A Chat with Artistic Director- Lindsay Schaefer

by Lindsay Schaefer

Here are my answers to some questions on Silent Dance from my wonderful friend and artistic supporter for Artists in Unity- Natalia Brophy. Silent Dance was finished on large part because of her emotional support as a friend and fellow artist.  Every conversation a year back was around Silent Dance from the making, to the layers behind it, to the complexities to finish the film, and more.  She was more than a friend at this time. She would listen as a fellow artist and understand the deepness and meaning behind everything in my heart and why I had to finish the project and bring more and more collaborators into the picture.

There was never judgment on the work or the length of time it was taking me to complete it all. She kept giving me inspiration to dig deeper within myself to make it all happen.   She is the main reason why I want Artists in Unity to have a Gathering Board.  I want an emotional support network and something more than just financial donators meeting once in awhile to hear about work for our company Artists in Unity.  Emotional support networks and what I hope to start with our Gathering Board for AIU is how intense projects such as Silent Dance can be created and completed in the long run.   I want the realness of people and their hearts coming to the table.  I want people to see and hear everything in this heart of mine, as an artist, as Natalia did a year back.

Enjoy our little chat session on Silent Dance.  We hope you will continue to follow the AIU blog for more intense chats and maybe even a film capture in the future of myself and this beautiful friend of mine on the hopes and future developments for Silent Dance and Artists in Unity.

What or who inspired you to create Silent Dance? Any particular person you want to mention?

Silent Dance started as a work in progress for stage.  I was taking Tango classes and Ballet classes at this time and finding myself watching every action of the women in these classes that I was taking.  Their personalities would alter with one given word, combination, or reaction from teacher or fellow dancer.  There were so many similarities between tango and ballet and I believe that was my draw to the Tango.

As you all know I was trained as a ballerina first and appreciate greatly that foundation in training. It truly has allowed me to go into so many different disciplines in the arts because of its focus and dedication that you have to give to ballet when studying.  There is no giving up when you are a ballerina.  You have to make it happen with the body that you have.  Since I had such   great training from Trinette Singleton, Nana Badrena, and Victoria Fisher Clark, I learned the importance of ballet and that I may not look like a NYC Ballerina but I have the capabilities to do the work of ballet.  Their drive and belief in me made me never give up and to fight for dance till the end in every discipline that may be before me.

Ballet is the work of the devil in a way.  Once you start Ballet you never want to stop.  And some may say, the Tango is no different.  I appreciate every opportunity I had to allow my own body to discover these disciplines and the ground work especially emotionally that these two disciplines gave me to create Silent Dance.

Not one person in particular inspired the work of Silent Dance.  Its multiple personalities I watched to create the choreography and the story behind Silent Dance.  Even my own personality changed in ways to discover the essence behind the movement of both disciplines I was researching.  Once I focused on the fact of being present with the movement (NOT AS A DANCER) but as a WOMAN in Tango and Ballet then all the choreography for Silent Dance as a work in progress developed and the film base followed not much after that.

Do you remember the moment that you knew that Silent Dance had to be created?

Yes, I do!  Silent Dance started forming in this artistic mind of mine almost 8 years back.  And it was a process and self discovery in a way to make it all happen.  I was nursing my daughter Penelope at around 6 or 7 months of age and finding myself reflecting back on a past opportunity in my dance career to take part in film. Well, I didn’t do that past opportunity in film that I just mentioned. However, I found that after having Penelope a part of me wanted to dive into something new.   I had such creativity brewing in me from her birth till about the time she turned one.  I can say AIU and all the works that I developed over the past couple of years first originated during that year after P was born.

I kept seeing these small visions in front of me such as a woman reflecting back or walking through stages of her life in nature or through her home.  I saw in these visions the woman walking in a slip dress of light color and moving at times and being still at others. This imagery or daydreaming and journaling turned into a piece called Sun, Earth, and Breath: A Woman’s Circle.

This reflection and journaling lead to the first stages of playing around with photography work with large scale projection during a live performance of dance.  I share this because this past 20 minute piece gave me the confidence to dive into film.   I was working with a wonderful photographer at this time Mike Kubel who truly allowed me to connect with the camera as an artist.  I am appreciative of every ounce of his support and passion that he placed into AIU in the company’s first two years.  If I didn’t have that opportunity with Mike Kubel I don’t know if Silent Dance would have ever materialized.  I believe greatly in the process to developing fantastic art.  And the photo shoots from 2 years back really gave me a connection with the camera as if I was speaking to it with my dancing.

I knew then that I was ready to take the plunge into film with dance.   Dance for Camera is really different then a live stage presentation of dance.  With Dance for Camera you need to know how to communicate beyond an audience.  You need to feel as if you are telling the story as if it is just happening through your body movements.  It is finding the rawness of the movements and the first initial feeling that you once had in order to develop those movements that you need for camera.  On top of this all you need to know your body angles in and out so that the camera picks up every beautiful line and facial expression. You have to forget the camera is there in a way in order to dance and communicate the work as if no one is watching.  Dance for Camera is very internal and reminds me so much of how I feel when I am connected to my own yoga practice.  It is a digging feeling that you need to get to in order to create the best work.  I did my best with Silent Dance but I know in my heart the next work will be even better.  I am addicted to the process of dance and film and every layer that goes into creating a work such as Silent Dance.

Did you have doubts whether or not you could produce the dance film or did you just know that it was meant to be done?

When I first started out with the process of choreography in October 2011, I was on a high adrenaline rush and trying to piece all my thoughts together from my research in the Ballet and Tango classes.   I think this rawness, realness, and just seeing these visions of women and their personalities and my own personality within Ballet and Tango drove me to create the work.

Honestly, in the beginning process everything lined up pretty easy for me.  The wall solo in Silent Dance work in progress is the main component of choreography that I based the film off of.   Once I had that created the location and what I saw for the rest of the film lined up.  I knew immediately I needed an artistic filmmaker without a doubt.  I wanted for Silent Dance more than just a dance work.  I wanted it to speak a story about a woman and her finding of herself or breaking free.  I needed another artistic collaborator in film with as much passion and energy as I had in dance to make the story behind Silent Dance come alive or to even give it another twist.

Andy To is the other voice, artistic spirit, and drive behind Silent Dance.  I remember being in a meeting with him and he says to me- “Lindsay, don’t worry about the plot or theme.  It is all there.  I can see the picture of the woman that you want.  I can see the picture of reflection of almost looking back to years ago.”  And this is why dancers and artists need collaborators and why fantastic art and development comes from multiple minds working and bouncing ideas off each other.  If Andy didn’t understand all my crazy thoughts and energy coming out him 2 years back Silent Dance may not be in front of us right now.  He is my rock.  He is my collaborator through and through and I look forward to growing this company with him by my side.   We have a collaboration and understanding of each other as artists that some people work years if not decades to find.

So did I have doubt?  Yes, as every artist does.  I questioned the work after the residency the most.  I saw how everyone on the project would go their separate ways after our weekend at Kirkland.  I saw how I would have to rebuild my company again after getting so attached to everyone on that crew. I knew all the work that Andy and I had in front of us and believed in my heart we would pull it off with time.  I remember walking into the editing room with Andy for the first time and seeing the raw footage in front of me. Seeing Kelly and Sandra and everyone else that worked their magic in that residency through the film.  I remember just wanting to cry because I could see two disciplines of art coming together as one.  I could see the dream of Artists in Unity becoming a reality and defining the importance of multidisciplinary art. We achieved it- Silent Dance was more than dance.  It was a work of multiple disciplines and would continue to strive for that excellence until complete.

If you could describe “Silent Dance” in three words what would they be?

Reflection, Woman, and Journey would be the three words I would use to describe Silent Dance. I feel in my heart the beauty of Silent Dance is that it will speak a thousand different interpretations since multiple disciplines of art are involved.

Everyone that knows Andy and Dana will see a piece of their hearts through the film.  And everyone that knows me and hears the passion in me for art will see the digging I did to create this beautiful work and to bring everyone together to pull it all off.

I will be happy if everyone that views Silent Dance can just walk away with the appreciation of multidisciplinary art and everything that is behind it.  I will be honored if a silence and peace comes over everyone that watches Silent Dance.  If stillness and appreciation are found then I did my job!

What is the main theme of the film? When and why did you come up with the name?

I will share our promotional write up for Silent Dance.  I think this promo speaks the main theme and meaning behind it all.   I hope it excites everyone to come see Silent Dance and to help us find ways to present the film throughout the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

The name for Silent Dance was placed on the Work in Progress in November 2011.  I fell in love with the name because it allowed the movement to have multiple meanings.  Is a woman feeling sensual through the wall solo? Is a woman within the work feeling innocent or powerful?  Or is it a goal for all women to see the beauty in every attribute that we may have and try in some way to balance everything that is within us to become almost still to define ourselves.  To become Silent with the Dance around us is when we find the beauty and circle within us all.

Since the work was performed with music it challenged the audience and other artists to look beyond the title.  And even when developing more choreography for the film and the scenes to make the work in progress more, I challenged myself to use no music and develop text with a fellow actor.

Silent Dance has so many layers behind it from the creating, choreography, to the residency, to the editing, to the score, to the musicians and the dancers-

Its silence speaks to all that will watch.

 

Silent Dance-

Embraces Reality,

Embraces Obstacles,

Embraces Change.

 

A Woman’s Journey-

Through Dance and Film to become

Full,

Complete,

Present with self.

 

A Woman’s reflection of time gone by

As stages pass in front of her.

 

Silent Dance-

Through Movement,

Through Score,

Through Film

The Silence within the Art

 

Defines reflection

As if a woman is flipping back through a photo album

 

The stages of life are carried out

The interpretation of Silent Dance speaks many different languages

 

Find the Beauty within the Movement

Find the Quietness within the Meaning

Find the Acceptance of Self

Within Silent Dance