In his Columbus debut, high-profile choreographer and dancer, Tere O’Connor brings his dance company to Sullivant Hall tomorrow.
O’Connor’s company, Tere O’Connor Dance, will be performing “Choke,” a dramatic dance piece based on emotions from sidewalk encounters. It also features the work of Russian composer Alfred Schnittke, composed into a full score by James Baker.
“When I made “Choke,” that’s just what I did; I literally choked on text. I thought I was going to write for it, but then I didn’t,” O’Connor said.
“I had the dancers go out and just memorize movement from people on the street – they kind of used their bodies as film cameras in that way. Then I brought those imitations into the studio, and I used them as raw material to create the dance, almost like making a film. I cut them down and edited them, and then I created an abstract language that went in tandem with that, and that’s how I created this dance,” he said.
O’Connor will also be performing his recent 2002 piece “Winterbelly,” a dance focused on the oppocites of solace and chaos, and set to the music of Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina.
“First of all, it wasn’t created as a response to 9-11, (2001)” O’Connor said. “But I was making it then, and I was detecting a new psychology in human beings, and it was one of no refuge, or no place to go.”
” I made this dance as a journey into something peaceful, and learning that in the midst of something peaceful, there is a lot of turmoil. That’s the nature of that,” he said.
O’Connor looks to challenge his audience as much as he tries to draw them into his performance. His work is complex, and draws from a spectrum of emotions from a philosophical standpoint.
“I believe that in a non-scientific way, a poetic way, that your brain is a replica of the world and you need a lot of empty spaces in it. The more that man encroaches on the world, and the more that people torture each other, then the less space you have available in your brain,” O’Connor said, referring to the inspiration for his work.
O’Connor has been creating dances since age 21 – and now at 44, he has created more than 30 works for his own dance company. He has built a strong reputation, won a number of awards, and has performed in the US, Canada, Europe and South America.
Given all his achievements and accolades, O’Connor said he is still excited to be at Ohio State and on “home turf” for his premiere. He taught at OSU several years ago, and still holds an affinity for the University.
“I love these people here; there’s a lot of really great artists and thinkers here. It’s one of the best dance universites in the country, and the faculty is very open to dialogue and information sharing,” O’Connor said.
The department of Dance invited O’Connor to teach a week of master classes, and sees his expertise as a valuable resource to the students. The faculty are equally enthusiastic about the opportunity to get to work with O’Connor.
Production manager, Dave Covey said, “Tere is one of the finest people I’ve ever met in my life, and very easy to get to know. He seems very based in the human condition. I’ve never worked with him before, but we’re all very excited that he’s bringing his professional dance company here. I’ve wanted to support his work for a long time.”
“It opens up a whole new world to students that get to take his master classes, and by doing these kinds of performances, it helps the department’s community outreach efforts in general. Bringing in a New York choreographer like Tere is a very special thing, and he’s really been an asset to the department. This is very special for us to produce his work,” he said.
The performances are a joint venture between the Ohio State Department of Dance and the Wexner Center for the Arts in an effort to support and promote dance, as well as give students the opportunity to learn from leaders in the field.
Michael Kelly Bruce, interim chair of the department of Dance, said, “Tere has performed all over the world, and it’s great to have someone of his caliber coming here.”
“He’s been here twice before this, as an instructor and a choreographer for our students. Both previous experiences were great for us. He has a great way to connect to people and bring out their potential in the dances,” said Bruce.
The Tere O’Connor Dance Company will perform at 8 pm at Sullivant Hall tomorrow through Saturday. Tickets are available at the Wexner Center box office, and are $15 for general admission, $12 for Wexner Center members, and $10 for students.
