[3perc, vln, 4voices]
Timing: 15’55”
Mvt. 2:
Program note:
Colligare is a piece which was commissioned by Laura Poole and the Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation for the modern dance program. When Laura, the choreographer, first came to me she had a fairly clear idea about what she would like the program of the dance to be, from a narrative point of view, but had not yet begun any of the actual choreography. We spent a lot of time discussing the ideas, emotions and ‘atmosphere’ of the piece and what the ensemble should be. The ensemble that we finally settled on, three percussionists, four voices and solo violin, is a bit unusual but is really perfect for the situation. It was decided that the piece should be in three movements with the over all idea of the whole being that of a gradual shift from independent to group movements, thoughts and understanding. These three movements would then be roughly divided as follows:
The first movement would be about each of the five dancers moving very similar motion but totally unaware of the others – beginning by moving through an invisible maze and moving toward a very tight and more complex movement which might resemble ‘worms in a can’.
The second movement would be about loneliness, although not the kind of loneliness you might associate with actually being alone – here the loneliness would be more akin to being in a large and crowded city where there is a kind of forced anonymity. Through out this movement each of the five dancers would have a solo which explored this experience and the self-evaluation and introspection that tends to occur in those situations. This is also the only movement in which we hear the solo violin.
In the third movement we have a final coming together of these individuals into a whole. This idea of a gathering or coming together of thoughts, ideas and emotions is where the title comes from. Colligare in Latin roughly translates: to bind, fasten, unite or combine as well as to comprehend or comprise people, thoughts, or ideas.
This piece was premiered on February 5, 2004 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington, Indiana.
Commissioned by modern dance choreographer Laura Poole through the Indiana Unviersity School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.
Available from Woodyard Music Publishing:
Performances:
March 9, 2005 Auer Hall / Indiana University
Stacy Duggan, Chris Martin, Josh Bowman, perc; Ben Sung, vln;
Angelique Zuluaga, Colleen Hughes, Patricia Thompson, David Schneider, voice
February 5 & 6, 2004 Buskirk-Chumley Theater / Bloomington, IN
Stacy Duggan, Nick Pappador, David Dwinell, perc; Ben Sung, vln;
Angelique Zuluaga, Colleen Hughes, Patricia Thompson, David Schneider, voice
