I WANT TO STOP WANTING part two

i just spent several hours last night with tracy draping her dress on her body. this is my preferred method of working in some cases. the elements of the design get to be tried out on the body, and we are guaranteed a perfect fit. i started out with some of the pieces cut out, some put together: the sleeves, the skirt. we spent the better part of the evening pulling and pinning, her trying out some movements very carefully (so she isn't stabbed with pins) and chatting while i stitched the pieces together after we had them worked out. all that is left to do is make a couple of alterations, and finish a few edges. everything else is almost done.

after a while, meshi showed up with some beer and snacks, and we worked out all of the last minute details before tomorrow's tech rehearsal. it is always a relief to get to a point where we know things are coming together, and the finish line is in sight. here's hoping that there are no wardrobe malfunctions tonight; although tonight is the best time for anything that might go wrong to show itself so that it may be corrected before opening night which is thursday:

I WANT TO STOP WANTING
a new dance work by Theory 1:Dance
Disjecta, 8371 N. Interstate
April 30th to May 2nd at 8:00 pm, and
May 3rd at 2:00 and 8:00 pm.
$14 at the door, $12 in advance.
www.disjecta.org to purchase tickets

theory1dance.com


Desire….it’s a word packed with emotions, good and bad. Desire shapes our interactions with those we love, it endlessly drags us into the past
and unknowingly shapes our future. It propels us into action, and grinds us to a halt. “I want to stop Wanting” is an exploration of desire: how we hold it, how it burdens us, and how we let it go. Created by Tracy Broyles and Meshi Chavez with musician lyd and dancers Lucy Yim and Mark Kline, the piece makes physical reality out of the ideas of desire, burden and grace. Raw, visceral and psychologically charged movement is matched by a hauntingly beautiful electronic score that will be mixed live. Costumes will be made by Kirsten A. Moore of Piper Ewan, set design by Bill Tripp and lightinng by Dug Martell.

Hope to see you there!

I WANT TO STOP WANTING part one

photo of tracy broyles and meshi chavez in COCOON BIRD by jon springer

in the spring of 2007 i met with tracy broyles of theory1:dance to discuss the possibility of costumes for her production of COCOON BIRD. she arrived with a couple of pages torn from a magazine, a bag full of paper leaves with little phrases written on them, and a list of words. we used this as the basis of the costumes for this performance.

and this spring i have the privelege to work with tracy and meshi again in their upcoming performance of I WANT TO STOP WANTING that will be held at disjecta in portland at the end of april. i watched my first rehearsal two weeks ago, and took notes on the dancers' movements to see the technical needs and limitations i might encounter when costuming the dancers. other considerations are: visibility, the distance between the dancers and the audience, the lighting, the colours of the walls and floors as compared to what the dancers are wearing, how they all interact together, and which movements need to be highlighted or hidden. i love seeing the progression of other peoples' work. and i also like the opportunity to do something completely different than my very focused piper ewan line.

now is the big challenge. i need to work with the directors to come up with a look that best conveys the feel of the piece. unlike FLYING IRON these costumes cannot limit the dancers' movements in any way. discussions with tracy and meshi over tea consist of us trying tossing about words and concepts that will translate into costumes.

tracy and meshi are holding a fundraiser for this performance on friday the 13th; it should be fun:

THEORY 1: DANCE BENEFIT
5 PERFORMANCES
3 CONSCIOUSNESSES
90 MINUTE DANCE PARTY

March 13th, 2009 – 7:30 pm ‘till 10:00 pm
Performances start at 7:45 Dance Party starts at 8:30

Conduit Dance, Inc.
918 SW Yamhill Ave. Suite 401
Portland OR, 97205

Performances by Oslund+Co., Lanie Bergin,
Jen Warnock & M:CM dancers, Woolly Mammoth Comes to Dinner
and THEORY 1: DANCE

DJ Winky Wheeler + Snacks and Beverages

Donations $10- $100

A benefit for THEORY 1: DANCE’S new work:
“I want to stop wanting” Premiering at the end of April at DISJECTA.
Artistic Directors: Tracy Broyles & Meshi Chavez
Composer/ Musician: lyd
Dancers: Lucy Yim, Meshi Chavez, Mark Kline, Tracy Broyles

This project is partially funded by RACC