Breakbone DanceCo. performs their mutant sex dance , an excerpt from their DE-evolution of Mudwoman concert called "Queen B" (music by Puscifer) for Poonies Cabaret!

Monday, June 9, 8:00 pm
$5 donation (or pay what you can)
Links Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield Ave, Chicago

Hosted by Jyldo & features performances by:
Paige Cunningham, Marc Macaranas, Breakbone DanceCo., Kirby Reed, Amanda Timm, Ashley Thornton


Poonie's Cabaret is Links Hall's venue for improvisation and works in progress. Audience members are asked for a $5 donation. Proceeds from the cabaret go to the Links Hall Duncan Erley Coming Out of the Closet Fund. More information about Poonie's Cabaret can be found at www. linkshall. org

My proclamation today is that I am not perfect. I know that comes as a surprise to some of you... because I have this attitude that would fool the best of you.

And by the way...when did anyone ever hear me proclaim "I am Atalee. I am Perfect. Look at me. Be like me"? ...Ever?... Didn't think so...

Am I a mentor, a role model, a leader, a good person? I am none. I despise being anything that has a "allusion of set ideals/expectations". I disliked most of my mentors, most of my role models are dead, I am not leading anyone anywhere, and I don't want to be a good person because that definition is just screwed up anyway. It's like saying if all priests are good people then why do they prey on young boys/girls? WTF. I prefer to believe I am more like an "expect the unexpected" kind of person. Currently, I am honest, but I have lied to survive. Currently, I do not steal, but have also stolen to survive. Currently, I do not cheat, but I cheated on quite a few tests in high school. So already I am not a good person. I will repent. There. Done. Oh, I am a good person again...how cheap & lame.

Am I a neophyte? On many things, yes, and I fully admit this and admit when I am wrong as well. 

Am I  proud of myself? BIG 'OL COCKY AMERICAN HELL YEAH, I HAVE to be and it can admittedly get in the way... only people I trust & respect can put me in check though - I do NOT listen to just any blabbering idiot. They have to be idiots that I know, trust and believe in fiercely.

Am I always right? Nope - I am just as moronic as most of you as well... and have learned through many mistakes and foul-ups, as well as burnt some bridges from my past. Regrets are cheap & lame as well - and I do not spend my time wasted on such things.

Do I learn from my mistakes? Only sometimes. It may take a few rounds for them to sink in or I get sick of the same mistake over and over, and only then, do I make adjustments. BUT I will say here, that I do not use the excuse of "I am trying my best to find what's up and what's down...and if that's not good enough...blah blah blah" Pathetic - I owe it to myself to be better than this. If I really try - I can do amazing things. I also am impatient when others make mistakes that are so glaringly obvious I have to wonder if they are wanting attention or trying to sabotage their life.

Some people continue to think that I sit high up on my "Atilla throne" and judge them. Oh sorry, but I don't give you or your life much thought. Maybe that's what they can't deal with - is that I don't care about them. When they cross a boundary with me repeatedly (I use the 3 strike rule) - that's when I get in their face and tell them exactly what they did to piss me off, whether they care or not, & that they can bugger off.

I have gone through shitloads of life crap - just like most people have - but I think the difference is - while they are repressing, being polite, conveniently forgetting, or simply taking it... I wear it on my sleeve, I yell defiantly, and I am cocky. I wouldn't be here today if I wasn't like this. So bugger off.

We performed this past Dec 13-15 as part of "The 800 lb Gorilla in the room…what we're not talking about " at Ruth Page Center for the Arts with some really cool artists such as Cristal Sabbagh, HIJACK, LiveWire, & 3 card molly. The evening was produced by Mordine & Company Dance Theater who also performed. Breakbone's "datastarve" performance featured company members Jyl Fehrenkamp, Tabitha Faes, Tina Gillis, Molly Grimm, Atalee Judy & LeAnne Vancil.

I sincerely feel fortunate that my company was part of an evening that actually did try to "say something" (although I figure I will not be invited back next time...), I am left feeling a bit empty with the entire process and should just stick to producing my own productions for the meantime. Now, while I am not a person to kiss ass and tell, I feel that before you hire a 38 year old woman with a blazing red mohawk who defiantly runs her own company as your Production Ass, you might want to go through your list one more time and find that "yes" wo/man you've always wanted. Telling me that I am "self-centered, pompous & one dimensional" is not anything new & it doesn't injure me in any way...so get a new vocabulary or figure out what really pushes my buttons.

To run a successful event you need ONE thing. You need communication. Barking last minute orders and changing your mind affects the entire flow of the production and if you think that my 10 years of experience is nil - I have learned at least this much (compared to some people who have 40+ years on me and should act accordingly). Schedules change and will even slow a production down, but it is truly best to have everyone on the same page and updated with the changes so that they are not having any "violations of expectations". No one is perfect (and HEAR ME NOW: I am far from this) but I know that miscommunications will happen and not everyone can be appeased. We tried. Live and learn from it.

Once the show was up and running, it went well and the artists all found their groove. Audiences were diverse ranging from college types to gray hairs and we were impressed with how many stayed afterwards for the post show discussions (usually people RUN out of the theater. I am exagerrating, but it's kinda true). For the Breakboner's, we were the last on the program to perform, so it was difficult to stay warm, but they are real troopers. The ladies dug in and gave excellent performances as well as enjoyed their rockstar personas. We had some funny pictures we took backstage and some other memorable oddities: mysterious scalp bumps, paint stuck in hair, bruises in places where the sun don't shine and skirts that would not stay in one place!

The Dreaded Post-show Discussions::
The evening hosted post show discussions every night after the performances where the audience was invited by a moderator/facilitator to lovingly barrage the performers with their burning gotta-know-now questions. Questions ranged from the "process the artist uses" to one audience member "needing clarification on subject matter". Maybe it's just me, but I just do not enjoy these discussions or how theyare mediated, and from my observation, neither did the poor audience members who were cornered into commiting an hour after the show to banter away discussing work, that for the most part, didn't really need any discussion ABOUT the artistic process or clarification. What did need to be discussed though were ABOUT the topics and issues that the works presented fearlessly onstage. Such things as THE IRAQ WAR, HURRICANE KATRINA, OBJECTIFICATION OF WOMEN, OUR SOCIETY'S OBSESSION WITH TABLOID HOOPLA, & MISAPPROPRIATION OF COPYRIGHTED WORK.

So don't get me started on what we're really not talking about. Dance is still fluffing about with its "layers and layers of vaguery" (B. Bramman)

This is MY myspace blog... If you do not like what is said here... simply EXIT. YOU have a CHOICE to read, to believe, to hate, to love, to concur, to abhor... and the list goes on. I do not mention names or dates, so all is kept with an inkling of honor. We all pick our battles - and for me, crediting your source is important, but it's not something that keeps me up at night. This has been up for 6 months now... and I could really care less. Use it as a reminder, a learning experience, a piece of toilet paper. I am not being petty, malicious, or vengeful, but I am being blunt, to the point, critical, and cocky because I'm hammering out my own pet peeves with a close knit dance community where certain people continually seem to cross over borders of misappropriation, misbehavior, and in this case specifically, conjure up a large dose of "what happened on the rooftop" memory loss. He said, She said, It said, Blog said... who cares...

Recently went to a dance concert that used a large chunk (about 3 minutes worth) of a composer's music who is a close friend of mine. I had the unfortunate experience to 1) notice immediately, 2) look in my program for a credit to him, 3) proceed to get enraged at the flagrant inappropriation when I read that the music credit was to the female choreographer (and not to my friend who actually composed and created the music), and finally 4) had to endure said dance piece that stole outright from, not only a friend of mine, but someone whose music I admire and respect deeply. This female choreographer however did manage to credit Wilco & Leonard Cohen in her work, but not my friend's music. Mistake? Ok - they made a mistake and it will never happen again. All is forgiven. So read on if you want to learn from this mistake...

So be a professional and ALWAYS CREDIT YOUR SOURCE MATERIAL. You need to know that there are people who KNOW music - even the obscure stuff - and who respect copyright law in a world where there is a lame entitlement to download and use whatever you like. We are the people who owe it to the musicians to inform them that you have used their music in the most disrespectful way - uncredited and uninformed.  I mean, ask yourself, "What if the composer was in the audience that night and found out that he wasn't credited?" or "What if someone really liked that music and wanted to buy it?"

So that is the end of my Professional commentary.

BUT On another level (WARNING: MY own cockiness is coming out because I specifically ASKED this person NOT to use this music and she has "conveniently forgotten" sitting on my rooftop and me having to point out that it's not cool.):

SO...When someone shares a CD full of obscure music with you (because you are a consultant on their project) of their own production, don't go and use that same music for your own work! The dance community is small enough… find your own music! Especially if they have requested that you not use it and offered to find you other music that is just as cool. Jeez.

I introduced this music to this choreographer (as part of my production) and I also used this particular CD (in it's entirety) in my work that dealt with women overcoming sexual abuse that she was in full knowledge of and actually acted as a quazi consultant. And for my production, I gained permission to use his music and permission to set lyrics to it (and eventually recorded a CD called that commemorated the collaboration).  And while I have my own personal issues with introducing this particular piece of music to this female choreographer and her not even discussing any of her intentions with me or the musician, I am disappointed in her apparent lack of resourcefulness & communication as well as her obvious disregard to a prior discussion we had about using this particular piece of music.

I even had a meeting on my rooftop where I specifically requested that she not use this music and offered her help with finding other "crunchy" music (of which I have TONS more of b/c that is the music genre that I am into!) This particular composer DOES have other CD's out there!

So regardless of my personal gripes about neophytes using music that is introduced to them as non-resource material, in support of FREE SPEECH and the good ol' American cocky right to do whatever the fuck we want (it's meant to be a slam against all of self-entitled "Americans" who seem to think they are entitled AND who may need to be countered and called out on it),  I am forced to say that "You are entitled to use whatever music you want" BUT I must insist that "you ALWAYS credit your sources" or it will be biting you as wide as I can open my BIG mouth... (in the sense that WORD gets around & can being BITING/HARSH - get it, BIG MOUTH = PEOPLE TALK that you are not behaving professionally by not crediting your sources and that will follow you - it's called a reputation.)

And, even as a neophyte, I learned all of this by talking with & respecting musicians and finding out that they are usually very very nice and will gladly entrust dancers/choreographers with a per performance copyright permission in writing with no fees as long as we don't make any money or profits. So try to get permission people - it's the least you can do.

From: Angelena
Date: May 19, 2007 11:38 AM


So here is a little thing I like to call the 11 Fuck You's!
They are all true, Right down to the last one...

ONE.

There is NO SUCH THING as a myspace tracker.
it does NOT exist. So quit trying to find it. It is a trick. Quit.

TWO.

To the people who have like 25,000 friends,
are you serious?
Go play in traffic.

THREE.

Don't ever post pictures and say
"OMG, I'm so ugly"

because if you were,
you wouldn't post them.
And if u do you're a fucking moron.
Attention whore

FOUR.

NOBODY cares about threats over the internet.
Don't try to act hardcore with the keyboard.
FIGHTING ONLINE is like racing in the special Olympics;
even if you win, you're still retarded.

FIVE.

Quit crying
because you're not on someone's top 8.
who cares?
ITS MYSPACE!!!

SIX.

Who really cares if
I don't accept you as a friend?
MOVE ON!!!
Don't send me another request or message asking
"what's up with you not adding me?"
I don't want you as a friend,
that's what's up asshole.

SEVEN.

To the 6th/7th graders who have MySpace
and look like sluts, and act like whores;
go somewhere else because nobody
wants you here. And Parents
quit blaming myspace for your kid being
a hooker, she was a whore before
myspace, and she'd be a whore without it!
What does that say about your
parenting skills? Think about it!

EIGHT.

If you have decided to read this,
you are a true MySpace Friend.
Real friends read their Blogs.

NINE.

Quit posting bulletins like, "I'm home now" or "I'm bored somebody talk to me". I do not need to know when you went to the bathroom or decided to wipe your ass. I don't need to know every detail of your life!

TEN.

And if you open a bulletin and it says something like repost this in 100 seconds or a ghost will rape you tonight, or some dead bitch is gonna rape your mom- stop being a dumb fuck!

ELEVEN.

Myspace was created to keep up with friends. So quit trying to check up on your ex... come on now people its called stalking you might as well be sitting in front of their house with binoculars.

There you have it. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

'Visions of Light' a solo performance by Atalee Judy.

January 11, 12, 18, 19, 2007

Thurs/Fri only at 7:30pm

Tickets $12-15

Reserve online at: http://www.breakbone.com/tickets.html

Breakbone DanceCo. proudly presents Visions of Light a world premiere solo performance by Breakbone founder and artistic director Atalee Judy. Visions invokes images of faith, delirium and truth in an imaginative portrait of a schizophrenic martyr, Jeanne d'Arc. Featuring 3 new films by Chicago filmmaker Carl Wiedemann and shot on location in Toronto, Canada at the Black Creek Woods as well as at the abandoned, Brickworks Factory. Visions also features live vocals by chanteuse Berianne Bramman, guest performance by Jesse Coffelt, lighting design by Stephen Arnold, and three multimedia installation sets. For more info go to http://www.breakbone.com/home.html