Austin Downtown Arts Magazine
Dance
So Close
by Rachel Staggs
I spoke candidly with Kathy Dunn Hamrick about art, music,
dance and life. She is a fascinating person full of energy
and expression. Seven years ago Hamrick began presenting her
own work after teaching for several years. Beginning in September
of last year, she and her newly formed dance company began
creating a movement piece entitled So Close. The performers
include Kathy Dunn Hamrick, Kate Warren, Gaye Greever, Renne
Nunez, and Marlo Harris.
Hamrick states, "These dancers are all very curious
about movement, about dance, about art; they are inquisitive,
intuitive, and very intelligent. The really special thing
is that each one of these dancers is willing to invest themselves
in the process." So Close is about "how our lives
are fashioned not by our intentions, but by the actions of
others. Seen and unseen forces. We sort of bump and careen
through life and soar sometimes. It's how we are affected
by other people."
Each performance is unique and cannot be reproduced, so look
for moments of brilliance. The performance space is intimate
and in the round. The dancers will be using the entire space,
with movement flowing between the audience and behind the
audience. You will have to choose what you desire to observe
in any given moment, because movement will be all around you.
Hamrick compares this to everyday life, the choices we make,
and things we miss because of those choices.
Beginning with the word "almost," Hamrick and her
company began to create So Close. Phrases like, "this
close," "plan B," "and then a miracle
happened," "chance encounter," were used to
keep certain images in the dancers minds as they worked on
the material. In this piece, they allow those "almost"
and "so close" places to happen.
The future of Hamrick's dance company is a bright one, filled
with motivation and excitement about keeping a cohesive group
of dancers that grows together and performs together. With
a larger performance space in its future and possible touring,
this dance company can only grow. Look for the 'Art Is a Living
Process' series to develop and reach out into the community.
With a variety of topics, Hamrick hopes this series will invoke
the artist in everyone.
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