score. Miller will also present “Gentle Breeze, Transforming Waves,” a new quintet choreographed to music from the CD “Wonderful Heart,” written by her husband, Larry Miller. Performed with dancers Taslima Alam, Kathleen Johnson, Marisa Ender, Lily Herman and Miller, this dance celebrates oneness with nature.

After the intermission

The second act of the evening’s production will be a return to Mary Greene’s poetic work, “In this Dream.” Directed and choreographed by Karen MacIntyre, the work has evolved as the voice of the speaker or poet has matured and changed through the years.

With the original production staged at the Catskill Actor’s Theater in 1993, this richly textured feminist tale is about the coming of age of women, MacIntyre said.

“In reviving “In this Dream,” I am focusing on what happened to everyone in the production that was done 10 years ago,” Greene said. “The production contains all the old pieces that were in the first production, plus three which are new.”

Three new poems reflect the life changes that a woman has gone through. The woman is portrayed by many dancers, who represent different stages of her life. The production is narrated by Asta Hansen Nelson, who returns to perform in her old theater, which is now the NaCl Theater.

The stages of the woman’s life are danced by Karen MacIntyre, Theresa Kunkeli, Nicole Daley, Nadege Hoeper, Katelyn Kunkeli and Casandra Valentine.

“The original production of “In this Dream” was the most collaborative, artistic group process that I have ever been involved in. The cast seemed to bond into a tribe,” MacIntyre said.

“I want to show how things are the same; how they are different,” Greene said. “We’re all 10 years older. Many changes have occurred.”

The scenery, originally created by artist Candy Spilner, will be used again in the production.

“We’ll have three generations of one family—Pattie Capobianco, who composed the music, her daughter, Theresa and Theresa’s step-daughter,” Greene said.

“It is totally thrilling to see my poetry interpreted through movement, music and metaphor,” Greene said. “It’s the same show with variations. In this show I want to demonstrate how the poems have evolved and how the individuals evolved.”

“I am looking at distinct stages of life: motherhood, aging, loving, lost loves,” Greene said. “I want to show how women get oriented into our culture.”

Greene will perform in the orchestra.

After the show, Greene will be signing copies of her new book, “A Painting With You Running Through It.”

Tickets are $15 and are available by calling 845/557-0694.