Making the Dance I’ve Not Made Before

As an artist it is easy to explore and re-explore a structure, topic, theme, motif, etc.  And, there is tremendous value to this deepening of the creative experience surrounding a single concept.  When we dive again and again into the waters of a single idea, we see new light, new shade, new nooks and crannies of potential. It is a beautiful practice.  The challenge in the dance world is that our field has been consistently fascinated with that which is new.  Dance makers are often seeking something new and different from their work.  There is a common striving for continual reinvention of aesthetic.  And, yet, it is hard to escape ourselves.

And, we often end up making the same dance over and over. Maybe different costumes or music or lighting, but essentially the same thing over and over. 

Tough.

So, as I reflect on my newest creative endeavor, I am wondering do I try to create something new? Do I deepen something I have explored before?  And, more importantly, how do I know if I am doing what I set out to do?  Either approach is fine, but what I don’t want is to create the same dance again thinking that I am being innovative when I’m not. 

So what do I do? Where do I start?  I know some of my favorite choreographic devices. I know them well.  In fact choreographic structure, use of theme and form are strengths of mine as a choreographer. I like looking at the arc of a piece, the sense of wholeness, and the overall effect of the structure for a narrative or aesthetic purpose.  I notice that I like introducing dancers in the same way. I like grouping them on the stage in certain ways. I like balancing unison with counterpoint.  And, I love front facing and diagonal front facing (mostly for the narrative or human component of the work—after all, comedy doesn’t work quite the same when turned away from the audience).   

Now, what do I do with this information?  I want to make a new dance.  I don’t want to see myself pull out the old tricks again. At least, not this time.  So, I am dedicating myself to avoid these patterns at all costs.  I force myself to do something else. Anything else!

The dance I want to make next has the working title of Dances to Heal the Soul. Each section addressing a different style and aesthetic to serve a goal that touches the spirit, heals the soul, soothes the heart. 

Maybe, I will resort to my old ways. The comfortable habits of creation.  But, maybe I will find something new in the process.  Maybe the dance will root itself in a new value, in a new structure, or in a new aesthetic.  I can only hope. 

In the meantime, as I allow all of this to incubate in my brain, before I get into the studio, I will dream the new dream. 

Squint, and Remake the World

My colleague and friend Jessica Kondrath and I are pooling our efforts for a show to happen this weekend at ARC in Pasadena.  It all started when I commissioned Jessica to set a piece on my students at Moorpark College.  The piece, called Squint, and Remake the World was a great challenge for the young dancers who valiantly rose to the occasion and learned a lot in the process. 

But, there was something about the piece that made me want to dance it. And, not many pieces will do that for me.  So, I asked Jessica to reset it on my company. . . and, well, collaborating on the one piece turned into the production of an entire evening of concert dance. 

Once this idea was planted in my mind I started to work on a choreographic response to Squint.  I titled it Underneath Scattered Eyelashes.  A version of the dance was performed on Megill & Company's Gala performance late May.  I have never created a choreographic response to another dance, so this was a fun and interesting choreographic challenge.  I enjoyed drawing from some of the motifs of Jessica's work and using them as a spring board into a new direction.  Here is a little more about the nature of the piece and my thought process behind it. 


Underneath Scattered Eyelashes

 The title of the work comes from a little game I played when I was younger.  When an eyelash fell on someone's cheek we would get hold of it have the person make a wish while blowing the eyelash (and the wish) into the air.  Where are all those eyelashes? And, perhaps more importantly where are all of the wishes they represented?  Additional imagery for the piece is drawn from the beauty and timelessness of celestial movement as the home of our dreams. The use of arm circles in the piece represents the rotation of the planets.  The large sweeping circular pathways reflect the orbits of the planets around a star.  These grand images of the galaxy are contrasted with a gritty reality that is our life on earth shown in the position of one hand on the head and the other on the hip.  The piece ultimately asks an existential question about who we are in this world and in this lifetime.  Some of the movements are based in CFR lessons (Cortico-Field Reeducation) that I have learned as part of a Feldenkrais-based physical therapy that reintegrates the nervous system for greater ease and efficiency.  The paradoxical nature of the piece can be seen on a micro and a macro level in the design of the body in relationship to gravity and itself and the designs of the bodies in space in relationship to each other.  The heaviness of the piece comes from the existential crisis we all face as some point in our lives.  But, this is effectively balanced in the awe and beauty seen all around us.  The meditative quality of the piece invites the audience to come inward, to settle their energy into this moment and to bask in the complex paradox that is this lifetime. 


In addition to Eyelashes, I will be performing a structured improvisation I created last year called Inside the Vault.  This solo involves five audience volunteers who help me demonstrate the way our brains are able to make connections as we learn.  The piece came to me in a flash. I heard the Tom Waits song; I thought of the text, and I saw the volunteers and use of the yarn all in one moment of artistic connection.

Inside the Vault
This piece is about memory and memory loss.  Our brains have millions of nerves that connect and reconnect as we learn things and forget things.  As we age this process of connection can become difficult for many reasons.  The song Young at Heart performed by tom Waits includes the lyrics "Fairy tales will come true, it can happen to you, when your young at heart."  This reminds us to notice how old or young we feel.  What dreams have we forgotten and what dream to we still hold onto.  How do we interact with the world as emotional beings with our life experience affecting each decision at every turn? These type of questions are addressed in the spoken text from a book My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor in which she describes how our brain is structured and how the neurons connect to each other to create emotions that are the same at 10 as they are at 30 or even 77.  We are both old and young at each stage in our lives.  Our nervous system has no age, and yet we think of ourselves as aging, forgetting, and losing all that we are with the accumulation of years. 

If you come to the show, I would love to hear your thoughts on the work.  I decided to write this blog in response to a friend's request to know more about the pieces in the performance.  She finds the background knowledge provides a key to unlocking and appreciating the pieces on a deeper level.  This got me to thinking about the dance world and audiences and the common misperception of "not getting modern dance." I offer this blog to those who are interested in knowing more, as a sort of alternative to a DVD commentary you might have on a favorite film.  When we invest our attention into something, we are able to enjoy it on many levels from many perspectives.  I hope this blog gives the audience members for this weekend's show a foothold into deeper appreciation. 

-Beth

See the show? Share your thoughts as a comment below! Feedback is a precious gift!

Review: Pennington Dance Group presents BLOW

Last evening I attended a lovely modern dance performance at A Room to Create (ARC) in Pasadena.  This studio/performance space is owned and run by John Pennington and home to Pennington Dance Group.  The show was sold out, with patrons eagerly waiting to see if additional seating would become available.  Pennington means a lot to the LA dance community, not only because of his beautiful dance space, but because of his openhearted and supportive energy for many modern dance companies in the area.  The warmth of the audience emphasized just how beloved Pennington is.

The show opened with a reworked quintet from 2005, entitled OUT OF, choreographed by Pennington.  The five dancers dressed in all white and moved through the space in sweeping patterns that balanced an ethereal quality of beauty with a grounded earth energy. Pennington tied these dynamics together in stunning designs through space that covered the entirety of the performance space with grace and ease.  The piece also incorporated five floor length banners by artist Susan Rankaitis.  These seemingly Japanese inspired panels, set the stage for some of the more Asian stylings in Pennington's choreography.

The show continued with three pieces performed and choreographed by PDG company members.  Tomas Tsai performed his B-boy-meets-dance-theater solo, MEAN.  Li Rothermich performed with Travis Richardson in her impressive and almost acrobatic duet, ECLIPSE.  And, Michael Szanyi captured the audience with his larger than life solo, DESCENT.  This last piece was particularly interesting for its use of theatrical design.

Szanyi stood perched on a box, dressed in a deep red taffeta skirt that cascaded from his corsetted waist down to the floor where it spilled out in all directions.  Set to a piano score by Rachmaninov, Szanyi performed facing upstage the entire time, staying perched in the air as he gestured with his torso and arms in slow, sustained time, never breaking the spell of the piece.  The play of the light on his back and the fleeting glimpses of his profile added to the mystery and magic of the piece.  The moment in which he reached out with a pointed finger reminded me of Michaelanglo's  Sistine Chapel in which Adam is created by the touch of God.  This imagery added a huge layer of meaning in the work, as it immediately opened the door for questioning the nature of man, and more specifically of a gay man, as he stands larger than life, perched on a pedestal in his blood red skirt reaching for the finger of God.

After intermission, Pennington premiered his newest work, BLOW.  This piece opened with the company of eight dancers exhaling and blowing out in all manners possible: sighing, lip buzzing, shushing, whistling, coughing.  The ridiculousness of this situation added a quirky levity to the show that had not yet been incorporated and was refreshing for the audience who now had a chance to laugh.  The opening scene moved into a series of duets, in which the dancers manipulated each other with their breath, inhaling to suck them in and exhaling to send them away. Each couple was unique and playful, moving through the space in unpredictable bursts.  These duets ended with the dancers moving to the walls of the space which were covered in sound-proofing material (black egg crate foam), and against which the duets could interact by pressing and climbing the wall with the help of their partner.  This offered a rich visual experience for the audience who could look between the duets and the four different areas on the wall to choose which moment was interesting and which drew their attention.  However, it was at this point in the work that the connection to the idea of BLOW became muddy.  Nevertheless, the duets were a visual feast as the dancers related to each other with a variety of emotions including suspicion, aggression, play, and curiosity. 

As most of the dancers exited the space, two men were left to perform a duet that was sensitive, patient, and powerful.  The dancers moved through the space with speed and agility that was never forced or awkward. These dancers floated through the huge performance space, covering ground in a way that was extremely satisfying for the viewer.  The immediacy of the duet was palpable for the audience, and yet, the design and precision of the movement was never lost.  Pennington clearly has a way for creating movement that is exuberant, free and visually stimulating. 

The piece then took an unexpected turn, when out of the sensitive moment, in walked Li Chang Rothermich in high platform heels, a pencil skirt, blouse, sunglasses and red designer bag.  It was immediately evident that this woman owned the stage.  Her presence just standing on the stage and looking outward was riveting.  Her put-together affectations contrasted the somewhat disheveled young man in the suit with awkwardly short pants and sneakers who occupied the other side of the stage.  The energetic and qualitative differences between this well-kept women and gangly young man made for a strange and laughable comparison.

But, nothing compared to the next choreographic moment in which two young men dueled with leaf blowers.  Yes! My life in now complete! This outright, obvious interpretation of BLOW was nothing short of hysterical and spectacular. This quirky moment (like the opening) is where the heart of the piece really lies.  Smart and funny.

The piece closed with all eight dancers in black recreating the sensation of being blown across the stage in waves of arm gestures and running patterns that transformed the space into a kinetic playground.  The strongest moment came near the end during which the dancers lined up across the length of the performance space and moved upstage and downstage in gusts of action that reminded me of the unpredictable and immense power of the Santa Ana winds we know so well here in Los Angeles. 

Overall the evening of dance was a notable success. The audience was extremely receptive and gracious. The dancers' chemistry as a whole made clear that they enjoy performing together as a company.  Another special aspect of the performance was original music scores for the majority of the works.  Edgar Rothermich and Tom Peters each provided scores for this performance.  In addition, as a dancer watching this performance there was something extremely satisfying.  Pennington's movement looks like it feels good to dance.  The traveling through space, the smart designs in the use of gesture, and the luxurious and graciousness of the movement quality all add to the kinesthetic appeal of the performance. I know Pennington offers weekly class, and after seeing the show tonight, I am tempted to make the drive to Pasadena!

Review: Nancy Evans Dance Theater and Guests in WORKS

I used to think that there was little variety in the modern dance scene in LA, but getting out more and seeking shows off the beaten path has proved me quite wrong.  Nancy Evans Dance Theater is a rock solid modern dance company, in residence at Porticoes Art Space in Pasadena.  And, when I say modern dance, I want to clarify that Evans' work is truly an extension of the historical modern dance era.  Much of what is called modern dance today is really contemporary modern dance, a result of the rule breaking post modernists and the subsequent techniques of contact improvisation and release technique. 

NEDT works within a movement frame work that predates these trends.  Evans choreography has all the compositional integrity, expressive narrative and shape based technique of the modern dance era, and her story telling through movement still resonates for today. The guest company SolevVita Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Joelle Martinec, was a playfully refreshing contemporary jazz company that contrasted the NEDT aesthetic and balanced the show nicely. 

Here are a few highlight from a few different works on the program:

Choreographed by Nancy Evans, Vigil, was originally staged in 2012 and restaged for this performance.  A 45 minute dance narrative about death, loss and grief, this was a moving study in character and storytelling through movement.  I appreciated the consistent "roles" the dancers played in the work. To me they were the family members left behind, mother, sister, wife and mother in law. Scot Tuper, as the deceased, held the energetic space for the duration of the work, mostly confined to his upstage platform, separate but always emotionally involved.  I was particularly swept into the piece during the candle solo by Monica Buckner whose emotive commitment gave me permission to invest in the characters' relationships.  Her emotional sensitivity to her gestural solo was detailed, patient and rich.  The music included a variety of classical works by Ravel, Liszt, Debussy and Mompou among others.  This style of piano scored music, has largely gone out of favor in current dance practices.  Most choreographers opting for minimalist scores, electronic soundtracks or popular music.  The use of music that is at once beautiful as well as irregular and dissonant blended with the choreographic composition seamlessly.  Evans musicianship (as seen in others pieces as well) is embedded in her craft.  Music, dance and expression all as one.

Another favorite of the show for me was the quirky and serene Flock of Two by NEDT company member Katrina Amerine.  This duet performed by Ashleigh Doede and Jenn Logan was imagery rich while simple in design.  The piece consisted of a strong balletic leaning, which worked brilliantly with the dancers' long and birdlike legs and arms.  In some ways I saw this piece as more of a contemporary ballet than modern with the curved port de bras, long lines in the legs, springs and turns that worked so well together. I did find myself wondering about the relationship of the two dancers as their focus stayed individually directed for the whole of the dance.  With that said, I wondered about their relationship not just to each other but to the world around them and their journey through time and space.  The piece closed with my favorite swirling image of the dancers, in which they magically evoked the quality of birds swooping and circling in the air. 

Joelle Martinec's SoleVita contrasted the longer works of NEDT with bite sized dances that were charming and fun.  An interesting programatic choice was the order of Flock of Two followed by SoleVita's 2, followed by NEDT's Coupling, Cycles 1-3 (choreographed by Jenn Logan).  These three duets were so notably different in tone, relationship and story that they could be their own compositional study.  2, choreographed by Joelle Martinec, contrasted Flock of Two, with a jazzy score and classical jazz styling on top of a playful romance.  These well matched dancers played over the top characters, who bumped and bonked their way through getting to know each other and falling in love.  The contemporary jazz technique and use of a male-female duet has become a very familiar dance formula made popular by So You Think You Can Dance.  Nevertheless, this piece was unpredictable in its use of humor and play to tell the story of these young and talented lovers. 

Modern Communication also choreographed by Martinec, was a satirical piece about our new best friends: cell phones (and their incredible ability to stop our in person lives in favor of our cyber-lives).  Martinec, clearly has her finger on the pulse of current pop culture, and I deeply appreciate her willingness to use the popular contemporary jazz style to comment on the hazzards or pop culture.  Her witty use of Sheila Chandra's music entitled Speaking in Tongues, certainly made me smile as it also demonstrated Martinec's use of musicality in her choreography (as well as the dancers' ability to recreate and perform such complex musical phrasing).

The last two pieces I wish to comment on are the two solos performed by the respective artistic directors of the companies.  Martinec danced a seductive jazz solo choreographed by Alex Little, called To Be Loved in Return, set to live a saxophone performance by Mathew Thompson.   Martinec is a luscious performer, generous, confident and very sexy.  She became the saxophone being played, cool and sweet.  Her body was alive in a way that made me very sad when it was over so soon. 

Nancy Evans took the stage for her homage to mentor Hanya Holm in Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach in meiner Brust meaning Two Souls, alas, Dwell in my Breast (and, I was so excited to put my German language skills to use!). As I had enter the lobby earlier that day, I noticed a slide show projected on the wall including images of and quotes of modern dance legend Hanya Holm.  Holm is part of the German expressionist line of modern dance, having studied with Mary Wigman before coming to America and continuing her extensive career teaching and choreographing.  I watched the slide show play all the way through, captivated by the expression in Holm's body and the truth in her quotes. . . and I am so glad I did.  Having seen the slide show images, I was able to see the physical and aesthetic lineage from Holm to Evans.  Dance that is musical, dynamically varied and extremely well crafted.  The second half of the piece was set to a piece of music in 5/4 and I could not have been happier watching the rhythmic play of Evans dancing through the space, viscerally connected to the driving music.  It was emotionally invigorating and not a surprise when the audience erupted into applause before the lights had even gone out.  That is a sign of a well crafted composition. 

I realized as I was watching the performance that the Hanya Holm slide show not only informed my understanding and appreciation of Evans' solo, but of all of her choreography.  Evans is not interested in post modern thinking or contemporary trends. She is a storyteller, trusting in the power of gesture, shape and rhythm for physical communication.  I was reminded just how important a simple moment can be, shifting the gaze from one space to another, holding someone's hands, reaching out for them, turning away.  Those are the moments I take with me from this afternoon of dance. 

This is the great dance that is happening right here in greater LA.  This is the dance that makes you think, makes you stop and wonder about what you value and how you want to be in the world.  Remember that the dance world needs your continued support and that you also need the dance world. We all need the reminder through movement that we are all human, and we are all dancing through this thing called life. 

Then. Now. Onward: A Review of the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company

This was my first ever Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company show, so I came in with literally no expectations. What I knew of LACDC, consisted of a trio I saw of artistic director, Kate Hutter's just last Friday at Adam Parson's Commonality Dance benefit concert.  (See review here).

I also, knew a little about Lindsey Lollie's work (one of the guest artists), having seen her at a number of dance festivals in LA this past year.  But, all in all, I was a clean slate, and I was excited to see what LACDC had in store for me.

This spring repertory show was truly enjoyable.  Now, perhaps I have just been holed up in my suburban life (hello tenure process!), but this is the first local, professional contemporary modern dance company I have seen since I moved to the LA area.  I have seen fantastic touring groups come through, and I have seen short form contemporary work in regional festivals.  But, this was the first company with evening length repertory that I can say was not either a college dance show or some permutation of contemporary jazz.

The concert consisted of 4 pieces. Here are a few thoughts on each:

Lindsey Lollie's piece "En Route" was set to a live avant garde score of Peter Gonzales.  What a treat to have a blend of live instrumentation and real time ipad and macbook driven technical manipulation creating a living, breathing, aural landscape for the piece.  Lollie's syrupy movement dripped off the dancers in the signature style I have come to associate with her work.  The movement palette was silky smooth with a kinetic flow that poured into the floor and between bodies with a hypnotic result.  The dancers embodied the style with ease and vibrancy.

Arianne MacBean presented a beautiful and fun large ensemble piece entitled "100 Times is Not Enough."  MacBean's sense of comic timing and wit made this piece extra enjoyable for the audience.  Telling the "story" of a choreographer in the creative process, the piece featured LACDC's Kate Hutter as the "choreographer," who has to confront herself and her misgivings about creating dance again and again, but eventually finds solace in simple movements that weave together into a visual tapestry that is rich and satisfying.  What can I say? I love humor. And, Hutter's comic timing and ability to connect to the audience was excellent.  But, humor aside, the craftsmanship of the composition was what made this piece so victorious in the end!  It gave the audience a chance to see the piece come to life, and gave the audience a reason to cheer for the success of the piece. It was a choreographic victory happening before our eyes! "99!"

Returning from intermission, "Unravel" choreographed by Kate Hutter and performed by Hutter and Charlie Hodges, had the audience in rapture.  I think the power of this piece lies in the human connection.  This piece, more than any other in the evening, highlighted an intimacy between performers that was playful, invested, and personal.  The seamless partnering and dynamic flow of the two bodies in space had my neighboring audience member whispering "beautiful" under his breath and clapping overhead by the end.  Hutter and Hodges' life long friendship in movement was a treat for the audience to savor.

The evening culminated with Hutter's interpretation of The Rite of Spring, which celebrated it 100's anniversary just this past spring.  Entitled "Prite oef Stringh" (and yes, to save you a moment, it does work out to spell The Rite of Spring all jumbled), this piece was set to a recrafted version of Stranvisky's original score, as freshly composed by Austin Wintory.  I very much enjoyed the simple modifications to the original music to suit a contemporary aesthetic of dance as well as a newly crafted retelling of the story.  The dancer's wore white long underwear that was cut for the women, and socks on everyone that allowed the dancers to slide and be slid (by others) across the white marley floor.  The large cast was essential for creating the sense of tribe and community in the piece and made the final "outcast" particularly prominent.  The dancer's exquisite physicality was the shining star for me in this piece.  They danced from their gut in a way that was completely vulnerable and appropriately disturbing at times.  This, juxtaposed with periods of live clapping, added to the visceral immediacy of the "Rite."  A beautiful and beautifully danced contemporary work, that before now I hadn't experienced among the professional LA dance world. 

This show runs the weekend and should be seen by every dance lover who aches for concert length contemporary dance works that are unashamed to be exactly as they are in a city of glitter and red carpets. 

Then.  Now.  Onward!
 April 4, 5, 6 2013 8:00pm, April 7th at 7pm

LACDC’s Spring Repertory Concert featuring new work by L.A. choreographers Arianne MacBean, Lindsey Lollie, and Artistic Director, Kate Hutter.  The performance will also feature live performance of original music.

Diavolo Dance Space in the Brewery in downtown L.A.
616 Moulton Ave.  Los Angeles, CA  90031