(no subject)
As my friend Tom lamented, 'It's not a safe time to be a dancing legend.' In the last month, the world lost both Merce Cunningham and Pina Bausch.
In the last few months, I became friends with Merce Cunningham's sound man. It all started with a a trip to Schenectady where I crashed his wedding...well, reception, and was welcomed without question. What great fun! - bonfire, good food and beer, great company, house and fields of fireflies keeping time!
A couple of weeks ago, the dance company was in town for a show at Wolf Trap. The troupe performed Soundscape (1975) and Split Sides, a performance where the designs and order were decided by a roll of dice. It's most popular appeal was original music by Radiohead and Sigur Ros. After the show, I talked with the sound man talked about the music composition - what was provided by the bands, what he controlled and improvised. It was fascinating. Although the idea of Split Sides appealed to me, I couldn't help but think that it's academic, exploratory premise would be a better workshop than performance.
But I love that Merce asked these sorts of questions, pushed the boundaries, didn't worry about audiences walking out, and observed people every step of the way.
I was introduced to the work of Pina Bausch a few years ago while living in Wales. She was an influential dancer and choreographer from Germany. In 2005, I saw a remounted production of Palermo Palermo (1989) at Sadler's Well in London. Walls collapse covering the stage in rubble. A woman obsesses over a packet of dried spaghetti. Clutter and mess and franic energy. Her expressionist design, adaptation of everyday movements and emphasis through repetition lent itself to a visual storytelling that continued to morph with each repetition or stark break. I appreciated this most of all. She died unexpectedly, 5 days after being diagnosed with cancer.
some short videos of her work are posted on the Guardian site:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/jul/01/pina-bausch-clip-dance-guide
They may not have changed my life or enlightened me to new ways of perceiving, but as legends, I'm sorry to see them go. As artists, I'm glad for the opportunity to have witnessed and shared in their vision.
In the last few months, I became friends with Merce Cunningham's sound man. It all started with a a trip to Schenectady where I crashed his wedding...well, reception, and was welcomed without question. What great fun! - bonfire, good food and beer, great company, house and fields of fireflies keeping time!
A couple of weeks ago, the dance company was in town for a show at Wolf Trap. The troupe performed Soundscape (1975) and Split Sides, a performance where the designs and order were decided by a roll of dice. It's most popular appeal was original music by Radiohead and Sigur Ros. After the show, I talked with the sound man talked about the music composition - what was provided by the bands, what he controlled and improvised. It was fascinating. Although the idea of Split Sides appealed to me, I couldn't help but think that it's academic, exploratory premise would be a better workshop than performance.
But I love that Merce asked these sorts of questions, pushed the boundaries, didn't worry about audiences walking out, and observed people every step of the way.
I was introduced to the work of Pina Bausch a few years ago while living in Wales. She was an influential dancer and choreographer from Germany. In 2005, I saw a remounted production of Palermo Palermo (1989) at Sadler's Well in London. Walls collapse covering the stage in rubble. A woman obsesses over a packet of dried spaghetti. Clutter and mess and franic energy. Her expressionist design, adaptation of everyday movements and emphasis through repetition lent itself to a visual storytelling that continued to morph with each repetition or stark break. I appreciated this most of all. She died unexpectedly, 5 days after being diagnosed with cancer.
some short videos of her work are posted on the Guardian site:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/jul/01/pina-bausch-clip-dance-guide
They may not have changed my life or enlightened me to new ways of perceiving, but as legends, I'm sorry to see them go. As artists, I'm glad for the opportunity to have witnessed and shared in their vision.