Theatrical Video-Dance-Technology Program at Jacob’s Pillow
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| Photo Courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow |
For this special one-week Pillow program, Michalek and Baff focus on a few extraordinary dancers from around the world as subjects. Shantala Shivalingappa, an acclaimed master of the quicksilver Indian dance form of Kuchipudi, was born in India and raised in Paris. Noted for her electrifying lightness and grace, she has been a frequent guest artist in the contemporary dance arena with Pina Bausch’s Wuppertal Tanz Theater and will perform at the Pillow in her own full evening program, August 7 to 10. Fang-Yi Sheu is a celebrated contemporary dancer who has danced principal roles with the Martha Graham Dance Company and Cloud Gate Dance Theatre. The New York Times hailed her as “the finest present-day embodiment of Martha Graham’s technique and tradition.” Originally from Taiwan, she recently established her own company, LAFA & Artists, a contemporary dance ensemble dedicated to changing the perception of dance in Taiwan. The third artist will be announced shortly.
Each artist will perform a seven to ten minute solo from their own repertory, as well as the five-second dance phrase that Michalek captured on film. Five seconds becomes five to ten minutes in the video portrait of the brief phrases shown in Michalek’s super-slow motion format. What at first appears to be a still photograph unfolds gesture by gesture, revealing information and details that would normally escape the naked eye. The artists then return to the stage for a discussion with a moderator and David Michalek. This Pillow-exclusive program format gives audience members a full scope of the work as well as information about the internal workings of the dance pieces shown.
“Sculpting Movement and Time: Making Slow Dancing,” an exhibit showcasing Michalek’s Slow Dancing work, is open in Blake’s Barn Tuesday – Sunday, noon – final curtain (approximately 10 p.m.) for the duration of the Festival season. The exhibit takes viewers on an in-depth, behind-the-scenes journey to learn more about Michalek’s inspiration and work process with his diverse group of subjects.
For more information on Slow Dancing and Jacob’s Pillow, visit www.slowdancingfilms.com and www.jacobspillow.org.
