I spent my New York day in a very New York way on Friday with my girl, Julie Fotheringham, fellow iDANZ member as she bum rushed the beautiful Museum of Modern Art in only a way a New York artist would.  It was a beautiful, crisp Friday afternoon, and Julie invited me and some of her dancer friends to go down to MoMA and do some spontaneous improvisation in front of a multi-media installation presented at the Museum.  Admission was free that day, so of course, me, being the curious dancer that I am and lover of all things dance, went down to check her out.

I get to the second floor and there I see, right before my eyes, is a HUGE Swiss artist installation of multi-media graphics and images, called Pipilotti Rist:  Pour Your Body Out, projected on 100 foot walls (not quite sure the height, but at least 5 stories tall).  It was quite impressive.  The museum brochure describes the space (MoMA’s Marron Atrium) as “an i mmersive landscape of sound, sculptural elements, and moving images that envelop the walls in vivid panorama.“  As New Yorkers do, they kicked  their shoes off and were laid out on the floor, literally, looking straight up on the walls taking in the sights.  There was carpet, pillows, and a ring of couches were children climbed on their siblings and parents as if they were on a jungle gym.  Some people slept and some were making out, and a lot of folks were taking pictures.   The way people were behaving, you would have thought that you were on the Great Lawn in Central Park, but in fact, you were on the great 2nd floor of MoMA.

Weird, amniotic music was playing, very conducive to experimental dance , and I immediately spotted Julie, already at work, dancing around in all black clothes and black socks, in front of the projections carefully not to trip over the lounging New Yorkers outstretched limbs.   Her style consisted of concaved shapes, flexed hands, and angles.  She was awesome; the colors, the lights, reflected off her body as she went from move to move.   As she contracted her back, she walked in releve, hands flexed, exploring the parallel; she was careful to create shapes that moved beyond the ordinary dance vernacular.

It was great to see an artist at work in New York City no less, joining in to the art around us with “full out,” full body effort and all.  The sign in front of the exhibit was no joke when it invited people to sit back and relax and move about the space however they wanted.  I wondered if the muli-media artist had the forethought to imagine a random dancer would be performing in his installation.  Hmm . . .

Anywho, what was even more great was to watch how the spectators, laying about acted as if they totally did not see her!  Julie was dancing so much in her own special town in Art and Dance Land, that the New Yorkers never dared to interrupt her or call security to even throw her out.  They just allowed her to be the artist that she was and be free to dance in the space because that is what New Yorkers are use to being around.  And, of course, New York is so “accepting” that being inspired and making spectacle (whether intentional or not) is why we as artist live in this fine city.  Artists are the dye of the thread that make up the fabric of New York. 

On the other hand, there are sooooo many loons in our fine city, avant-garde artists, vendors, hustlers, and other folks of non-traditional work fare, that we, as New Yorkers have become completely immune to such amusements and are quick to write people off as weirdoes.  I’m sure that many thought Julie’s little spectacle was part of that camp too; so, that, of course, could be another reason why New Yorkers would never be caught watching (or staring) at Julie‘s show. 

On the bright side, I did catch a few little children eyeing Julie’s escapades.  (LOL, FACT, it takes a while for children to be conditioned not to stare at unusual people).  Anywho, as she did more phrases that swept the floor on a child’s eye level, -the playful hopping, leap frog and forward roll-overs,- the little ones inevitably wanted to join in and mimic her moves.  They too playfully leaped like a frog and performed somersaults inspired by Julie’s more tec hnical roll-overs.  Soon the children were standing making arm movements, shapes, and lounges in front of the projections.  So, all was not lost.  At least our nation’s future was inspired!

After an hour and a half of creating dance phrases and shapes on the floor, Julie grew weary and prepared to leave for the day.  As she was sitting with me at rest, a young gentleman came over and wanted to know why she stopped.  (Maybe cause she was busting her butt non-stop for an hour and a half -that was the thought that went through my head).  Flattered, Julie kindly told him that she was getting ready to leave.  Well, at least she had one admirer touched enough to show outward support of the arts . . . Or was he just trying to pick her up . . . Hmmm . . . Can’t always tell.
I did wish more of Julie’s friends came down to MoMa to dance.  I guess they chickened out or found something else better to do than spend the day at MoMA for free.  It’s too bad because I really believe the spectators wouldn’t have been so scared to look at the dance if at least three dancers performed in the vast space.  Then, Julie’s idea definitely would have made more of an artistic impact, and not just another inspired, unassuming “artist” lost in their work.

Anywho, at the end of the day, I was so glad to witness Julie perform in MoMA’s very grande multi-media installation spectacle.   I was so glad, that it got me inspired, and it made me really happy to have this web site called iDANZ.  I am hoping that once we get thousands of dancers hooked to iDANZ, that we can stage an even larger event of improvisation at an art installation:  we blast the coordinates of where to go, we all show up as audience attendees, and start spontaneously dancing in the space.  We could probably stage the largest contact improv spectacle in the world!!!!!!

If that happens, I’m so taping that mug . . .

Much happiness, luv, & dance,

Candice Rox

January 23, 2009
Museum of Modern Art
Dancer:  Julie Fotheringham


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