This was a triple bill performance at the Porter Street Studio downtown L.A., presented by Megan Paradowski, Founder/Director of Empara. One of the things that was great about this show was the unpretentious way in which it was presented to the public. The Porter Street Studio is really an open warehouse space which may be configured however one wishes based on the material to be shown. Paradowski and her comrades were smart in their use of the space to feature three different yet equal areas for the three different performances.
(L-R) Coco and Garvin in “Pour Deux” – Photo by Emiko Ohta.
To the left of the entrance was a short wall of fluorescent light tubes with enough light spill to illuminate the entire space. In front of this were the instruments and microphones for the musical duo “Pour Deux”. Across from this area was a large 12 x 12 foot section of astro turf with a TV set and handheld phone and cord. And in between against the wall was an area delineated by three lengths of Marley floor laid out and surrounded by a few other fluorescent light tubes on the floor giving off a glow not unlike the old footlights downstage in the vaudeville theaters. Beside these three staged areas were L-shaped cushioned couches for the audience to use and recline on. In the back of the space was the bar with water and a few other amenities. The mood was subdued and relaxed. In the center of all was a video camera on a tripod that could be turned and thereby capture all of the action. There was a DJ spinning tunes who also doubled as the Tech Booth for the show.
Charles Garvin in “Pour Deux” – Photo by Emiko Ohta.
Starting off the evening was Pour Deux, a Los Angeles duo consisting of Charles (producer, synth) and Coco Garvin (vocals, flute). They ‘combine textured electronics, intimate vocals and airy flute into immersive, atmospheric songs’ (program note). This they did quite well. Coco was wearing a baggy cream suit that moved and shifted when she did, lending an extra degree to the rhythm of the music. Her vocals were ethereal and at times haunting and when coupled with her riffs on the flute made the space ripe for fantasy. One could imagine a crack between the worlds where the Fairy spills over into our own. Charles was manipulating the synth and also singing into another mic adding a raw element into the mix. This set reminded me of the “happenings” in the early 80’s at alternative spaces in downtown New York where the vibe was set for artistic and emotional exploration.
Annalise “Nana” Van Even in her “A Serpent’s Lullaby” – Photo by Emiko Ohta.
After Pour Deux the lights dimmed, and we noticed some movement coming from the back of the space towards the Marley floor. This was Annalise “Nana” Van Even, a Berlin-based multidisciplinary performer and choreographer. She is curious about the meeting point between the mystical and the material and by the tone of her solo I would add between the animal and human. Her solo was titled “A Serpent’s Lullaby”, and the movement was sinuous and fluid as she made her way through the crowd to the stage area. Nana does shapeshift into a serpent-like creature and by doing so manages to make an astute comment on the state of humanity and its distancing itself from the natural aspect of its own identity and evolution. Interestingly, it was the serpent in Genesis 3 that was responsible for Adam and Eve realizing that they were naked and thereafter had to cover themselves.
Annalise “Nana” Van Even in her “A Serpent’s Lullaby” – Photo by Emiko Ohta.
In a fabulous metaphorical turn, Nana enters naked from the waist up and through her movement fully conjures the essence of the serpent. Her movement is primal, natural, unselfconscious and powerful. It had all of the self-possession of an animal in its natural habitat with none of the self-awareness of a Human ego. Her technique and physicality conveyed speed, strength and danger. A sidenote here is the formidable pagan Goddess of the Minoans whose priestesses handled live snakes in their worship and rituals, hence Medusa – but that is fodder for another dissertation. The sensuality coupled with the acrobatic strength and fluidity of her joints all presented an amalgam of female power. At one point she halts her predatory searching and becomes confused and then aware that she is not covered. We see the transformation from animal to human by the need to cover herself and relinquish her natural instincts borne from millennia of adaptation to the environment. Putting on her garment with an almost apologetic air we are made aware of the natural majesty left behind by the rules and regulations of society and community.
Empara – Kevin Lau, Eliza Loran, and Hanna Peddicord in Megan Paradowski’s “Won’t you come closer?” – Photo by Emiko Ohta.
Empara is an experiential contemporary dance company founded and directed by Megan Paradowski, who also choreographed “Won’t you come closer?” with dancers: Kevin Lau, Eliza Loran, and Hanna Peddicord. The program notes state that in this piece the dancers plead for connection in a world saturated by misinformation and technological mediation. This is done through a series of vignettes which show the individuals in isolation although connected by the TV, telephone or iPhone. At one point wrapped up in the telephone cord and at others plopped in front of the TV while others are dancing or trying to interact, the dancers all experience isolation and the inability to truly connect and communicate with each other. It was an exercise in futility realized when the very instruments meant to bring people and the world together are the very same ones responsible for alienation and the suffering attendant on loneliness. All the while the TV is playing white noise and yet it is as demanding in attention as the ring from the telephone or the coveted “like” from the iPhone. The choreography was very physical and the partnering conveyed missed communication very well with looks askew and focus at different angles.
This was an excellent venue in which to share and experiment with movement. Paradowski proved that one does not need a theater, or proscenium, a stage or even a dance studio in order to produce thoughtful, interesting work. This is especially good news in this era of funding cuts and decimated budgets. Well done.
For more information about Empara, please visit their website.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Empara – Kevin Lau, Eliza Loran, and Hanna Peddicord in Megan Paradowski’s “Won’t you come closer?” – Photo by Emiko Ohta.
