S P A C E Pro Showcase is a final presentation of our 2024 S P A C E Pro Studio Residency program with Resident Artists, Cecily Holcombe, Victor De La Fuente, and Greta Nuñez. Through a 10-week artist residency process at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown, our selected Resident Artists delved into research and development of new works. Join us for the culminating event of this process, to see what their creative research and exploration has yielded. S P A C E Showcase is this Friday April 19th and Saturday April 20th.
To get the ball rolling, we’re sharing some insight into Greta, Victor and Cecily’s pieces. Check it out:
Christine & Catalina: Echoes Beneath the Surface by Greta Nuñez
DR: What does your typical creation process look like? This could include pre-rehearsal idea development, rehearsal process, and any other relevant aspects of your process.
GN: My creation process typically begins with selecting a theme or topic before any rehearsals commence. This initial step sets the tone and direction for the piece. Once I gather with the dancers, I prioritize collaboration, aiming to engage them fully in the creative journey. I value their input and involvement as it not only enriches the process but also ensures a connection to the work.
Throughout rehearsals, I emphasize transparency and communication, providing insights into the evolving choreography and encouraging open dialogue. This approach fosters a deeper understanding of each section of the piece, enabling the dancers to embody it with authenticity and emotional depth.
By involving the dancers in every stage of development, from conceptualization to execution, I strive to create an environment where creativity flourishes, mutual respect thrives, and the final performance resonates with both the dancers and the audience.
DR: How has your approach to dance creation changed or been different during your residency?
GN: During my residency, I had the opportunity to try something new: creating original music composed specifically for each section. I first choreographed the movements, allowing for more creative freedom in choreographing movement without the constraints of pre-existing music. However, it also presented a challenge in integrating the choreography with the freshly composed music.
Yet, this challenge proved to be a source of enrichment, resulting in a more cohesive and immersive performance experience.
Overall, this experience has opened new avenues for experimentation and collaboration, ultimately elevating the artistry of the final production.
DR: What has been your favorite part of the process?
GN: My favorite aspect of this process has been witnessing the evolution of the choreography and the involvement of both the dancers and the musician. Each team member has played an essential role in shaping the final result of the piece. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see everyone’s contributions come together harmoniously, creating a cohesive and remarkable performance. The collaborative spirit and dedication of the team have been truly inspiring, making this journey both rewarding and memorable.
DR: How has this residency supported your artistic endeavors?
GN: This residency has been a huge support for my art since relocating to San Diego. It’s given me the opportunity to create and showcase my work here. They’ve provided all the resources and support needed for the choreographic process and showcasing, making the process smooth and enjoyable. The team’s hard work and dedication have not only made it possible for me to bring my artistic vision to life in this community but have also fostered a nurturing environment supporting creative exploration and growth.
DR: What are your hopes and dreams for the San Diego dance scene?
GN: I have a vision of enhancing the vibrancy and accessibility of the dance scene in San Diego. My hope is to broaden the range of dance opportunities available and to increase participation and appreciation for the art form within the community. Additionally, I aspire to strengthen resources and support systems that enable dancers to pursue their passion as a sustainable career. Ultimately, I envision a thriving dance community in San Diego where artists are empowered to create, innovate, and thrive professionally.
Ábrete Sésamo by Victor De La Fuente
Ábrete Sésamo Manifesto
Written by Victor De La Fuente
The way this piece is coming together is beautiful to me. Beautiful in its effortless creation
and natural integration. I made the command to my soul and heart before starting this residency
that I would make it with permeating pleasure. Pleasure and fun as the main gauges to determine
direction and what is featured in the end for the showcase. Pleasure of the play and the dance
and the performing. Pleasure of the art and medium that once brought me more pleasure and joy
than anything else in the world. Nothing else in the agenda. Here is its Manifesto:
1. This work is not being made to prove artistry, status, talent, politics, originality, nor
self-worth. It is being made because it is time for it to be made and I have a collection of
matter and ideas to be expressed on stage.
2. My opinion of the world, its chaotic multiplicity/confusion nor the evident mess that it is
currently in is not a verdict for its existence. My work is much closer to home, a place
that is universal in its proximity and nature.
3. I believe an artwork currently being made within the context of the here and now is
relevant enough. I live in the present, I embody the present moment, and the context of
the world affects me directly or indirectly.
4. This work is me taking action in a world paralyzed by social media, especially in the arts.
A homage to live performance and the power that it carries.
5. I am not making it to convince nor influence anyone. I am making it to make believe,
and to see and have it be what I desire. The mise en scène that comes closest to my
Imagination.
6. The inevitable compromise of never quite fulfilling on stage what I see in my mind is
what gives the work its character. The limitation of the tangible world infuses the work
with innocent errors that can never be foreseen and yet always become the “happy
accident” that connects the work.
7. The gems that I have collected: sketches, notes, ideas, visions and dreams from the past 7
years that I have kept in the disarray of my journaling life are synthesizing and becoming
the soul that filters the piece, evolving it slowly as things are re-collected/remembered.
8. Our shared madness or “folie a deux” of Aubrhe & I is the vessel. We need each other in
this work to try, discuss, but more than everything to dream and maintain a state of
wonder. Together we can wonder without an end in sight. The longevity of wonder is
suspended when we co-exist and figure it out. It is observance of the bloom. Our
precision to catch the bloom is expanded together and bigger fish can get hooked and
colored.
9. What feels true is that the work is not supported by what is vile. The vile is not vital.
What is vital is peace of mind and soul attained through the joy of discovery and staying
out of trouble.
10. The pre-work of finding stability and security in our daily relationships and obligations
help the creative bloodstream to unclog and connect to the marshes of fantasy. Basically,
take care of business to eliminate distraction to find the creative meat, the juice that tastes
so good.
11. For the work it has become essential to dissipate with a “warrior-esque” force all thought
or emotion that is self-doubting or self-destructive. If I don’t believe in it, how am I to
expect someone else to?
12. Since a child till perhaps a few months ago, praise and the opinion of others validating
my creativity and what I thought defined my art or myself as an artist was what kept me
going . That is bull-shit and unwanted now, as harsh as that may sound, but it has been
harsh with its grasp and control of me. I step and spit and step again on that supposed
need. I cannot give that power to another, that power over me and what brings me
purpose. The work is mine, my children, and I mold it and give it life to be.
13. The adversity of my daily life has to be alchemically transformed into air for ideas to
float, not glued to tar.
14. I must claim and affirm my own beauty and value and the value of my ideas. I must be
selfish with my art.
15. This work is an attempt and triumph of relieving my life from the forces of the dull and
ordinary to that of the sensational, extraordinary and fun.
16. I make it and embed it with spirit and meaning but no one else needs to know what it is.
17. The work is a catalyst for new creative ventures just as the title of it commands: Open
Sesame!
The folk dances of monsters by Cecily Holcombe
One thing that I really value about DISCO RIOT’s S P A C E residency is the encouraged collaboration with artists in other disciplines. I love this both on a personal and on a community level. I had worked previously with a music artist, but I wanted to push myself into trying to collaborate with an artist in another field. I chose to work with a visual artist, and it resulted in an unpredictable and exciting path.
This residency has also provided a generous amount of rehearsal space (and honestly it is one of the most beautiful spaces I have ever rehearsed in). Financial support is one of the biggest barriers to making work, so providing space and artist stipends has allowed me the freedom to dream and experiment without worrying about where to rehearse and how to pay the artists. In addition, I’m really looking forward to sharing the work with the community in a culminating presentation.
One thing I have also appreciated about my experience is being encouraged to think differently about the artistic process. In the past, I have worked within the parameters of completing a commissioned work given a budget of a certain amount of hours. For this residency, I have had the freedom to deprioritize making a specific end product and spend more time playing and exploring and not worrying about the need to “complete” anything.
There are 3 artists in residence and we have had scheduled meetings throughout the residency. During our cohort check-in meetings, Greta, Victor, and I have had a chance to discuss where we were in our process, where we were struggling, and what we were experimenting with. When we found out mid-residency about a venue change, we were able to troubleshoot and re-imagine the new space together. I really feel a sense of camaraderie putting this show together with artists that I have been connecting with over the past couple of months. It has been a fulfilling experience to work with other artists immersed in the same project. I learned a lot just from hearing about their challenges, processes, and interests.
For this piece, I have collaborated with Delilah Strukel, an artist who is currently finishing up her MFA in SDSU’s painting and printmaking department. In fact, her thesis is the week after the show, and how impressive is it that she was able to work on both of these time-consuming projects at the same time! This is the first time I have worked with a visual artist. We talked early through many different ideas, and Delilah and I found a shared appreciation of finding the beauty in decay and the grotesque. The dancers and I had been discussing and journaling about monsters and Delilah decided to use their words and descriptions to create a series of portraits based on these characters we developed. We plan to install her paintings in the space so that the viewer can experience them before seeing the piece.
Currently I am also trying to incorporate Delilah’s paintings into projections that can be included while the piece is being performed. Since I’ve never worked with projection before, I’m nervous/ excited to see what it looks like when we try it in the performance space. Will the projection enhance or detract, and how will it interact with the dancers? I guess that’s the thing – trying to be cool with not knowing exactly how it will all turn out but approaching these changes with openness and playfulness. I can’t say I’m particularly good at that part, though.