Uncategorized
Public art series ‘WaterWorks’ continues with a symphony of movement
Published
6 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Sarah Gianelli EBS Senior Editor
BIG SKY – Picture a scene staged like an outdoor symphony, but the members of the orchestra aren’t holding instruments, and when the conductor raises her batons, their bodies become the instruments.
A continuation of last summer’s “WaterWorks,” an innovative public art series that explored the waterways of the Gallatin Valley, “The Symphonic Body: Water” is an orchestral piece where the “score” is made up of movement—the everyday gestures of area residents with a connection to the watersheds of southwest Montana.
The public, outdoor performances—conceived, choreographed and conducted by Ann Carlson—and presented by Mountain Time Arts, will take place at 7 p.m. July 18-21, with a reception following each event. The first two nights will be in Gallatin Valley on the riverside property of the executive director of Gallatin Valley Land Trust, and the final two nights at Mountain Sky Ranch in Paradise Valley, in the shadow of Emigrant Peak.
Incarnations of the community-adaptive project have been performed at Stanford University, UCLA, and in Minneapolis and New York, but Carlson said the Montana project is unique, largely because it is subject-driven, around the theme of water.
Mountain Time Arts gave Carlson a short list of area conservationists, politicians, ranchers, recreationists, and Native American leaders—individuals representative of the diverse group of stakeholders in the management of the region’s water resources.
Carlson met with each of these individuals, invited them to be part of the performance, and asked who, locally, inspired them around the subject of water. She then extended the same invitation to these individuals, eventually growing the web of inspiration to 50-plus people.
“The [performers] are gathered not by my authorship, not even Mountain Time Arts, but by the community itself,” Carlson said. “And what happens is people [will be] sitting in concert with people that inspire them.”
Carlson has created performance pieces with lawyers, nuns, security officers, fly fishermen, university communities, and said “The Symphonic Body: Water” is a natural outgrowth of her experience working with non-performers and making art out the mundane gestures of their lives.
The Montana production of “The Symphonic Body” will be the first performed in an outdoor venue, augmented with a sculptural set component by Ben Lloyd of Comma-Q Architecture. Carlson said the reflective “spikes” act similarly to a bandshell—drawing the audience’s focus into the performance space.
The lack of manmade music is part of the work, she explained. “It invites people to watch the people as music,” Carlson said. “There’s almost this sort of synesthesia that happens … like you’re seeing the music.”
Carlson spent weeks studying and working one-on-one with policy makers, ranchers, representatives of the Greater Gallatin Watershed Council, Native American scholars, scientists, outdoor adventurers—even a group of synchronized swimmers—studying the movements that define their day-to-day.
“Instead of instruments they are performing gestural portraits based on their everyday gestures, everybody has individual, custom-made ‘dances’ that come together in concert. It’s very much a tapestry of these everyday gestures, a celebration of the everyday.”
But Carlson said while there will be moments of recognizable activity, for instance paddling a canoe, the movements often shift quickly to an abstract gesture, such as winding a clock or reaching for a computer mouse.
Will the performance effect change in terms of water-related issues? Carlson isn’t sure.
“This performance isn’t about trying to change policy, but about coming together as a community in a very general way,” Carlson said. “I see it as a big thank you to water and also to the people who are charged with stewarding it.”
She also hopes the production raises consciousness more generally. “Part of the fun of this work is taking up the invitation to live more deliberately in the body,” she said. “Our body is mostly water, and water is life. So in some sense, it’s a celebration of being alive.”
WaterWorks 2018 continues on Aug. 23 and Aug. 25 at Missouri Headwaters State Park with “Cherry River,” a live music and art event conceived of by indigenous scholar and musician Shane Doyle, and artist Mary Ellen Strom. Live musicians will perform on drift boats floating on the three rivers toward the confluence of the Missouri in an exploration of the history and ecology of the waterways.
All events are free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required. Visit mountaintimearts.org for details.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Friday) 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm