Improvisation is at the Heart of Creativity and Play

Cherry Valley Artworks and The Telegraph School present the “Improvised Art Festival” at the Star Theater, 44 Main Street, Cherry Valley, on Saturday June 22nd.

There will be two afternoon workshops followed by a performance at 7pm.

The Improvised Arts Festival celebrates improvisation across mediums of dance, music, video art, and painting.

The Festival will feature performances from accomplished musical and dance improvisors, live painting, and projected abstract video art. Two free workshops will allow participants to explore improvisation, creativity, and play.

“Improvisation is a natural part of our everyday lives, yet when it comes to improvisation in the arts many people feel intimidated to participate or excluded from the conversation. Through our afternoon workshops and evening performance, we want to make improvised arts accessible to all and honor the rich history that they have in Cherry Valley,” says Evan Jagels, musician and teacher of the Music Improvisation & Graphic Scores workshop held Saturday at 3pm. It is particularly geared toward children and families and will explore new practices of sound creation (for those with instruments), and the creation of graphic scores to be interpreted by musicians (for those without instruments). “We hope that people of all ages, even those with no performing background or experience, will join us for this truly unique and exciting opportunity to experience the joy of collaborative expression in real time”.

“If you can breathe, you can dance. Improvised movement is about listening, playing and letting your mind be supple,” says Angelica Dzeli Palmer, dancer and teacher of the Dance Improvisation & Contact Improv workshop, held Saturday at 4pm. It is open to all ages and skill levels, and will explore connection, touch, and spontaneity through play.

The Festival will culminate Saturday evening at 7pm with a headlining multidisciplinary performance of improvised dance, music, video art, and painting.

Tickets are $20 and are available online and at the door. More info, workshop registration and performance tickets are available at TheTelegraphSchool.org.

The Festival is a joint project of Cherry Valley Artworks and The Telegraph School and is sponsored in part by a grant from the Otsego County Government, Stewart’s Shops, and the Cooperstown Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Artists’ Bios

Evan Jagels

Bassist

Evan Jagels is an exciting and versatile upright and electric bassist and accomplished improvisor. He is cofounder of Duo Extempore, whose curated improvisations draw from classical and jazz virtuosity, weaving together storytelling, history, architecture, and audience interaction. Together with NYC-based pianist Nicole Brancato, Duo Extempore explores every shape of improvised music through film production and live scoring, technology, and performance – pushing the boundaries of what piano and bass can do together.

Angelica "Dzeli" Palmer

Dancer

Angelica “Dzeli” Palmer (she/it) is an Interdisciplinary Social Practice Artist and Ritualist that explores the connections within ourselves, with each other, and with nature. Through song, dance, and storytelling, she creates visceral and emotional work rooted in the earth. For decades Angelica has led rituals, taught classes and hosted events interweaving community, activism, and the arts throughout the United States and Canada.

Nicole Brancato

Pianist

Described as a “piano virtuoso” (The Daily Gazette, Saratoga Springs), Nicole Brancato focuses on the kinetic energy exchange in performances — with both her collaborators and her audience. In 2021, she partnered with artist Douglas Paulson and Plaxall Gallery to create .soundfullness: a salvaged piano installation that transforms outdoor spaces into places of deep listening.

Carol Goss

Video Artist

VIDEO ARTIST

Carol Goss has made and performed analog and digital video art since 1974. Performances have included the Public Theatre in NYC and the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Her work has been widely exhibited in the US and is in international collections. As a co-founder of Improvising Artists, along with jazz pianist Paul Bley, she has produced and released audio and video recordings with musicians such as: Sun Ra, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Jimmy Giuffre, and Gary Peacock, receiving several international awards.

Laura Goss

Painter

Laura Is an artist and art therapist from Takoma Park, MD. She works with individuals experiencing PTSD in finding meaning and making peace through art.

Laura has a double major in studio art and psychology from the University of Virginia, a Master’s in Art Therapy from George Washington University, and she currently works at a non-profit clinic in Maryland.

Emma Trahan

Dancer

Emma Trahan (she/they) is a creative based in Canajoharie, NY. Emma is passionate about exploring collectivism and embodied knowledge as tools of liberation, and sharing these tools with others. They use movement and visual art as ways to explore her relationship to perceived societal roles, and to the world at large. Emma is a strong believer in the importance of art in everyday life, particularly in underserved and marginalized communities. She is excited to be sharing her love of improvisation with their community.

Aaron Water Piepszny

Dancer

Aaron Water Piepszny has performed solo and group work, both choreographed and improvised, in Germany, Poland, the US, and Canada. Companies and collaborators include Jules Beckman, Larchaud Dance Project, Nancy Hughes, and Rita Vilhena.