Hope Stone Announces 2013-2014 Hopewerks Season

(l-r: Ashley Horn, William Von Reichbauer, and Jamie Zahradnik) Photography by Simon Gentry

HOUSTON, TEXAS – September 26, 2013: HopeWerks (Hope Stone, Inc.’s artist residency program) 2013-2014 presents three artists: a choreographer, a musician and a filmmaker-choreographer, who are gearing up to present their “works in progress” to the public.

HopeWerks is a space grant offered to emerging choreographers and performance artists to assist them in the early stages of their artistic journey. Artists are given three months of rehearsal time at Hope Stone Studio to create their work. At the end of the three months, the artists present a “work-in-progress” showing to the public at the Studio.

This season’s first recipient, Jamie Zahradnik, presents Cubicled on Dec 6 and 7, 2013 at 8:00pm. The work is based on the idea that in order to shine in one area of life, often a person has to sacrifice in another. Zahradnik says, “This has always been such a difficult idea for me to embrace. Growing up, teachers told me that I could do anything I wished, but life and reality often demonstrate otherwise, which is frustrating.” Cubicled is inspired by themes of aspiration, sacrifice, competition, teamwork and failure. It presents 4 dancers who develop a rivalry due to a constant desire to shine the brightest.

Zahradnik graduated with a BFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University in May 2008, and an MFA in Dance from SHSU in 2011. She enjoys choreographing work for the San Jacinto College performing arts company. Her most recent work was selected to represent San Jacinto College South Campus at the 2013 American College Dance Festival.

William Von Reichbauer is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer. Von Reichbauer performs throughout the Southern United States, appearing as a soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist. His performances include works ranging from the Renaissance to world-premieres of new music, classical to honky-tonk, rockabilly to heavy metal. His compositions have been heard in a variety of venues – dive bars, Lincoln Center, cathedrals of Europe and now he adds Hope Stone Studio, where he will present The Girl Who Didn’t Sing on March 28 and 29, 2014 at 7:30pm.

The Girl Who Didn’t Sing (working title) is a multi-disciplinary production incorporating theater, music and dance with an intended audience of elementary school-age children. The play follows the story of a young girl who possesses unique talents that are neither recognized nor valued by the community in which she lives. Ashamed of her differences, she runs away from home, meets a cast of colorful characters along her journey, and ultimately develops her own sense of self-worth around her one-of-a-kind abilities. Returning home, she finds herself in a unique position to save the day and prove herself to those who previously shunned her.

The final grant recipient of the season, Ashely Horn presents Woolgathering on June 6 and 7, 2014 at 8:00pm. In Woolgathering a makeshift blanket fort encloses dancers and audience in a vivid daydream. Dancers negotiate complex and, at times, awkward relationships with one another through the lens of introversion and discover that there are infinite ways to connect.

Horn has shown choreography and films at ACDF, The University of Houston, Big Range Dance Festival, The Texas Weekend of Contemporary Dance, Third Coast Dance on Film Festival, The Houston Fringe Festival, and Dance Month at the ERJCC among other venues and events. She is the co-founder and curator of Motion Captured: An Evening of Dance on Film at the ERJCC as a part of Dance Month. In 2012, she was a recipient of an individual artist grant from the Houston Arts Alliance to create an evening-length dance film, Wanderland.

Tickets for each of the shows are $5 and are available at the door. Hope Stone Studio is located at 1210 W. Clay, Houston, TX 77019. This season marks the sixth year of Hope Stone’s HopeWerks program. Cori Miller is this year’s HopeWerks program director.

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Why is the HopeWerks program important?  With the reduction of and competitiveness in artistic funding, a newcomer to the arts scene struggles with the expenses of starting a new company and/or presenting work.  Without these funds, young companies and artists are often unable to have the time and space to explore their creativity and present it to the public. HopeWerks empowers these artists and allows them to unleash their creativity in the city of Houston, and hopefully beyond. HopeWerks was formed not only to be a creative residency, but as an opportunity for artists to learn all aspects of presenting an evening of artistic work.  There are many details in presenting work – scheduling, marketing, promotion, press releases, print materials – and HopeWerks serves as a mini classroom for the artists during their three-month residency. Supporting these young artists as they tackle the three dimensionality of creating and presenting work is HopeWerks’ major goal, and aligns with Hope Stone’s mission to create art for all.