meanwhile: in Seattle (2011)
"Spotlight on Seattle offers a showcase for a dozen choreographers and is a great way to catch up on what's happening here. Tuesday's program was curated by Erin Boberg Doughton of Portland's PICA/Time Based Arts Festival.
The evening closer, Jürg Koch's "meanwhile: in Seattle," was more satisfying. Six dancers created their own score with FM radios, changing stations at designated moments. As Koch explained after the show, they knew when they'd be hitting a classical, rock, jazz or talk-radio station, but had no idea what would be on them.
"meanwhile" had its highlights, especially in a fluid, athletic duet between Roxanne Foster and Rachel Grant. It's amazing what a little synchronicity can do. The piece closed, all too aptly, with the instrumental opening to David Bowie's "Changes," quickly switched to a man asking, "OK, so how long will it take the eggs, once they're under Anastasia, to hatch?" No way to duplicate that — ever." Michael Upchurch, The Seattle Times
Cast: Jeff Curtis, Maia Erickson, Roxanne Foster, Rachel Grant, Aaron Swartzman, Hendri Walujo (special thanks also to KT Niehoff)
Lighting design: Sara Torres
Videographer: John Dixon
Duration: 19.00 min
Seattle International Dance Festival
Spotlight on Seattle curated by Erin Boberg Doughton (PICA, Portland)
Raisbeck Hall, Seattle, June 2011
Sound: Four radios tuning into, KEXP 90.3fm, KUBE 93fm, KUOW 94.9fm,
KIRO 97.2fm, KING 98.1fm, The Wolf 100.7fm, KZOK 102.5fm, Spirit 105.3fm
Restaged for the Spotlight on Seattle series as part of the Seattle International Dance Festival meanwhile: in Seattle was developed and set as part of the Bridge Project residency at the Velocity Dance Center in January 2011.
The piece was initially created in 2010 in Durban, South Africa with the Flatfoot Dance Company. A range of local radio stations are used to generate a unique soundscore for each performance. Special Thanks to the dancers in South Africa and in Seattle, Lliane Loots, Shannon Stewart and the Velocity Dance Center, the University of Washington Dance Program and the UW Junior Faculty Development.