A great article on being an artist and a mother. Complete with spectacular analysis of second wave feminist, Simone de Beauvoir!

If you haven’t already check out our Eat Well Wednesday post for this week!

Check out my version of the recipe:

If you don’t have the “toasted oats,” you can substitute cereal! BUT, use less peanut butter/honey so it doesn’t overpower the oats

There’s only a couple of weeks left to check out the Picasso Black and White exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts! I went this afternoon and it was FANTASTIC! 

TOMORROW at 4pm there is a lecture entitled: Variations on a Theme: Pablo Picasso and Revisiting Old & Modern Masters that is a great way to learn a little more about Picasso and his work before you see the real thing in person! I found the lecture informative and made me appreciate the art all the more.

FREE dance shows this weekend: 

Tonight at 8pm: Friends with Benefits party by Freneticore! Free drinks, food, and performance – awesome night ahead!

Tomorrow at 2pm and 8pm Erin Reck presents Up for Air, a site specific piece of choreography in Herman park! Your’s truly will be making an appearance as well as Frame dancers: Kristin Frankiewicz, Jacquelyn Boe, and Brit Wallis!

HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND FRAMERS!

Here at Frame we are passionate about taking care of our bodies – enjoy healthy eating advice from our resident health guru, Jill Wentworth!

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Love oatmeal raisin cookies?  Than these little bite sized treats are for YOU!

There are three requirements to recipes that I make:

1.  That they are quick to make and don’t require any obscure ingredients that I might not already have in the pantry.

2.  It is REAL FOOD.  No processed crap, HFCS, Preservatives, Dye’s, MSG, etc.

3.  It is delicious!!

These little bites definitely meet the requirements…..

What you need:

• 3/4 Cup Peanut Butter, smooth
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1 1/4 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1/4 Cup Flax Seed
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Raisins
• White Chocolate to drizzle, optional

How you do it:

• Warm peanut butter and honey in a microwave safe bowl for about 20-30 seconds or until soft.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
• Place in the fridge and let sit for about 30 minutes.
• Roll into bite sized balls.
• Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave for about 1 minute.
• Drizzle over the cinnamon raisin bites and let set.

Store in an airtight container for about a week, if they last that long!!

These little bite sized treats are the perfect afternoon pick me up or sweet dessert at the end of your day.  Why you could even eat them for breakfast too!!

Enjoy theses treats and remember REAL FOOD is fuel!!

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Jill Wentworth is leading us Wednesday by Wednesday into making better food choices and being more healthful. Tune in every Wednesday to get some great recipes and advice from someone who really knows health. In an effort to fuel her passion to serve as well has enhance the lives of others through their nutritional choices, she started Eat Well SA(San Antonio). Her vision is to educate you on how to incorporate a healthy array of foods into your life. Eat Well is not a diet, nor does it embrace any one specific dietary agenda. She also offers customized programs that are educational and teach you the tools you need to maintain healthy, well balanced eating for your busy lives.

Hey Framers – Here is the second installment for MFA Monday by Framer Laura Gutierrez!

Explore her thoughts, doubts, and dreams as a professional dancer considering attaining a Master of Fine Arts degree. A short but evocative pieace on her personal journey. 

Part 2 of 3

I am a performer. I am a choreographer. I am an educator of Dance.

Becoming a surgeon, dentist or lawyer is not something in my future. Although, I have definitely entertained the idea.

The point is that getting my master’s in anything not related to dance is out of the question.

The only other reason I would consider getting a degree in something not related to dance is for financial stability. But, as of today, I have no clue where to start because for the next 15 years I definitely want to be teaching, creating new works and performing.

Just when is the right time to get an MFA?

I’m currently in a place where I’m re-learning and redefining my choreographic process and finding out what inspires me. As a teacher, I’m finding out what my strengths are and fine tuning my weaknesses. Last but not least, as a performer I’m finally finding choreographers that best suit my style. There are also numerous projects that I would like to complete and residencies I would like to apply for prior to going back to school. 

I feel what I’m learning now is extremely valuable and the experiences I’ve had are just as important to me as getting an MFA. I will end by saying I have the hardest time living in the moment. As I do understand “Life is a Journey, not a destination.”

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Laura Gutierrez is a graduate from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and received her BFA in contemporary dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. A recipient of a 2009-2010 William R. Kenan, Jr. Performing Arts Fellowship at the Lincoln Center Institute, she presented her choreography The World Within in the Clark Theater. Since returning to Houston, she has been a part of Texas Weekend of Contemporary Dance, Big Range Dance Festival, Hope Stone, Inc’s emerging artist residency HopeWerks. She was also a part of Tino Sehgals installation in the Silence exhibit at The Menil Collection and most recently performed in Study for Ocupant choreographed by Jonah Boaker at Fabric Workshop Museum in Philadelphia and Frame Dance Productions. Currently she is on Adjunct Faculty at HSPVA and is the Office Manager/HopeWerks Director at Hope Stone, Inc.

Stay tuned for Laura’s concluding remarks next week!

We hope you have a great weekend,

here are some fun links to kick it off right! 

Great article from Dance Advantage on the positive aspects of dancing barefoot. Do you prefer dancing barefoot? In socks? Shoes?

So many prettyyyy dresses… check out the best and worst dressed from the Golden Globes! Which one is your favorite? Leave a comment below! Obviously J.Lo is my fav!

I’m addicted to YouTube dances and this week I fell in love with a new dance company. Check out the beautiful dancing from the Mather Dance Company!

I’m graduating this week from Rice! In honor of this I thought I’d share this fun article on the 16 most famous kids in college. The beautiful Emma Watson is my favorite on the list – which is your’s?

I worked up quite the sweat last night at the second of four Master Classes with Erin Reck at Rice University!  There are two more next week on Tuesday and Thursday that you don’t want to miss; it’s a great contemporary technique class with a wonderful warmup and unique phrase taught in the middle.

Look forward to a new MFA Monday installment

from Laura Gutierrez next week! 

From our friends at Fresh Arts:

Houston is Inspired!

There’s more to Houston than brisket, big oil, and bayous. Houston has another story to tell. The story of how this city has become a mecca for some of the best arts, culture and food in the country. We have a winning combination of creativity, diversity, innovation and resources to be named Forbes’ “Coolest City.” Thousands of people come here every year ON PURPOSE to experience everything Houston has to offer. Thousands more will visit, especially now that The New York Times marked Houston #7 on its “Places to Visit in 2013” list (along with Instanbul at #10 and Paris at #46). (True story.) Well, hello, Houston. That’s something to brag about.

And that’s how “Houston is…” was born. They did approximately 7,000 tons* of research and figured out that visitors LOVE Houston for two things above all else: culture and cuisine. They created a spectacular national advertising campaign to share that news with the world. And when folks working in Houston’s arts and culture community** heard the statistics and saw the campaign, they did a collective dance of joy and adopted “Houston is Inspired” as a unifying mantra for an unprecedented regional effort to celebrate our creative capital. We’re ready to let the world know that our special BBQ comes with an extra side of awesomesauce. And a bottle of champagne.

Houston: We ARE inspired. It’s time to inspire everyone around us, too. Here’s how you can help. (Especially YOU, independent artists! Make your voices heard!)

our gal pal Courtney D. Jones at the Houston is Inspired mural. Best pic of the event.  We thought it needed a little extra flair, too.

Another start to a great week and we have just what you need to kick those Monday woes:

Laura Gutierrez!

Laura is a Frame dancer who will be leading us through our newest series of MFA Monday with her thoughts on attaining a Master of Fine Arts.

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Part 1 of 3

Some questions to ponder.

When is the right time to apply for an MFA?

After graduating from a very rigorous conservatory dance program and moving to New York City in June 2009, I pictured myself landing a dream dance job and living happily ever after.

I was always very aware that choosing dance as a career (not a hobby) would bring challenges, and moving to Manhattan in the middle of the financial crisis to try and land that dream job forced me to face facts.

For the first time in eight years, I would not be taking class multiple times a day.  After attending numerous dance auditions and applying for day jobs at every retail store in the city, I finally chose to move back to Houston in the fall of 2010.  I have thought about applying for an MFA in Dance every fall since.

Most of the dancers I know who have returned to school have landed their dream job of joining a professional company or are going straight into an MFA program from undergrad.  I am somewhere in the middle.  I’ve done some research on a few schools and have talked to a few people who have graduated with an MFA in dance.  Here is what I’ve gathered thus far:

1. Research, research, research the many program possibilities.
2. Don’t pay for it out of your own pocket or apply for loans. (I am, of course, still paying for undergrad.)
3. Be ready for the commitment.
4. Decide on your concentration. (Choreography, performance, teaching?)Decide on your concentration. (Choreography, performance, teaching?)

Even though I never pictured myself moving back home so soon—or ever—I have accomplished other goals: paying my rent, earning a salary with benefits, working with and for fantastic arts organizations/ dance companies.  I have created a life for myself in Houston and it seems juvenile to get up and move elsewhere.  Still, at the end of every week I leave work with the same thought: I’m still young, and I should be dancing.

I still desperately crave the long hours of conservatory training, researching and drowning in all things dance.  I’m eager to take the next big step in my career and I feel that graduate school is a good option. But I fear that it could also be a very expensive safety net.

Is going to grad school for dance even the best option?  Or is it time to transition into a different career at the age of 25?

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Laura Gutierrez is a graduate from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and received her BFA in contemporary dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. A recipient of a 2009-2010 William R. Kenan, Jr. Performing Arts Fellowship at the Lincoln Center Institute, she presented her choreography The World Within in the Clark Theater. Since returning to Houston, she has been a part of Texas Weekend of Contemporary Dance, Big Range Dance Festival, Hope Stone, Inc’s emerging artist residency HopeWerks. She was also a part of Tino Sehgals installation in the Silence exhibit at The Menil Collection and most recently performed in Study for Ocupant choreographed by Jonah Boaker at Fabric Workshop Museum in Philadelphia and Frame Dance Productions. Currently she is on Adjunct Faculty at HSPVA and is the Office Manager/HopeWerks Director at Hope Stone, Inc.

Stay tuned to hear more from Laura next week and feel free to comment on any of her questions below!

Happy Friday Framers!

Here are some fun links that

helped me survive my finals period!

An adorable owner dances to Grease with her dog, maybe Frame should get a dog?

Ever wondered what Disney princesses would be like in college?? I identify with Mulan…

So many beautiful ballerina pictures, careful it’s addicting!

What if Frame’s fabulous costume designer Ashley Horn could make costumes with one of the ridiculous fabrics?

Blueberry muffin fabric haha!

Have a very happy weekend! 

Look forward to a new MFA Monday series featuring the fabulous Laura Gutierrez!

Looking for more energy? 

Some of us rely on coffee to give us that afternoon boost.  Others gravitate towards sodas and sugary snacks. The answer can be a simple as fueling our bodies with high quality, unprocessed whole foods and snacks.  A few weeks ago we talked about Protein Bars, what exactly is in them, and if they were a beneficial part of a healthy diet.  If you missed it, you can check it out HERE.

In an effort to remove more processed food from our diets, these little energy bites would be the perfect alternative to processed protein bars.  They will give you the energy boost you are looking for, thanks to the whole grains, healthy fats, and natural sugars (honey), without having to consume highly processed, sugar filled snacks that have little to no nutritional value.

I whipped up a batch of these no bake energy bites for my sister-in-law who just had a beautiful baby girl last week.  With two other kids under the age of 4 in the house, there is no doubt she needs as much energy as she can get.  The kids loved these and they were the perfect little snack for those night time nursing sessions and long, busy days.

Keep a stash in the fridge at work and at home and you will always have a healthy, go to snack at your fingertips.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup Coconut, Shredded
• 1/2 cup Peanut butter, natural and smooth
• 1/2 cup Ground Flax seed
• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips ((Carob chips if you are dairy free))
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

What is your favorite go to snack?  Leave a comment below:)

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Jill Wentworth is leading us Wednesday by Wednesday into making better food choices and being more healthful. Tune in every Wednesday to get some great recipes and advice from someone who really knows health. In an effort to fuel her passion to serve as well has enhance the lives of others through their nutritional choices, she started Eat Well SA(San Antonio). Her vision is to educate you on how to incorporate a healthy array of foods into your life. Eat Well is not a diet, nor does it embrace any one specific dietary agenda. She also offers customized programs that are educational and teach you the tools you need to maintain healthy, well balanced eating for your busy lives.

Happy Monday Framers!

Enjoy the last of three MFA Monday installments by

Dr. Alexis Weisbord!

We have a had a pleasure reading her posts,

and this one is sure to inspire and uplift! 

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Part 3 of 3: Thinking Beyond

Five years is a long time and a lot can happen during that time. When I moved to California in August 2005, I didn’t know exactly where I was going to end up in June 2010, but I would have told you one definite thing: I would not be in Riverside County. Yet here we are in April 2013 and guess where I am… that’s right, Riverside County.

As I previously mentioned, I entered grad school with no attachments that I was obligated to attend to or return to, so I figured when it was all over and done with I could go wherever the wind took me. I envisioned applying for fellowships and visiting positions, and I was going to live my dream of traveling and moving. I did not have any interest in setting roots anywhere yet, and then the most amazing complication occurred: I met a wonderful partner. This was wonderful for all the reasons and benefits that make having a partner desirable: he was a tremendous support through the entirety of my exam and dissertation process, he happily pushed the cart at Trader Joes and didn’t judge me for the 12 bottles of wine I’d picked out, he calmly listened to me stress about the writing process, and he was never bothered by the odd hours I kept. But… and most people wouldn’t read this as a problem, he already had a job. Not just a job, a career. And one he really loves. He spends his days getting paid for something he would happily do for free most days. And if that wasn’t good enough, it is incredibly stable and has great benefits. Again, who would ever complain about such a wonderful fate?! Apparently me.

There I was, recently out of school, newly married, and tied down to a city (more like a town) where my degree was completely useless. In a desperate attempt to find some work that didn’t involve pouring coffee or serving food, I applied to teach at a local studio. They had a competitive team program that was good but not the best in town, they seemed to like the class I taught, and I thought I had a great interview. I was so willing to do this job I even offered the same (low) rate I was offering when I was first out of undergrad. Yet, the same day my degree was conferred I was notified that I didn’t get the job. I was beat out by a student in the community college program I was an adjunct in. As far as I can tell, this was because she probably offered a rate that was a fraction of what I offered. Two degrees in dance, a dissertation on competition dance, years of experience teaching in studios and colleges as well as almost a decade working for competitions and I was unable to get a job at a studio.

With the exception of a local community college program, I quickly realized that I lived in a wasteland for the arts, or at least for the kind I was trained and qualified for. I was, and still am, on faculty at the college; however, California’s badly damaged economy has limited the opportunities I will have at this program for years to come. I applied for both part and full time positions within a 100-mile radius, and after some time, I started to realize that taking a job with a 90+ minute commute (each way) was insane if I ever hoped to have a family and be a part of that family.

I began to conceptualize what kinds of options might be out there for me. I began to think about all the other career paths I could explore that would require the skills of my PhD, even if it didn’t require the degree itself. I realized that since the jobs I thought I wanted five years earlier were not only difficult to come by because of the plummeting economy, but were even more difficult to find because I was now geographically limited.  Since the community I lived in had no jobs for me, it was time for me to create my own work.

I have more or less taken every position that has been offered to me. Any day of the week you can find me donning four or five different hats. I once went to an event where I represented three different organizations simultaneously. Since completing graduate school, I have taught part time at three different collegiate institutions (including in a Global Studies program), began managing a small, but busy, professional dance company, became part of a collective of choreographers that produces events and workshops locally, found a local studio that I love teaching at, and I started my own local dance company.  Meanwhile, I find ways to collaborate with long distance colleagues on scholarly work.

On my worst days I feel like my brain is going to fracture and cause me to lose my mind. On my best days I am completely fulfilled, feeling like I am not missing out on a single part of the wonderful world of dance. I get to teach all ages, and I get to perform when I want. I’ve learned that I love managing productions, and I never feel pressured when I sit down to write or research because it is always by choice. My days can be exhausting and I am excruciatingly underpaid because many of these positions are with brand new organizations that I am helping to build, but I see potential for a future in this wasteland that I live in. I see a future that I not only like, but a future that might just need someone exactly like me to help it succeed. The way I see it, no one may think that I am valuable now, but if I help to show them what I can do and what they are missing, then maybe one day there will be a local need for me and my degree.

I’d like to acknowledge that none of what I am doing in this effort is done alone. I have a small network of local colleagues who not only provide me opportunities but also support my endeavors. Together, I see us building a community that will not only provide for us but also for our neighbors. I am fully aware of the fact that my unstable lifestyle is made feasible by the fact that I have a partner whose stable job gives us many benefits, including health insurance. Because of this, I am able to take career risks that might not be smart decisions otherwise, so I recognize that this path may not be for everyone.

What I do encourage anyone, regardless of their marital status, geographic location or financial stability, to consider, however, are the many possibilities for their skills and degree. In academia, it is not uncommon to be conditioned to follow a narrow career path. But, just imagine what our world would look like if more arts administrators were MFAs or Ph.D. Imagine what it would look like if those on grant panels were working artists and not reps from corporations. Imagine if the majority of teachers in dance studios had MFAs. As other bloggers have said, you won’t be rich, but none of us go this direction for the money. So get creative about what you could do, because the possibilities are endless!

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Dr. Alexis Weisbord received her BFA in Dance from University of Minnesota and her PhD in Critical Dance Studies from UC Riverside. Alexis was a competitive dancer in high school and later spent over ten years directing dance competitions throughout the US. Her dissertation was entitled “Redefining Dance: Competition Dance in the United States” and she has a chapter, “Defining Dance, Creating Commodity: The Rhetoric of So You Think You Can Dance,” in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Dance and the Popular Screen. Alexis has held positions as Lecturer in Global Studies at UC Riverside and Associate Faculty in Dance at Norco College. Currently she is an Associate Faculty member at Mt. San Jacinto College, Managing Director for The PGK Dance Project in San Diego, and founder/co-director of an emerging dance company, Alias Movement.