Mastering class with Trisha Brown (or her company member)

This week I had the unbelievable fortune to take a master class from Trisha Brown while the company was in residence at the Dance Center.  Like every BFA-touting, Judson church-studying, release-based modern dancer on the planet, I revere this choreographer with as much respect as my boyfriend has for espn.com and DVR. Until this week I only experienced her artistic genius via VHS. So watching her move, let alone seeing her in person was thrilling. The standard Feldenkrais warm-up and vague plié exercise were forgettable (led by a company member) but learning about the nuance of Brown's highly gestural style FIRSTHAND was a highlight.  After learning a simple traveling phrase, we were encouraged to use the movement as a catalyst to build a longer, stretchier version upon itself.  

I do have to say, in a room filled with crunchy granola modern dancers, not unlike myself, I was surprised by the hesitation that seemed to pervade the group. This was a professional level class and very few individuals really seemed to rise to the challenges presented. I am very curious about this. This was not an audition, but somehow there was a palpable tension in the air. Maybe it was in the air left over from the Hubbard Street rehearsal prior to class. Come on, Chicago dancers. You're not in New York playing tug-a-war for dance jobs. It seems like it's okay to just have fun and make the most of the experience. Maybe I'm being too harsh on my community. Maybe she actually WAS looking for dancers...

The class came to a close with an exercise about improvisational repetition: trying to continuously repeat and layer groupings of movement into a strung together phrase. Choreographers and their mind-games... 

Overall, completely worth it seeing a woman in her sixties move just as she did 30 years ago.