Jenny Stulberg and Lauren Simpson; photo by Robbie Sweeny

Five words or phrases to describe your work together this calendar year:

We listen to each other.

We speak words.

We are learning about lighting.

We are learning about the way we work.

The first dance we made together was some sort of divine dance gift; every dance since then has been a learning process about how we did it and how we can improve upon it.

What has been on your calendar this year in terms of performances, residencies, guest teaching, etc?

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival performance
• CHIME Residency Program through the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company
• Artist in Residence Program at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley

In terms of your collaborative process, can you talk about risk, vulnerability, and growth?

Risk. As a collaboration, we have made two firm commitments: One, to making our dances in a thematic series (Still Life Dances). Two, to making these dances together. These commitments tend to preclude us from any number of other things we might like to do, i.e. making dances about something else and pursuing individual artistic interests. We haven’t bound ourselves to any sort of contract, but the amount of time, resources and energy it requires to do what we already do crowds out these other possibilities. As with most collaborations, we also cede control of many parts of the process. This, along with the opportunity costs of our commitment to the series and each other, are the risks we take on individually in deference to the collaboration.

Vulnerability and growth. These topics are probably two sides of the same coin. We have both grown more as choreographers in this collaboration than in any other. Our series has taught us the value of seeing a commitment through because you can’t just jump ship during the dark times, the difficulties, the slumps. Like everyone says, growth tends to come from moments like these. Ironically, our biggest slump may have been this year when we were blessed with the most support and resources yet. Our two simultaneous residencies gave us ample time in the studio (dare we say too much time) to swim around in our ideas, spend weeks on material and throw it away, to meander. It was more often a space of confusion and doubt rather than the sweet satisfaction of a “productive” rehearsal. These times made us think our series had run its course, the work was stale, or we were no longer fit as a choreographic collaboration. In October we turned a corner, and the new work seems to be spilling out of us, finally! Over the course of the year we have made hours of material (thankfully archived on video) from which are pulling, rearranging, and shaping into this new piece. Pending deadlines certainly contribute to a sense of urgency and purpose, but the most interesting moments in the work, “the gems,” were made back in the confusing/meandering part of the year.

What is your latest project? What are the questions you are asking in your work right now?

Our latest project is “Still Life No. 7.” The dance seems to be asking questions about hope, which has become most evident in our lighting concept. There is a very large HMI lighting instrument shining in from outside the stage left theater doors. While the theater is black, the door slowly opens, letting in a sliver of light, and then over time a larger wedge of light. It’s the familiar experience of opening a door into a dark room and watching the shadow move on the ground and walls. What kind of movement makes sense when there is only a narrow beam of light in which we are visible? When there is only a sliver of light, or a sliver of hope, what is possible? How do we behave under these conditions? Light in the darkness is obvious metaphor and hackneyed theme, but we hope we’re exploring it in new ways

In the movement language, we’re also exploring ways of being we hope to cultivate in ourselves, in others, in our leaders. We consider how the experience of unison dancing requires a sense of deep listening, how small movements require clarity and specificity, how gestural fast actions breeze by so fast they almost leave no trace – a sort of camping in the wilderness policy for our choreography. We are attempting to move in ways we hope to see more of in the world.

What is on the calendar for 2018?

January, 2018 Premiere of Still Life No. 7, Missoula, MT. Produced by Bare Bait Dance.

April, 2018 Premiere of Still Life No. 8, Counterpulse Theater, San Francisco. Edge Residency at Counterpulse.

October, 2018 Performing Still Life No. 7 (and teaching), Lion’s Jaw Festival, Boston, MA.

 

Find out more about Jenny and Lauren's work at stilllifedances.com.

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Related posts:

Building a Dance Company: The Pre-Company Stage (Part 1 of a 3-Part Series) – with Jenny Stulberg and Lauren Simpson

Establishing Simpson/Stulberg Collaborations: My Biggest Challenge So Far – By Lauren Simpson

What Now? – By Jenny Stulberg

Building a Dance Company: The Art of Decision-Making – By Sumi Clements

The Choreographic Moment: Ideas from Jeanine Durning

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