Photo by Becca Green. Wearable art by Amabelle Aguiluz.

Open Studios and Rehearsals – How and Why

By Stephanie Zaletel

It is rare that I feel comfortable opening up my process to the public. As dancers (and choreographers), we are trained from a very early age to present our work polished and unapologetically "complete." At times, I felt a sense of superficiality in the illusion of "having it all figured out." And recently I realized that in order for my work to grow, I had to include more people in the process – learn others' ideas. What links my art-making to the people that are eventually buying tickets to see the "completed" work?

With my current endeavor, Water Stories, my collaborative team and I are fortunate to be Artists in Residence at the MorYork Gallery (Amabelle Aguiluz – Textiles & Louis Lopez – Sound Design). As part of the residency we have been asked to host open studios and community-centered workshops culminating into evening length performances in April/May 2016. This structure has undoubtedly informed the work in its earliest stages. Neighborhood interviews are inspiring sonic choices, peoples' stories and reactions to the movement vocabulary are influencing choreographic themes, and textile materials created in our workshops are being utilized in the large scale fiber installations for the performances. By opening up our process, we have created a much richer, communal experience – a work that cannot exist without feedback from the community. In this way it feels like I have an enormous family of collaborators invested in the process and endless inspiration to pull from. 

Naturally, there has been a learning curve in this new and unfamiliar opportunity – especially during open rehearsals or informal showings for press and project donors. The dancers, collaborators, and I unconsciously put a tremendous pressure on ourselves to present something "casually polished," when really, the visitors in these scenarios are interested in seeing the raw process. They KNOW that they are not there for the full show, and yet we found ourselves scrambling to present something impressive (months before the premier). It has taken conscious effort for the "performance" to disappear while our guests are witnessing a rehearsal or a run through. This stripping down of our egos has allowed for a deeper conversation between viewer and artist, which eventually leads to a much less precious approach to art-making and a more honest and generous end result. 

Our residency at the MorYork Gallery has made this open-process approach much more accessible for my collaborative team and I. Not having to worry about space costs means that we are not losing private rehearsal time, and there are more opportunities to open the space to the surrounding neighborhood. There is simply more time to have conversations about the work. There is more time for the work to rest – more time for us to collectively think, create, and reflect. 

I do believe that open studios and rehearsals are a valuable tool for artists and audiences in all mediums, but specifically among those in the dance world. These discoveries are teaching me that by genuinely engaging our communities in the creative process, we can access a more present performance and a more meaningful connection with our audiences. 

Water Stories will premier at Clare Graham's MorYork Gallery in Highland Park, Los Angeles 

April 22-23, 29-30 | May 6-7, 13-14 

For tickets please visit: waterstories.brownpapertickets.com

For more information please visit: stephaniezaletel.com/water_stories_

Stephanie Zaletel is a contemporary choreographer, dancer, and founding artistic director of szalt (dance co.) in Los Angeles, CA. Her work is deeply rooted in collaboration and site-sensitive creative performances. For more information please visit: stephaniezaletel.com

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Artist Profile #67: Stephan Koplowitz (Los Angeles, CA)

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