Gearing up for the kickstarter!

Kuntz and Company is currently working on a huge project and needs your help!

About a year ago, artistic director Pamela Kuntz was asked by Rick Hermann if she could potentially teach a class to those fighting Parkinson’s disease. Hermann was diagnosed with the disease in 1998 and is one of the 1.5 million people in America fighting against it. Although he is not a trained dancer, he dances with an abundant amount of grace, freedom, and fluidity. “I’ve always been captivated by his movement,” Kuntz said. Eventually that class became a reality in which Hermann is now actively involved. The class was also Kuntz’ inspiration to enter into the American Academy of Neurology’s 2012 Neuro Film Festival. The ANN Film Festival is asking for submissions of filmed research hoping to help find cures for neurological disorders. The entries will be judged by select foundation members and film experts. The winners will be premiered at the ANN meeting in New Orleans, WA.

The film will feature Hermann in action in order to show not only the grace of his movement while dancing, but the challenges he faces when he is not. Spencer Thun will be composing music for the film and limited voice-over for the audio. But in order for this all to happen, Kuntz and Company needs your help to pay for space rental, professional camera work, music composition, and post-production work.


 “I have worked with Rick for more than a year now and have watched him grow as a dancer,” says Kuntz. “Before class one morning he said to me, ‘Its like every morning, before my meds begin to work, I have to learn how to walk again.’ Seeing him dance in class I found this hard to imagine. So when he invited me to his neurology appointment, I went. At this appointment I saw Rick off his medications. I also saw Rick experience adjustments to his Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) system. (The National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes DBS as a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator. This device delivers electrical stimulation to targeted areas in the brain that control movement, blocking the abnormal nerve signals that cause tremor and other PD symptoms.) Because of this experience, I have watched Rick more closely and see that he may be unable to walk one day and dance gracefully the next. My film about Rick will tell his story, but, thanks to the Film Festival, will reach a larger audience,” Kuntz says in her description for the Kickstarter film.

“My hope, in creating this film, is that dance will be recognized as a valid form of expressive and physical therapy for people living with neurological disorders, giving hope to people with PD,” says Kuntz. “I want to show the need for neurological research that seeks cures and treatments, and moves forward at lightning speed. Please pledge and support the achievement of this goal,” says Kuntz.

The link to the website is below as well as a sample of the short film yet to be created. As of right now, $3,855 has been pledged which means we need $1,145 in order to reach the goal of $5,000. However, this must be done by December 1. Please show your support by making a pledge as well as helping to spread the word.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/696632867/partnering-dance-with-parkinsons

Inside look into In Home performance

The In Home performance was a huge success for everyone involved. “The dancers were brilliant,” Artistic Director Pam Kuntz said. Kuntz said this was her first time having a performance in a home and added that she would definitely do it again. 

The performance took place in the house of Truc Thon. “I have heard lots of great things about Pam's works through friends. I don't know much about theater but have been to quite a few plays and always enjoyed it. Kuntz and Co. will be a great asset for Bellingham,” Thon said.

Ella Mahler, who was a dancer in the performance, said that performing in a less conventional space can be very exciting. “It provides a more intimate experience for both the audience and the performer. Artistically, we are able to make different choices in such a small space,” Mahler said. She was the dancer in the laundry room and received a very positive response from the audience regarding her talented abilities as a dancer as well as her ability to challenge the audience to really think and connect with the piece. “The audience sees, hears and feels everything - and so does the performer. That can provide a much more raw, and sometimes more powerful, experience,” Mahler said.

Vanessa Wallen, who was another participating dancer, also talked about performing in a home. “It felt more ‘real.’ Less like two dancers performing for an audience and more like two human beings interacting and communicating in a glass house,” Wallen said. She performed an intense piece with another dancer, Ben Estes. 

The last piece involved a couple fighting over a television remote. According to Kuntz, many audience members felt that they could really relate to the piece. Ian Bivins and Angela Kiser were the dancers in this piece. “My favorite part of the experience was being able to immediately connect with my audience after I showed my work,” Bivins said. “Often, I don't get the luxury of being able to have a check-in with an audience members.”

Each piece was accompanied by an accordion player, Spencer Thun. He also was very surprised at how different performing in a home was. “Once it began, the relationship between audience and performer retained all of the usual expectations and characteristics that one would typically associate with a proscenium-staged production,” Thun said. “The margins of the piece, however, surprised me the most. I envisioned the guests entering the space quietly and solemnly. I was surprised when the energy from the party in the adjacent room seemed to follow people into the performance space,” Thun said.

Kuntz said that she believes the evening came together well because of the individuals who put in a lot of hard work such as: Ella Mahler, the company's development director, the caterers (who volunteered their time and services), the performers, the energetic and supportive audience members and of course the home owners Truc and Jerry Thon.

In Home Performance a Success!

Inside Truc Thon's home

The view

Ella Mahler performing in the laundry room

Vanessa Daines and Ben Estes

Angela Kiser (left) and Ian Bivins (right)

Angela Kiser and Ian Bivins

Pam Kuntz and Ella Mahler

Practice at Kuntz's house for In Home

Pam Kuntz (left) and Spencer Thun (right)

Ella Mahler

Ella Mahler

Setting the Scene for In Home Performance

The sound of an accordion playing a three beat waltz is just a glimpse into Pam Kuntz's rehearsal for Kuntz and Company’s upcoming In Home performance. It’s 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday night, just a few days before the event. The performers make friendly chitchat in-between dances.

Kuntz directs with ease, for the accordion player and dancer know what they are doing. When she does give input, she uses creative analogies, “Pretend you have a secret and every once in awhile, you remember that you got this secret,” she says to the dancer.

In Home will occur this Saturday the 22nd, with three different dance performances. One will take place in a living room, which portrays a couple having a serious conversation. This piece will feature Ben Estes and Vanessa Daines. Another appropriately occurs in a television room and includes a couple arguing over a television remote featuring, Ian Bivins and Angela Kiser. The final piece will be in a laundry room featuring Ella Mahler. Mahler will be performing her entire dance on a counter.

The dancers have been preparing for this event for less than a month but have been rehearsing consistently. Pam is hoping to gain more interest and support from the community she says. This includes getting more people to attend the shows, spreading the word about the company and hoping that community members will share ideas and gain more interest. Stay tuned for more future performance info.