This coming Moving Dialog on Monday, November 18th 6:30pm at Logan Center for the Arts explores “The Art of Partnering”. In preparation for the performative discussion, local & regional artists involved share some thoughts…including assistant to the curator of fall’s Moving Dialogs, choreographer/dancer Raphaelle Ziemba {who also greatly contributed to developing this reflection}.
From Raphaelle Ziemba: In thinking about The Art of Partnering, I reflect on how my relationships are crafted. What is my initial response when a relationship begins? The first thing I notice is my body in relation to other bodies. Then, as an exchange or interaction happens, the extension of our bodies merge together developing a relationship of two conscious minds. This allows me to understand or relate to another and is the phenomenon by which we share experiences with one another. My body and that which it comes into contact with become defined by the experience in which we encounter each other. Physically executing and choreographing a duet or a partnering sequence can demonstrate the restrictions or limitations that affect any type of relationship. Although, working within limitations may bring about shifts in our perception of ourselves, the other and those we share our environment with. By pushing ourselves to explore and reflect on these restrictions and the structure or pattern within that relationship, we can begin to transform ourselves allowing for a deeper understanding of others.
Ben Wardell, inside a recent blog posting from Vicki Crain’s Rogue Ballerina discusses the process of the Nexus Project, a collaboration with Michel Rodriguez: It’s terrifying because this is all my little new idea and I haven’t had any experience with it aside from having a choreographer set work on me. The basis of the show that will make it at the very least not a waste of time, is that they’re going to come see some good damn dancing. You’re going to see two real good male dancers who are real good at dancing with each other and can hold a 60-70 minute show no matter what we’re doing. I felt like we would get better at dancing together more quickly if we had to work with a bunch of different choreographers than if we were spending the same number of hours just doing our own thing. It’s hard to avoid self-indulgence when you’re totally in charge. Having to go from style to style, I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other’s dancing fairly quickly. The Nexus project involves twelve Chicago-based choreographers from a wide range of dance backgrounds that each had twelve hours to choreograph a duet for these two compelling artists. At the end of that process, Ben and Michel deconstructed the duets and remixed them to create a unique choreographic vocabulary out of strictly nothing but movements created by the original choreographers. For Monday’s Moving Dialog, they will share their process through experiential moments and converse on how this process inspires thoughts or questions about the choreographic structure of the male duet, gender and intimacy.
Julia Rhoads, famed founding artistic director of Lucky Plush Productions[LPP], shares: For me, partnering is about building trust and taking informed risks, and is most successful when each partner can effectively communicate their needs. I am fortunate to collaborate with an ensemble of performers in Lucky Plush Productions who are exceptional in generating partner-based movement in support of my conceptual ideas. And beyond sharing physical contact, my core values about liveness and presence also requires that LPP’s ensemble is in constant partnership – listening, responding, and trusting each other at all times onstage. Her work requires that the LPP ensemble be in active partnership with the audience. Her commitment to partnership extends beyond her artistic practice. With an interest in leveraging limited resources, she initiated Creative Partners, a new business model deeply connected to her artistic values. On Monday, she will offer further thoughts into partnerships within both the artistic & business aspects of creating work.
“Collaboration requires an honesty and ability to “show up” with others that challenge my personality and ego”. Native American contemporary choreographer, Rosy Simas (Seneca) joins us from Minnesota, where she has been committed to practicing the movement forms & ideas of cultural communities & “new dance” for close to 2 decades. She believes that collaboration and partnering are what keep her work fresh and alive. Emphasizing that the relationships she enters into create links to ideas, movements, and feelings that would not have developed on her own. For this Moving Dialog she brings along two collaborators of a developing project with her — François Richomme and Daina Ashbee – to explore the conversation of collaboration inside a creative process.
Moving Dialogs: Diversity + Dance 2013 culminating event will be held at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts’ performance penthouse on Monday, November 18th, from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. The Art of Partnering, explores gender and the intimacy of the duet form – ultimately as a metaphor for understanding how we collaborate not only with other bodies but in larger multifaceted communities. Featuring renowned San Francisco based choreographer Joe Goode, with local & regional artists including Ben Wardell & Michel Rodriguez, Julia Rhoads, Rosy Simas with Francois Richomme & Daina Ashbee, this moving dialog delves into intriguing models for collaborations and best practices when dealing with the sometimes precarious & beautiful act of partnering. Attendees will experience and witness the intimacy of a duet, and then expand and explore what it means to truly join with others. Moving Reflections contributor, dance writer Lauren Warnecke. Co-presented with Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. Reservations are recommended and can be made here.
