Rashaun Mitchell & Silas Riener. Photo by Erin Baiano.
MODERN IN THE
MOUTAINS BY SARAH SILVERBLATT-BUSER
M
odern dance thrives in the Vail Valley each summer, where fresh forms mingle with classical traditions. The Rockies are a testament to the weathering forces that have sculpted them over the years — and like the mountains, dancing bodies archive the past as present. American modern dance originated in the late 19th century with Isadora Duncan’s Ancient Greek-inspired “free dances” and the Ancient Egyptian and Indianinspired movements of Ruth St. Denis. Martha Graham later created the first American modern dance technique and company, laying the groundwork for many luminaries to follow. More than merely reacting to ballet, these contemporary artists explored new ways of living in and responding to the world they inhabited.
The Vail International Dance Festival maintains a commitment to both the classical and contemporary. Choreographers and dancers fluent in their own movement languages are invited to collaborate in unlikely partnerships, nurturing new relationships and perspectives. From Shantala Shivalingappa’s descriptive Kuchipudi — a style of Indian classical dance — to Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener’s boundless explorations into abstraction, the Festival programming encourages similarities to shine by preserving the beauty of difference. Though not all Festival choreographers and dancers collaborate directly, sharing studio space and programs such as NOW: Premieres offers artists the opportunity to explore where their embodied biographies might overlap.
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