What is “Meh”? It is whatever you want it to be. It is the answer to a question that you can’t find the answer to. It’s the description of an emotion you just can’t find the words for. We dance “Meh”! We dance what we feel. In the city of Meh-Tropolis, we dance whatever the “Meh” we want!
We strive to give children this same opportunity to release energy and emotion through art, and to guide them through their own world of “Meh”, where there are no wrong answers or movements, just authentic ones!
Principal Dancers
Anthony Eisenhower, Claire Hanson, Sarah Harkness, Danielle Haskin, Christina Lindeman, Erin Riley, Brenda Stevens, Nick Thompson & Daniel Zuzalek
Character Company
Atticus Batacan, Jon Butcher, Joey Isaia, Kristi Kraemer, Nathan Krupa, & Carla Marie Rugg
Corps De Ballet
Sarah Anderson, Tara Beunaventura, Lauren Magboo, Melody McKnight, Kristen Mooney, Kristina Ortega, Tina Ponce, & Kimberley Rehrer
Guest Artists
Tiffany Coons, Jon Caliguiri, Brady Lowdermilk & David Scales
Meh-Tropolis photography by Jason
Corman, Glenn Cratty/LMU, Mike Kendrick, Chris McCaleb, and April Rocha
...In 1999, while Sarah Harkness was studying theatre and choreographing
dance at Loyola Marymount University, relationships began to develop that
would eventually be the foundation of the company as it is today. "SKAT: an
eclectic collection of swing crazed characters", Sarah's choreography for the
LMU Spring Dance Concert, saw the introduction of Matt Bazar, Nathan Krupa,
Kristina Ortega, and Chris Sullivan, all wonderful characters on and off the
stage, and now cherished company members.
This dance also saw the birth of a new phenomenon known as "A Cast of
Thousands". The phrase, fondly coined by LMU Dance Program Director,
Judith Scalin, once again made its presence known on the LMU Stub Theatre
stage with "Goodeth". In memory of Kyle Gudath, this more serious work
added Janine Foster, Gina Johnson, Erin Riley, and Mary O'Malley to this
steadily growing dance community of friends and artists.
In 2001, the world of "Meh" was officially born. In wild tutus, sassy
fishnets, and a boy in a bowler cap...the citizens of "Meh-Tropolis"
went about their daily lives, interrupting each other's paths and
joining the dance while letting out a few "Mehs" along the way. For
some, "Meh" was happy, for others, sad. Some were anxious, and
others, exuberant. "Meh" was, well, just about every emotion one
could think of. Adding Danielle Haskin, Megan Misslin, and Melody
McKnight to the "Meh" community, the creation of this dance
paved the way for the journey that was to come.
In 2002, Meh-Tropolis Dance Theatre was founded, and we lived our first season of discovery
and challenge. The company's principal dancers are among the founding members, and have
continued to cultivate the unique and creative community that Meh-Tropolis is today.
So here we are, pleasantly interrupting your lives with a fresh
breath of dance, theatrics, and all around creative chaos, because....
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"Sarah Harkness has a knack for retelling classic stories in movement and for putting an original spin on
their characters...This 'Dream' boasted enough real talent-acting talent, dancing talent, and choreographic
talent-and belief in movement expression to give the new dance year plenty of high expectations."
-Lewis Segal, The Los Angeles Times Click Here To Read other Reviews of Meh-Tropolis
Who I'd like to meet: Dancers, Actors, Martial Artists, Gymnasts, Hard Workers, Circus Folk, Mimes, Story Tellers, Creative outlets, people who really feel good about what they do, and basically anyone who really likes to get up and say what they mean, and not be held back.
I hope you're having a great week and making time to take care of your mind and body, too!
"Health is a large word. It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well;... and not today's pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man." ~James H. West
