Last night I attended a performance of contemporary dance at the University of Houston's Moores Opera House. The Sandra Organ Dance Company presented one dance that collaborated with musicians and digital artists.
The Moores School of Music Contemporary Ensemble played a stunning piece, "Infinite Heartbeat," by Stuart Greenbaum and during the dance, the backscreen of the stage showed the words of Pablo Neruda's poem, "Poetry." The projection of the poem was designed by Dr. Carlos Sol�s, Information Technology Consultant at Rice University and founder of Obsidian Digital.
Sandra Organ, choreographer of the piece, explains that left and right brain functions are involved in trying to read the poem in the background while focusing visually on the dancers and listening to the music. She (in a local radio interview) says that in a world with MTV, our brain is able to process various and combined stimuli. Her effort is groundbreaking. I was distracted by the words while trying to see the movements, but the disjointed connections between the Neruda words and the movements was compelling and demanded involvement. It was a beautiful and innovative performance and I hope this small Houston company is able to be seen widely.
The poem by Neruda was projected first in English, then in Spanish, well designed and animated so that the words would appear and dissappear with flourish.
Hurrah for collaborative art that opens visions:
Enjoy this from the Poem:
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and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
the darkness perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire, and rflowers,
the overpowering night, the universe.
And I, tiny being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss.
I wheeled with the stars.
My heart broke loose with the wind.
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Am�n
Ad�n
