think13

Balance & Band

“Original… I can envision this being quite a success. I really love the music!”

- DK, NPR, San Francisco

BALANCE was written, co-produced and Directed by Dee Kennedy 2006-2008

Music and story together blended with ancient and modern, angelic and erotic, light and dark, create Balance. In an over-processed, over-simplified world, think13 brings this awakened message of Balance to the soul. Set in the realm of the ‘Dream World’….. anything can happen!
The show pioneers a new performance concept fusing music, dance, fire arts, aerial performances, visual projections, story-telling, instrument design (Forrest’s street drums), detailed costume and body painting. Balance constructs a carefully crafted vision that is both reflective and evocative, taking you on a trip into your Known Unknown.

Members of the troupe, affectionately referred to as “The Monkey’s”, occasionally also participate in MAPP, a bi-monthly collaboration between visual artists, musicians, poets and performers. The MAPP puts art and performance on the street level by using alternative spaces such as private garages, basements, studios, coffee shops, street corners and alley-way’s. We always perform in the mural splashed Balmy Alley, @ 24th st. San Francisco

cast

Anthony Severo – Bass Player Anthony Severo(sometimes known as SEVERE) is a recent East Coast transplant (originally from outside Washington, DC) to the Bay Area. His favorite thing in the world is performing live, whether with a group or as a solo performer under the title “Severe Bass.” A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, Anthony has been playing Electric Bass since 1994, and is dedicated to increasing awareness of that mystical “low-end” whenever possible. Originally brought up on classic heavy metal, Primus, and Frank Zappa, his musickal interests now cover pretty much anything one can think of. He finds spiritual strength in social justice, communicating with people on their level, bettering the planet while relishing in it’s natural energy, and of course, composing, arranging, and performing music.

Brennan Figari – Aerialist, Modern Dance, Choreographer Hailing from Marin, CA, Brennan is an aerialist, dancer, acrobat, singer, and actor, trying to find his way in the world while following his dreams. First introduced to the circus arts at 15 while on a family vacation, Brennan soon realized the passion he had for the circus and performing arts. While a full time student studying dance and exercise biology, Brennan trains and performs as much as possible. He has performed in front of audiences as large 5,000, and has performed for and been featured on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Sea World San Diego, ABC Family, National Public Radio, and The San Francisco Zoo. For more information visit www.brennanfigari.com.

Forrest Timonere – Drummer Forrest is from San Francisco, CA and says “Dwelling on the past is a sign of weakness. Hm. That’s kind of boring. I should change it someday”.

Ian Smith – Fire Performer, Modern Dance, Choreographer Ian comes to us from the middle of the heartland. Cedar Rapids, Iowa to be exact. He has been spinning fire obsessively for six years since they entered his life during his freshman year at Wesleyan University (even though he still majored in Economics). After graduating and spending the summer studying modern dance he quickly made up his mind to move to the bay area and perform. His fire prop repertoire includes poi, staff, contact staff, double staves, double whips, fire eating/fire contact, rope, rope dart, flow wand, contact juggling, and torch juggling. In addition to think13 he currently performs with several fire performance troupes in the Bay Area including one of his own creation, LumenAscent. He also performs with the modern dance company In Step Dance Theatre.

Joe Kennedy – Rhythm Guitarist “where do i start… i am a 21 year old, two sided, indecisive, uncontrolled, gemini who grew up in the land of ire (ireland). i always knew that i didn’t fit in very well in my country, there was something about me, i just had a different frame of mind than most people. i was sick of the same old s*** day in day out…. so thats why i decided to move to the coolest city in the states…… san francisco… since i arrived here i have indulged in what this place has to offer.. so now, i surf, i f***** love surfing, its very meditive and spiritual for me, i have always loved the ocean, i have always been drawn to it, and to hitch a ride on mother earths raw kinetic energy is a rush. about the future though, i only have one goal.. and that is to see everybit of this amazing world that we are on, cause it just clicked with me, why doubt your goals and dreams , when at the end of the day we are all on a big ball spinning around space…. it gets stranger the more you think about it.”

Marina Karadjieva – Aerialist, Choreographer Marina is originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, and holds a degree in Languages from the Sofia University. She now resides in Berkeley, California, where has studied aerial arts for the past seven years and has performed for numerous festivals, corporate events, clubs, fundraisers and parties, including Burning Man Festival, Circus of Love with SBDT, Santa Barbara Kids Film Festival. In 2005 Marina completed a six-month course in Circus Arts with an emphasis on double trapeze, acrobalance and aerial hoop at the Academy of Circus Arts, Great Britain. Marina is currently an Acrobalance instructor for kids and adults. She aims to continue to expand on her acrobatic circus skills and to perform in a wide variety of venues.

Maya Nadjieli – Dancer Maya started her dance career at the tender age of five and has since been a regular participant in the preforming arts in both San Francisco and Chicago. She studied with the San Francisco Ballet Academy, Wheeling Orchasis dance troupe, Destiny Arts, Mission Cultural Center, Danza Azteca, and many more. As a new graduate from Berkeley high school, she decidedly took the next year off of college to further her political activism with youth in the Bay Area and to concentrate on dancing. She is a strong, individual, Latina woman, who is unyielding in her search for, and demand for peace and the empowerment of the people.

G. Randall Wright – Dancer, Choreographer and Actor Randall is an actor, clown, acrobat, musician hailing from the east coast via the southwest via asia, via… he has appeared in everything from Shakepeare gigs to greek tragedy, to comedic dance, to mascot costumes to theatrical cirus performances, and is currently blasting the electric ukulele in his current theatrical band project “Mary’s Dream”.

Tricia O’Connor aka “Sam” – Dancer, Fire Performer Sam was born in Transylvania and raised by a pack of pyromaniac, gypsy werewolves. As all of her ancestors were burned at the stake, she has always had a special relationship with fire. Her legendary clumsiness has been inspirational to countless others. Contrary to popular belief, Sam was actually the catalyst for the creation of Burning Man when Larry Harvey witnessed her on fire during a “performance”. Now, the reclusive Sambot only ventures out to spin fire staff on various lower Haight rooftops (well past midnight).

Sannie – Dancer, Fire Performer, Costume Designer Born and raised in Callan, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland and moved to San Francisco in 2001. Since moving here the creative person that I have always been moved to a higher level. Painting, costume making and dancing are the things that I love to do most. I learned to fire dance in 2003 after being blown away by all the performers at Burning Man the previous year. Since then I have performed in Burning Man Fire Conclave, The Crucible Fire Arts Festival, San Francisco Fire Arts Expo and numerous private parties around the city and surrounding areas. “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today!”

Zsuzsi Elizabeth Fern – Dancer, Choreographer I have been in love with movement and singing from a young age, although I did not fully realize my passion til later in life. I began dancing passionately at San Francisco electronic music parties, where I performed professionally as a go-go dancer. I also spent time as a DJ, playing records and singing at clubs around SF under the name: Liberty. Performing movement enlivened my spirit so much that I decided to learn new moves at San Francisco State University and San Francisco City College. There I specialized in Modern and African dance, including: Dunham technique, Africian-Haitian, and South African. My joyful love of dance carried me to create song and dance rituals for intentional dance parties in San Francisco, where I performed as MissQ. I also enjoyed being part of a trio called: Elizabeth. In this group, MissQ was the lead singer and dancer with Xoetza on the turntables, and Seeress on the beatmaker. www.divinelyaligned.com

crew

Dee Kennedy (Executive Director, Manager, Lead Vocalist, Composer), Christoph (Musical Director, Composer, Lead Guitarist), James Montiont (Co-Director for Balance), Ian C. Helsop(photographer), Tiffany Parish (aerial consultant), Stacey Davies (stage manager), Michael LaHood of LaHood Productions (visual graphics), Iain McMahon (rigger), Rob Kennedy (rigger)