Mary Johnston-Coursey

Mary Johnston-Coursey

maryjc@xmission.com

   Salt Lake City, UT

Mary Johnston-Coursey has taught, choreographed and per- formed dance since 1987. She has been on the faculties of the University  of  Utah,  Utah  State  University,  Columbia  College Dance Center, MoMing Dance and Art Center, and The School. Residencies  and  choreographic  commissions  have  taken  her across the country, as well as to Costa Rica. Upon moving to Utah,  Mary  founded  her  own  dance  company, Kinetic  Cafe, and became co-founder of the Choreographers Lab. For eight years she co-directed the art program at The Open Classroom elementary charter school. Mary is also a singer and a yogi. She has performed for many years in two bands, and currently teaches yoga and meditation.
Mary joined forces with Roz Newmark back in 1991 with the interactive storytelling company Ripple Tales. Dancers and mu- sicians both, their collaboration is constantly evolving and is richly fed by their many independent artistic pursuits in the performing and the visual arts. In Ripple Tales, they weave in audience participation as they combine movement and music into their stories.
Mary has worked alone and with Roz in residencies with chil- dren to build stories that incorporate various art forms into performance,  engaging  each  child  to  join  in  with  body  and voice, heart and soul. We start by laying in a foundation of tools and skills, then encourage the children to make choices and develop their own creation within the structure we have set. A story can be based on school curriculum or themes, or have a cultural or other focus relevant to the student popula- tion and supportive to the classroom focus.  The children ulti- mately explore not only the characters of the story, but the wind, the rivers, the trees, or any other relevant aspects. The whole story comes together magically out of chaos.  Mary can also work more simply, focusing in one artistic area - music, art, or dance - built around a story brought to life.