The previous Lives leading to
Orches: /Orkes/ a nonprofit, charitable organization
CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
PROFESSIONS
NOW
- 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, Larry Henderson, Sherry Karver, Susannah Israel, Anna Vaughan
- 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)
- Trained in Vision Training by Emily Bradley Lyons (Optometric Extension Program)
- Peter Brown: 4 year paid dance apprenticeship with Jane Brown ('76-'80)
- Certified as massage therapist by Hendrickson Method & Jane Brown Foundation
- Certified as acupressurist by the Acupressure Institute Berkeley
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
- Greek word roots: orches = dancing . orchestra = dancing space
- 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.