The previous Lives leading to
​Orches: /Orkes/ a nonprofit, charitable organization

CHILDHOOD

  • Flashlight under the covers to continue painting at night
  • “Ohhh look! I’ve gotta draw, paint, sew, dance that!”
  • Mud pies, build a fort, climb a tree, hide ’n seek, hide in the tree
  • Hypnotize lizards, snakes, cats, dogs, ducks, birds
  • Backpack, drink the stream, feet in the stream
  • Look at it all through a microscope

EDUCATION

  • All of the above
  • 1967-68 Mr Snowden, aka Banana Pants, turned me on to clay in High School
  • Study with Clayton Bailey aka Dr Gladstone
  • 1968-70 SFState Art/Biology + clay (McKee, Hawley), student strike for 5 months to successfully demand the first Black Studies Department, Vietnam war protests!
  • Applied to first Ecology Major in the US @ UCB
  • Laney college ceramics with Alan Meisel
  • Studied dance with Loretta Jacobs, Frank Shawl, Victor Anderson (5yr-18yr old)
  • Vicki: 4 year paid dance apprenticeship with Jane Brown dance/therapy pioneer (’71-’75)
  • Peter Brown: 4 year paid dance apprenticeship with Jane Brown ('76-'80)
  • Certified as massage therapist
  • Certified as acupressurist

PROFESSIONS

  • Worked as an industrial seamstress in sweatshops
  • Professional dancer, choreographer, teacher, dance and motion therapist for 45 years.
  • Founder of ORCHES: /Orkɛs/ Dancing, Teaching, Healing (Body Orchestration & Evolutionary Roots of Motion) as a nonprofit 501 (c3) with Co-Director Peter Brown in 1991.
    • Greek word roots: orches = dancing . orchestra = dancing space
      • Choreographed over 30 original dances.
      • Performed in hundreds of public performances.
      • Managed Open Arts Circle for Orches and 65 different performing/teaching artists and Companies in the Bay Area.
      • Birthing Coach (doula)
      • Peter Brown and I created “What is Dance”, “Levers, Pulleys & Dance” and “Sharing Sri Lanka” (following tour in Sri Lanka) as residencies in underserved Public Elementary Schools throughout Oakland.
      • Taught “Watershed Adventures” art and science at Bay Area elementary schools (ACRCD).
      • Made sets, costumes, all PR, brochures, flyers
  • Raised two children with Peter Brown. Married him after 40 years!

NOW

  • Began a new career as a professional ceramic sculptor at age 60 (see resumé)
    • ORCHES transformed from dance and science to a more general, art and science focus.
    • Ceramic studies continued with Larry Henderson, Sherry Karver, Susannah Israel, Anna Vaughn, Lisa Reinertson, Michelle Gregor
  • I continue to dance, sometimes with clay!
  • Peter is continuing his exploration of motion in sculptures made on lathes and mills.
  • We are thrilled to both be award-winning artists!
  • We continue to defend and educate regarding the Rights of Nature and humans as one.