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<\/a>The Tenderloin National Forest
Photo by D. Silverman<\/p><\/div>
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<\/a>Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
This fall Anne Bluethenthal and dancers honored the space with \u201cSkywatchers: Bodies and Voices from the Tenderloin National Forest\u201d, a multi-dimensional performance piece and installation. Beginning in 2012, Bluethenthal introduced her project as a community engagement project, merging the voices and stories of community members with her dance company\u2019s visceral and emotional understanding of the space.<\/p>\n
Bluethenthal began developing the piece in June 2012, with a process of relationship building, which lead into a more in-depth process of collecting stories, interviews and movement material to use in the piece. Said Bluethenthal \u201cWe were really turning conversations into movement. After getting to know the community, individuals would show up with poems, art, songs, and dances to share\u201d.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the stories and projects of the community members, her company developed improvisational scores and choreography, which they performed with the community members in the space. Bluethenthal said, \u201cThe piece addressed the issue of poverty and homelessness in the Tenderloin, something that has affected so many community members directly\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers<\/p><\/div>\n
Bluethenhal\u2019s \u201cRandom Acts of Dance\u201d project inspired her to engage in the more long-term engagement project, \u201cSkywatchers\u201d. Everyday after rehearsal, Bluethenthal and dancers would go to a public location in San Francisco and perform improvisational \u201cRandom Act of Dance\u201d. From this project, Bluethenthal realized that she wanted to develop a site-specific project that \u201cwas not just appearing in a place but also allowed us to really understand and react to the space\u201d. From this idea she began immersing herself in the community at the Tenderloin National Forest as she developed plans for \u201cSkywatchers\u201d.<\/p>\n
The final piece incorporated song, dance, poetry and visual art from the community members and dancers in environment that encouraged the audience to wander and really feel the space.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers<\/p><\/div>\n
Bluethenthal\u2019s commitment to site-specific work has encouraged her to participate in dance anywhere. In 2012 Bluethenthal performed an improvisational piece on the stairway in the lobby of the SFMOMA. Bluethenthal likes that dance anywhere \u201cencourages people to engage in spontaneous acts of dance\u201d. She said, \u201cdance anywhere promotes the idea of art as part of the flow of life\u201d.<\/p>\n
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View Anne Bluethenthal’s dance anywhere page<\/a><\/p>\n For more information on Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers visit- http:\/\/bit.ly\/1bGxpI7<\/a><\/p>\n