Returning to work again with Composer Martin Bresnick, I lean towards creating theater dance as opposed to a pure dance form. Our process encourages me to tell a story, explore a specific personality, or bring a painting to life as in our last project, Tales of Hopper. In each case I turn to human gesture to develop a movement vocabulary.
In our initial meeting to discuss our current project, The Winter’s Tale, Martin suggested I utilize the concept of gestus – a device coined and practiced by Bertolt Brecht. Gestus is an expression for gesture and attitude. A specific gesture assigned to one of the characters in the play can reveal their person as well as their intention in relation to Shakespeare’s story. Brecht felt it was important to relay the story line as well as the interactions between characters. Interestingly I would have followed this course naturally to develop a movement lexicon with my dancers. The specificity of Brecht’s idea to develop and define character through gesture and intention, brought-to-mind the film, Drive My Car, that cast a sign language actor in the Chekhov play within the film. She was so effective and moving as a signing actress that I decided to utilize sign language gestures, to help create a theatrical movement vocabulary. I have chosen specific signs for each character as they convey the story in the various acts of Shakespeare’s play. In the case of a central character, King Leontes, whose mounting jealousy ultimately destroys his family I employed the sign for infidelity. Leontes is convinced that his wife, Queen Hermione is being unfaithful with his childhood best friend King Polixenes. The sign for infidelity has such a potent impact in his movement sequences that we understand through the intensity of this gesture that he is accusing Hermione of betrayal.
Before I begin to build material for the various acts of the play, I research the signs that depict aspects of the action and characters involved. As a result, I am finding gestures that enhance the movement by expressing the tone and intent of the story and its characters. This process has been very satisfying and supportive of my creative process with my dancers.
In the end it is my hope to create a piece that encourages the audience to enter this theater dance piece with patience and curiosity. Some of it is lively and very much dance material and other sections are quiet human interactions that allow the audience to have the time to feel what the dance artists are experiencing themselves.
ABOUT THE WINTER’S TALE
Based on one of William Shakespeare’s last great plays, The Winter’s Tale is a story of improbabilities, loyalty, love, and forgiveness. At times a comedy and others a tragedy, the plot resides in a patriarchal society in which the role of women is constantly thwarted and limited by male dominance. However, Shakespeare’s female characters contradict the gender mores of the period. These strong, grounded women display thoughtful judgement and compassionate morality. Utilizing gesture inspired by sign language, the movement vocabulary lends itself to the fervent emotional context displayed by the performers' embodiments of joy, madness, betrayal, jealousy, and passion. Several roles are portrayed by gender opposites to the original casting; Lavagnino utilizes this device to speak to the rich and interesting dimensionality of all people and urges the audience to lean into the acceptance of these differences to embrace the distinct expression of each individual.
The Winter’s Tale is CLD’s third collaboration between choreographer Cherylyn Lavagnino and celebrated composer Martin Bresnick. Bresnick has composed the score in the last several months; during the initial creative development period, the company used the music of Max Richter. A final, fully-produced edition of The Winter’s Tale will premiere June 5th and 6th, at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City.
"Warm and heartfelt... beautifully choreographed and executed. Already a compelling piece of choreography and dance theater."
—Critical Dance on The Winter's Tale (2022)