New “Moves”: NY Press
Posted May 26, 2011 at 4:14 pm
The sixth year of La Mama Moves! promises exciting new dance programming
By Susan Reiter, NYPress
For the next four weeks, La Mama’s three spaces will be buzzing with dance activity so varied that no one would dare pin a stylistic label on La Mama Moves!, the festival that is now in its sixth year. The sheer scope and variety of the presentations confirms what Nicky Paraiso, the co-curator, says: “We’ve always wanted the festival to follow the mission of La Mama itself—to be as inclusive as possible.”
That’s an apt adjective for programming that ranges from full-evening works to intimate solos, from students to veteran “dancing divas,” from Hawaiian Hula masters to an array of contemporary Israeli choreographers. There will be 37 premieres offered during the festival.
“In the first year, 2006, we had everything from contemporary post-modern to burlesque, martial arts, cheerleaders, hip-hop, Middle Eastern, Afro-Cuban, aerialists…” Paraiso recalls. “At the beginning, we did try to do a lot. I wont say ‘too much,’ but we did a lot. We included many choreographers who weren’t usually highlighted in other festivals, and also genres and styles. But now we find that perhaps we do want to be a little bit more selective, and give choreographers that we love a little more time. So there are several more evening-length pieces this year.”
So while past festivals have mainly featured shared programs offering a dizzying array of names, this time around, several choreographers get to make a more extended statement. These evenings come in all sizes. Lance Gries, a longtime dancer with Trisha Brown now based in Mexico, returns to New York for the first time in 10 years to perform Etudes for an Astronaut, a 50-minute solo (June 3 & 4). Jenny Rocha’s Mandorla (May 26 & 27) is a multimedia performance that sends a cast of 14 into action to satirize “the tension between art and money.” Also operating on a grand scale is Austin McCormick, whose intriguing, often literary-based projects have mainly been seen in his own Brooklyn Space. His Dénouement: A Murderous Masquerade (June 4 & 5) blends dance, spoken word, music and media to portray a decadent society in which murder is considered an escape from ennui.
Heidi Latsky’s latest project caught Paraiso’s eye when he saw it as a work in progress, and now La Mama presents the premiere of The Gimp Project: IF, performed by members of her company alongside performers with physical challenges, plus guest artists (June 16–18). Another premiere is A.O. Movement Collective’s barrish (May 27 & 28). Choreographed by Sarah Rosner, this work for five women explores emotional and physical extremism.
Dancing Divas has become a festival mainstay, and this year’s installment (May 28 & 29) includes Patricia Hoffbauer, Risa Jarowlow, Mary Seidman, Peggy Choy and an Yvonne Rainer piece performed by Hoffbauer and Sally Silvers. Paraiso and co-curator Mia Yoo have added something new this year: Israel/New York, six performances (June 8–12) of shared programs that constitute a mini-festival within the larger event. Yoo notes that La Mama has a long history of presenting Israeli artists, and that the late founder/director Ellen Stewart once launched La Mama Tel Aviv. The Israel/New York programs include several Israeli choreographers whose work has not been seen in New York, alongside works by Israeli choreographers (Netta Yerushalmy, Deganit Shemy, LeeSaar) based in NYC.
Another mini-festival is Intricate Intimacies, which focuses on solos, duets and trios. These eight performances (June 9–12, 16–19) are a truly mixed bag. Among the many names on the roster are Jon Kinzel, Judith Sanchez Ruiz, Arturo Vidich, Daniel Gwirtzman and Abdur-Rahim Jackson of the Alvin Ailey company. Making a return to performing is Stanford Makishi, until recently the artistic director of Baryshnikov Arts Center and prior to that a dancer with Trisha Brown, who will perform a duet with Brandi Morton. “Stanford was a little hesitant at first, but I kept coaxing him and said, ‘You’ve got to dance again,’” Paraiso says.
La Mama Moves! offers programs by two very different types of student dancers from neighboring institutions: the youngsters of the East Village Dance Project, and the senior class of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Dance Program. As Yoo says, “These are two younger generations of dancers coming up in our community; we want to give them a place where they can present their work. It’s been important for us to have that younger component in the festival.
“In general, I feel the focus of the programming here at La Mama—whether it’s the dance festival or throughout the regular season—is our dedication to the artist. We’re hoping to expand people’s ideas and notions of what dance and movement can be.”