Artistic Director Toni Pimt
works “Silk and Steel” and
reviving a fan favorite, ‘
By Jack Clifford
Oregon Daily Emerald
Although “Skinwalkers” re
ceived top billing for the Eugene
Ballet’s season-opening perform
ances this weekend, the premiere
of Artistic Director Toni Pimble’s
work “Silk and Steel” might just
steal the show.
The dance company opens its
1999-2000 schedule Saturday
night at the Hult Center for the
Performing Arts and then returns
for a Sunday matinee.
“Skinwalkers” is a powerful
dance piece, drawing its inspira
tion from a book of paintings by
Southwest artist Helen Hardin, a
Santa Clara Indian. Hardin’s work
combined traditional art themes of
the Southwest with cubism and
expressionism. Each of the seven
dances in “Skinwalkers” are
named after Hardin paintings.
Pimble premiered this ballet in
Eugene five years ago, however,
and the re-staging process includ
ed reviewing videotapes of those
1995 shows. Dancer Jennifer Mc
Namara, who originally helped
the director choreograph “Skin
walkers,” also contributed to the
comeback effort.
Pimble said she did a little bit of
rechoreographing and tightening
up of certain dance phrases to sat
isfy those ballet patrons who
might feel too familiar with “Skin
walkers.”
“It’s always interesting to revisit
a piece,” Pimble said. “It was nice
to have five years. in between so I
could look at it with fresh eyes.”
According to legend, skinwalk
ers are a secret society and their
le premieres her new
“First Meeting,” while
The Skinwalkers.”
actual existence is in
question. Of the seven
dance segments, Pimble
admitted to a preference
for one titled “Changing
Woman.”
That dance incorpo
rates a fertility theme,
with a solo female dancer
— representing Kokopelli
in insect form — taking
center stage, until other
female dancers join the
scene. The group then in
vites the male dancers to
join the ritual.
The stage setting for
“The Skinwalkers” cap
tures Hardin’s imagery,
thanks to costume and set
designers Lynn Bowers
and Marty Nelson. Lloyd
Sobel handled the light
ing effects.
Bowers created 13 sus
pended panels, which are back
painted with Southwest-style art
images of birds, and Sobel’s light
ing process causes an illusion of
the birds appearing and disap
pearing throughout the dances.
After an intermission, the “Silk
and Steel” presentation will liter
ally stampede onto the stage, Pim
ble said.
The first section of the dance is
called “Istanpitta,” a Spanish term
for stampede. Pimble said the fes
tive banners, resembling color
crayons, are carried onstage in a
progression from primary to sec
ondary colors.
The overall piece relies heavily
on a free-association style of danc
ing, she said.
“What comes out is what comes
out,” she said. “People watching
the show will read their own ideas
into the dancing.”
“Silk and Steel” is separated
into five sections, she said. It
harkens back to an Elizabethan
feel, even though there is no direct
reference. For one aspect of “Silk
and Steel,” the director called
upon some recent reading she did
related to a Renaissance festival.
Dancers carrying huge umbrellas,
would dance along 15-foot high
castle walls, then jump off and
float down with help from the um
brellas.
Pimble’s dancers will also carry
umbrellas — made of aluminum,
about three feet in diameter and
weighing around 30-35 pounds.
Don’t expect to see the same end
result as the festival, though.
“It would have been really fun
to have the dancers jump off the
walls,” Pimble said, with a laugh.
“But I didn’t want to end up with
any injured dancers.”
Local artist Steven Oshatz col
laborated with Pimble on the um
brellas’ construction, adding his
screenprinted silk to the metal
structures. His work relationship
with Pimble spans 20 years, but he
said this particular project added
some new twists.
“When we first started talking,
Toni would come to my studio
and she’d give me ideas that she
was working on, but nothing exist
ed really, just a concept,” he said.
“We went through a process of
scaling it down to what was
doable and when she finally came
with what she wanted, she said
‘Go wild.’”
Those initial meetings began
about a year-and-a-half ago, and
Oshatz just finished his work last
Thursday. He said he has not yet
seen the completed product.
“It was exciting for me because I
had the opportunity to really play
with the silk and dyes the way I
wanted to,” he said. “Toni just
wanted to create exciting objects
for the dancers to play with.”
Pimble admitted to a longtime
desire to work with steel and she
sees parallels between her concept
for “Silk and Steel” and the
dancers who perform the piece.
“You can draw parallels to the
dancers being very graceful, but
very strong,” she said.
The third ballet performance is
a piece titled “First Meeting.” The
title explains the section, as it re
volves around dancers meeting
choreographer, the public meeting
the dancers, and the dancers first
meeting on stage.
“The Skinwalkers” runs Oct. 23
at 8 p.m. and Oct. 24 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $12-$55. Call 682-5000
for more information.
ijl ci#3m J All photos for “The Skinwalkers” courtesy of Kent Peterson
The Skinwalkers is just one of three dance pieces scheduled for the Eugene Ballet’s opening night.
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