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It’s Up to Interpretation
Two new dance pieces premiere at Works & Process
Keigwin + Company (Photo: Tom Caravaglia)
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An entertainer among entertainers, Larry Keigwin’s ensemble, Keigwin + Company, delivers an accessible brand of sheer skill and human reflection without the bravado of those who take themselves much too seriously. Keigwin’s choreography is regarded as thoughtful and imaginative, fun and energetic, and he is quickly emerging as a recognizable voice in dance.
Premiering a new work during the Works & Process series at the Guggenheim Museum September 11 and 12, Keigwin + Company will perform the new commission to composer Steve Reich’s “Double Sextet.” Also choreographing to the same score with dancers from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet is Peter Quanz. Titled “Steve Reich Interpreted,” the two works by Keigwin and Quanz have been created for Reich’s 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning “Double Sextet,” and will mark their world premiers in the 285-seat Pete B. Lewis Theater, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. “It’s the first time a dance has been set to this music and Steve [Reich] suggested the piece,” says Duke Dang, general manager of Works & Process.
Keigwin’s site-specific work began to come together in late July, during their first rehearsal in the Guggenheim space. He has themed and titled his work “Sidewalk,” as he explains his own exploration of designs, undercurrents of nature, and human occurrences on sidewalks, especially in New York City. The theater itself serves as a unique space and Keigwin acknowledges the staircases, pits, circular aisle and the overall “360 degree” appeal. “I’m always interested in pedestrian language and environment,” says Keigwin of his new piece. “We are also working with interior and exterior space. It’s exhibitionistic, as opposed to us in our own apartments.”
Peter Quanz’s choreographic endeavors have also been well received, and while most noted for his classical pieces he fluently transitions to other forms and styles of dance. Although both Keigwin and Quanz are creating works to the same music, it is safe to assume the outcome will be entirely individual.
A wonderful part of the Guggenheim’s Works & Process series are the panel discussions that follow the performances, allowing insight and dialogue to become one with the experience. Keigwin and Quanz will participate on the panel after the Friday evening and Saturday matinee performances, and Reich will join them on Saturday evening to complete the perspectives of choreographer and composer.
“The world premieres are shown back to back,” says Dang. “[The choreographers] have very different styles, so it will be interesting to see the same piece of music interpreted in different ways.”