TBA:12: Ten Tiny Dances Slideshow
September 10, 2012
Solo #10: Takahiro Yamamoto
Portland/LA-based Yamamoto opened the show with a fairly straightforward piece constructed around winding and unwinding, coiling and collapsing. Photo by GK Wilson
Leita Kaldr: Nicole Olson
Dressed in a French maid take on Swan Lake, Olson turned the small space into an almost masochistic challenge of introspective balletic movements so slow and deliberate that her whole body shook.
Between Two Points: Renee Sills
Starting in the Terminator pose, Sills body was wired with sensors that controlled the soundscape through the volocity, force, angle, and level of force of her movements. Photo by Chelsea Petrakis
Between Two Points: Renee Sills
The electronics and programming was done by Christi Denton, and the music/sound design by Heather Perkins. Although it was difficult to tell exactly what movements created which sounds, it was still pretty amazing. Photo by Chelsea Petrakis
Miguel Gutierrez
Gutierrez+loop pedal+tiny stage="Push It Real Good." But was it the onesie that made it dance? Photo by Chelsea Petrakis
Conditional: Hana Erdman
In town to perform in Turbulence with Keith Hennessey, Erdman may as well be local, given her subject matter. She dominated the cute award by bringing on a baby goat. Baby goats are, like, the new kittens, right? But instead it turned out to be a one tri
Conditional: Hana Erdman
As Gabriel Todd played a song on banjo, the goat ate adorably out of Erdman's hand, gobbled up the food she circled around her, and then seemed to get over the performance before the performance was over. Meanwhile, Erdman looked very pastoral, doing eve
B.P. (Body Practice): Carlos Gonzalez
If Erdman was the girl at school who loved horses, Gonzalez was the class clown. His piece was cobbled together from a couple of straight boy jokes, a headlamp, some sports poses, a bucket of water, and a Spider Man costume. Photo by Chelsea Petrakis
Terms and Conditions: Linda K. Johnson
It's hard to believe that this longtime Portland dancer has never performed a Tiny Dance. In contrast to the levity and humor of most the other dances, Johnson took us into a chilling, dark space exploring the continuing spate of shootings. Photo by Chel
Terms and Conditions: Linda K. Johnson
To a spine curdling and ear-drum piercing sound collage of loading guns, heavy breathing, and finally gunshots (designed by local sound master Tim DuRoche), she crawled under the stage and upended it. Photo by Chelsea Petrakis
Terms and Conditions: Linda K. Johnson
Not only was she the only one to utilize the stage as more than a limitation of space, she was also the only to incorporate the live video feed (although Keith Hennessy made a comment about putting dark makeup on to cover his bald spot for the overhead c
Okwui Okpokwasili
In town to perform alongside Nora Chipaumire in Miriam, Bessie-winning NY-performer Okpokwasili, wearing a wig and backless top, sang for the audience. Ending by cupping and forcefully squashing and manipulating her breasts, she was perhaps exploring som
Julie Phelps
Phelps, also in town to perform in Turbulence, struggled out of her clothes in a frantic strip tease set to Ellie Cameron's electric drum kit. Photo by Chelsea Petrakis
Julie Phelps
Relieved of her dress, she announced she wanted to seem vulnerable for her profound speech, but then explained that she'd gotten in too late and been too drunk to write it. Photo by Chelsea Petrakis
Julie Phelps
Instead, she led the audience in a game of "Snowball." She paired Cameron up with a member of the audience, and they started slow dancing while she belted out Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing." Every time she said "snowball," the couples broke up and fo
Awkward: Keith Hennessy
True to the name of the piece, Keith Hennessy began with a simple statement: "“Basically, right now I feel f**ked. That last piece [Phelps's slow dance] should have been the last piece.” Photo by Chelsea Petrakis
Awkward: Keith Hennessy
"I didn't think the small stage was constraining enough," said Hennessy, explaining why he invited on his towering friend, Empress Jupiter, to take up space. But then he found a water bottle back stage and determined that it would make an even smaller st
Awkward: Keith Hennessy
The major donors sitting in the VIP front row seats began to look less smug as Hennessy's acrobatics became more outlandish (the bottle shot out from under him on his first headstand attempt). Check out our Fall Arts Preview for a profile of how Hennessy
Awkward: Keith Hennessy
Finally Hennessy said that the previous record for people on the 4 ft x 4 ft stage was 12. He demanded 15, and no shortage of eager volunteers rushed the stage and piled on top of each other, Empress Jupiter providing a pillar and Hennessy climbing on to
