I had dinner with my old friend Chung-Fu Chang on Tuesday. I performed in a piece of his in 2003 when he was teaching at Kent State University and I was in between dance companies.
My solo in "Golden Heat", Choreography by Chung-Fu Chang
He was in Cleveland setting a piece on Verb Ballets. We talked a lot about what it means to perform when your body changes as you get older, how virtuosity becomes impossible, and how constraints can lead to greater creativity.
Chung-Fu told me a story about having surgery and making a piece with a bathtub that he used for support because he was still weak. The piece won an award and was eventually performed at the Kennedy Center. (The video is below)
We got a little silly and reminisced about how fun jumping used to be--how fun it still is-- it is just the landing that stings. Of course, it spawned an idea to do a piece all about jumping, but using some kind of bungee contraption to soften the landing.
We hadn't seen each other in eight years, but we still share a common philosophy about dance, authentic performance and honoring individual dancers in choreography. I also realized that he has had a deep influence on my own choreography, particularly in the use of fabrics and props. I hope we see each other again soon.
My solo in "Golden Heat", Choreography by Chung-Fu Chang
He was in Cleveland setting a piece on Verb Ballets. We talked a lot about what it means to perform when your body changes as you get older, how virtuosity becomes impossible, and how constraints can lead to greater creativity.
Chung-Fu told me a story about having surgery and making a piece with a bathtub that he used for support because he was still weak. The piece won an award and was eventually performed at the Kennedy Center. (The video is below)
We got a little silly and reminisced about how fun jumping used to be--how fun it still is-- it is just the landing that stings. Of course, it spawned an idea to do a piece all about jumping, but using some kind of bungee contraption to soften the landing.
We hadn't seen each other in eight years, but we still share a common philosophy about dance, authentic performance and honoring individual dancers in choreography. I also realized that he has had a deep influence on my own choreography, particularly in the use of fabrics and props. I hope we see each other again soon.
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