Sunday February 20, 2011 - Kokyat and I went out to Brooklyn where Shannon MacDowell, a young dancer we have met thru her work with Amy Marshall Dance Company and isadoraNow was rehearsing a duet by David Grenke, VESPERS, with her partner Brian Runstrom in preparation for the upcoming performances at the Cedar Lake theater by Dancers Responding to AIDS.
David Grenke, a former principal dancer with Paul Taylor Dance Company, created VESPERS in 1992. Set to the Tom Waits song 'Tom Traubert's Blues', the duet portrays a man attempting to raise his beloved from the dead.
You can hear the music here; If you aren't familiar with the voice of Tom Waits - described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car" - it might take some getting used to. In the context of David Grenke's dancework, the singing is strangely haunting.
As soon as Shannon and her partner Brian Runstrom began the rehearsal today I recalled seeing a film of this work up at the Pillow at the time Grenke was creating it. They were showing various dance clips on a screen in the Pillow's visitors center and I remember some women were watching it; one said: "This is so sexist, I hate it!" and another asked: "Why is he abusing this poor woman?" I said aloud, "She's dead. He's not abusing her, he's trying to wake her up!"
It was a powerful experience to re-encounter the duet today, danced to the raspy invocations of Waltzing Matilda. Shannon and Brian had been learning the duet from a filmed version and this was their first time actually being in the studio with David. The dancers have the basic moves and structure down, the choreographer was detailing their work and bringing it into focus.
The piece is intensely physical and full of body contact. "Don't let it get sexual!" David admonished: "That's not what it's about." Shannon and Brian responded keenly to all that David asked of them. Sometimes the choreographer would step in, taking the place of one of the dancers to show how he wanted something to be done. But he also let Shannon and Brian bring their own personalities into play.
Shannon MacDowell and choreographer David Grenke
Brian Runstrom, Shannon MacDowell
The light in the studio was quite evocative; Kokyat shot the duet in the available light and though we were there for less than an hour, the atmosphere of VESPERS radiated strongly as David and the dancers kept their focus on the process. Looking forward to seeing their finished work at the Cedar Lake performances.
All photos: Kokyat.
I've seen this piece, it is very moving. These pictures are so atmospheric and Shannon is a lovely girl.
Posted by: Patty Grenier | February 22, 2011 at 07:57 PM
Great story and pictures.
Posted by: Max | February 23, 2011 at 10:13 AM
It's really quite amazing when you think of Paul Taylor and his influence on dance in America, David Grenke being one of several Taylor dancers who have gone on to choreograph or start their own companies. Thank you for these wonderful studio shots and I look forward to reading about the performance.
Posted by: Marisa | February 23, 2011 at 01:53 PM
Hey! I've got a permanent web search for Tom Trauberts Blues hooked up. I never knew it was made into a dance though. Your pictures are nice and that girl is really pretty. I'd love to see this but I am far from New York.
Posted by: Marty | February 23, 2011 at 02:56 PM
Where are you located, Marty?
Posted by: Philip | February 23, 2011 at 02:57 PM
Middle Earth, Akron OH.
Posted by: Marty | February 23, 2011 at 02:58 PM
I just saw Vespers performed for "Dances from the Heart" at the Cowell Theater, 4/30/12 in San Francisco. The third year after the passing of my own love brought me to witness this piece which I found funny and intimately serious and poignant at the same time. It was semlessly danced by Jacqueline McConell and Oliver Freeston. They must have had the time of their lives putting it together! Anyway I loved it and want to thank you for the blessing of the this piece.
...Katy Warner
Posted by: katy warner | May 01, 2012 at 02:09 AM