Tag Archives: DC

Insights from Choreographer Christopher K. Morgan

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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

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Christopher K. Morgan & Artists

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

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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 7th Street NW in D.C. on Saturday, December 10th at 8pm and Sunday, December 11th 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

CityDance Ensemble presents “Hold Your Breath Until the End”

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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 26th 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?