Tuesday, October 20, 1998
Southern California art meets modern dancing
DANCE: Company
dedicated to preserving history tries new project
By Kristi Nakamura
Daily Bruin Contributor
Martha Graham, Agnes de Mille and Doris Humphrey. These
distinguished innovators of modern dance are only a few of the
choreographers the American Repertory Dance Company (ARDC) counts
responsible for its unusual repertory of works.
On Oct. 20 at 7 p.m., the UCLA Armand Hammer Museum of Art and
Cultural Center will feature a performance by the ARDC as part of
its ongoing series, "Dialogues on Art. " The company’s program
refers to the museum exhibit "Sunshine and Noir. "
"In a departure from what our normal format is, " says Bonnie
Oda Homsey, co-artistic director of the ARDC. "We’re really
offering something exciting for the Armand Hammer ‘Sunshine and
Noir.’ "
Customarily, the ARDC focuses almost completely on
reconstructing modern dances from the past. ARDC takes the work of
renowned choreographers, such as Graham, de Mille and Humphrey, and
attempts to preserve the steps as the way the original
choreographers wrote them. Many of the early modern dance pieces
were created too early to have been filmed or otherwise accurately
recorded.
"When (people of my generation) were first dancing … our
teachers were the first generation of modern dancers, " says
co-artistic director Janet Eilber. "It didn’t seem like history to
us – they were just our teachers. But 25 years later, most of these
women have passed on and modern dance is celebrating its first 100
years.
"All of a sudden the history is being mapped out, and we’re
really, as far as I know, the first company who has really
concentrated on trying to save a lot of material that otherwise
would just disappear, " Eilber says.
Even though the ARDC has not worked on many collaborations with
museums in the past, Oda Homsey and Eilber were very attracted to
working with the Armand Hammer’s current exhibit, "Sunshine and
Noir, " highlighting California artists.
"We were looking for opportunities to mesh and to (perform in) a
different venue than the ordinary dance venue, " says Eilber.
Since the ARDC’s programs consist almost entirely of solos, they
can be very flexible in terms of performance space. Because they do
not need large stages and elaborate lighting, performing in gallery
venues like the Armand Hammer is ideal.
Los Angeles-based artists themselves, Oda Homsey and Eilber
thought it would be interesting to match the "Sunshine and Noir "
theme of California visual artwork with dances by California
choreographers.
"We tried to match dances that were evocative of the particular
work of art so that it would be as if the particular art piece or
art work were coming to life in flesh and blood, " says Oda
Homsey.
Each of the ARDC dancers chose a different piece of artwork from
the "Sunshine and Noir " exhibit and matched it to a piece of
choreography. Some of the connections between the two works are
clear and thematic, while others are more abstract, relating more
to similarities in philosophy and vision between the choreographer
and the artist.
Eilber explains this connection between the visual art and the
dance by describing a piece of her own choreography that will be
performed.
"It’s a feminist statement, although very comedic, I hope, "
says Eilber. "It’s basically a woman who is encased in a pair of
pantyhose and she has to battle her way out. The accompaniment is a
collage of ’70s TV commercials, kind of sexist TV commercials.
"
Although an accomplished dancer, Eilber will not perform at the
Armand Hammer because of hip problems. Instead, she will narrate
the different pieces and help the audience better understand the
collaboration between visual art and dance.
While the ARDC will only perform a half-hour show at the Armand
Hammer, Oda Homsey promises the show will be very amusing, and well
worth catching.
"Part of what I love about our repertoire is that the dances are
short, and they’re to the point and there’s craft there. You don’t
wait for half an hour while someone turns into a rock, " says Oda
Homsey. "It will be very entertaining, we promise. "
DANCE: The American Repertory Dance Company will perform at the
UCLA Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center, 10899
Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood Village, on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The event
is free with paid admission to the museum. Parking is available
under the museum. For more information, call (310) 443-7000.
Photo courtesy of American Reparatory Dance Company
The American Repertory Dance Company is performing at the UCLA
Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center.
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