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Dance Up Close to Desire- Kate Weare's "Dark Lark"
By Garnet Henderson/Follow @garnethenderson on Twitter
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Published on November 4, 2013
© Photo Keira Heu-Jwyn Chang
Dark Lark , a New York premiere by Kate Weare Company
at BAM Fisher-321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY
November 6-9, 2013 at 7:30pm
Choreography by Kate Weare
Performers: Jacquelyn Elder, Leslie Kraus, Douglas Gillespie, Luke Murphy, T.J. Spaur
Costume design by Sarah Cubbage
Lighting design by Brian Jones
Set design by Kurt Perschke
In her new work Dark Lark, choreographer Kate Weare draws her audience into a vibrant, erotically charged world of fantasy. Through sensual movement and intricately woven phrases, she explores the usually hidden aspects of identity, imagination, and desire.
What is Dark Lark ?
As BAM Fisher’s first artist-in-residence, Weare built Dark Lark specifically for the Fishman Space. Rather than creating a piece and then bringing it to the theater immediately before performance, Weare and her company members rehearsed in the Fishman Space early on in the process. This opportunity allowed her to work closely with her production team from the beginning, resulting in a dance that is heavily influenced by outside elements.
Kate Weare on the Production Elements of Dark Lark
The original score, composed and performed live by Chris Lancaster, evolved through close contact with the dancers and rehearsal process. Similarly, costumes designed by Sarah Cubbage underwent constant changes as each dancer took on a unique identity. The set pieces by Kurt Perschke and lighting design by Brian Jones were influenced by the unusual configuration of the Fishman Space, which for Dark Lark will be arranged in a sort of “diamond thrust,” with the audience sitting on two adjacent sides of the stage.
Chris Lancaster On His Musical Composition for Dark Lark
The work is driven by a remarkable cast of five dancers, who move through solos, duets, and trios with raw power and tender nuance. Weare nurtures their individuality, allowing each dancer to assume a distinct persona.
A Dance Enthusiast Minute of Dark Lark
Weare said that sexuality is always a present theme in her work, because she finds it to be an “accurate portal into identity.” In Dark Lark, erotic fantasy acts as a metaphor for artistic expression and its vulnerable nature. As part of her process, Weare researched the psychology of fantasy, which she says can be a vehicle for self-expression and the formation of identity. In Weare’s work, bodies reveal deepest desires, taboo or otherwise.
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