Why
How does the place we’re in dictate our behavior? When can we reimagine our role even when we’re in a space that seems to dictate a single way of being? These are the questions that inspired me when I worked with a choreographer to develop this dance piece.
What
Characters: 6-10 dancers
Running Time: 5-7 minutes
Summary: A young woman interrupts the lives of office workers on their lunch break, enticing them to reimagine the space in which they find themselves.
When & Where
Availability: Available for re-performance.
Production History:
• Commissioned and produced by the Women’s Project (Off-Broadway theater), as part of a group of site specific pieces, part of the 2009 River-to-River Festival, World Financial Center, New York, NY, June 2009
More about the show
The audience walks out into a garden, some members of the audience are those already in the garden space, or passing by. A young woman at the edge of the garden begins playing with a ball, a percussionist plays his drum along with her. She then enters the garden, continuing to play, running around a table where a different young woman is trying to enjoy her lunch in peace. In another section of the garden three people on cell phones notice one another as they each say the same thing to the person on the other end of the line. They begin to move together. In another section of the garden two women trying to avoid one another begin to move away from another, but in tandem, a duet emerges. The young woman has enticed the woman at lunch into her game, and the two then move through the space. Over time all those in the space are enticed by the young woman. They begin to move and dance, including a businessman who had refused to join for some time. At the height of the piece all are moving freely in the garden, but soon after they start, life calls them back, and one by one they leave the space or return to what they were doing before. Only the businessman remains, dancing atop a bench. Evenutally he realizes the others have gone, and he steps down and returns to his work. The percussion fades and the space returns to its normal state.
The June 2009 presentation was co-directed with choreographer Elizabeth Montgomery, and featured the following dancers: Casey Boyle, Laura Gilbert, Sarah Hillmon, Russel Stuart Lilie, Bryony Lucas, Allie Pfeffer, and Phoebe Rose Sandford. Percussion was provided by the wonderful Angel R. Rodriguez.
