“If you couldn’t see me,” the first solo Trisha Brown has created for herself in 15 years, will receive its world premiere when the Trisha Brown Dance Company takes over The Joyce Theater stage, May 3-8.
Promising to turn audience expectations on their ears–or at least to cause many strained necks and eyes –“If you couldn’t see me” is set to a score composed by Robert Rauschenberg, who also designed the costume. The is the fifth collaboration between the choreographer and painter. Should we credit Bob with proposing the idea?
The season will also feature “For M.G.: The Movie,” a hauntingly cinematic dance whose pensive mood and surreal poetry revealed a new dimension to Brown’s imagination when it received its New York premiere last season. Dedicated to the memory of Michel Guy, France’s former minister of culture and a great supporter of Brown’s work, the dance is set to a score by Alvin Curran.
Also seen for the first time in New York last spring, “Another Story as in falling,” represents Brown’s first use of improvisation on stage. Although based on a 16 minute phrase created by Brown, each performance is altered by the dancers who determine their own exits and entrances, as well as the ordering of their movement. The dance will use a new, more portable set by Roland Aeschlimann, who also designed the original set. The dance offers greater creative interaction between itself and the dancers.
Foray Foret, the lushly lyrical work, first seen at the 1990 Lyon Biennale de la Danse, and “Newark,” which was premiered in 1987 will also be seen at The Joyce. While the original Donald Judd costumes will be used in “Newark,” the colored drops cannot be used because of the limited fly space at The Joyce. And finally, the Joyce engagement will feature “Astral Converted (50″),” the radical re-working of Ms. Brown’s celebrated “Astral Convertible,” which received its premiere in 1989. The music is by John Cage.
Reknowned as one of the great experimentalists in modern dance, Ms. Brown, who is 57 years old, was appointed to the National Council on the Arts by President Clinton in March. She is the only choreographer reperesented on the Council. Ms. Brown was also recently named the 1994 winner of the prestigious Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for her life-time contribution to American modern dance. She will be presented with the $25,000 award on June 19 at a special ceremony at the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC.
Following its Joyce season the Trisha Brown Company will be seen in the Studio Theater at Jacob’s Pillow (June7-18), followed performances in Budapest, Hungrary (June 23-26); Chateauvallon, Toulon (June 26-July 2); Colorado Dance Festival (July 16-30) , and Dance Aspen (August 2-5).
The curtain for the company’s opening night and Sunday evening performance is at 7:30pm; all other evening performances are at 8pm. There will be 2pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday. The box office phone number is 212-242-0800. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street.