In conjunction with my coverage of the opening of Phase 2 of the High Line this week, I am excited to share that Trisha Brown Dance Company has been performing Roof Piece along the HL this week. With dancers stationed on rooftops along the Southern stretch of the park, they will mimic each other’s movements.  This will be the first time that this piece, pictured above, will be performed on rooftops since it’s premier in 1973.

Trisha Brown, a Judson Dance Theatre alumni, is one of the most important choreographers to come out of the late 20th century. Her works – many of which were free and in public spaces – caused audiences to question what is dance and where should it be shown. The company celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2010 with the performance of seminal works like Off the Wall at the Whitney Museum (see image below) and at other institutions around the world. 

The integration of Trisha Brown Dance Company at the High Line Phase 2 opening and the Elizabeth Streb Dance Company at the Whitney Museum groundbreaking ceremony demonstrates that art curators can find ways to make audience experiences unique. By offering the perspectives of multiple artists at one event, they are not requiring a judgement of one artist or one form over the other. In fact, this integration and collaboration between artists creates a type of live performance studio, one that we saw in early modern dance  with Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham and more recently with some of Metropolitan Opera’s cutting-edge music, fashion, architecture collaborations for new productions and Lady Gaga’s performance at the Museum of Contemporary Art LA.

In summary, Trisha Brown’s work is so playful and thoughtful and I hope that this public performance demonstrates to High Line spectators that dance could be more about experience and environment and less about exposure and extremism. If you got to see TBDC @ the HL, please upload pictures in the comments section.

Off the Wall performed at the Whitney (2010)

Here is an ad for her performances at MCA

Here is a photo montage that someone put up on youtube. Normally, I don’t like these but included are vintage photos. It’s nicely done.

This is an ad for a series of performances that were done at Barbican Gallery.