NEWS
Posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2012 1:02 pm
DETECTED/INTERRUPTED TRANSCENDS BALLET AND BEARS
Join the Pioneer Valley Ballet (PVB) on August 11, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. for the video installation Detected/Interrupted projected on an alley wall in between Popcorn Noir at 32 Cottage Street, Easthampton and Mt. Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream. An artist reception will be held at Popcorn Noir’s newly opened café The Lobby during projection hours in conjunction with Art Walk Easthampton. This event is free and open to the public.
Detected/Interrupted is a dance video set to original music by Brooklyn-based indie rock band Grizzly Bear performed by selected dancers Nick Galatis, Tommy Seibold, Jaxon Hall, Jeffrey Gugliotti, and Christopher Phillips. PVB artistic director, Thomas Vacanti collaborated with video artist, 'drea Marks to create a "backyard ballet" – a concept video that parallels the startling juxtaposition of seeing a bear in one's backyard with the presence of performers dancing in a yards, a city, and on a mountain. The performance explores the questions, ‘What is the natural habitat of a bear?’ and ‘What is the natural habitat of the ballet?’ by presenting dance in an unusual context outside of the confines of the theater. Detected/Interrupted seeks to re-frame ballet as something to be seen outside and in nature where dancers’ movements and physical virtuosity take on new meaning.
The Pioneer Valley Ballet received a grant from the Easthampton Cultural Council to produce this video in conjunction with the Easthampton Bear Fest. The music by indie rock band Grizzly Bear, who granted permission for use, was selected as a connector to the concept of the video and Easthampton’s summer sculpture festival where 92 bears are on display throughout the greater Easthampton area through September 20.
Video artist ‘drea Marks said, “I enjoyed working in town. We shot the dancers in my backyard, on the streets, and rooftops then we hiked up Mt. Tom and took more footage.” Marks moved to Easthampton three years ago and hopes to collaborate more with the Pioneer Valley Ballet. She is an Educational Technologist at Western New England University in Springfield. She received an undergraduate from Bennington College and an MA from Columbia University.
Thomas Vacanti,the director and choreographer of Detected/Interrupted received his dance training at the Festival Ballet of New York, Boston Ballet, and Skidmore College. He danced professionally with Ballet Florida, Tampa Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Mississippi, Ballet Michigan and National Ballet of Panama. He was one of ten dancers chosen nationally, by the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow, to represent the USA in their Russian/ American Exchange Program. He worked with internationally renowned choreographers and teachers while performing extensively throughout Russia.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Easthampton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
