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Just Left of Remote explores ideas of aging and self-imposed isolation, and articulating mass and inertia through movement. Inspired by the Donald Judd sculptures at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, Michelle's work seeks to understand the tension between the desire to be recognized and the impulse to exist within an isolated world. Michelle suggests that by denying dance its essence, which is movement, ideas of aging and isolation can become visible. Forcing the audience to experience stillness allows the perception of time passing to creep into consciousness. During the research phase, Michelle traveled, both alone, and then later with members of Zephyr Dance, to Marfa. There, they explored how the silent remoteness of the Judd sculptures inspires both movement and meditation, as well as to understand their tectonic nature and how it applies to their own personal movement development. While in Marfa, Michelle created static movement exercises to understand mass and inertia in the body and improvised to explore the texture of the sculptures and their relationship to the heat, grit and endless sky of the landscape. The dancers move through the piece, passing and circling, never touching or recognizing their connection, in much the same way one can sometimes no longer recognize their former selves. Just Left of Remote premiere: October 25-27, 2007 at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago.
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