January 23, 2022
The Quarry Project Update

Outside my window it is such a different day than the above photograph; minus 10 early this morning, no clouds, sun just rising, no wind yet, still, like the dancers standing at the stage corner. I am drawn to the calm, the direction of everyone, arms hanging, hands soft, feet planted.

Even though we have had to postpone until March the start of indoor rehearsals due to the spike in Covid cases, we continue to work on all fronts to bring this project to its conclusion. The ensemble is practicing their training and their self-care, and meeting playfully on zoom in their houses, at their tables, on their chairs, and in their beds.

While we plan for summer 2022, please consider being part of the bedrock of support. Your donation makes a real difference. No intermediary, no rent, no staff. Every donation goes directly to supporting the artists who bring this project to life. You can send a check to Cradle to Grave Arts, Inc at the address below or make a donation online. Here is the link to Cradle to Grave Arts’ secure site. All donations are tax-deductible.

Speaking of beds, let me introduce you to the Quarry Project Bed. This is what is called a bedstead, an iron bed found in nineteeth century hospitals. It comes apart easily, has wheels and used to have a mesh spring for the mattress. Yvonne, the 80-year-old Ballet Russe dancer in my company found it at a yard sale.

One year, I was determined to stand on the mattress at the head of the bed and fall backwards like a tree.
But I froze. I was too afraid of what I couldn’t see. So I began to study moving with my eyes closed to try to heighten my other senses. It helped increase my awareness of where I was in space but I still was not able to fall backwards with ease.

When we moved out to the country, I put the bed in a grove of beech trees until one day, a larger tree fell on the now rusted mesh spring and broke it. When I began work in the quarry, I took it to my neighbor Neil Hochstedler who fabricated bolts to keep it in one piece. Like the House and the Chairs, it has been stripped of its function and given a new life as a sculpture with a storehouse of memory.

The long duration of this project has sparked ideas for people and allowed cross pollination between creative disciplines resulting in separate but connected projects. This film is the latest expression from Andreas John who was a carpenter and dancer in the project during 2019.

In closing, I want to share with you again this quote by filmmaker Jake Yuzna. I have taken the liberty to change the word film to creation in order to broaden the scope:

“If you concentrate on the process and the people, the end result will be great no matter what. Even if the result goes nowhere and the creation ends up on a shelf, the time we spent together has enriched us as human beings and has led to personal growth. If we work this way, the creation is a success, no matter what.”

May your dreams be vivid,