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>DNB NEWS
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You may sign your condolences for her family in the guest book here.
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 Mounting Steps, a Second Perspective - Interview with Eran Hanlon by Jessica Lindberg Coxe How/why did you become involved in this project? Anna Sokolow's Steps of Silence was offered as one Repertory audition choice at the beginning of the 2007-2008 academic year within the Department of Dance at the Ohio State University. This prompted me to do some preliminary research into Sokolow, which inevitably supported my decision to pursue this opportunity (her dark, bound, and dramatic modernism was a match for my aesthetic interests, albeit more in postmodern dance). As a prior member of the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble, I had the opportunity to be a performing dancer in the reconstruction of Laura Dean's Skylight, led by our rehearsal director via video. This reparatory experience also informed my interest in Sokolow's piece, with specific curiosity to the time period that it was originally created - in 1968 - and the process of reconstruction from Labanotation. What was the most fascinating or exciting part of the working process? Building multiple layers while stripping away the peel was a fascinating dichotomy that existed throughout the rehearsal process of this piece. Once each dancer reached a sense of understanding and mastery, our rehearsal director - Valarie Mockabee - would deconstruct even more and solidify the fine details within the nuances. Her keen eye and integrated sensibilities of this piece were pervasive and permeated the studio. The combination of video, notation, longevity of rehearsal time, and consultation with Lorry May of the Anna Sokolow foundation reinforced the level of investment from the cast members. The process was a win-win situation in which the more the cast invested, the more Val invested in us both as dancers in the studio and personally outside the studio. What were some of your personal challenges? (Did you have any difficulty understanding the movements?) The movement of Steps of Silence is precise without forgiveness. It is impossible to get away with even the slightest discrepancy. At the same time, it offers great breadth of individual choice. As such, the piece frames an environment that demands self-discipline and complete attention to the moment. I found the first two months of rehearsing this piece to be physically painful. As I understood the movement and my intention more clearly, the conditioning process took hold and allowed me to fully embody the score and my role within the piece. As the youngest sibling in my family, I was often protected and lead by my two older brothers. This family dynamic enabled me for many years to function within a disempowering paradigm, specific to taking risks and standing up for what I believe. As I understood it, my role within Steps of Silence was one mostly of bravery, protector, leader, and spiritual agent - taking the bullet for others. This has affected my personal growth outside the studio and awakened a new aspect of self-discovery. Were you asked to read and or work with the Labanotation score and what was that process like? I did not have any experience with Laban Notation during the time period in which we were working from score. That being said, Val directed me utilizing her expertise in this area. She also reached out to undergraduate and graduate students in the cast who had taken Laban Notation and asked for them to provide interpretation and clarification. Now that I am finishing my second Quarter of Laban Notation, I can look back at the score and understand the process at a deeper level. I come to understand such notation to be a pivotal competency of any dancer, as it deepens body theory in a way that can be applied across boundaries of other disciplines and cultures. Did you notice any differences between the staging of this work and any other dance works you have been in previously? The staging process was unlike any other. At first it reminded a bit of what it was like to perform as part of a Wind Ensemble, in which each person plays a specific instrument and works from a designated pre-composed score. As time went it on, it became clear that this experience was unique both in subject matter and approach to artistry. Would you be involved in a work set from notation again in the future? Absolutely - a Limon piece would be great! Has this project made you any more interested or curious about notation? Absolutely - I may even take third Quarter of notation. If not, I am thinking of one aspect of my MFA Final Project having to do with Laban Notation. Last, do you have any other interesting stories about your experience that you would like to share? Val Mockabee rocks! She always had a funny story to tell whenever we were being asked to do something beyond the edge of life and felt discouraged. Her humanness made it possible to remain vulnerable for such a long period of time. Also, Lorry May is a happy, (good) crazy, and wonderfully inspirational source of the Sokolow Foundation and to the dance profession as a whole. She took Steps of Silence to a deep personal level that transformed its relevance from 1968 to the present. |
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Research, Writing, and Publishing Seminar Motus Humanus is offering "Research, Writing, and Publishing" Seminar from July 10-13, 2008 in Boulder, Colorado. The seminar will be led by Drs. David Bauser, Kaoru Yamamota, and Beverly Hardcastle Stanford for people 1) who have a research ideas, but don't know where to begin, 2) who want to turn their bachelor or master thesis into an article, 3) who want to share their findings in a clinical, pedagogical or creative practice. The seminar registration fee is $195 for Motus Humanus members and $270 for non-members. The registration will be closed on June 11, 2008. Please check Motus Humanus website for more information. |
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Dear Dance
Administrator,
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The Dance Notation Bureau (DNB) has been awarded a 2007 Save America's Treasures grant by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to record and preserve four of Martha Graham's signature works. The $94,993 award will be used over the next two years towards notating works including Appalachian Spring and Primitive Mysteries, in Labanotation, a symbol for recording dance. "For years, it has been our goal to preserve the works of one of the greatest choreographers of all time," said Lynne Weber, Executive Director. "With the NEA grant we will now be able to ensure that four of Martha Graham's greatest works will be preserved forever with all the details and nuances of her artistry." Ms. Weber also noted that this award completes the funding goal for the project, which was initiated with an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant. The DNB was one of 31 grantees selected from 340 eligible applicant organizations nationwide in the competitive Save America's Treasures Grant Program. Dana Gioia, Chairman of the NEA said, "The NEA is pleased to join our partner agencies in congratulating these awardees whose work helps preserve our national's artistic and cultural heritage. Save America's Treasures grants not only protect the irreplaceable, but also allow us to build our future by preserving our past." Save America's Treasures guidelines state, "Grants are available for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites." The Save American's Treasures award announcement can be found here. Contact:
Nancy Allison, Director of Programs, 212/564-0985 |
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Great News for Dance Companies! Barrelhouse Blues and Choros I, choreographed by Katherine Dunham, are now available to be staged from Labanotation score. Cleo Parker Robinson will serve as the mandated artistic coach for all productions of these American modern dance masterworks. The scores, created by notator Sandra Aberkalns, are now available for educational and research use. For more information about staging please contact Nancy Allison |
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DNB has a Blog Here's some news for all you virtual reality, web-surfing, Labanotation loving types -- The DNB has entered the blogosphere! Read the blog by visiting http://dancenotation.blogspot.com or by subscribing to it with an RSS reader. If you are not familiar with RSS readers, here's a great intro: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU |
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Revised and Transcribed Scores
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