Follow the creation of "Why Now?"
Follow the creation process of
WHY NOW ?
@ Dance New Amsterdam, 280 Broadway, NY, 10007
January 28, 29, 30 2010
A Day in the creation of “Why Now, 2nd Chapter”, January 2010, NYC
A Day in the Creation of "Why Now?" from CuttingMoves on Vimeo. Why Now? from CuttingMoves on Vimeo.
“ WHY NOW ? “ 1st Chapter, 2009, DNA, New York City
THE FLYING MAMMOTH , Choreographic Reel
The Flying Mammoth - Choreography from CuttingMoves on Vimeo.
WHY NOW ?
Project Description
"Why Now?" is a dance piece in two chapters, engaging the audience to reflect on that tipping point when change happens. The first chapter "Why" follows the path of a woman poised at a crossroads in her life. Her mind is in turmoil as she tries to gather strength for a leap forward. Through dance the audience gets to peek into her mental experience and reflect on the intensity of change. The piece culminates in "Now" a second chapter of movement statements fused with video illustrating the impact of the mind's activity on physical movement. In "Now" the individual meets others in an energetic, jubilant and sometimes violent reality.
The first chapter "Why" - an excerpt of which was presented at DNA in June 2009 - allows us a glimpse into the mental struggles this woman undergoes while on the verge of change. Memories and experience whether conscious or unconscious, real or imagined, conjure events in her life as she strives to discover who she is and what she is about to do. The choreography and staging create a living projection of her inner thoughts set in a mental landscape devoid of the boundaries of time and space where the dynamic collision of memories, interpretations and aspirations takes place. Theatrical encounters allow the audience to witness situations she might have lived - or wished she had - as in this awkward duet of clashing wills and compromises, an encounter with two alluring women who draw her into a trio both seductive and powerful, and a scene where a couple try to reconnect and rediscover their relationship. "Why" functions like a mind-funnel transporting us to the inner chambers of her soul without limits to imagination, memory, and interpretation.
The music for "Why" is by Devotchka, a critically acclaimed Colorado-based band which mixes Eastern European roots and influences with American culture in an original and deeply soul-stirring folk-rock music. Their theatrical style is evident in their score for the successful movie "Little Miss Sunshine".
In the second chapter "Now", the reflected past of the first chapter meets the concrete reality of the present. If the first is something you tell, the second is something you live. If the first is mental, the second is physical. The stage, ambiance and rhythm of the dance change to reflect the meeting of one individual with others, with community, and with collaboration. Through video projections by renowned videographer Gilles Papain, "NOW" examines how aspirations, fears, dreams and disillusionment evolve once an individual must function in reality and in the context of other people. "Now" fuses video with audacious intense sparking dance in a no-holds-barred intense place living in the present.
The music for this chapter is provided by two contemporary electronic artists.
"Why Now?" is a piece about optimism and strength in the face of change. Evolution is something we are desperately frightened of and yet yearn for passionately.
"There is a difference between simply functioning as a human being and realizing that it is now that one is living." - Arne Naess, philosopher
