Help those that lost their habitats in typhoon Haiyan

A friend who does quite a lot of relief work told me once that the best thing to do when disaster strikes is to donate money to a worth cause because sending items could actually in turn have adverse effects. What I mean is that by sending items, sometimes the clothing items are unwanted and piled up on the side of the road causing more traffic delays or by sending food products that the particular culture doesn't really eat or know how to open. The food would just sit there piling up. You get the picture.

Where should you donate?

Philippine Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org.ph/

Community and Services International: http://www.cfsi.ph/please-help-cfsi-rebuild-lives-in-the-philippines-now/

Or better yet, wait for a Philippine based relief organization to announce what they need. 

Habitats were lost, the world needs to come together yet again to help each other out.  

Check out this article: Please don't send your old shoes to the Philippines http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2013/11/how_to_help_typhoon_haiyan_survivors_in_the_philippines_the_only_donation.html
 

Post Edinburgh thoughts

Its always hard to figure out what to do next with a piece after a major festival/performance. I've been going back to the 'drawing board' and thinking of how this piece can develop. As a choreographer, sometimes I'm always looking for a way to reinvent a piece that I've created and put on a stage. With Habitat, I may go backwards in time to my original idea of mounting it in a gallery type setting or a white box theater. I also want to get the projections to shoot off the dancers' bodies as the light fragments on their bodies because its a metaphor for the person living in a world that feels like a sum of all worlds. Visually, I think this would look really exciting.
I'm rambling a bit from my thoughts... I will leave you with a documentary film that Laura Lamp edited and shot during the performance run titled "Dreaming to Escape"

Dreaming to Escape from Nesby Darbfeld on Vimeo.

The official trailer for Habitat

Habitat in Edinburgh Fringe Festival trailer from Alaine Handa on Vimeo.
Habitat Directed by Alaine Handa
Choreography by Alaine Handa in collaboration with the performers
Performers: Laura Lamp, Ezekiel Oliveira, Belinda He, Alaine Handa

Habitat premiered at C Venues (+2) theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. August 2013.

This production is supported in part by Singapore International Foundation (sif.org.sg) and in kind support from Centre Stage School of the Arts (centre-stage.com/) and donated pictures from Expatriate Archive Centre.

This performance footage is shot and edited by Kevin Tadge & Laura Lamp.

Some pictures from Habitat in Edinburgh

Taken from Video Stills by Kevin Tadge.

Many Thanks to Kevin, the Expatriate Archive Center - for sending us some lovely images of habitats of expats from different parts of the world and different time periods!

Quick update from Edinburgh:
Hello everyone! I hope you are having a great time wherever you are in the world. Ever since we arrived in Edinburgh, its been a whirlwind of activities. We jumped into rehearsals immediately, then tech, dress, preview performances, performances, networking, getting audiences to come (a daily hustle!) see us, making new friends, and also trying to see as many shows as we can because Edinburgh Fringe is THE largest arts festival in the world.

I managed to squeeze in some sightseeing yesterday and went up to Edinburgh Castle which is in the middle of town. The view from up the hill is gorgeous with the historic cannons, crown jewels of Scotland, and historical buildings once occupied by Queen Mary of Scots and her son King James. I have also met up with an old friend of mine who I haven't seen since we were 12 years old and attending an International School in Singapore! She's Scottish and lives about an hour away in Glasgow. It was great to catch up with her.

More later....
- Alaine

Video still captured during Ezekiel's solo by Kevin Tadge

Preview from Alaine's solo text

I wrote a poem that I recorded to be used as a soundscape for my solo in Habitat. Here's a snippet of it. I hope you like it!


This is me
What am I doing here?
These four walls, pillows, closet, dressers filled with clothing and relics of the past.
A near and distant memory of homes.
Memories.
Why do you want to know?
I’m weird.
I like to sleep with the lights on.

Habitat
Directed by Alaine Handa
Choreography by Alaine Handa and Dancers
Dancers: Alaine Handa, Belinda He, Laura Lamp, and Ezekiel Oliveira
July 31- August 31, 2013 @ 1:50 pm everyday
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
C Venues, venue 34, Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Purchase tickets: https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/dance-and-physical-theatre/habitat
Habitat blog: http://www.habitatprojectahdc.blogspot.com

Habitat is supported in part by Singapore International Foundation's Singapore Internationale grant scheme (www.sif.org.sg) and Centre Stage School of the Arts (www.centre-stage.com).

Habitat Sleep Pattern Promo

 

Habitat
Directed by Alaine Handa
Choreography by Alaine Handa and Dancers
Dancers: Alaine Handa, Belinda He, Laura Lamp, and Ezekiel Oliveira
July 31- August 31, 2013 @ 1:50 pm everyday
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
C Venues, venue 34, Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Purchase tickets: https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/dance-and-physical-theatre/habitat
Habitat blog: http://www.habitatprojectahdc.blogspot.com

Habitat is supported in part by Singapore International Foundation's Singapore Internationale grant scheme (www.sif.org.sg) and Centre Stage School of the Arts (www.centre-stage.com).