Photo by Thomas Haentzschel

Mike Vargas is a virtuosic listener.  His compositions, performances, collaborations, and improvisations are informed by his surroundings.  On the stage, he draws from his bank of musical memory. For dance, he listens to moving bodies and energetic shifts.

Although Mike initially trained as a classical pianist, he is largely self-taught via a sensitive ear.  Working in a record store sparked his interest in music’s diversity.  He explained “that’s when I began listening to music that was not pop.”  This exposure led him to dabble in virtually every type of music, from free jazz and world to found sound and electronic.   Today, he draws from it all in his improvisations.

On Tuesday, the Bates dance community listened to his original work What Is an Open Mind?. The atonal melody wove in and out of itself, always interrupting and being interrupted.  Mike explained this element of the piece’s structure: “It’s like walking on top of crusty snow in the winter, and you’re not sure when you will fall in.”  He artfully utilized a variety of textures, as one might use different energies on unstable ground.  The music featured sparse notation in one moment and a chaotic palette in the next.

In addition to the concert stage, Mike improvises for dancers, and has been doing so since 1978.  His extensive work in the field has taught him to listen to movement and energy, then convert it into music.  Peek into Plavin studio between nine and ten thirty and you may hear a jolly Strauss-esque waltz, an electronic drum set groove, or an ethereal gong soundscape.  His sense of musical possibility is endless.

For Mike, the most rewarding aspect of improvising for dance classes is working in real time.  In human time.  He is not merely an accompanist; he is certainly not a human jute-box; he is an artistic collaborator.

To hear clips of Mike’s compositions and check out funky photos of his former facial hair, visit his website: www.mikevargas.net

-Brianna

In 1972, an Oberlin student named Nancy saw possibility in Steve Paxton’s work Magnesium. She too wanted to explore the dynamics between the subtlety of movement and the velocity of movement.  This curiosity led her into her life’s work as a contact improvisor.

Today, the name Nancy Stark Smith is a household name (in the house of dance, that is).  Over lunch, the Festival community had the opportunity to converse with Nancy about her dance life.  The setting was casual, but Nancy spoke with measured clarity.  She talked about movement experiments with Steve Paxton, the early performances at John Weber Art Gallery, and the inaugural jams.

As I listened to Nancy speak, I became aware of the power of possibility.  Nancy explained that complex lifts and easeful weight transfers do not mark a Contact virtuoso. Instead, masterful contact improvisation occurs when partners listen with their bodies and remain present with their minds. Most importantly, it is about recognizing possibility and embracing it.  The masterful contact improvisor is never stops encountering the new.

-Brianna

Many of the international artists wove political commentary into their art. Tatiana Mejia of the Dominican Republic became angered by selfish giving in the wake of Haiti’s earthquake. She responded with a driving piece of violent rhythms and sharp, linear movement. This abstract representation contrasted with Ketty Noel’s brazen wail against sexual violence. She set the work in an abandoned butcher shop, with the soloist beating parts of her body and grabbing her crotch amidst a set of harsh florescent lights. In this site-specific work, Ketty explained that “the space was even more important than the movement.”

It became clear that it is challenging to be a contemporary artist in any country. And, each culture poses unique barriers. Aparna Sindhoor is a New England choreographer from India. People here and in her country criticize her for abandoning Indian classical dance for a foreign form.

Money poses challenges. Mamela Nyamza of South Africa created and rehearsed a solo called Hatched in her living room when she did not have the funds to rent studio space.

Remarkably, these women wove these challenges into their art to make their work stronger. Aparna dances in sari and out of sari, embracing its current significance and ancient connotations. She utilizes the Classical Indian aesthetic; her training becomes a springboard for new movement. Mamela explained how her living room informed every element of Hatched, including set, costume, and movement. The effect: a cohesive piece of compelling art.

-Brianna

The Bates Dance community experienced the evening-length work on July 30 and 31. The ambitious production included original choreography, light design, costume design, sound design, and visual art installation. Getting two artists to work harmoniously toward a single vision is challenging. What then, when the number extends onto two hands? Zoe/Juniper proved cross-discipline collaboration is not only possible, it is worthwhile

A Crack in Everything is not for the faint of heart. Its use of video projection triggers memory and regret. It forces audience members to ask “what if?”. The piece begins with dancers conquering the stage with driving, refined footwork. It takes them into the air and into the floor. In an instant, the real dancers are replaced with shadows of their selves. The projected movers dance with linear speed, cutting above the space like ghosts. It is like stepping into the dancers’ memories. Throughout the remainder of the piece, the audience’s attention fluctuates between projected dancers and real dancers. It mirrors the mind’s transitions between thoughts of the past, experiences of the present, and hopes for the future.

The hour-long piece comes to an arbitrary end, hardly flowing from a defined beginning and middle. In one of the opening episodes, a woman sits downstage and stabs at her hand with pointed energy. Zoe neither preceded nor developed this unsettling theme. Likewise, elegant Schubert arias interject the otherwise contemporary soundscape. The transitions are moving, but the songs simply come and go, as passing moments in time. The lack of arc is frustrating. An audience expects exposition and hopes for conclusion, but A Crack in Everything does not indulge these expectations.

I suspect this disjunct organization was intentional. The piece explored different perceptions of time, zooming from slow motion to real time in an instant. Zoe and her collaborators had the courage and sense to mirror this winding micro-structure in the whole.

-Brianna

Pearsonwidrig playing with space, motion and line.

When it comes to healthy collaboration, festival co-teachers Sarah Pearson and Patrik Widrig could write a book.  “I’m not big on ownership of ideas,” Sarah says, “everyone in the room is a collaborator.”  And she means everyone.  From her co-director Patrik, to the dancers, to the attentive viewer.  With all-around focus, Sarah and Patrik agree, an idea becomes greater than the sum of its parts.  Strengths are swapped like trading cards to interrupt habitual patterns.  With this environment, Sarah calls the studio a “magic place.”

Mutual trust is the artistic duo’s secret ingredient.   Patrik trusts Sarah to lead rehearsals.  Sarah trusts Patrik’s artistic intuition.  They never stop learning from one another. Sarah explains a typical studio session:  “I tune into Patrik.  It may look like I’m in charge just because I’m the one talking…Actually, we co-direct everything.”

This year, Sarah and Patrik share their knowledge with Bates via Making Dances and Site Specific Exploration. Merely observing their harmonious co-teaching is a lesson in its own right (never mind the class content!).   Leadership passes seamlessly between them.  Sarah explains a concept; Patrik demonstrates.  Patrik pauses the class with a clarification; Sarah nods to continue.  It appears their collaboration is as much about silence and energy as it is about speaking.

Patrik explains that he and Sarah have a catalogue of exercises and teaching tools.  “We draw from that catalogue to plan, but let the class lead us.”   They teach in the moment, gauging the class energy, strengths and weaknesses.  Then, the lesson plan shifts accordingly.

This dynamic duo began working together in 1985. (It’s no wonder their collaboration is smooth).  They met while dancing with the Nikolais/Louis lab in New York.  When Sarah saw Patrik dance, she recognized a talented artist, and they “fell in love on the dance floor.”  They founded the Pearsonwidrig Dance Theater, an experimental dance company that grew to tour the world.  Check it out here: http://www.pearsonwidrig.org!

-Brianna

-Brianna

Me!

Greetings, dance enthusiast! This is Brianna Hall, one of your guides to the beauty and madness of Bates Dance Festival, 2011. Exciting things are happening here every day, and I want to keep you up to speed. Check in here for teacher interviews, student profiles, and class progress reports. I will let you know what I think about the festival’s performances and lectures. A feature called “overheard in the studio” will give you a focused snapshot of class life. New posts will appear daily, so please: keep coming back!

At the orientation meeting, Laura (the festival’s fearless leader) eloquently laid out the festival philosophy:

“Create a Cooperative Community”   “Share Knowledge and inspiration”   “Foster Humility and Confidence”

This is just a handful of ambitious ideals that Bates Dance Festival strives to realize.  But how? And where? I’ll keep my eyes and ears peeled for compassion at work and sparks of creative collaboration.  Each day, or so, I’ll highlight one.  The challenge will not be in finding the Bates philosophy in action.  The festival’s affirming community is alive and the creative energy palpable.  The challenge will be in choosing.

I recently graduated from St. Olaf College in Minnesota with bachelor degrees in English and dance. I am privileged to foster my love of words and love of movement this summer at Bates!