Mariposa

When we reveal the true identity of our soul the artistic spirit within can fly as if we are a Mariposa in flight.   As my followers know my love for words and poetry can be felt within every movement of choreography that I create.  Some have even said in the past that my movement reminds them of a painter who is painting his canvas but I do so with my body. 

Dance is my way of communicating my spirit and my love for film is just one more way to communicate it to a wider audience.  Project Mariposa has been a piece of art that I have been slowly building on for the past couple of years.  I would see images of a woman revealing her true heart and the impure and pure thoughts that she may be feeling.  I would see images of this woman struggling with identity as an artist and in ways the images would create choreography that spoke the artist of future years.   It was almost like Mariposa choreography and images came to me before I could define myself and my work as my own and who I am as an artist today. 

The canvas has been painted through the film work of Angelo Vasta.  My choreography is happily laid out in a story that has filled my brain for many years.  I can say the collaborative process for Mariposa couldn’t have been pulled off any smoother.  Two days in with filming and collaboration, editing days and discussion over a total of two weeks, and a film that is now part of AIU that carries a very avant- garde feel to it for our audience to see. 

My work over the past year has been taking a whole new approach as an independent artist.  I find at times it is no different than those past NYC and west coast days when I was needing to hit pavement to express and create.  It has been a wonderful, hard-working, and creative year for me as Artistic Director of AIU and for my personal journey as an artist.  I am grateful for the new collaborative energy that is coming into the mix for AIU.  The change of direction that is happening.  And for dreaming of the next year of creating that stands in front of me with dance and film. 

I place intention today and as always for my creative heart, creative energy, and my creative soul to always have time, sacred space to work out of, artists to collab with till my final breathes, and for my audience to accept the work for what it is.  My work may be different.  My work may be me and the creative soul that is within.  But, if society can learn just one element from every abstract artist that comes before them then the art that was made broke barriers.  Every artist matters.  Every thought matters.  Every eye watching this work matters and in ways those eyes are who make companies like Artists in Unity step into the next phase and connect independent artists like myself to more. 

I thank all of my AIU followers for their love and support.  Keep watching all of our work in dance and film.  Be sure to share our website with others.  To keep small artistic companies rolling and growing it takes a village.  Be part of the AIU village! Much love and I hope you all enjoy watching Mariposa. 

I would like to sincerely thank with much love the following supporters and collaborators on this project-

Angelo Vasta

Katie Burkhardt

Jessie Crafts Stevens

Sevin Ceviker

Brian Schaefer

All AIU donators to Fractured Atlas over the past 6 months.  Your constant support financially helps AIU to pull off more collabs with artists around the globe. 

 

www.artistsinunity.com

www.movementforyou.com

https://www.facebook.com/MovementforYouandArtistsinUnity/

https://www.amazon.com/Process~-Practice~-Artist-Lindsay-Schaefer/dp/1503352935/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467926798&sr=8-1&keywords=lindsay+schaefer

 

AIU’s Threads of Kin- A short dance film about friendship

I am very happy to share with our Artists in Unity followers the final version of Threads of Kin- a short dance film about the importance of friendship and how solid friendships stay alive in our memory bank for years.   It has been a complex journey with this work in so many ways.  Last year AIU fell into some major technical difficulties with hard drives and computer mishaps and it truly sent Threads on a set back with our timeline for finishing the project along with a budget that needed to be reinvented.  As AIU’s Artistic Director I find those technical difficulties and budget push through made me step it up in many ways and honestly I am grateful for every hard day of looking at raw footage, going through a recovery process with a technician to save the work, and for seeing how this mind of mine has many different skill sets and drive with not only pushing artists to their excellence but finishing projects out till the end no matter what. 

Two years back, I was in such a different place as an artist.  My pages were not yet written for my book The Process, The Practice, The Artist.  I did not see my full potential yet as a director and producer like I do now.  I didn’t have the opportunity yet to do some major workshops with dance and film and speak about the importance of this beautiful art form of screendance and how it is captivating the world.  And finally my work as a director, producer, and choreographer didn’t hit the international market with film festivals taking a huge part in that all until recently.   Two years back, you can say I was in the beginning stages of dreaming for my own work and the work of AIU. 

I have a new outlook with all of my work in dance film and with all of my movement work in the studio and out through my teaching, writing, and speaking.  My new push is all about giving my art away to its fullest.  They always say that as an artist some may love your work.  Some may dislike it and not agree with it.  But, it’s my job and the job of every artist to always push through to the end to express the artistry they have within.  It isn’t for others to judge how we create, when we create, where we create, or with whom.  It is for only others to look with an openness at the art that is in front of them with love.  If we all as individuals in this world would judge less and listen, look, and breath in more with the art that is in front of us and every piece of artistic expression that comes before us…. well then our lives would become so much fuller, richer, and absolutely more present in every part of our day. 

I pass this little piece of art onto our AIU audience and I ask all of our followers to watch with openness and with love.   I thank everyone who was present in the making of this project, to the connections that were made, to the technical help along the way, to the editor and friend who stood by my side with much strength to push AIU further, and to the family, friends, and followers who always reminded me to follow my heart and my love for creating.  The love I have for dance film, for projects, for seeing others shine in their disciplines, and to seeing myself overcome so much along the way is why Threads stands before all of you now. Enjoy every minute and keep following AIU and all of our work in dance and film!

https://vimeo.com/173144472

www.artistsinunity.com

www.movementforyou.com

https://www.amazon.com/Process~-Practice~-Artist-Lindsay-Schaefer/dp/1503352935/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467162645&sr=8-1&keywords=lindsay+schaefer

 

 

Some Captures from Project Mariposa

AIU’s Project Mariposa has wrapped with its filming and now post work is in the finishing up stages.  Round #1 of edits and review came in yesterday and after a day of deep reflection and relooking at files from our filming in early Spring we are fine tuning in the editing room to give our audience the best art possible with our work in dance and film.  

I always find with each project and with every artist that comes into the pile of AIU there are truly new discoveries as an Artistic Director.  We have accomplished so much with Project Mariposa so far from bringing a new cinematographer and artist into  the mix  Angelo Vasta.  To going with a more traditional stage/concert dance idea with music and using classical music with an opera twist for Mariposa.  I guess, my classical days are coming back pretty strong as we wrap with Project Mariposa.  I can honestly say I even had thoughts of finding a way to bring this choreo to the stage to set on professionals in dance.  The choreo is saying so much through film.  But, now my heart almost wants to see the film being placed behind dancers on stage with projection of the film behind them.  I am only seeing six dancers working the choreography for stage.  And yes, this whole idea came to me in a night vision as the next day I awoke to an email that was asking me to come and stage some of my work at a Charter Arts Performing High School outside of NYC.  We shall see what this next year brings and if the returning to stage with an AIU film in hand will happen.  I always say it is best to keep every door as an artist open.

I am blessed with many diversified talents from being a dancer, yogi, to a choreographer, to a director, producer, writer, and truly what defines me the best is Artist.  I am the artist that continues to grow each and everyday that a project, a collaborator, a student, or life situations come before me.  I am inspired to always dig deep and to push the boundaries to places I never have gone before.  That is what Project Mariposa was all about.  It was placing the trust in a small space.  It was placing the trust in another and new collaborator.  It was placing the trust that I would find the budget and the drive to make this project push through till the end.  The inspiration from Project Mariposa I will share with you all in some beautiful stills from our final day of shooting.  And I hope you will continue to follow my work and the work of AIU as we continue to share our love and passion for the art of dance and film.  

Project Mariposa

Director, Producer, Choreographer~ Lindsay Schaefer

Cinematographer and Editor~ Angelo Vasta

 

http://www.artistsinunity.com

http://www.movementforyou.com

https://www.amazon.com/Process~-Practice~-Artist-Lindsay-Schaefer/dp/1503352935/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466109391&sr=8-1&keywords=lindsay+schaefer

 

AIU’s Petals of Love Is Released

The innocence, the maturity, and the complexities of love…….

Petals of Love is a love letter through dance and film with components of visual art, classic theater, and original score that defines the complexities of our hearts. 

Artists in Unity’s Petals of Love was originally a 13 minute stage work created and choreographed by Lindsay Schaefer with dance, visual art, and live presentation of Bach music Prelude I, II, and IV that was set at Cedar Crest College in Spring 2011.  Artistic Director of AIU Lindsay Schaefer and her collaborative team moved Petals of Love from the stage to film in 2013 and 2014 with the support of Herman Simon Mansion, Ballet Guild of Lehigh Valley, and AIU followers and donators. 

Petals of Love was truly a love letter to my husband Brian and first thoughts of it developed years back when he gave to me a small, red, vintage booklet that contained sonnets from William Shakespeare.  Slowly over the years choreography was developed for this work Petals of Love that you will now watch through film.  It was originally created for stage with live music. But, after performing the work live on stage I realized the choreography was a bit deeper and needed to be documented by camera through a short dance film.  It took me about three months to restage the work for camera with my creative team.  And I truly am grateful for all the support that fell into my hands for this project from Ballet Guild of Lehigh Valley to Herman Simon Mansion in Easton and all my AIU and MFY followers.  It really warms my heart that my choreography has received recognition with Petals of Love through various film festivals and screendance festivals nationally and internationally.  This work has paved the way for my next endeavor of taking my solo performance work and creating to an international location over the next 2 years.  

Enjoy Petals of Love!

And feel free to visit all my work in Dance and Film and Movement via that following sites~

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=9727&donate=1

http://www.artistsinunity.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Movement-for-You-and-Artists-in-Unity/179731992111934?ref=bookmarks

http://www.movementforyou.com

 

 

 

AIU Community Spring Fashion Sale

As you all know I love fashion and place much time as Artistic Director of Artists in Unity into our location scouting and also into our selection of outfits for our film and photography shoots.  Well, it is time friends since Spring is in the Air to clean house for AIU in our Fashion Repertory and to Spread our Love for Fashion to others by holding a Spring Sale of some of our past wearings that we used for film and photography shoots.

I will place pictures below of AIU outfits that are up for grabs for this Spring Fashion Sale. This is a wonderful opportunity for dance companies, dance studios, theater companies, and independent artists to build their repertory of clothing that they may need for their artistic endeavors.  Fashion is such a huge part of art.  This Spring Fashion Sale will not only help others to create and inspire their work in dance, theater, or the arts of any sort.  Infact, some may even want to add these past wearings to their everyday fashion closet.  But also this Spring Fashion Sale will help AIU to grow with our next projects with the simple donations that can be made towards purchasing  one or some of our past wearings.

Please AIU and MFY friends share this blog with others that are in the arts industry and that you find may be in need of some of the pieces below.  Enjoy looking at the past fashion statements from AIU films and photography shoots.  And I look forward to hearing from some friends that are wanting to add some of these past wearings to their fashion closets.

To purchase the following items from AIU please contact Lindsay Schaefer info@artistsinunity.com or lindsayschaefer@movementforyou.com  The prices for the outfits will be very reasonable and handled through a simple donation to AIU through their Fractured Atlas site.  Please note that the majority of the outfits are in small and medium for sizing.  And two of the past outfits from Silent Dance and from Petals of Love AIU has 3 to 4 outfits available.

 

http://www.artistsinunity.com

 

AIU’s Landscapes Release

It brings me great pleasure as Artistic Director of Artists in Unity to share with our audience Landscapes.  Landscapes is a short dance film with an environmental message about protecting our Earth for the generations to come “The Earth Speaks to Us as Long as We Listen.”

I would like to thank the entire team behind Project Landscapes~ Kendra Brisco, Joshua Starmer, Joel Figueroa, Tina Sherer, Sandra Sherer, Penelope Schaefer, Michael Kubel, and Michael A. Fitch.  Along with Nurture Nature Center Easton, PA and all AIU and MFY followers who have been supporting AIU with our work in dance and film over the past years.  

Enjoy the art of dance and film through AIU’s Landscapes and be sure to visit all of the following sites to support AIU’s work in dance and film.  With continued support AIU can keep sharing our love and passion for dance and film across the globe.  It takes many hands and many hearts to keep AIU running from project to project.  Viewing our work and then by visiting AIU’s Fractured Atlas page and sharing your love with us through a tax deductible donation helps AIU to do future projects with travel and with multiple collaborators as Project Landscapes shows in the years to come.

http://www.artistsinunity.com 

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=9727&donate=1

http://www.amazon.com/Process~-Practice~-Artist-Lindsay-Schaefer/dp/1503352935/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462204406&sr=8-1&keywords=lindsay+schaefer

 

 

AIU’s Project Mariposa

As delicate as the Mariposa in flight may seem it travels with great fierceness.  A woman that embraces her purity and impure thoughts shares her true passion for life and signifies the embracing of change and surrendering to all that is around her.  Every woman can be a Mariposa~

I am very excited to finally announce the Artists in Unity team for Project Mariposa.  After reviewing many applications and interviewing a number of artists I have found the right collaborative filmmaker to bring into the pile of AIU for Project Mariposa.  I had the pleasure of creating and collaborating last week in the studio with Cinematographer and Editor Angelo Silvio Vasta who is originally from Italy and living currently in NYC.  A dear friend and fellow artist was kind enough to connect Angelo and me when I reached to her explaining a work I was taking to camera for AIU.  With the help of Sevin Ceviker’s guidance and open heart Angelo and I were connected and truly hit it off through the interview process and also through our first collaborative meeting in the studio while creating and laying the foundation for Project Mariposa. 

Over the next couple of months, Angelo and I will continue working side by side to find location and costumes for this project.  We are hoping to pull this project off in about 1 to 2 days of filming and to really capture the elements of my dancing and the passion that can be felt through each specific movement of Mariposa.  I don’t want to give too much away since this work will probably only be about 5 minutes in length maybe even a bit less.  But, here is a quick glimpse of the first day that Angelo and I hit studio together to discuss Mariposa and for us to create together within our two different disciplines.  It truly was a magical day filled with much love and passion for our art forms and a fluid respect and openness was present from both of us so that surrendering from one artist to another artist could happen.  And as we all know the best collaborative projects and most heart- felt collaborative projects in the arts are successful when a complete surrender to your given craft can occur.  The nurturing environment was set up for both of us to begin the trust process as artists for AIU’s next work for camera Mariposa.  

Project Mariposa will be working on the filming and editing over the course of 2016.  Original Score by Joshua Starmer will be created in 2017 for this work and then it will be heading off to festivals across the globe in 2017 and 2018.  I am grateful for Project Mariposa team coming before me and I look forward to all the adventures that this project will bring over the course of the next two years.  Enjoy the short reel for Project Mariposa!  Please note the music is royalty free music and original score will be developed by Joshua Starmer at a later point!

This blog is written by Artistic Director of Artists in Unity and Creator and Founder of Movement for You Practice Lindsay Schaefer.  You can follow more of Lindsay’s work via the following sites-

www.artistsinunity.com

www.movementforyou.com

https://www.facebook.com/Movement-for-You-and-Artists-in-Unity-179731992111934/timeline/

http://www.amazon.com/Process~-Practice~-Artist-Lindsay-Schaefer/dp/1503352935/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457642472&sr=8-1&keywords=lindsay+schaefer

 

 

 

A Glimpse at AIU’s Project Landscapes

I remember coming home from the west in fall of 2015 and writing a section of this poem The Earth Speaks to Us that you can read below.  The words that appeared on paper changed Project Landscapes immensely and within two days after arriving home from my west coast journey I was recreating Project Landscapes with a child image appearing in a huge part of the short dance film for AIU. 

The Earth speaks to us

As we reflect

In the natural environments

Around Us

The Sky

The Land

The Water

The Earth

Become One

As Mother and Child

You can also see more of this poetry through my book The Process, The Practice, The Artist.  There were moments that I thought I wanted to hear this poetry throughout AIU’s Landscapes film but then the score was developed by Joshua Starmer and my thought process as a director only wanted to hear the score that melted so beautifully into the dance film work that was created for Landscapes.  So poetry was dropped but it ended up closing the pages of my book and it truly set the stage in the studio for more work to be developed for Project Landscapes and in turn inspired more dramatic movement and storyline for Landscapes overall. 

As director of AIU, I can’t wait to share with our community Landscapes.  The release date will be Mother’s Day of this year.  However, in the meantime I hope you enjoy viewing the trailer for Landscapes.  The discoveries over the past two years with this AIU project has made me appreciate the teams coming into AIU projects more and more.  The depth, the dedication, the love for the art of dance film, and the complete surrendering of each artist that was on this project over the past year 2 years has made me grow as AIU’s Artistic Director and each of my collaborators on this project I will dream of working with you further in the future.  Thank you Kendra Brisco, Joel Figueroa, Michael A. Fitch, Michael Kubel, Joshua Starmer, Tina Sherer, Sandra Sherer, Penelope Schaefer, and Nurture Nature Center in Easton, PA for all of your hard work on this project and for all your love and support that went into bringing Project Landscapes to life.   

We yearn for simplicity, for purity, for the sounds of the Earth Speaking to Us~

This blog was written by Artistic Director of Artists in Unity Lindsay Schaefer. You can visit more of Lindsay’s work via the following sites~

www.artistsinunity.com and www.movementforyou.com

https://www.facebook.com/Movement-for-You-and-Artists-in-Unity-179731992111934/

http://www.amazon.com/Process~-Practice~-Artist-Lindsay-Schaefer/dp/1503352935/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457642472&sr=8-1&keywords=lindsay+schaefer

 

 

My Voice Shared through The Native Society

Artists in Unity followers take a minute to check out my interview with the Native Society. I am grateful for this opportunity to share my voice on a global level.  I hope my followers enjoy reading more about me and all the passions that fuel me throughout life.  

http://thenativesociety.com/nativeadmission/2016/2/26/lindsay-schaefer-artistic-director-of-artists-in-unity-found.html

 

AIU’s Threads of Kin Raw Edit

Well, my Artists in Unity followers all know how I love dance film and how I research dance film like crazy.  Every morning my ritual is to watch various Screendance works and I follow a number of Filmmakers across the country and internationally to see the latest trends and creative risks that are being taken.  Screendance is an amazing world to be involved in and I am grateful everyday for the passion that I have found and developed for this genre.  I truly believe all my dancing friends knew I would end up moving into the world of film since many of those dear friends were pushing me years back to head west and stay west with my work to hit commercial market.  Well, studying in NYC and at Paul Taylor Studios won instead of the west coast venturing being longer then only a couple of years.  But, I feel all my life experiences whether on the west coast, east coast, creating 2 companies and one specifically in multidisciplinary work, and taking in every life adventure with my beautiful family and collaborators that walk into my life are only adding to my passion for Screendance and what I am currently creating for my company Artists in Unity.  www.artistsinunity.com

I am welcoming my followers into AIU’s Threads of Kin and the raw edit for this work for camera today in my AIU blog.  I hope you enjoy seeing some of the progress AIU has been making in the editing room and keep watching where we will be taking this work over the next year.  Original Score will be developed for this work so that is why you are seeing the work without music at this time.  But, hey it allows you to see the process behind film and gives you a powerful glimpse into my choreography and how the choreography is the base for all AIU works in dance and film.  

Much love to all of my followers and collaborators of AIU!  And I thank you tremendously for pushing me more and more as Artistic Director of AIU and to shoot higher and higher with each work for camera that comes before me.  

http://www.artistsinunity.com

http://www.movementforyou.com

https://www.facebook.com/Movement-for-You-and-Artists-in-Unity-179731992111934/

http://www.amazon.com/Process~-Practice~-Artist-Lindsay-Schaefer/dp/1503352935/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456418714&sr=8-1&keywords=lindsay+schaefer