Amorphosis (2003)

This dance was the first of an investigation into the psychological and physical issues of control and loss of control through the physical prop augmentations. The dancer is trained extensively in his or her artistic faculty, the body. In Amorphosis and my thesis project the dancer will be working with extensions and prop-designed additions onto his or her known media. For the dancers’ these appendages cause an element of the unknown, and this layered on top of the given choreography causes innate physical and intellectual dilemmas creates an evocative new movement vocabulary that I have named the “scary body”, stunning visual imagery, and layered narrative.

Showing the props or impediments alone gives them a sense of autonomy, stillness in time, the sculptural element. I conceived of the project and the prosthetics were designed and constructed by commercial prop designer James Quilty.

The Weaving Series

The Weaving Series are a number of choreographic works created in memory of visual artist, professor, gallery owner, and weaver Dennis Friend (1943-1976.) Mr. Friend died of Anthrax in January of 1976 from contaminated Pakistani wool used in his weaving. He was 32 and his daughter was six weeks old. Ms. Friend has currently finalized the third piece in the series; upon completion the entire Weaving Series will consist of 32 works in honor of Mr. Friends years. It is a life-long project where the possibility for new works continues to expand choreographically, philosophically, technologically, and the narrative is endless.

Sunshine & Dirt

About...

Ashley A. Friend: The Contemporary Dance Core (TCDC) was established in January of 2006 under the artistic leadership of choreographer Ashley Friend. June of 2006 TCDC relocated to New York City from San Luis Obispo, California.

Inspired by America’s shifting soil, communications, and contemporary dance,
Sunshine & Dirt is a reflection of global socialization, collective Internet systems, and the effect of communication on the land. What is beneath the surface of this land? In California the earth shakes and in New York the subway voltage runs and in Texas the oil spouts slowly now and in the northern lands the soil is rich for new tree growth. This land is your land, this land is my land and it is beautiful. It constantly changes as the roads slice crevasses of communication into this new country. How far economically, emotionally, and environmentally will people go for communication?

This piece is largely motivated by interactive video Internet relationships. The users were contacted on the Website YouTube through the username AsertyDances and asked to submit videos giving their thoughts about dance; the video has had over 22,000 views and 40 submissions. Many of those very revealing and informative thoughts are shared throughout Sunshine & Dirt.

*What is the scary body? The scary body is a movement vocabulary that Friend began developing in 2003 while in graduate school at The Ohio State University in Columbus. It is a dance vocabulary that has been informed by architectural prosthetic sculptures that are placed on the dancers’ bodies and inform the way the movement phrases are executed. The extra prosthesis transforms the original movement phrases thus creating the scary body. This concept arose from Friend’s ongoing physical injury resulting from a car accident in 2001.

Original musical composition by David Morneau, lighting design by J Lillian Gray, and costume design by Amiti Perry. Danced by a company of five: Sarah Felice Evans, Ashley A. Friend, Erin Hopkins, Akemi Nishi, and Savina Theodorou.

“…arresting, her strongly tactile gestural movements governed by a sensitive
control of dynamics.” --Michael Smith, Santa Barbara News-Press

“…evolves by means that are alien, hesitant and always unexpected.”
--Jay Weitz, Columbus Alive, Top 10 of 2003