Laura Peterson is one of the most innovative choreographers at work in New York City, or anywhere for that matter. Her choreography is always supremely logical, whether rooted in organic forms or technological ideas or a hybrid of both.

Want to see Laura Peterson Choreography perform in Chicago? They've been invited to participate in an exciting throwdown at Links Hall called collision_theory, but they need your assistance to do it. They're trying to raise $1,700 for production expenses in just 30 days with a kickass Kickstarter campaign. Won't you please help?

KICKSTARTER: Laura Peterson Choreography is going to Chicago

Do it for the dancers.

No, I don't mean dancers smoking pot. I mean dance choreographed on an indoor set of living grass and trees. It's "Wooden," by our good friend Laura Peterson (with sets by Jon Pope), and you lucky New Yorkers can see Part 2 at Here Arts Center tonight and tomorrow night only. Please go, since we can't! Tickets are $15.

Laura's choreography always strikes me as supremely logical, whether rooted in organic forms or technological ideas or a hybrid of both, and entirely superior to the hackneyed vocabulary that seems to compose much of modern dance. Here's a video of one of the improvisations that led to "Wooden" to whet your appetite:

at MoMA 2/14/10 from Laura Peterson on Vimeo.

A quick update about "Strong Medicine," tonight's fiction-and-dance event at Writers WorkSpace in Chicago. Due to unfortunate unavoidable circumstances, Asimina Chremos (the dance half of Microgig) will not be able to appear in person tonight. However, she will appear on video accompanied by live cello improvisation from Fred Lonberg-Holm, making the evening even more science-fictional than it was before. Don't miss it!

We look forward to seeing you tonight at 7:00 pm at Writers WorkSpace, 5443 N. Broadway in Chicago. (Doors open 6:30.)

For more information, please visit: http://www.shunn.net/medicine

STRONG MEDICINE: A Program of Fiction and Dance
Writers Workspace, 5443 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
Friday, October 16, 7:00 pm (doors 6:30 pm)

Writers WorkSpace is pleased to host a free evening of fiction and dance in the spirit of October, featuring sound-and-movement duo Microgig and science-fiction writer William Shunn. On a mission to bring dance to places it's not normally found, Microgig members Asimina Chremos (dance) and Fred Lonberg-Holm (sound) will stage their haunting improvisations in this unusually close and intimate setting. Bookended by chilling short stories read live by William Shunn, the evening will be one you won't want to miss. Space is limited, so arrive early. Light refreshments will be offered.

(See an earlier Microgig performance, from the beer cooler at Chicago's famous Hideout, below.)

I've mentioned this recently, but just as a reminder to all you lucky folks in New York City, go see our good friend Laura Peterson's new show Forever at Dance New Amsterdam, this weekend. It's still running, tonight through Sunday. We usually come to town to see every new Laura Peterson show, but this time we're unable, so you have to represent.

This is a bit of what Dance View Times had to say about Forever:

"Modern Dance is Modern Art." That's what Laura Peterson tells her dance students, and it's a teaching she follows rigorously in her company's new work, "Forever." This is dance strictly as a visual object, the elements being four dancers in four colors, moving on a white oval floor, among four faux Grecian columns and a mirrored rear wall. The set is vaguely reminiscent of the modernist paintings of Dali or de Chirico, but the dancing itself is even more abstract. Always a minimalist, Peterson makes art by strictly limiting her choices. In "Forever" there's no emoting, no acting or miming, not even any touching. It's just snippets of movement, driven by sound....

Not incidentally, "Forever" is a pleasure to watch. You can take it simply as a kaleidoscope, with the sound score acting as the engine to turn the lens and set off a new series of changes every two minutes or so.... The point of "Forever" could be that when human beings hear sound in rhythm, they have to move, and that's what makes the river run.  [full review]

[direct link to video]

So get tickets already! Go!

Hey, all you lucky folks in New York City! Get tickets and go see my good friend Laura Peterson's new show Forever at Dance New Amsterdam, running February 18-22. Here's a sample, exactingly performed to the music of Lumberob:

[direct link to video]

And all you lucky folks in Chicago, be sure to see Laura Peterson with Asimina Chremos in Verbatim at Links Hall, running February 6-8. Two stunningly talented dancers in an evening-length duet.

I have quite a backlog of little items I've made notes about that I've meant to blog over the past couple of months, and maybe today or soon I'll start getting to most of them. Though before I get to the one immediately at hand, I just have to note that outside right now is raging the SECOND snowstorm of spring.

Now to the main monkey business. Laura and I are heading to New York tomorrow to spend a lazy weekend. The prime motivator of our trip is to see our friend Laura Peterson's new dance program Electrolux, at DNA (280 Broadway). You should come too. Seriously. Go buy tickets. The run starts tonight and ends Sunday.

Electrolux might look something like this rehearsal footage:

Or this showing:

Laura's previous show, I Love Dan Flavin, was beautiful, brutal, and awe-inspiring. As we watched (and we went twice), we could see the dancers' feet becoming bloody. Check this out (though you'll have to imagine the Kraftwerk soundtrack that is missing from the video):

We're going Saturday. If you miss out, you won't have to kick yourself because I just did it for you.