Dance Central May/June 2013

May/June 2013

Dance Central A Dance Centre Publication

After The Gathering A conversation with Jay Hirabayashi

The Gathering was a conference held as part of the 2013 Vancouver International Dance Festival, and was designed to bring together dance artists from various communities, and to focus on the challenges of marketing and networking, especially as they affect Aboriginal and culturally diverse companies. The conference took place over the weekend of March 9-12, 2013 and included presentations of excerpts of works by all participating companies, and a responding panel.

Content

AK: We had hoped to have this conversation before The Gathering took place, but there wasn't time. Did it unfold as you expected?

JH: It is probably better to talk about it afterwards. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. We had an interesting group of people, both locally and from across Canada. It was a conference that focused on marketing and networking as two areas that I thought we could fruitfully explore in a short time. One of the things we wanted to do was to provide

After The Gathering: A conversation with Jay Hirabayashi Page 1

people with practical information. That is still in process because we are building a website (www.thegathering.ca) that will be both an archive of the weekend, of what was shown and discussed, and a place where people can take these ideas further and interact with each other. We

A Note from the Executive Director: Mirna Zagar Page 4

Thinking Bodies: Byron Chief Moon Page 6

Designing Dance: Itai Erdal Page 11

Dance Calendar May/June 2013 Page 12

will structure it in a way that is similar to a social networking site, where people can connect and start initiatives.

AK: The focus was specifically on companies outside the 'Western' canon?

JH: The issues were of interest to anybody in contemporary dance, and it was open to anybody, but we thought that contemporary artists in the culturally diverse and Aboriginal categories were arguably more challenged and more marginalized than those of the primary English and French Canadian cultures. I think that contemporary dance in general is challenged in terms of marketing, and that contemporary artists have difficulty, no matter what their background, in getting touring opportunities, so the points that we were trying to cover were applicable to everybody.

The website (www.thegathering.ca) will be open to everybody, and if people want to identify specific challenges within different cultural contexts, we encourage that. continued on page 2

Welcome to the May/June 2013 issue of Dance Central.

After the Gathering A conversation with Jay Hirabayahsi

continued from cover

AK: We recently published a conversation with Jai Govinda where he described the resistance he has encountered in describing his work as contemporary, and the difficulty that companies who, like his, defined as 'ethnic' have in securing funding. Do you encounter similar problems as an artist and presenter?

JH: Kokoro Dance started the festival largely in the face of these challenges and the fact that we were having difficulty finding presenters. Having built a growing and diverse local audience seemed

Welcome to the May/June issue of Dance Central.

We continue to focus on questions that contemporary dance artists working in culturally diverse, or 'ethnic' forms have to grapple with. Continuing a conversation that began with Bharatanatyam choreographer Jai Govinda in April, we feature an interview with Jay Hirabayahsi of Kokoro Dance and the Vancouver International Dance Festival, about The Gathering, a conference that took place as part of the VIDF and focused on marketing and networking strategies for dance artists, especially those of First Nations, culturally diverse backgrounds, and others who are marginalized by the current funding and presenting structures.

The 'Thinking Bodies' series features a portrait of dancer, actor, writer and choreographer Byron Chief Moon, who speaks about his experience living and working inside and outside the city, about the relationship between traditional and contemporary elements of his work, and about the role of his family in his life as an artist.

The third feature of this issue continues the Designing Dance Series, with Lighting Designer Itai Erdal. As always, we thank all the artists who have agreed to contribute and we welcome new writing and project ideas at any time, in order to continue to make Dance Central a more vital link to the community. Please send material by mail to members@thedancecentre.ca. or call us at 604.606.6416. We look forward to the conversation!

Andreas Kahre, Editor

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D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

to have little cachet outside Vancouver. Part of the problem was that it was difficult to get presenters to see our work and when they did, they didn't know how to deal with it, because we were a Butoh company, but we weren't Japanese per se. We talked to one presenter in Toronto and said "we are not asking you to present us, we would just like your feedback on what you think the challenges would be for another presenter in dealing with our work," and she said: "Well, you know, if I was going to present a Butoh company I would probably present a Japanese, a 'real' Butoh company‌". That was also our problem in getting funding. It took us six years to get Canada Council funding because it is a peer assessment system and we didn't have any peers. We had all these people looking at us not understanding why we chose to paint ourselves white and shave our heads and dance naked. It wasn't in their context.

AK: Well, as (Montreal choreographer) Jo Leslie pointed out in a report to the Dance Section at that time, 'dance theatre' wasn't in their context, even when Pina Bausch had gone into retirement.

JH: The other problem at the end of the last millennium was that audiences were dwindling. There was the Dancing on the Edge Festival, but it was struggling to build an audience outside the dance community, and couldn't meet our need as a company to do full evening works. Besides, there weren't a lot of companies that were coming to Vancouver regularly, and so we thought there was a need to have more touring companies to stimulate local artists. The festival is a good format for attracting presenters, and we wanted to build audiences and find a way out of the impasse where dance artists send their packages to different presenters and never hear back. It is a way of getting presented that just doesn't seemed to be working any more. There are thirty or forty presenters across the country; many of them people who have

Photo: Chris Randle

been in their positions for a very long time, who seem to have

like grant applications: They tell you who they are, where they

made up their minds decades ago about what they like and

came from, what the work is about and why they did it but there

what they don't like. They also face the same challenges as

is nothing usually in there that would tell an audience why they

everybody else, in terms of not having the luxury to be able to

should see it. I recently listened to Terry O'Reilly's CBC program

take programming risks. They have to have a certain box office

Under the Influence, in which he pointed out that one primary

attendance and presenting work from an Aboriginal or cultur-

rule of marketing is that you do not describe the product but the

ally diverse background is challenging when they think that

effects of using it. You don't describe what toothpaste is but how

their audiences may not be ready for it.

sexy you will feel and how fresh your breath will be if you use it. Dance usually describes the product. Artists don't say "If you

AK: I spoke with Mirna Zagar before The Gathering and she

come see my work you're going to cry, or laugh, or feel angry"

was curious whether focusing on specific subsets of the com-

and give you some sense of what the experience of seeing the

munity would be the most successful strategy in addressing

work will be. I thought it would be good to start developing a

problems that the entire dance community is facing. Did The

vocabulary, a different way of talking about dance—less about

Gathering include a discussion of the relationship between the

what it is about and more about its impact and what it can do. So

community as a whole and the distinct communities within it?

the format for the weekend was to have short performances, to which a panel and the audience gave their feedback—not on what

JH: I wasn't interested in taking the discussion into that area.

they saw, but on what the impact was, and on the emotions they

You can have a whole conference on the philosophical,

felt.

theoretical and political dimensions of that, but I wanted to get practical. On the marketing side, what had become ap-

I picked a panel — not consciously— that turned out to be all

parent to us was that we are artists presenting other artists,

white, and we recorded their responses. It included Alex Varty,

but the artists we were presenting saw us only as presenters.

Deborah Meyers, David McIntosh and Ellie O'Day, — two critics,

We have noticed that many of the proposals that we get are

continued on page 14

D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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Dance Central The Dance Centre Scotiabank Dance Centre Level 6, 677 Davie Street Vancouver BC V6B 2G6 T 604.606.6400 F 604.606.6401 info@thedancecentre.ca www.thedancecentre.ca Dance Central is published every two months by The Dance Centre for its members and for the dance community. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent Dance Central or The Dance Centre. The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity or length, or to meet house requirements.

From the Executive Director We have had an exciting season at The Dance Centre, and

Editor Andreas Kahre Copy Editor Hilary Maxwell

as we get ready to finalize our plans for the coming year, we

Contributors to this issue: Jay Hirabayashi, Byron Chief Moon, Itai Erdal, Mirna Zagar

especially like to remind our members about the upcoming

Dance Centre Board Members Chair Andrea Wink Vice Chair Gavin Ryan Secretary Ingrid M. Tsui Treasurer Roman Goldmann

have much to reflect upon, and to look forward to. I would elections and to encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote. We know that the situation of artists will be affected by the outcome, and there is a lot of information available about the various party platforms. To help you make your choice,

Directors Barbara Bourget Susan Elliott Margaret Grenier Anndraya T. Luui Josh Martin Simone Orlando Jordan Thomson

have a look at the Election Tool Kit created by the Arts Coali-

Dance Foundation Board Members Chair Michael Welters Secretary Anndraya T. Luui Treasurer Jennifer Chung Directors Santa Aloi, Linda Blankstein, Grant Strate

No aftermath suprises - please!

Dance Centre Staff: Executive Director Mirna Zagar Programming Coordinator Raquel Alvaro Marketing Manager Heather Bray Services Administrator Anne Daroussin Development Director Sheri Urquhart Technical Directors Justin Aucoin and Mark Eugster Accountant Lil Forcade Member Services Coordinator Hilary Maxwell

tion of BC, available at www.artscoalitionbc.ca Personally, I hope that whoever wins the elections follows through on their promises of investing in arts and education.

At The Dance Centre we just concluded the second National Dance Week festivities, which culminated in International Dance Day, and the announcement of the winners of the Isadora Award and the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award, which provided a wonderful opportunity to recognize the many talented artists here in Vancouver. The competition for both awards was very tough this year, with significantly more nominations than we have seen before. I would like to congratulate all nominees, and express my pleasure at the fact that the growing number of nominations, we believe, is an expression that the community acknowledges the opportunities and support we try to offer our constituency. The

The Dance Centre is BC's primary resource centre for the dance profession and the public. The activities of The Dance Centre are made possible by numerous individuals. Many thanks to our members, volunteers, community peers, board of directors and the public for your ongoing commitment to dance in BC. Your suggestions and feedback are always welcome.

The operations of The Dance Centre are supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council, and the City of Vancouver through the Office of Cultural Affairs.

growing number also meant that the jury had tougher choices to make! This year's recipient of the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award is Vanessa Goodman and we look forward to working with her and her team in support of her artistic vision as she prepares to produce her new work.

Su-Feh Lee is the recipient of the 2013 Isadora Award in acknowledgement of her body of work, and her contributions to the dynamic development of contemporary dance in British

4 D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

Next:

Dance Central July/August 2013 Columbia. It recognizes her unwavering quest to push the boundaries of both her own artistic reach, and that of dance itself as it manifests the encounters of different cultures and disciplines.

While the curtain has officially come down on this season, we have still more events to look forward to before the start of next season: Ame Henderson and Matija Ferlin are returning to feature their new work as part of the 2013 Dancing on the Edge Festival. We are pleased to continue this and another partnership that emerged from the Artist-In-Residence program, with Dancers of Damelahamid, to be presented on June 15th, and dumb instrument Dance, the Contingency

Proximity: a conversation about future projects

Plan and Anne Cooper, on June 21st and 22nd, as well as a partnership with MACHiNENOiSY, for Dancing on the Edge in July.

For the coming season, we look forward to renewing our successful partnerships with several local festivals and working with a new pool of artists in residence. We

Thinking Bodies: Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg

are also delighted to present another edition of Dance In Vancouver, this time curated by Jeanne Holmes, the Artistic Director of Canada Dance Festival. The event will also be an opportunity to welcome to Vancouver several national networks and promises to once again

Designing Dance: Nancy Bryant

offer a platform for stimulating dialogue. Well, we can only promise that the season ahead will be full of opportunities, and I invite you to look out for the details soon to be announced. Enjoy the Summer and come

and more...

back all set to explore and engage with dance!

Mirna Zagar, Executive Director continued on page 16

D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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How do I share?

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Photograph courtesy of Alex Waterhouse-Hayward (www.alexwaterhousehayward.com

THINKING BODIES | Portraits A conversation with Byron Chief Moon

AK: You are on your way to Bella Coola. Is that home these days?

BCM: Usually, they are ideas I am playing around with, and it’s usually when I start working that the phone rings and some-

BCM: I live in several places. Bella Coola is the closest town to

one says "Hey, by the way, do you happen to have some-

where I live on the central coast.

thing?" and I will say "Oh, I just happen to be working on this idea." I look for people to respond to what I am sharing. I was

AK: You are one of the performers who work in many different

at a conference, The Gathering, recently and if you look at the

disciplines, and categories—dance, film, and television. What

video and see what the panel said to me, you can see that it

supports you in your work?

was quite a profound journey to go through, because often you don't hear back immediately what people are seeing or

BCM: I went through a change, because I lost my mother. She

feeling, but in this case I did, and their criticism was right on;

passed away about two years ago, and it is still difficult. She was

I presented an excerpt with an ear infection which threw

my best friend, and always there for us. We knew that we would

me off balance. It was fun dancing off balance, and I think it

always have support and whenever we had issues about this

helped the character, but I didn't want it to end the way it did.

world that we live in, she would help us work through it. She just

I was losing my balance and I just had to end it, and the re-

gave you the truth— whether you wanted it or not, and she would

sponse was very honest. The pieces I make are quite emotion-

do it with love. She would say "This is what I see you doing." and

al, and they saw exactly what I was attempting. I shared what I

if she had issues with it, she would say "You've got to change this

had written about it, but I had someone else read it.

way you are being." She always asked us to be in the present. I often get caught up with things and forget to come back to centre,

AK: You dance, you act, you write. Is there anything else?

and she did that for me. Now I can't pick up the phone and say "Hey, Mom, I have this thing..." She would sometimes just laugh at

BCM: I am into directing dance films and I try to grow my own

my angst, and she said, "Pain is useful—if you're growing though it,

food for myself and my family, to make sure we aren't reliant

fantastic, but if it's useless, why stay there?"

on GMO produce, and grocery chains are in the pockets of Monsanto. I think that growing my own food and being out of

My family has basically said that I do resistance art. I guess it's

the city and away from television is important.

because I am just telling tales of the revolution. I wanted to be away from the city, because there are so many things I was told

AK: How much time do you spend in the city?

that are wrong. Now things from that experience are coming to me, and coming to me fast. How do I share? How do I share this

BCM: Work brings me to Vancouver maybe once a week.

through my dancing, or acting or singing? Whatever that is—How

Sometimes I fly, sometimes I drive through the Chilcotin and

do I share? I keep saying it in different ways, I keep trying to find

sometimes along the Northern part of Vancouver Island, which

different ways to share what it is I see and what I go through, and

is fantastic wherever you go, you go through so many different

hopefully those stories that are real to my people can become

environments and climate zones.

real to people in the mainstream.

AK: Speaking of television, you have been on the other side of AK: Do you originate most of the projects you work on, or does

the camera a lot, as an actor, but also as a film maker.

the phone ring, or is it a mix? How do things happen?

D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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BCM: More as a dance producer, I haven't directed any drama,

feminine dance force that comes out of this body, and I am aston-

but dance film is maybe a way to share what I have to say

ished sometimes.

when my body gets too old.

AK: I remember when we worked on Raven of the Railroad, with AK: How do you experience aging as a dancer?

Karen Jamieson, you spoke about that often. Has the experience changed?

BCM: I have always had some problems, because as a young dancer I would do just everything I was told, and as you get

BCM: It is constantly evolving, and it is something I play with in the

older you feel the aches and pains more, and you've got to

studio, to try to understand what my body wants to say. When you

slow down. But then I found a new way to dance and even

are in traditional dance, you are in a 'zone' — the repetition and the

if my knees hurt sometimes, I am happy as long as I can just

rhythm puts you into a trance where you connect with everything

share my dance style and storytelling through it.

around you, where you see and hear and are a part of everything.

That's why when you go see a Powow it is hard to try to watch one

AK: What was the journey to the dance you do now?

dancer tell their story: Everybody is telling their story, and if you sit back and appreciate it as a whole you can hear and see it all

BCM: When I was young, I learned traditional dance and began

at once. Storytelling is an element of the traditional songs as well,

to incorporate different styles and contemporary movement.

and it is a challenge to take it into the contemporary form and add

I use the body to shape-shift, and express a force, and when I

contemporary elements, because even though I say we are con-

listen to stories, my body just begins to shape-shift to the story

stantly evolving, oral culture evolves over time, by being constantly

being told.

repeated, and it takes time. Sometimes I want to push, and I have to tell myself "Slow down, let it sit, let it evolve."

AK: Did you ever go through training in Western forms?

AK: Is Coyote Arts a vehicle for a specific kind of work?

BCM: As you know, I danced with Karen Jamieson for a long time, and Karen and I started to collaborate on stories that I

BCM: It was a vehicle to develop new work, and was great for net-

brought to her, and that's where the influences of contem-

working, but I don't think I am capable of operating it year-round.

porary movement and contemporary forum allowed me to understand how to utilize the 'tricks of the trade'. I also saw as

AK: If you hadn't danced for some reason, what else would you

much dance as I could. I think there is always room for new

have done?

ways of dancing and it is an opportunity to take some risk and explore what you want to say.

BCM: I probably would have been a farmer. For now, we just grow our own food. We had 5000 square feet last year, and we are just

AK: You strike me as someone who gets asked to perform with

getting it ready again, and hopefully we will have 10000 square

others because of your personal presence.

feet this time.

BCM: I understand that people appreciate my stage presence,

AK: Which means that you will eat more or share more?

perhaps along lines like: "Here is a native man going through some contemporary movement and taking a contemporary

BCM: We will share more. We have got to get away from our de-

journey with some traditional flair." Some are surprised, but I

pendence on grocery chains, and GMO foods. We must be aware,

come from a culture that is constantly evolving, where nothing

and grow our own.

is static. We are constantly adapting, constantly shape-shifting to our immediate environment, while people keep trying to put

AK: What do you imagine you will be doing in the coming years?

us back into the past. History has to be re-written, correctly and truthfully. Spirituality is a part of that: We are all spiritual;

BCM: I hope I will still be dancing. I also hope that our government

we just have to appreciate it. I guess for me it's my family.

understands that art is a big part of our society and needs the sup-

Feminine forces inspire me daily, every morning. Not that there

port. I hope there will be less killing. I really hope that my discover-

is anything wrong with the body I am in, but I appreciate the

ies about our present situation are wrong.

D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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AK: Do you work with other dancers?

"I use my body to shape-shift."

BCM: I enjoy working with dancers who are traditionally trained.

can’t immediately answer, it doesn't go on stage. So then I

They understand the rootedness of the movement; they under-

go back and do it all over again, and ask: "What about this

stand the storytelling aspect of the style. It's just that they need to

one?" It is a long process, because they live in Southern

allow themselves to step into that contemporary forum, because

Alberta and I am here.

traditional dance is a ritual. I work mostly with men, although I am interested in the feminine. I went through my rites of passage,

AK: How long does it take you to make a work?

and that experience made me understand the feminine in myself more. Working with men, through dance training and the rehearsal

BCM: It depends on where I am at. When I am in Vancou-

process, I get them to just dance until we get out whatever it is

ver, I am connecting with friends and family and taking in

we needed to get out, and then we are in a head space where we

images and thoughts and feelings about urban life. When I

begin to understand the story we want to tell and find the style of

go back home I begin to work and reflect on these impres-

movement to do it in. In the traditional form we are used to danc-

sions, but it used to take me a long time to get rid of the

ing outdoors, in the open air and under the sky. When you put

feeling that this place is crazy. Now I can't wait to get out

traditional dancers into a studio in a contemporary context they

of the urban and back home to explore. It's also more dif-

begin to see how other elements can be added, and they begin to

ficult to support the process now, because most of the film

understand how storytelling can be a performance art rather than a

industry that supports me in dance has moved to Toronto,

ritual. But it can be a challenge as most mainstream dance venues

and I just can't live there. I like the water and the open

are prosceniums and they are used to performing in the round, so

prairies.

you have to say "You need to focus on this direction", and they learn to find their light. But, what I enjoy the most is to see how they

AK: Talking about The Gathering once more, and its aim to

become more aware of the feminine force, and how they begin to

create opportunities to respond to each others' work, was

stand up for it, and wake other people up.

it a useful experience?

AK: Do you choreograph in the conventional sense?

BCM: For me it was, because I realized that what I danced was powerful, and the response was honest and direct.

BCM: When I work on my own in the studio, I do. I make up

I had written the story, but my family had said “Don’t tell

phrases and try them, if I can't do it, I won't ask my dancers to do

them the story", and so I had someone else read it. There

them. But I also ask them to give me their choices, and if they have

was a comment that maybe dancers shouldn't tell what

a phrase that brings them joy, I will ask them to keep it in.

the story is. And I agree. I need to find a different point of view. I am transitioning there now, into a creative environ-

AK: Do you discover the length and shape as you work, or does the

ment where I am just understanding what my truth is, and

storytelling determine the format?

accepting it. However, it is pretty hard to surrender and to accept. I do hope we can do that, and I do hope that we all

BCM: If I were to make pieces as I create it in my mind, they would

can dance for the feminine force and share— that's what

be Kabuki-like. They would go on forever. There is just so much to

is going to sustain us. My mother encouraged us to be that

say. I look at all the pieces I create, and say "I like what this does,"

way, but I need to find out why— through dance.

and then I share it with my family, who are not afraid to critique.

If my family doesn't like it or doesn't understand something, and I

AK: Thank you!

D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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Designing Dance: Itai Erdal continued from page 9

D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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Lighting and Photography by Itai Erdal

AK: I know that you have been working across disciplines for

environment I have defined gives the choreographer and danc-

many years— with dance, theatre, and other performing arts. Do

ers something to work with.

you approach lighting for dance differently from lighting for theatre, and if so, how?

AK: I know you sometimes design sets; have you designed sets for dance as well as theatre?

IE: There is both more freedom and more responsibility in lighting dance, because when you are working in theatre, at least when

IE: I have, but never without also doing the lights, and never

there is some degree of naturalism, there will be a motivation to

naturalistic sets. I create sets as tools for the lighting design, and

the light—either a window in the set, or a chandelier, or a candle

most of the time I did that because people didn't have money

light, or even if we don't see it, we will pretend that they exist,

for a set designer. Some approach me instead of a set designer,

whereas dance is usually completely abstract, which means that

because they think that the environment can be created just

you are free to do everything you want as long as it enhances

with lights, but I say, no, you need both.

the performances. You aren't constrained by whatever the set designer gave you, or by the location and the time of day the

AK: The relationship between set design and lighting design

playwright decided on. On the one hand that gives the designer

can be problematic, because both claim the same space.

a lot more freedom, but on the other hand it is that much harder, because usually the lighting is a key element in the design. Sets in

IE: The biggest difference I find is that the set designer has a lot

dance are often very minimal and lighting is often the main tool

of time to work with the choreographer, to plan and throw away

that the choreographer uses, together with the music, to create

and change things, whereas I have to be creative under pres-

the environment. This means more work, but also the freedom to

sure, so I often have much less time, and the set is given to me

making choices purely on artistic grounds: I respond to a change

when I start working, I don't have much input in that.

in the mood of the piece, or the movement evokes a certain feeling in me, rather than having to account for the physical fact that

AK: To my mind it would seem absolutely essential that all the

there is an imaginary window upstage right.

people who design aspects of the visual space for a dance piece communicate with one another as early in the process as pos-

AK: Do you work from music, with music, or perhaps through the

sible, but I know it rarely works that way.

choreographers' idea of music?

IE: Particularly in Europe, the lighting designer is an afterIE: All of the above. I must admit that I have sometimes worked

thought— the last person to get hired. In North America the

on dance pieces where I wasn't crazy about the choreography,

lighting designer is involved earlier, and like you say, I find that

but closed my eyes and designed to the music. Music is a key

bewildering since we are working toward the same goal.

element, even if some dance pieces have just industrial noise, or sound scapes, and I feel that I have to be connected to it.

AK: If you are working on a set, with a lighting designer whose aesthetics are very different from yours, and your concepts col-

AK: I noticed in looking at images of your designs that unlike many

lide at the last second there is not much you can do to integrate

lighting designers who will tend to create a space around the

the elements, especially if the set involves projections, which

body, you work a lot with textures that cover the body as well as

inevitably also light the space. Do you work with projections?

the space, and make it part of a larger architecture. Was that a coincidence or is it a signature of your design?

IE: I work with other people who design them, but I don't design my own projections. I have done it once, and I don't think I

IE: It is something I have become known for, because I often try to

will again.

create an environment, and while my tools, like the gobo patterns you may have seen, can look quite cheesy when they are used in

AK: Why not?

a literal sense, they take on a whole other meaning when they are used in an abstract way. Of course it depends on the piece; with

IE: I have issues with most of the projections I see; curiously,

some works you don't want people to to notice the lighting very

all of the shows I have created have had projections in them,

much and just enhance the movement, but in general I like making

but there they were a tool that moved the story forward rather

bold choices, with patterns and with colour. so that the area or D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

11

than part of an aesthetic environment. I find that, particularly

to see the body in relation to the illuminated space, even if that

in dance, people end up upstaging themselves. When I see

is a brick wall with a fire extinguisher. Do you care about it?

a massive image of a dancer, the tiny actual body in front of it just can't compete. My eye is drawn toward the bigger image,

IE: I do, and I think it changes with show and venue. If you have

and then I ask: "What are you trying to achieve? Are you split-

a proscenium arch you can use masking and you don't want to

ting my focus and are making it harder for me to follow what

see the lights. But if you are in studio, and you see the instru-

ever you are trying to tell, or are you helping me?" I think it is

ments, it doesn't bother me. I always talk to the choreographer

a fashionable thing, and half of the ones we see now will not

beforehand and try to find out if they care.

be around.

AK: How do they respond?

AK: Some lighting designers work with projections as a light IE: The majority of people say they don't care, and they don't

source. Do you?

mind if you light the walls, but this is usually in studios.

IE: That's another thing I don't like. Of course, it can be quite beautiful when a special can be a river or clouds. But unfortu-

AK: Do you find working with choreographers markedly differ-

nately, people use projection also in period pieces, and when

ent from working with theatre directors?

I see the pixels on the costumes, it takes me out. The light of the projector is always cold, and the LED and incandescent

IE: It's very different. I find theatre to be a much more collab-

sources are difficult to mix together. And then, there is always

orative artform. In dance, the choreographers often have the

a line where the projection ends, which can't be blurred and

whole show in their heads and can be autocratic, whereas in

that drives me crazy. Unless you have a set that is designed

theatre, particularly when it comes to lighting, people don't re-

with the projection in mind, I have issues with it.

ally have the ability to imagine what I can do, and so they allow me to surprise them and take more of what you bring to the

AK: Do you work with LED lights much, and how do you find

table. I think choreographers do that with dancers in the room,

working with them in dance?

but when they get to the theatre they often have preconceived notions of what they want it to look like. So generally, in dance

IE: I have issues with LEDs as well. They are an amazing tool,

you give them what they had imagined, whereas in theatre you

especially when you have no power, but I don't think the

can surprise them.

technology is there yet. They have two problems: The light is cold, and they don't dim well. Going from 5 to 10 percent

AK: You do collaborate in dance, however, including a project

is fine, but when you go to from 5 to 0, they flicker. I hate that.

with Billy Marchenski and Alison Denham. Where is that at?

AK: I don't want to turn this into a technical talk, but there are

IE: We are still in the very early stages, but that was very excit-

some interesting questions that have aesthetic impact. For

ing. We were in residency at Scotiabank Dance Centre for a

example, I dislike the fact that projectors and LED lights dim

week, and at the workshop I provided the lighting environment

without a hot spot, which feels like the horizon widens as the

first and then they created the choreography. We all found that

light fades rather than concentrate on a part of the image you

extremely satisfying. But we have a ways to go.

want to leave in the audiences's gaze until the end.

AK: If there is something you could change in the way choreogIE: That's correct. I find that too.

raphers and lighting designers collaborate, what would it be?

AK: Another question is that since dance lighting often in-

IE: In the perfect world, you would create in the theatre with

volves a lot of side lights, the architecture at the edges of the

the designer there. Of course we have too little money in

stage gets lit as well. Some designers seem very aware of

dance, but having all the elements would be wonderful.

that, and make great efforts to hide or mitigate the effect by masking, whereas others don't seem to care—which means

AK: Once in a while someone finds the resources to put all the

that you are expected to ignore the space. I find it difficult not

elements into the same room, with the result that there is3 an Dance Central September 2004 embarrassment of riches, which can be confusing in itself.

D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

12

"There is more freedom and more responsibility in lighting dance, compared to other kinds of performance" Itai Erdal

IE: Yes, I have seen that as well, and I think in part it comes

while the front light completely blinds you. Speaking into the void

back to what I said earlier: The choreographers don't say to the

and making them believe that you are looking at them is something

lighting designer: "Can you create an environment that I will

I only discovered by being a performer. Funnily enough, because I

choreograph for?" They have their work planned when they

was on stage and telling a personal story, I really trusted my director

approach you. That's what I was doing with Alison and Billy: I

to be the lighting designer because he was looking from the outside.

approached them and initiated the work.

The choices he made are not the ones I would have; many times the scenes are lit with only one light, which is very dramatic but some-

AK: What do you use as inspiration when you are 'in the lead'

thing I would never do. I would always have a back light, and side

like that. Do you use visual sources, literary sources, is it a

lights, but in a show about lighting that exposes lighting it actually

matter of emotional feeling, or all of the above?

works that the lighting is so simple. Even though I was credited and even nominated for a Jessie Award for the lighting, really my director

IE: It is a bit of everything. In this case, I used all three sources.

designed it. The other thing I learned is that having someone who

I was inspired by the imagery of James Turrell statues, but also

knew less about the process actually helped the piece.

technical ideas and things we discovered in the room. For example, we had a light two feet off the ground in the wings,

AK: What's next? I know you are working on theatre shows, but will

with a hard square edge. You couldn't see the source or where

there also be dance?

it was hitting, and you couldn't see the dancers who were lying on the ground— except when they brought their hands or feet

IE: There is nothing on the horizon. Dance companies often call at

or faces into the light. They discovered all kinds of movement

the last moment when theatre has already booked me. I love doing

that they had never thought of before because they could only

dance, but there is less and less. Right now I am in a workshop with

work in that two foot box. But that is a very rare luxury.

Anita Rochon and Marcus Youssef. We are working on a two-hander about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with James Long directing for

AK: You have been creating shows that you have written and

my company, The Elbow. It is very early in the process, but we are

performed in yourself, such as How to Disappear Completely.

very excited. There is a wealth of material.

Has working like that changed or informed the way you think about lighting? Especially with a show like Lights which is ex-

AK: Many thanks!

plicitly about the meaning of lighting.

IE: The first thing that comes to mind is that I really understood how much you can't see a thing when you are standing on stage, and you are pretending to look into people's eyes

Dance Central September 2004 3 D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3 13

After The Gathering

so, how was it going to happen. At that time we had waited six

A conversation with Jay Hirabayahsi

years and gotten our first grant, and were now clients of the

continued from page 3

some companies were set aside because the dance officers

Dance Section. I had been on a national jury and I had seen how knew they could get money from the Aboriginal or some other

an artist, and a publicist. Perhaps it might have been better

program, and so they kept them out of the competition and said

to have included patrons, because the panelists have dance

we don't need to tap our money because we can fund them

experience and are going to look at things differently, but I

through some other program. I was worried that Equity com-

thought it was challenging enough for them to have to look

panies would be limited in how far they could grow, because

at work from Anusha Fernando, Byron Chief Moon, Dancers

juries would believe that they wouldn't need to be funded

of Damelahamid, Kitt Johnson, Gibson Muriva, and Barbara

through the regular programs. I was happy when they finally

Bourget, so they had a cross section of dance coming from

consolidated the program.

a lot of different cultural contexts. Another element was to have people talk about the different ways they use to get their

AK: From the point of view of the Council, Equity Office fund-

work out. For example, Majdi Bou-Matar from Empty Space in

ing may have been a good option because it is politically much

Kitchener/Waterloo, where he runs the Impact festival every

more difficult to cut,

two years, tells people "I'll present you if you present me." and that's how he gets his work out. Other artists create artistic

JH: Perhaps, but the reverse side is that for several years we

collaborations by going to meet people in different places, like

had to fill out a questionnaire where we had to detail how many

Alvin Tolentino

people in our organization were not white: Board, staff, and audiences, and they had a ratio, so if you had less than fifty per-

AK: This may be easier for a solo artist who doesn't have to

cent you were cut off the program. That was absurd. It is totally

take a company. Were most participants solo artists?

conceivable that you are from India and your work is Bharatanatyam and your whole board is white and your staff is white,

JH: Some, but companies also manage to collaborate with

and your audience is mostly white, and your work is classical

others. Wen Wei Dance has done it with Beijing Modern

Indian dance… but as you say, they may have been doing it for

Dance Company. Barbara choreographed for the Aura Dance

strategic reasons. For ourselves we have always defined cul-

Theatre of Lithuania, and we presented their company here,

tural diversity as inclusive rather than exclusive, as work that is

but I thought there are different levels and ways that people

different from what we do, and so the festival presents cultur-

can have an exchange: Invite someone to do a workshop,

ally diverse work, such as Margie Gillis or Dancers Dancing,

or a festival like Jai Govinda's Gait to the Spirit. Talking Stick

because to us they are culturally diverse. It is a loaded term, so

and CanAsian Dance Festival are other examples. It would

much so that I would rather diffuse it and say Canada is a mul-

be great if there could be artist-driven festivals around the

ticultural society, with French and English culture entrenched in

country.

all the systems of funding.

AK: How did artists respond to being defined through their

AK: Does the First Nations dance community appear coherent?

ethnicity or cultural background?

JH: It's the same process that is happening with Indian dance,— JH: Well, the Canada Council has always done that. When

there are many styles, and some of them define that as con-

the Equity Office was started and their first grant programs

temporary because they are doing it, even though it is built from

appeared we were invited to apply. I was a little bit put off

classical forms or rebuilt from lost forms. And then there are the

by it — not by the money they offered, but I asked them what

new forms of expression such as what Nova Bhattacharya and

their strategic intentions were. Was it always going to be

Natasha Bakht are performing, and in Aboriginal dance it's the

a separate arm of the Council, or was there going to be an

same, because the dance of Dancers of Damelahamid is more

attempt to integrate it with their mainstream funding, and if

traditional and more of the handed-down generational form, Dance Central September 2004 3 but obviously changing when you look at them, while Raven

D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

14

Spirit and Byron Chief Moon are completely contemporary but

most essential information about yourself concisely. We will

with Aboriginal roots. I am sure within the First Nations commu-

develop something similar to keep uploads of information to a

nity there is the same kind of politics as everywhere else.

manageable and effective length.

AK: Did that come up at the conference?

AK: A mix of speed dating and elevator pitch?

JH: No, and I didn't want to talk about it there. It is something

JH: Yes, but it is workable, because everybody will have to

everybody has to figure out among themselves. Nationally,

stick to that template, and it is effective in making people

there is the Quebec faction and the Ontario faction, and the BC

really focus on what is important and what they want people

faction, and some of those factions work better together than

to know about their work. I was hoping that we would have

others. The inequities of funding across the country create dif-

the ability on the website to let anybody upload information

ferent situations for different communities and BC's community

about themselves in a defined format—how many pages, and

has unfortunately not learned as well as the Quebec community

what they have to consist of, and we want to have it so that

how to work together, but that wasn't what we were focused on

people can have private conversations, discussion groups and

at The Gathering.

get others to join — similar to other social media sites but initially focusing on marketing and networking issues. If people

AK: Were you surprised by what emerged, or did it take the

want to initiate and develop their relationships through this

shape you had designed for it?

portal they will be able to do that.

JH: As they say in hockey: Keep it simple and good things will

AK: What happens next?

happen. We tried to keep it simple, and we will see. As I said, for me it was just a starting point, and when we get the website

JH: When the website is up, I will send a reference to more

up, it will be up to people to use it and carry on. The people that

than 200 people whom I had initially contacted, and invite

came seemed excited and seemed to think that it was fruitful.

them to get involved if they are interested. We, VIDF and

Many said they wanted to take these ideas and work on them.

Kokoro are going to administrate it, but I am hoping that other people will want take it up.

AK: Will it happen again?

AK: When do you expect the website to go live?

JH: No. My original dream was that it would run over seven days, with three full-length shows each day by 21 companies from

JH: Hopefully, by the end of July. It is in development now.

across the country, so that everybody could actually see everybody else, and we could talk about the works and the challenges

AK: What do you hope it will do for the dance community?

of building audiences and networks. We really would have been able to create a national network right away, but the budget for

JH: I went to an Equity event in Toronto six or seven years ago,

that was astronomical, and when I applied to all the agencies,

where they had invited all of their clients, so there were two

they all turned me down. It took years to get the funding, and

or three hundred people in a big room, and I was sitting at this

it kept getting smaller, but that made it workable as a starting

table with all these people—I had no idea who they were, and

place.

although we were introduced and talked, we had no context, which I found really frustrating, so I was happy that people

AK: The website is going to be the ongoing hub?

could actually see performances and experience and react to something together. Perhaps they were more complimentary

JH: Yes. We will model it on the Pecha Kucha format as de-

in their comments because the artists were present, but each

scribed at The Gathering by Jane Cox from Cause+Affect.

of the performances I thought were great. I was really moved

Pecha Kucha was started in Japan by some architects, where a

by all of them.

template using twenty slides running for twenty seconds each allowing only six minutes and forty seconds to provide the

AK: Thank you!

Dance Central September 2004 D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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May/June 2013

Calendar of Events April 30 –May 4 The Cultch presents Tara Cheyenne Performance - Highgate.

8pm at The Cultch, Vancouver.

Tickets and Info: www.thecultch.com

May 7, 8, 9 The diskordanse Contemporary Company presents DISLOKATION: Layer THREE. 8pm at Surrey Arts Centre.

Tickets and Info: www.tickets.surrey.ca

May 3 & 4 Mozaico Flamenco Dance Theatre presents Cafe de Chinitas.

8pm on May 3; 2pm & 8pm on May 4 at the Norman Rothstein Theatre.

Tickets: www.vtixonline.com Info: www.normanrothsteintheatre.com

May 11, 12 Sujit Vaidya presents Sadhana..."in Pursuit".

7:30pm on May 11; 1pm on May 12 at Scotiabank Dance Centre.

Tickets: www.ticketstonight.ca

May 3 Project CPR (Choreographic Practice and Research) Studio Sharing.

7:30pm at Scotiabank Dance Centre -Jandali Studio.

FREE. Info: http://projectcpr.wordpress.com May 4 The Vancouver Korean Dance Society presents The 17th Annual Korean Dance Festival.

7pm at the Red Robinson Show Theatre, Coquitlam.

Tickets and Info: www.koreandance.ca / 604.999.0220 May 5 &7 Coastal City Ballet presents A Midsummer Night's Dream.

7:30pm on May 5 at The ACT Maple Ridge; 7:30pm on May 7 at Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver. Tickets and Info: www.coastalcityballet.com May 7, 14, 21, 28 Mascall Dance presents BLOOM Dance Tastings. 4:305:15pm (Cash Bar), 5:15pm informal performances. 1130 Jervis Street, Vancouver.

Info: www.mascalldance.ca

May 11 Crimson Coast Dance presents TWiSTED: SOLO / MERIDIAN created and performed by Martha Carter.

7:30pm at Malaspina Theatre at VIU, Nanaimo.

Tickets and Info: www.crimsoncoast.org May 17, 18 Caravan World Rhythms & SFU Woodward's presents Gamelan Gita Asmara - Balinese Gamelan Performance with Music and Dance.

8pm at Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Vancouver.

Tickets and Info: www.gitaasmara.ca May 21-26 Upintheair Theatre’s rEvolver Festival presents Safe/Guard & Feast: A Visual Poem & Dinner Table Battle created and performed by Robert Leveroos in collaboration with Mirae Rosner (Feast).

At The Greenhouse Basement at The Cultch.

Tickets: www.thecultch.com / 604.251.1363 For show times visit: http://www.upintheairtheatre.com/festival-about

Dance Central September 2004 D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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For a regularly updated calendar of dance performances and events, please visit our website www.thedancecentre.ca.

May 24, 25 Pena Buleria Flamenco Club and SFU Woodwards present the 9th annual International Jondo Flamenco Festival Zyryab.

8pm at Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Vancouver.

Tickets and Info: www.flamenco.ca / 604.767.5522 May 30 – June 8 The Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration presents the annual City of Bhangra Festival.

Various venues around Surrey and Vancouver.

Full schedule: www.vibc.org June 1, 2 Karen Flamenco presents Sleeping Beauty.

7pm on June 1; 3pm & 7pm on June 2 at the Vancouver Playhouse.

Tickets and Info: www.karenflamenco.com / 604.721.4869 June 1 Goh Ballet presents Dance My Dreams 35th Anniversary Gala.

7:30pm at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts.

Tickets and Info: www.gohballet.com June 21-22 dumb instrument Dance, The Contingency Plan and Anne Cooper, in partnership with The Dance Centre, present we all know Jane.

8pm at Scotiabank Dance Centre.

Tickets: www.ticketstonight.ca Info: www.weallknowjane.ca www.contingencyplan.ca www.dumbinstrumentdance.com

Dance Central September 2004 17

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D a n c e C e n t ra l M ay / Ju n e 2 0 1 3