choreography – Page 12

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.

Choreography: Transforming Personal Poisons Into Beauty?

May 14, 2012 by 4dancers

Atlanta Ballet’s New Choreographic Voices is exactly what it sounds like–a showcase for talented emerging choreographers. This year, the company presents three pieces–two world premieres and one Atlanta premiere. The choreographers include Christopher Wheeldon, Helen Pickett and Atlanta Ballet’s own company member Tara Lee.

Atlanta Ballet2 — Tara Lee, Photo by Charlie McCullers

Lee is a principal dancer in her sixteenth season with the Atlanta Ballet, and her choreography has also been performed by New Orleans Ballet Theatre and Emory Dance Company. Here she shares some of the ideas that inspired her latest piece, as well as what it was like to collaborate with a composer…

How did you first begin choreographing for Atlanta Ballet?

The ballet held a choreographers’ workshop years ago, where those of us who were interested could create a piece on the company and then show our work to a small audience in our studios. I presented an unfinished piece for the workshop, and (Artistic Director) John McFall invited me do a completed version for the company’s following season. “Sixteen String” was my first professional work; it premiered at the Ferst Centre in 2003.

How many works have you choreographed so far?

About 6…”Pavo” will be my third work for the Atlanta Ballet.

What was your process like when you created this piece?

The process of creating “Pavo” has been unique, because we commissioned an original score (a first for me) from Dr. Nickitas Demos, professor at Georgia State. It has been quite an experience, to create something that is in constant flux from all ends. Thankfully, Nick is a wonderful artist and collaborator.

As for the choreography, it ended up being a mixture of prepared material and spontaneous creation in the studio with the dancers. I might teach a body of material, and then ask the dancers to insert their language into those sequences. Then we would continue to adapt that new information further.

Atlanta Ballet 3 — Working on "Pavo", Photo by Charlie McCullers

Jesse Tyler (my assistant choreographer) and I might improvise some partnering work in the studio, end up teaching it to the cast, and then evolving it with the dancers’ input. We would usually put the music into the mix after the choreography was already shaped and find the dancers’ natural timing to synchronize all the elements.

Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind your new work?

Initially, Nick and I had a couple of meetings to see if things clicked, and we quickly came up with a couple of themes we were interested in exploring: cycles and continuum. After deciding on instrumentation, length of movements, and general dynamics of each section, Nick began to send me pieces of the score.

I was at a bit of a loss at first. The music was dynamic, but I didn’t know what to do with it, choreographically or thematically. Then I found an article about the peacock. It resonated with me instantly, and it became clear that I wanted to base the ballet on the spiritual symbolism of the bird. “Pavo” is the Latin word for peacock.

Atlanta Ballet 1 — Photo by Charlie McCullers

When I learned that the peacock can digest poisonous snakes, and therefore represents the transmuting of one’s personal poisons, I recognized one of Nick’s sections to be “the digestion of poisons”. Some riffs even sounded like snake charmer music. I read further and discovered that peacocks dance restlessly before rainstorms; this presented the inspiration for the musical section I was worried about–it’s a very complex, feverish 3 minutes, and it made sense that it would be the storm section.

Nick had also sent me a lovely adagio for the featured duet, and when I read that peacocks also represent fidelity and faithfulness, I thought it was another great match. It was exciting to see our once broad themes become more focused and inspired. We had talked about cycles at our first meeting, and the metaphor of the peacock represented a breaking out of a cycle—a negative one. Awesome.

What do you enjoy the most about choreographing a piece?

I love walking out of a rehearsal being completely surprised at what we all just created.

New Choreographic Voices will run May 18th – May 20th on The Alliance Stage at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Watch an interview with Tara Lee:

Choreography & Following Directions

May 8, 2012 by Ashley David

Today we’re continuing our series on choreography, thanks to the dancers from The Dance COLEctive who are choreographing for a show that is coming up in May…

Alaina Murray’s trio is about following directions. “Everything comes with directions: driving, cooking, games, taxes, school, work. What is the outcome of following, or not following, directions? Can not following directions prove to be its own path altogether? Routine movement sequences layered with surprising detours will explore these questions.”

Alaina’s pieces is called “Please read carefully. Here’s more about it…

1. How did you decide on this idea for your piece?

Recently the concept of rules has been a point of interest in my life. I’ve been thinking a lot about how this affects my life and the decisions I make. The initial broader concept of rules seemed to narrow into following directions as I thought about it further. This idea seemed to naturally lend itself to movement, and I was excited to explore it.

2. How did the idea of following/not following directions inform your choreographic process?

We were able to generate movement from very literal directions. We used a bread recipe, directions for changing a tire, and directions for being a good housewife. I wanted to convey the sense of order and repetition that comes from following directions in the structure of the piece. I also asked the dancers to write about their own experiences with following directions early on in the process. I wanted to know if they see themselves as rule followers or not; this was helpful in creating their individual characters for the piece.

3. Do you think that the piece would have been the same if you worked with different dancers? Why or why not?

Absolutely not, the dancers invented most of the movement vocabulary in the rehearsal process. I then was able to piece it all together with the dancers’ writing in mind. The dancers were very creative and thoughtful throughout the process, allowing the dance to unfold naturally. It has been a very collaborative process.

4. Did exploring this idea leave you with any new ideas once the dance was created?

The movement that we generated started to take on a very feminine tone early on. This was not my initial intention, but I went with it. What evolved was a vintage feminine theme that naturally displays the order and uniformity of following directions.

5. What was the most enjoyable part of this process for you and why?

I have loved quirkiness in the piece. It was not my intention, but there are several humorous moments that evolved unexpectedly, and I love them.

BIO: This is Alaina Murray’s seventh season with TDC. Originally from Michigan, she received her BA in Dance from Western Michigan University. Alaina has also worked with Open House Dance Collective as a choreographer, dancer, and teacher for many years. She performed with Inaside Chicago Dance as a guest artist in 2006. Alaina shares her love of dance with little ballerinas every day at A Fairytale Ballet, a children’s ballet and creative movement program. She is the Chicago Regional Director of A Fairytale Ballet and Starbright Dance and manages four studios in the city.

Choreography: Knowing Where You Belong

April 26, 2012 by Ashley David

Another installment in our series on choreography…we are talking with choreographers from The Dance COLEctive about their process and today we have Shannon McGuire. Her piece focuses on the subjective and intuitive sense of knowing where one belongs. “Is there a sensation or a recognition in a circumstance that one finds the need to exist in a certain place? Is this place geographical, ideological or social?”

1. How did the idea for this piece come about?

The concept of the piece really came from a personal questioning. I spent my childhood in the country of a small town, At the age of twelve I moved with my mom to Chicago. I finished growing up in and out of the city, spending every other weekend with my dad in the country, and school in the city. The lack of being fully grounded in either of the extreme environments caused a confusion that plagued me for years. Each year that passes by I ask myself the challenging question of where I belong or where I need to be.

2. What did you do with the dancers to explore this concept?

I was initially interested in what “belonging” meant to the dancers. There were various responses and we explored the possibilities through conversations and writings. We discussed how we know we are at a place where we belong. The movement came from personal experiences and emotions relating to the topic.

Later I became very interested in the other end of things. When don’t we belong? There was a much more intense response from this. So I began to play with both ideas. I sort of took both sides and figured out how to make that journey from not belonging to finding a place belonging.

3. How did that translate into the choreography?

The dancers generated most of their material from personal experiences and points of views. I asked them to be as intuitive as possible at times when choosing a direction or place in space. There is an obvious change of quality in the dance at different times. I play a lot with the feeling of belonging and not belonging. The structure of the piece directly relates to my personal experience, while the content is very personal to the dancers.

4. What was the biggest challenge for you in doing this piece?

The biggest challenge was finding a medium. I played with both ideas of belonging and not belonging. However, I really wanted to find what happened when both concepts are introduced. How does one find their way to a content place of belonging when feeling out of place for so long? How do they know that they found that place? The answer really came the more we played with the material. I really needed to find the answers through the dance making process.

5. What did you enjoy most about this process?

I most enjoyed the freedom to discover. I really went into the process not knowing the answer to my question. It was a chance for me to really dig in deep to find some resolution. This is my first time exploring a concept that directly relates to me and my experiences. I had help from four beautiful dancers and friends to help me find answers as well as ask more questions. Entering the process without the answers and later seeing the result unfold gave me perspective on my inner conflict.

BIO: Shannon McGuire graduated with a BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. While at Columbia, she performed choreography by Twyla Tharp, Paige Cunningham, and Matthew Hollis. Shannon enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion for dance with children at local studios. She was recently a member of MaryAnn McGovern and Dancers and has performed in numerous independent projects and dance showcases throughout Chicago. Shannon is thrilled to be dancing her third season with The Dance COLEctive.

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