Whistle Me Higher - Imaginary Dances From Bingo Palace, created by Laura
Ward, celebrates the fantastic aspects of nature, religion, addiction, and
the American Dream found within Death Valley/Las Vegas. The gamut of
southwestern glamour, glitz and gluttony, is revealed through contemporary
ballet, original music, spoken word and physical theatre, which includes
eagle totems, Elvis weddings, and legends involving flying machines. The
score, by Fa Ventilato (Fuckintosh, Bingo Palace) and Frank Heer (Der
Flammender Grund, Bingo Palace) is a key portal into the often hypnotic,
drug induced, dream-like show, set somewhere between Lost Highway and Fear
and Loathing in Las Vegas. Featured within the work are guest
choreographers Georgina Aragon and Nadia Zaki. An excerpt from Whistle Me
Higher- Imaginary Dances From Bingo Palace can be seen on YOUTUBE.com
entitled Just Like An Eagle. It tells an old Native American legend from
the Panamint Mountains in Death Valley and illuminates the adaptation
required for survival.
Performances will take place at the Theatre for the New City in the
Johnson Theater May 1-3, 2008 (Thursday — Saturday) at 8:00pm and May 4,
2008 (Sunday) at 3:00pm. Tickets are $20 and can be bought online through
the link
http://www.theatermania.com/content/show.cfm/show/142287
Founded in 1998, Laura Ward/Octavia Cup Dance Theatre is an all female,
contemporary ballet company devoted to highlighting the dynamic strength
of women. The choreography and staging challenge both the dancers and the
audience to delve a little deeper into their own shadows and mirrors with
a sense of humor and absurdity. The choreography is usually on pointe, but
the movement expands well beyond the conventional forms of ballet as so
clearly stated by Jack Anderson from the New York Times "instead of having
dancers skim with balletic grace, she often had them stagger". The company
collaborates with other New York based artists to create multi-layered
spectacles rich with imagery, feelings, and ideas. Each piece is presented
in a nonlinear kaleidoscopic manner, providing drama and resonance,
reaching into the secret soul spaces that thrum beneath the surface of
everyday life. Laura Ward is responsible for masterminding most of the
choreography and staging, she dances in the company along with Heather
Garbrandt, Jaime Thompson and Lisa Benke.
Canadian born, East Village resident, Laura Ward, founded Octavia Cup
Dance Theatre (www.octaviacup.org) in 1998. This will be Laura's sixth New
York City season. Laura's work has been shown at many venues including the
92nd St Y with New Choreographer's On Pointe, Merce Cunningham Studios,
Williamsburg Art Nexus, Byrdcliffe Theatre in Woodstock. In 2007 Octavia
Cup performed original works in Avignon, France and at the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival as well as on the Delacorte Theater stage in Central Park
(in a Tribute to Marc Bolan). Octavia Cup has performed at the New York
City Ballet's Annual Wellness Weekend. Laura has choreographed for NYC's
Earth Celebrations Festival and danced with Classics Dance Theatre, Yass
Hakushima Mime Theater and Roots of Brazil. Laura is a Laban Movement
Analyst and teaches for Dance New Amsterdam, Equinox and the
Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies.
Fa Ventilato, was born 1967 in Switzerland. He is a New York based music
artist and producer. His work, within the variety of contemporary music,
finds its way into film, performance, art installations, dance theater,
and conceptual pop albums. He played in bands such as Halcion, Pee Air,
Melomane and Drum I Lama. In recent years his focus has switched to the
world of home recording, experimental electronic music and exploring the
art of sampling. His commissions include: refined soundtracks for the 7th
and 8th BIFF trailer (Brooklyn International Film Festival); the sound
installations for the Columbian video artist Monika Bravo; "Playing With
Time", "September 10th"; and for the music on the animations -
"The Last Autumn Days", "One Way",
"A Matter of Life", "Passing Moods",
"Mattino d'Inverno Mattino d'Estate" by the Italian artist Luisa Rabbia.
Ventilato has collaborated with the Swiss dance theatre company Sans Filtre
making 3 real time soundtrack performances for them.
Laura Ward and Fa met in February 2007 and began working together right
away. Several of their improvisational videos can be seen on youtube.com
and were filmed in the Joyce Soho.
Excerpts of this show premiered in Avignon, France, at the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival and at the 92nd st Y in 2007. A preview excerpt was shown
at City Tech in 2008.
This presentation is a production of Laura Ward/Octavia Cup Dance Theatre
in association with Tin U. Nye and Foundation 20-21, and is supported by
the LeRoy Neiman Foundation, and Ruth Simmons.
