Juddertone Choreo Project: 1: Jane and I meet

I was accepted to Boston's Juddertone Festival!!

www.juddertone.ning.com

Juddertone is dedicated to supporting the collaboration of choreographers and composers by organizing a forum for the sharing of ideas culminating in an annual public performance premiering new collaborative works.

I am partnered with Boston's Mobius artist and composer/performer Jane Wang.

It is terrific that I can communicate through email with my composer partner, Jane Wang. The idea of a conversation not having a sense of finality is alleviated by the use of internet. WE get to have an ongoing conversation that picks up where it left off.

The space of our conversation is intriguing to me because I am consumed with what Space means in relation to dance. This is a dance of thoughts and ideas codified in a written language of symbols with assumed meaning because the absence of body does not express emotion, intention, inflection.

I find that I am thinking about what I want/need/feel inspired/don't care to do even after I transmitted my message to Jane. Anticipation takes over. Then she responds.

Goodie. There is a message from her in my inbox.

The contents below:
Nathan:
What a terrific email!

Lets meet during June 2-7. What day/time will
be good for you? I am open to any day (accept
Monday, but that is June 1) at any time.

And then from there we can develop our times
during July and August.

I start working for the RISD (Rhode Island School of Design)
on June 12 and end on August 12. The job will be your
typical 8-430 work day with Sat/Sun off.

Currently, I am exploring the concept of "Space" and how
to inhabit it. The idea of locating dance in space is very
intriguing both inside and outside of the body.

Since dance involves movement (in the loosest sense);
I wonder how the body is involved in that movement. Is
the movement inside the body, outside force acting on the body,
does it involve the body at all? In turn, what other sources
locate movement (dance)? Video, streaming, sound, musician,
sculptural elements, etc.

This idea involves some pedestrian movement as well as the codified
"modern" dance movement on the body.

I love that you are willing able to find sounds and use them in the score.

I tend to use soundscapes for my work...although something that is classical
in nature is fine too. Structurally speaking, it will be nice to have a couple of
landmarks in the sound in order for the dancer(s) to know where they are
in the length of the piece (if beats and counting as a structure is too obscure
or non-existent...which I rarely count a piece for the dancers in creating
choreography).

i love the juxtaposition of urban/street sounds and natural sounds. The inner
body vs. the environment. Our bodies are made up of mostly water and so
movement of that water inside has a sound to it. Breathing produces sound.
Heartbeat is sound based. The digestive actions produces sound. etc.

I am also working with Martin Heidegger's philosophy that Semiotics has no
beginning, " A boundary is not that at which something stops but, as the Greeks
recognized, the boundary is that from which something begins its presencing"

I am not certain if I will be dancing solo or involve my dancers from Boston.
Currently, I have 3 that I would like to show in this performance, but I have
not told them of this project yet because I wanted to know, first, how our
schedule of working together was going to unfold. Then, I can take that
concrete information to them and they can decide if they have the time
and willingness to participate.

I hope this helps as a starting point?

Yeh, mornings are great for me. I tend to be very productive in the a.m. and am isolated from
social interactions because everyone is sleeping, preparing for work, going to work, etc.

My phone is listed below. I can receive images on my phone via text, but they are not good quality
and tend to be super tiny so details are missed. I check my email frequently throughout the day.

Jane:
...can you send and receive photos via your cell phone and text??
also yes skype would be fun too...

also, while i'm in italy in May - if you have any ideas for stuff i could record for our collaboration that might interest you, just throw them at me -- i like have sort of project driven things to think about when doing field recordings - it kind of gives me something to focus on.

lastly, i've been into creating installations out of wire and hope to make a dress for one of my friends who is a movement artist (liz roncka) at some point if i can figure out how to make one that won't poke her with the rough ends of the wire... so if you have any interest in using some kind of wire sculpture/costume/weirdness, i'd be more than happy to try to create something...

in terms of music and sound, i have been lately into incorporating electronics, soundscapes and field recordings in addition to performing live (so perhaps a mix of the two) but i'm open to pretty much anything and from what i've seen of your work, I get the sense that you have a similar weirdness bent as i do .... so i'm really happy about that...

Trace--Part 2: Time is the soul of Trace

The concept of Time is fascinating to me and is the soul of Trace. The recording of time through movement is an act of tracing. How does movement record time? How does movement and time partner together in order to create an experience with implications on the future while denoting the past?

When I think of tracing the word journey comes to mind. Journey is a time-based word that discusses one's pathway in, with, or through (but not around) time. In time, gives a hierarchy of value and size in which time exists even when I or my journey do not. With time gives me the sense of partnering with time and also a choice to engage or disengage time--however, time always exists, or that I do not use it or consider it in my journey. Through time asserts that time is a force in which to be acted upon.

I feel that tracing codifies the journey and, in turn, passage of time. This passage of time can be a document of my existence. But how? 

The present always exists. But, the past may never be recorded and so it will not be remembered when the participants in the present, that created the past, do not exist in the future. It brings up the age-old question: "If a tree in the forest falls, but no one is around to hear it, did the tree really fall?"

There has to be a device in which to outline, denote, record, trace the present, so that there is a knowing or understanding in the future. So that there is a future. 

Trace--The beginning (choreo project)

the start of a new project

Trace.

–noun-
1. a surviving mark, sign, or evidence of the former existence, influence, or action of some agent or event;
vestige: traces of an advanced civilization among the ruins.

2. a barely discernible indication or evidence of some quantity, quality, characteristic,
expression, etc.: a trace of anger in his tone.

3. an extremely small amount of some chemical component: a trace of copper in its composition.

4. traces, the series of footprints left by an animal.

5. the track left by the passage of a person, animal, or object: the trace of her skates on the ice.

6. Meteorology. precipitation of less than 0.005 in. (0.127 mm).

7. a trail or path, esp. through wild or open territory, made by the passage of people, animals, or vehicles.

8. engram.

9. a tracing, drawing, or sketch of something.

10. a lightly drawn line, as the record drawn by a self-registering instrument.

11. Mathematics.
a. the intersection of two planes, or of a plane and a surface.
b. the sum of the elements along the principal diagonal of a square matrix.
c. the geometric locus of an equation.

12. the visible line or lines produced on the screen of a cathode-ray tube by the deflection of the electron beam.

13. Linguistics. (in generative grammar) a construct that is phonologically empty but serves to mark the place in the surface structure of a sentence from which a noun phrase has been moved by a transformational operation.

14. Obsolete. a footprint.
–verb (used with object)

15. to follow the footprints, track, or traces of.

16. to follow, make out, or determine the course or line of, esp. by going backward from the latest evidence, nearest existence, etc.: to trace one's ancestry to the Pilgrims.

17. to follow (footprints, evidence, the history or course of something, etc.).

18. to follow the course, development, or history of: to trace a political movement.

19. to ascertain by investigation; find out; discover: The police were unable to trace his whereabouts.

20. to draw (a line, outline, figure, etc.).

21. to make a plan, diagram, or map of.

22. to copy (a drawing, plan, etc.) by following the lines of the original on a superimposed transparent sheet.

23. to mark or ornament with lines, figures, etc.

24. to make an impression or imprinting of (a design, pattern, etc.).

25. (of a self-registering instrument) to print in a curved, broken, or wavy-lined manner.

26. to put down in writing.
–verb (used without object)

27. to go back in history, ancestry, or origin; date back in time: Her family traces back to Paul Revere.

28. to follow a course, trail, etc.; make one's way.

29. (of a self-registering instrument) to print a record in a curved, broken, or wavy-lined manner.
Origin: 1250–1300; late ME tracen, ME: to make one's way, proceed < MF tracier < VL *tractiāre, deriv. of L tractus, ptp. of trahere to draw, drag; (n.) ME: orig., way, course, line of footprints < OF, deriv. of tracier

Holiday Cheer

Reflecting back on this year, I can definitely smile knowing that it all originates at my heart.

Andary Dance Providence and Boston have been rewarding in very different ways. In fact, they both represent the triumphs over all of the fear and trepidation I had when entering into the field. Knowing that I had my friends, family, dancers and talent carrying me through those difficult times relieved me of the initial anxieties that may have prevented me to move on. I would not have achieved any/all that I have gained if it were not for all of them!

I recognize more and more as I get older that provisional support is visible and, most times, invisible. For all the anonymous support I have received; I am eternally grateful. Every bit (that is a term recognizing not size but of effort) is crucial in leading me to the point that I am at right now and will continue to from! THANK YOU!!!!!!

AD has had a successful year traveling from KY to NYC and Boston and Providence with stops in CT, RI and MA. AD Boston has 4 solid dancers and AD Providence has the same amount. AD Boston starts the New Year off performing in "Ten's The Limit" at the ICA (Institute for Contemporary Art) on Jan 18/19. This is truly an honor!

The Ten's the Limit performance is a juried show and AD is 1 of 8 groups to perform a new work challenging the social stigmas placed on women and how the feminine drive is strong and enduring.

Join us for a great show and an even better year!!

With love and holiday cheer,
Nathan

Nathan Andary
Artistic Director; Andary Dance

The Review

'Avec Nous' Not Unified By Poetry

Published On 10/14/2007 11:41:35 PM

By RACHEL M. GREEN
Crimson Staff Writer

With pieces ranging from the thought-provoking, to the entertaining, to the downright bizarre, the Green Street Studio’s contemporary dance production of “Avec Nous” was an intense experiment—the dancers performed to poetry rather than music. But although it presented an interesting premise, the Central Square show was not uniformly successful and at times evoked feelings of discomfort with its raw emotional content and powerful subject matter.

The opening piece, “The Council,” was one of the most successful numbers of the evening. Choreographed by Nathan Andary of Andary Dance, the piece opened with the stunning image of a solitary dancer in the spotlight. The main focus was on the interaction between the soloist, Jun Lee, and the rest of the dancers who formed the “council.”

Lee was the highlight of the piece, with her incredible emotional expression and uninhibited motion. The corps dancers were also impressive, managing a high level of unity of motion, which was surprising given that they were not dancing to music for much of the number. The piece concluded with a high-energy sequence of pair dancing and an impressively coordinated series of floor movements.

“STAM” was choreographed and performed by Karen Krolak to a poem that she also wrote and recorded. Krolak, wearing only a bed sheet which she held up with one arm, performed sinuous and sensual movements offset by the wild expression of her face. The dance successfully reflected the poem, which explored the paranoid and self-destructive feelings of the speaker, but was unimpressive in terms of actual choreography. More of a dramatic statement than an enjoyable work of art, the piece was dominated more by Krolak’s crazed facial expressions than her dancing.

Krolak also choreographed and soloed in “Attraversiamo,” the most peculiar and least successful piece of the evening. Krolak, who appeared in torn jeans and an orange plaid jumper with a string of stuffed socks sewn on the back, appeared to portray the frustration and self-doubt of a dancer in today’s society. Krolak’s interaction with the spoken words of the soundtrack varied from worriedly trying to “shhhh” the recording to singing along with it, repeating the words over and over again.

The actual choreography, which took a backseat to the bizarre costuming, sound and acting, consisted of Krolak’s character flailing wildly, gnashing her teeth and slapping herself. In the middle of the piece, three coquettish and startlingly sane-acting girls entered and performed a flirtatious sequence of steps, serving to highlight the difference between themselves and Krolak’s disheveled appearance and uncontrolled movements.

The vocal accompaniment ended with the sentence, “Dance is just below poetry on the rungs of the ladder of cultural priorities,” seeming to sum up Krolak’s persona’s frustration and bringing new meaning to the rest of the poem. Although the choreography was energetically and whole-heartedly carried out, its bizarre nature prevented the piece from making any meaningful impression.

“A Space Carved Out,” choreographed by Ruth Bronwen and performed by Catherine Murcek, was the most pleasant piece of the evening. The soundtrack consisted of peaceful vocals and strings, as well as a prayer-like poem. The choreography, which switched seamlessly between alternately violent and flowing movements, gave the piece a sentiment that was at once intensely focused and serene. Murcek’s earnest expression and effortless executions made the piece a pleasure to watch.

“Moon Chaser” provided a refreshing and amusing conclusion to the performance. Choreographed by Bronwen in collaboration with the dancers, the piece featured a band of flirtatious, pixie-like figures, who teased and played with each other using both set choreography and improvisation. The use of the curtain across the back of the stage was the most creative and also the most humorous part of the piece; during a solo or duet, a gesturing hand or foot would appear from under the curtain, suggesting further frolicking behind the scenes. Again, Murcek’s energy and visible exuberance shone and made her stand out from the rest of the dancers.

Although “Avec Nous” had many artistically successful moments, the performance was dominated by its jarring emotional content. The show’s choreography often went unnoticed on account of the bizarre nature of some of its pieces.

—Reviewer Rachel M. Green can be reached at rmgreen@fas.harvard.edu.

Ta Dah!!

Well, we did it.

I always breathe a heavy sigh of relief after a show and then sleep the day away. I got so wound up with this show because this was a deeper connection with my choreography than I have ever had before.

The dancers were absolutely stunning and I received numerous compliments and comments on them and the work that we presented this weekend. We had 2 sold out shows and success was earned and achieved!

We kept the camoflauge costumes and it worked out perfectly. In fact, it assisted in the anger and aggressive nature (some said violent at the Question/Answer sessions after the shows) of the dancers and the choreography. I felt that the costuming really supported the intensity within a moment of oppression where conflict arises between a person and a value or expectation. Then there is the emotional residue after that moment has come and gone----is it really ever gone?

The performance was a success and I am looking forward to performing the piece in NYC and again in Boston. We have to secure our other dates of performance from now until then.......I will keep you posted!

Photo Credit: Jonathan Daisy

The dance goes on

O.K., it is a challenge to work out all angles of a dance piece. I have considered the seemingly simple: costume, dance phrases, dance motifs.... but now I am deep in the thralls of figuring out the minutia of every decision and every moment the dancer is involved with in the piece! I LOVE IT!!!

A special thanks goes out to my dancers for all of their input as to what they are experiencing and to Rachel, Celeste, Kim, Gina and Lauren for taking extra time to discuss the inner workings of the piece. A choreographer tends to face the challenge of creating and figuring out a dance piece alone. I am fortunate to have had the interest and involvement of my dancers and also the feedback from fellow choreographers Karen Krolak, Ruth Bronwen and Tommy Neblett to help bring out the essence of my new piece, "The Council".

I have added a new section that is a solo involving dancer, Lauren Tymon and I have added 3 sections of fencing to add a metaphor and a literal sense of being caged (by emotion, fear, power, people).

Now I have to make the fences!! Our show goes opens in 1 week. HA!