Modern in the Mountains
Modern dance thrives in the Vail Valley each summer, where fresh forms mingle with classical traditions. The Rockies are a testament to the weathering forces that have sculpted them over the years—and like the mountains, dancing bodies archive the past as present.
American modern dance originated in the late 19th century with Isadora Duncan’s Ancient Greek-inspired “free dances” and the Ancient Egyptian and Indian-inspired movements of Ruth St. Denis. Martha Graham later created the first American modern dance technique and company, laying the groundwork for many luminaries to follow. More than merely reacting to ballet, these contemporary artists explored new ways of living in and responding to the world they inhabited.
The Vail International Dance Festival maintains a commitment to both the classical and contemporary. Choreographers and dancers fluent in their own movement languages are invited to collaborate in unlikely partnerships, nurturing new relationships and perspectives. From Shantala Shivalingappa’s descriptive Kuchipudi—a style of Indian classical dance—to Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener’s boundless explorations into abstraction, the Festival programming encourages similarities to shine by preserving the beauty of difference. Though not all Festival choreographers and dancers collaborate directly, sharing studio space and programs such as NOW: Premiers offers artists the opportunity to explore where their embodied biographies might overlap.
The use of the body as an artistic tool cuts across disparate contexts, content and textures—be it Merce Cunningham’s avoidance of narrative and representation, Paul Taylor’s athleticism and meticulous musicality, or Trisha Brown’s attention to pedestrian gestures. Collaboration and juxtaposition enliven these histories, revealing the dance DNA that links the artists both to each other and to their antecedents.
This year, the Festival welcomes back Paul Taylor, who is frequently cited as one of the greatest living choreographers working today. Taylor has ventured into new artistic ground since 2013, his company’s last appearance in Vail. This past March, the Taylor company performed two commissions by outside choreographers, Doug Elkins and previous Festival choreographer Larry Keigwin, adding new influences to the company’s development. “Mr. Taylor has exemplified modern dance,” says Michael Trusnovec, the most senior member of the company. A true paragon of dance innovation, it is fitting for Mr. Taylor to welcome new choreographic voices.
The company’s comprehensive repertoire, fueled by Mr. Taylor’s encompassing musical interests, has established the troupe as foundational to American modern dance. Such abiding curiosity and creativity have allowed the company to progress in tandem with the shifting dance landscape.
“We are discovering and stretching the meaning of the word ‘Modern’ because it continues to evolve,” Trusnovec explains, noting the sometimes “stuffy” association some have with the term. He suggests that, to combat this, dance not be rigidly parsed out into various eras and categories. Trusnovec’s love for all iterations of the art form is palpable: “With so much touring, the Vail Festival is definitely a highlight,” he says, “I admire a lot of these other artists. It’s impressive how intelligent the [programming] choices are. It’s like a laboratory for creation.”
Genre Clashing
Dance alchemy is a defining characteristic of the Festival, where Artistic Director Damian Woetzel’s commissions often result in revealing chemistry. Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener, who first began working together as dancers in the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, are inspired by the challenge of creating work across boundaries. Building upon their 2015 Festival debut, this summer the duo will create work on ballet dancers to a predetermined piece of music. Both elements are unusual for the choreographers. Typically, the two create on themselves or with other modern-trained dancers, and only add music as a texture after already establishing movement.
Investigating the clashing of genres, mediums and ideas is integral to their process, explain Mitchell and Riener in between performances at the Museo Jumex, a contemporary art museum in Mexico City. “The tension between the stylistic differences of the ballet and contemporary dancers” Mitchell says, “will certainly shape the content of what we’re making, which is exciting for us.” Riener agrees, adding that finding “common ground” among contrasting dance languages is an enlightening experience. Much of the pair’s work focuses on the “deeply honest and really individual self.” Such self-awareness, Riener explains, relies on the dancers’ access to their own physical and intellectual histories. It is in this abstract realm where unexpected connections are made.
Another former Cunningham dancer, Melissa Toogood, made her Festival debut last summer as well, dancing alongside Mitchell and Riener in addition to assisting choreographer Pam Tanowitz. Toogood will again be joining the duo, adding her bold yet sensitive style to the mix. Toogood was recently named a Dance Magazine “25 to Watch” and calls herself an interpreter of all expressions of dance, from the abstract to the theatrical. When asked how she is able to bridge the many different worlds of her freelance career, Toogood describes Cunningham Technique classes as her anchor. Her consistent connection to a specific method is crucial to staying grounded while experimenting with new forms.
Shantala Shivalingappa similarly relies on a strong connection to her particular dance language when creating contemporary works. She admires the Festival for its celebration of multiple genres, and is excited to rejoin VIDF’s vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. Shivalingappa has a robust history of collaboration, having worked with artists including the French ballet choreographer Maurice Béjart and the groundbreaking postmodernist Pina Bausch. In 2014, Shivalingappa worked with Lil Buck, a Festival regular, and will likely collaborate with the Memphis Jookin’ innovator again this summer.
Shivalingappa’s dance vocabulary of Kuchipudi dates back over 2,000 years and is a marriage between pure rhythmic movement and dramatic narrations. Shivalingappa credits her mastery of Kuchipudi with enabling her to interpret unfamiliar dance and music genres. She is fascinated by the complexities that arise through the deep study of a codified technique, mentioning the similarities between Lil Buck’s incredible precision and her discrete hand movements or mudras.
But Shivalingappa is drawn to the humanity of the dancer even more than superb technique. “Something about the inner approach is the same,” she says. “When you come through the language of dance and music and rhythm and shared energy, you realize we can all be connected in some way.”
Jodi Melnick, whose Festival debut was in 2012, enticingly expresses her own inner world. Melnick is a supremely intelligent dancer and possesses an innate ability to synthesize multiple levels of movement knowledge. Also a highly regarded teacher, her classes focus on awakening the body from the inside out by using imagery that draws awareness to each element of the body and how they all connect.
One of Melnick’s most influential collaborators was Trisha Brown, whose work focuses on the sequential nature of movements more than a singular movement or shape. Melnick’s choreography, while decidedly her own, echoes Brown’s process. She has been described by The New Yorker as mercurial, “like water made human,” simultaneously expressing vulnerability and strength.
While a work of modern dance may not move mountains, it certainly does chisel an artistic landscape. Balancing on the precipice of the past and present, this summer’s contemporary choreographers tenaciously carve space into the future.