Trisha Brown - Photo: Lois Greenfield The energy at BAM’s opera house was high, after all, the dance world came out to celebrate one of theirs—a renowned
choreographer and solid icon, Trisha Brown and the Trisha Brown Dance Company (TBDC) (January 30 – February 2). It’s still very hard to believe, but for Trisha Brown, this was it. Though noted as a season celebrating the “Past, Present and Future,” Brown said goodbye to the dance world with the New York premiere of her final two works, Les Yeux et l’ame (the eyes and the soul), and I’m going to toss my arms—if you catch them they’re yours. Both were made in 2011. Les Yeux… opened the anticipated program offering up very beautiful movement etchings that passed through the air as each dancer moved through the space in different groupings with swirls and circles -- simply put -- a very lush dance. True to Brown’s form, I’m going to toss my arms— brought music, visual art and dance together. There were no wings, large fans flooded stage left, a pianist quietly sat behind his piano upstage right, a soundscape of whiling traffic filled the air, and costumes would leave the dancer’s bodies, taking to the air against the wind from the wind machines. Then, clad in just bathing suits or trunks, the dancers spanned the stage, running, jumping and landing softly, turning in many directions, or they used their joints to manipulate the many intricate sequences. The 1987 work, Newark (Niweweorce), also an eclectic melding of art forms with the massive scrims (red, yellow, gold) that flew in and out was matched by the linear movement. What a treat to see Vicky Schick, a TBDC alumna (1980 – 1986) in Brown’s Homemade (1966) a solo Brown made during her Judson Dance Theater days. Complete with a projector strapped to her back, Schick was Schick, but in the form of Trisha Brown. A film by Babette Mangolte projected on the back wall but when Schick showed us her back, a bright light shone on the audience, all the while Schick slithered here and there, so elegantly, ever so often swinging a leg straight and high from the hip underscoring Brown’s signature style. For only one evening, and what a special evening it was (in the audience was a bunch of TBDC alumni all dressed up and given special attention), we were treated to Set and Reset (1983). This was the 30th anniversary of its premiere at BAM’s Next Wave Festival. There was Laurie Anderson’s music ("Long time no see...long time no see..."), visual and costumes by Robert Rauschenberg, lighting by Beverly Emmons with Rauschenberg and the dancers didn’t hold back; they were just great in this very lively and happy dance. So much dancing, so many smiles, so much moving together with a purpose of simply moving together.
Here's a version of Set and Reset below, but there's nothing like the real TBDC performance!
choreographer and solid icon, Trisha Brown and the Trisha Brown Dance Company (TBDC) (January 30 – February 2). It’s still very hard to believe, but for Trisha Brown, this was it. Though noted as a season celebrating the “Past, Present and Future,” Brown said goodbye to the dance world with the New York premiere of her final two works, Les Yeux et l’ame (the eyes and the soul), and I’m going to toss my arms—if you catch them they’re yours. Both were made in 2011. Les Yeux… opened the anticipated program offering up very beautiful movement etchings that passed through the air as each dancer moved through the space in different groupings with swirls and circles -- simply put -- a very lush dance. True to Brown’s form, I’m going to toss my arms— brought music, visual art and dance together. There were no wings, large fans flooded stage left, a pianist quietly sat behind his piano upstage right, a soundscape of whiling traffic filled the air, and costumes would leave the dancer’s bodies, taking to the air against the wind from the wind machines. Then, clad in just bathing suits or trunks, the dancers spanned the stage, running, jumping and landing softly, turning in many directions, or they used their joints to manipulate the many intricate sequences. The 1987 work, Newark (Niweweorce), also an eclectic melding of art forms with the massive scrims (red, yellow, gold) that flew in and out was matched by the linear movement. What a treat to see Vicky Schick, a TBDC alumna (1980 – 1986) in Brown’s Homemade (1966) a solo Brown made during her Judson Dance Theater days. Complete with a projector strapped to her back, Schick was Schick, but in the form of Trisha Brown. A film by Babette Mangolte projected on the back wall but when Schick showed us her back, a bright light shone on the audience, all the while Schick slithered here and there, so elegantly, ever so often swinging a leg straight and high from the hip underscoring Brown’s signature style. For only one evening, and what a special evening it was (in the audience was a bunch of TBDC alumni all dressed up and given special attention), we were treated to Set and Reset (1983). This was the 30th anniversary of its premiere at BAM’s Next Wave Festival. There was Laurie Anderson’s music ("Long time no see...long time no see..."), visual and costumes by Robert Rauschenberg, lighting by Beverly Emmons with Rauschenberg and the dancers didn’t hold back; they were just great in this very lively and happy dance. So much dancing, so many smiles, so much moving together with a purpose of simply moving together.
Here's a version of Set and Reset below, but there's nothing like the real TBDC performance!
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