For many years, there's been a generally accepted rule in contemporary dance that the only way to make a living as a choreographer was to work in Europe. Mark Morris made his mark in Brussels, William Forsythe did it in Frankfurt, and Pina Bausch settled in Wuppertal. Another choreographer who found a degree of success in Europe was choreographer Karole Armitage, an American who worked extensively in France, Italy and the Netherlands. Unlike some of her peers, Armitage has not previously toured her work on the West Coast, but this week SF Performances will be presenting two of her new works at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Armitage started her career in New York, where she danced for Merce Cunningham, after cutting her classical teeth with Balanchine at Geneva Ballet. She eventually choreographed for both American Ballet Theatre (with Baryshnikov) and Paris Opera Ballet (with Nureyev), and Vanity Fair dubbed her America's "punk ballerina." It was during this period that Armitage worked with several high-profile collaborators including Madonna, Michael Jackson, artist Jeff Koons and designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
Armitage's style is a juxtaposition of classical and contemporary, she says. "There did seem to be a conflict between modern dance and ballet. I was inspired by modern, and ballet was hostile. What they got wrong was that I was interested in the pop culture elements, the philosophical and the physical. Classical beauty is just a metaphor. I wanted to have a dialogue with the audience about the human element."
Europe played an important role in Armitage's choreographic development. "Europe taught me about the continuum of understanding style. It's all about the idea of renaissance, there's nothing extraneous. It's just like Florentine cuisine: there's only three or four ingredients, but there's nothing unnecessary." During her period in Europe, Armitage basically functioned as a choreographic journeyman, working with state ballet and opera companies who had budgets to support a young artist developing their craft. "I could concentrate on choreographing, and not fundraising. I learned how everything works together — lighting design, set design, costuming — how everything is integrated."
In 2004, Armitage was invited to present a season at New York's Joyce Theatre, and she decided to return to the States. "I yearned to work with a regular group of dancers instead of always being a guest, where I was working with a new group. I love New York dancers because they are so committed. Just the act of living in New York requires commitment, so when they're in the studio, there's a different kind of energy. Different bodies convey different information. European dancers have a very rich tradition, but I get a different quality from the New York dancers."
At Yerba Buena, Armitage will be presenting two new works, Ligeti Essays and Time is the echo of an axe within a wood. She was inspired by the music of the late Gyorgy Ligeti. "I was attracted to Ligeti not only for his mixture of classicism and innovation, but also for the deep humanity found in these haiku-like compositions. He expresses the full gamut of our complex and contradictory natures, from humorous to trivial to sarcastic." Ligeti Essays features a set design by artist David Salle.
Time is the echo of an axe within a wood takes its title from a poem by Philip Larkin, and features music by Bela Bartok. "The dance alternates lyrical, contemplative passages with visceral explosions, exploring the tension between grace and a world out of joint. The theme of time, both physical and psychological, is a thread that links dream, memory and clocktime together throughout the work."
SF Performances presents Armitage Gone! Dance at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., SF; Oct. 13 at 8 p.m., Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets ($27-$39): (415) 392-2545, www.performances.org.