Hello geeks!

The show is less than two weeks away, and you know what that means – it’s time for our fundraising campaign! Our Indie Go Go Campaign has just launched, and we need your help to pay the performers and cover our production costs! Check out our promo video below to see some exclusive rehearsal footage!

Visit the campaign page here for full details – there’s lots of awesome perks to choose from, from posters and T-Shirts, to private rehearsal invites and coffee dates with our Artistic Director, to tickets to the show. Show your support before it’s too late!

We’ve got lots more exciting news in the coming weeks, so be sure to stay tuned!

Happy fall! We’re celebrating the finally-dropping temperatures with more information about our upcoming show! Today we bring you a little more about our featured teller, Lisa:

LISA HOLLINGSWORTH-SEGEDY is a storyteller from Edgewood, PA. She was entranced as a child by folktales and stories told by her grandparents, and was later lured into the world of storytelling when she attended a local storytelling festival in her hometown. Lisa has honed her craft at John Campbell Folk School and East Tennessee State University’s International Storytelling Institute, as well as more master classes than she can count. She has been a local storyteller at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Storytelling Festival, a teller-in-residence with the Stokes County, NC Arts Council, a featured teller at the Virginia Storytelling Alliance, a New Voice storyteller at the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, and a costumed interpreter for the National Park Service’s Blue Ridge Parkway. She currently tells folktales and Native American legends at Depreciation Lands Museum in Allison Park, as well as at Pittsburgh CitiParks events. Lisa is delighted to collaborate with Geeksdanz in performing Manifestations III.

We also asked her the same questions we give to each of our new dancers, and here are her answers:

GD: How did you get into storytelling?
LHS: I was the kid who begged my grandparents to tell me stories. They inadvertently ignited my love for storytelling with folk tales, fairy tales, folk songs, and true stories from their lives. As an adult, I attended a storytelling festival in my hometown, and I was hooked.

GD: What appeals to you the most about stories and storytelling?
LHS: Stories contain those universal experiences that we can all relate to, and they speak to us in different ways. It’s a means of tapping into those shared experiences that draw us closer together and help us embrace our humanity.

GD: What do you do in ‘real life’?
LHS: I work for American Rivers, where I remove obsolete dams to restore rivers for the benefit of people and nature.

GD: Other than storytelling, what do you do for fun?
LHS: I love to read, cook, and create wearable art. I also sing in the East Shore Chorale and play the guitar.

GD: What excites you most about working with Geeksdanz?
LHS: Dance was a major part of my life from age 5 until after college. What could possibly be better than combining dance with storytelling?

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for even more information as our show comes together, and be sure to sign up for the newsletter using the button in the sidebar to stay up-to-date on ALL the pre-show craziness!

Manifestations III: Nightmare Hauntings

Geeksdanz returns to scare the pants off our audiences with Manifestations III: Nightmare Hauntings!

Two performances of the (PG-13) show, at 6:30 and 9:00 pm at the Glitter Box Theater, comprise the third year of Geeksdanz’s collaboration between dance and storytelling. Featuring a whole new selection of ghost stories told live by our featured storyteller Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, Manifestations III melds dance, music and story to create an intensely atmospheric performance that will chill your blood and make your skin crawl. Is that a witch at the window, or a fox at the foot of your bed? An awl-fingered shapeshifter, or a zombie in search of his head? The theater fills with sound and movement as the dancers weave through Lisa’s words, urging you not to trust the beings who appear at the height of your nightmares. Tickets $15 at the door.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!

Poster art by the incomparable Alex Mitchell!

Hello again everyone! After a hiatus to welcome Artistic Director Ellen’s new miniature geek to the world, we’re back in the studio working on a new show! Even better, we’ve attracted a few new geeks in the process! We’ll be posting their interviews and bios on the site over the next few weeks, beginning tonight with Darcy Shaffner! Check out our interview with her below!

GD: How did you get into dancing?
DS: My mom was a dance minor at Michigan State. Mom’s got moves! My parents were always very supportive of my interest in dance.

GD: What appeals to you the most about dance and dancing?
DS: The activity, creativity, and stress-release.

GD: What do you do in “real life”?
DS: I am the HR Coordinator at the Shadyside Market District and a teacher at the Center for Theater Arts.

GD: Other than dancing, what do you do for fun?
DS: Yoga, cooking, taking long walks, and reading mostly dystopias and Bust magazine.

GD: What excites you most about working with Geeksdanz?
DS: The opportunity to work with fellow artists on subject matter I’d otherwise never investigate through movement!

Welcome aboard, Darcy!

Hi All!

We’ve just finished updating the site with all the incredible that’s been happening over on our YouTube channel – if you’re not subscribed to us yet, you’ve been missing out! Our current project, Geeksdanz Online, is a set of five distinct video dance series taking place on our YouTube channel, and in all the excitement, sometimes we forget to post here as well. So our Current Project page is now updated, and there are now handy links in the sidebar that will take you directly to those YouTube playlists. Have fun browsing our crazy – we’re particularly proud of our most recent piece, affectionately referred to as “Blame Pachelbel”!

It’s that time of year again! Geeksdanz will once again be presenting panels at Tekko 2016!

The convention runs from Thursday April 7 through Sunday April 10th at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Here’s the rundown on our panels this year:

• An Artist’s Views on the ‘Games-as-Art’ Debate – Join artistic director Ellen Deutsch and video game enthusiast Joshua Stafford as they discuss their views on the debate over whether video games should be considered “art.” What makes a game feel “artistic,” and where and how might video games fit into the art world? We want your opinions! Friday from 12:30 to 1:30 pm as part of Tekko Gakkou!
• Para Para Fitness! – Rock out to a selection of J-Pop and Eurobeat as you learn phrases from their official dances in this Zumba-style cardio class! Para Para is great for stamina and coordination as well as rhythm. Get a cardio workout that’s actually fun! Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 am in Panel Room 6!
• Artsy Anime: A Primer – Looking for an anime with a little more meat on its bones? Tired of the same old spectacle shows? Join Ellen Deutsch as she discusses some of her favorite “artsy” anime. She’ll discuss “artsy” qualities to look for, and provide examples of some good starter series. Sunday from 9:00 to 10:00 am in Panel Room 3!

In addition, friend and co-panelist Joshua Stafford will be running two panels about martial arts:

• Japanese Weapons Fact & Fiction – Join martial artists Joshua Stafford and Marc Jeray as they discuss how Japanese weapons are portrayed in movies and anime. Which aspects of weapons are accurately represented, which are modified for story’s sake, and which are just completely made up? Saturday from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm in Panel Room 6!
• An Introduction to Iaijutsu, or How To Wield A Katana – Martial artists Joshua Stafford and Marc Jeray will introduce you to the traditional samurai art of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu. The history, philosophy, and techniques of Iaijutsu will be discussed, and Josh and Marc will demonstrate how an Eishin Ryu Iaidoka wields his katana. Saturday from 8:00 to 9:30 pm in Panel Room 6!

If you’re attending the convention, drop by and say hi! More info on the convention can be found on their website here.

Hello Geeks!

It’s been quiet around the website lately, but that doesn’t mean it’s been quiet in the studio! We’ve been working on expanding our online short-form dance repertoire, continuing our long-running Art Assignment Response series, adding more Momentum120 timed-creation pieces, and even starting a new series we call “Vault,” where we dig deep into the dusty corners of the Geeksdanz vault to give an old piece a new spin. Check out the sample below, which we created as a tribute to David Bowie, and then head on over to our YouTube channel to see everything we’ve been working on!

In other news, Artistic Director Ellen will once again be presenting three panels at Tekkoshocon Japanese Culture Convention. Come chat about the ‘Video Games-As-Art’ debate, get a primer on some good Artsy Anime series, and rock out with Ellen in her Para Para Fitness class! Exact dates and times are TBA, but the convention runs from April 7 – 10 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Stay tuned for details as they are announced!

Hello Geeks!

We have a busy October planned for you, with three separate appearances in the next two weeks! Check out everything we have planned:

• Book Signing Preview! – On Thursday, October 8th, we’ll be at the Rainbow Rowell lecture and book signing at the main Carnegie Library. After Rainbow’s lecture, we’ll present excerpts from Finding Margo, Losing Gus to entertain guests waiting for their turn at the signing table. We’ll have more details later this week, and there’ll be signs up around the first floor directing you to our location. Snippets of the show will be interspersed with short Q&A sessions, so you can come see a preview of the show, ask your questions, and still get over to the signing table when your number comes up! Check out the CLP Events website for info on signing up for the event!
• The Maker Faire! – Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th, Geeksdanz will present at the Pittsburgh Maker Faire! We’ve presented at the Maker Faire before, but this year it’ll be bigger than ever! Check out the Current Projects page for full details!
• Finding Margo, Losing Gus – Encore Performance! – Did you miss the premiere in August? Never fear – we’re presenting a FREE encore of Finding Margo, Losing Gus at the Main Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on Sunday, October 18th at 2 pm! Once again, full details are on the Current Projects page!

Whew! With so many events coming up, we hope you’ll come to see us at least once!

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Monroeville Library on Saturday and Sunday to see the premiere of Finding Margo, Losing Gus! We had a great turnout, and got lots of amazing responses to the work. The Q&A sessions went really well – we always enjoy getting to share a little look at how we put the show together with our audiences!

Remember, the Indie Go Go campaign is still live until this weekend, so if you didn’t get a chance to see the show, you’ve got a chance! Donate at or above the $40 level you can claim a DVD of the performance as your perk!

Good news everyone! For Finding Margo, Losing Gus, Geeksdanz has added another geek to the team! Help us welcome our newest member, Amber Adams! Check out our interview with her below!

GD: How did you get into dancing?
AA: I started dance at the age of 2 and instantly fell in love. Dance slowly took priority over all of my other extra curricular activities. When it came time to pick a major for college, I had no question in my mind but to continue with my dance education.

Welcome aboard, Amber!

Finding Margo, Losing Gus comes to the Monroeville Library in August! Visit the project page for full info and email us to reserve your spot today!