Seven animated and exquisite dancers perform an array of characterizations from the poetic to the absurd. They communicate through misty oceans. They connect and disconnect under ambition. They sing a ritualistic song while forming common languages of ink and individual languages of ambition. They enjoy group harmony and interaction and become fossils in their own geometric patterns. Nomadic Communication, for seven female dancers, grew out of the solo Successful. This group piece was hosted by Chez Bushwick during Bushwick Open Studios and performed outside for two hours on a pleasant day in September 2017. The group travelled nomadically from a subway station, as viewers followed along, to a graffiti wall, to a playground, and finally to a beautiful rooftop during sunset. The performers engaged in a 20-minute set piece that was repeated once at each location. Between the four locations, the dancers used their character and gesture vocabulary to improvise and interact with the audience. A significant part of the viewers followed us for the whole two hours. Starting with the seed of ambition as a concept, the group piece evolved into an experience of community, communication, oddity, ritual and subversion. Visual artist Niki Singleton, a frequent collaborator with Little, made a smaller version of the triangle from Successful for Nomadic Communication. This triangle was 3 x 1 foot and represented a home-base for the dancers as well as becoming a continuation of their physical lines when carried in their hands or nestled on their hips. A theme continued from Successful, the performers of Nomadic Communication worked with facial expressions, gestures, vocal sounds, atonal songs, orchestra patterns, as well as choreographed movement and movement and sound improvisation. The dancers stuck to this learned vocabulary and didn’t use any “recognizable” language for the entire two hours.
Conceived, Directed, and Composed by Thea Little
Hosted by Chez Bushwick during BOS - Bushwick Open Studios, September 2017
Performers and Collaborators: Juli Brandano, Sharleen Chidiac, Srna Kocevska, Sayoko Kojima, Katherine Norton-Bliss, Ellie Van Bever, Evita Zachariaglou
Set Piece: Niki Singleton
Photos: Julia Discenza