Goetia: Summer Residency 2021
Donation protected
Dear friends and extended community,
My name is Jes Wittig, and I am a dance artist based in Brooklyn. I am raising money for my company’s residency at The Dragon’s Egg in July of this year.
Before the pandemic hit, my collaborators and I began construction of a piece called Goetia, a dance piece involving demonology, storytelling, and our shared love of Graham-based witch choreography. The sounds of Goetia include folk songs and music by the Americana triumvirate The Devil Makes Three, known for their amalgamate style of “wandering folk, Delta blues, whiskey-soaked ragtime, and reckless rock ‘n’ roll.” There will be deeply personal body stories, exposition of old mythologies, and a good, old-fashioned drinking song. I’ve been wanting to make a beast of a piece like this for years, one that examines motive, magick, and what shadows approach us in the small hours. We will sing, dance, laugh, sob, whisper tales of yore, and all come away feeling like we’ve experienced something of ancient importance and... fun. At the end of the residency there will be a performance of this work-in-process, which will be filmed and presented in New York City in the fall, followed by a Q+A with the artists. Stay tuned for this and possible live performances.
The funds from this campaign will be solely dedicated to food, transport, fees, and stipends for the artists during this week-long residency. We have been hungry to create together again for too long, and this residency will give us a chance to release the bow that has been pulled back for over a year on the magic that happens when we gather in the name of creation. In this climate of uncertainty and tumult, getting these artists and healers paid for their extraordinary work is my first priority. Please consider donating to this campaign to support these brilliant, sensitive, and multi-talented artists and the work we will make for the continuation of our field.
______________________________
Artist Bios:
Mariah Davis has been fascinated with body work and movement since her childhood growing up in the Sawtooth Mountains where she danced, played with mud and rocks, and would most likely be found singing to herself and her pets. Her healing nature has been present, even before she was aware of her talents, and her committed practice to meditation and yoga provided a glimpse into what a possible career path may look like for herself years later. A true artist at heart; Mariah’s love of dance, movement and the human body pulled her to the city of Seattle to complete a BFA in Dance at Cornish College of The Arts in 2015, which then led to another life changing move to NYC in 2016 where she is pursuing an education in the healing arts of Massage Therapy at Pacific College of Health and Sciences. Davis will receive an Associates Degree in Massage Therapy as well as a license for the state of NYC in Spring of 2022. Mariah is also focused on acquiring her Doula, Aromatherapy, and Herbalism certifications to further understand the complexities/beauty of the human form and how it is connected to the natural world. For now; movement, nature, and art are what keep her grounded safely to Planet Earth.
Sage Miller grew up in Berwyn, IL, and received her early dance training at the Academy of Movement and Music where she studied the techniques and works of Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Doris Humphrey. She holds a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, and is a certified pilates mat instructor. Sage has had the honor of performing works by Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, José Limón, Michele Miller, Pat Hon, Randy Duncan, and Terence Marling. Most recently she has performed and choreographed for MOMENTA Performing Arts Company, and is currently investigating our impact on the natural world, and ways we can adapt and promote sustainability within and beyond the dance world.
Alexis Murphy is a professional dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer based in Long Island, NY. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, along with a minor in Business and Design. Over the years she has studied dance styles including Modern, Ballet, Pointe, Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Jazz, African and Tap. While at Hofstra she performed in works by Earl Mosley, Karla Wolfangle, Heather Waldon, Rachel List, and Dyane Harvey-Salaam. Her extensive training also includes American Dance Theater Workshop, Joffrey Ballet School Musical, and HB Studio. In Spring 2017 she was invited to perform in the American College Dance Festival showcase at County College of Morris in a collaborative work with her and her peers. She returned to Hofstra University in 2018 to choreograph the Anatomy Fashion Show for Phi Delta Epsilon and Phi Kappa Theta. Alexis is continuing to train as she plans to strengthen her art in the entertainment world.
Jesse Dalton is an actor, baritone bellower, writer, and cabaret artist. An Aquarius through and through, he is passionate about breaking cliches, reimagining structure, and questioning traditions. His work uses off-kilter humor and cathartic sound to explore Identity through the lenses of Poverty Trauma and Queerness. He graduated from Hofstra University in 2015 with a BFA in Theatre Performance.
PERFORMANCE CREDITS: Edgar Degas in THE LITTLE DANCER (Theatre 71), Gaylord Ravenal in SHOW BOAT (Prather), Ian Falwell in TRIGGERED (CWM Entertainment, on Prime Video), and Tute in BRIGHT AND BRAVE (Dixon Place).
Jes Wittig is an artist using dance, theater, and performance art to interrogate and indict an array of psychological, epistemological, and fantastical matters, particularly in the realms of sexuality, death, ritual, and mythology. Through Graham-based choreography, Jes’ work incorporates textures ranging from a flaming lava rock being lobbed into the ocean, to a heavy, slow fog. Heady, hyperbolic poetry juxtaposed with hyper-real, Neo-Futurist dialogue, her work explores the tragicomedy of the human psyche, blurring the boundaries between campy theatrics and stark naturalism, character and self, metaphysical influence and concentrated will, humor and horror.
Her practice is based in the exploration of the dancers' personal mythologies, held up to the mirror of the collective mythology. Jes’ works, while frequently humorous, are built to reflect the simultaneous indulgence and distress of inhabiting a body. Movement is drawn out of Jes’ own and others’ bodies in a C.G. Jung-inspired active-imagination space; choreography is derived from witchcraft traditions including Tibetan sorcery, various folk magics, and those described in the grimoire tradition, best described aesthetically as "post-Graham witch."
As a dancer, she has had the pleasure of studying with and performing the works of Adam Barruch, Bill Young, Alexandra Beller, Lar Lubovitch, Robin Becker, and Karla Wolfangle, among others, at venues including Symphony Space, Gibney, American Airlines Theater, and the National Mall. Her work has been presented at venues including the Davenport Theater, Kraine Theater, ShapeShifter Lab, and the Arts On Site Residency and Retreat Center. Jes is a Reiki Master, tarotmancer, Kripalu yoga teacher, and Continuum practitioner. She currently dances for Golden Hour Dance and Gabrielle Schutz Performance Works, and works as the Facilities and HR Coordinator at Gibney. Her poetry has been published in Venefica Magazine. Her favorite animal is the octopus.
My name is Jes Wittig, and I am a dance artist based in Brooklyn. I am raising money for my company’s residency at The Dragon’s Egg in July of this year.
Before the pandemic hit, my collaborators and I began construction of a piece called Goetia, a dance piece involving demonology, storytelling, and our shared love of Graham-based witch choreography. The sounds of Goetia include folk songs and music by the Americana triumvirate The Devil Makes Three, known for their amalgamate style of “wandering folk, Delta blues, whiskey-soaked ragtime, and reckless rock ‘n’ roll.” There will be deeply personal body stories, exposition of old mythologies, and a good, old-fashioned drinking song. I’ve been wanting to make a beast of a piece like this for years, one that examines motive, magick, and what shadows approach us in the small hours. We will sing, dance, laugh, sob, whisper tales of yore, and all come away feeling like we’ve experienced something of ancient importance and... fun. At the end of the residency there will be a performance of this work-in-process, which will be filmed and presented in New York City in the fall, followed by a Q+A with the artists. Stay tuned for this and possible live performances.
The funds from this campaign will be solely dedicated to food, transport, fees, and stipends for the artists during this week-long residency. We have been hungry to create together again for too long, and this residency will give us a chance to release the bow that has been pulled back for over a year on the magic that happens when we gather in the name of creation. In this climate of uncertainty and tumult, getting these artists and healers paid for their extraordinary work is my first priority. Please consider donating to this campaign to support these brilliant, sensitive, and multi-talented artists and the work we will make for the continuation of our field.
______________________________
Artist Bios:
Mariah Davis has been fascinated with body work and movement since her childhood growing up in the Sawtooth Mountains where she danced, played with mud and rocks, and would most likely be found singing to herself and her pets. Her healing nature has been present, even before she was aware of her talents, and her committed practice to meditation and yoga provided a glimpse into what a possible career path may look like for herself years later. A true artist at heart; Mariah’s love of dance, movement and the human body pulled her to the city of Seattle to complete a BFA in Dance at Cornish College of The Arts in 2015, which then led to another life changing move to NYC in 2016 where she is pursuing an education in the healing arts of Massage Therapy at Pacific College of Health and Sciences. Davis will receive an Associates Degree in Massage Therapy as well as a license for the state of NYC in Spring of 2022. Mariah is also focused on acquiring her Doula, Aromatherapy, and Herbalism certifications to further understand the complexities/beauty of the human form and how it is connected to the natural world. For now; movement, nature, and art are what keep her grounded safely to Planet Earth.
Sage Miller grew up in Berwyn, IL, and received her early dance training at the Academy of Movement and Music where she studied the techniques and works of Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Doris Humphrey. She holds a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, and is a certified pilates mat instructor. Sage has had the honor of performing works by Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, José Limón, Michele Miller, Pat Hon, Randy Duncan, and Terence Marling. Most recently she has performed and choreographed for MOMENTA Performing Arts Company, and is currently investigating our impact on the natural world, and ways we can adapt and promote sustainability within and beyond the dance world.
Alexis Murphy is a professional dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer based in Long Island, NY. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, along with a minor in Business and Design. Over the years she has studied dance styles including Modern, Ballet, Pointe, Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Jazz, African and Tap. While at Hofstra she performed in works by Earl Mosley, Karla Wolfangle, Heather Waldon, Rachel List, and Dyane Harvey-Salaam. Her extensive training also includes American Dance Theater Workshop, Joffrey Ballet School Musical, and HB Studio. In Spring 2017 she was invited to perform in the American College Dance Festival showcase at County College of Morris in a collaborative work with her and her peers. She returned to Hofstra University in 2018 to choreograph the Anatomy Fashion Show for Phi Delta Epsilon and Phi Kappa Theta. Alexis is continuing to train as she plans to strengthen her art in the entertainment world.
Jesse Dalton is an actor, baritone bellower, writer, and cabaret artist. An Aquarius through and through, he is passionate about breaking cliches, reimagining structure, and questioning traditions. His work uses off-kilter humor and cathartic sound to explore Identity through the lenses of Poverty Trauma and Queerness. He graduated from Hofstra University in 2015 with a BFA in Theatre Performance.
PERFORMANCE CREDITS: Edgar Degas in THE LITTLE DANCER (Theatre 71), Gaylord Ravenal in SHOW BOAT (Prather), Ian Falwell in TRIGGERED (CWM Entertainment, on Prime Video), and Tute in BRIGHT AND BRAVE (Dixon Place).
Jes Wittig is an artist using dance, theater, and performance art to interrogate and indict an array of psychological, epistemological, and fantastical matters, particularly in the realms of sexuality, death, ritual, and mythology. Through Graham-based choreography, Jes’ work incorporates textures ranging from a flaming lava rock being lobbed into the ocean, to a heavy, slow fog. Heady, hyperbolic poetry juxtaposed with hyper-real, Neo-Futurist dialogue, her work explores the tragicomedy of the human psyche, blurring the boundaries between campy theatrics and stark naturalism, character and self, metaphysical influence and concentrated will, humor and horror.
Her practice is based in the exploration of the dancers' personal mythologies, held up to the mirror of the collective mythology. Jes’ works, while frequently humorous, are built to reflect the simultaneous indulgence and distress of inhabiting a body. Movement is drawn out of Jes’ own and others’ bodies in a C.G. Jung-inspired active-imagination space; choreography is derived from witchcraft traditions including Tibetan sorcery, various folk magics, and those described in the grimoire tradition, best described aesthetically as "post-Graham witch."
As a dancer, she has had the pleasure of studying with and performing the works of Adam Barruch, Bill Young, Alexandra Beller, Lar Lubovitch, Robin Becker, and Karla Wolfangle, among others, at venues including Symphony Space, Gibney, American Airlines Theater, and the National Mall. Her work has been presented at venues including the Davenport Theater, Kraine Theater, ShapeShifter Lab, and the Arts On Site Residency and Retreat Center. Jes is a Reiki Master, tarotmancer, Kripalu yoga teacher, and Continuum practitioner. She currently dances for Golden Hour Dance and Gabrielle Schutz Performance Works, and works as the Facilities and HR Coordinator at Gibney. Her poetry has been published in Venefica Magazine. Her favorite animal is the octopus.
Organizer
Jes Wittig
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
