***POSTPONED***
The Cut-Outs (Matisse) features choreographer Molissa Fenley, poet Bob Holman and composer Keith Patchel. Bob Holman wrote The Cut-Outs (Matisse) and set his spoken word to music by Keith Patchel. Molissa Fenley choreographed dance to the words and music; all presented together in live performance.
Bob Holman and Molissa have a long history of collaboration. They have presented dance and poetry pieces since 2008, firstly meeting at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, artists’ residency in New Smyrna Beach, Florida where they premiered STEP, a work read by Bob standing among the nine dancers, his words reflecting, auguring, considering the actions of the dance. Further exploration continued with Double Beginning, where again after visits to the rehearsal studio, a work of words was invented to accompany in rhythm, in idea, in inspiration. Most recently, Bob and Molissa collaborated on Rue Surf, where the words and the dance were inspired by paintings by artist Roy Fowler and performed as part of the painting exhibition.
The poetry is written to/from the famous cut-outs by Matisse, the music reflects the joy of that writing and adds its take on the art, the dance considers the writing, music and art and combines all with an exuberance of physicality. Together, dance, poetry and music unleash the humor, poignancy and significance of the visuals. The abstraction of the Cut-Outs comes full force into life as the combination of the arts create a playing field for the imagination. Each of the artists involved brings their very particular passion to the mix.
The mix carries themes of high art to rock and roll: the music switches from operatic oratorio to Satie-like invention to the crunch of the composer’s punk guitar. The poetry is of urgency, of relevance; the dance is of physical engagement, the body in the present moment. The mix is of contemporary techniques animating the combination of visual, sound, sequence of physical form. The joy is inherent in this proposed collaboration of art explorations – art inspired by other art, artists inspiring each other.
Molissa Fenley is a New York based choreographer and performer, founded Molissa Fenley and Company in 1977 and has since created over 85 works. She has been a professor at Mills since 1999.
Poet Bob Holman played a central role in the spoken word, slam and digital poetry movements of the last several decades. He is at the forefront of preserving endangered languages throughout the world. Language Matters with Bob Holman, a documentary exploring the endangered language crisis, aired nationally on PBS in January, 2015. Filmed around the world, Language Matters takes viewers to a remote island off the Australian coast, where four hundred Aboriginal people speak ten distinct indigenous languages, all at risk; to Wales, where Welsh, once endangered, has recovered; and to Hawaii, where Hawaiians are fighting to save their native tongue.
Keith Patchell is an award winning composer and producer working in film, visual arts and commercial genres.
Cost: free