Company: Desert Dance Theatre
Choreographer: Lisa Chow
Video Design: Billbob Brown
Performers: C.J. Avalos, Erik Canales, Lisa Chow, George A. Johnson, Caroline Liddicoat
This program did not have a cast of thousands or elaborate sets, but I thought it was an ambitious project nonetheless. I base that on the number and level of serious collaborations that went into its creation. It incorporates video of the work of prominent sculptor John Henry Waddell. That video represents a three-way collaboration between the sculptor, the sculptor’s daughter Amy Waddell who photographed the art, and Billbob Brown who produced the video. Tragically, John Henry Waddell passed away four days after this performance. The soundtrack was itself a collaboration between Grammy award winning musician Chieli Minucci and Kris Lanzaro. Even before you start crediting costume design and lighting, that’s a lot of painstaking aesthetic decisions made by credible artists before you move one body across the stage.
If I had to summarize this work in one word, it would be “uplifting” – in all the multiple dimensions of that term. The title, “Fall to the Sky”, was key in helping me discern the intention of this piece. The video was problematic for me and it took a while to recognize and assimilate the various elements and correlate them between the video and the dance itself. The title rationalized the rising figurative images in the video. Whether it was resurrection or ascension or some indeterminate poetic state, it spoke to the elevation of the human spirit. This elevation was also evident in the frequent lifts incorporated into the dance – freeing the body, however momentarily, from its contract with gravity. This “uplifting” sensibility was most clearly expressed in an exultant moment with a dramatic, full-extension overhead lift. As difficult and potentially dangerous as this movement is, I think the piece could have benefited from more of it, as this element most closely reflected the images and the sensibility of the video.
The use of video in dance is very enticing. Setting aside the role of each in the production (which is in service to what) for a moment, there are still some significant caveats. The level of visual sophistication in both the industry and the audience has increased exponentially. There is a place for all of it, from cell phone videos to Pixar animations. This production has chosen to respectfully represent fine art, and the presentation quality must rise to accommodate that.
I don’t know if it was the format or the resolution, but the video seemed dated – like watching a VHS tape. It took a minute to discern that these were sculptures because the video rendered the images as flat and two-dimensional. This is such a prominent element, and the collaboration with this internationally known sculptor so important, I believe it would benefit from a new edit to keep its quality level on a par with the aspirations of this work.
The relationship between the score and the dance was intriguing. I was hearing a relatively brisk tempo, but my perception of the dancers’ movements was more studied and graceful, even serious, with a lot of sweeping, upward arm gestures that, again, reinforced my perception of the piece as uplifting. It was a fascinating juxtaposition, where a serious statement was being made visually, particularly if you referenced the dedication to “…the victims of 911 and the memories of loved ones lost…”. Left to our own devices, this could have led down a path of remembrance and misery, but the music short-circuited that and would not let me feel somber about it. So I’m still going with “uplifting”.
The dedication of this piece to the victims of 911 is touching and I’m sure it was still timely when the piece was produced, but I don’t believe it is forever tied to or dependent on that event. The remainder of that dedication “…to the memories of loved ones lost to disease, war and all tragedies” is more fitting but still not definitive. I think that the statement that it “…embraces the human spirit in search of enlightenment and peace“, is the characterization by which this work should be known. We don’t have to look away from or avoid tragedy in order to embrace hope. Ultimately, “Fall to the Sky” is a collaborative artistic expression that exists on its own merits. And while some elements, like the video and possibly the costumes, are showing their age, this has the feeling of a signature piece focused on the human condition – a work that will withstand cultural changes and merits revisiting and revising over time.
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