Anthologized, on camera, and live on stage

Above is a photo of my latest work-in-progress: DOOKIE & LIL BASTID, danced by Arthur Aviles and Chisa Hidaka, photographed by Matthew Murphy.  "Dookie" is Duke Ellington, in a recording made live at the Cotton Club, and "Lil Bastid" is a monolog by 90-year-old humorist riffing on the opaque nature of high art.

It will be performed one night only, as part of:

Dance Conversations @ The Flea June 12th at 7:00

Tickets are free and can be reserved HERE

The Dance Conversations are billed as a "spirited debate on dance and dancers" and runs from June 4-14th. Each evening presents the work of 4 choreographers followed by a Q&A, moderated our night by choreographer Jody Oberfelder.   

It breaks my heart to show a dance only once after the hours of hard work Chisa & Arthur put in.  That's part of part of why I asked Matthew Murphy to take pictures of the pair rehearsing last week at DANY studios.  Matt had taken some great rehearsal photos of NOBODY'S DARLING a few years ago - a one night only performance that time as well! - which inspired me to make a video version of DARLING...

...which 2 years later is being included in the ADF Screendance Anthology, a DVD of dance films presented in that festival from 2010-2012.  I recently took a look at DARLING to see if I still liked it - and I do!  Check it out, here on Vimeo - or wait for details on how to order the anthology.

Meanwhile, I intend to create a video version of DOOKIE & LIL BASTID.  Dancer Andy Chapman calls this process editography: where the editor (me) adapts the work of the choreographer (me) re-arranging it at will.  I might even incorporate some of Matt's photos in the finished video, playing the still image against the moving image.

This work-in-progress, dance-to-video modus operandi has several things to recommend it:

the original material lives beyond a one-night stand

the dance, altered, is seen in a context other than a darkened theater

Chisa & Arthur continue to dance wonderfully even after their 50th birthdays have come and gone

I get to keep playing with the original source material

Because playing is my favorite kind of work, in case you haven't already figured that out.