Labor & Park(ing) Day LA

Hola Amigos!

It is time to plan for September, a big month for dancing at parking meters.

So, Labor Day:
This one is not so obvious why I would want to have people dancing at meters, I mean, it's a meter holiday, right? Well, yeah, but we get the day off to celebrate workers and their contributions to the economy. But for as many in-roads as dance (and dancing) seems to have made within the last three years, the labor of dance is still grotesquely undervalued and it is still incredibly difficult for dance laborers to join unions (think insurance, nobody is gonna retire given this economic downturn).

I am proposing that dancers across the city scope out meters and begin dancing at them on the afternoon of Monday, August 31, in preparation for Labor Day.

I will contact some dance teams, crews and companies I know who might want to be in on the fun. If you have done dance flash actions before (I LOVED the Hammer Time take over of the jean boutique), please contact me and let's get busy! With the number of dancers in LA, we should be able to have the city literally dancing in the streets.

Please go back and read the very first entry of this blog for the rules on how The Meter Dance works.



Now, Park[ing] Day LA , SEPTEMBER 18, 2009
Bummer! They had their first meeting today at noon, and I just found out about it! I hope to get the notes. This is a FABULOUS way to do the Meter Dance, and a GREAT way to bring attention to: 1) missing open space in a lot of the neighborhoods where artists tend to end up living; 2)the fact that art is often hidden away from our everyday lives; 3)your company.

Please follow the link to their website and sign up for their mailing list. This will make sure you get info on how to get your permit for your space; unlike the Meter Dance, which is a direct action, Int'l Park[ing] Day is a movement that follows civic rules. There are a few edge-riding activities planned for all you adrenaline junkies.


How you can make your park relate to dance:
Well, you can put down linoleum, dust off your boom box and bring some old skool funk. Or, you can make a grave yard and dance on some one's grave, maybe Golda herself. You can create a cabbage patch and do suggestive dances and every so often find a CabbagePatch kid, or you could just do the Cabbage Patch in the patch. You could go hippie, lay down faux lawn and some flower garlands and reenact scenes from Hair. The possibilities are endless!

Staging:
It is best to put together a team, then come up with a theme. Scope your spot. Then get permits for spot. Design the staging around the locale (this one is important). Make sure you follow the permit rules. And make sure you have plenty of space in which to dance.

Think recycled materials, reused materials. Here on the Westside, we have the reDiscover center. You would be surprised how many folks have odds and ends of faux lawn that they donate. Get it now if you can store it. The website has some lovely examples of parks that people put up.

As soon as you know where you're going to be, please let me know! @meterdance on Twitter. I'll try to get folks to come and dance in your park! How fun is that? Also, we can time it just right so that a Metered Dance Action happens adjacent to your park and ends in your park. More details to come as we get closer.

So get into gear! It's time to have some fun!