Insights from Choreographer Christopher K. Morgan

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Sarah Lokitis

Typically when we go to dance shows, we watch the dances and make up our own ideas about the work to figure out what it means to us. There isn’t a whole lot of understanding about how the piece came to be or what it was inspired by as we sit in the theater. In my experience, having the opportunity to talk to the choreographer or dancers can be eye opening, as you may not have looked at the work from their perspective.

While beneficial, it’s not often that you have the chance to hear the choreographers’ perspective about what their work means and how it was conceptualized and created in words. Most often you learn about the work through just the movement and imagery on stage.

I was fortunate enough to hear from Christopher K. Morgan about his first full-length piece, Limited Visibility, and now have the opportunity to share his insights.

How did you come up with the idea for Limited Visibility?

Christopher K. Morgan: The idea for the piece began over 2 years ago. I had the good fortune to be having my work presented in beautiful, large venues, which was wonderful and exciting. But it made me wonder, how could I create a greater sense of intimacy in a large space, so audiences would literally want to move forward in their seats? My answer to this was to use lighting. And the more I thought about this, the more I wanted to create a piece where the dancers controlled the lighting.

How has Limited Visibility transformed and changed over the past year?

Christopher K. Morgan: The workshop version last year was probably the first time I looked at a work of mine onstage and realized there was more to be said in the piece. In finishing it’s statement in the last several months, new sections have been added, other lighting sources, new pieces of music as well. And of course with new dancers come new ideas and movement vocabularies to best suit each performer.

When I saw the beginning of the piece last year, it made me both excited and uncomfortable because of the athleticism, imagery and the fact I felt like I was intruding on a personal intimate moment. What kind of emotions did you aim to draw from the dancers and the audience?

Christopher K. Morgan: That is exactly the range of responses I hope to elicit! I also really hope that as the imagery of the work washes over the audience, they find themselves in the work at some point and see their own story within the performers onstage.

The lighting for this performance is not traditional, what was your goal or inspiration?

Christopher K. Morgan: In addition to creating an intimate space where the audience feels close to the work, I want there to be a clear sense that the dancers are designing and in charge of their environment. I also really enjoy when a familiar object that we all know well, such as fluorescent tube lighting, can be used in way that might surprise us, or make us look at the object differently.

I absolutely love your movement vocabulary and quality of movement. Do you set specific movement on the dancers or did they take part in the creation of the work?

Christopher K. Morgan: It’s both. I create lots of movement whenever I make a piece. I have a particular aesthetic and movement vocabulary that my body of work has been developing for years; strong balletic use of the lower body, a sinuous use of the spine, an urgency of momentum, spreading weight into the floor and gesture. Frequently in the creative process I’ll create movement phrases, then give the dancers compositional assignments and ask them to reference the phrase work. This way they can invest themselves into the work, but it still maintains a cohesive aesthetic and identity. I also invite them to write about the subject matter of the work, and that then influences directions we chose to go in with the piece, and sometimes is a source of movement inspiration.

What is your favorite part of Limited Visibility?

Christopher K. Morgan: There are so many! Which makes me realize that I really love how you get an opportunity to see each dancer in the piece as an individual. Despite the “Limited Visibility”, they are all seen clearly.

If you want to see this work in its entirety, Christopher K. Morgan & Artists: Limited Visibility will be performed at the CityDance Studio Theater at Strathmore on Saturday, April 21 at 8:15pm and on Sunday, April 22 at 3pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by going to http://www.strathmore.org or by calling 301.581.5100.

Christopher K. Morgan & Artists: Limited Visibility

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Sarah Lokitis

Photo by Brianne Bland

What do we hide from public view? Are we different people when we are behind closed doors? Christopher K. Morgan & Artists explore this idea in the evening length work, Limited Visibility.

Limited Visibility exposes and brings to light the secrets and emotions held closest to us as the dancers investigate methods of sharing personal moments with the audience. Morgan worked with the dancers to look within to reveal their struggles and create movement and themes that those watching will be able to connect with in some way.

“Each of us – performers and audience members alike – has struggles with our identity, family, values, loneliness and feelings of inadequacy,” says Morgan. “These are themes that any audience member can relate to, and yet they also have specificity to their point of origin.”

I saw the beginning structure of the work last February at the show ‘Hold Your Breath Until the End’ when Christopher K. Morgan worked with the CityDance Ensemble before they disbanded in the spring. In the first draft of the dance, the dancers turned on different forms of light onstage to show the audience their secrets. The dancers revealed intimates moments with the audience using costumes, props, and set pieces. Shadows cast by the unconventional lighting kept the viewer’s somewhat in the dark as we watched and drew connections with ourselves. The movement was bold and athletic; the dancers didn’t hold anything back.

Christopher K. Morgan & Artists worked for over 18 months on Limited Visibility, Morgan’s first evening length piece that premiered at the Alden Theatre in March. Incorporating Morgan’s twisting, graceful movement, the work uses design, music, and athleticism to highlight the dancers’ unique abilities and stories.

Christopher K. Morgan & Artists: Limited Visibility will be performed at the CityDance Studio Theater at Strathmore on Saturday, April 21 at 8:15pm and on Sunday, April 22 at 3pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by going to http://www.strathmore.org or by calling 301.581.5100.

Company E and the Imperfect Dancers Company of Italy

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Sarah Lokitis

Nothing about dance speaks to me quite as much as the ‘universal language’ aspect of the art form. Be it traditional, cultural dance or more disciplined and technical dance, it is universally understood because anyone, anywhere can do it. I don’t think any other performing art can transcend language and cultural barriers in quite the same way because everyone on earth was born with the tools for dance—their own body and a drive to move in their everyday lives. Recognizing how dance can be a tool for international education and communication, acclaimed choreographer and artistic director Paul Gordon Emerson has launched Company E in Washington, D.C.

Emerson, probably best known in the district for his 15 years as founder and artistic director of CityDance Ensemble, sees Company E as the next step in promoting cultural exchange and partnerships through dance. While CityDance most certainly began this process with its tours to places like Russia and the Middle East, Company E picks up the reins having already worked internationally in countries including Peru, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Israel, Russia and China with the support of the US State Department, presenting the work of world-class, cutting edge choreographers from across the globe and teaching master classes, workshops and performing lecture demonstrations along the way.

While the company’s performance calendar has them in Israel, Switzerland and Belarus in early 2012, they will open their 2011-12 season this weekend in D.C. as presenters instead of performers. Presented in partnership with The Embassy of Italy/Italia Cultural Institute, the Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS) and RED International Performing Arts (an Italian cultural association under Artistic Director/President Bruno Valentino Perillo), Company E kicks off their season with Sacre: The Imperfect Dancers Company of Italy.

Based in Rome, the Imperfect Dancers Company is led by Artistic Directors Paola Catalani and Walter Matteini. Having received critical acclaim from the European press, the company is enthusiastic about an American debut, where they will showcase Matteini’s ‘signature’ work, Sacre, a bold and physical piece set to Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

The Imperfect Dancers will also perform Thinking Outside the Box, another work of international origins having been developed in residency at the National Choreography Centre in Nantes and then premiered at the International Tanz Festival in Regensburg, Germany. The piece, which explores the tensions of free will and love, is at the same time softly expressive and intense as the dancers move fluidly, punctuated with convulsive extensions and quick footwork.

Bringing The Imperfect Dancers to D.C. is a perfect beginning for Company E’s international season, proving right from the start the reciprocal benefits of what dance exchange can do for communities. “The DC scene needs to take in new art and see new things,” Emerson says. “Thanks to the work that Company E is doing, I see dance literally all over the world now, and I wanted to begin to share that with DC audiences.”

Sacre: The Imperfect Dancers Company of Italy, will be performed at the Lansburgh Theatre – Harman Center for the Arts, 450 7^th Street NW in D.C. on Saturday, December 10th at 8pm and Sunday, December 11^th at 2pm. Tickets are $18 for general admission, $12 for students and seniors and can be purchased at the Harman Center for the Arts Box Office, by phone at (202) 547-1122, or online at www.shakespearetheatre.org. Patrons are advised that the performance contains partial nudity.

Guest post written by Ilana Burger

Ted Talks: Dance v. PowerPoint

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Sarah Lokitis

Science is about movement – collisions, gravity, force, mass, acceleration. Essentially, science can be demonstrated through use of the human body.

Science writer, John Bohannon shares his “modest proposal” to ease the financial burden by using dancers instead of PowerPoint.

So often we turn to PowerPoint and presentations that don’t capture an audiences attention or make our content understandable. Bohannon talks science and politics as dancers explain what he is saying through movement in his choreographed talk from TEDxBrussels, with dancers from Black Label Movement.

Political figures and education systems always want to cut the arts first, but Bohannon makes the case that supporting the arts, in turn supports our economy.

Let me know what you think about Bohannon’s “modest proposal” by commenting below or finding me on Twitter @Lokitis.

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company presents “Story/Time”, a work in progress

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Sarah Lokitis

The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company performed at the University of Virginia as part of a three-part residency at UVA, in Charlottesville, VA. This evening, I was able to witness one of the modern dance greats speak about art – dance and choreography – and perform with his dance company as part of a work in progress showing at UVA.

As I watched Bill T. Jones before the performance standing on the side of the stage before the show, I was struck by the sheer honor it was to be in his presence and thankfulness for the gift he has given the modern dance world. He continues to define and defend modern dance and tonight’s performance was no exception.

While Story/Time is not finished, it is an evolving piece that takes chances and is influenced by John Cage’s Indeterminacy and time. The work is exactly 70 minutes and the stories that Bill T. Jones reads are reminiscent of Merce Cunningham in that the order and what stories are said is entirely up to chance.

The piece was brilliant; the quality of the movement was fluid and effortless as images flashed before our eyes and quickly melted away into another story with a quick ring of a bell. Only the melodrama story was repeated – and it was repeated with different characters and without voice.

My comfort while watching the piece was challenged – sometimes with the language that was used or the movement, as is the style of Bill T. Jones – always defying boundaries.

During the Q&A after the performance, an idea was brought up that was addressed in one of the stories Bill T. Jones said during the work. During the performance, a story was something along the lines of, “I was listening to John Cage and as I continued with my story I lost him, and that disturbed me.” During the piece I found myself thinking this exact thought because it was hard for me to listen to Bill as I watched the dancers and it was hard for me to watch what was happening in the movement when I focused on the stories. A woman in the audience mentioned, “If you let it blur a little – it begins to all cohere” – the music, voice, movement, scenes. Bill T. agreed with this thought saying, this work was “not designed to look at straight on.”

Bill T. Jones has not performed since he retired from dance 5 years ago. He wanted to create a work where he could participate in the dance, and choosing to use his stories and live voice were effective and evocative.

What is so great about dance is we each have a unique experience connecting with the imagery that is conveyed by sound and movement. And during the Q&A when someone gave a wishy washy answer to a specific question and was not aware of how to articulate their thoughts, Bill T. Jones quickly reminded her, “That sounds like a fake answer. Try Harder.”

—

If you saw this performance I would love to hear your thoughts, find me on twitter @Lokitis. And for more information about the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and the organization Live Arts, check out the New York Live Arts website.

If you are in Charlottesville, the company is performing at the Paramount today (11/11/11). Additionally, the live broadcast Bill T. Jones: A Good Man is airing on PBS today (11/11/11) as well.

New adventures in Charlottesville and with Terra Dance Project

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Sarah Lokitis

Hello again! The past two months were very busy. I moved to Charlottesville, a small city in the mountains about an hour from Richmond, VA. Charlottesville is home to James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, the Dave Matthews Band, over 10 wineries and vineyards, University of Virginia, breathtaking views, and a wonderful downtown atmosphere. Donald Trump just purchased Kluge Estates too! This town has a great vibe and I am excited that work brought me to such a charming city with a lively culture and southern hospitality.

I am now a Junior Account Manager at Search Mojo, a search engine marketing agency. Search Mojo specializes in search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising. This is a great opportunity and I am excited about learning more!

Now that I am closer to Richmond and I am consequently closer to Terra Dance Project. Terra Dance Project is a new collaborative dance company made up of six dance graduates (5 from JMU) looking for ways to integrate their education and shared experiences into quality, ‘real-world’ art. The company rehearses, teaches and performs all over Virginia. I am excited to dance with my JMU alumni friends and share our art with you! Go to the Terra Dance Project website to learn about the company members and any upcoming performances.

CityDance Ensemble presents “Hold Your Breath Until the End”

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Sarah Lokitis

Whenever I see CityDance perform, I am on a dance high… I want to get out of my seat, dance their choreography and perform with their same intense quality. I left the CityDance concert at the Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring on Saturday, February 26^th feeling inspired. I wanted to choreograph and move.

The show consisted of several world premieres from the beginning of an evening length piece by Christopher K. Morgan, one of Dance Magazines Choreographers to Watch (look for the article in April), to pieces by winners of the 2011 CityDance NEXT Commission for upcoming choreographers.

The first piece, Roger and Lucie, was a funny love duet between Jason Garcia Ignacio, who played a janitor, and his mop. The mop was given the name Lucie LaFrange and Ignacio really gave her a personality. Lucie started as a shy character, but Ignacio’s dance moves and persistence persuaded her to love him.

Christopher K. Morgan’s Limited Visibility was a dynamic piece that left me wondering what would happen next. The choreography and lighting effects intrigued me. The back wall of the stage was exposed emphasizing the honesty of the piece. “What are the things we hide from public view?” Limited sight, limited lighting and limited clothing did not stop the dancers from fully exploring different feelings and uncomfortable actions with the audience. Extensive lighting cues (most completed by the dancers), high heels, platforms, chairs and rolls of marley helped the dancers take part in answers to the question.

The second half of the concert was my favorite due to the extensive partnering and movement sections. Hold Your Breath Until The End, choreographed by Gregory Dolbashian, winner of the 2011 NEXT Commission and You Go First, choreographed by Loni Landon, winner of the 2011 NEXT Commission, were expressive, movement-driven duets. The energy and strength of the dancers was completely engaging and some of the movement reminded me of the seamless flow of Doug Varone’s dance style. Watch the video below to learn more about their choreographic process working with the CityDance members.

The last piece was a beautiful work based on reflections about family. Paul Gordon Emerson, CityDance Artistic Director, and the dancers choreographed Conversations with My Father. The dance was beautiful and highlighted special moments with each of the dancers. The dancers danced alone, learned from other dancers and worked together as a unit. The costumes, lighting and set fit the piece perfectly. The movement quality was impressive and I would love to see this dance again.

The CityDance Ensemble is “a modern dance company that can compete with the best… (The Washington Post).” Did anyone else get a chance to see this concert? What did you think?

Arts and Social Media.

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Sarah Lokitis

Over Fourth of July weekend, I took a bus to New York City with my friend Nicole. We visited another friend who was participating in the Dance New Amsterdam’s (DNA) New York Summer Dance Intensive that I attended last summer. DNA was closed on the 4^th, so we took 3 classes in a row on Friday; 6 hours of dance! While that seemed like a good idea at the time, on Saturday we were in a lot of pain.

Before heading to NY, I researched my classes online and found DNA to have the most extensive social media efforts of any dance studio or company. Not only does DNA have Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, a blog and a Facebook page, DNA has their own social network, DNA World! DNA World allows you to connect and network with friends, dance teachers, choreographers, bloggers and dance administrators. DNA World also has forums for discussion about dance and DNA, as well as pictures and videos. The DNA World blog is used for listing upcoming events, classes, dance news and articles, and special offers.

Other dance companies and studios are slowly making their leap into the world of social media with Facebook applications and blogs. Many dance companies and studios have Facebook pages and groups. Facebook is much easier to update and maintain than a blog. Through Facebook, arts organizations can easily reach their audience and update with YouTube and news. Broadway Dance Center, Joy of Motion and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre have Facebook pages.

Dance Place, located in Washington D.C., has a blog, Twitter, as well as a Facebook Page. There are not many comments or followers on the blog (same with DNA’s blog), possibly indicating the dance world has not turned into avid social media fans yet, even though I know the audience is online. I believe those organizations testing blogs are still experimenting with what type of content to include and how often to update. It is exciting to see so many arts organizations take risks to stay current, especially in this tough economic situation.

I am especially interested in dance, but I found this video about how an orchestra has used social media to garner more attention. Listen for the different tools they use and how people are responding to their efforts.

Do you know of any other arts organizations, theaters, museums, dance companies and etc. using social media as part of their marketing campaign?! Let’s talk about how your organization is using social media. How are you making it work and what difficulties have you struggled with?

Sarah Lokitis' Blog

investigating the arts and social media

Category Archives: Arts