Photo by Julieta Cervantes
“glacier,” an enthralling and important new dance work lasting 60 minutes, by the choreographer Liz Gerring, abounds in arresting contradictions. The dancers look relaxed and galvanized. They hurl themselves into impetuous slides, skim across the stage in nimble footwork, push their way urgently backward on all fours, shimmer in turning or bobbing jumps — and yet, amid the formal structures, always keep an informal quality, never letting the steps acquire any veneer of academicism. Steps look natural, athletic and exploratory — even when they then come around a second or third time with other dancers. The work has wit without quirkiness, passion without emotionalism: its moods change like the weather, and its ebbs and flows carry aspects of poetry and excitement.”
glacier
The World Premiere of glacier was commissioned by Peak Performances @ Montclair State (NJ) and presented 19-22 September, 2013 at the Alexander Kasser Theater.
glacier is an evening length choreographic work for eight dancers based on composer Michael J. Schumacher's 2007-2012 work Glacier.
"I began making this work with a series of gestures. The simple strung movements, initially of hands and arms, transposing my ideas to a sequence of images. Gradually the work unfolded, gestures expanding into fuller body realizations, into a layering of movement as it gathered momentum. I really felt simultaneously both the solidity and the evanescence inside the sound score and used that as we developed the work in residence at the large space of the Kasser Theater at Montclair"
choreographer Liz Gerring
"Glacier originated during a summer stay at filmmaker Fred Worden's place near Glacier Lake in Nederland, Colorado. This is a secluded cabin situated deep in the woods. I collected sounds, mostly of the lake (wavelets lapping, pebbles tossed) and the wind, insects, some birds, hiking along leaf and rock-strewn paths, some localities in town and in Boulder. I used these field recordings combined with guitar, piano, harp, cello, clarinet, recorder and other sounds to build what was initially an algorithmic installation work. Gradually the work was was adapted and transformed, in collaboration with the choreography and Robert Wierzel’s lighting design"
composer
choreographer: Liz Gerring
composer: Michael J. Schumacher
production design: Robert Wierzel
assistant lighting designer: Amith Chandrashaker
costume design: Marion Talan
production & stage manager: Bill Schaffner
rehearsal assistants: Elizabeth DeMent & Heather Waldon
artistic advisor: Iréne Hultman
For eight dancers: Benjamin Asriel, Brandon Collwes, Adele Nickel, Tony Neidenbach, Brandin Steffensen, Jake Szczypek, Jessica Weiss, Claire Westby
The company would like to thank Jed Wheeler for this opportunity.
At Bryn Mawr, February 2014 dancer Rebecca Warner replaces dancer Adele Nickel; production & stage manager Randi Rivera replaces stage manager Bill Schaffner.