Floor of the Forest -- an insider's perspective
ICA Visitor Assistants Peter Meacham and Patrick Serr see Trisha Brown's Floor of the Forest performed multiple times each week. From observing audiences respond to the work and speaking with the dancers themselves, Peter and Patrick have developed an interesting perspective on the work, which we share with you below.
Floor of the Forest — from the perspective of someone who has seen it about 50 times
One of the most striking characteristics of Dance/Draw is the dialogue created between the performances and the visual artworks on view. This conversation is at its most direct in Floor of the Forest, a piece choreographed by Trisha Brown and performed within the galleries every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday by a remarkable group of dancers. Pairs of performers weave their way through a suspended grid of jute rope and second-hand clothing, transforming the museum floor into an open stage.
Since the beginning of Dance/Draw, we’ve collected responses and reactions from many of the dancers performing Floor of the Forest — including their thoughts on performing Trisha Brown’s choreography, their relationship with the gallery audience, and some of their favorite ways to move.
For many dancers, the proximity to the audience and the relatively casual presentation of Floor of the Forest sets it apart from previous dance experiences. “They are right there in your space as opposed to being a more distant viewer, and for me there is always a desire to engage directly with the audience/observer,” said one of the dancers.
Though the audience gathers around the grid with the dancers, rather than inside of it, Floor of the Forest deconstructs the fourth wall of the proscenium stage and communication between performer and viewer is fluid. “There are no curtains or light changes or counts, and there are other things going on around you. It's a natural flow.”
Other dancers have commented on their ability to see the art in the gallery while they perform; dancing on stage rarely provides that opportunity. C.L.U.E., by robbinschilds, is a particular favorite among those who find themselves strategically dangled in the direction of this popular video installation.
As a work of contemporary performance art, Floor of the Forest highlights the movement of the human body in a way that is at once highly stylized and grounded within everyday reality. One dancer expressed enjoyment from the sense that “all of the physical reactions are genuine and there's no need to get theatrical…sometimes I'm hanging there thinking my arm is going to fall off and I feel such an enormous sense of relief when I find a resting spot.” The movements can also be playful: “I like to turn a flip if I can find the right position, or try and fit my whole body into one garment upside down, like a marsupial.”
All of the dancers are volunteers from around Boston, and are scheduled to perform at different times throughout the run of Dance/Draw. Revisiting the piece over a series of weeks provides insight into how the work and their abilities as a performer change over time. “I'll perform one week and feel strong and energetic, then come back a few weeks later and be all floppy or less limber depending on what I've been up to in my life.”
Another factor that dictates their interaction with the grid of clothes is the other dancers they are partnered with for each performance. “We have to follow, or contrast with, other dancers on the floor, but we have to find our own rhythms as well.” “Where I go and what outfits I decide to try on depend very much on the choices of the other performer. It assures that no two performances will ever be the same.”
The grid itself can be considered a third “performer” within the piece. Several dancers commented on the unusual nature of a performance space that reacts to their every movement, determining the character of their dances. As another dancer puts it, “Trisha has presented us with a structure that moves and lives and changes as it is affected by humans doing everyday tasks, as opposed to highly virtuosic phrasework.” “You can't draw a controlled line, but you can use your strength and particular approach to initiate an interesting shape or scenario. You have to be in touch with your body and its weight. It's amazing to perform a piece where your body is never in contact with something rigid or still.”
The reactions dancers have to Floor of the Forest, and their presence in the gallery, can help inform our own responses to this and other works on view in Dance/Draw. The exhibition is filled with images and videos of dancers performing similar works that rely on unconventional staging, emphasizing the potential for interaction with common surroundings.
Perhaps the next time you try on an outfit, or pick out what to wear in the morning, you will feel more like a performer in your own home: executing routine movements with plenty of improvisation to keep it different each time...without an audience, of course.
We would like to particularly like to thank Rick Vigo, Kate Landenheim, and Maria Molteni for their time and invaluable insights when writing this post.