EPISODES
ICEBREAKER—WHO IS LIZ LERMAN? (21:31)
Liz Lerman is a choreographer, performer, writer, and educator. A key aspect of her practice is a collaborative process directly involving a wide variety of community members: from shipbuilders and physicists, to veterans and construction workers. Her unique approach requires extensive research and results in performances that are participatory and timely. We take a look at her career to better understand her methods, before proceeding to subsequent episodes exploring Lerman’s toolbox.
COLLABORATION—METHODS AND MODES (32:37)
How can a group of collaborators practice as individuals, create as a group, and answer to a director simultaneously? Liz Lerman actively describes herself as “agitator, instigator, and synthesizer”, and her work is fostered by a philosophy rooted in collaboration. This episode explores how Lerman develops her work with a multi-disciplinary team.
WHO GETS TO MAKE—Everyone Dance! (37:13)
In her book Hiking the Horizontal, Lerman emphatically states, “I am interested in… performers who look like people dancing, not dancers dancing.” Lerman has challenged the assumption that only professionals can create beautiful dances with active research, listening, storytelling. In this episode we’ll hear from Healing Wars cast member and Navy Veteran Paul Hurley, and from other choreographers partnering with non-traditional performers.
DOCUMENTATION—PROCESS, ARCHIVE + PRODUCT (24:39)
In performance, documentation is vital. Videos, photographs, music, even props and costumes, are all records of time-based work. "Documentation" will build upon the discussion from previous episodes, and consider how artists, museums and organizations are utilizing documentation as an archive, tool and final product.
CRITIQUE—WHAT CAN FEEDBACK LOOK LIKE? (33:23)
Everyday we are asked to like, review, and rate—we live in a culture of critique. How is feedback structured? Is critique a form of research? The Critical Response Process (CRP), developed by Lerman, is a technique for eliciting critique on anything “from dance to dessert”. Together, with the help of several CRP facilitators, we’ll break down the process, and then consider additional modes of providing feedback.
CONCLUSION—THE TOOLBOX (12:21)
In this episode, we’ll reflect back on what we’ve heard so far. These are four of the many tools in Lerman’s practice. Are these tools for artists, makers and performers only? Do you want to use these tools and open this toolbox? How might they find a way into what you do?