PillowTalk: Liz Lerman’s Wicked Bodies

PillowTalk: Liz Lerman’s Wicked Bodies | Friday, August 7, 2020 at 5pm

This event took place as part of Virtual Festival 2020.

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award winner Liz Lerman will discuss work-in-progress footage of her newest work, originally scheduled to premiere at the Pillow this season. Wicked Bodies is a fable in which witches along with the natural world are going extinct, the work asks why some knowledge is celebrated, some criminalized, and some erased altogether.

When the invitation came to discuss Wicked Bodies for a PillowTalk, Liz seized the opportunity to experiment with translating some of her content for the small screen. In collaboration with her designers and dancers, she has made something altogether new for us to experience.

Some questions that will arise: How can we enliven what’s interesting about rehearsals, and reimagine those moments during a pandemic? How do you work around the restrictions that we’re all acutely feeling? How can we move choreography in a different direction, outdoors or from home?

Moderated by Pamela Tatge, Executive & Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow.

This event runs for approximately 45 minutes.

This presentation of excerpts from Wicked Bodies for screen and conversation is directed by Anna Spelman and Liz Lerman, and is conceived by Liz Lerman in association with many collaborators:

• Performers: Will Bond, Leah Cox, Martha Gonzalez, Sam Horning, Nia Love, Paloma McGregor, Ruby Morales, Elisa Garcia-Radcliffe, Angelina Ramirez, Keith Thompson, Maggie Waller, Martha Wittman
• Choreography: Keith Thompson and Liz Lerman in collaboration with performers
• Video Editing: Anna Spelman
• Cinematography: Anna Spelman, Olivia Sebesky, and performers
• Projections, Animation and Consulting: Olivia Sebesky
• Audio Post Production: Darron L West
• Musician/Vocalist: Martha Gonzalez
• Dramaturg: Darron L. West
• Stage Sound Design: Darron L. West and Matt Hubbs
• Stage Costume Design: Sarita Fellows
• Stage Lighting Design: Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew
• Stage Scenic Design: Jian Jung
• Project Management: Erin Donohue and Meg Kelly

The development of Wicked Bodies is made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the research fund of Martha Minow, Harvard University; Arizona State University and its department of ASU Gammage; Scripps College; Green Music Center at Sonoma State University; the Moss Center at Virginia Tech University; and the Hewlett Foundation. Major individual support provided by Jane Brown, Bob and Paula Hardison, Vicky Spelman, Diana Pinover, and The Pullman Family.

Performers, designers, researchers, and dramaturgs involved in the process: Erika Moore, David Olarte, Tamara Pullman, Trent Williams, Jessica Rajko, Makeda Roney, Ted Johnson, Miko Doi-Smith, Nina Tratto, Phil Weaver-Stoesz, Rachel Cooper, Kyla-Rose Smith, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Kate Freer, Dan Gower, Martha Minow, Bibi Harris, Dan Hurlin, Jill Johnson, Lois Brown, Ariel Anbar, Beckett Sterner, Nico Franz, Scripps College student dancers. Additional research influenced by faculty, staff, and students at the University of Iowa, Virginia Tech, and Sonoma State University. 

This event is produced in collaboration with

Nel Shelby, Producer | Loren R. Robertson, Assistant Producer/Editor
Cherylynn Tsushima, Project Manager | Vincent Vigilante, Videographer
Benjamin Richards, Videographer/Editor/Graphic Animation
Ashli Bickford, Videographer/Editor | Amber Schmiesing, Editor
Jacob Marks, Recordist | Kathryn Brodie, Intern