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SESSIONS Non-Technical Presentations, Panels & Workshops Brain & Jennifer: Revealing the Process of Vicky Shick through Choreographic Documentation / Abstract Valarie Mockabee & Mila Parrish (presented by Mila Parrish) New York Choreographer Vicky Shick has been described as an, “exquisitely fluid dancer” whose “very execution of a dance automatically elevates it to a higher distinction.” Longtime performer with the Trisha Brown Company and recipient of a 1985 New York Dance and Performance Award ("Bessie"), Shick’s movement choices reveal a blending of seemingly opposite notions. In her newly choreographed work, Brain & Jennifer, Shick uses movement to depict a physical tableau of political photographic imagery and quirky human behaviors, giving the piece an insistent pulse and contemplative stillness. Shick exhibits a deliberate play of extremes often requesting movement authenticity that is both “efficient” and “luscious.” Taking on the character of the creator, Shick’s dancers inhabit the qualities of the consummate performer. Shick worked hour upon hour to bring out the qualities of “silkiness,” “pensiveness,” and “purposefulness,” that help represent Shick’s affinities. At the same time, through choreographic structure and design, Shick depicts moments that resemble “narrative landscapes,” “fragments,” and “layers.” Both the performer side and choreographer side of Shick come to the forefront through the examination of Shick’s creative process. Capturing a choreographer’s process as well as her movement, Valarie Mockabee, and Mila Parrish struggled with choices in putting down the process and product during the rehearsals of Vicky Shick’s work Brain & Jennifer, created at Arizona State University in August 2001. Together, we created a CD-ROM that deconstructs her creative process through various media, including Labanotation and blends it with current curriculum trends in the field. We will present the choreographic work and relevant information from the CD-ROM that will take the participants through interactive investigations that inform their understanding of the work. As well, we will discuss step by step approaches to choreographic process provided in a “Tasks and Solutions” section designed as educational tools for understanding the work and its creative processes. Shick answers questions concerning her work and the choreographic process in “Meet the artist.” “Vickynotes” provides digitized video of the choreographer teaching or talking about choices of performance alongside the Labanotation score. Arts educators, historians and notation professionals who are interested in improvisation, history, choreographic process, notation, and dance documentation will enjoy experiencing recreating Shick’s creative/choreographic process through technology. Participants exploring the CD-ROM will come to a rich understanding of Shick’s process and resulting choreographic work. Valarie Mockabee - Associate Professor, Ohio State University; B.F.A. The Juilliard School; M.F.A. Texas Woman’s University; Certified Teacher of Labanotation; Candidate for Professional Notator Certification. Valarie performed with Lincoln Center Institute; Dallas Opera; Sharir Dance; national ballet companies of Peru and Ecuador. She directs works from score and notates and designs content for CD-ROMs. Mila Parrish - Assistant Professor, Arizona State University; MA Columbia University; Ph.D. Ohio State University; Certified Movement Analyst; specialist in dance technology; K-12 interdisciplinary curriculum. Mila performed with The Jean Erdman Theater of Dance. She creates works for national venues, and is published in Journal of Dance Education.
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