Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2005)
june 17.2005’ just OUt 55 DANCE ith his project Ten Tiny Dances, Port land choreographer Mike Barber insti gates dance on the edge, sometimes quite literally. In his piece, “Wicked,” for instance, the stage is actually tipped on end. The uniqueness of Ten Tiny Dances, now in its ninth edition, is largely inspired by its set of rules: The stage spans only 4 feet by 4 feet; dancers can only leave the stage for 15 seconds at a time; and each dance must be less than 15 minutes long. Unlike many guidelines that hamper cre ativity, the parameters of Ten Tiny Dances actu ally foment it. “That sense of confinement is such a cre ative spark, a challenge for choreographers,” says Barber, who is gay. Each work in Ten Tiny Dances is choreo graphed by a different artist, and each choreog rapher finds his or her own way to stretch the small space. In “Wicked,” Barber and collabo rator Cydney Wilkes met that challenge by turning the stage on end. Linda Austin filled the stage with multiple dancers. Daniel Addy, Barber’s partner, uti lized his aerial exper tise to add a vertical element to his dance. “People have been themselves in a beau tiful way, really work ed through the con cepts,” says Barber. In fact, Barber sees the artists’ com mitment to creating interesting, quality work as one of the main strengths of the project. To encourage a diverse show, he intentionally chooses choreographers with different skills and backgrounds, from Oregon Ballet The atre artistic director Christopher Stowell to performance artist Amber Martin. “I look for people Mike Barber and Cydney that are experi menters, innovative,” Tiny Dances. says Barber. Ten Tiny Dances has been more successful than Barber ever expected when he staged the first event in 2002 as a fund-raiser at Crush. During the Portland Institute for Contempo rary Art’s Time Based Art Festival last year, Barber estimates Ten Tiny Dances drew a crowd upward of 300. And in February, nearly 200 people filled Bluehour restaurant for the eighth edition. “From the first one, I realized that this is a great idea and kept doing it, and each one kept Big ideas, small stage Latest edition of Ten Tiny Vances brings together artists from Seattle and Portland by R ebecca R again Mike Barber Wilkes go full tilt in Ten proving itself,” says Barber. Part of the appeal for audiences is the opportunity to view a wide range of performance all in an evening’s outing. And because the pieces are short, nothing is too taxing to watch, adds Barber. The fact that Ten Tiny Dances is usually held in a bar or restaurant—one chosen for its own energy and atmosphere—doesn’t hurt atten dance. For many, it’s a more comfortable way to enjoy dance: eat, drink and be merry while watching area dancemakers strut their stuff. “That’s one of the things that I love about the event,” says Barber. “It is a party. It’s cabaret-ish, because you’ve got food and drink, but there’s also really incredible dance going on.” Barber has a lot of other dance projects on his plate, as well. He is a member of Minh Tran (Si Company and is working on an evening- long performance with his own company, Wi Ikes. Barher/Prox i m i ty. Still, he is constantly kx>king for new ways to expand the experience of Ten Tiny Dances. For instance, rhe ninth edition is a bi-city exchange between Portland and Seattle, featur ing five groups from each city. The performance will open June 19 in Seattle, with the assistance of Seattle choreographer Crispin Spaeth, then come to Portland the fol lowing week. Through this exchange, Barber hopes to increase the visibility of Ten Tiny Dances and to create more connections between the two dance communities. After this, he’s considering San Francisco, New York City and Boulder, Colo. “That’s the plan. I want to do other cities. I want to conquer the world,” he says. However, Portlanders are in no danger of Ten Tiny Dances withdrawal. Barber has secured a spot for Ten Tiny Dances in the Portland Building for May 2006, as part of the Regional Arts & Culture Council’s Installation Art Series. He says it’s the first time the space will be used for performance art. “The next experi ment with Ten Tiny for me is to do it for more public art,” says Barber. “As suc cessful as it is, I want to continue that, but I’m also looking for ways to keep it fresh, as well.” jm T en T iny D ances will be performed 8 p.m. June 26 at Bernie's Southern Bistro, 2904 N.E. Alberta St. Tickets are $15 at the door, cash only No reservations are accepted, so early arrival is recommended. R ebecxia R again is a Portland free-lance writer who thinks that short is cool. % join us are our passion yood food and friendship in the h /eiu Cdrleans manner. dturcLq 5-IOpm eJnesdaq |_ unck ll:3O-2:3C wine bar & restaurant Open 7 days 5 PM - Late 126 NE 28th Ave. (503) 236-WINE Portland’s Best-Kept Secret on 28th I3O3 NE Premont Ef www .creo I dip J x .com
