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The Pratfalls podcast

Hosted by Levi Weinhagen, The Pratfalls Podcast features conversations with artists and creative folks of all kinds about the relationship between making cool things and being a person in the world. It features funny, insightful and weird conversations with artists and creatives of all kinds.
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Now displaying: November, 2016
Nov 17, 2016

“In India I think everyone is pretty much always dancing.”

Divya Maiya and Madhu Bangalore talk about their marriage, their work with Bollywood Dance Scene and how the two intersect.

Bollywood Dance Scene was formed in 2012 by Divya Maiya, Rashi Mangalick and Jinal Vakil, three dynamic Indian dancers who wanted to share their love of movement and Indian culture with their neighbors and friends.The trio took on dance choreography projects with growing scale, complexity, and team size. Their dancers have performed at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Festival of Nations and other venues that define the cultural scene in Minnesota.

In 2014, the dance community they inspire was strong enough to create the first live Bollywood dance drama to be performed at the Minnesota Fringe Festival - the largest unjuried theater festival in the country. With 50+ cast members, Hi! Hello! Namaste? Was the highest ticket selling show of the 2014 festival.  Armed with theatrical experience, Bollywood Dance Scene presented Spicy Masala Chai at the 2015 MN Fringe Festival, and it became the highest selling show in MN Fringe history! 

Nov 9, 2016

“This has been a year of understanding resilience and how humor is part of processing something as dark and deep as suicide.”

Shannon Forney is working at the intersection of creativity, creative placemaking, entrepreneurialism, small business, nonprofit management, and clown. On this episode of the podcast, Shannon talks about the work clown training does to separate the person from the ego and to see the foley of attempting that separation. She also shares very openly about running her own business with her partner and her past year of resilience after her sister's suicide.

Originally from Maine, Shannon Forney has performed in the Twin Cities with Jon Ferguson Theater (Animal Farm 2008), TigerLion Arts (MN State Fair 2013), and at the Walker Art Center in a steam punk-musical by the LISPS (FUTURITY 2012).  She studied Red Nose with master clown, Giovanni Fusetti and contemplative performance with Naropa University faculty, Nina Rolle. Puppetry credits include Odessa's Animal Adventure (2012) at the MN Zoo, Instruments of Tortuga (2007) at Heart of the Beast, and Dreamland Fire Waltz in Boulder Colorado (2003).

 Shannon is the co-owner of WORKHORSE COFFEE BAR in St Paul is the lead curator for the Smallest Museum in St Paul, a 2015-2016 Knight Foundation St Paul Arts Challenge project. Shannon served as inaugural board chair for 20% Theater from 2009-2012. Her last performance with the company was as ensemble lead for the MN Fringe Festival creation Elephant Shoes and Olive Juice (2008), about miscommunication, inspired by typewriters, tin-can phones, and text messaging. Scooper, her dubious under-dog clown character has made appearances at the Walker Art Center's Open Field (2014), LRT Green Line Launch, and various Twin Cities events. She considers clowning as artistic social practice, engaging audiences in small acts of curiosity. 

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