Editorial – Page 34

Neville Dance Theatre — Contemporary Ballet Infused With World Dance

May 29, 2012 by Ashley David

Today we have an interview with Brenda Neville from Neville Dance Theatre…

Copyrighted Leah Brizard Photography — Photo by: Leah Brizard

1. How did the idea for Neville Dance Theatre come about?

Over the course of my own professional dance career, I had the privilege of studying and performing a wide range of dance styles – from classical and contemporary ballet to musical theatre productions, Argentine Tango, Flamenco, Irish Step dance and many more. I started off in the Milwaukee Ballet School and went on to dance classical roles, modern works, musical theatre roles, and a variety of world/ethnic dances, performing internationally for over 10 years.

I quickly found, however, that when I would be with a company performing, say, world dance, I would begin to long for and miss elements of ballet, or the spectacle and narratives of theatre, and vice versa, etc. So, the longing for a company that could present and bring together all these different styles and elements in theatrical ways was secretly germinating in me for many years before I established Neville Dance Theatre. Eventually, in 2005, the company I was then performing with suddenly closed, and so I felt the time was right to start NDT. Since then, NDT has been creating and presenting a wide array of works drawing from a variety of dance styles in both traditional and innovative ways!

2. How would you describe the company to someone who has never seen them perform?

Theatrical, contemporary ballet with world dance infusions.

3. There is a definite cross-cultural aspect to the company—can you expand on why you decided to focus in on that?

By fostering an artistic exchange of styles, outlooks and attitudes, we gain a deeper appreciation for the similarities and differences of one another’s cultures, nationalities and expressions, as well as for the world in which we live and the beauty, value and significance of dance as a living art form. Who wouldn’t want that?

4. What do the dancers themselves bring to the company?

Copyrighted Dale Langdon photography — Photo by: Dale Langdon

Every dancer has their own unique story, background and especially nowadays, versatility. While all my dancers must have an exceptionally strong, ballet background, I am just as interested in what else they can bring to the company regarding other areas of specialty, whether it be Middle Eastern dance, hip-hop, flamenco or even Capoiera. And then it gets really interesting, cause as we all begin to learn from each other, a very real appreciation begins to take hold, not just for the varying styles of dance, but for each other individually as well as culturally, and THAT is really the heart of it all!

5. What is on the immediate horizon for Neville Dance Theatre?

Right now we are preparing for a ‘sneak preview’ performance & reception fundraiser of some of our newest works at the Manhattan Movement Arts Center in New York City on Saturday, June 2nd.

Copyrighted Rachael Neville photography — Photo by Rachael Neville

6. Where do you see the company five years from now?

Continuing to create and present works in the New York area and in theatres and festivals across the country and beyond!

The Value Of Improvised Music In The World Of Ballet

May 28, 2012 by 4dancers

Music and Dance photo — Photo by Alan Crumlish

Today we have a guest post about music from Karen MacIver…

Many years ago my composition-for-film tutor Howard Goodall (the genius behind the themes for BBC British TV hits Blackadder, QI and Mr. Bean) once asked me what exactly makes music so important to the moving image. He was interested that I had come from the world of dance as a musician working in Ballet Companies. This seemingly simple question had a profound effect on me and I spent the rest of my time at film school – and my professional career – defining the answer.

The wonderful psychological impact music makes on us reaches far deeper than mere entertainment. Having returned to the world of Ballet, I now realize the most valuable asset a dance organisation can hope for, is to work with great music and great musicians. For here begins the symbiotic journey for the most elemental part of any dancers’ life – Class.

There is a small but growing army of inspirational musicians who have made it their life’s work embracing the world of music and the moving image. Mastering the art of improvising or recalling music perfectly takes time, passion and most of all comprehension of dancers’ needs during Class. Class is the fundamental ritual that ignites each working day, from beginner to ballet master. And so music nourishes not only the muscular requirements for the sporting qualities of a dancer, but also the emotional depth needed for choreographic demands.

If a musician ‘gets it wrong’ (and I use this term with fear and frustration) they are in peril of causing disruption to Class and at best will be artistically ignored for the oncoming hour. The very conundrum of what is needed to define a “great class” is the starting point of the Masters in Accompaniment for Dance course I am proud to be part of here in the UK.

So where do we find the ley lines connecting music and dance?

Well. There are two definitive structures that lie at the core of all good art and they are both found in the world of architecture. Proportion and tension-release.

Our delight in perfect proportion is embodied visually through classical structures dating back to the time-honored buildings of ancient Greece, balancing the principles of space (silence and stillness) versus material (movement and sound). Coco Chanel herself described her particular art in this simple statement “Fashion is architecture : it is a matter of proportion” and musician Laurie Anderson rather clumsily declared, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture”. But we know what she was getting at!

And of course the ‘Mozart Effect’ reaches deeper than an educational context which states that our ability to learn and concentrate is refined in the proximity of hearing classical music. No, there are varying ballet structures given daily in class that not only seem to mirror the demands of musical phrasing but actually are the visual representation of great musical themes. The famous Elvira Madigan (Mozart’s piano concerto no.21*) theme embodies all that is perfect in proportionality and therefore complements so many of the dance exercises delivered in everyday Class. Understanding this gives the musician freedom to improvise around the perfect structures already created by the great masters of composition.

Understanding tension and release both physically and musically defines another equally important bridge connecting the two art forms. They are felt universally both in musical chord structures and in anatomical muscle memory. Architecturally it is felt as the invasion of space in the landscape, balanced with the satisfaction of creating man-made structures in apposition to nature.

If the musician thinks like a dancer, they will play music as a dancer – with breath and freedom balanced with strength. Thinking of music ‘anatomically’ – SKIN,MUSCLE,BONE – gives depth and understanding to the response of accompanying the dancer. Let me expand.

A child views her first years of taking Class in terms of skin only . She copies shape only in silhouette form with little comprehension of the underlying meaning of the movement. Similarly, a novice musician will copy the outward shape of movement when first confronted by the demands of ballet class, by making melodic contours that in some way mimic visual shape. Muscular flexibility in dance reflects musical harmony and skeletal shape and form corresponds vitally with musical form and shape.

The learning of an instrument is a slow process, just as the learning of ballet technique. Matching the two takes yet another stretch of time and imagination before they function together as one. And so, the musicians’ journey learning the textural changes and chordal tensions for class accompaniment is a long but ultimately fruitful one.

One more thought. If I think back to all I learned writing for film, there is one odd and unique aspect to film music that differs slightly from dance music. On the surface, both share the need for music’s psychological undercurrent which says so much more than the spoken word. Imagine the famed Underground train scene in Fatal Attraction when Glenn Close tells a handsome Michael Douglas that she truly loves him. Do you recall the music screaming “she’s mad!!!!” Probably not. Why? A good filmscore acts as an unnoticed dramatic colourwash to the action. Rightly so. That’s where its power lies.

However in dance, the presence of music is never ‘inferior’ to the visual impact of dance. It is the support and context in which movement comes alive. In return the music seems to acquire a unique luminosity that, once heard in context of dance, seems to sparkle just that little bit more.

In conclusion. A toast. Long may the marriage of music and dance stay in love!

*have a listen whilst you read the article!

Karen lectures at Scottish Ballet/Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on the Postgraduate Masters Piano in Dance Course.

the Glass Child – On Dancing A Story

May 24, 2012 by 4dancers

And now for something completely different…

Today we have with us Charlotte Eriksson, aka “the Glass Child”. Charlotte is a singer/songwriter originally from Sweden that recently collaborated with two dancers for a video that showcases her new song. It’s also meant to raise awareness of an important issue that is near and dear to her heart…

1. What is your background in the arts?

I’ve been writing since a very early age but I started writing music when I was around 15. When I got into music I just knew that this is how I wanna spend my life. I’ve been dancing since childhood too, not on a professional level, but dancing and the way dancers can speak so loud without words, will always stay with me.

2. Can you tell readers a bit about your single, “I’ll Never Tell” and why you decided to use professional dancers in the video?

I released this song to raise awareness of domestic violence and personal struggle. The idea for this started by all these people I connect with online through my music. I get so many heartbreaking stories on Twitter, Tumblr and email every single day from young people who are going through these things, but no one seems to dare to talk about it out in real life. I wanted to speak up and let all these people know that they’re not alone, there are so many struggling with these things, but the people are still so uncomfortable around these subjects.

3. How did you choose these dancers?

I find a lot of inspiration through finding dance-clips and choreography on youtube, and I’ve been a fan of Francesco and Enza Cara for a long time through their youtube-channel. So I basically reached out to them, told them about the song and the message and asked if they wanted to collaborate with me by telling this story through their language, through dance.

4. What was it like to work with them?

It’s been such an honor to see how they embraced my story and put their heart into it. They worked so hard with both the choreography and the video-editing and I couldn’t be more happy with the result.

5. What did using dancers bring to the mood of this video?

Everything, really. Art in every form is so powerful and it can reach you in ways you never thought, and I think to have dancers speak my words through their movements makes every single word mean so much more.

6. How do you think dance helps illuminate the subject matter? [Read more…]

Why Works In Progress Showings Work…

May 22, 2012 by Ashley David

by Lauren Warnecke

Getting people to come to dance shows is hard, but getting friends and colleagues to come to a Works In Progress showing (WIP) is even harder. With dance happening virtually every day of the week in my home city of Chicago, why would I want to go see a work that’s in progress when I could spend my night out watching something that’s “finished” (1)?

Home_Headshots-4188 — "Home", photo by Kelly Rose

Choreography can at times be an insular art form. Though you are working with other dancers and collaborators, it can be difficult to find the time and resources to get others to give you feedback. But ultimately, dance is as much about what the outside viewer witnesses as it is about you and your vision. Ergo, from time to time throughout the development phase of a piece it’s nice (if not critical) to bring in some of those outside eyes to tell you what they are seeing. That way, you can either ensure that your message is being clearly communicated – OR – a viewer could throw a wrench in and discover a hidden jewel in the work that you never considered or saw previously, giving you further inspiration to keep exploring.

That sounds like it could be a pretty enlightening and important thing to do.

I recently had the pleasure of showing new work at a series called Fraction at Links Hall in Chicago. Having been on both sides of the WIP scene (as both choreographer and viewer), I had low expectations in terms of attendance and the potential for feedback. These things can often include long, awkward silences during the feedback session in which people feel like they need to say something but don’t exactly know what to say. Amazingly, Fraction was packed.

It could have been that it wasn’t simply one, but seven different artists presenting new work, or it could have been the promise of snacks. Heck if I know, but Fraction was a super positive experience for me that afforded great feedback and I made $17 to boot! Instead of a verbal dialogue, audience members were encouraged to write feedback on an index card and place the cards in a basket to be given to the artists later. Perhaps due to the anonymous and non-verbal nature of feedback, I got a plethora of cards that said everything from “Razzamatazz” and “I want some grits and eggs!” to “I wonder what it would be like to change the soundtrack. I feel an antiquity and nostalgia surrounding the piece and wonder if it would remain with different music/sound or silence.” All of this is informative and inspiring and helps me decide where to go next with this piece. Or not. Either way, the value of hearing what people see cannot be underestimated and gives me direction in a sometimes arduous process that emulates a long and winding road. [Read more…]

Choreography: Play Between Past & Present

May 17, 2012 by 4dancers

This is the last installment in our series of posts on The Dance COLEctive‘s upcoming choreography showcase. We’ve talked with each of the choreographers, and today we have Melissa Pillarella with us to talk about her piece, where the dancers confront the complexities of feeling and accepting resentment by incorporating athleticism and a non-linear structure. Music from local band To Destroy a City furthers the tone and theme of the piece.

In life, I think there are always past events that people look back on and hold a little resentment or regret towards. Even if those events have brought them to a place where they are satisfied and happy, they may still think in the back of their mind about how they would like to go back and change something or do something differently. Of course, it isn’t possible, but the play between the present and the past, moving forward and looking back, is something that makes us who we are and is endlessly interesting to me.

What role did the band play in this process?

Usually music is one of the things I struggle with most, and I feel like it always becomes an afterthought once the piece is finished. I create something, and try to find something to slap on top of it that isn’t completely distracting. This time, I wanted to approach this project with a clear idea of what kind of music I wanted to use. I saw To Destroy a City perform at The Empty Bottle, and I turned to my brother and said, “I want to dance to that.” I was really into the mood and atmosphere they created with their intricate soundscapes.

At the beginning of the process, when we were first focusing on inventing movement, I played the album throughout rehearsals which I think influenced a lot of the vocabulary we created. As we got deeper into the project I was influenced by other sounds that I also wanted to incorporate in the piece, and it started to go a different direction. I decided I wanted to create a piece that used different samples of sounds I was interested in and convinced my hesitant friend, Donovan Lampa, to help me. Donovan is not a musician, so it was an experiment for both of us.

We liked what he created, but it needed something else. We decided to try reincorporating To Destroy a City, and it was exactly what the piece needed coming full circle. Now, the music is partially our experiment and partially the band (which is much better than our sorry attempt, but here goes nothing).

How did you communicate the idea behind this piece to the dancers—and was it difficult to do?

I actually waited until we were a few rehearsals in to discuss my idea behind the piece to the dancers at all. I didn’t want to feel confined by the desire to get a specific thought across, but instead I wanted to see where the piece naturally took us. It was only difficult to talk to the dancers about the idea because it wasn’t very easy for me to articulate. I do believe the original idea, whatever that was exactly, is very prevalent in the piece at least in structure and overall mood.

How much collaboration was involved in the creation of the piece?

I came into the process with some movement phrases and also gave specific assignments to the dancers to generate material. Together, we played with layering and working more in depth with the movement both I and they had created. Then I used a trial and error method for structuring the piece by watching the dancers work with various potential structures I threw out until we found one that seemed to make sense both thematically and aesthetically. Overall, I think the process was very collaborative, and I was incredibly lucky to have such talented dance artists working with me. The piece would not be the same without them.

Did you enjoy the choreographic process—or how would you describe it?

I have a love/hate relationship with the choreographic process. Like any true love, it can be horribly frustrating and totally satisfying all at the same time. Sometimes I wanted to throw out everything I had because it was shit and start over, and other times I thought that I was a genius who had just created the best work ever seen. In reality, neither are true, and I’m just beyond privileged to have a creative outlet that can sweep me up in the process… sometimes.

If you are interested in seeing this show, it runs May 18 & 19 at 8:00pm and May 20 at 7:00pm. Tickets are available here.

BIO: Melissa Pillarella, originally from Chicago, began dancing at Whitney Young Magnet High School and received a BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois. While at U of I, Melissa performed in works by Jan Erkert, Linda Lehovec, Rebecca Nettl-Fiol, Lorie Carlos and others. Currently, Melissa also dances with Mordine & Co. Dance Theater as well as independent choreographer Cristina Walterman. Melissa is excited and honored to be returning for her second season with The Dance COLEctive.

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