Kristina Dillard’s work in progress: The Literary Dances

March 24 and 25th at The Grocery!
We are proud to present two evenings of dance by Kristina Dillard, all works in progress centered on pieces of literature.

Please note: seating is on the floor, with some seating in chairs. Let us know if you need to reserve a chair.

The Literary Dances are a study into creating painterly movement portraits. Choreographer Kristina Dillard uses spoken word paired with movement to create audio-visual vignettes of texts excerpted from literature. As the dancers experience dynamic changes in movement, their voices respond sympathetically, enhancing the reality of their body’s experience. Ever looking for ways to create layers of richly visual impact, Dillard explores sequential movement, highly crafted choreographic phrasing, rich costuming, and additional luscious ways to embellish the dancers and performance space. Dillard often takes note of the literature’s composition, mirroring the structure of the text in the construct of the dance. In this rendition, we are excited to collaborate with Janet Galore to create additional visual impact with video projection.

(photo by Tim Summers)

With performers Kristina Dillard, Tesee George, Wendy Samuels, Lis Swihart, and special guests Michelle Rauschenberg and Annette LeFevbre who will do a reading of text intended for a new section.

Doors at 7:30p

8:00p – 9:00p literary dances and spoken word
9:00p – 9:30p discussion with the artist, Q & A
9:30p – 10:00p conversation and refreshments

All ticket sales go to the artists – sliding scale $5 – $30
At eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kristina-dillards-work-in-progress-the-literary-dances-tickets-43533607191

Works featured include:

Ruby
In Ruby, Dillard reflects on Flannery O’Connor’s formalism, and the choreographic crafting is in direct response to the structure of the short story. Images of gruesome farm equipment accidents and unborn children floating in space, combined with uncomfortable movement, heavy breathing, and Wendy Samuels’ authentic drawl, come together in a creepy performance heavily steeped in southern irony.

Diebenkorn
Text by Tom Robbins describes a woman in the throes of creative process. The text describes the colors she uses, and free association in response to each one. Tesee George’s body becomes the paint and the painting “the choreography here plays with the balance between large, space-eating phrases and calligraphic details.” (Sandra Kurtz the Weekly 2004)

Bud
This languorous solo responds to Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s magical realism in an excerpt from Love in the Time of Cholera. Describing the ecstasy, intense feeling, pain, and even sickness of two young people falling in love. Everything is rose petal pink, Dillard’s body, her gown, her thoughts. She rolls and undulates, leaps briefly in excitement, as her body explores the fine line between passion and illness.

Additional spoken word text will be presented with very short studies, their possibilities, and discussion with the audience.

About the artist
Kristina Dillard has been performing, creating, and producing work in Seattle since 1993. She is the artistic director of the Big Red Dance Company, receiving grants from the Seattle Arts Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission, and the Allied Arts Foundation. Her choreography for Big Red Dance has been presented by Velocity, On the Boards, Seattle Center, and 10 Tiny Dances in Seattle and Portland. Kristina currently performs with Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders, and is working on several dance films with long time collaborator David Beckley. She will be presenting an evening length work about cake, with courses of cake, at Cafe Nordo in August. Dillard has spent the last eighteen years trying to find ways to make her work more “painterly”. She holds a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts, and an MFA in Choreography from Sarah Lawrence College.
https://www.instagram.com/kissmecakekristina/