INTERVIEW: ZviDance considers issue of Bears Ears in new piece
Photo: ZviDance will present the world premiere of Bears Ears and Detour in New York City. Photo courtesy of Mena Brunette of xmbphotography / Provided by Michelle Tabnick PR with permission.
The heated struggle over preserving Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah continues to this day. It’s an environmental conundrum that has become a political football between the administrations of presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. One wanted to protect, while the other wanted to reduce the size and deregulate. Local officials and companies have also chimed in.
What’s at stake for this preservation fight out west is a beautiful landscape of unique geological features. The area also holds great importance to Native American tribes and their cultural history.
The fight to protect public lands has now influenced choreographer Zvi Gotheiner and his company, ZviDance. They will premiere Bears Ears Dec. 19 at New York Live Arts in New York City. The piece will be paired with Detour, another world premiere, and performances run through Dec. 22.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Gotheiner about the new choreographic works. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
When you heard about the controversy involving Bears Ears, did a dance piece immediately come to mind?
No, it was a slow evolution of getting to know the subject, which I had no prior knowledge of. I was lucky to have amazing teachers including Navajo Chief Jonah Yellowman, Ida Yellowman and Mary Benally. They guided me to open my senses to the natural beauty of Bears Ears, while sharing with me the history of the native people of the region, which includes repeated oppression and persecution.
Would you call Bears Ears a piece of activist dance?
No, it is not political from the point of view of who is right or wrong, but artworks can always be perceived as political, which I don’t mind.
What do you hope the audience learns or considers after taking in a performance of Bears Ears?
I hope the audience will have a visceral experience watching Bears Ears, which will help in getting them [to] mobilize and getting them informed.
How would you describe Detour to audiences?
Detour is a choreographic exploration of the longer and less direct way to get you from here to there.
Is New York City in 2018 a challenging or supportive community to present original choreographic pieces? (i.e. funding, space issues, etc.)
I am not sure how to answer this question, as I think different artist[s] will have different opinions. New York is what you make out of it. Raising money is always difficult, and the logistics of running a dance company are not easy either. But then, it is also possible.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
ZviDance will present Bears Ears and Detour Dec. 19-22 at New York Live Arts in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
