April 24 2012

Rehearsal for Don Juan. Photo by Manny Rotenburg. Dancers: Stephanie Maiorano & Max Tchernychev. The first section of the pas was distinguished by lots of pulling motifs...

Rehearsal for Don Juan. Photo by Manny Rotenburg. Dancers: Stephanie Maiorano & Max Tchernychev. Ending in a sort of twisted pose. There were then a series of three repeated lifts.

Rehearsal for Don Juan. Photo by Manny Rotenburg. Dancers: Stephanie Maiorano & Max Tchernychev. The lift sequence was partially repeated because the piece was going to be performed in the round, but also because I am not that interested in choreography that is totally performed to the front, as if facing a mirror. Especially, when you are telling a story. If you are doing a sort of exhibition piece, like our Mambomania or Opus... Swing!, then it is fine. But when two characters are interacting, you need to give the audience a scene that things are not being performed to them.

That doesn't mean that the lines the audience sees are unattractive or obscured. Just that the side or back of a dancer can also tell a story.

Daily Stuff - Office work and teaching at Florence.