While Orwell’s farm friends may have believed “Two
legs bad, four legs good,” Homer Avila is proving that one
leg is good enough in his performance in “Dance and
Disability.” Avila, who lost one leg to cancer a few years
ago, uses his other leg to keep afoot his determination to
dance.
The purpose of “Dance and Disability,” a one-night
performance this afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m. in Kinross, is to
connect the public to modern dance while also changing
people’s ideas about disabilities. The event showcases
different dancers, presenting their life stories and dance
performances.
“I’ve always been interested in making art that
challenges our habits and the way we understand people who are
different,” said assistant professor and choreographer of the
show, Victoria Marks.
The afternoon performance is centered on Avila’s solo
performance, but will also include a discussion with associate dean
of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television Vivian
Sobchack, a screening of Marks’ film on disability and dance
“Outside In.” The event will conclude with a
performance by Catherine Cole, a professor of drama at UCSB who
also lost a leg to cancer.
Avila’s performance is a “choreographic
portrait,” according to Marks. In this kind of performance,
the movements aim to mirror the person who is performing. The
choreographer and dancer work together to create a dance that will
portray the essence and the personal story of the performer.
“I choreographed the routine with Homer ““ I would
give him an image to work with and he would start dancing,”
Marks said. “The music we chose also reflects (him). It has
an underlying tone of urgency and energy ““ he acts like a
meteor throughout the whole piece.”
In this modern dance performance set against a plain black
background, Avila makes use of every part of his body as he spins
and turns. He uses these moves in order to take audience members to
a new level of understanding dance, according to Marks.
“To me, this performance is about redefining dance and
what it means,” said Avila. “In my case, just because I
lost my leg, it doesn’t mean I stopped growing as an artist
““ this is my way of presenting my art form and my new
development as an artist.”
Though the performance showcases physically challenged dancers,
it also aims to showcase modern dance and to re-open the
public’s eyes to the art form.
“There definitely exists a cultural war in L.A.,”
Avila says. “It’s interesting that people always know
where the UCLA football team is playing, but they hardly ever know
where the nearest dance performance is.”
According to Marks, disability isn’t something that only
applies to amputees or other differently abled people, but
something that all people can relate to, as everyone faces
challenges on some level.
“In approaching my disability, I am working toward not
focusing on the disability, but more on the wholeness of the
presentation of my dancing,” Avila said. “Though
disability is an aspect of my life, I want the focus to be on more
of the fullness of my dancing and how it affects people.”
DANCING: "Dance and Disability" will be performed today from 3
to 5 p.m. at the Kinross Building, 11000 Kinross Ave., Studio 126.
Admission is free, but seating is limited. There will be a Kinross
holiday party following the event until 7 p.m.