Sat May 28 2016
7:30-9:30 PM @ 710 Travis St., Shreveport, LA 71101
Shreveport native Bailey Harper and Denver dancer Kimberly Chmielewski are coming to Shreveport to present "Sabra". A performance inspired by bridging the gap of visual art and performance art. Co-hosted by the Marlene Yu Museum, this is an exciting and engaging way to view the beautiful work of Marlene Yu.
Meet and chat reception to follow. Cash wine bar and complimentary snacks.
This is a free event with a suggested $10 donation to benefit the Marlene Yu Museum and the dancers.
From the dancers:
Creating a site-specific performance, exclusively in an art museum, is a dream of artist, Bailey Harper. A site-specific performance redefines the relationship of not only artist and audience, but also artist, audience, and space. Dance concerts, more often than not, reside in a theatre. The parameter of the space is predetermined, and the audience knows to pay attention when the curtain rises and to clap when the stage goes black. The beauty and intrigue of a site-specific performance are the new relationships called to play a role. They not only heighten the level of involvement with the audience, the space becomes fluid, and most importantly for this particular show, the art becomes an active voice in the performance.
This re-imagined relationship between the dance and space is just one of the many relationships Harper is planning on investigating during this performance. “I wanted to produce a show centralized around the complexity of a relationship,” Harper says, “…how we trust in relationships, how we love and care for one another, how friendships form.” She comments on the beauty that comes from intimacy, but notes that it’s not only the love that interests her. “Also, how we can be cruel to one another, how we sabotage out of fear or ignorance, how we ignore and hurt feelings, how our different styles of tackling problems and processing information affects the needs of both people in the relationship.”
With relationships at the root of this production, Harper notes that her cherished bond with nature is one of the many reasons why the Marlene Yu Museum hosts the perfect space for this deeply personal performance. The large scale, awe-inspiring beauty this museum houses creates the ideal space to delve into the genuinely delicate subject matter of the production. The location of the museum also holds significant value for Harper. Currently located in Denver, Colorado, Bailey Harper grew up in Shreveport. “From my grandmother through the lineage to my four-year-old niece, my family is, and has always been, the most supportive of all my relationships,” noting that this performance should be in a place where she calls home.
Classically trained dancers, Bailey Harper and collaborator Kimberly Chmielewski, say the performance will be a mixture of their roots in ballet and modern, spiced with some jazz and African influence, harvesting a truly contemporary concert. Harper invites her audience to “…come take a walk with me, better yet, come dance with me. Let us explore the beauty of our relationships with one another and to this earth. Let’s dance about love, our family, and our lives. Let’s share this space together.”
Dedication to MaMere:
I have chosen to dedicate this performance to my grandmother, MaMere (Sabra), on the cusp of her 90th year on this earth. MaMere is the woman who has inspired me to always reach my goals, shown me the beauty and value of relationships within a family, and taught me the best way to bounce back from defeat is with a little faith and a lot of laughter.