Movement Research Studies Project Events, Spring 2013

RESERVATIONS NOT REQUIRED and ADMISSION IS FREE



Overlapping Circles (Improvisation, Contact Improvisation, Performance, Practice, Human Collaboration)

March 11 MON 5:30-7:30pm

Gibney Dance Center RSVP encouraged to info@movementresearch.org

A conversation with Nancy Stark Smith, K.J. Holmes, Jennifer Monson and

Jen Rosenblit

Improvisation as a practice, and particularly the rich history of Contact Improvisation, has spread throughout the world in various permutations and with multiple offshoots, evolutions, hybrids, specializations, etc. With improvisation in some form or another as a now ubiquitous presence in much of contemporary dance, how are people grappling with the various practices of improvisation in the context of contemporary performance?

How do we situate our dancing in the larger world? Is it performance? Practice? Who is it for and how does it serve and/or inspire us and others? What tools and materials are we using - and toward what ends?



Performing the Changing City: Public space, transformative events and creative action in New York

March 19 TUE 7pm

Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics

Organized by Abigail Levine and Paloma McGregor

With panelists luciana achugar, Randy Martin, Jenny Romaine, and Niegel Smith

"...careening astronauts and bank clerks glancing at the clock before lunch; actresses cowling at light-ringed mirrors and freight elevator operators grinding a thumbful of grease on a steel handle: student riots; that dark women in bodegas shook their heads last week because in six months prices have risen outlandishly; how coffee tastes after you've held it in your mouth, cold, a whole minute." --Samuel R. Delany, Dhalgren



Hurricanes, transit strikes, planned and unplanned explosions, occupations... Bike lanes, bus lanes, protest pens, command centers... Pedestrian zones, redevelopment zones, disaster zones... How is the landscape of our city changing and what are the possibilities for creative response? Looking at the shifting social, economic, and literal topography of our city through the frame of transformative events and policy decisions, we ask the question: what is the role of artists, activists, and all citizens in conceiving, creating, and defending (a notion of) public space? And conversely, what is the role of public space as a partner in creative expression and action? luciana achugar, Randy Martin, Jenny Romaine, and Niegel Smith reflect on our shifting urban landscape and offer opportunities to imagine how we might enact our city in the future.





"Pushing Boundaries"

Conceived by Ori Flomin

April 17 WED 6:15-7:45pm

Gibney Dance Center

With panelists Arthur Aviles, Jennifer Wright Cook, Colleen Thomas, Larissa Velez-Jackson and more

Moderated by Moira Brennan

Much value is placed on the idea of artwork that is at the cutting edge, with the words "pushing boundaries" emphasized in grants, applications and curating language. This conversation examines what might be meant by "pushing boundaries"? How important is it in the creative process and its outcome? Is the point of view of the artist different from the one of the audience when determining something as "pushing boundaries"? What assumptions or cultural contexts are assumed to establish these boundaries? Are there other ways to value contemporary work?





Dramaturgy as Practice/Dramaturgy in Practice: A conversation in two parts

May 5 SUN 2:30-4:30pm

Center for Performance Research

A Roundtable discussion with
Thomas F. DeFrantz, Susan Mar Landau, André Lepecki and Katherine Profeta

Conceived by Amanda Loulaki and Susan Mar Landau

The dramaturg as an active participant in the conceiving and making of movement based works is a relatively new and evolving phenomenon, as well as one that can be both mysterious and suspect. Conceived as a two-part event, Dramaturgy as Practice/Dramaturgy in Practice will explore both the ontology and the workings of dance dramaturgy today. Precluded by a short history of the topic, the first event will bring together a diverse group of working dramaturges to discuss their experiences and the possible implications of their role in the choreographic process. The second event, to take place in the fall, will open the conversation to include choreographers in an in depth discussion on the practice of dramaturgy.



Town Hall Follow-Up: Alternative Economies

June (date and location TBD, check our website for updates)

With panelists Daria Faïn, Tamara Greenfield, and more

2012 MR Town Hall Follow-up Discussion

We're not done yet! In a follow-up discussion to the 2012 Movement Research Town Hall, we will look deeper into structures and alternatives that have manifested within the recent and current dance economy. Join panelists, who have been involved in splinter conversations that began after the November 5 Town Hall meeting, as they share some of their groups' discussions. We will peek into the different ongoing conversations to glean further insights and understandings on the topics of value, money, time and dance-making.



EVENT LOCATIONS


Gibney Dance Center
890 Broadway, 5th Floor (between 19th & 20th Streets)

Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics
20 Cooper Square, 5th Floor

Center for Performance Research
361 Manhattan Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn