EMAV 10 Bites: Benjamin Tucker, Dancer & Choreographer

In every neighborhood, there is someone who makes the Arts a part of their life, and our community. You'd be surprised to discover how many different people use the arts to improve the quality of life in our hometown. EAT MORE ART! VEGAS will feature them regularly in our series "10 Bites."

What kinds of art do you enjoy, create, or perform in?

Ever since my first class, I have always loved dance. The discipline of a ballet class and the comradery I feel with the other dancers in the room is something very special. I also love the creative process of choreography. With my company Ballet120, we have a strong focus on the creation of new work and I love the collaboration that thrives in that environment.

Why do you do it?

As a dancer and performer, I did it because of the challenge, both physically and mentally. Now as the director of a company, my inspiration comes from all the dancers. Their work is incredible and my job is to make sure it is seen. I believe there is a place for dance and ballet here within the greater Las Vegas community and my goal is to make it an integral part of our community.

Ballet 120 collaborated with Henderson Symphony Orchestra and the City of Henderson in Oct 2020

What’s your favorite production/performance experience so far?

To date, my favorite experience has been when Ballet120 performed our first ever live-streamed show at The Space lv in October of 2020. When the pandemic hit, it obviously changed everyone's world. And the dance community was no exception. I am very proud we were able to find a way to evolve and keep going.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist, or what do you do when you are "at work?"

I enjoy refurbishing vintage bicycles and have had that as a side job throughout my dancing career. I enjoy the restoration of it. Taking something that might be viewed as worthless and transforming it into something seen as beautiful is something I take pride in.

What is an Arts experience that you will never forget or a memorable response to your work?

A response that I've often heard after a Ballet120 performance is how people are stunned at the versatility of the dancers. The dancers often go from one extreme in the art form to the next in a "gala style" show. I take that as a huge compliment and something I strive for within building a show and the choreography I choose.

What would you be doing if you weren't performing, creating, or enjoying the Arts in Las Vegas?

This is the hardest question because quite frankly I'd be lost without all of these aspects of the arts. I guess I would put more time into bicycles. Perhaps I would travel more.

Name something you love about Las Vegas, and why.

I love the possibilities that are here. Las Vegas is a constantly evolving city. I feel I have a lot of freedom here when it comes to creating new work and finding performance spaces. As an example, Ballet120's upcoming show is going to be at MEET Las Vegas. MEET isn't a performance venue per say but everyone there has been beyond accommodating and so supportive in making the performance happen. I don't know if you find that in other cities.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Some of the best advice I received in my career was being told not to be afraid to try new things/ don't back down from uncharted territory. If it doesn't work out, it's ok. Then you know for next time and you can change course. But you'll never know unless you go for it. That has been hard to live by but when I'm able to, I'm able to live without regrets.

What superpower would you have and why?

Anyone who knows me knows I am perhaps the biggest Superman fan of all time! If I were to have a superpower, I would pick to the ability to fly. I think flying would make me better at dancing, allowing me to turn more and jump higher.

@ballet120 - ballet120.org - info@ballet120.org

What future projects are you looking forward to?

I am most looking forward to Ballet120's upcoming show at MEET Las Vegas. This is the largest undertaking for the company to date and it is going to be a full evening celebration of live performance, which is something so many people have been craving.

Click here to get tickets to Ballet 120 at MEET on May 21st: A unique dance experience that you will not get anywhere else in Vegas!

Are you a local artist of any discipline? Do you work with a company as a designer, stagehand or administrative staff? Do you love to experience it as the audience? We'd love to get your 10 Bites to share. Fill out a form here, and you might be featured in a post!

CHECK OUT OUR 10 BITES FEATURE GALLERY HERE

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EMAV 10 Bites: Dulce Valencia - Actor, Writer, and Visual Artist

Dulce Valencia in NYC with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

In every neighborhood, there is someone who makes the Arts a part of their life, and our community. You'd be surprised to discover how many different people use the arts to improve the quality of life in our hometown. EAT MORE ART! VEGAS will feature them regularly in our series "10 Bites."

Check out Dulce Valencia with Lin-Manuel Miranda in Episode 2 of "Dear..." now streaming on Apple TV+.

What kinds of art do you enjoy, create, or perform in?

I am an Actor, writer, and a painter but I practice art in any way I can. I've also in the last year or so gotten more involved in the tech side of theatre through school at UNLV so I've gotten to be involved as a crew member in shows and am set to Assistant Design a show next semester.

Why do you do it?

I do it because I love it and my soul craves art. I also do it because I think art and specifically story telling is crucial for survival. There's so much that we can do and say and I truly believe we can change the world through stories. I also, selfishly do it because I want to see stories that reflect me and my community at the forefront. Latinx people and specifically immigrant stories are still super under-represented in theatre and everywhere and I want to bring those stories to the forefront which is what I'm beginning to do with my writing.

What’s your favorite production/performance experience so far?

Last summer I moved to New York for a few months and a friend of mine was having one of his musicals being read at the Drama League. One of the characters was an undocumented immigrant so he called me in and asked if I'd talk to the production team about my experiences and do some basic dramaturgy. I came in and completely fell in love with the story and characters and then was fortunate enough to read her part for the reading which all just worked out so beautifully and happened over the course of less than a week. What was specifically so memorable about this, was that I got to play a role I identified with completely and the collaborative nature of it all. I would give him feedback or notes and he took them and everyone involved was absolutely wonderful and kind and it was the last thing I did in New York before coming back to Vegas so it felt like I had ended my time there with a golden bow.

Dulce Valencia behind the scenes,

What jobs have you done other than being an artist, or what do you do when you are "at work?"

Since I was 17 I've worked in the political/advocacy non-profit world, working on immigration advocacy and electoral outreach geared towards turning out immigrants and young people to elections. Last Legislative Session I worked in Carson City as the attache for Assemblyman Howard Watts. I am currently very fortunate to be the Deputy Director of Dream Big Nevada an organization that serves the immigrant and undocumented community in Nevada. We do a lot of work connecting people to resources available to them, encouraging those who have DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) to renew, and we also share stories.

What is an Arts experience that you will never forget or a memorable response to your work?

People are so kind! I've had really positive interactions from someone saying that I was their favorite part or one of my favorites is when I invite friends to see my performances who have never seen or been to a theatre and at the end they're like "I want to see more of this."

One of the most memorable is when I was in Middle School, I made a piece of art for class and one of the teachers at school loved it and wanted to buy it. At that point I wrongly thought that to be considered a "real" artist, you had to have people buying your work so to have someone see value in a class assignment I had done and want to buy it made me feel like a real artist for the first time.

What would you be doing if you weren't performing, creating, or enjoying the Arts in Las Vegas?

Even before I knew what theatre was, I was always telling stories. I truly can't imagine a world where I'm not creating or telling stories.

Name something you love about Las Vegas, and why.

I love the community! We have such a beautiful, vibrant, and kind community here which many people who don't live here are surprised to hear because they think of Vegas as a playground but we have the most amazing and supportive community. I've always said it takes a village to make dreams come true and to me, the Las Vegas community is that village.

Dulce Valencia (c.) with Gebrielle Harris (l.) and Tom Fullerton (r) in "The Grief Dialogues" with The Asylum Theatre.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

I've been given a lot of really great advice over the years. One specifically is "your story deserves to be told." I used to, and sometimes still do, get into this really negative place where I think my story doesn't matter or that I shouldn't tell it because someone else can tell it better, but that's not true. Every story deserves to be told and receiving that advice really put me on a path to being more comfortable writing and sharing my story.

What superpower would you have and why?

Teleportation. Because currently, due to my immigration status I'm not able to leave and visit my family in Mexico and I would love to be able to do that and see them.

What future projects are you looking forward to?

Yes! I'm currently working with a group of Latinx performers during quarantine and we're devising a murder-mystery play. It's a super cool project I'm excited about that. I'm also going to be appearing in an episode of a new show called "Dear..." which premieres on Apple TV on June 5th. In the episode, I am one of the people who reads a letter to Lin-Manuel Miranda telling him how much he's inspired me as an immigrant and artist. I'm super excited about that and to see how the episode turned out and just to tell my story.

Check out Dulce Valencia with Lin-Manuel Miranda in Episode 2 of "Dear..." now streaming on Apple TV+.

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Are you a local artist of any discipline? Do you work with a company as a designer, stagehand or administrative staff? Do you love to experience it as the audience? We'd love to get your 10 Bites to share. Fill out a form here, and you might be featured in a post!

CHECK OUT OUR 10 BITES FEATURE GALLERY HERE

#Theatre #TenBites #VisualArts #vegasdance #EatMoreArt #vegasculture #vegasmusic #VegasIsVegasArts

Molodi’s powerful ‘PAATI’ explores ancestral identity at Majestic Rep ★★★★

MOLODI takes a bow on the opening night of PAATI. Photo: Paloma Solamente.

★★★★☆ - Delicious

Who are you? This is the important question asked during body percussion group Molodi’s dynamic presentation of “Paati,” an exploration of one woman’s quest to connect with her African American identity, showing now through March 8th at Majestic Repertory Theatre.

Members of Molodi use the full body as an instrument of percussion to create rhythm and harmonies and tell stories through a coalescence of different dance types including step, gumboot, tap, hip hop, and contemporary, as well as through singing, beatbox, and spoken word. The immersive show has a story theatre-like format, with short dramatic scenes, parables, and poetic narration interspersed with dance sequences that take us along on Paati’s search for self-realization.

MOLODI shows the tools of their trade.

Paati—which means to abandon—is a young woman who is disillusioned with her soul-crushing career and seeks more meaning in her life. She feels that her African identity, which she might express through her hairstyle, for example, is oppressed by the constraints of the corporate world and by society in general. This has taken a toll on her psyche, so she embarks on a trip to the motherland and attends a music festival in hopes of finding her cultural and genetic roots.

When a tour guide asks “What are you looking for,” she replies with a simple “More.” She participates in an ecstatic, trance-like dance which triggers a spiritual awakening and a duality within herself that allows her to feel and experience the struggles of her forbearers. A heart-rending tour of a museum that explores the history of the slave trade further triggers her genetic memory and awareness of ancestral suffering. She is able to abandon her surface identity and tap into the depths of her true soul.

Kishema Pendu

Sublime actress/dancer Kishema Pendu abandons herself fully to the role of Paati as she takes her life-changing journey, and she and the rest of the cast are fully committed to the demands of the strenuous, high-energy dance pieces and the show’s emotional themes. Founders Jason Nious and Khalid Freeman, with dancers Malik Chunn, Yadiel Figueroa, Danielle Hicks, and Shamayne Young along with Pendu treat us to a stepping/clapping lesson at the beginning of the show to warm us up, and also to phenomenal dancing with the tribal-type rhythms and movement setting a hypnotic mood for the story. Each charismatic performer gets a solo and their moment to shine, and they even pull audience members on stage to take part.

On opening night a show program wasn’t offered so it’s not clear whether the direction, writing, choreography, and arrangement of the dance pieces are a collaboration of the cast members or a telling of Pendu’s personal experience or both. But the company uses the space well, there is beautiful and poignant poetry in the text, and a nice dramatic build to the tale with a moving climactic moment. The dialogue and narration could use more polish since it isn’t always clear how the dance sequences connect to the story, but the show is a very visceral experience and it’s good to go with the flow.

PAATI runs at Majestic Repertory Theatre through 3/8/2020.

Thick rope is used throughout the production and as part of the set as profound imagery that works thematically on many levels. It’s not only a symbol of the historical ties that bind and that must be cast off in order for Paati to find her true identity, but also is a symbol of the invisible threads that connect her intuitively to her spiritual, ancestral past. The African American tradition of body percussion—which developed as a means of secret communication after drums were outlawed by slave owners— along with ecstatic dance is a powerful way to awaken the collective unconscious to ancestral identity.

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