Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Blurring the line between film and performance as they dance and sing (and lip-sync): Angélica Negrón’s THE ISLAND WE MADE and Penny Saunders’ IN ANY EVENT

• By drediman
• April 1, 2021
• No Comments

As the pandemic has worn on (with an end hopefully soon in sight), I’ve increasingly seen performing arts institutions embrace filmmaking as a means to maximize engagement with audiences. Although purists may complain about the the dilution of and divergence from the original in-person experience, I feel that the resultant hybrid medium – which blurs the line between film and performance – brings new textures to the respective art forms (opera, dance, theater, etc.), while allowing them to be more accessible. Both good things, no?

Here are my thoughts on a pair of recent “films” developed by performing arts institutions.

THE ISLAND WE MADE
Opera Philadelphia
On-demand

First we have Angélica Negrón’s The Island We Made (RECOMMENDED), which is available for streaming on Opera Philadelphia’s digital channel. It’s hard to exactly describe the work, which at only 10-minutes feels far too slight to be classified as a proper full length opera. However, the added contributions of Matthew Placek’s hypnotic filmmaking and the gorgeous drag of Sasha Velour (winner of the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race) deem this project well worth investigating. Mr. Placek’s surreal vision elegantly blurs time and memory in ways that expand Ms. Negrón’s ethereal score, while Ms. Velour’s otherworldly presence adds a mystical component to the filmmaker’s fascination with objects and the composer’s exploration of the concept of “mother”. The elements of drag (heightened fashion and, of course, lip-syncing) are in evidence – however, without the camp that typically accompanies the art form – and are seamlessly incorporated. The result is a mesmerizing, meticulously-wrought tone poem or dream. It’s all richly transporting, which belies the work’s all-too-brief running time. After having scored with its vibrant film version of David T. Little’s Solder Songs, I’d say that Opera Philadelphia has a good thing going here.

IN ANY EVENT
Hubbard Street Dance
Live-streamed / On-demand

Last weekend, I had the opportunity of streaming Penny Saunders’ dance film In Any Event (RECOMMENDED) for the Chicago-based Hubbard Street Dance. Those of you who saw the film Pina (inspired by the legacy of Pina Bausch, one of the giants of modern dance) know that dance has the potential to translate to film remarkably well, especially when the choreography is as character-driven as Ms. Bausch’s dances tend to be. In Any Event is heavily influenced by Ms. Bausch’s body of work – in addition to pieces like Ohad Naharin’s noir-tinged Minus 16, one of the signature dances in HSD’s repertoire – in that its impact is reliant on the idiosyncratic personalities and tics of the dancers performing it. Indeed, Ms. Saunders’ creation (co-directed for film by Bruno Rogue) showcases the HSD dancers not just as slick movers, but also as human beings with distinct points of view. Set around the occurrence of a wedding, Ms. Saunders has urged her dancers to share – through movement and pre-recorded interviews – their candid thoughts on love and life, all the while role-playing as various participants in the event (e.g., celebrants, guests, servers, etc.). The combination of narrative (vividly underscored by music by Michael Wall) and character/dancer observations are served beautifully by the intimacy and site-specificity allowed by film.