Tapestry in China

Jetlag and Culture Shock: A reflection on Tapestry Dance Company's first week inChina

Austin-based Tapestry Dance Company, the only full-time professional tap company in the United States, departed for a month-long tour of China on October 1. In preparation for their upcoming performances, Artistic Director Acia Gray and her troupe of skilled dancers have been working with a Chinese tech crew to stage their performance,The Souls of Our Feet, at the International Arts Festival. Gray took the time to give CultureMap an exclusive report on Tapestry's first full week in Shanghai, China where Tapestry will represent Austin during the International Arts Festival; jetlag, culture shock and rehearsals included.

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It's been a journey: An amazing, frustrating, culture-shocking, life-long memory. And we've just started.

From day one through seven, we never stopped. Not only feeling the 13 hour time difference and 24 hour journey, the week was a constant and flowing randomness. Our Chinese producers want the best, just as we do, but their priorities and non-systematic ways of getting things done make no sense to those of us who live and work in the West. Although I find it hard to believe that this is how the entire culture operates (as I travel through the cleanest and most organized subway system I've ever been in), finding the collaborative way to "get the show up" has been our biggest challenge.

This is truly a Culture Shock Report.

We all want the best for the success of the tour, our producers intensions are the same as ours. They just have a very different way of doing things here. The good news is that we have discovered what we are capable of through perseverance and survival.

What I've learned (In Random Order)

1. Chinese producers aren't trying to be rude, their intensions are the same as ours: A successful tour. The challenge? The Chinese language (in this case when dealing with technical production issues) sounds like you're being yelled at... a lot.

2. I have the best tech crew in the world. I owe them a really nice dinner… or actually, a vacation to the Caribbean.

3. Don't leave for a tour of China without a yoga instructor/massage therapist.

4. Brushing your teeth with bottled water is truly a different reality.

5. You get good thighs from squat toilets (although we've only had to endure this on one excursion).

6. Your clothes will survive being your new paper towel.

7. The roll: Don't leave home without it.

8. 2:30 am is a good hour to have quiet time in the lobby with my laptop as jetlag still has a hold of me.

9. The Chinese like to talk during shows.

10. Pay attention when crossing the street: Red lights don't really mean anything here.

11. Roasted pine nuts and ants are really good! The chicken feet, fish eyeballs and other delicacies are being handled by others in the company.

12. Chopsticks! I rock now.

Images That Have Stuck In My Mind

1. The most beautiful children in the world with their moms and dads on the streets and parks. Most around 1 year old.

2. The "lazy-susan" full of food at a circular table for 25.

3. Shanghai fashion on those under 30 is really cool and hip.

4. The old and the new, side by side: A sparkling hotel on one side of the street juxtaposed against a family cooking dinner on the other.

5. The smiles are beautiful when they relax and share them.

Hats off to my incredible company and crew. They have endured. Here's to the next three weeks... breathe.

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Outside the Lines

Buda artist releases intuitive drawing book with fun prompts

Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Artist Ronald Gross creates an intuitive drawing with crayon, which he considers a "joyful" medium.

Buda-based artist and writer Ronald Gross released a book in November called Unlock Your Creativity: A Guide to Intuitive Drawing, which will walk aspiring expressers through drawing without worry. On December 6, he'll be on hand to help in an intuitive drawing demo at Buda Public Library's Holiday Open House.

The book is a hands-on guide that teaches readers how to lean into their own desires and intuitions when drawing, whether they feel like an artist or not. In this way, intuitive drawing should feel relaxing, meditative, and ultimately, beneficial for mental health. If you find coloring books relaxing and meditative, intuitive drawing may have the same effect on you.

"Intuitive drawing is the practice of creating art without a specific plan or outcome in mind," says Gross. "It’s about letting your hand move freely, guided by emotion, curiosity, or subconscious impulses; not about making something perfect."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Intuitive drawing is simple, joyful, and according to Gross can calm the mind much like meditation. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

This book presents exercises to access a mindful state: freeform doodling, blind contouring drawing, drawing from the imagination, and drawing from emotions. For artists feeling stuck, Gross also includes plenty of exercises for overcoming creative blocks and even discusses ways intuitive drawing can be applied to other creative projects and areas of life.

In the December workshop, Gross will give a quick demonstration on how to create an intuitive drawing using nothing but lines, shapes, and simple marks. Then participants can try it out with a variety of crayons, because crayons are "tactile" and can quickly transport people into a "playful, unselfconscious space," according to Gross.

"The workshop is all about creating a supportive, judgment-free space to explore intuitive drawing," he says. "Attendees will leave with tools to keep practicing on their own and, hopefully, a renewed sense of creativity and playfulness."

An intuitive drawing from author and artist Ronald Gross. In college Gross was taught how to take a doodle and elevate it into fine art.Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross's own journey into intuitive drawing started at a young age, when he would doodle and sketch throughout the school day. Years later at the Academy of Art University, a professor encouraged him to lean into this more intuitive and abstract style of art. Since then, Gross has been exploring intuitive drawing's ability to access a meditative state, as well as tap into the subconscious mind.

"When you draw intuitively, you’re fully present in the moment," Gross says. "Your mind quiets, and you become attuned to the flow of your thoughts, feelings, and physical movements. It’s akin to meditation, only instead of sitting still, you’re actively channeling your inner experience onto the page."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Gross's intuitive drawings each evoke a different feeling through his simple use of color and linework. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross adds that over time, doing some of the exercises included in the book may even help boost confidence, since intuitive drawing can help people learn to trust their instincts.

"Intuitive drawing can unlock creativity, reduce stress, and help people reconnect with their inner selves," he adds. "It offers a space to process emotions, spark ideas, and break free from perfectionism or overthinking."

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