room

Room, engages the performer in several questions that challenge and excite our perceptual and physical limitations. A mischievous sense of play interacts with a sense of the “darker side” of our present political moment. Whether we are aligning our bodies with the harmonious energy of the circular playing area or disturbing it, Room resolutely questions recognizable dance vocabularies, developing an aesthetic sense of its own.

Hay’s choreography is structured so that the dance performer must divest attachment to even the magic of each moment in order to fulfill the choreographic requirements of her dances. The dancer is then without the weight of her/his convictions about dance. What remains, for the dancer, and in turn the audience, is an opportunity to see what has not been seen before. Thus dance is alive with the recognition of one’s perceptual activity rather than assurances found in memory, desire, physical training, or prowess, which, by analogy, could as well be found in sports.

Created by Deborah Hay for her Solo Performance Commissioning Project (2005). Interpreted by Tahni Holt and Linda Austin. Other contributing artists are costume designer Jayme Hansen and lighting designer Jeff Forbes.

Performed: PICA’s TBA Festival/Portland, OR (2006); Fusebox Festival/Austin, TX (2007); Reed’s Art Week/Portland, OR. (2007)
This work was made possible through a grant from Regional Arts and Cultural Council, a professional development grant from The City of Portland, and over 100 private donors.


Video: Jorg Jacoby