Audiences are used to sitting firmly in a chair, with the dance generally unfolding in front of them. For some, that may be enough.
Now audiences have a choice where they can find themselves in the midst of all the action.
Yes, the future of dance is here. Shana Simmons Dance recently was awarded $100,000 from the Arts | Equity | Reimagined Fund to bring dance directly to people. (FYI: The fund was created as a response to COVID-19. It is a way to encourage new strategies and communication, resulting in arts growth.) Technology, of course, is the key, transferring movement in all its splendor to head gear designed for our intimate viewing pleasure.
I got the chance to sample the fruits of their labor. “Their” means not only Simmons, but New York City Latina choreographer Bianca Johnson of BJ + Dancers, local technology queen Karen of XRconnectED, who is expert at 360 degree cameras, and West African artist and advocate Chrisala Brown, who also works at the University of Pittsburgh’s Brain Aging and Cognitive Health Lab (BACH). The diversity combination was deliberate, aiming to establish new lines of communication spanning racial barriers and social strata. In the end, they named it Virtual Dance Exchange Project (VDEP).
The experience is unlike any other. With a gaming-type headset perched on my head, I was transported from my chair at Pittsburgh Community Television Station (PCTV) to the massive Mill19 in Hazelwood, its stark steel framework warmed from the inside out with bright yellow, blue and orange building blocks. BJ + Dancers created sculptural movements all around me.
Since the segments were only 10 minutes long, I soon found myself in the Center for Civic Arts in Wilkinsburg, Already more comfortable, I was able to take in the remarkable patterns of the heavy wooden beams of the former church, along with details of the peeling paint, both on the ceiling. I also discovered that, when I looked down, that I was virtually suspended in midair. It was a heady feeling never before experienced at a performance I had attended. This time the performers came from Shana Simmons Dance as they explored the space that arts groups are working to refurbish — something that would be well worth the effort.
Finally I was shifted to an outdoor gazebo and park in Wilkinsburg on the corner of Franklin and Wood, where artwork by noted American muralist, artist and musician George Gist (he painted over 300 of them across the country) resided on three walls. The dancers, directed by Brown, joyously circled around me in flowing white dresses and pants. This time I floated over a bed of grass, with a percussion band in front of me on the steps of the gazebo.
I felt the future of dance before my eyes, in many ways a sensory experience unlike any other. It was private, no one to get in the way of my sight lines. I made the choice where to look, for a highly personalized dance experience. And while the performances were filmed, there was a singular life to them that took them beyond the usual two dimensions.
I subsequently found that that wasn’t the only layer to be seen in VDEP. There was much more to consider and this project addressed so many of them, including these topics:
- Diversity. That was evident from the start, to have different voices contributing to the outcome, spending hours discussing topics that would contribute to the growth of dance in Pittsburgh. Brown considers herself “a cultural teaching artist” who presents a “better and deeper understanding about the aesthetics of cultural dance” in order to “give it a voice.” To further that, Simmons pulled in people from other cities like Minneapolis and Philadelphia for panel discussions comparing culture and suburban versus urban aesthetics.
2. Race. Simmons means the “specific vocabulary used to describe black dancing bodies.” One example might be that “black dancers are described as powerful or strong instead of graceful or soft.” Brown is a passionate proponent of equity. According to a gender equity report, “Pittsburgh is the worst city for black women, but it doesn’t stop the work we do. My income has me living at poverty, bit that doesn’t stop me. This project gives me the opportunity to have voice in art.”
3. Communication. VDEP arranged a series of three Zoom meetings to present a dialogue series that addresses some issues in dance. The first (Oct. 5) focused on Small Arts Futures in Roboburgh and Beyond, the second symposium (Oct. 26) dealt with Equity and Cultural Diversity in Dance and Tech Education. Both are still available on the Shana Simmons Dance website. (Link below) The third, set for this Tues., Nov. 16 at 7 p.m., is titled Tech Strategies for Small Performing Arts Companies. The symposiums are free, but you have to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-dance-exchange-project-2021-tickets-168317507195
4. Merging with tech companies. Simmons believes that the intersection of technology and the arts is “the next steel industry in Pittsburgh. There are over 100 small business in technology,” she says. “A diverse cultural experience amplifies the city — it becomes a place where people want to stay and live.” Mill19 has hired people to do community events in Hazelwood. And there are reports that the Carrie Furnace area in Rankin could become The Film Furnace. How can the arts be a part of that? Other possibilities for the property include technology, research and development, biotech, workforce education, light manufacturing and assembly. Pittsburgh already made the decision to emphasize education, medicine and technology. We see it everywhere. People involved in those arenas need another industry to foster creativity, imagination and quality of life.
5. Bring dance into the mainstream. People are “choosing how they want to be entertained,” says Simmons, with a nod to television and movie technology. “How can you interject something artistic into that medium?” How can we build audiences?
6. Educational opportunities. Brown is passionate about using “art to hopefully help heal our community.” Simmons wants everyone to be exposed to dance education, workshops and performances. If New York City can do it offer a myriad of arts of arts opportunities, so can Pittsburgh.
7. Research different cities for comparisons. Should Pittsburgh have a center for dance, a central zone where modern, African and hip hop classes are offered? Where can we find affordable studio space available for small dance companies in order to promote growth? What can we learn from New York City and Philadelphia, among others?
8. Accessibility. VDEP is available on Shana Simmons Dance website through Nov. 19. Buy a ticket and view the three companies whenever you want. A ticket purchase will include a cardboard headset with the SSD logo on it. The viewer can take their cellphone and put in the front to watch the performance. Says Simmons, “It’s put me in a different headspace, how these things theoretically could change choreography.” She goes on to say, “It also speaks to communities that don’t have the money or the access to go down to the Cultural District. They can see it wherever they are.”
It’s been a lot to wrap her head around — Simmons is currently doing everything from the marketing to grants. “This is what you can do with $100,000,” she says, as Simmons finds herself “shifting and adapting to changing times. We’re trying to start those conversations.”
Brown adds, “You always want to feel your work is valued, regardless of whether it’s funded or not. She feels that “this project is important — it’s more than just Pittsburgh. But to use this technology, we’re changing the game, shifting the weight. Can I adequately represent my art in this particular sphere and celebrate who I am in Pittsburgh so that my community will benefit?”
The short answer if “Yes.” She asserts, “This is Year One. We’re hoping for Year Two.”
For more information: Visit Shana Simmons Dance website @ ”https://www.shanasimmonsdance.com/vdep-symposium-dialogue-3-nov-16.html
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