By K. J. Holmes
In 1972, I was in high school in New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. My boyfriend at the time worked at Scholastic Books in a neighboring town. His job was stocking shelves, emptying boxes, doing deliveries. He came to see me one night while I was babysitting around the corner from where I lived. He had a book for me. He said I think you will get this book; I don’t think many people would. The book was Arm in Arm by Remy Charlip. I adored that book, it was unlike anything I had ever read, and I also recognized a part of me waiting to be discovered. This was way before I knew Remy as a dancer, or even myself as a dancer.
Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence…
At that time, I was studying ballet, jazz, tap. I was in choir. I loved dance and theater. My primary love was singing. I wanted to learn about the body and the mind. I did not know what I was to become.
Pete fell off…
In 1979, after a short period of school in Colorado for dance therapy, I moved into New York City. I saw immediately I was not to be a therapist but a performer. Through many trials and error, I literally stumbled upon improvisation and post modern dance. To support myself, I waited tables and then in 1983 - 1984, I worked as the assistant to the publisher of the Village Voice. I studied dance, saw dance, performed dance every minute I was not working. I befriended the great Burt Supree who was a dance critic for the Village Voice. I eventually left that job. Burt hired me to do some organizational things for him at his home office. He lived with his partner Remy Charlip.
Who was left?…
In 1983, I was a dancer in a piece that was produced by choreographer/director Elise Bernhardt. A procession of 250 dancers of all ages crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in celebration of its centennial year. The popular and critical response to the festival inspired Bernhardt to establish Dancing in the Streets, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing free dance performances in unexpected public spaces. The choreography, from Airmail Dances, was by Remy Charlip. Each dancer carried and danced with one of his trademark towels.
Repeat…
At some point in this time, I rediscovered Arm in Arm on my bookshelf. I finally made a huge connection. Sometimes we are gifted with our future and don’t even know it when it is happening. It is a great coincidence of influences, I think. Unsuspecting and then suddenly relevant. I think Remy was like that, the little I knew of him. I am so grateful to have had these experiences to lead me to new ones. I will always cherish this man as someone who came in through some inexplicable air wave and left me with an improvisational approach and a sense of humor in my body. Thank you Remy.
Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence
(italicized text from Arm in Arm)
K.J. Holmes: Brooklyn NY dance artist, actor, singer, educator travels the world performing/teaching at universities, festivals and that range from theaters to site specific spaces to living rooms. Collaborated extensively with dancers Simone Forti, Karen Nelson, Lisa Nelson/Image Lab,Steve Paxton; poet Julie Carr, actor/performer Keith Biesack; dancer/playwright Karinne Keithley Syers; trumpeters Dave Douglas and Roy Campbell, Jr. Attended School for Body-Mind Centering ®, William Esper Studio of Meisner Acting (master teacher Terry Knickerbocker teacher); Satya Yoga (teacher Sondra Loring); Roy Hart vocal technique with Richard Armstrong; of which the play between is essential to her current practices; Adjunct professor NYU/ETW and Juilliard; Movement Research teaching artist and Artist in Residence. Most recently performed with Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People, Xavier LeRoy, Emily Johnson/Catalyst, Melinda Ring, Lance Gries, Mark Dendy; The Works of Steve Paxton at Dia:Beacon; Actor in Dylan Stephens Lever’s film That Universal Feeling, and the Casting Project video; Currently completing her installation/performance piece HIC SVNT DRACONES that has been rehearsed and performed as chapters at residencies at Mana Contemporary Chicago, Sector 2337 Chicago, The Belfry NY, Hanna Barn Vashon, Chashama NY, Studio Current Seattle. kjholmes.info