“I take the words, the movement and the image and mash them up against each other, weave them irrevocably, sort them out in stacks and give them new names. I ask them to surprise me, teach me something new about myself that I didn’t know before. I release them and then see what happens when I beg for their return.” – Celeste Miller, Artist Statement
Researching the genre of “talking dance” via a collection of videos, websites, and articles.
- Assignment: Browse this entire collection (videos and articles) and/or do your own research of dances/dancers/choreographers in this genre who use spoken word as part of the choreography/performance that speak to you. (pun intended)
- Choose at least 3 to do more thorough investigation on, from the resources below or do your own interest. Watch the dances and theorize about how choreography and word work together. Visit the websites, search for articles about the three artists or choreographed works you select.
- Be prepared to enter into a discussion about choreographing text in class on March 9. This will be a circle discussion where everyone is expected to share thoughts, questions, insights, reflections as we theorize dancing with words.
RESOURCES:
- Excerpts
- Full Works
- Articles on the Genre
EXCERPTS
of dances that incorporate spoken word and dance from the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Collection.
JOE GOODE
Joe Goode 2 minutes
About the excerpt: “Doris in a Dustbowl”was originally presented as part of an evening entitled The Disaster Series. The genesis for this work was Goode’s desire to put the AIDS epidemic into perspective, juxtaposing natural disasters with the struggles of our daily lives. Goode once said about this particular section, “The dustbowl is the natural disaster, and the personal disaster is the failed expectation of love and romance.” Source: Jacob’s Pillow Interactive
More about Joe Goode Performance Group
RALPH LEMON
Ralph Lemon 2 minutes
About the excerpt: Solo “This Solo springs from an interview with LaVaughn Robinson, an acclaimed tap dancer whose career began on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s.” Source: Jacob’s Pillow Interactive
More about Ralph Lemon
URBAN BUSH WOMEN
“Hair and Other Stories” Clips and Interviews 4 minutes
About: “Members of the Brooklyn-based dance company Urban Bush Women, including founding artistic director Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and associate artistic director Chanon Judson, discuss the immersive performance work “Hair & Other Stories.” The piece, which incorporates dance, singing and storytelling, looks at issues around racism and body image, and ideas of liberation and self-determination. It is being performed at BRIC House this month in connection with Urban Bush Women’s year-long artistic residency at BRIC, coinciding with the organization’s 40th anniversary season.”
FULL WORKS:
That use spoken word and movement choreography.
BILL T. JONES
Bill T. Jones 8 minutes
About: A favorite work of mine for many reasons. Jones’ remarkable skill as a dancer/choreographer and his excellent craft at words + movement. In this dance, simultaneously teaches while inspiring and offers an approach to text and movement in dance.
More about Bill T Jones/Wikipedia
The Grinnell College library has a full collection of films of Jones’ work. – solo and company (Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance)
JEROME BEL FOR VERONIQUE DOISNEAU
VERONIQUE DOISNEAU in Four parts. Each part is about 9 minutes in length, except for Part Four which is about 3 minutes.
Part One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIuWY5PInFs
Part Two
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjPcRRH_4CM
Part Three
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L10LlVPE-kg
Part Four
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfsOj4a2ggA
About: Choreographer Jerome Bel works with dancers to create solo choreography for (and about) them. This dance choreographed by Bel for Doisneau, is “dedicated to Veronique Doisneau, dancer at the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris. Alone onstage, close to retirement, she casts a retrospective and subjective glance on her career as a dancer at the heart of this institution. Through words and gestures, she conjures up an otherwise invisible world.”
Source: https://www.festival-automne.com/en/edition-2017/jerome-bel-veronique-doisneau-film.
Celeste Miller
Celeste Miller Live at the Canopy Theatre; two full works. 25 minutes
Trailer: At the Grinnell Art Museum, “Once Upon a Time Wolf” with musician Chip Epsten. 3 minutes
About: My performance career has been centered on solo talking/dances. I have also authored a book, “Dancing from the Heart: Life Stories”, of “talking/dance” methods. More about my work can be found on my website.
About the video links: The first link takes you to two solo works performed at the Canopy Theatre in Athens, GA. The first “Multi-Medea Idea”, questioning women, motherhood and monsters. The second “When Small Birds” was created after 9/11, a reflection on the ways we were responding to the tragedy. The second link is a trailer of the full-length “Once Upon A Time Wolf” (read more here.)
Sean Dorsey
Creative 5 minutes. Sean Dorsey Dance’s award-winning ‘Creative’ is a raucous dance theater solo about adolescence, gender identity and rebellion.
About: Sean Dorsey is a San Francisco-based choreographer, dancer, writer, teaching artist and cultural activist. Recognized as the U.S.’ first acclaimed transgender modern dance choreographer, Dorsey has toured his work to more than 30 cities across the US and abroad – and taught with his explicitly trans-positive pedagogy in more than 35 cities. Sean Dorsey website.
ARTICLES ON THE GENRE
There has not been much writing about the genre. Perhaps one problem is a name for what it is has never been settled on. Is it “talking dance”? Is it “spoken word and dance”? Is it “choreography to text”? I encourage you to do some searching as well. I have many newspaper reviews about my solo work, but not articles about the genre. When it falls into the theatre realm, it is often referred to as “physical theatre.”
The following might mention a dancer/choreographer you might be interested in exploring further. Also, pay attention to how many dance critics look negatively on the use of text/word with dance.
An article “When Dancers Speak” Dance Magazine
An article When Dancers Speak Maisonneuve
An Article Word Play Dance Magazine
Often dance critics write with a negative slant for the use of text/word with dance. What do you think? We can agree to disagree.
STATEMENT: For each Research Circle Project you are expected to investigate the topic and bring your discoveries, questions, insights and theories to the circle for energetic discussion. You honor the circle by your preparedness.