Last night we rehearsed at Powhatan park, a wonderful very large park with street style and round wall elements including one eight foot and one eleven foot bowl. Sean Watkins set up three projectors and DVD players and we were there to combine the video, with the performers, with that very unique outdoor landscape. We have some wonderful music composed by monstah black. Other great pieces of music are from Low End String Quartet, Jon Matis new venture that uses an electric guitar as one of the string instruments. I think it is a powerful combination - monstah's great voice and hip hop electronics with the String Quartet, classical musicians who like to dig into Radiohead, Foo Fighters or their own creations.
There were some rough spots mostly having to do with finding our way in the dark! All of the park's lights seem to be on one circuit. When the lights are off, they are off for the whole area. Dancers were finding their way with the light from only three projectors. We're trying to overcome that obstacle for Saturday night's performance. Another thing for the dancers to deal with is the landscape itself since you have inclines rather than flat surface, cement rather than sprung hard wood. There are things that are easy to do in one environment that are difficult in the other and negotiation in reconfiguring the movement.
Nevertheless, I was very excited to see the dancers against the video which does odd things to your sense of perspective. When the dancers are up against the projections it seems that many more people are a part of the piece. And in a variety of shapes and sizes.
I have directed the video editing completed by Julie Moscato with video from this past spring and summer. It has been taken a lot of energy to catalogue the footage and make selections. Julie has been patiently receptive to my artistic whims and thank goodness for that!
Come on over to the park this Saturday, Sept 20. We are inviting people in at 6:30 and there will be open skating until the performance begins at around 7:15. A beautiful outdoor setting, Powhatan Spring Park is at 6020 Wilson Blvd in Arlington. This one is free but if you miss, the coming two weekends "Breaking Ground" excerpts can be seen at Woolly Mammoth Sept 27 & 28, and on Oct 4 the whole piece as it now exists at an indoor park at 1250 9th St NW, near the Convention Center in WDC. If you need other info, look for it at www.janefranklin.com Thanks again and I hope you can make it.
There were some rough spots mostly having to do with finding our way in the dark! All of the park's lights seem to be on one circuit. When the lights are off, they are off for the whole area. Dancers were finding their way with the light from only three projectors. We're trying to overcome that obstacle for Saturday night's performance. Another thing for the dancers to deal with is the landscape itself since you have inclines rather than flat surface, cement rather than sprung hard wood. There are things that are easy to do in one environment that are difficult in the other and negotiation in reconfiguring the movement.
Nevertheless, I was very excited to see the dancers against the video which does odd things to your sense of perspective. When the dancers are up against the projections it seems that many more people are a part of the piece. And in a variety of shapes and sizes.
I have directed the video editing completed by Julie Moscato with video from this past spring and summer. It has been taken a lot of energy to catalogue the footage and make selections. Julie has been patiently receptive to my artistic whims and thank goodness for that!
Come on over to the park this Saturday, Sept 20. We are inviting people in at 6:30 and there will be open skating until the performance begins at around 7:15. A beautiful outdoor setting, Powhatan Spring Park is at 6020 Wilson Blvd in Arlington. This one is free but if you miss, the coming two weekends "Breaking Ground" excerpts can be seen at Woolly Mammoth Sept 27 & 28, and on Oct 4 the whole piece as it now exists at an indoor park at 1250 9th St NW, near the Convention Center in WDC. If you need other info, look for it at www.janefranklin.com Thanks again and I hope you can make it.
No comments:
Post a Comment