Germany was wonderful, it was so nice to be back home.  Thanks to everyone who bid on Ebay to help me finance the most wonderful and necessary trip I’ve ever had.  I got to spend 10 blissful days with my love, and yes,  IT is still there.  sooooooooo………………

He’s coming back to Seattle to stay!!

Enough with the squee-ing. Alright. Part One.

We stayed in a small town called Much, where Chance was visiting his cousin Sabine.  We didint’ leave the house for the first 3 days, but eventually we went for our first adventure.. The countryside we walked through was  luxe, green and beautiful.  It was quiet and I could see for miles, we fed the cows crabapples that had fallen on the path, and they followed us as we walked on the otherside of the fence.  It was good to get away from city life for a bit. We were both so blissed out we were glowing.

We took long bus and train rides to get to Cologne, the trip total is about an hour and a half.  I remember going to Cologne with my mum when I was about 14. We got my pointe shoes there.  So, I haven’t been there in over 10 years.  I forgot how beautiful the cathedral is. Crap is it an amazing and awe inspiring sight.  It took 750 years to build, and sustained several direct hits during WWII. The cathedral also holds in its golden vault the supposed remains of the 3 wise men. Chance said they had discovered a fourth skeleton in the box. It is said, the 4th is the king that financed their mission.  Chance and I walked around the cathedral a bit and stopped in the catacombs, then ended up sitting in the pews for a long spell,  just taking in the awesomeness and reverence of it all.

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Dearest Readers,

First off, I must send my thanks to all of you who bid on, or won my Ebay auctions this week.  It helped a lot, as Chance and I have split the ticket, and the auctions more than covered my half.  I can breathe easier now, and to those of you who’ve won, please take care of those gowns. I spent a lot of time, energy and love putting them together, and they hold really good memories. You are their caretakers now.

Alright, on to business. This blog post is more about semantics than anything, so I need your thoughts, read on.

(Finn von Claret in Subconscious Suites)

Splinter’s board is comprised of 4 very strong, very distinctive women. We all have different talents that we contribute to the company, and we all have different backgrounds stylistically not only in the types of dance we do, but also in our views as artists and how we relate to art on a social level.  All are valid, and very similar in purpose despite their differences.

Let me explain..

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I have to say that I adore Twitter.  It has facilitated some communication that I would have never imagined in the past.

I got a lovely message from the folks at Clockwork Couture. They read my blog about the auctions and donated two items from their store to help me with my trip to Germany.  These two items are inspired by some of my costume designs, and I have to say, I’m honored.  Clockworkcouture.com has some wonderful yummy clothing, if you haven’t had a look at their site, please do.  I am coveting quite a few things at the moment. The jacket and jumpsuit on the first page alone are leaving me drooling.

Here are some pics of the adorable pinstripe cropped vest and pedal pushers that they donated for auction.  They come in either Black, Brown or White Stripe.  Both items come in sizes Small, Medium and Large.  Clockwork Couture will mail the items directly to you.  There are two separate auctions for these items.

I leave on the 12th of September and I get back on the 24th.  Its a 3 day auction, so please pay within 24 hours of winning. That way,  I can get the info to the folks at Clockwork couture for mailing.

Von Claret Penny-Farthing Pedal Pushers - 260473887610

Pinstripe Cropped von Claret Vest by Clockwork Couture - 260473879673

There are still other auctions that are up, all ending today and tomorrow. Thanks to all bidders, I appreciate the support more than I can say.

- Finn

Hello Darlings

Here are some more auctions.  Please bid! Auctions are for 5 days.

Abney Park, Finn’s Edison Mermaid Gown - 260472078889

Abney Park, Finn’s Steampunk Rock Gown 260472086508

Abney Park, Finn’s Red Ruffle Gown - 260472090010

-Finn

Hello Darlings,

Things with Splinter Dance Company are going very well.  It’s nice to be doing pirouettes again. I do miss performing for all of you though. Hopefully you will come see Splinter shows!

I’m going on a trip, I need to see my unicorn. Instead of moving away permanately, he may be moving back to Seattle in December for a few months,  so we can give it a go and see if we really have what it takes to be a couple.  We’ve split a ticket for me so that I can go see him in Germany.

Photo: Libby Bulloff

I grew up in Deutschland and haven’t been home in 7 years.  I’m really excited about this trip, and seeing Chance again. Last time I saw him I thought it was going to be the end of a chapter. But maybe life will allow me the grace to be truly happy with someone that I love.  I do love him, very much.

I thought of ways to raise some money for the trip and realized that I could start  with the sale of my Abney Park stage outfits.  This is the first round, there will be more up later. But for now,  please bid!

Abney Park, Finn’s signed copper pointe shoes - 260471453589

Abney Park, Finn’s steampunked red bra- 260471545637

Abney Park, Finn’s embroidered bra with vintage brooch -260471550574

Abney Park, Finn’s Herr Drosselmyers Doll Tutu - 260471555402

Finn’s vintage cream gloves with gold beading -260471559029

There will be more auctions soon.  I am going to post some skirts and other lovely things.

-F

I tattooed something on my forearm a few years back.  It says “Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Hope and Love”

These concepts are important to me, I don’t continue on a path unless it involves at least four of the five.

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(Drawing: Suzanne Forbes)

Oh my darlings I am sorry that I haven’t written much in a while. SO UPDATES ARE DUE!

In Splinter Dance Company news, we have cast 8 dancers. With the 4 board members that makes 12!

It is incredibly exciting to see the faces of the dancers that I will be working with. Auditions were well attended and exhilarating. There were a lot of amazing dancers that showed up, it was great to see so many people dancing to my work again.

My piece “Media Luna” is a trilogy of  modern dance tangos.  I want to experiment with the different artists speaking the same sets of lines, with different background material.  I want the audience to ask themselves ” Are these people lovers? friends? family? Does it matter? How does their relationship relate to me?” I want to explore the base concepts of tough love, nurturing, gender and passion in different relationships and circumstances.  I’ve been listening to some amazing music trying to find what these concepts need to sound like. I love how connected I get with my subconscious when working on choreography, I discover so many things about whats under the surface in my life. Splinter is organizing a choreographers showcase in January, and rehearsals start in August.  I am looking at digital video cameras so I can blog the works in progress.. so, stay tuned!

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Splinter Dance Company is currently casting for new company members!  We are especially seeking male dancers and females with ballet/modern technique who are open to hip-hop and breakdancing.  Splinter is working on two new pieces to be showcased in January 2010, “Media Luna” and “Wars.”  Accepted company members will receive free weekly company class as well as compensation for paid performances.
 
Date: July 12th, 2009
Time:6:30pm – 8:30pm
Venue:  Theater Puget Sound(TPS) – Studio G
Seattle Center House 4th Floor 305 Harrison, Seattle, WA 98109
Bring: resume/headshot/dance shoes
 
 
Media Luna:
A modern tango exploring love and personal disconnection between diverse couples in varying circumstances.
 
Wars:
A modern contemporary dance piece that depicts three faces of war: on the battlefield, on the streets and within ourselves.
 
 
Splinter Dance Company’s mission is to extend thought-provoking dance performances to a broad range of audiences; making dance accessible to the public using site-specific work as well as maintaining artistically current theatrical works for paying audiences. Our work is technical, diverse, and interactive. As dancers and human beings, we aim to splinter the perception of everyday life and provide the viewer with dance that questions the scope of each human’s experiences.
www.splinterdance.org
Email: info@splinterdance.org

I feel like a many armed sea thing swimming in coffee.  Sea….

I’d like to introduce you to …

“ROTATION” , a part of Splinter Dance Company’s outreach program.

Rotation is a teaching collective for dance educators from ANY dance background.  It’s simple. Teach one class for free and take class for free from all the other teachers in the loop. Classes can be anywhere in the Seattle area. We’ve already had modern dance, Bollywood, Tahitian, Hip Hop and Ballet.  The program provides a wonderful opportunity to try out new classes, hone your teaching skills and keep in shape with other teaching peers. Classes are ongoing and occur weekly, or bi-weekly.  Registration is easy, and we would love to have you!

In other teaching news…

I’ve been asked to teach some ballet/modern hybrid classes at a local studio here in Seattle.  I teach Ballet, Jazz and Modern styles from beginner to professional level.  I’ve been teaching in the “Rotation” collective,  and for Splinter’s company class.  With my life being so hectic,  I haven’t taught in this setting for awhile, and I need to gather some students who are hungry to move!  No matter what level you are,  I would love to hear some input on what would get you to come take class with me.  I will formulate my class around the wants and needs of my wonderful new students!  Send me an email or comment below.

-Finn