Ingenuity 2007: Simply Indispensable
More Hot Picks from the Intersection of Art and Technology
Last week, we shared some of our personal picks for the 2007 Ingenuity Festival -- the third annual event featuring the thunder of 1,000 drums ushering in a jam-packed four-day schedule of contemporary dance, opera, ballet, theater, step dancing, breakdancing, live music and tons more. Think we could fit all of our picks into one quick offering? No way. This week, on the eve of the fest, we offer some more exciting previews and people who make up this of cornucopia of Art and Technology. You can check out a complete list of the events here, then follow along with us as we talk about dancer Sarah Morrison teaming up with NASA and the Cleveland Clinic. She leads another batch of personal selections that we're all looking forward to this weekend...
Walking in Other Worlds, a video featuring walking patterns on Earth, the moon, Mars and in weightlessness, features the aforementioned Morrison. Her improvisational performance features "prescribed motions" on a new zero-gravity treadmill developed by a team of engineers from NASA's Glenn Research Center and The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Outer space footage offers visuals for the varying gravitational pulls. This work proves again why Morrison is one of the areas most cutting-edge dance talents. Hear Morrison's recent interview with meet.the.bloggers* here. Walking on Other Worlds screens at the Palace Theatre Thursday, July 19 (7:15–8PM with Q&A); Friday, July 20 (5–5:30PM, 9–9:30PM); Saturday, July 21 (1–1:30PM, 3:30-4:30PM with Q&A, 6–6:30PM and 8–8:30PM); Sunday, July 22 (noon–12:30PM, 5-5:30PM and 7–7:30PM). http://www.morrisondance.com.
Progressive Arts Alliance (PAA) are producing From New York City to Cleveland: A Virtual Hip-Hop Meeting which features area students of in a hip-hop performance linked with students from KR3Ts student dance group from Spanish Harlem, NYC. With DJs, MCs, a graffiti artist and dancers in tow, all will flow together via Internet2 link technology. Student dancers in both cities will be led by choreographer Popmaster Fabel, a legendary dancer and member of the famed Rock Steady Crew. Watch Thomas Mulready's recent interview with PAA's Santina Protopapa here. The performance drops Friday, July 20: 8:30–9PM on the mainstage at the corner of E. 14th Street and Euclid. http://www.paalive.org.
Michael Lehto's Hidden Costs is an interactive system that uses real-time and statistical data to embody environmental costs of consumerism. If you want to learn how your own consumer behaviros have resulted in greenhouse gas emissions, or get a better understanding of your carbon footprint, this work will show you. Over 50 major metropolitan areas are profiled; attendees will learn just what goes into food production and why it makes sense to grow and eat locally, especially when the stats for fossil fuel use are unearthed. Hidden Costs is located in the former Christian Science Reading Room space at 1516 Euclid Avenue. Scarier than any Michael Moore or Al Gore film, to be sure. Hours run throughout the festival. Lehto is a Cle Hts resident and just completed an MFA in digital art from the Cleveland Institute of Art. http://www.michaellehto.net/hiddencosts
Melissa Daubert and Arts Collinwood collaborate for a hands-on arts program offering a view into “bubble magic” with an installation that will captivate kids and grown-ups alike. Daubert is also responsible for Circus of Shadows at Ingenuity; Arts Collinwood is all about the kids and will have a huge presence at the Waterloo Arts Fest at the end of the month as well. We're big fans of both, so any collaboration is seen as both quality and exciting. Check the schedule on http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com for details. http://www.artscollinwood.com. http://www.melissadaubert.com
Samba for 1000 Drums is a world premiere that kicks off the Ingenuity festivities. Hundreds of drummers, dancers attendees will hit the Student Pavilion at Cleveland State University at E. 22nd and Euclid Ave for "maestro" Marcus Santos and a roster of beat experts. Cyro Baptista & Beat the Donkey, Nation Beat, Rusted Root's Jim Donovan, Carlos Jones, the Latin Jazz Project, Drumplay, Rhythm Culture, Afro-Brazilian drum masters Elie Kihonia and Sogbety Diomande, the Shaw High Marching Band and others comprise the group; they will parade down Euclid Avenue to Playhouse Square. http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com.
Music, music, music! The Girls Band, Last of the Bad Men, the Byron Nemeth Group, Angelin Chang and more... music at Ingenuity is off the chart. The Girls Band is a local act with 3-part harmonies super cool arrangements; Last of the Bad Men puts the punk out front, fronted by pro-skaters/tattoo artists Art and Steve Godoy and Danny Creadon of local Factory 13 skateboards; Byron Nemeth Group has the market cornered on progressive rock and metal... and Grammy winner Angelin Chang will grace the State Theater with her graceful playing on Saturday night. Pretty much anything you'd want to hear, it's all here: http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com/Music.
The Ingenuity Festival Tech Hub and Synergy Speakers Forum is hot! Think of a gathering where innovative leaders in business, research and arts will intersect. With everything from polymer inspired fabrics and the development of a design corridor, to bioscience, healthcare, hi-tech manufacturing, IT and nanotechnology, this is where the future lies. Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22. http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com/Tech.
Don't take our word for it? Then go down to Ingenuity this weekend and see for yourself. There is a flavor for everyone, something for every inquisitive mind. Don't miss out. There is so much amazing art and tech content this go-around that you'll regret it if you don't get downtown. And it's the perfect price for getting yourself, your friends and the family out into the city to soak up some sun and the future... You gotta see this! Visit http://www.ingenuitycleveland.com for more info.
From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
(:divend:)