Hydroponics, Phonics and a couple of Neurotics

I just finished a wonderful and exciting afternoon in Providence, RI with a friend of mine who performs regularly in New York City (Joan Merwyn of Joan Merwyn Movement Theater).

She and I were discussing the dance/art scene of New England and New York, being in love, and having a professional company while drinking wine over a delicious hydroponically grown arugula salad decked with walnuts, green apple and HUGE shrimp at a little cafe on the East Side.

I discussed, also, with her my new piece that Andary Dance Boston is performing in October. I realized through our conversation that the combative elements within the context and content of the choreography is where I will find the "hook" or idea for this piece. The idea, explained below, is what I will funnel the title and the costuming of the dancers through.

Our discussion wandered, as any good conversation goes, to the political going on's of our nation and I mentioned that I have been so consumed with the news media and the coverage of the war on terror. I stated, "We are fighting a war on terror by being terrorists....HELLO!!" It hit me that the idea of war/combat is the hook for my piece and that it is relative, on some level, to the fighting that is happening in Iraq.

My personal endeavors against the war on racism, sexism, heterosexism (oppression) has created a similar relationship one has for going to war. You believe in something so strongly that you have to fight for it and nothing can stop in your way. The voices of oppression can be, and often are, consuming forcing someone to fight back out of anger, disgust, upset, rage. Don't these elements belong to the relationship someone has with war.

I marched in a peace march opposing the decision to go to war a few years ago and remember hearing the members of the UN stating (through NPR's live broadcast) their votes against their country supporting the war. The anxiety I had then about going to war is still prevalent now that we have amassed thousands of dead soldiers, grieving families, wounded soldiers whose quality of life is forever changed, rising gas/oil prices, the credit crunch.....need I go on?

I have decided that the dancers will wear varying forms of camouflage and that the title, a working title at this point, is "Bombarding Contentions".

When you see the piece....let me know what you think. I will be asking the dancers in Sunday's rehearsal.