Imagining Digital | Deeper Lecture: Wendy Perron

Early Bird Price Through August 31: $15
General Price: $20

The Grand Union

We tend to value choreography over improvisation, and the individual artist over a collective. But for six years in the 1970s, the Grand Union thrived as a democratic, leaderless, quasi-anarchistic band of vivid dance individuals. This was definitely during the “process-over-product” years, and related to that, Baba Ram Dass’s edict to “Be Here Now.” Most of this small group went on the become leaders in postmodern dance, including Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, David Gordon, Steve Paxton, Barbara Dilley, and Douglas Dunn. A sort of Zen-like de-focusing allowed things to sprout up from the unconscious — or from sheer body readiness — that no one could predict. I will show rare videos of the uncanny and unsmooth synergy that kept this group together but also pulled it apart. You will see seeds of the freedom they nurtured and the artists they became.

About Wendy Perron

Wendy Perron describes herself as “a dancer, choreographer, teacher, writer, editor, and always a dance addict.” The author of Through the Eyes of a Dancer and The Grand Union: Accidental Anarchists of Downtown Dance, 1970-1976 has an extensive, illustrious history in the field–from dancing with Trisha Brown’s troupe to pursuing her own choreography; curating for Jacob’s Pillow and Danspace Project; and contributing journalism and criticism to Dance Magazine, The Village Voice, The New York Times, Soho Weekly News, and Ballet Review. Perron served as Editor-in-Chief for Dance Magazine from 2004-2013 and has taught in numerous academic programs including Bennington College, Princeton University, Rutgers University, New York University, and, currently, The Juilliard School.

We encourage you to join this digital event in real time to participate in discussion and artist Q&As! However, if you are unable to join us at the time of the event, the full recording will be made available to all attendees 48 hours after the live event. Patrons will have access to that recording for 10 days via Gibney’s Vimeo account.

The Deeper Lecture series, curated by Eva Yaa Asantewaa features talks or other interactive discourse events designed to acquaint Gibney’s community of artists and audiences with the most provocative, influential, and inspiring minds at work in the arts, humanities and activism.

Photo by Da Ping Luo.