Mover, 1975

approx. 20 minutes

Sequence in Mover: objects moved dancers, dancers moved each other’s deadweight bodies, dancers were moved by objects, dancers prevented other dancers from moving, dancers passed a movement amongst them.

Performed at A Space, Toronto
November 22, 1975

Dancers: Louise Garfield, Irene Grainger, Maxine Heppner, Johanna Householder, Joan Phillips, Carolyn Shaffer
Carpenter: John Closs

“…Mover demonstrates some of her most deeply held creative commitments: circumventing theatrical structure, avoiding images that imply a need for interpretation, exposing effort, and dealing directly with weight and gravity. The performers alternate between actively moving another dancer’s passive but alert body and have their own passive but alert body moved. This formal conceptual premise proposes choreography that arises as an outcome of task-oriented interaction.”
– Peggy Baker, for Peggy Baker Dance Projects Choreographic Gems

The evening program also included: Retina, Polyfil, Chant in sun number one
Note on Retina:
The title was a reference to Duchamp’s phrase, “retinal painting” and through mathematical structure and non-traditional dance movement sought to produce a dance that was … analogy [to] “retinal dance”.
– from a note circa 1980, the original notebook was lost in 1979

Photos: Lynne Rotin