I am fascinated (and always have been) with non-verbal performances. I know that’s probably hard to believe considering I am loquacious little being, AND the fact is, this bande de viande (strip of meat) that sits squarely in my mouth has not always behaved itself. It has wagged about, upsetting the apple cart, and has gotten me in (at times) heaps of hot water. Talking actually gets most of us in trouble, don’t you agree? I prefer, at times, the body as my storyteller. It tells unequivocally clear, distinct stories when moving in truth; when it’s moving in kindness, and when it moves with greater need and force to communicate more than words could express. I suppose it’s why dance forms and physical comedy have always been infused into my work.
I have never appreciated silence more than I do right now. I am relishing in the silence of the city, the silence in my home, the silence( (in this bad neighborhood) I call my head/brain/noggin. Silence has been my teacher and is my newfound friend in these 4 plus weeks of isolation. She is not over-staying her welcome. I implore her to stay. She is my greatest muse.
DOT is a celebration of this awakening in me. The first iteration of DOT came from my collaboration with SMASHWORKS DANCE CO. I learned so much from the innate silence of watching them create dance, and found developing DOT as a non-speaking “clown” an innate, essential part of my aesthetic. It is not a theatrical device readily seen or accepted in MAIN STREAM theater in the United States. But as i’ve researched other physical comediennes and dancers who tell stories with music and objects and their bodies, it IS highly regarded elsewhere…all over the world, in fact.
ABOUT JIRI KYLIAN
JIRI KYLIAN’s work deeply inspires me. Instead of writing about him, I prefer to share his work. The piece presented in this blog is called Mozart: Birthday by Nederlands Dan Theater, celebrating Jiri Kylian. I hope you love it as much as I do. It’s just so brilliant and so joyous. I can never watch it enough.