These entries chronicle a choreographic research process that began in 2011 and eventually led the creation and performance of Midway Avenue in 2014. The process includes visits to London to interact with colleagues Wendy Houston, Matteo Fargion and Rahel VonMoos as well as rehearsal in Philadelphia with a cast of dancers. The early research project and eventual production were funded by the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. Enjoy!

Monday, March 3, 2014

Committing to the 24 Preludes - belated notes from London


 “Committing to the 24 Preludes”
(notes from work in London)

Early on in the London rehearsal phase I decided to work with the commitment of using the 24 preludes in their entirety.  In order.  (whether or not this becomes the final decision it felt right to commit to it very fully for a couple weeks) The decision came out of a conversation with Matteo Fargion and Rahel Vonmoos on the first day about the music. 

This is the structure I’ve been working with for a long time, but I’ve been leaving the door open to the possibility of skipping tracks or using additional Chopin pieces outside of the preludes. 

It feels good to commit to the full preludes and embrace that challenge as part of the work.

The use of this particular piece of music began as an exercise: A structure to organize within, a frame to push against… At first it felt temporary – like a necessary first step in assembling an unruly amount of material, a shell I would shed at a certain point.  But I quickly became intrigued by the pieces and the specific ways they cradled, coinsided and clashed with the content of my material.   

When I show this draft to new people the music is always at the forefront of the experience and the decision to use Chopin carries weight and brings up questions. 

For the work-in-progress version I’ve been working with for a while now, I only made my way up to the 17th prelude.  At the conclusion of my time in London I now have a draft of the full 24 preludes. 

Embracing the challenge of sticking to this structure in full and recognizing that as a key component of the dance is so far proving very helpful.  Psychologically and in practice.   

With the intentional limitation I feel like I can address more specifically the elements I do have in my control and at my disposal.


i.e. Silence (length between preludes), volume, style of the recording, source of the recording (full sound system, a radio onstage), and the relationship between my voice my movement and the music… which is a big one.

belated notes from London - a december trip