http://www.artscatter.com/general/the-smooth-meets-the-idiosyncratic-skinnerkirkbielemeier/ a Portland-centric arts and culture blog Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:48:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 http://www.artscatter.com/general/the-smooth-meets-the-idiosyncratic-skinnerkirkbielemeier/comment-page-1/#comment-9089 Martha Ullman West Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:36:16 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/?p=867#comment-9089 I agree Barry that we need in these hard times, with harder to come I fear, more distractions like Bielemeier's "Half of Some, Neither of Either," but then Gregg as a friend has been essential to my life in the hardest of times, the aftermath of my husband's death, when he could make me laugh until I hurt, as an artist: performing in a supermarket; doing a dance with a stepladder in my house. As I watched his second solo last night (the third performance I attended) I realized that everything he does, everything he sees, is grist for the mill. Some years ago I was on assignment from Stage Directions to do an article on the restoration of the Elsinore Theater in Salem (and I recommend that Art Scatter fans attend a performance in that fabulous place) and Gregg came with me while I scoped it out. We were sitting in the empty house while our guide demonstrated the versatility of the pipe organ and Gregg said "I can't resist, I have to dance," and ran up onto the stage, improvising for maybe 90 seconds. He may not even know it, but those 90 seconds, last night anyway, were incorporated into that solo. We tend as Americans to think that art that makes us laugh isn't serious, as I've said many times in reviews of all kinds of dancing. Well, comedy is harder to produce than tragedy and comedy that isn't cute apparently nearly impossible these days. Not however for Mr. Bielemeier and like you Barry I decided not to be distracted by taking notes. One further comment--every one of the dancers in this pick up company is highly trained and well-seasoned in dance forms ranging from classical ballet to Ghanaian traditional dance, and that really showed in Skinner's piece as well as Kirk's very beautiful duet. This was not a matter of the luck that Willamette Week wished these performers while discussing all the challenges inherent in performing on a four-sided space and the intervention of unexpected personal emergencies. It's a matter of professionalism and commitment, and the wisdom that comes with experience and yes, age. It was a wonderful show, slow spots ironed out last night in Skinner's piece, everybody absolutely "on" in all three. I could go again tonight, but alas dancing is ephemeral, like the interest on our savings not to mention our jobs. I agree Barry that we need in these hard times, with harder to come I fear, more distractions like Bielemeier’s “Half of Some, Neither of Either,” but then Gregg as a friend has been essential to my life in the hardest of times, the aftermath of my husband’s death, when he could make me laugh until I hurt, as an artist: performing in a supermarket; doing a dance with a stepladder in my house. As I watched his second solo last night (the third performance I attended) I realized that everything he does, everything he sees, is grist for the mill. Some years ago I was on assignment from Stage Directions to do an article on the restoration of the Elsinore Theater in Salem (and I recommend that Art Scatter fans attend a performance in that fabulous place) and Gregg came with me while I scoped it out. We were sitting in the empty house while our guide demonstrated the versatility of the pipe organ and Gregg said “I can’t resist, I have to dance,” and ran up onto the stage, improvising for maybe 90 seconds. He may not even know it, but those 90 seconds, last night anyway, were incorporated into that solo.
We tend as Americans to think that art that makes us laugh isn’t serious, as I’ve said many times in reviews of all kinds of dancing. Well, comedy is harder to produce than tragedy and comedy that isn’t cute apparently nearly impossible these days. Not however for Mr. Bielemeier and like you Barry I decided not to be distracted by taking notes.
One further comment–every one of the dancers in this pick up company is highly trained and well-seasoned in dance forms ranging from classical ballet to Ghanaian traditional dance, and that really showed in Skinner’s piece as well as Kirk’s very beautiful duet. This was not a matter of the luck that Willamette Week wished these performers while discussing all the challenges inherent in performing on a four-sided space and the intervention of unexpected personal emergencies. It’s a matter of professionalism and commitment, and the wisdom that comes with experience and yes, age. It was a wonderful show, slow spots ironed out last night in Skinner’s piece, everybody absolutely “on” in all three. I could go again tonight, but alas dancing is ephemeral, like the interest on our savings not to mention our jobs.

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