The Dance Pod
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Why make a dance pod?
The decision to build a tiny house with a stage platform was, and continues to be, motivated by my experiences as a kid. When asked, I told adults that I planned on traveling the world on my horse with my pet monkey. As a fledgling teen I worked full-time, starting my second part-time job on my fourteenth birthday. I put myself through junior high and high school, and later through both undergraduate and graduate schools. I also moved a great deal when I was younger; with that lifestyle came a constant searching for home—what does home look like, where is it located, who inhabits the space; these were the types of questions I often asked myself.
All of those experiences (a desire for travel and adventure, a need for security and safety and a yearning for a place that is my own) have shaped my current desires, and ultimately led me to building my own tiny home/workshop/performance space. There’s something very special about living and creating work in a place that you built with your very own body.
All of those experiences (a desire for travel and adventure, a need for security and safety and a yearning for a place that is my own) have shaped my current desires, and ultimately led me to building my own tiny home/workshop/performance space. There’s something very special about living and creating work in a place that you built with your very own body.
Process
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We decided to build two models, one for Hallie and one for me. My MPD was jokingly labeled “the poor mans model” because we were literally scrounging for any reclaimed materials we could utilize. Almost all of the 2x4’s and 2x8’s were from an old pig/cow barn that was being torn down in Champaign, IL. The redwood in the interior was all given to me in Huntsville, TX in exchange for carpentry work. There was no funding for this project and I didn’t have any type of savings, so I used credit cards. Hallie helped me build my MPD (I affectionately call her Rosie after my grandmother) for about three weeks and then she left for Vashon Island, Washington where she began the process of building her own tiny house. There were also a few friends and volunteers helping us build in that beginning phase. After about a month and a half of working, the exterior of the structure was complete and road-ready.
When I left Champaign IL in September of 2011, the interior of Rosie was a skeleton—just studs. There was no bed or counter space. All of my stuff was either stuffed under the floor (the entire floor is storage accessed by lifting up individual panels that fit together like puzzle pieces) or crammed somewhere into the space. I traveled with building materials, tools, personal belongings, my motorcycle and my dog, Sugar. It was a heavy load! From August 2011 (Rosie was used in a performance event before she was complete) to August 2014, I created work, performed and organized art events from Rosie. Traveling from town to town Rosie provided a physical platform for people to share diverse skills, passions and interests. I partnered with a university, art centers, not-for-profit organizations, city agencies and individuals. I called the tour Raw Art Tour, because I had begun working under the creative name Raw Art in 2010. I stopped working under the name Raw Art in 2014. 
Residency at Shared Space Studio in Pentwater, MI. Pictured: Lynda Blankinship, Grant Heaps, LJ Murphy, Alayne Speltz
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Partnership with Wynne Home Arts Center in Huntsville, TX Pictured participants (sitting on stage): Arthur Shane Doyle and William Tyler Ezzell (Gypsy Davies)
movement, sound & painting collaboration located at SunFlower River Intentional Community in Albuquerque, NM. Pictured: Sarah Haas (movement artists), Marisa Muro (painter), Rev LeReve Tswolwizar (didgeridoo player). Photo by Jyllian Roach |
Residency at Shared Space Studio in Pentwater, MI. Pictured: Jeffrey Kriksciun and myself
Partnership with Urban Manifest Festival in Chicago, IL. Pictured Deborah Siegel and myself
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Residency at Austin Pea State University Pictured: Marcus Hayes, Margaret Rennerfeldt
Residency at Austin Peay State University Pictured: Whitney Gaston
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Partnership with Artprize in Grand Rapids, MI Pictured: Laura Isaac
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Residency at Shared Space Studio in Pentwater, MI Pictured: Sarah Applebaum and Sugar!
Current
In August 2014 I bought land off-grid in northern Arizona where I now homestead. Rosie is currently connected to the earth with concrete piers. One stage has become a permanent porch; the wall area is now a huge sliding glass window. The other two stage platforms are still operable and used during comfortable weather. In this new location I continue to build and work creatively. There is a 16’x16’ outdoor stage and another tiny house, called Central Station, currently under construction. I catch and haul water, bring in propane for the stove and utilize solar panels and a generator for electricity. This homestead is used both as an airbnb and as an artist residency space. |
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Rosie's Stats
Trailer cost: $3800
Material costs for Rosie: Approximately $6000
Rosie’s weight: 8,500 pounds
Eco-friendly: 70-75% reclaimed materials
Energy: 95% owner energy; 5% volunteer labor
Dimensions: 24’ x 8’5”, approximately 10’ 4” in height
Stage dimensions: Two stages, each approximately 7’x7’
Trailer cost: $3800
Material costs for Rosie: Approximately $6000
Rosie’s weight: 8,500 pounds
Eco-friendly: 70-75% reclaimed materials
Energy: 95% owner energy; 5% volunteer labor
Dimensions: 24’ x 8’5”, approximately 10’ 4” in height
Stage dimensions: Two stages, each approximately 7’x7’
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