As I look back on my experience this past year working on a show for Momentum, I have the privilege of reflecting on what this program means in an individual career and our local dance community as a whole. I don’t think I have any responses to these ideas; I am just meandering through the landscape of how and where an artists makes work, who supports it, and how it is received. In a lot of cases, it seems that Momentum is like the first step down a steep hill……there’s a sense of weightlessness, your eyes get a little big when you see what you are going to do, and then your feet hit the pavement and you have to breathe really hard to make sure you can keep your legs going so that you don’t fall flat on your face. And there’s a lot of people watching you do this. And it’s scary and fun. But that’s just my opinion.
On Cathy Wright’s “Return:”
I really enjoyed the visceral movement and strong images that Cathy created throughout this piece. I did feel that she was able to truly articulate the intent of the piece through her solos. I was pleasantly disturbed by the use of the wigs and hair in Cathy’s solos. They gave me something really strong that still sits with me now as I write this. I wonder if more of the movement vocabulary could have come from this deep, deep place in Cathy’s gut. Another image that I was able to take home with me was a moment in “The Garden” when the dancers were coupled up. The movement went from gentle to violent in slow motion. The picture of all the performers in white costumes with this dichotomy of grace and harm is memorable. Overall, though, the group pieces were well-constructed and interesting, but didn’t grab me by the face like the solo work.
On Off-Leash Area’s “Our Perfectly Wonderful Lives:”
Yahoo for wheeling TV’s! I thought that this piece was also well-constructed, although I got lost a little in the movement and transition in the last third of the piece. Paul Herwig is a wonderful performer; he and Katie Kaufmann were highlights piece for me. The use of sets and stuff seemed a little excessive at times, but I suppose that this served the intent of the piece. I also liked the tin foil…..sparkly. I guess I felt really invested at the beginning of the piece, but by the time I got to the end, I knew where I was, but I wasn’t exactly sure how I got there. I would have also really liked to follow the stories of the public a little more. They were set up as fascinating characters, but faded into the darkness. Perhaps a choice once again……I guess this piece has a lot of potential for feeling less-than-fulfilled. It’s the whole point.
Get Walker Reader in your inbox. Sign up to receive first word about our original videos, commissioned essays, curatorial perspectives, and artist interviews.
)