The down and dirty of the 2010 Fringe artists (keep scrolling down, there are
a lot of us.)

Here are the Fabulous 2010 Fringe Artist Bios

Julie Becton Gillum - as founder of three modern dance companies and finally Legacy Butoh, Gillum has been creating, performing and teaching dance in the US, France, Cuba and Mexico for over 40 years. She currently teaches modern dance, musical theatre, performance art and butoh at Warren Wilson College, but her primary form of artistic expression has become butoh. Gillum has been practicing, performing and teaching butoh since 1998, creating and presenting major pieces in the genre, at a variety of venues in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Mexico.

Originating in post WWII Japan, Butoh dance is a postmodern movement in which formal dance technique is eschewed in favor of primal and idiosyncratic styles that transform the human body and allow raw mental energies to come into being.

Sara Baird is the artistic director of Anemone Dance Theater, which she founded in 2001, Anemone Dance Theater (www.anemonedance.org) is a collaborative performance company which layers video projections, original music, and sculptural costumes to create Butoh inspired landscapes. The company has received grants from the American Music Center -  Live Music for Dance Program, Joyce SoHo, The Puffin Foundation, Princeton University, and Sara was an Artist in Residence at Dance New Amsterdam and numerous universities. Based in New York City for the last 15 years, she's toured across the United States, to the south of France, and danced across Bolivia. During that time, she also worked with Akira Kasai, the Butoh Rockettes directed by Celeste Hastings, Poppo & Gogo Boys, Richard Move for the Guggenheim Museum, VH1, and the Cannes Film Festival and with the companies of Neta Pulvermacher and Nicholas Rodriguez. Sara received a Masters of Fine Arts degree in dance from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (2005) and a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in dance from Florida State University (1993). In July 2009, Sara, her husband and new daughter relocated to Asheville . She thanks Julie Becton Gillum for her creativity, welcoming spirit, the invitation to present their first collaboration at the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival.

Susan Collard has been dancing all her life. Her first love was classical ballet, but she discovered, through a graduate student at Temple University, that modern dance was better suited to her body type and her desire to improvise. Susan has been a choreographer since the age of twenty five, and most recently choreographed for the Asheville Art Museum, the Thomas Wolfe Society, Co Danza of Cuba, and for her own company, Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre. She also choreographed movement for Jodie Foster in the film Nell. Susan has been creating festivals in Asheville and abroad - Asheville Fringe Arts Festival, the White Dog ProjectX, to name a few, and has continued her international collaborations in Mexico, France and Cuba.

Giles Collard is co-director of Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre. He has lived abroad in France and Israel, and has performed internationally. Giles currently teaches modern and boy’s dance at the New Studio of Dance in Asheville. In addition to dance, Giles is a fencer and instructs students in foil and saber technique. He has performed with ACDT since 1986, and most recently premiered his work at the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival and Men Dancing IV.

Elisa Faires an musical improviser as well as a composer of modern classical, electronic music, experimental cabaret, querky pop music, 12 tone composition and avante garde art songs. She was classically trained in music as well as opera and studied gamelan in Bali. Some of her projects in Asheville over the past 14 years have been Paw of Zing, Exquisite Corpse, Rubbermaiden, Pounder Quartet, PawPaw Fuc, Mocktobre and Lucky 13 Cabarets, Imaginary Numbers, Pokey Little Puppy, and Squeegy G. She is a musician and dancer for Legacy Butoh and is the musician for Claire Barratt in the Cilla Vee Life Arts Project. She has been working with video for the past 5 years and has made several experimental films with musical scores. Some of her films have stop animation and mixed media. Elisa's contact info is Laomeow@yahoo.com her sites are http://www.myspace.com/elisafaires444
and pawofzing.

Jim Julien has doing performance-based artwork since 1972 while he was attending Carnegie-Mellon University. He has been part of the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival since its inception. He has used movement, puppetry, multimedia and lots of pudding in his work. He also has proudly performed as part of Asheville Vaudeville and Royal Peasantry.

Kathy Meyers has been dancing, teaching and choreographing over the past 25 years. Currently she is director of The Asheville School’s Dance Program, an adjunct instructor in the UNCA dance program and is a member of Moving Women Dance Performance Ensemble (www.movingwomen.org). Kathy has performed each year in the Fringe Festival and continues to be inspired by collaborative work.

Claire Elizabeth Barratt is the director of “Cilla Vee – Life Arts”, a performing arts organization that specializes in inter-disciplinary arts collaborations. She has a Dance and Musical Theater background, with training received in her native country of Britain at the London Studio Center of Performing Arts and the Laban Center for Movement and Dance. She spent ten years in Knoxville TN, where she held the position of Co –Director for “Circle Modern Dance” as well as choreographing for the Knoxville Opera Company. She also danced as a company member for Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre. Based in New York, Claire founded “Cilla_Vee – Life Arts” and presented work in such venues as diverse as the New York Botanical Gardens and PS 122. Currently based in Asheville NC, she has been enjoying such prestigious local venues as the Black Mountain College Museum and the RiverSculpture Festival. Much of Claire’s work focuses on collaboration with live music in an improvisational context. She also specializes in “Installation”. – www.cillavee.com

John Crutchfield is a poet, playwright, and performer from Boone, North Carolina, who is now based in Asheville, where he works freelance as a literary translator, writes theatre reviews for Mountain Xpress, and teaches writing at Warren Wilson College. He is also an Artistic Associate at The Magnetic Theatre. He has been Artist-In-Residence at the Djerassi Artists Foundation, Headlands Center for the Arts, the Association d'Art de La Napoule (France) and the Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe (Germany). His one-man verse play The Songs of Robert was awarded Outstanding Solo Performance at the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival. More info at: johncrutchfield.com

Born in Paris, France, now residing in Asheville, North Carolina; Kimathi Moore grew up around music all of his life. Deeply influenced from his travels to Africa, Martinique, Guadeloupe and France, Kima always listened to electronic experimentation whether it was Bob Moog’s early 60’s experimental recordings to Frank Zappa’s unconventional musical compositions to John Coltrane’s organic Free-Jazz period. Kima’s sonic influences also draw from the Pointillist and Surrealist painters of the early 20th century. His music tries to capture the imaginary and the magical in which strange other worldly creatures meld with the cold surreal metallurgic textures of old Russian factories.

The Lymphatic Players, a group of theatre artists from the Tri-Cities area, explore the misery and mirth of the overdiagnosed human in Hypochondria, an autobiographical comedy written and directed by Deborah Harbin.  As Debbie, a nervous young woman with numerous imagined maladies, actress Hannah Hughes asks whether sickness of the mind and internet can create disease of the body. Bri Curtis and Dan Ott join Hughes on stage, and Stage Manager/Assistant Director Melanie Yodkins provides support to this vibrant new company.

The Runaway Circus and the Loose Caboose performance troupe has astounded the Asheville area with their breathtaking performances in the Cold Cut Circus, the Extremely Soon Circus, and Sun-Up Giddyup, the Glug Glug Glug Boat and other touring shows. With extraordinary feats of acrobatics, juggling, diablo, clowning and musical talent, they are sure to leave any audience member with their jaw dropped and their stomach aching from laughter. Members of this troupe have studied the circus arts extensively in San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Spyce is an erotic performer and sexual healing maven. She enjoys facilitating juicy adventures while encouraging folks to shamelessly love their lives. Spyce is happily pursuing the creation of a sexual healing revolution with her upcoming radio show on AshevilleFM.org, and volunteering with Our Voice. Look for her soon in a burgeoning
cabaret show at Scandal's that will feature, Spyce, Bryan Octavius, and other local talents. Spyce thanks her sister Shara for her enthusiasm, and looks forward to seeing her onstage, her talented cast and crew for their hard work, and always to her Mama up in heaven, who gave Spyce the support and courage to become the person she is today.

Bryan Octavius is elated to again taking part in this year's fringe fest. A New England transplant glad to be settling into life here in this mountain city, he has been writing and performing his entire life. Thank yous go out to The Orishas, Spyce, Wes, Sisterdiscordia, and Shara. This is an inspiring and lovely time to be alive!

Native born Sisterdiscordia debuts her dance skills as backup for the talented Spycey Spyce. When not dancing, Sisterdiscordia has been spotted performing stand-up, in underground plays,, and covered in clay making pottery.

From thee Mugwampy juice ov New Orleans, Thee Eyelash Carpets is an audio/visual performance group founded in 1993. Inspired by thee writings ov Robert Anton Wilson, thee teachings ov Thee Temple Ov Psychic Youth, and thee cut-up theory by W.S Burroughs, thee Eyelash Carpets have hosted many events over thee years that share these same influences with like-minded individuals. They have also released several recordings, a 7" vinyl, 2 cassettes, 1 EP and 3 full length CD's. One ov their releases was found on thee now fated Belgium record label Staaplaat. The Eyelash Carpets two founding members are Pantopon Rose and Pulvis Opii, past members for recording and live performances include Crash Worships Jeff Mattson, Potpie, Matt Castille ov The Vas Deferans Organization, Sik Sidney, Scaven, Zeno Izen, Bunny and Ayrek Laws. Thee Eyelash Carpets have had thee honor ov performing with some ov their greatest influences such as The Legendary and Pink Dots and Psychic Television. Alternative Press Magazine describes Pantopon Rose 's vocals to that ov a "a demon siren." Pantopon Rose's Nico/Jarboe-esque vocals glide thru thee musickal genius ov Pulvis Opii's hauntingly psychedelic yet somewhat accessible soundwaves.
For thee Fringe Fest thee EC's will be expressing their sound as a lounge "vampire torch" act. We welcome all to join us in our lounge with live human art by Royal Peasantry at Royal Peasantry boutique/gallery 68 College in downtown Asheville.
www.eyelashcarpets.com
www.myspace.com/theeyelashcarpets.com

Camerin Allgood McKinnon, a Georgia Peach from Atlanta, developed a love for dance as part of Metro Dance Company in Decatur.  She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in performance and choreography from University of North Carolina at Greensboro in May of 2007. At school she specifically studied and performed Safety Release work with BJ Sullivan. After graduation Camerin moved to Washington DC where she performed and taught dance through Dance Place and Mason/Rhynes Productions.  Camerin also did several project-based works with Gesel Mason Performance Projects, Kayla Hamilton, Reggie Glass, Heather Doyle and Coyaba Dance Theater.   Camerin has since returned to Charlotte NC were she teaches dance, makes jewelry, serves coffee and is working on a solo projects dealing with racial understanding.  Camerin works with students aged three to sixty and is particularly interested in work with special populations.

Katherine Kiefer Stark grew up outside of Philadelphia and is now living in Hillsborough, North Carolina. She has danced in Connecticut, Philadelphia, New York, West Virginia, Rhode Island, and throughout North Carolina.  She graduated from Connecticut College with a BA in dance in 2002. Katherine received her MFA in choreography in 2009 from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Katherine has performed contemporary work by David Dorfman, John Gamble, Courtney Greer, Luis Lara Malvacias, Jaquelyn McCormick, Meghan McCoy, Meredith Monk, Jeremy Nelson, Deganit Shemy, Christina Tsoules Soriano, and BJ Sullivan.  She has been a member of Immediate Theatre - an improvisation collective – and CTS Dance as well as collaborating with Courtney Greer.  Currently, Katherine is dancing with the John Gamble Dance Theater and Courtney Greer.  She is also a guest artist at Enloe High School.  Katherine has presented her own work in Connecticut, Philadelphia, New York, West Virginia, and North Carolina. She has most recently shown work at the Goose Route Dance Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia (2008), in Falling Grounded II at the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center (2008), and as part of In Our Own Backyard in Raleigh (2009). Katherine has recently started The Naked Stark Dance Company.

Thomas Butler (Allen in, and writer of “Quit Your Day Job”) has been acting in and around Asheville for 3 years. He is the Producing Director of and a writer/actor for Asheville Vaudeville. Which is a monthly variety show, which showcases local talent, and donates one-third of its proceeds to MANNA Food Bank. 

Gregory Ruggiero (Jim in “Quit Your Day Job”) is making his acting debut. He’s been a practicing musician since early on, playing guitar, harmonica, mandolin, writing songs and currently pursuing the violin and piano.  He’s played on back porches and in barrooms throughout the country. As a graduate-student instructor of Multicultural Film and Modern Humanities at FSU, Gregory earned an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Humanities from Florida State University in 2008.  

Sarah Erickson (Dr. Melfi in “Quit Your Day Job”) began her comedy career as Biff in Attack of the Space Pandas in the second grade. She has been acting in theater ever since. As a junior in high school, Sarah attended Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan to study theater, and continued her acting career in Durham, NC. At Manbites Dog Theater, Sarah performed in Shopping and F***ing (Lulu), Faust (Virgin Mary), Loves Labours Lost (Jaquenetta), Three Sisters (on ice) (Nanette), Filth: Scenes from Banned Books (Kathy) and PEEP! Take it all off (French Maid). Her most recent productions include Psycho Beach Party, Cabaret, and The Wrestling Season, all for TheatreUNCA. Sarah is currently a senior at UNCA, where she majors in Playwriting and Performance for Social Change. For the past two years she has performed with the Feral Chihuahuas Sketch Comedy Troupe in Asheville, NC.

Mountaine Mort Jonas is gleefully proud to be part of Asheville Playback Theatre, and has a strong interest in all things cosmically fringey. He serves the multiverse as a radical faerie. His passions include transmutation through performance.

Antanas is a healer and intergalactic culture broker who plays with words, breath, and eros to inspire pleasure, embodiment, and “useful” theater. After 4 years of flirting with Asheville, he recently landed in distant, yet magical Earthaven.

Auracene, feat. Liz Lang
Educated in voice and piano, broadcast technology and audio synthesis, Liz created a very special sound and music studio in Asheville, North Carolina.  As Auracene, she bends non-English and chant-like vocals, cello, found sounds, and boutique software into songs that range from dark and amorphic, to scintillating and angular. She catalyzes her works with an ability to invoke new feelings and experiences for her listeners.  Her pieces have been described as “elegant, exotic and edgy”.  At her Secret Orange Star Studio, she has composed film scores and directed sound for indie productions. Recently, one of her collaborative efforts was listed in the Billboard Top 25 New Age Albums and has been stayed on the chart for several months. Another collaboration, featuring a live radio performance in Seattle was just released out of Poland. She has several others slated for release on vinyl by winter 2010. Liz can be reached at 828-230-3456 or at auracene333@yahoo.com For samples of her work visit  http://www.myspace.com/auracene333 

Vincent Wrenn studied as a painting major at the University of Memphis from the early to late seventies which is where he was fortunate enough to meet and take in one of Buckminster Fullers day long seminars.

In the late seventies through the mid eighties he was involved in video and performance art as well as experimental electronic music using a Korg MS 10 analog synthesizer, modulated radio and tape. he was a member of The Panther Burns Orchestra with Tav Falco and Alex Chilton (in its first embodiment) which is well documented in Robert Gordon’s book It Came From Memphis. In collaboration with Randal Lyons, Televista and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Panther Burns Orchestra was involved in the first live video performance art transmission between galleries in Memphis, New York, Toronto, Victoria, Vancouver and the San Francisco Museum of Art.  

Throughout the rest of the eighties to the present Vincent have shown his visual work and performed at various galleries and music venues. In the mid nineties he began his research and construction on his present work with the Radiasonic.

In 2002, Vincent performed at the Black Mountain College Museum Under the Influence festival.  And more recently Vincent opened for Jon Mueller and Jason Kahn at Harvest Records. As for some of his musical influences:  John Cage, Karl Stockhausen, LaMonte Young, Henryk Gorecki, Luigi Russolo, Harry Partch, Terry Riley Anthony Braxton, Moondog, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix and Gyorgy Ligeti. 

Ivan Seng received his Masters degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied piano with Clifton Matthews and composition with Michael Rothkopf. He received his undergraduate degree at Oberlin Conservatory where he studied with Joseph Schwartz and Sanford Margolis. For nearly a decade, he has collaborated extensively with Elisa Faires. In 2002, to great critical acclaim, they performed Schoenberg's Das Buch Der Hangenden Garten at the McDonald's on Biltmore Avenue. They have also developed an individual style of composition/improvisation which will be featured on an upcoming album. Mr. Seng currently resides in Winston-Salem.

X A M B U C A  is a project originating in 1995, out of San Francisco led by Chandra Shukla. The first performances came only around 2005 with sonic expert RK Faulhaber. X A M B U C A  was a response to being "sick and tired of playing in other people's bands and other people's music". Finally with a vision of it's own, X A M B U C A (the name has no meaning and is purely contrived from letters left over from a stale-mated Scrabble game) strives to be as visually enticing as it does sonically. Lots of scrapes, drones, plucks, cacophonous explosions, and a'capella and video madness. Sometimes with wailing and crying back up singers (accompanied by the likes as XAMBUCA the Monks of DADA) or with faux barbershop quartets such as (XAMBUCA & the Alcatraz Barbershop Quartet), time just makes the project...uhum...strange.

Western Caroline Sacred Harp Singers
Sacred Harp, or more technically "shape note" singing is a unique type of four-part harmony sung in the form of hymns and anthems. Developed in the United States, it enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 18th century and onwards into the Great Revival periods. Within the second half of the last century it has enjoyed an international revival. Singings from popular hymn books occur all over the country, and the Western Carolina group is simply a local representation of a larger community of singers. Sacred Harp is not performance-based, it is meant to be completely participatory.