Michelle Ellsworth: The Objectification of Things

Photo by Juan Carlos Salvatierra

DiverseWorks

March 20, 2009

Birth. Death. Resurrection. Those are just a few of the topics choreographer and media artist Michelle Ellsworth plowed through with her usual forceful wit and diligent sense of detail in The Objectification of Things at DiverseWorks this weekend. And did I mention that all of the above, you know, the birth, death and resurrection, happened to a hamburger? There's also sex and torture—to the burger that is.

Going to see an Ellsworth show is a bit like attending a rock concert in that the audience is full of fans that have dragged the innocent in tow. It's always fun to watch newbies to Ellsworthology try to get a footing in what she is doing. They chuckle silently, wondering if its polite to laugh. Oldsters howl before she opens her mouth and at the sight of the first electric drill.

This time around Ellsworth appears as a deity of sorts, a keeper of the sacred crypt of burgerdom, or burgerdoom as it turns out. She comes with two fabulous assistants, dancers Erika Randall and Jessica Meeker, who dance, sing, play guitar, and perform various busy work to pull the whole production off. An elaborate unveiling process reveals the object in question, at which point a silly song erupts evoking girl groups from the 1960s. Our hostess/goddess doesn't waste any time launching into both the history of the hamburger and its anatomical structure. Any confusion you had about the carbon in meat will be over.

Ellsworth dances between a few performance personae, from casual and apologetic tour guide, to ancient spell maker, to tortured lover of, you guessed it, the burger. Her mid-piece monologue froths with a tirade of lightening fast images, gutsy humor, Shakespearian drama, and a hilarious references to Woody Allen's 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway. In this version, the burger says, “Don't think, don't think.” The delivery, magnificent, and the dancing as wild and unruly as the language.

The piece builds to a fever after the burger dies and its time for the seven stages of grief, only here, there are eight because Elizabeth Kubler-Ross forgot blame, as an “oversight.” At the wheels of blame and explain, Ellsworth goes to town on such subjects as green house gases, methane in the ozone, and other assorted climate science, which she, for the most part, gets right. We know this because a scientist, Jeff Neff, sits in the audience and zaps her with a dog collar shock if she's wrong, just another highlight of her quaint wackiness.

No Ellsworth event is complete without a mighty contraption, and this one does not disappoint. Priscilla Cohan has designed a marvelous box of sorts that holds the holy pattie, doubles as mini stage, and finally as a tomb. Drills, hammers, and other assorted tools fly about as the thing morphs into its new purpose. Michael Theodore's snazzy 3D animation and Rick Silva's stop action create a striking contrast with the homemade quality of the set pieces.

Ellsworth layers on levels of ridiculousness that keep her brand of theater grounded in a fluid process. At no point do we know what might come next. Her pieces come at us more like graphic novels, with less violence (although there is that moment when the burger gets a deadly injection), full of mental switchbacks and unforeseen zaniness. And her adorableness, bordering on neurotic, makes it all the more fun to experience.

The piece concludes with the burger resurrection ascending heavenward, while Ellsworth buries herself with her beloved carbon-based object. The audience is left stunned by her charm, cleverness, and the boatload of climate facts now swirling about our heads. Who knew a burger could do all that?

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Read Tedd Bale's review on CultureVulture here.

Read Molly Glentzer's review on Arts in Houston here.

Dancing on a Horse: quick chat with Artania's Mairbek Kantimerov

Photo courtesy of Artania

Artania blends the legendary Kantemirov Family Cossack warriors, 12 rare Russian horses, and slew of dancing aerial and acrobatic artists all inside one intimate climate-controlled tent. Artania's current director, Mairbek Kantimerov, fills us in on a life on a horse.

Dance Source Houston: How old were you when you first tried a stunt on a horse?

Mairbek Kantimerov: I started riding when I was a small boy. I don't remember the exact moment. I was around 14 years old when I tried my first stunt.

DSH: Did you learn from your father and brothers? Did you have get other training as well?

MK: I trained with my father, Alibek Kantimerov. He was one of the world's best riders and a 5 time champion of the U.S.S.R. and Armed Forces. He originated many of the equestrian stunts that you see today. I have had several teachers in riding dressage. One of them was Olympic champion Ivan Calita.

DSH: How do the horses like Houston so far? Is it hard for horses to travel so far from home?

MK: They have a good stable area here, and they enjoy the weather and the food so far. Traveling is no problem for them because they are used to it.

DSH: There is one incredible moment in the show when one of the riders jumps from the ground to the top of a horse. It's pretty amazing to watch. How much training is required to get to that skill level?

MK: To be honest, some people cannot learn this trick their entire life. Talented people in the art of trick riding normally learn this in 2-3 years. They have to learn how to stand on the horse in any position on a galloping horse. Then slowly they learn to jump onto the horse.

DSH: Are there still horse stunts in the Russian cinema?

MK: Yes. My grandfather and my family were the creators of acrobatic horse riding stunts for the Russian cinema. Our dynasty took part in about 60 Russian cinemas and never once was a horse injured while performing a stunt.

DSH: The show is full of dance. Who choreographed the show and what kind of dance training do the performers have?

MK: In some parts we took some traditions of folklore and developed it into modern arts. Most dances are especially choreographed for this show. Two of the most progressive Russian modern dance choreographers helped us.

DSH: How do the performers keep in tip-top shape? Is there a group warm-up?

MK: Our actors came from sports or dance backgrounds. Usually they work out individually.

DSH: Are there former competitive gymnasts in the show?

MK: Most of our gymnasts are from the National teams from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarussia. For example, our acrobatic group Atlantis were European champions.

DSH: You are still performing in the show. What do you still love about being right in the center of things?

MK: I only perform for the initial shows in any city just to control the situation and to be sure that I know the riders and horses will be safe.

DSH: Do you think you will have time to go to the Rodeo while you are here in Houston?

MK: I think it will be great. I hope to visit it while we are here.

Sam Houston Race Park and Live Nation present Artania through April 12 at Sam Houston Race Park. www.livenation.com or www.shrp.com.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Tea, Dance and Ideas: Ben Wegman of Liz Lerman Dance Exhange on the Systems of Sustainability Symposium

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in Drift
Photo by George Hagegeorge

At the end of this month, a group of deep thinking innovators will descend on the Bayou City to contemplate the intersection of art and sustainability for a three-day art festival and symposium called “Systems of Sustainability: Art, Innovation, Action” (S.O.S.) developed by University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston, in close consultation with Liz Lerman, Founding Artistic Director of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Dr. Robert Harriss, President of the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC). S.O.S. features artist presentations, tours, open discussions, and dance performances by Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.

Last month, I had a chance to visit with Lerman, and two of her dancers, Ben Wegman, and Matt Mahaney, while they scoped out the possibilities for dance on the University of Houston campus, anticipated interactions with the S.O.S. program of activities, and experimented with their new Tea concept which will entail performance and dialogue. Lerman, choreographer and general mix master of minds, hopes for a highly interactive experience for all. Project lead, Wegman brings us into the thinking behind the Dance Exchange’s involvement in S.O.S and the event's many dance elements

At the end of this month, a group of deep thinking innovators will descend on the Bayou City to contemplate the intersection of art and sustainability for a three-day symposium and art festival called Systems of Sustainability (S.O.S) Art, Innovation, Action, developed by University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston, in close consultation with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC). The conference features lectures, tours, open discussions, and dance performances by Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.

Last month, I had a chance to visit with Lerman, and two of her dancers, Ben Wegman, and Matt Mahaney, while they scoped out the possibilities for dance, interaction with the exhibits . and their new Tea concept which will entail performance and dialogue. Lerman, choreographer and general mix master of minds, hopes for a highly interactive experience for all. Project lead, Wegman brings us into the thinking behind S.O.S and event's many dance elements.

Dance Source Houston: What does being project lead entail? It sounds very serious and official.

Ben Wegman: Project leading is an ever adjusting role at the Dance Exchange. With our more established work, the project lead role entails creating and casting workshops and classes and overseeing the schedule for the company’s well being.

I am not only helping to schedule our day to day activities for the company but helping in the creation and imagining of our Tea dialogue/performance structures and being the Dance Exchange point person of contact and through-line for the many artists and students we are working with at the University of Houston. In some ways, I function as an all purpose logistics man.

DSH: The one thing I remember about working with Lerman is that it's not a job for asleep at the wheel types. How is working with Lerman activating different parts of your brain?

BW: Working with Liz is a constant activation of the brain as a mover, creator, speaker, writer, teacher, and facilitator. Liz likes people with their own ideas, people who have the ability to constantly reevaluate the situation.

In rehearsal alone, you may be asked to make movement, and then annotate the process of creation. The ability to articulate what you have just done or seen is one that is constantly activating the brain in different ways.

DSH: What about your dancing brain? Lerman expects her dancers to be co-creators. Since you are fairly new with the troupe is that new for you?

BW: It is and it isn’t. Thankfully I’ve had some great teachers throughout the years who encouraged me and pushed me to speak with my own artistic voice. I was always someone who choreographed as much as I danced throughout school. What has been eye-opening for me has been the idea of co-creation with multiple artistic voices in the room. It’s different creating dance by yourself than it is with 9 other people in a room who all have strong artistic voices and ideas and are simultaneously creating for the same project. This creative collaboration has truly been the extreme learning curve I’ve experienced.

DSH: Did anything in your background or education prepare you for the work you are doing now?

BW: Like many, I come from a background of very strict and narrow training that didn’t serve me very well. I was always the student causing trouble, which in many classes simply meant asking questions, raising opinions and ideas. I think my exasperation with what I experienced as a very narrow minded dance world led me to seek out work like the Dance Exchange.

DSH: Let's talk about the conference. The line-up is broad and not remotely dance focused. How do you see dance has a connecting thread?

BW: Well, to begin with we all move. If we can simply begin by seeing our bodies as structures we have to sustain, that we have to take care of, then we are already connecting people from all fields.

I think dance is also a connecting thread in the sense that dancers have always had to re-imagine, to re-evaluate, their paradigm to survive and sustain. Dance has never been a huge money-maker in this country, never a secure enterprise. Dancers have always adapted to or because of the culture of the time.

DSH: Liz is experimenting with her community Tea concept. So you are testing the concept on us. OK. I'll go with that. What's the idea behind the Teas?

BW: Our ideas for the Teas came to us through our research for Liz’s next large scale work, The Matter of Origins. Liz and I traveled to CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) last year to speak with numerous physicists and experience the large hadron collider in person. After being there, we realized that we could not tell the story of CERN without moving back in history and looking at the experience of Los Alamos.

Once you think Los Alamos, of course you think J. Robert Oppenheimer. Liz was especially intrigued by one small line from American Prometheus, the biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer (which is an amazing read by the way), that describes a small teahouse outside of Los Alamos. We found out that the government shut down all the businesses for miles around Los Alamos, except for one small teahouse run by a woman named Edith Warner. Two of three times a week Edith Warner fed physicists and engineers from Los Alamos, having no idea who they were really were or what they were working on.

The story was naturally curious and ripe with questions for us. What happened at these meals? What did the conversation entail? How did tea allow these men and women to slow down and share? What was shared and what wasn’t?

As we continued to research and explore this information, we started to muse on tea – the idea and ceremony. Could we use the idea of tea as a foundation for building conversation and information transfer? Could we continue the experience of performance outside of the theater?

Currently we are imagining that this new work of Liz’s would have a first act in the theater, and a second act that would transfer the audience out into the lobby, or newly transformed tea house. The second act would be, in essence, tea, involving performance, projection, dialogue and (my favorite part) food.

The S.O.S. symposium will be one of our first large scale opportunities to try and research what these teas really are. I wouldn’t say that we are testing ideas on Houstonians, they are functioning more as our lab assistants – going along for the ride and helping us create and collect the data we need.

DSH: Lerman is an old hand at throwing a bunch of people in a room with different letters after their names and just seeing what happens. The conference looks set up to create synergy. Is that ever scary? Do you ever worry that these people won't have anything to say to one another?

BW: I think it’s only scary if you think you have nothing to share. Once you realize that you own your experience and feelings, you always have something to share. You have an opinion that matters, whether you have letters behind your name or not.

I find that if people are even willing to attend a meeting, this conference they usually have something to share. I think it’s the ability to share that is more of a hindrance than the need or want. We have become so specialized in our own fields nowadays that we often don’t know how to translate our information to others. It’s the translation that is the struggle.

DSH: I understand the company will be performing excerpts from the rep. How do these dances relate to the content of the conference?

BW: The company is performing an animated keynote Friday evening at 6 pm. We will be performing excepts from Drift by company member Cassie Meador, Imprints on a Landscape: The Mining Project by company member Martha Wittman, Blueprints of Relentless Nature by adjunct company member Keith Thompson, and a work in progress excerpt from The Matter of Origins, Liz’s new work.

Drift and The Mining Project both deal with sustainability concerns of an environmental nature. Drift looks at a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia, where Cassie is from, and it’s evolution from farmland to grocery store to church. The piece deals with how we interact with the land and how this interaction affects where our food comes from and what we eat. The Mining Project was inspired by Martha Wittman’s father, who was a WPA artist, documenting the mining communities through his drawings around the Pennsylvania area. Both works have a very strong connection with not only environmental sustainability, but also how human beings have sustained themselves in small and large ways during difficult periods in the lives.

Keith Thompson’s work really pushes the limit of what the human body can do. The piece is 20 minutes of intense partnering and non-stop aerobic activity. The movement is truly relentless, examining the ability to sustain physically and continue on.

DSH: Is it hard to be a dancing project lead or does that just go with the Dance Exchange territory, in that wearing multiple hats is just how it goes? You look like you are having fun with the job of having many jobs.

BW: Of course, it's difficult holding onto project lead responsibilities as well as dancing full time; it is a constant battle for balance. But what I love about the work and its many roles, is its ability to engage me fully as an artist and human being. I love working for an organization where I not only get to dance and create the work, but talk about it, write about it, teach about it, and research it as well. I find that I understand the dance, the art, more clearly when I an engaged in all aspects of its creation.

I also love to learn. I have never been pushed to grow so quickly as I am daily with the Dance Exchange, and especially when in the role of project lead. It is a constant learning experience.

DSH: What kind of people should come to S.O.S.?

BW: Well, I would say everyone. Everyone benefits from the information being brought to the symposium.

DSH: Sometimes Liz reminds me of a hip-hop artist in that she has never defined herself by the narrow confines of dance. As a young dancer, entering a rather shabby and shaky world (sorry about that!), how do you see her methods in and of themselves as a system of sustainability?

BW: Liz’s curiosity, her ability to constantly ask questions, is a form of sustainability. I think it’s the people who are constantly questioning, especially now, who will survive this scary artistic and economic world. From day one, Liz has re-imagined the paradigm of what dance and art can be.

Our ability to change roles or wear many hats, as we say, is also a methodology in sustainability. We work with being a leader and a follower in movement structures and in our day to day activities. Often when we work in communities, I am shocked by the inability of people to lead and follow with ease and move between these two roles deftly. Someone who only leads will never sustain, just as someone who only follows will eventually meet defeat.

“Systems of Sustainability: Art, Innovation, Action” (S.O.S.) takes place March 27-29 at the University of Houston Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre, and Blaffer Gallery at the University of Houston. Call 713-743-2929 or visit www.soshouston.org.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

REVIEW: Rabbit Hole

Shelley Calene-Black as Becca and Mark Ivy as Jason

In these escapist craving days, it may take a bit of courage to head to a play about parents who have lost a child. But don't let the subject of David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Rabbit Hole, now playing at Stages Repertory Theatre, keep you away. It's a strong play and a handsome production.

Becca and Howie are an average, likable couple dealing with the grief of losing their 4 year old son Jason from a car accident. Each has their own way of both coping and failing to cope. Becca tries to erase all signs of her son, while Howie endlessly watches an old video. Enter Izzy, the crazed and now pregnant younger sister, who manages to say all the wrong things and still mean well. Becca's mom, Nat, tries to help but mostly drinks too much and brings up her own loss, a drug addicted adult son who committed suicide. Complicating the healing process is Jason, the young teen who was driving the aforementioned car. He seeks his own resolve by spending time with the couple.That redemption could come in the form of this humbled teen forms the play's complex center. Rabbit Hole refers to the name of Jason's si-fi short story that he dedicates to their son. It also refers to the maze of mourning, which doesn't always move in a linear direction.

Lindsay-Abaire crafts his drama in everyday scenes—a quiet evening at home when Howie tries to romance his wife into another child, Izzy's birthday party, or putting away groceries—small
events where large emotions loom and lurk. The play displays an anatomy of grief in its full splendor, which includes pain, humor, and irony. The characters, rich and full all, never stop being real and compelling people because of their grief; sharp and witty banter flies during the most treacherous of moments.

The cast lives up to Lindsay-Abaire's natural ear for the way people actually talk and listen to one another, or, in some cases, refuse to do so. Shelley Calene-Black imbues the high strung Becca with a volatility that keeps us on edge. She bakes lemon squares, crème brulee and fancy tortes, but keeps us guessing on her next move. Jim Johnson's spot-on working suburban man is equally believable, demonstrating a more subtle vulnerability in his sudden outbursts. Bree Welch takes off as Izzy, the nutty sister, who on occasion makes the most sense in the room. Cristine McMurdo-Wallis gives Nat an endearing irritably that makes us glad she's not our mother. Mark Ivy, making a stunning professional debut, plays Jason with a knowing grace, creating a rare calm in this tense drama.

Leslie Swackhamer directs with an sensitivity for the material without collapsing into melodrama. Liz Freese's comfy suburban living spaces lend a sense of the familiar. Tim Thomson's sound design nicely punctuates the scenes.

Rabbit Hole never gets to the final stage of healing, if any such thing exists. Progress is measured in minutia. Becca and Howie sit at the kitchen table and recite a litany of upcoming events. We see the comfort of the simple naming of what comes next. When they get to a point where they run out of what comes next, Howie squeezes her hand, and slowly turns his head toward the future. We know then they will be alright.

So put down that remote. Think like Jason, do the hard stuff, and see this play that delivers more nutrition and substance than any buff fluff out there. There's a tonic here for these hard times too in watching these vulnerable people navigate the minefield of their emotions with eloquence and humility.

Rabbit Hole continues at Stages Repertory Theatre until March 22. Call 713-527-0123 or visit www.stagestheatre.com.

Reprinted from Culturevulture.net.

REVIEW: The Pie Dialogues

Sean (Josh Morrison) and Dawn (Gwendolyn McLarty). Photo by www.RicOrnelProductions.com

Once you decide to become a parent, know that at some time you will become insufferable to your spouse, your child, and yourself. Joseph Lauinger gets that right in his world premiere play The Pie Dialogues at Main Street Theater. Lauinger's play follows the life of Dawn and Sean, parents of dear little “Pie,” who travels from toddlerhood to bride without ever stepping foot on stage. Instead, we learn how the parents cope with everything from losing a little league game to a major illness in college.

The couple separates, divorces, and grows into an amiable friendship, tethered by their unconditional love for Pie. Each parent takes turns being completely unbearable: Dawn with her control freak ways, and Sean with his idiotic contract for his daughter's celibacy. Warning to parents; you will see yourself here and not like what you see. The early scenes in this marriage are just plain tiresome. Parents know this stuff, do we need to see it on stage too? Luckily, Lauinger peppers his play with just enough witty banter in the second act that make us finally want to see what happens next to these two ill-fated parents. The scene when the two contemplate losing their daughter after a bout of pneumonia proves the most gripping and memorable of the play.

Josh Morrison turns in a solid and believable performance of Sean, the would be writer, who seems to just want a steady job at the local university. Gwendolyn McLarty imbues Dawn with just enough pathos to keep audiences from cringing during her tirades on everything from the color of her daughter's room to the appropriate snacks.

The play is sensitively directed by Andrew Ruthven with a keen ear for the rhythm of dialogue. Simple set pieces by Liz Freese take us from a messy college dorm room to a swanky urban eatery. Lauinger hammers home the point that parenting is not for amateurs and comes with as much failure as joy. As usual with MST productions, the play is nicely scaled to fit into their intimate theater, if only it were a more compelling drama to be so close to.

The Pie Dialogues continues at Main Street Theater until March 22, 2009. 713-524-6706.

Reprinted from CultureVulture.net

DanceHouston: The Edge

DanceHouston blew into the Cullen with a line-up for Houston's top hip-hop troupes, proving once and for all, we are a multiple dance scene city. The groups showed a marvelous range from the casual competition style of Sol y Luna, to the highly structured Soreal Cru, with lots of entertainment between those two extremes.

Ghost Crew, directed by Patrick Garrett, performed with a slick polish in Ghost Take Over. The quartet, (Pat, Marcus, J-spree and LT) showed triple threat chops, inventive moves, razer sharp timing, and undeniable chemistry with the crowd. Garrett's on stage charisma is a force in and of itself. Ghost Crew thoroughly took control of the space with a strategy that included both highly nuanced choreography and a full range of qualities. Garrett seems to be pushing the hip-hop to a more refined edge, delving deeper into the possibilities as a movement form. Although the music was uncredited, the selections offered diversity and a chance to highlight the troupe's spot-on dancing. My only quibble with Crew was that is was too short. When you are this good, we just want to see more.

WyldStyl won the cool and forever shifting formations prize in The Upcoming. Using the dancers like a group body, the energy contracted and expanded, making for the most complex use of space of the evening. The all-girl troupe Fyasko kept it simple when it came to patterns in space but showed strong feminine verve in The Reason Ladies Y Come First.

Planet Funk's post-apocalyptic opus, ELCX 11 Relaphat went on too long, obscured whatever splash of inventive (but messy) dancing there was with clunky set pieces, and thriller-like zombie costumes. The Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who inspired text fell flat and made little sense. The result was a dressed up disorganized cirque-imitating manage of unconnected events. Not even cameos by noted local dancer Mario Jaramillo and others save Relaphat; they were simply lost in the visual confusion.

Sol y Luna placed hip-hop in its natural state with a gathering of B-boys trying to out do each other. The straightforward plan worked, and allowed each dancer to show their chops in turn. At times, it seemed unclear whose turn it was, but no matter, everyone got to shine. The pared down style provided a welcome contrast to Planet Funk's theatrics. The 8^th Edition burst out in a sassy salsa in The Beautiful People. Ill-Ovation lived up to their name in Open House with a cool scenario, just enough theatrics to break up the dancing but not overwhelm it. Inertia got off to a fun start in Insane in the Membrane with one of the dancers scampering over the backs of the others to enter. HIStory, veterans of Americans Best Dance Crew, fused contemporary dance in their punchy offering, A Different Same Old Thing.

Soreal Cru, another troupe that has made the finals of Americans Best Dance Crew, did not disappoint in The Re-Up. Dynamic dancing, quick shifts in focus, level, and formation, made it one of the more compelling offerings on the bill. Choreographers Andrew Bateria, Jackie Lautchang and Brian Puspos kept the interest strong in their brief, but tight piece.

All in all, the Edge showed off a tremendous range of talent, creativity, and sheer invention happening in Houston. Kudos to DanceHouston for bringing it all together in one show. A sold-out, lively, and prone to screaming crowd thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.