Critical Correspondence
Judson Church & Its Dance Critics by George Jackson
George Jackson’s 2010 reflection examines the work of Jill Johnston and Allen Hughes, two dance critics who paid early homage to Judson Dance Theater in the 1960s. Jackson contrasts Jill Johnston’s breathless, energetic writing in the Village Voice with Allen Hughes’ spartan, un-biased prose, published in the New York Times in between years as a music […]
Steven Reker in conversation with Aaron Mattocks
Steven Reker is a Brooklyn-based musician, choreographer and performer, and the primary songwriter and director of People Get Ready. “Specific Ocean,” a multi-sensory performance mix tape, will be given its world premiere at New York Live Arts, October 18-20, 2012. Steven spoke with Aaron Mattocks, CC Co-editor and a performer in the work, about the path of his career, his use of mix tape as choreographic structure, and the nature of pleasure in art making.
Jack Ferver in conversation with Marissa Perel
New York based performer, choreographer, writer and teacher, Jack Ferver spoke with CC Co-Editor, Marissa Perel via Google Hangout about the process of making his new solo, “Mon, Ma, Mes,” which will be performed October 6 at Le Skyroom for FIAF’s Crossing The Line 2012. Ferver discusses returning to Interlochen as a guest artist, sculpting performance out of chaos, the art of the Q & A and the performance of persona.
Utopian synesthesia: DD Dorvillier in conversation with Jennifer Lacey on Danza Permanente
Jennifer Lacey and DD Dorvillier discuss joyful work, physical memory, eurhythmy, and DD's process of making human future dance corps' Danza Permanente, opening on September 15 at The Kitchen, co-presented with the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)'s Crossing the Line 2012.
Nora Chipaumire in conversation with Jaamil Kosoko
Nora Chipaumire is a Zimbabwean choreographer, dancer and director who has toured extensively through North America, Africa, and Europe. She speaks with Jaamil Kosoko about traditional versus contemporary modes of creation, questions around gender in contemporary dance in Africa, biculturalism, and her numerous international collaborations. Chipaumire is a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe’s School of Law and holds graduate degrees in dance (M.A.) and choreography and performance (M.F.A.) from Mills College.
The Score by Clarinda Mac Low
Clarinda Mac Low reflects on dance scores in the second of a series of several writings for CC in 2012, which she has dubbed “The Year of Dance.” Mac Low will be presenting “40 Dancers do 40 Dances for the Dancers” at Danspace Project this September 2012. The piece is based on “The Pronouns: 40 Dances for the Dancers,” a series of dance scores by her father, Jackson Mac Low.
Maria Petschnig in conversation with Marissa Perel
Maria Petschnig and Marissa Perel view and discuss the documentation of Petschnig’s live video performance, See-saw, seen-sawn at the Austrian Cultural Forum on November 10 as part of Performa 11. The audience sat facing a theater wall with projection, which alternated between live-feed and recorded video, controlled by Petschnig who was performing in a space above the audience and the stage.
Julia Koch and Daniel Zippi in conversation
“We are exploring the notion of crossroads or intersection, where a person comes to an intersection and has four directions they can take.” Julia Koch and Daniel Zippi, co-directors of the Barcelona-based collective por instantes, talked in advance of their U.S. debut at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, where they will perform the dance-theater work “La Travesia” from June 14-17. Zippi and Koch discuss their roles as theater director (Zippi) and choreographer (Koch) and their interest in translating urban spaces to the stage.
Rachel Thorne Germond in conversation with Greer Dworman
Chicago-based choreographer Greer Dworman talks with choreographer Rachel Thorne Germond. Germond will present “Return,” an evening of work by her company and friends, at Links Hall in Chicago, June 22-24. Dworman and Germond discuss the Chicago dance scene and queerness in concert dance.
Sarah Michelson in conversation with Marissa Perel Part Two
Critical Correspondence co-editor, Marissa Perel interviewed Sarah Michelson on “Devotion Study #1 – The American Dancer,” which was presented at the 2012 Whitney Biennial. Since the publication of Part One of this interview, Michelson has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 Bucksbaum Award, which is given every two years to one of the artists in the Biennial. Regarding the process of preparation in the museum setting, Michelson reveals, “Sometimes, if the dancers were having a rough day, it was hard. There was no place to go. There was a green room that we thought was going to be locked, but it was an art installation, so it had to be open!”
“Firmly Mid-Career”: Yoshiko Chuma in conversation with Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade and Yoshiko Chuma discuss Chuma’s new work “Love Story, Palestine,” which will be at La Mama May 9-12, 2012. Arcade and Chuma discuss Chuma’s yearlong documentation process in Palestine, the sensation of border crossing and wanting to “stay.” This interview was conducted at the suggestion of Tatyana Tenenbaum, who is a performer in the work.
The Money Conversation: Sara Juli in conversation with Juliana May
Artist Sara Juli talks with choreographer Juliana May about her work as a fundraising consultant to independent artists and Juli’s 2006 work “The Money Conversation,” in which she handed out her life savings to members of the audience. As Juli says, “There’s nothing wrong with making art in your living room… but as soon as you want funding or you want money in a formal way, then you have to be prepared to answer difficult questions about your process, who you are, why it’s important, and why should I care?”
The Glass House: Ivy Baldwin in conversation with Michael Bodel
Choreographer and dance theorist Michael Bodel talks with choreographer Ivy Baldwin on the occasion of a premiere of her new work, “Ambient Cowboy,” at New York Live Arts, May 2-5, 2012. They discuss the architectural qualities of Baldwin’s choreography and what happens when you remove the “safety nets.”
2012–My Year in Dance or: A Farewell/Comeback Tour by Clarinda Mac Low
Clarinda Mac Low reflects on her identity as a dance artist in the first of a series of several writings for CC in 2012, which she has dubbed “The Year of Dance.” Mac Low will be performing on Friday, May 18, 2012 at Danspace Project as part of a Food For Thought evening curated by Heloise Dacrq.
Jillian Peña in conversation with Marissa Perel on The Guiding Light
Jillian Pena investigates “light” as a concept, belief and pop symbol with CC co-editor, Marissa Perel. Pena’s new work, The Guiding Light, premiers at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, [BAX] on Friday, April 27 and runs through Sunday, April 29 2012. “My mom was agnostic. She was like, ‘Just hide when they all pray. Just hide.’ They would tell us that our bodies were vessels for Jesus…I like the idea of the vessel, but when you really believe in something it’s like emptying out in order for that to fill you, which is sexy. So, I am interested in that physicality. Religiosity in a physical sense. What that means. What that looks like.”
