Damian Woetzel and Tiler Peck at the Guggenheim Museum, photo by Erin Baiano
Last Sunday evening, audience members of the intimate Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Guggenheim Museum learned and performed George Balanchine’s Serenade, with piano accompaniment by Cameron Grant. Well, that’s not entirely accurate, but former New York City Ballet principal dancer Damian Woetzel started this rare Works & Process event, called “The Art of Teaching: Participation & Perception”, by teaching everyone the ballet’s opening movements. It was the first of many examples of audience engagement, which was a focal point for Woetzel – coming from the world of performing – and Michael Sandel, a political philosopher, Harvard professor of government, and Rhodes Scholar whose widely popular undergraduate class “Justice” is now part of a public television series. By presenting their own areas of expertise in an interactive manner, Woetzel and Sandel explored the relationship between performing and teaching. How does a performer engage the audience? How is teaching a performing art? What does it mean for the audience to participate in a work of art? In addition to insight from Woetzel and Sandel, there were many opinions from audience members, who eagerly crossed the line from spectators to participants during the event.
Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild in an excerpt from Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun, photo by Erin Baiano
With assistance and input from current New York City Ballet principal dancers Tiler Peck, Robert Fairchild, and Joaquin De Luz, who performed excerpts from Balanchine’s Serenade and The Nutcracker and Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances, Afternoon of a Faun, and Fancy Free, Woetzel discussed the process of learning a role in a ballet and how the process evolves from studio to stage. Using Afternoon of a Faun as an example, he explained how the male character in that ballet is in a studio, dancing in front of a mirror and later with a woman. While that may be easy while rehearsing the ballet in a studio, it becomes challenging to engage the audience while performing the ballet on stage, yet still convey the intimacy of rehearsing alone in a studio (which is what the character is doing). According to both Woetzel and Fairchild, learning this role is slightly different for each dancer. After Fairchild, De Luz, and Woetzel portrayed the three sailors from Fancy Free, they discussed the character development that occurred as they performed. Fairchild said he felt like a guy from Kansas just arriving in NYC for the first time. The ballet is silent, so the dancers aim to convey their fictional stories to the audience through movement.
Sandel immediately sparked debate upon entering the stage by asking, “What is the relationship between justice and equality?” More specifically, he was interested in the audience’s opinions on taxing bonuses for bankers. After hearing from many lively participants, Sandel showed wealth disparities by sharing the average salary of a public school teacher and David Letterman, and the salaries of Chief Justice John Roberts and Judge Judy. The question seemed to be, what is the value of the contribution to society? And is it just for an entertainer to make drastically more money than a public servant?
Michael Sandel and Damian Woetzel, photo by Erin Baiano
Damian Woetzel and Tiler Peck in an excerpt from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, photo by Erin Baiano
While it might seem as though there was little in common between Sandel’s discussion of justice and equality and Woetzel’s ballet demonstrations, both served as models for audience engagement. And both were remarkably effective. Yet, they had a frank discussion about what to do when an audience isn’t engaged. Woetzel hoped that by learning a small excerpt from Serenade – blocking an imaginary sun with the right hand, bringing the hand to the head as if in pain, slowly opening the feet to first position and “becoming a dancer” – the audience was able to more deeply appreciate Tiler Peck’s polished performance. Jokingly, he added that when dancers perform, “We know when you cough”, which led to a conversation about how to reinvigorate a bored audience. How does one do that when performing in front of a darkened theater? Or when teaching a class of a few thousand? Sandel suggested that the shuffling of papers and even coughing, which he believes can be involuntary, are signs that he’s lost his audience and has to do something different to gain their attention. Woetzel pointed out that, while performing with NYCB, he was fortunate to have a few performances that transported him to another place, which hopefully meant that he transported the audience with him, as well. At other times, pausing to internalize the silence in the theater can indicate if the audience is engaged. Surely it takes a skilled performer to be able to interpret silence.
Works & Process at the Guggenheim should have more thought-provoking events like this one that are both physically and intellectually engaging. Who would have thought that a political philosopher and a former professional dancer would join forces to spark enthusiasm, participation, and vibrant debate?
Urban Bush Women, Uncensored
January 26, 2010
Samantha Spies, Bennalldra Williams, and Keisha Turner in Zollar: Uncensored, photo by Yi-Chun Wu
Bold, erotic, empowering, and fierce – these are a few of the words that defined Urban Bush Women’s performance on Saturday night at Dance Theater Workshop. The company, led by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, kicked off their 25th anniversary season with Zollar: Uncensored, an evening-length piece that featured shorter works spanning from 1985 to 2004. The performance centered on erotic integrity, a theme that was considered too controversial by many arts presenters back in the 1980s, and was thus abandoned by Zollar. For the first time since then, Zollar’s company presented a seamless collage of uncensored work that left the audience laughing, crying, howling, hooting, clapping, and shaking to the company’s sensual rhythms.
A spoken excerpt from Bones and Ash (1995) guided the performance – “We came here for the dreams, and in the dreams we find ourselves” – and self-awareness and knowing took on different forms throughout the evening. Three dancers stared at their reflections in a mirror as they erupted into laughter, while in another excerpt the dancers and vocalists – four women who wove in and out of the performance – moaned individually and then collectively, expressing pleasure from cupcakes. They also celebrated their bodies as they shook and shimmied to “Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya”.
Paloma McGregor, photo by Yi-Chun Wu
While Zollar: Uncensored illustrated pride and pleasure, it also conveyed pain and torment. A woman broke free from inner torture and hurt by shedding her clothes and stilettos and cracking an egg over her heaving body while ominously revealing a knife. She was then joined by a group of women who dressed and comforted her. In a powerful excerpt from River Woman, Zollar walked hunched over across the stage with Samantha Speis, nude, mimicking her movement. With a strained voice and extending arms, Zollar told the story of a rape and physical abuse while Speis appeared as a victim and a crushed spirit, removed from her own tortured body.
A sense of community and sisterhood pulsed throughout the piece. When one woman fell, the others were there to help her rise up. Strength came from unity, and this was enhanced by costume choices (the dancers were usually dressed in uniform iridescent fabrics) and the interwoven performances of the dancers, vocalists, and on-stage percussionist Beverly Botsford. To further build community, the dancers invited audience members onstage at the conclusion of the performance for an improvisational dance session. It’s hard to believe that Zollar’s work was considered controversial only twenty-five years ago. Her messages and portrayals of eroticism and sensuality are direct, but in 2010, it’s clear that Zollar’s work should be celebrated, and free of censorship.
Defining Art
January 25, 2010
Seth Godin posted a definition of art on his blog this morning. I thought it was worth re-posting, especially in light of the powerful performances and lectures I attended over the weekend (full reviews coming soon).
My definition of art contains three elements:
- Art is made by a human being.
- Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else.
- Art is a gift. You can sell the souvenir, the canvas, the recording… but the idea itself is free, and the generosity is a critical part of making art.
By my definition, most art has nothing to do with oil paint or marble. Art is what we’re doing when we do our best work.
David Zambrano’s Soul Project
January 21, 2010
David Zambrano's "Soul Project", photo by Anja Hitzenberger
From tonight through Saturday at 8 PM, Danspace Project’s PLATFORM 2010: i get lost presents Soul Project, a dance piece conceived and directed by David Zambrano, a major figure in international contemporary dance. Soul Project is about the soul in all its manifestations: spiritual, abstract, musical, personal. Inspired by the depth and strength of American Soul singers like Aretha Franklin, Patty LaBelle, Tina Turner, and James Brown, Zambrano set a challenge to each member of his international cast to evoke movement and sound from within, using the evocative intensity of Soul music as inspiration. He creates a body language that is full, eloquent, and emotionally profound. Zambrano will perform with Edivaldo Ernesto, Nina Fajdiga, Milan Herich, Peter Jasko, Horacio Macuacua, and Hermes Malkotsis.
$18 tickets to Soul Project can be ordered online, by calling 866.811.4111, or in person at Danspace: 131 East 10th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.
PLATFORMS 2010 is a series of guest curated platforms as part of a new initiative at Danspace. Choreographer and multi-media artist Ralph Lemon has curated the first platform, i get lost, which is an extension of Lemon’s research into trance, kinetic energy, and alternative states of consciousness in contemporary performance and dance contexts.
New York City Ballet’s Short Stories
January 19, 2010
Ashley Bouder in George Balanchine’s Firebird, photo by Paul Kolnik
New York City Ballet’s winter season includes many full-length narrative ballets, but on Saturday evening, the company performed a triple bill of short stories. Although the newest one, Firebird, premiered in 1949, the ballets told timeless stories: three sailors on shore leave in New York City, bickering over two women; the biblical story of the prodigal son who sins and begs for forgiveness; and a fairy tale in which a brave bird comes to the aid of a prince and his community. Not only have the stories endured, but so have the sets, costumes, and George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins’ choreography, which brought these simple stories to life.
There are no suitable words to describe Ashley Bouder’s performance in Firebird. The magic that she brought to the role in 2000 while still in the corps, when she stepped in at the last moment for an injured dancer, was still present. Flitting frantically to escape the prince’s hold, Bouder embodied the firebird’s vulnerability. Even slight gasps were audible as she yearned for release. Her beautifully arched back, sharp arm flaps, and knowing gaze – one that suggested that this little bird had been in harm’s way many times before – lent themselves perfectly to the role of the firebird. Yet, she was not only a victim, but also a heroine, for she rescued the prince (performed by Jonathan Stafford, who reflected the slight naiveté and clumsiness of a young hunter wandering alone in a forest) and princesses from the attack of fantastical creatures by offering one of her magical feathers to the prince. Marc Chagall’s shimmering sets and costumes emphasized the story’s mythical qualities while providing lush colors, and Stravinsky’s score – his first for a ballet – added depth and drama. A golden glow was cast on Bouder throughout much of her performance, but even without this enhancement, she was truly radiant.
Maria Kowroski in Balanchine's "Prodigal Son", with Damian Woetzel, photo by Paul Kolnik
In the title role of Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Joaquin De Luz embodied the youthful enthusiasm that this character requires, and later the exhaustion and desperation when the prodigal son falls at his father’s feet and begs for forgiveness. Maria Kowroski drew upon the alluring sections of Prokofiev’s score to convey a seductive, deceptive Siren. She was shaky throughout some of the partnering with De Luz, but still managed to illustrate the Siren’s power over the prodigal son. Just as a pack of creatures enchanted the prince and princesses in Firebird, a freakish clan of bald, drunk men misled the son and his servants. Their stomping and menacing stares were nightmarish yet unforgettable.
In Jerome Robbins’ 1944 ballet Fancy Free, Tyler Angle, Robert Fairchild, and Daniel Ulbricht all had just the right combination of charm and cockiness to portray three sailors on shore leave in New York City. They managed to sweep two women (Tiler Peck and Georgina Pazcoguin) off their feet in one moment, and exasperate them with their immaturity and macho competitiveness in the next. Leonard Bernstein’s vivid, jazzy score provided many opportunities for suspended moments and textured footwork. The three men drew upon these occasions in their solos – especially Robert Fairchild in the hip-swiveling “samba solo” – as did Peck and Angle in their flowing duet. Ronald Bates’ lighting evoked the lazy, laid-back feeling that comes from summer heat, while Kermit Love’s costumes and Oliver Smith’s set designs contributed rich color to the work.
In the midst of a season filled with full-length classics – A Midsummer Night’s Dream just concluded, Romeo + Juliet is currently being performed, and The Sleeping Beauty is up next – it was thoroughly enjoyable to watch City Ballet perform three short story gems.
Daniel Ulbricht in Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, photo by Paul Kolnik
