Two - 2003 — Neil Greenberg

Two

2003

4 dancers

33 min

With Two I was expanding upon the work with projected video that I began in a commission for Ricochet Dance Theater, London, in 2001, P.O.V. For both I experimented with three categories of projections: 1) Live video from onstage cameras, operated by the performers; 2) Found film fragments;; and 3) Pre-recorded video of my source movement improvisations with which individual dancers performed in unison. For that last category I was expanding upon my technique of collecting movement material “verbatim” from videotaped improvisations. I worked with videographer Charles Dennis, who filmed me in a tight shot of my upper body, which was used for the projections, while a stationary camera filmed the improvisation in a wide shot that revealed my full body, which the performers and I used to learn the movement.

In titling the work Two I was gesturing toward - and hoping to undermine - dualistic, either/or, thinking. I wanted to offer a layered sensory experience without privileging any one “right” way to view the work.

Premiered at Dance Theater Workshop, NYC in March, 2003
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Credits

Choreography: Neil Greenberg

Performed by: Ori Flomin, Phithsamay Linthahane, Justine Lynch, Antonio Ramos

Video Design: Charles Dennis and Neil Greenberg

Lighting: Michael Stiller

Music and Acoustic Harp: Zeena Parkins

Music Samples from: Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Carl Stalling

Zeena Parkins’ acoustic harp recorded by: David Kean at Audities

Costumes: Liz Prince

Stage Manager: Stacey-Jo Marine

Editorial Advisor: Lucy Sexton

Video of Neil Greenberg recorded at The Kitchen and DTW by Charles Dennis

Videotaped by the Dance Collection of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts for preservation in the Jerome Robbins Archives of the Recorded Moving Image

Recorded March 2003 at Dance Theater Workshop, NYC, by Sathya Production Services, Molly McBride, Director.

Support

Commissioned by the Bessie Schönberg/First Light Commissioning program of DTW with funds provided by the Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation

Created during a residency provided by The Joyce Theater Foundation, with major support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Experimental Television Center’s Presentation Funds, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts.

New York State Council on the Arts

Harkness Foundation for Dance

James E. Robison Foundation

Purchase College Faculty Support Fund.

Press

Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times, 2003

Deborah Jowitt, Village Voice, 2003

Don Daniels, Ballet Review, 2003

Additional Links

Jennifer Dunning, New York Times, Dances and Dancers of the Year, 2003