“The choreographer’s unerring intelligence at organizing her powerful movement motifs is palpable. Strong, linear geometric patterns in space organize rhythmic foot patterns that have the buoyant lilt of folk dance. Simple, unmannered movement masks its technical challenge, but galvanizes the dancers’ concentration and energizes their unaffected dancing.”
Montauk
current version 30 minutes.
The Liz Gerring Dance Company premiered Montauk at Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York, February 5-8, 2009.
Inspired by a memory of place, Montauk is a landscape unfolding between the groupings of three dancers. The work is characterized by its demanding physicality and attention to detailed gesture, often derived from everyday experiences. Although abstract and highly technical, at its core Montauk is based on the emotions derived from the evocation of a time and place, expressed through the relationship between dancers.
Italian visual artist Vittoria Chierici, having photographed rehearsals for over a year, choose a quintessential moment in the dance to document & alter - three dancers walking backward in a line - the images of the dancers themselves creating an additional physical dimension, as set design, in her photo-based panels. Portland based composer Seth Nehil's six speaker electronic score provided a spacious sonic environment; a parallel layer to the performance.
dancers
Elizabeth DeMent
Tony Neidenbach
Jessica Weiss
Liz Gerring
composer Seth Nehil
set design Vittoria Chierici
costume design Deanna Berg
Lighting design Caroilyn Wong