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A Modern Night at the Folly 2010

Nine Choreographers - Picture Page

6 February 2010
12th and Central, Kansas City, Missouri

Fuga Tanguera Jen Owen and Brad Cox have, in only a few years, managed to establish a reputation for tight, finely executed dance and music with the Owen/Cox Dance Company. Fuga Tanguera was clearly symmetrical, balanced and well put together. It is not a large company but they work together regularly and it shows in performance. Talking/Walking it out at tech: dancers Jennifer Tierney, Lauren Fitzpatrick (center) and Jennifer Owen Brad Cox at piano, Jeff Harshbarger on bass - dancers hunched down in silhouette Laura Jones Jennifer Tierney Lauren Fitzpatrick, Laura Jones, Jennifer Owen, Jennifer Tierney Choreography Jennifer Owen Music Brad Cox Dancers Lauren Fitzpatrick, Laura Jones, Jennifer Owen, Jennifer Tierney Musicians Brad Cox, Christian Fatu, Jeff Harshbarger, Gregory Sandomirsky, Sam Wisman Costumes Lisa Choules Last Call Jeff Curtis - This picture probably represents the piece better than all-clear shots, especially the shot where I lost his head (not on purpose, just seemed fitting when I saw it). He is dancing as a drunk character to a Tom Waits song, The Piano Has Been Drinking, and the irony in the words goes better with a headless shot and two blurred action shots. I don't normally care to see drunks as fun or funny. I've known (and know) too many persons whose lives were wrecked and who sadly impacted so many others that drunk acts are just not funny for me. But I have to admit, Jeff Curtiss, managed to carry this off with humor and seemingly effortless athleticism in stylistic stumbles and aerial pratfalls. Jeff Curtis - a nice clear view Choreography Jeff Curtis Music Tom Waits, The Piano Has Been Drinking Dancer Jeff Curtis The Strength to be Willing Cameo Ibsen and Gwen Tripp - although this is a part of the choreography, here they are clowing during tech as evidenced by the "V" sign. Gwen Tripp - I took these as Suzanne Ryan Strati asked Gwen to do these leaps so that she could get a few shots as otherwise they were just standing around in tech waiting for lighting adjustments. These are with mostly worklights on. All are at 1/30th second f/2, with a 35mm lens, a shutter speed normally reserved for snap shots of family members who are making every effort not to move as you take the picture with your Kodak Brownie (I had one). I got all seven leaps. The one you are not seeing here had a little more blur (head motion) so I didn't use it and the six used here offer a nice symmetry. Gwen Tripp Kat Kimmitz and Cameo Ibsen Choreography Suzanne Ryan Strati Music The Tower of Babel original composition by Jacob Gotlib Dancers Mikaela Garrett, Cameo Ibsen, Kat Kimmitz, Gwen Tripp Costumes M. Suzanne Ryan Strati This work is inspired by Max Lueade's book, "Traveling light" Special thanks to original test members Stephen Plante, Rachel Plante, Mario Reddowoy, Rachael Thompkins, and Rachel Rebolloro for their contributions to the piece. and we hold tight together Jane Gotch and Ann Shaughnessy Jane Gotch, Tuesday Faust, Ann Shaughnessy, Justin Cowart Jane Gotch, Tuesday Faust, Ann Shaughnessy Choreography Jane Gotch Music Variations on J.S. Bach's Cello Suite #5 In C Minor Dancers Tuesday Faust, Jane Gotch, Ann Shaughnessy, (understudy- Kalen Compernolle) Musician Justin Cowart Costumes Erica Mahinay The creation of this piece was funded in part by on Inspiration Gront from The Metropoliton Arts Council of Konsos City and by a space grant from Charlotte Street Foundation's Urban Culture Project. Broken Flight   Patrick Suzeau - I think of this as a portrait shot. It shows Patrick and represents his energy nicely. Patrick Suzeau - end of piece as trash is blown over him, engulfing him. This is a superb little vignette of pollution, noise, chemical, trash, overwhelming the central character. Patrick Suzeau Choreography Patrick Suzeau Music Sound Collage Dancer Patrick Suzeau Costume Susan Rendall "The Reckoning" an excerpt from The Little People   Maura Michelle Garcia - You can see here some of the Native look to the modern dance which Maura brings to the piece. It is both visual and aural, dancing to words as much as to music. Maura Garcia, whose card reads "Mixed Blood Woman" fuses in her dance the biological and cultural fusions in her life. Maura Michelle Garcia   Choreography Maura Michelle Garcia • Music "Going Home" and "Stomp" by Ulali Dancer Maura Michelle Garcia Costume DeAnna Edwards Painting Soumitra Dasgupta Lighting Design Ray Robins This piece is about the Cherokee fairies or Yvwi Tsvsdi. While exploring their multi-faceted personalities, it also deals with the reclamation of Cherokee traditions and a conscious Native identity.   Innerlying Landscapes, Section III. Elemental Procession Lindsay Spilker Tate and (to the left) Shandi Fine Allison McKinzie, Shandi Fine, Lindsay Spilker Tate, Tuesday Faust (being held) and Holly Noel Harmison Tuesday Faust, Lindsay Spilker Tate (front) and Holly Noel Harmison Choreography Michelle Diane Brown Music Tchaikovsky, Serenade for Strings in C Major for String Orchestra Op. 48 Third Movement Dancers Tuesday Faust, Shandi Fine, Holly Noel Harmison, Allison McKinzie, Lindsay Spilker Tate Costumes Colin Coit, Laura Powell, Jenn McKelvie, Michelle Diane Brown Photographic Images Michael Oliver Innerlying Landscapes was created in four movements: I - Substrate II - Twisted Geometries III - Elemental Procession (the excerpted movement performed here) IV - Conchoidal Fractures The full piece debuted at Kacico's Fall 2009 concert (17 October) at The Folly Theatre to live music from the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, directed by Bruce Sorrell playing: Serenade in C Major for String Orchestra, Op. 48 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Each of the movements had different choreography and different costumes, all stunning, original, very creative. The costumes were designed to match the projected micro-photographs, shown above and behind the dancers. This excerpt, Elemental Procession, remains stunning, maybe more so with further practice and perhaps with extra attention because 1) this was the last time with Diane Brown as artistic director and 2) they were down from five dancers to four because Tuesday Faust could not be in the piece, having been injured earlier in the evening in Jane Gotch's piece. The spacing and the processional feel of the piece worked in any case. The costumes were deliberately non-symmetrical and required each dancer's left arm to be tied down, within the costume, so they were dancing with one arm tied, literally low   Lindsay Pierce Lindsay Pierce Choreography Lindsay Pierce Music Brian Harnetty, To Hear Still More, and As Old As The Stars Dancer Lindsay Pierce   Longing, Fleeting, The End*   Stephanie Whittler, Kat Kimmitz, Amanda January, Ann Shaughnessy and (hidden) Katie Brennan and Tracie Davis Stephanie Whittler, Kat Kimmitz, Amanda January Tracie Davis Choreography Penelope Hearne Music The Books, Big A little a, Carla Bozulich Dancers Katie Brennan, Tracie Davis, Amanda January, Kat Kimmitz, Joanna Des Marteau, Ann Shaughnessy, Andrea Skowronek, Stephanie Whittler Video Jules Hearne *enjoy your worries, you may never have them again. Special thanks to Tracie Davis for her creative input, Susan Warden for her time and guidance and to textile artist Nichole Hobbs for consulting and dying the costumes for the second section.