2007 lab residency
Shannon Hummel – Prey
October 19-25, 2007
Marlboro, Vermont
VPL
collaborated with Marlboro College to bring Brooklyn-based
choreographer Shannon Hummel and her dance company Cora Dance to
Southern Vermont for a creative residency in October. Hummel is a
dancer, choreographer and educator with deep interests in promoting the
relevance and necessity of art in the daily lives of every person. Her
artistic works are vivid explorations of the human condition that lay
bare the intimate emotional underpinnings of movement.
As
a 2007 Lab Artist Shannon Hummel chose to bring her dance company, Cora
Dance, to Vermont to work intensively to develop a new work using the
dance Studio on the campus of Marlboro College. For Hummel and the
dancers they developed new material for a new piece that is informed by
drastic shifts: emotional polarity, brutality and tenderness,
insecurity and confidence. During the residency audiences had several
opportunities to meet the artists and learn about their work through
discussions, open rehearsals, masterclass and informal showings of the
company's work. In addition, Ms. Hummel participated in a choreography
class giving College students feedback on their work and she and
members of her company, Kelly Bartnik and Donna Costello met with
students during Dedicated Hour to talk with them about working as
professional dancers and choreographers.
Some of the highlights ....
Masterclass in Modern Dance with Shannon Hummel
Thursday October 25, 2007 @ 4-5:20PM
Choreographer
Shannon Hummel offered a master class for modern dance students at
Marlboro College. The dance studio was packed with students and members
from the Marlboro community.
During the class Hummel taught the
group a section from the new work-in-progress so participants had a
first-hand experience of the choreography.
Informal Showing with Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance
October 26 & 27, 2007 @ 8PM
The
creative residency with Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance culminated in two
evenings of informal showings at the Serkin Center at Marlboro
College. The company work from their repertory and excerpts from the
new work-in-progress. The first piece on the program was "Good Side"
performed by Cynthia Thompson Originally created in 2000, this solo
work has been set on different dancers, and expresses vulnerability and
humor. The new work, inpired by a piece of music by Richard Einhorn
"Voices of Light" explores the extremes of brutality and tenderness in
relationships as they relate to food, sex, religion and death.
Following the showings each evening Hummel and the dancers answered
questions and talked about the work.
Visit Shannon Hummel's Lab Artist page or check out www.coradance.org to see what Shannon and the company are up to.
photos by Adam Keller