Projects
Use the links on the right to explore my projects, creations and collaborations, over the years.
David Neumann's Restless Eye,
March 24-April 1, 2012
David Neumann/Advanced Beginner Group's inclusive embrace of disciplines springs from an interest in the mind as a complex phenomenological experience, articulated on our declining bodies. In Restless Eye, Advanced Beginner Group explores the realm between thought and behavior, between describing life and experiencing it. Through a collision of digital technology and a deeply physical vocabulary, Restless Eye will bring together the madness of everyday events with the vast patterns that shape our inexplicable lives. Ultimately, it's how we bring our attention to what's in front of us that allows art to transform us as creators and observers.
More about David and his work can be found at www.advancedbeginnergroup.org.
Restless Eye is commissioned by New York Live Arts’ "DTW Commissioning Fund" and is made possible, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Jerome Foundation. Restless Eye was developed, in part, during a creative residency at the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at The Florida State University and in partnership with New York Live Arts and with support from and National Endowment for the Arts.
"She Recognized My Magic: Diaries From Deep Space"
November 16, 2011 at Dixon Place
...A universe of alien love stories, magic, astrological drag, dance, live music, breath-taking quirk, orbiting bicycles, heart-ravaging poetry, and extraordinary aerial apparatuses! This inter-disciplinary wonder takes inspiration from the beautiful and mysterious unknown, celestial navigation, infinity, transformation, strangers, and dying stars.
Created and performed by: Natalie Agee, Marci Blackman, C. Ryer Cooley, Lee Free Avi Fox, Diana Y Greiner, and Anna Jacobs.
ha: a solo
March 24-26, 2011
Thursday-Saturday at 8:00PM
Danspace Project
Part of Platform 2011: Body Madness - Rhythm & Humor, curated by David Parker
ha is an evening in two parts furnished by thoughts about repetition, timing, space, proximity, exaltation, sunglasses, intimacy, intensity, speed, quiet, cliché, the angriest movie in cinema, crumping, booze, camp, explosions, slide whistles, and rim shots. Truscott considers the distinctions between wit, humor, and sadness, and why we often look the same whether we are laughing, bawling, shrieking, drunk, or coming.
Here's what culturebot wrote about the show: http://culturebot.net/2011/03/9926/adrienne-truscott-at-danspace-project/
More about Adrienne and her work can be found here: http://www.adriennetruscott.com
Empire State of Mind
Our Hit Parade
January 27, 2010 at Joe's Pub
"n. a. + a. n." (Natalie Agee and Aimee Norwich) were thrilled to be appear at Joe's Pub with so many of their favorite performers again! They performed their cover version of Alicia Key's "Empire State of Mind".OUR HIT PARADE is a live top-ten countdown show created by Tony nominee and Obie winner Kenny Mellman (Kiki & Herb), carnal chanteuse Bridget Everett (At Least It's Pink at Ars Nova), pop song opera impresario Neal Medlyn (Neal Medlyn's Unpronounceable Symbol at P.S. 122), producer and MTV cameraman Brendan Kennedy, and writers Ada Calhoun and Peter Schjeldahl.
The show is inspired by the musical sketch series Your Hit Parade that ran on radio and then television from 1935 to 1959. On that show, cast members performed the week's most popular songs as comically literal skits. In this show, the hosts and special guest stars from the local performance scene present their renditions of current popular hits live on stage! Rotating guests include: Billy Eichner, Molly Pope, Lady Rizo, Randy Harrison, Jenn Harris, Murray Hill, Sherry Vine, Corn Mo, The Wau Wau Sisters, and many more...
David Neumann/ advanced beginner group: "Big Eater"
"Big Eater" is a multi-disciplinary dance-based work performed by Andrew Dinwiddie, Weena Pauly, Kennis Hawkins, Will Rawls, Neal Medlyn, and yours truly.
Video compositions by Richard Sylvarnes, lighting design by Dave Moodey, projections by Bryna Lieberman, costumes by Kaye Voyce, sound design by Katie Down, and additional compositions by Stew.
It premiered at The Kitchen: Center for video, music, dance, performance, film + literature on March 4, 2010.
I am so honored to be a part of this project. It reminds me of a picture of a picture of a picture of a picture...(do you remember those?) A way to see something from one moment in time, as it also repeats throughout time. And as it does, it offers a perspective that changes, too... This piece has so many elements that are woven together--so creatively, so beautifully--in so many different ways. My love for this group of people is also huge. They are joy and inspiration to be around; I love dancing with them!
We had residencies at Barishnikov Art Center, White Oak, Hunter College and Emory University.
"There is something in Mr. Neumann's choreography--an expansiveness, combined with a sophisticated humor and a lurking sense of loss--that seems especially American. If early rehearsals are any indication, "Big Eater will offer the best of both words: art as crowd pleaser" ~Claudia La Rocco, New York TimesFor more information about David Neumann/ advanced beginner group, visit his website: www.advancedbeginnergroup.org
Human Nature
Our Hit Parade: Michael Jackson Edition
July 29, 2009
Joe's Pub
"n. a. + a. n." (Natalie Agee and Aimee Norwich) performed their own beautiful version of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature". This special rendition included Aimee Norwich's re-production of the song, and their original choreography, so special and wildOUR HIT PARADE is a live top-ten countdown show created by Tony nominee and Obie winner Kenny Mellman (Kiki & Herb), carnal chanteuse Bridget Everett (At Least It's Pink at Ars Nova), pop song opera impresario Neal Medlyn (Neal Medlyn's Unpronounceable Symbol at P.S. 122), producer and MTV cameraman Brendan Kennedy, and writers Ada Calhoun and Peter Schjeldahl.
The show is inspired by the musical sketch series Your Hit Parade that ran on radio and then television from 1935 to 1959. On that show, cast members performed the week's most popular songs as comically literal skits. In this show, the hosts and special guest stars from the local performance scene present their renditions of current popular hits live on stage! Rotating guests include: Billy Eichner, Molly Pope, Lady Rizo, Randy Harrison, Jenn Harris, Murray Hill, Sherry Vine, Corn Mo, The Wau Wau Sisters, and many more...
Emberly & the Fireflight
"Emberly & the Fireflight"is a dark, wild, and lovely tale on a spinning trapeze that Ryder Cooley and I conceived, created and performed together.
It premiered at The Above the Belt Aerial Showcase at The Tavern on Dec. 14, 2008.
We performed a ground-based version of it at Sini Anderson's tooth fairy party/benefit on SWAN Day, March 28, 2008.
The piece was also performed at Union Pool on Feb. 13, 2009 to benefit the Swimming Cities of Serenissima (a fleet of hand-crafted boats, designed by the artist Swoon, and crewed by a group of artists and performers, that would float to Venice on the Adriatic Sea that summer).
It graced the circus tent at The Watermill Center on July 25, 2009.
Animalia
C. Ryder Cooley's "Animalia: Stories of Collapse, Calamity, and Departure" is a lyrical, inter-species fairytale inspired by the performative behavior of animals and insects. It combines aerial movement, projection and live music (on accordion, upright bass, and singing saw). Performed within a landscape of mesmerizing video and archival film, the work invokes visions of human and animal interrelations, secret bee societies and haunted circus scenes.
Exploring metaphors of flight as departure points from environmental collapse and the hallucinatory effects of war, this narrative travels through a sequence of dystopic tableaux. By appropriating the masculine power symbol of the buck 'rack' and reinserting it onto a feminine characters, the narrative blurs the divisions between masculine/feminine identity and human/animal forms.
I feel honored to have been part of this piece for these performances:
Proctor's Mainstage Theater (Schenectady, NY) September 2009; The Watermill Center (Watermill, NY) May 2009; The Skybox (Brooklyn, NY) June 2009; The LOF/t (Baltimore, MD) December 2010. Video excerpts can be seen here.
C. RYDER COOLEY is an interdisciplinary artist, musician and performer. You can find out more about her amazing work by visiting her website: www.carolynrydercooley.org
Sam and Wilbur
This trapeze act is an inter-species love story called "Sam and Wilbur". "n.a. + a.n." (Aimee Norwich and I) performed it for the Above the Belt Aerial Showcase at The Zipper Factory on Nov. 2, 2008.
Photos by Lauren Goldberg
The Bicycle Dialogues
"The Bicycle Dialogues" is an acrobatic collaboration between Diana Y Greiner, myself, and our BMX Bike, 'Baby Blue'. We performed it at Ruby Streak Trapeze Studio for Bushwick Open Studios on December 2, 2007...Act Now: A One-Time Only, Pre-Election, Anti-War Call-to-Action and Variety Show at Judson Church on January 18, 2008... and for Avantgardarama at P.S.122 on May 10, 2008. In this video clip of the Act Now show, you'll see us in the mix, along with many friends and inspirations.
Photo by Mark Tusk
Read about what The Brooklyn Rail had to say about us here:
http://www.brooklynrail.org/2008/02/dance/act-now-a-variety-show-review
genesis, no!
Adrienne Truscott's "genesis, no!" is a brilliant dance with so many rare finds inside of it. The folks in this dance are: Adrienne Truscott, Carmine Covelli, Neal Medlyn, David Neumann, and myself. This show was performed at P.S.122 (March 22-25, 2007), and at Dance Theater Workshop (March 19-22, 2008).
You can find lots more about Adrienne and her work at http://www.adriennetruscott.com
Mandy
"Mandy", the trapeze act, was created for Aimee Norwich's cover tune of the song by the same name. This piece was performed at the Zipper Factory on August 26, 2007...at the Charm City Kitty Club (Baltimore) on October 5-6, 2007...and at S.L.A.M. on October 20, 2007.n.a. + a.n.
"n.a. + a.n." is my band with musian/composer Aimee Norwich. This is our first CD: "I Love You". Other places where you can find info about us are: www.myspace.com/naplusan and www.naplusan.com.
The title track of this album touched the heart of David Garland , WNYC's Host of "Evening Music", and "Spinning on Air". He added it to his WNYC Spinning on Air Mixtape No. 3. To listen to this program (from Sunday July 13, 2008 on 93.9FM) click here.
After just one listen, Curve Magazine thought we should get a special mention. Here's what the October 2008 Issue looks like, so you can find us there. 15% of our profits from this CD will go to organizations working for peace, so perhaps you'd like to start working toward that with us now. Here's where you can get one!: http://cdbaby.com/cd/naan
Brand New Highway
These are excerpts from an evening-length show called "Brand New Highway", that I made in collaboration with Sini Anderson and Rebecca Stronger for the National Queer Arts Festival (SomArts Theater, San Francisco) in June 2006. To see a clip of my race car trapeze act, click here. Original music for this show was composed by Aimee Norwich, Lawrence Simonitsch and Capital B. Videos were by Sini Anderson and Luke Woodward.Songbird
"Songbird" was created for the Bushwick Art Project, in November 2005, and was an interactive carnival set up in a stairwell on Morgan Ave, in Brooklyn. The songbird (a.k.a. yours truly) could sing any song in the world for anyone. (The acoustics in there were awesome!) Original sound samples--carnival, birds, laughter, songbird announcer, hip-hop /waltzy /march /rock beats--were created by Lawrence Simonitsch.1000 Paper Cranes
I made "1000 Paper Cranes" with Heidi Dorow for an International Peace Day event in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, in September 2005. Lawrence Simonitsch performed his original soundscape.
They Will Use the Highways
In Adrienne Truscott's "They Will Use the Highways" Truscott considers the possibilty of dance erupting and interrupting everywhere and anywhere from the found elements of the surrounding world. Inspired by several trips on the New Jersey Turnpike and musing on the dubious relevance of modern dance, Truscott places disparate and incongruous elements in juxtaposition to create surprising revelations. Along the way she attempts to confound herself and her dancers into a state of heightened awareness by making the hardest dance that absolutely anyone could do.
Created in collaboration with David Neumann, Natalie Agee, Carmine Covelli, Neal Medlyn, Mauri Walton and Dickie Dibella.
This piece was performed at P.S. 122 in April 2005.
You can find lots more about Adrienne and her work at http://www.adriennetruscott.com
Wishing Well
"Wishing Well" was a full-length show made in collaboration with the incomparable Angela Livermore. This show was performed at the Astor Theater in Milwaukee in April 2005.
The Birds Flew in You
"The Birds Flew in You" was made in collaboration with Lawrence Simonitsch, who also made original music for the show. It was performed with Catherine Bodnar, David Adamo, Molly Chanoff and Paul Coughlin at Dance Space, Inc., NYC, in March 2005.Mardou
David Wirch and Shira Vardi perfomed with me in "Mardou"--see an excerpt below--at Dance Space, Inc. in March 2004. My octopus tub was built by Lawrence Simonitsch.Shivers, the Blue-Slanted Dive, and the Sky Sailor
"Shivers, the Blue-Slanted Dive, and the Sky Sailor" was performed at The Brooklyn Lyceum in March 2003 with Rebecca Stronger.
LAVA
Excerpts from LAVA performances, 1999-2003. LAVA is a troupe of women who develop and perform artistic works that combine dance, theater, and acrobatics in New York City and elsewhere in the United States.Raintree
"Raintree" was a dance I choreographed/performed at The Kitchen Theater in 1998 for "Hybrid Nights". Nick Katsinis, helped me build the umbrella tree forest.
Llory Wilson's Talullah Dance Company
This is a segment of a 70-minute dance piece made by a major influence, life-long friend, and brilliant choreographer, Llory Wilson. This show, "Lush Mechanique", toured in 1995, and sprung me into the world. The "Tallulah Dance Company" was: Llory Wilson, Kate Basart, Teddy Fogarty, Andrea Beckham, Vanessa Schoeni, and me. These are the roots of my inspiration.