#sparkchamber 120919 — Pamela Hetherington
Though Thanksgiving — and all the associated buying and sharing days — is behind us, #sparkchamber wishes to extend the giving season into another week. Alum Pamela Hetherington — choreographer, composer, leader in the field of tap dance — has an ongoing fundraiser to paint a mural on the side of a building in the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philadelphia.
The building houses the dance space she founded almost 5 years ago, Sound Space Performing Arts. The 4000-square foot space is dedicated specifically to the preservation and advancement of percussive dance in American culture, and more broadly, to programming that reflects our shared American history and our collective, visionary future. “I personally work hard to cultivate an educational and artistic environment which is forward-facing, relevant, accessible, and transformative for our North Philadelphia community and the city at large.”
Pamela is a Philadelphia native, and a large part of what she does is informed by her need, “to give back to the city that has given me so much.” As she continues to grow roots in Brewerytown and to expand projects deeper into the community, “I wanted to find a way to transmit the vibrancy, excitement, hard work, love and energy that comes through our doors on a daily basis. I see a mural as a visual representation of the love that we have for our work at Sound Space. The love, work, and passion will spill literally out of the walls, windows and doorways into neighborhood, for all to see and enjoy.”
Mural artist Kaitlin Chow has been commissioned, and work is slated to begin next spring, with an anticipated completion date of May 25, 2020. They are looking to raise $5,000 — an amount that will be matched by a storefront improvement grant from the City of Philadelphia — so all of your dollars are doubled! Please consider a donation with a click here.
Meanwhile, here’s look back at Pamela’s answers from her November 2017 #sparkchamber.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
My ideas come from listening to music and letting my mind drift. I have to take at least one hour a day to be inspired by music. I create my work in the form of jazz, so I listen to a lot of jazz. I also listen to live jazz as much as possible. I get fed creatively in a jazz session.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
What I do — dancing, creating, teaching, performing — brings me so much joy and insight and the highest highs. I am fine with feeling the lowest lows sometimes, because the highs are so worth it. I work hard for the highs.
3.] Early bird or night owl, tortoise or hare?
I used to be an early-bird hare. I still work best in the morning, but I have to do everything very slowly and thoughtfully and at the last minute. Sometimes I wonder if I’m self-sabotaging myself by putting the last-minute pressure on myself, but actually, I’m working the entire time. I have to do other things and think and parse through all of the possibilities before I create. That work takes weeks or months.
4.] How do you know when you are done? When I stop changing things.
