BEN BLUM (Musician)

Ben  is an ocarinist who sings and plays piano, drums, percussion, guitar, ukelele and various flutes.  He plays jazz, rock, blues, classical and a multitude of folk musics and has performed solo, in jazz combos, rock bands, and pit and symphony orchestras in venues as varied as Jordan Hall and Harvard Square. Ben loves improvising, arranging, and directing music to both create the sound he envisions and to maximize the contributions of individual musicians within a group.  He has studied with Charlie Banacos, Harvey Diamond, Ran Blake, with Medeski, Martin, and Wood, and at the Longy  School of Music.  Ben also loves exploring the mathematics and physics behind music and pondering the mysteries of the universe.

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CHRISTINA CHAN  (Poet/Writer/Dancer)

Christina is a playwright, actor, and director.  She is a member of SAG and is a candidate for Actor’s Equity.  Her plays have been produced at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Center for the Arts, Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center and ArtsEmerson.  She has also appeared in River Spirits at ArtSpace Maynard with the Dreamscape Collaborative.  Christina was a Company One Theater PlayLab Fellow in 2016.  She was a semifinalist for the prestigious Eugene O’Neill Playwriting Conference in 2017 and is a 2018 recipient of a major Boston Foundation Grant and the Bob Jolly Trust for a Chinese translation of her play Stir Fry Majong which will be presented at the Pao Arts Center in Chinatown.

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RUTH HERMAN (Poet/Consultant)
Ruth is a literacy artist who spent most of her life perched on the spot where writing and storytelling meet. Raised in a Home for the Elderly, Ruth steadfastly weaves what the elders taught her in her youth into her work today: that a moment is worth a lifetime, and that a lifetime can be expressed in a few moments of authentic speaking and heartfelt listening.  As an adjunct professor at Lesley University, Ruth taught poetry and writing to teachers and graduate students, then directed The New England Storytelling Center. In 1986, Ruth opened the Concord Writing Center, where she taught classes to all ages, and served as Artist in Residency in 65 schools.  Her Center grew into The Circle of Writers in 2007.  She now conducts Writing Retreats all over the country. Her life’s passion is to create a safe place for the writer in each of us to speak, one voice at a time.

 

WENDY LAWSON (Dancer)

Wendy was raised in Hawaii where the natural surroundings and her exposure to Hawaiian Dance influenced her spirit and expression of dance. In addition to Hula, her dance training includes Ballet, a variety of Modern Dance techniques, and Liturgical Dance. She first danced with Pamela Newton in 1983, shortly after moving to the Boston area, and reunited with Pam in Dec. 2012 to be part of “Songs from the Moon”. She performed with the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Fr. Bob VerEecke (1985 – 2016) and with the Deborah Abel Dance Company (2006 – present).

 

JOANNA LEVINE (Dancer)

Born in Belgium and raised in New York and Massachusetts, Joanna trained at the Performing Arts School of Worcester and Walnut Hill School.  After taking a hiatus from dance to become an Astrophysicist – Joanna holds a B.S. in Physics from UMass, earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Florida, and was a professor of Astronomy at Mt. Holyoke College - Joanna returned to study dance and perform professionally with numerous companies.   Moving between dance and science, Joanna has performed with Boston Dance Company, Ballet Arts Worcester, Anna Myer and Dancers, Kat Nasti Dance, and Alice Hunter. She is also certified in Yoga and Acroyoga. She is happy to be involved with Dreamscape Collaborative as part of her ongoing exploration of Art, Science, and the Universe at Large.

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JENN MARKHAM (Dancer)

Jenn is an area dancer and educator   She is currently on the ballet faculty at Boston Ballet School, the Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center, the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, MetroWest Ballet, and Sereda Dance Works.  She has performed in the Boston area for 15 years with various companies, including DanceVisions, Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, and CreationDance.  

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SASHA MILAN (Singer/Songwriter)

Sasha is a singer/songwriter based in Boston, MA. Songs are inspired by stories, myths and legends, woven into personal narrative. With roots in folk, bluegrass and old-time music, and a passion for storytelling, Sasha aims to foster community through music. 

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BILL PARSONS (Dance Videographer) 

Bill has been photographing and videoing dance, people, and events for more than three decades.  He specializes in movement photography and has images in national and local magazine and newspapers, an encyclopedia, and has edited and published four books of photographic images.  His clients include dancers and dance companies, colleges and universities, studios , and individuals in Boston and many cities around the Country.  

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KEN PORTER (Musician)

Both a percussionist and a singer, Ken brings a fine, clear voice and everything from a light percussive touch to powerful expressive drumming to his performance.  Folk, jazz, rock, marching bands, symphonic bands and spaces in between…he’s been around the block.  Ken has opened for Dave Loggins, performed numerous times with Pete Seeger and is a former member of the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus.  He’s joined Tom Chapin, Kim and Reggie Harris, The Kennedy, Kate Campbell, Josh White Jr., and Anne Hills on stage, to name a few.  He is presently active with the Millis Berfield Band.  His percussion work can be heard on more than a dozen albums.

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ANDREA (ANDY) PRITCHARD (Tapestry Maker)

Andy is formally trained as a painter with a Master of Fine Arts degree from Boston University.  But, she is really drawn to making all kinds of things.  For the last 11 years she has been finding ways to make large (4–5 feet  x 6-8 feet) colorful cloth collage wall hangings about her inner journeys.  Along with creating these, she is exploring ways for the viewers to interact with her art through sound, movement and play.  She has had shows at the Weston Public Library in Weston, MA in 2014 and at the CCRI Warwick Campus, Warwick, RI in 2016.  If you would like to contact Andy: Visit Andy's Website:

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CHRIS RENNA (Videographer)

Chris is a musician, composer, videographer, field recorder, visual artist, and naturalist.  He is particularly interested in documenting the sights and sounds of the wilds of New England.  He composed the sound score for River Spirits last summer.  His wildlife videos can be found here and some of his field recordings are on this website. Chris performs in a number of Boston area bands and as a soloist in a myriad of musical styles on guitar, keyboards, bass, and/or lap steel guitar. He is also an Art and Video teacher and eagerly awaits diving into teaching in Hudson on April 30 and then at the Middlesex School Summer Arts camp during the summer. Visit his website.  

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BRIANNA EDEN RUTLAND (Dancer)

Brianna is a singer, songwriter, producer of music, visual artist and movement-based performer.  She has appeared in Songs from the Moon at in the Bonn blackbox theatre at Boston College and in River Spirits at ArtSpace Maynard Gallery with the Dreamscape Collaborative.    Brianna loves to improvise, and her passion for belly dance incorporates elements of mindful movement, lifestyle choices, inspirational words, and ecstatic dance.  Her goal, in both teaching and performing, is to incorporate artistic elements and to engage all of the senses, similar to an athlete’s dynamic training regimen – only with creative expression.

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NANRI TENNEY  (Painter)

A force for artistic and peaceful community building, Nanri is an international artist who has lived and studied in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.  Her paintings are inspiring and beautiful. She also has completed the first phase of Mindfulness as Medicine at Omega Institute and finished the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program at U Mass. Nanri holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and is certified in Sacred Art and Yoga through Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.  She founded Nanri Studio in Maynard, MA in 2008. For the past 10 years she has been practicing and teaching her favorite vocations of mindful meditation, yoga, expressive art, drawing, painting, and graphic design at Nanri Studio.

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