Chiang Benzik Thomson NYLA 2016

New York Live Arts

1-3 December 2016

As Adjunct faculty for Fall 2016 at Barnard College I was commissioned to create a piece for the students. During the semester I worked closely with the dancers to develop a practice and process of improvisation.  We explored concepts of intent, tasks, states of being, landscape and questions on choreographic structures and ideas.  My intent was to develop systems of dialogue between the dancers and give them agency in the creation process, empowering them as the choreographers to build and reimagine the work with each performance.

The final work, Tone, used this practice along with physical materials developed during the semester to create a totally improvised piece.

Cast:

Anya Gourley
Susie Barth
JP Viernes
Elizabeth Benzik
Colette Kelly
Nadia Khayrallah
Uilalani Marx 

This was part of a shared program with Joanna Kotze, Jennifer Archibald, Sasha Waltz.

Columbia Spectator Preview

 

photo credit: Trinity Lester