It has been May since I wrote in my blog. A lot has happened, and a lot has yet to happen. It’s been over a year since I left Abney Park and I’ve accomplished a lot. I started Splinter Dance Company, I also danced with Jerboa Dance Company. I turned 30, and I started a new music project. I’m amazed how much I can still discover about myself as an artist and a human being.
I felt that it was time for a change, and after a couple of sad months I realized I needed a re-invented sense of purpose. I have decided to finish my degree in Art History and Art Administration. I’ve applied to a school in California and hope to find out soon whether or not I’ve been accepted. My ultimate goal is to become an art curator. I know I have quite a few years of school ahead of me and the field is competitive, but I know it’s worth it. I will still dance and sing, but I want a life that will take me away from tending bar. I promised myself I would be in a different place at 30, and I’m eager to move forward with the next chapter of my life.

Chance and I getting ourselves ready to move down to San Francisco. We’ve had enough of Seattle and can’t wait for new opportunities and a new scene. Adventures are fun and scary, but I know it will be okay because I have my best friend at my side. Everyone should have a unicorn.

Imaginary Daughter, my current music project (with the amazing Marc Tweed) will follow me down to the SF Bay area. We’ve written a 5 song EP and are currently mastering it. We will put it up on bandcamp as soon as its finished. The band has also been collaborating with some stellar folks. The amazing Monica Mendenhall has been hard at work building a wireless midi controller that I can wear on stage. I will basically be wearing an invisible synth. This movement oriented instrument will activate 12 channels of audio and video. Monica is also creating some beautiful stage outfits. I’ve also had the privilege of working with my good friend, the wonderful Libby Bulloff. We shot some amazing HD video in a 100 year old elevator a couple of weeks ago. Marc and I hope to premiere a Imaginary Daughter in Seattle before I move to SF. We are aiming to play mid- November. We hope you will come out to celebrate with us. It may be a simple show without bells and whistles, or it may come together with out all the stops. Either way, the music is what’s important, and music there will be!

I’ll keep you posted!

- Finn

Here is a video from the Jerboa show called “Back from the Brink”. I’m not dancing in this video, but it gives you an idea of what is in store if you come see Jerboa’s ALL NEW show called “Continuum” where I WILL be dancing.. a lot. “Continuum” opens June 4th and 5th in Seattle.  ”Back from the Brink” will be shown again in September.

June 4 – 5, 2010

ACT THEATER
700 Union Street
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 292-7676
www.acttheatre.org

Running Time: 1 hours, 45 minutes

Jerboa Dance, the Seattle-based modern dance company that brought you Back from the Brink in 2009, presents continuum, a new full-length modern dance production. continuum is an exploration the complexities of human relationships and the patterns we fall into, both good and bad. In Jerboa Dance’s style, it is an acrobatic, energetic work relying on raw emotion and the strong technical background of the dancers to draw in the audience. Rather than a story with a clear beginning and end, continuum is a window into the moments of our lives.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Student tickets are available for $20. This is a guest production, not produced by ACT. Buy Tickets at www.acttheatre.org

Performers:
Sean Calavan, Sarah Champion, Morgan Houghton, Kristin Kissell, Meghan Shepard, Renado Tozer, Finn von Claret, and Jaime Waliczek

Armando Betancourt – Photography
Kent Bozlinski – Videography
Peter Bracilano – Lighting Design
Nell Hoffman – Costume Design
Katie Sawicki – Stage Management
Gary Waliczek – Music

Marc and I have been hard at work creating a music style for Imaginary Daughter. Our first song is wonderfully gritty, sexy and naughty. Its great to write lyrics and melodies. I’ve never had the opportunity to sing my own words. It is really awesome. Here ya go folks our first preview track… “Pick-Up Line”.

I love to make music, not just perform it.

So after 8 months of searching and interviewing, I found my accomplice, his name is Marc Tweed.

Marc and I have been hard at work writing songs, recording and drinking copious amounts of whisky afterwards.  I really enjoy songwriting and finding all the different places my voice can go.  I feel like I really get to grow in this new environment. I can’t tell you how important that is.

I had the idea to name the band “Imaginary Daughter” because of my mother.  I went to visit her earlier this year, and she had several friends that had never met me.  She would tell them about me, and all the crazy things that I was doing. In jest they would call me her imaginary daughter.  I told Marc the story, and he loved the name too.

We are working, playing and hopeful.  We are already collaborating with friends that some of you probably know.  I’ll update more as we go along, but for now wish us the best of luck.  Our goal is to play our first show at the end of the summer in Seattle.

-Finn

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Sean “Sto Holla” Watson and did the most amazing shoot with him. The shoot was for his online magazine called “Peer Pressure”. Initially the shoot was supposed to be for the Valentines Day edition, emphasizing  love, and romance.  But we found once all dolled up and in front of the lens, that I wasn’t having the most romantic day, or week for that matter. So instead of pushing all the wrong buttons and ending up with a bad shoot, Sean encouraged me to embrace what I was feeling that day. It manifested in hot pink makeup, ripped tights, huge pants and fucked up hair. I climbed on the walls, and all over a graffiti-ed chair. It was therapy.  It is a really brilliant and rare thing to find other artists that are able to see process that way. Its not an obstruction, its construction. Enjoy!

(more…)

We all had a lot of fun doing this show. The premise of the 10 minute dance act combined hip hop, ballet and bollywood into an awesome farce. Basically, we showcased the olympics of the future and dance as an olympic sport. The entire theme followed the Shunkpike fundraiser theme called “Golden”
We had a comedic dance off with the last three finalists. Ballet, bollywood and hip hop all dance with their music switched by a clowny dj. The ballet crew danced in true russian form to “gettin low”, the bollywood peeps danced to our nutcracker music and the hip hop people danced to bollywood. It was hilarious. Too bad there aren’t pics of the ballerinas getting dry humped during the pas de deux. Ha. Ha. We even dressed up Chance as one of the “olympic” judges. It was cheesy fun and an nice break from creating repertory.

Splinter Dance at Shunpike Golden Fundraiser – Images by Alan Alabastro

I have good news!

I will be teaching dance  classes in Seattle!

CONTEMPO-JAZZ and BALLET FOR BELLYDANCERS AND BURLESQUE PERFORMERS

Wednesday nights starting January 6th from 6:00-7:30 pm

Discover the strength building beauty of ballet, the dynamic power of jazz and the grounding athletic qualities of modern dance in this hybrid dance class. Finn takes students on an adventure through the body, drawing on the connective tissue of several dance styles to give students a more justified understanding of their alignment, smart technique habits and the utilization of core strength. Class will begin with a juicy ballet warm-up, students then move to the center floor with generous, dancey traveling phrases. The session ends with Finn’s contemporary choreography that builds week to week.

This class invites bellydancers, hip-hoppers, burlesque performers and movers of every style from beginning to intermediate levels. No prior ballet, modern or jazz training necessary. Relaxed attire welcome. Live and recorded music. 1hr. 30 mins.

SIGN UP NOW!

Classes are at Skin Deep Studios

2524  16th Avenue South #311

Seattle, Washington 98144

The week after Chance and I visited Cologne, I rented a car and set forth to drive on the autobahn to Landstuhl, where I grew up. I had fast cars when I lived there last. I was sad that I got a frackin Ford Focus as an upgrade from the rental agency. I had reserved a VW. Bollucks..

I was so psyched. Because, I learned how to drive on the autobahn, and I missed extreme acceleration, long distances spanned in short amounts of time, and people that actually pass on the left, not the right. Did you know Germans have to spend $3,ooo to get their licenses?

(more…)