The New Hazlett Theatre’s large white backdrop was partially pulled out along the floor. All of a sudden an unseen fist popped the fabric from the back, sending ripples outward. Everything was reflected in a shallow pool and a corresponding woofer rumbled “ba-bah.” A heartbeat? No, more like a very large drop of water.
I was having a sneak peek of “Floating Point Waves,” a new work that Leiway, a performance art group from New York City, is workshopping at the Hazlett and will perform tonight in a casual info-performance. “The name is about the only thing we’re sure of at this point,” butoh dancer Xifiena Garnica says with a laugh.
Along with video artist Shige Morita (who uses video as a light source rather than an image generator) and audio artist Poland Toledo (actually a native of the South Hills), Garnica is “very early in the process,” although it began last year.
“Floating Point Waves” is a work that is expected to have a premiere in 2011 at New York’s Here Arts Center in Soho. The Center stables from 10 to 15 resident artists each year, with a collaborative span of two years each. It also has two performance spaces available, one seating 150 and the other 75 audience members.
Enter Sara Radelet, executive director of the Hazlett, who explains that August and January generally are considered “down time” at the Hazlett.”We’ve got the venue and the rent is an annual rent,” she explains. “If nobody’s renting the place, my take on it is to invite [outside] people. We’re here and the venue is here and let’s see what happens.”
When Radelet foresaw that no one from the Pittsburgh performing arts community needed the space, she approached the Here group to collaborate on a “retreat.” Pittsburgh foundations only underwrite local artists, so the New Yorkers would have to fund travel and per diem expenses. The Hazlett would provide housing, the theater and technical support.
Initially eight artists were interested, but only Leimay was able to make the time to come. They were pleasantly surprised at the spacious interior, according to Radelet, and were undoubtedly having “fun” with their process.
Butoh was the inspiration for Garnica, who initially collaborated with Morita on a staged performance. But the movement begged a watery environment and further exploration. As Garnica explains, butoh, which was born out of the ashes of post-World War II Japan, could be a dance form, an attitude or “a way of life.”
For these artists, it is the latter. In a regular contemporary performance, says Garnica, “I am dancing” or “I am in a space.” But in butoh, “I become the dance” or “the space becomes me.”
Garnica and Morita assert that “acknowledging the merit of the process is as important as the product.” They will address their process and demonstrate their work-in-progress tonight at 8 p.m. Admission is free.
If any Pittsburgh artists have “a pretty well-formed idea,” the New Hazlett Theatre can provide technical assistance. As Radelet puts it, “We don’t mind long periods of time” and “we’re not intimidated by a firm deadline.” Call 412-320-4610.
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