News from Weber Dance

A Note on the Process
by Dr. Jody Weber

Dance is extraordinary in that it is experienced in the moment, leaving an imprint in the mind's eye of the audience. It is my challenge as a choreographer to build images that will last in the mind and heart far beyond that brief moment in the theater. The choreographer's initial work is hidden behind the closed doors of a dance studio. Although much of process is intensely personal, my artistic field requires that I develop a community of dedicated and highly trained dancers who are committed to my vision. We are often in physical contact; we sweat, we get tired, we step on each other's feet, we open ourselves emotionally in order to express ourselves through our bodies in motion, and we continue to work together regardless of these challenges. Five committed women work with me every week of the year, offering their time and talent with extraordinary generosity.

Each choreographic project requires that I first find space to let ideas percolate, exploring movement ideas that may or may not prove fruitful. This is one of my greatest challenges, as both time and studio space is difficult to procure. My process often begins with very broad concepts, moving slowly toward more specific ideas. During the summer months I spend intensive periods working four to six hours per day in the dance studio. This work generates large quantities of raw material. Video is a fundamental tool that helps me edit as I select material to bring to my company of dancers. The dancers participate in the creative process by following choreographic structures and bringing diversity through their unique physical abilities. Slowly, the movement ideas find structure through spatial organization and sequencing. As the studio process unfolds, I am busy working on the overall structure of the dance; finding music, writing sound scores, and considering text and costume design. Lastly, I must consider how each of these components will interact through their juxtaposition within the whole dance. A short work, perhaps five to seven minutes, typically takes four months to create. Longer works, twenty to thirty minutes, often develop over twelve to eighteen months. Each concert evening represents years of creative work condensed into the most ephemeral moment of experience for the audience, and for me and my dancers. It is perhaps this very moment, both fragile in its brevity and powerful in its experience, that compels me to return to the studio to begin again.

To learn more about Jody Weber, please visit http://www.weberdance.com/artistic.htm