Appalachian State University's Office of Cultural Affairs
Presents

LIZ LERMAN DANCE EXCHANGE'S "HALLELUJAH"

April 27, 2002
Farthing Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Boone, North Carolina

Conceived and Directed by
Liz Lerman, Artistic Director and Founder

Peter DiMuro, Associate Artistic Director
Jane Hirshberg, Producing Director

Music Director: Robert Een
Music composed by Andy Teirstein and Robert Een
Lighting Designed by Michael Mazzola and Chloe Brown
Production Manager: Chloe Brown
Final Editing: Peter DiMuro and Liz Lerman

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange Company:
Peter DiMuro, Thomas Dwyer, Margot Greenlee, Elizabeth Johnson, Liz Lerman, Kazu Nakamura, Marvin Webb, Martha Wittman
Also performing in Boone: Celeste Miller (Resident Artist), Ted Johnson, Michelle Pearson (Guest Artists), Sharon Chaiklin, Nicole Williams (Apprentices)

PROGRAM

Excerpts from Dances At A Cocktail Party (2002)
Conceived and Directed Liz Lerman
Choreography by Liz Lerman and the Company
Original Scenic and Lighting Design by Michael Mazzola
Costume Design by Naoko Nagata
Music composed by Leonard Bernstein
By arrangement with Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Co. LLC, copyright owner and publisher; and Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., sole agent.
This excerpt is part of a piece that was commissioned by the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

HALLELUJAH: In Praise of Peaks and Valleys (2002)
Performed and created by Liz Lerman Dance Exchange with guests from the Boone Community
Project Leader/Artistic Development: Michelle Pearson
Project Assistance: Marvin Webb
Directed by Peter DiMuro
Lighting Design/Production Management: Chloe Brown
Technical Director/Sound Design: Michael Van Sleen
Music Composed by: Robert Een
Re-mixed by DJs Dru Luck and Know One, including samples by Roni Size and Reprezent

Intermission

UNEASY DANCES
Building on the company's "Hallelujah" experiences in southeastern Michigan, and then later in upstate New York, a new work has emerged that has become a reservoir of expression for much of what the company was feeling during the months of September and October of 2001. This new work, "Anatomies and Epidemics," will be preceded by "Journey," "an investigation of emerging self-awareness," in a diptych of Uneasy Dances.

Journey (1981)
Choreography by Liz Lerman
Text by Peter Handke from Self-Accusation
Lighting by Chloe.· Brown
Performed by Thomas Dwyer
"Self-Accusation" from "Kaspar and other Plays" by Peter Handke. Copyright 1968 by Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt am Main. English translation copyright 1989 by Farrar Strauss and Giroux, Inc. This adapted version of "Self-Accusation" is used by permission of Suhrkamp Verlag, Farrar Strauss and Giroux, Inc.

Anatomies and Epidemics (2002)
Conceived and Directed Liz Lerman
Choreography by Liz Lerman and the Company
Original Lighting Design by Michael Mazzola
Music composed by Alan Hovhaness, Spike Jones, Andy Teirstein

ABOUT THE HALLELUJAH PROJECT
"In Praise of Peaks and Valleys"

This "Hallelujah" project marks the culmination of a year-long planning process in Boone. The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange also conducted other site-specific performances and residency services in Asheville, Greensboro and Raleigh during the spring/summer of 2002. The company worked with several campus and community groups during their visits to Boone – including faculty and students from the Appalachian State University Dance Department and Expressive Arts Therapy Program, as well as community members associated with the Watauga Youth Network, Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation Center, and the Strata G Division Breakdance Crew.

The Office of Cultural Affairs would like to thank: Vicki Vitiello, George Thorn and Nello McDaniel for the support provided by the Learning Audiences North Carolina initiative; Jim Wooten and Best Western Blue Ridge Plaza for hotel accommodations; Sally Atkins and the Expressive Arts Therapy program; Marianne Adams, Valerie Midgett, Susan Lutz and ASU's Department of Theatre and Dance; ASU's School of Music; Georgia Rhoades; Ryan Harwood, Youth Resource Center Coordinator at the Watauga Youth Network; Jeff Eason and The Mountain Times; Pam Isaacs, Sallie Woodring and the staff and residents of Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation Center; Strata G Division Breakdance Crew; Toni Carlton; Frederick Coffey and Coffey's Restaurant; photographer Angela Greene; Mike Hill and Purveyors of Art and Design Materials Inc. for providing matting and framing materials for the photographic exhibit; and countless others who participated along the way.

PROGRAM NOTE

"In Praise of Peaks and Valleys" has come to be a mysterious potion of certain but still surprising consequences. The folks who have gathered in rehearsals over the last few months to become the main ingredients in this brew have offered a wide range of views on everything from boundaries, zoning, geography and politics to the nature of the best viewing spot for the profile of Grandfather Mountain. This community has also thrown their stories, images and art-making ideas into the stew to create this new "Hallelujah."

When we first came to Boone, we heard tale that "this little valley can't hold much more." People shared the highs and lows of living in Boone and presented a range of mixes that exist here in this valley. We immediately became interested in what happens when mountain folk and college kids mix. When ancient mountains undergo construction roadblocks, when scenic views are crowded by tourists. In asking questions, we found answers and even more questions – this spirit has led to a tone of driving and healthy curiosity in rehearsals – perfect for making art and potions.

The Dance Exchange has made a rotation of visits to fourteen other cities in the last four years on the "Hallelujah" Trail – each one with a process and performance outcome as diverse as possible. Some highlights – January 1, 2000: a dance at dawn, on the docks of the eastern-most tip of the United States with fishermen and their families who inhabit Eastport, Maine. May, 2001: in the sculpture garden of the Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis, the company performs the gestures of the Hmong tradition, interspersed with what the Hmong teens called "American" gestures, in a dance that bridges continents and centuries. Late September, 2001: on stage in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at a time when questions seemed endless, and answers only seemed relevant when they came intertwined in movement, text and the voices of Rudy Hawkin's Gospel Singers.

These "Hallelujahs" – along with many others – bring us to Spring/Summer, 2002, experiencing the contagious pride and quest to answer that beginning question in four North Carolina cities, "So what is it y'all are in praise of?" Thanks to all who were involved, both on stage and in the process of collecting stories and images here in Boone; you are a continuing and vital link in Hallelujah.

Those of us at Dance Exchange would like to extend our thanks as well to the North Carolina Arts Council and all those that made this, and all our visits throughout the state, possible. This project's statewide scope was enabled by the creative collaboration of our presenters in Asheville, Raleigh, and Greensboro, and of course, Perry Mixter; Sali Gill-Johnson, Dena Light (who not only worked behind the scenes but appears on stage tonight, too), Charlotte Smith, Greg Williams, Frank Mohler and other staff of Appalachian State University/Cultural Affairs. Thank you for this opportunity to share our art in your community and on your stage.

Join us for our remaining North Carolina "Hallelujah" performance in Greensboro at the end of June. And by all means, come dance with us or be a part of the audience at our culminating national "Hallelujah event," in early August at College Park, MD. Drop a line or give us a call to find out more, or let us know of your responses to this evening's performance.

Michelle Pearson, North Carolina Project Director/Artistic Development
Peter DiMuro, Director/Hallelujah North Carolina Sites

COMMUNITY PERFORMERS

Marianne Adams, Sally Atkins, Robert Black, Nathan Bartholomew, Caroline Briggs, Akal Dev Sharonne, Jeff Eason, Jessica Espapa, Sarah Fahey, Anna Frimmel, Joy Frimmel, Allie Funk, Matthew Glassman, Lisa Gomez-Arnold, Gwenyfar, Andrew "Kermit" Herrmann, Rebecca Howe, Christi Kreahling, Creceda LeMaire, Dena Light, Andrea McColl, Andrew Luck, Campbell McMillan, Lumini Merced, Valerie Midgett, Amanda Morse, Iva Nadis Nafhat Sweis Nasr; Kat Nopper; Justin Peele, Light Roper, Anna Marie Smith, Rebekah Sylvester; Kathryn Ullom, Kate Walters and Jennifer Wilkerson.

Special thanks to Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation and the Watauga Youth Network for their roles in developing "In Praise of Peaks and Valleys." Participants from these organizations include:

Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation
Virginia Baker; Dorothy Brown, Pansy Bumgarner; Dorothy Clark, Kathryn Clark, Margaret Cook, Mary Cook, Elizabeth Critcher, Rosa Glenn, Jack Gragg, Arlene Greene, Carrie Greene, Jean Hodges, James Jones, Vivian Lindsey, Mildred Karuss, Peggy Maine, Sudie Mathes, Edith Miller; Bessie Minton, Beryle Powers, Francis Price, Judy Price, Alma Proffitt, Iva Lee Reese, Carrie Reese, Flora Rousso, Birdie Townsend and Blanche Watkins.

Watauga Youth Network
Erica Boenme, Matt Byrd, Joe Dockswell, Matt Glassman, Ryan Grimes, Josh Perkins, Ray Simcox, Luhke Turbeville, David Vanover; Jesse Walther; Tim Watson and Tyler Watson.

The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange "Hallelujah" project is supported, in part, by grants from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency; the National Endowment for the Arts, the Southern Arts Federation and the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds.

WHY "HALLELLJAH"?
Thoughts from the Cultural Affairs Artistic Director...

What you will witness tonight is far from what is normally presented on the ASU Performing Arts Series. Our artists normally arrive, perform, and depart, all in less than 24 hours. In contrast, tonight's "Hallelujah" performance is the product of months of planning with the company and countless hours of direct involvement by members of our community. Why in the world, from a curatorial standpoint, would we embark on such an involved project? You will see a lot of empty seats tonight – this work does not appeal to large audiences. We knew that going in: this project is not about selling tickets. As you will see, it is about building and exploring relationships. As relationships are messy and wonderful, so has this project has been messy and wonderful. (But more wonderful than messy!) Simply put, we took on this project because we have come to believe that immersive artistic experiences like "Hallelujah" have the potential to transform not just individual lives but also the life of our community. This performance can reflect what our community is all about. While experimental, this work also speaks to fundamental issues, about the way we live, work, communicate with each other. We believe the arts can and do play a central role in community dialogue. Whether audience or participant, I hope you will share your thoughts on this experience with me. To all who have brought Hallelujah to life in Boone, I am in praise of you!

H. Perry Mixter; Director
ASU Office of Cultural Affairs

DOCUMENTARY PHOTO EXHIBITION:
"Hallelujah" Project Workshops

Angela Greene, a photographer and staff member with the Office of Cultural Affairs, has been documenting the "Hallelujah" Project since the inception of the company’s residency in September. In covering the project, Greene has captured the movement of old and young alike, the experienced and the inexperienced. Her imagery reflects the opinion of the Lerman company that movement equals dance, thus challenging the assumption that one must be able to stand freely and walk about to express oneself though dance. Greene's photographs of the "Hallelujah" project’s community workshops feature the dancing of children, college students, professionals, and retirees, persons with disabilities and people who simply never considered themselves to be "dancers." The photographs can be viewed in the Catherine Smith Gallery of Farthing Auditorium through the end of the evening and are available for purchase.

LOCAL ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

MARIANNE ADAMS is an instructor of dance at ASU.

SALLY ATKINS is a professor within the Expressive Arts Therapy graduate program.

ROBERT BLACK is a graduate student within the Expressive Arts therapy program.

NATHAN BARTHOLOMEW is a biology major who is minoring in dance.

CAROLINE BRIGGS is a massage therapist/Renaissance woman.

AKAL DEV SHARONNE is a professional musician/flutist and yoga instructor.

JEFF EASON is a 41 year-old writer; photographer and musician. He is currently the Entertainment Editor for The Mountain Times. His hobbies include gardening, biking, traveling and bowling.

JESSICA ESPAPA is an Expressive Arts Therapy graduate student at Appalachian.

SARAH FAHEY is a Spanish education major and Dance minor who is a dancer for life. Love you BK!

JOY FRIMMEL is the granddaughter of Thomas, a Dance Exchange company member and a graduate of ASU's IDS department. "I love to dance. It's in my blood."

ANNA FRIMMEL is the granddaughter of Thomas, a Dance Exchange company member and says "Don't believe her. I'm the good twin."

ALLIE FUNK is a professor of Sociology at Appalachian State. She also has a farm in Ashe County where she raises sheep.

MATTHEW GLASSMAN is a senior CIS major and performing arts fan. He was last seen in the Dept of Theatre and Dance's production of "Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum." He loves to dance and this was a great pleasure, thank you.

LISA GOMEZ-ARNOLD is an ASU graduate from 1994. She is a former ADE dancer/choreographer. She emerges again.

GWENYFAR is an ASU student and an IDS major as well as owner of Queen Mab's Herbs.

ANDREW "KERMIT" HERRMANN is a fellow hip-hop enthusiast and collects bottle caps from all over the world.

REBECCA HOWE is a graduate student in the Expressive Arts Therapy program at ASU.

CHRISTI KREAHLING is a senior music therapy major at ASU. She is looking forward to graduating in May.

CRECEDA LeMAIRE is an Interdisciplinary Studies major at Appalachian and performs randomly at various venues using puppets, masks, and whatever else is around her studio.

DENA LIGHT is the Administrative Assistant for the Office of Cultural Affairs. Most recently, she directed the V-Day/Appalachian performance of "The Vagina Monologues."

ANDREA McCOLL began dancing before she was born, and is planning to be the first female president of the U.S.A.

ANDREW LUCK is an IDS major at Appalachian, breakdancer, and DJ.

CAMPBELL MCMILLAN has been dancing since dancing really meant running around and flapping your arms. Hopefully she has progressed since then because she certainly does like to dance.

LUMINI MERCED has been in transition for over a year. Rumor has it that she is cloistered in a monastery somewhere in these mountains. This evening's performance is a rare public appearance for her.

VALERIE MIDGET'T is a dance instructor at ASU and director of X Factor Contemporary Dance Company based in Boone.

AMANDA MORSE is hoping to one day graduate college and is so excited for the opportunity to dance in "the Project."

IVA NADIS NAFHAT SWEIS NASR is a professional massage and bodywork therapist. She is pursuing a graduate degree from Appalachian in Community Counseling with emphasis on Expressive Arts Therapy and Ecotherapy.

KAT NOPPER is a part time actress and hair stylist. This is her first performance in Boone.

JUSTIN PEELE is a strong supporter of the hip-hop culture and when not b-boying, spends his spare time traveling. He is a student at Appalachian, double majoring in Spanish and Latin American Studies.

LIGHT ROPER is a spiritual minister/counselor who loves gardening, traveling and playing!

ANNA MARIE SMITH has been dancing since she was three years old. She is an art student at Appalachian and is minoring in dance.

REBEKAH L. SYLVESTER is a 20-yr.-old psychology major and dance minor at Appalachian. She enjoys teaching kids dance and looking at incorporating dance into her psychology profession with mental rehabilitation.

KATHRYN ULLOM is the proud mother of two baby whales and an active godmother to all other sorts of marine life. Her dance career was first sparked by a close friend and confidant, Fred Astaire. At the age of nine, she went on to study ballet and jazz. She is currently a dance minor at ASU.

KATE WALTERS is an ASU student, IDS major; dreamer and emerging dancer.

JENNIFER WILKERSON is a psychology major and mother to her wonderful son Matthew