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At the beginning of Vincent Dance Theatre’s North American Premiere of If We Go On, presented at the Alexander Kasser Theater April 15, 17, and 18th, Vincent Dance Theatre referenced Yvonne Rainer’s “No Manifesto.” Rainer’s “No Manifesto” calls upon negating or stripping things down, just doing in a very minimalist fashion. Yvonne Rainer’s iconic TRIO A is one example of this minimal approach to choreography. 

Rainer utilized everyday movements in her choreography. In the “No Manifesto,” she writes: “NO to spectacle, no to virtuosity no to transformations and magic and make believe.” The dancing in “TRIO A” comes across less like Swan Lake, and more along the lines of a task, as though Rainer could turn at any moment to operate an article of heavy machinery, or change a tire. As a result, Rainer’s choreography suggests that art-making itself could be like any other everyday activity, as opposed to a behavior of the supernatural. 

If We Go On contains this element of the everyday, too. The performer’s dialogue is plain-spoken, leading to odd pauses, complete silence. The actors’ onstage personas seemed very much like everyday people who question things, take things to far, make mistakes, learn to do things together. It was as though everyone from VDT had gotten together to tell us something. In fact, the first impulse of If We Go On seems to spring from the moment in which Charlotte Vincent had perhaps already given up, and decided NOT to go on. Read more »

The Lonely Goatherd, from Fräulein Maria.

Noted New York-based choreographer, Doug Elkins, has been working with students from Montclair State University’s dance program throughout the academic year. In the fall, Elkins choreographed a new work specifically for dance students at MSU: “She could never remember which was better…safe…or sorry…” The choreography, which included music by Björk and The Cornelius Brothers, featured a rollicking sense of humor and “fresh” social dance moves. A video excerpt is available to view on Insite. Students performed “She could never remember…” at the dance program’s annual showcase, Works-a-Foot, last December. 

Tonight, Elkins returns with his company, Doug Elkins and Friends, for Fräulein Maria—through March 28th at the Alexander Kasser Theater. Read more »

Well I couldn’t either—after seeing his choreography for ENTITY here at the Alexander Kasser Theater last month! 

 

If you’re begging for more samples of Wayne McGregor’s choreography like I sure am, take a look at the following clips that I’ve compiled from the YouTube archives.

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It was a dark and stormy night. No, no… that’s not right. In fact in Los Angeles, it was probably a bright and sunny day when James Cameron called choreographer Lula Washington about his movie, then still in the works, called AVATAR. Now in theaters, AVATAR tells the post-post-post-colonial story of a band of scientists and space travelers interested in taking over a new, cool planet called “Pandora.”

So what was he doing calling Lula Washington?

In fact, fair friends, Lula Washington and members of her company choreographed the body language and ritual movements of the Na’vi people in AVATAR. Which is funny because, among other things noted in this handy and certainly timely NYTimes ArtsBeat interview, Lula didn’t use email until recently and had some doubts about characters with tails. Her collaboration with James Cameron, however, was completely instrumental to the style and tone of the film, bringing a dimension of humanity to the film’s digitally rendered characters.

Lula Washington, and Lula Washington Dance Theatre join us at the Alexander Kasser Theater this weekend for an amazing celebration of thirty years of totally radical dance theater. We are so excited to have her here at the theater this weekend.

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In preparation for Works-a-Foot, an annual showcase of talent from Montclair State University’s Dance Program, students had the unique opportunity to work with choreographer Doug Elkins. Elkins, who returns to Peak Performances in March with Fräulein Maria, held a series of rehearsals and ultimately choreographed a new work specifically for students in the dance program at MSU. Take a peek at this clip (courtesy Rodney Leinberger): 

Over its five-year history, a range of prominent choreographers have graced the stage of the Alexander Kasser Theater. Often these choreographers, who have included Bill T. Jones, Susan Marshall, Margaret Jenkins, and Liz Lerman, lead master classes and workshops in the Department of Theatre and Dance. This year, Elkins stepped up to the plate as part of this choreography tradition at MSU.

Students met with Elkins once a week for five weeks, in addition to two Sunday rehearsals. The dance piece that emerged from their collaboration, She could never remember which was better…safe?…or sorry?, presented as part of Works-a-Foot, involved nineteen students thinking on their feet, music by The Cornelius Brothers and Björk, and a variety of contemporary dance moves.

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