Rauschenberg set and costume design for "Set and Reset"Living in New York Brown witnessed many social activist protests, as well as the famous Stonewall Riot. These acts of energy seemed to influence her works, especilly "Newark", a study of energy. The piece "is anchored visually and rhythmically in a duet for two men around which dancing of other temperaments occurs". I think these protests, riots, bustle and energy of everyday New York lended itself to "Newark" and other movement works.
Melanie Eskanzi made a statement after an interview with Brown that she is "one of the few artists who can make us aware both of the universality of dance and its sophisticated use in social and performance contexts". I believe this universality had something to do with the Vietnam War going on while she was beginning her choreographing. She made dance something relatable and peaceful. Working with the Grand Union and site-specific pieces seemed to enforce the idea that dance could be anything and anywhere, and did not have to be considered "mainstream".
"Man Walking Down the Side of the Building" is an example of this site-specific work.
"Man Walking Down the Side of the Building"
Trish brown was an original Judson Dance srtist, and it seems she evolved beyond it such as did the artist I studied, Twyla Tharp. Like Tharp, did Brown's fight against Yvonne Ranier's "No Manifesto" reclaim some of the "Modern" elements of the earlier great dancers, such as Graham, etc.? How does her work use "drama" and other elements originally shunned in many ways by the original Judson Theater?
ReplyDelete-Peter Strickholm
From your blog, I clearly understand now that her living in NYC had an enormous impact on your dancing and life; this includes all the events that she went through while living in New York City. I also think it's a good reasoning that the Vietnam war did have an impact on her because of the universitality as you said.
ReplyDeleteI now fully see and understand that Trisha's living in New York City had a tremendous efect on her choreographic works. This is clearly evident in the "Man Walking Down the Side of the Building" and the "Roof Top". This has become an enlightening experience for now I feel that you don't always have to make something that people will like, but you can choregraph what you really want, no matter what it is.
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