The Boy Who Lived No. 1

When the Cerebral Posse first met in March of 2014 several great things happened, but there were two big takeaways for me that evening:

The first, I had something confirmed for me; that people with disabilities, and in this particular case, people with cerebral palsy, don't commune on a regular, consistent basis. At the start of the evening all of us acknowledged how strange this was. None of us had ever been around this many people with CP before. This was 2014 and there were six of us ranging in age from our early twenties to our mid-forties. This was good for me to hear and important for all of us to know. It's something we need to make the larger public aware of; that very first meeting was the start of a very important paradigm shift. It brought to mind a Margaret Meade quote - Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

The second, as we sat around the table sharing our personal histories with various surgeries, physical therapy and experiences within the medical community, I noticed another common thread emerging. Each one of us had been given a different definition and reason for their cerebral palsy from their parents. Our parents had probably passed this story down from an explanation given to them by doctors, and these various stories had become a huge part of each of our personal narratives. The only problem was, none of us had explored much about our CP beyond this initial explanation. I don't think many people do. Until now.

Just a few days ago, I found a letter my mother had written dated May 4, a day before my birthday. In the top right hand corner of the first page, she had written down the time; 8pm, roughly nine hours before I was born. I haven't been able to bring myself to read the letter yet. I don't have a good reason as to why. It's true that I've heard that the past can't hurt me, but something in me is afraid of what I might find.

It is the goal of the various posses to connect with individuals in the CP community, and to empower those individuals to collectively engage with members of the artistic, disability and medical communities. We feel this simple act of engagement can lead to a change of attitude, both for people with CP and the people they come into contact with. It's no small feat and it does take practice, but it's easier than one may realize. Investigation into the unknown can be scary and fraught with peril, but the benefits of knowledge, greater awareness and potential relief that can grow out of that sense of curiosity, I feel, far outweigh the difficulties.

I think I'll go read that letter now...

-Gregg

For more: Enter The Faun

Tamar quoted in the New Yorker Magazine!

Tamar is quoted on her work with actress Claire Danes in John Lahr's article in the September 9th issue of The New Yorker.
A taste:

" Rogoff challenged Danes to trust her body to communicate for her. “You don’t have to tell us what you think,” she said. “Just feel it. Your whole body’s dramatic.” "

Check her out on page 5 here!
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/09/09/130909fa_fact_lahr?currentPage=5
Or read the whole article starting here:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/09/09/130909fa_fact_lahr

Summer's Different

Summer's Different premiered at the Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa April 25th, 2013
Check out our Kickstarter page for videos of rehearsal and information about the show!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1978158876/summers-different-0

O Yatros Horevi!

Our very own Dr. Don Kollisch, ahem, excuse me, Dean Kollisch, has been outed as a, ahem, Ballerino. We love you just the way you are Doc and we wouldn't have it any other way. Congrats! Thanks for all the work you do!

-Your Fauny Friend...

Check out page 5 of this edition of the Sophie Davis Biograph

http://www.sophiebiograph.com/uploads/4/8/6/5/4865724/biograph_november_2010.pdf

Mr. Faun Goes To Washington...Again...

FAUN is going on the road again! Back to Northern Virginia this time and the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, VA. Ah, Manassas...The site of many a soccer game when I was a kid, Civil War battlefields & George Mason University- where I won three blue ribbons in the Physically Handicapped Games and met two-time Super Bowl champ Dexter "Secretary of Defense" Manley. Baaah memories...

Here's a link with all the details

http://www.hyltoncenter.org/calendar/146/

Our Process

So many people have questions about what the process was like working with Tamar and learning to dance. This pretty much sums it up.

-Gregg

FAUN in the Northern Kingdom

In late October/early November of 2010 we had a week long residency and two performances at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. It was a wonderful experience. A review/feature article appeared in the college paper, The Campus. Many thanks to the article's author Claire Sibley, for writing such a concise, informative piece.

http://www.middleburycampus.com/2010/11/10/diagnosis-of-a-faun/