Tea with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in Time Has Set the Table for Tea

Time Has Set the Table for Tea with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange was the go-to activity at the Systems of Sustainability: Art, Innovation and Action conference held at the University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts last weekend. Everyone wanted a seat at the table. Lucky me, I got one. The concept, still in the forming, comes from the tea house run by Edith Warner for the physicists at Los Alamos during the early 1940s. All of this is described in Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin's book American Prometheus:The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Apparently, Oppenheimer was quite a fan of Warner's cooking. Why tea now? Because Lerman's next frontier is physics in her newest opus, A Matter of Origins. She recently returned from CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) on an info gathering mission. I'm impressed.

University of Houston Dance Students

Guests were led up the stairs by University of Houston dance students, who dressed in 1950s garb and greeted us with welcoming gestures. At the top of the stairs we were split into two groups, one to learn the rules, the other to watch dancers interact with the film from Center for Land Use Interpretation's, (CLUI) Texas Oil: Landscape of an Industry exhibit. CLUI's smashing footage of the entire length of the ship channel is impressive as it is, but with dancers, it becomes something else, a more peopled landscape.

Meghan Bowden

The rules, presented/danced by Ben Wegman, Thomas Dwyer and Meghan Bowden alternated between extreme formality and "Hi, how are you, relax, enjoy and just don't touch the art." We were led into the main room as the students created a barrier to protect the maps on the wall. People took their places and glanced down to find a notecard. Mine read, "This seat is reserved for you." Tables were elegantly dressed for the most part, but I missed the china. (Teas need fine china.) Nervous chatter ensued, mostly by me. I ranted on about having heard that an expert would be sitting with us. Finally, the dear woman on my left announced that she was, in fact, the expert. Leading us in some clipped conversation our expert made sure we were on target, and set the agenda. There were awkward moments that feel strangely theatrical, and at times, just annoying. Finally the crew of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange appeared with the too-sweet tea. Fabulously tasting chocolate cake appeared later on. (Warner was known for her chocolate cake.)

Thomas Dwyer and Martha Wittman

Dance Exchange company member Martha Wittman joined our table and alternated between being part of the group and dancing at her seat. I love when she whipped her cup into the air mid-sentence. Wittman's presence is a marvel to behold. We all stopped our chatter as if to acknowledge that the art had begun. I glanced over to the next table to watch Robert Harriss from the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) dancing as well. Harriss' full participation was a delight, not just here, but throughout the conference. Lerman likes to play with those boundaries. I felt safe with Wittman at the table, and it relieved us of the forced conversation, an inevitable part of participatory performance. (We don't go to rehearsals.) Some marvelous dancing came and went, as did projections having to do with resource use. At one point Wittman asked me to stand and read the projected text. I obliged. Don't mess with the rules of tea. We watched a duet and had time to discuss ideas that emerged in our thinking and report back to the group. Our report, "Don't be afraid to show the dirt on your feet, the printing press, harnessing energy." You had to be there, but a three-phrase report provided great relief from the too-wordy table reports. I understand that Lerman stepped up the formality the next day. A good idea, after all, tea requires a strict adherence to ceremony.


Eventually, the company found their way into the front space, much like a proscenium, where they performed a sneak peek from Lerman's A Matter of Origins, which begins with tea cups balancing on the dancers' laps. Lerman hopes to include the tea concept into the new piece. As a champion of interaction and audience inclusion, she likes to shape her work through public input. Watching dance in a non-traditional venue wakes us up a bit, in that we share the same space as the performers. It's enchanting and uncomfortable, always a good combo. It will be fun to see where Lerman goes with her teas and I was glad to be part of the testing process.


Systems of Sustainability: Art, Innovation and Action was sponsored by the 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).

Photos by Pin Lim.
Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Review: The Convenient Woman, a dance-theatre production by Teresa Chapman

Teresa Chapman and Leslie Scates

photo by Peter Norton

When I heard Teresa Chapman and Leslie Scates talking on KUHF's The Front Row about The Convenient Woman, Chapman's new work now playing at DiverseWorks, I had a sinking feeling. Not another piece groaning about the pressures society puts on women and they put on themselves. Why does this drive me crazy? First, there are way worse problems confronting us, and there are really easy ways to avoid this. Don't put on those high heels, forgo Botox, and quit buying magazines that make you feel inferior.

I attended the press preview/dress rehearsal of The Convenient Woman. Once the piece got started I could see that choreographers Chapman and Scates were playing with a much more illusive territory than their comments suggested. They may have started with the above mission, but drifted off as the process evolved. Just a note here about how artists describe their work and how premature it is to name the ground while it's still forming. The ideas that get us going don't always end up being the ones that sustain.

The Convenient Woman is a promising first draft, raw in places, and possessing differing degrees of resolution in its various parts. The piece sprawls about the stage, looking a bit like an unkempt apartment, a pile of unsent note cards clustered in one corner, a small gathering of unidentified objects in another. Extra people come and go, (students from University of Houston's Womens' Studies classes), for no apparent reason. Visuals by Frederique DeMontblanc start and stop. All in all, The Convenient Woman plays out in a casual, unslick way; and there's something charming, almost intimate, about it all. Rough around the edges seems right. As they clean up the concepts, I hope they keep the messy house feel. Woman are complicated people, our living spaces are dense and often unstructured environments. Still in progress, The Convenient Woman is still looking for its reason to be, yet strewn about its boundaries lay signs of a more realized work.


Chapman and Scates give the piece its punch. As two of the most captivating performers in Houston, they make a good match, both in terms of their physical contrasts and methods of dancemaking. Chapman is a technical powerhouse and brings an athleticism to her dancing which includes such eye candy as high extensions, whip-fast turns and an intense stage presence. Scates, well schooled in various improvisational techniques, possesses a more nuanced touch; her clarity comes from a different place, less based in traditional dance forms. She dances as if listening to the space to tell her what to do next. It's very alluring. And it's nothing short of a marvel to watch these two dance so well in high heels. The chemistry between the team provides much of the work's interest. But I want to know more. Why are these two women together here? How do their lives intermingle? Whose story are they telling? These are some of the questions that came up, remain unanswered, but piqued my interest.


The piece deepens when they let go of preachy material and drift into more abstract shores. Sections of dancing where the two fight for the space, caress and support, speak more to the complexity of the subject. Scates slides wine glasses down an ironing board into a metal trash can during her moving monologue about how the bad parts stay and the good parts disappear. (Isn't that the truth?) It's here where the piece takes flight, moving into a more delicate examination of their respective lives.


DeMontblanc's live camera projections added to the homegrown feel throughout. Sitting casually in the corner she manipulates magazine cutouts of luxury goods. A perfectly groomed hand rearranges the bling in a moment of visual wit. Later on, a video of Chapman gradually wearing more and more make-up leads to a near grotesque mask. DeMontblanc responds almost like a projection DJ. Her presence adds to the piece's made-before-our-eyes feel.


There are overly muddled moments as well, mostly having to do with the text and heavy-handed content. Both have had considerable immersion in Liz Lerman's dance/text matching procedures, which serve them with varying degrees of success. The process known as equivalence provides a way to inject text into dance making. The problem is that the method produces such a predictable result so that everyone sounds pretty much just like Lerman when they use it. Unfortunately, Chapman falls into this trap. Later on in the dance, the text finds its way into the movement in a more organic way, free from the limits of an overused methodology. A yoga class finds Chapman in tree pose while she spouts ridiculous advice from “J”'s 1960s man hunting manifesto The Way to Become a Sensuous Woman. It's cute, but doesn't add much. The one live web piece on plastic surgery also felt like a vestigial limb, totally unnecessary.


Despite some glitches in execution, and need for some serious editing and re-shaping of ideas, visuals, and methodologies, there's an excitement to this trio. They are all getting to know each other and we get to watch. I like that, and there's a boldness to showing a work still fresh in the forming. They left a trail of their process, evidence of the road they traveled. As time goes on, the unnecessary parts may fade away, letting the the work's heart come through. The Convenient Woman feels like a beginning, a solid start, to both a body of work, and a continued relationship between these three compelling voices. I left wanting to know what they will do next.

Teresa Chapman presents The Convenient Woman April 10-11, 2009, at 8:00pm at DiverseWorks, 1117 East Freeway. Tickets: $8-15. For more information, call 713.335.3445 or visit www.diverseworks.org.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

Read Nichelle Strzepek's review here and her interview here.

Read Jacqueline Nalett's DSH Flash Response here.

Read Toni Valle's DSH Flash Preview here.

The Right Mix: Nancy Henderek on Dance Salad's line-up

Ana Laguna and Mats Ek performing Memory
Choreography by Mats Ek

Dance Salad, now in its 14th season, places Houston on the international dance map. Founder, curator and world dance traveler Nancy Henderek gives us a sneak peak of what to expect in this year's outstanding line-up.

Dance Source Houston: The work of Swedish choreographer Mats Ek is a main ingredient this year. How would you describe his work?

Nancy Henderek: We have shown several of Ek's pieces over the years. This year he will be dancing with his wife and muse, Ana Laguna, in a heartfelt duet, Memory. Laguna will also be dancing his exuberant solo, O Sole Mio, and finally The Royal Swedish Ballet will dance his riveting piece Apartment. As for what makes his work distinct, I would say he deeply understands relationships with people, and sometimes, even with objects. I remember watching him once in rehearsal and he just picked up a bowl and began experimenting with it. I would say he has such a human orientation.

DSH: Tell me about the panel with Ek, Wendy Perron Editor in Chief of Dance Magazine and Maggie Foyer of Dance Europe.

NH: Ek is the featured choreographer on our panel because he is so special and his work is such a large part of Dance Salad this year. There will be a film showing of some of his work along with comments by Perron and Foyer, each offering different perspectives.

Natalia Sologub and Claudio Cangialosi of Dresden SemperOper Ballet,
Dresden, Germany, performing Steptext
Choreography by William Forsythe
Photography: Costin Radu

DSH: It's curious that the program includes William Forsythe and Carolyn Carlson, two Americans who built their careers in Europe.

NH: True, they left us to work in Europe, but brought their American values with them. They made their reputations there, found a home and bloomed. There will be two works by Forysthe, Steptext (1985), and the world premiere of Two Part Invention. Carlson has done several pieces with the Ballet de l'Opera National de Paris. "l' Esprit du bleu," an excerpt from Carlson's Signes, is a beautiful piece, still in places and very dynamic in others.

DSH: Is this the first time the Ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris has been to Houston?

NH: There is no record of a visit, so yes.

Alexandra Gilbert of Toneelhuis Theater, Antwerp, Belgium, performing Myth.
Choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
Photography: Koen Broos

DSH: In the past you have told me that it sometimes takes years to get a certain choreographer to come due to schedule conflicts and timing. Is there a choreographer on the bill who has been on your wish list for a long time?

NH: Yes. I have been interested in Belgium choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for a while. He has just shot up in terms of fame and is very sought after now. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui/Toneelhuis Theatre will present selections from Myth (2007) and Origine (2008).

DSH: How did he react to the idea of combining two works?

NH: He worked closely with me to put something special for Dance Salad and ended up doing something very creative. This is where the curatorial process comes in. And we are lucky to have Ensemble Micrologus, an Italian Medieval and Renaissance instrumental and vocal group, playing live.

DSH: Was there a bit of back and forth between you and the choreographer?
NH: Absolutely. I presented what I thought would work in detail and he spun off from my ideas. It's going to be enormous fun to see what he comes up with.

Dancers from Carte Blanche, Bergen, Norway, performing Uprising
Choreography by Hofesh Schechter
Photography: Erik Berg

DSH: What about the Scandinavian contingent?

NH: It's considerably large this year with Norway's Carte Blanche making its US debut with a work by Hofesh Schechte, Sweden's Goteborgs Operans Ballet with a pas de deux from Kenneth Kvarnstrom’s OreloB, Denmark's The Royal Danish Ballet with the US premiere of Jorma Elo's Lost on SLOW, and The Royal Swedish Ballet with Ek's work.

DSH: I am excited to see another work by Elo. He is all the rage these days. How would you describe his style?

NH: Elo has a way of merging beautiful line and quirky movement at the same time; There will be a classical développé followed by a strange movement at an odd angle. It can be humorous, also he has original feel. It doesn't look like anything else.

DSH: How difficult was the visa situation this year?

NH: It was going well until we ran into three problems which have been cleared up thanks to Kay Bailey Hutchinson. She has been a great friend and supporter of Dance Salad.

DSH: How do you know the mix is right?

NH: There are many pieces that I really like that I could present in the festival. Which ones actually will be on the stage, in that illusive mix, it's hard to say when that happens. I do this on a piece by piece basis, adding them one by one. If I really like a ballet I will be relentless in my pursuit to make it happen.

DSH: So there will be some surprises?

NH: Sometimes things fall into my lap, like the new world premiere solo by William Forsythe, Two Part Invention. He asked if I wanted it, I said sure. I didn't know if this piece would be created in time. I was just told this week that Bill finished it Wonderful. This is a mystery piece and I have no idea what it will be like. I only know that the music is from Thom Willems, Forsythe's favorite composer.

I always want to know what I am putting on stage, but in this case, I am waiting to see what this master can come up with for a dancer he has worked with for years, Noah Gelber. Noah used to be in the Forsythe company, dancing all his rep. Bill made this piece for him to come here and show it to all of us for the first time.

DSH: What have I missed?

NH: We have to talk about English National Ballet. They are one of the top companies in Europe and they rarely tour. They have not been in the states for about 30 years or so. And they will be performing another work by David Dawson.

Dance Salad Festival takes place on April 9, 10 and 11 at 7:30 pm at Wortham Center, Cullen Theater. Call 1-877-772-5425 or visit www.dancesalad.org.

Choreographers’ Forum: A Conversation, Wednesday, April 8, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 6:30 pm, with Mats Ek Wendy Perron, Editor in Chief, Dance Magazine and Maggie Foyer, of Dance Europe.

Reprinted from Dance Source Houston.

REVIEW: Hunter Gatherers

Photo by George Hixson

What if some of the gang from Lord of the Flies got off that island, went to high school, the prom, got married, and thew a dinner party? Peter Sinn Nachtrieb explores just such territory in his punchy black comedy Hunter Gatherers at The Catastrophic Theatre. Violence and high school buddies always make a raucous blend. So, what's for dinner? A freshly slaughtered lamb.

Pam, a demure, ladylike, doormat of a wife, goes along with her loopy alpha spouse Richard in his plan to make the evening special with a fresh kill. Nachtrieb nails the infantilization of coupling. As the baby lamb gets offed, Richard coos “You are my skipper.” Pam returns the babytalk, “You are my boat.” The guest list? Tom and Wendy, Olympic passive aggressive gold medalists. Wendy seethes and slinks about while Tom worries about a good parking space. Both couples tick down their own internal time bombs that go off gangbusters during the play. Prepare yourselves squeamish types.

Nachtrieb riffs on getting in touch with one's primordial side with a graphic novelist's touch, lending a cartoon feel that gets everyone chuckling during the most grim moments. All four are insufferable, yet each in their own whacked out way. By the end of the play, the audience roots for their demise, but all in good fun. Really, one downside to finding one's inner animal is one really messy apartment.

The cast chomps on this play with a manic level of bestial glee. Charlesanne Rabensburg bestows the timid Pam with all the tension of a volcano ready to explode. And when she does blow, look out, there's one less pulse in the room. Awkwardness has never been this volatile. Amy Bruce goes all Liz Taylor cat-in-heat as the lusty Wendy. Learning the running-with-knives lesson the hard way, Bruce shines in her hilarious death scene, where she nonchalantly reminds Pam to hire someone to clean up the carnage. Greg Dean brings full-on full-frontal energy to Richard, the feral husband, giving new meaning to arrested development. Troy Schulze gives Tom THE doctor a deadpan sting. Only death wakes this guy up.

Just over a year old, Catastrophic Theatre lives up to its name with this slick production. TCT artistic director Jason Nodler directs with necessary attack, keeping the pace brisk, the tension fierce and the satire crisp. Keven Holden's sleek gray apartment creates a neutral landing spot for all the blood and guts.

At the end, dear Pam, standing amidst a Shakespearian corpse heap, finally finds her footing. Leaving the freshly baked brownies behind (good for you Pam!), the little skipper turns her back to the wreckage of civilization, and walks slowly into a magical forest that mysteriously appeared behind the gray curtain. It's the cowboy walking into the sunset all over again, the lady beast has finally found her habitat. Apparently, the meek do inherit the earth. Pam, with innocence intact, heads back to nature to hunt and gather, of course. It's dreamy, funny, and a fitting crescendo for this bacchanalian orgy. Face it folks, we are all just passing for domesticated creatures, and are only one leg of lamb away from our more basic instincts.

Winner of the 2006 Will Glickman Award and the Steinberg Award from the American Theatre Critics Association, Hunter Gatherers finds its strength through a mix of verbal and physical outrage. Nachtrieb's smart banter bites in all the right places; it's witty, clever and wildly entertaining. His language rings with a kind of Albee-esque rhythm, where things unravel at a no-turning-back clip. Some plays politely leak their delicate ideas; this one slobbers all over you. It seems the Lord of the Flies fab four never did get off that island in the end. Instead, they stew in their own delirium, and what better metaphor for doing that than a dinner party. Entertaining equals danger here. Now, pass the lamb.

Hunter Gatherers continues through April 11th at Stages Repertory Theatre. Call 713-527-0123 or visit www.thecatastrophictheatre.com

Reprinted from CultureVulture.net