Preview:

For the Record: Dancers Debate the Body Politic

Project Artaud Theater, April 24-May 10, 2008
Presented by ODC Theater, San Francisco
A three part Festival featuring the work of Ledoh, Jo Kreiter/Flyaway Productions, Sara Shelton Mann and Miguel Gutierrez
http://www.odctheater.org/

Part 2.
May 1-3, 2008
“Inspirare” Sara Shelton Mann
“RedGoldSky” (premiere), “Te’lios/Telio’s” (2006), “Inspirare” (2007)
Performers: Yannis Adoniou, Kathleen Hermesdorf, Hana Erdman, Alexander Zendian, Maria Francesca Scaroni
Video/Lights David Szlasa
Sound Calvin L.L. Jones
Live Text Consultant John O’Keefe
http://www.sarasheltonmann.org/

Te’lios/Telio’s video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Php7hayunLU
Clip #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYGaM93n8JE
Inspirare Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jctKOwrXGr8&feature=related
RedGoldSky clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNlRv524CLc&feature=related

Photo: Benjy Young

A new element in the evolution of the choreographer Sara Shelton Mann is her voice. Text-based works can sink quickly when the voices don’t match the movement in terms of commitment and power. Mann has a great voice. One can only speculate whether a convergence of substances built this smoky, whiskey-edged, Southern-raised speaking voice, but it doesn’t exactly match the cool intelligence of the text, which is why it works. It is as if years of sweating bodies have rubbed their way into Mann’s larynx. She is someone you want to listen to. I asked Mann in a telephone interview about her new works, but also about dance. These are some of her words:

“My work has evolved from big spectacle into this condensed dance, to a state in 20 minutes that used to take an hour.”

“State, frequency, vibration.”

“Sound moves. Words are glued together. Things are woven, they integrate.”

“The performers work on the edge of improvisation.”

“RedGoldSky” is a spoken word piece with images. I talk about everything, politics, the planet, the extinction of aliens, my childhood, seasons of the year, acid rain.”

“Once upon a time I was enlightened.”

“The movement is improvised, cellular, it is internally core-generated, then builds. “

“Yannis Adoniou is stunning. He is in his prime, as is Miss Kathleen ( Hermesdorf)”.

“In ‘Inspirare’, Maria Francesca Scaroni is very specific and eccentric. I see it as a layer of crust with all of history underneath it.”

“Input, lots of tossing up this time in history, the planet, changes, zeroing in and then rocking and rolling.”

“There is the other side, the human condition, suffering, but there is also a sense of humor.”

“Te’lios/Telio’s” is Greek. It means, ‘the end’.

The movie transforms through lighting, elements that move in it.

“Come in from a storm. Dealing with what happened.”

“Te’lios/Telio’s” has Yannis and Kathleen, as well as two transparent figures, young and innocent. The question becomes, ‘what are the adults doing’?”

All Performances at Project Artaud Theater, 450 Florida Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110 - 415.863.9834; Tickets: $20.00 in advance, $25.00 at door, $18 Seniors/Students/Children 12 & Under

All tickets include free post-show reception with informal artist talk

Michael Wade Simpson