Alternate Title Red White & Blues: New Works
Production Language English
Country of Origin United States
Description The summer before this BAM engagement, Tharp had had a two-month residency at the Kennedy Center. Though she had no grant to hire dancers, she was able to put together a pickup company of seven professional ballet dancers from major companies to help her develop new work. This two-week BAM engagement showcased the pieces developed in that residency. There was no scenery, no costumes, no lighting in the Opera House. The work was presented as a barebones performance cum lecture/demonstration, with Tharp stepping out to describe her process while dancers demonstrated. Music included Ellington, doo wop, Bartok, Wynton Marsalis, and Burundi drumming. But the overarching theme of the show was America, exploring American subject matter through movement. In her narration, Tharp spoke both about her choreography and her take on the American spirit. The finale was choreographed to “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
Identifier 1995s.00570
