Did anyone go to MotionFest?

[Rex Boyd]

Hello everybody,
I am curious to hear any news from the motionfest last month in Baltimore. Anybody heard anything about how it went.
Thanks,
Rex

[StrongEntertainment]

Hello Rex,
I was one of the co-producers. It was a great success, we are already planning next years MotionFest. What specifically are you interested in Knowing? The instructors were top notch, the attendees were mostly fulltime professionals (more than 100), and the critique sessions were very valuable. We were successful maintaining our mission statemnet (Once you have studied your craft, come to MotionFest and learn how to perform it. or something like that). The public show, which nearly sold out, included Tony and karen Montanaro, Robert Nelson, Dick Monday, Barry Lubin, Michael Menes, and Karl Bauman from Cirque Du Sole. The festival did NOT lose money. There should be an article in next months Juggle. Feel free to contact me for more info.
Take care,

------------------
Robert Strong
www.StrongEntertainment.com

[This message has been edited by StrongEntertainment (edited 12-15-2000).]

[Rich Potter]

Rex,

MotionFest rocked! Sorry you missed it -- Baltimore will never be the same again! People came from all over -- San Francisco, New York, Ottawa, Boston, EVEN PITTSBURG!

Apart from being a really intense workshopping experience (movement, improv, gag writing, mime) and working with peers and gods alike, public show, private critiques, saliva drinking and great parties...yeah; apart from all that, there wasn't a whole lot to offer.

It was really great to hang out with performers of all walks....trade ideas and BS around. See you next year?

--Rich

[This message has been edited by Rich Potter (edited 12-16-2000).]

[Brian Wilson]

Yup Motionfest was a ball. As Robert Nelson said "I have learned more at this one workshop than I have at any other workshop in my life." Of course I'm paraphrasing, but it was a huge success. On top of the fabulous workshops, critquing sessions, and all the planned events was this buzzing creative energy that infected the whole experience. People were coming up with new bits and scultping old ones and it was great.

It was nice to see that the organizers ran this type of festivals in a good time of year. November was ideal, where as many workshops we hear about are run in the dead of summer (our peak season.)

Thanks to everyone who was involved in running Motionfest. It rocked!

[Butterfly Man]

Rex,
it's been years my friend...
here is something I was thinking of sending to Juggle Mag ...


A few years back Tom Renegade and Laura Green (The Juggling Queen) had a novel idea about creating a festival for the betterment of the performing community. They mentioned that while there were several places around the world where you could go to develop your skills, there was really nothing out there that addressed all the aspects that an entertainer would face before and after they took their first step into the performing arena.
Some of the greatest minds in the variety arts field put their collective heads together and within a year, “Motionfest” was born. It was then that a young man named Mike Rosman decided to pick up the ball and run with it. With what must have been a Herculean effort, he somehow organized a 4 day festival last month (Nov. 9-12) offering Intensive Workshops by some of the most well respected instructors in the business.
Theatre, voice technique, comedy writing, mask, make-up and movement training sessions were offered alongside marketing, accounting & legalistic (e.g., copyright, insurance) seminars. In addition, in-house presentations were made by artists which served to motivate & inspire. All in all, it was an unbelievable across the board complement of issues that face the variety performance artist nowadays.
In the evenings, after all the workshops and seminars were completed, a rather unique forum was offered. Here a performer, if they chose to, could exhibit a “work-in-progress” piece for a critique by the congregation at large. Students and teachers alike offered their input on the presentations. Remarkably, this turned out to be, in my opinion, the singular most powerful and constructive experience offered at the festival.
A complete list of the classes offered and the teachers involved can be found at www.MotionFest.com
In closing, I must say that I have never been involved with any entity that offered, gave and ultimately proved to be such a productive venture for the performing community. I applaud Michael and all the instructors and participants that had the opportunity to experience this altogether remarkable event.

It was really something ... especially Max Howard. And that hash I got from that Hawaiian dude, that was good too.

[Rex Boyd]

Hey everybody,
Thanks for the fabulous responses. I can't believe the info got back so quickly. I really wish I could have gone.

To the organisers: Please keep us all informed about next year's event. Hope to see you there.

Rex