Dancers Offer Recital Arranged in Reverse
Don’t plan on sitting down and watching an ordinary recital for Westmont’s next dance performance. In fact, most people at “Danceworks” won’t be sitting at all.
The Westmont Windancers will perform “Danceworks” Friday, Nov. 17, and Saturday, Nov. 18, in Porter Theatre at 8 p.m.
The dozen dancers, separated into two groups, will perform in the theater’s foyer and on the main stage at the same time. Audience members will surround the performers at both locations.
However, the most unusual part about “Danceworks” is how the performance has been created. Instead of designing a set, lighting and choreography to existing music, Directors Erlyne Whiteman and Victoria Finlayson have reversed the creative process.
“The set design has been created first along with lighting,” says Whiteman. “The dancer’s phrases are being set in the studio separately. We do not know how it is going to feel.”
They also have no idea what it is going to sound like. Steve Butler, associate professor of music and department chair, has not yet revealed his composition that will accompany the performance.
“It is an experiment in collage,” Whiteman says, “putting different things together and seeing what we can come up with. And this is all going to happen 10 days before the performance in the first rehearsal.”
The reversal of process can be unsettling to some of the performers.
“Some of the students are used to dancing in lines in competition or in ballet and they are intrigued,” says Whiteman. “Sometimes they are confused, but we keep saying that it is an experience and we are all learning from it.
“There are a lot of unknowns. The best we can tell them is to be prepared for the unexpected. So we are experimenting in the studio with some different ways of moving their bodies beyond the choreography.”
Set and lighting design have been created by Darcy Scanlin and Jonathan Hicks. Erlyne Whiteman, Victoria Finlayson, Leah Benson and Ashley Olsen are creating the choreography. Musicscape will be composed by Steve Butler. Ellen Sheppard is “Danceworks” costume designer.
Ticket availability will be limited, $10 general admission, and $5 for students. For reservations or more information, please call Darcy Galvan at (805) 565-6040.