Restless Creature in London and Vail!

Over the past couple of months, Wendy, Alejandro, Brian, Josh, and Kyle have enjoyed being back in the studio preparing for upcoming Restless Creature performances in July and August, 2014! 

 Photo by Christopher Duggan, Jacob's Pillow 2013

The group is very excited to be heading to London, UK for the production's first international performance in the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden from July 22nd - 26th, 2014. 

  Photo by Christopher Duggan, Jacob's Pillow 2013

Following performances in London, the group will head to Vail, Colorado where Wendy will celebrate 20 years of performance at the Vail International Dance Festival with a one-night engagement of Restless Creature on August 6th, 2014 at the Villar Center for Performing Arts. 

  

We hope to see you soon!  Stay tuned for our announcement of the upcoming winter and spring tour dates for 2015.  A new and improved website is also in the works, so please check-back for more details soon to come...

 

Restless Creature Tour News

Wendy Whelan Postpones Restless Creature US Tour 

So sad to have to break this news ... 
But relieved to know I have made the right decision for my healing body - Ww  

Read more about the tour postponement here

The Reviews are in for Restless Creature!

Wendy Whelan Embraces Modern Dance at Jacob's Pillow 

"It’s hard to think of another woman who could dance these pieces, by four different choreographers, half so strikingly.  Everything about her is riveting, interesting, unusual, intelligent." - Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times

Photo Christopher Duggan, courtesy of Jacob's Pillow Dance

At Jacob's Pillow, Whelan is a 'creature' beautifully transformed.

"(Ms. Whelan) is one of those artists who submerge their physical selves into their art in such a way that humanness is, for a few sublime moments, transcended." - Janine Parker, The Boston Globe

Photo Christopher Duggan, courtesy of Jacob's Pillow Dance

Wendy Whelan, Restless Creature: A Dance Photo Essay by Christopher Duggan

Follow Wendy across campus, backstage, and on-stage 

at Jacob's Pillow during the world premiere week of Restless Creature 

 through the lens of festival photographer, Christopher Duggan. 

Wendy Whelan, Restless Creature: A Dance Photo Essay

 

See more of Christopher's work at: Christopher Duggan Photography. 

Restless Creature Tour Dates 2014

We look forward to seeing you in the spring during the
2014 Restless Creature tour! 

Photo Christopher Duggan, courtesy of Jacob's Pillow Dance

March 18, 2014 - McCarter Theatre - Princeton, NJ
March 20, 2014 - The Harris Theater - Chicago, IL
March 22, 2014 - Byham Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA
March 25, 2014 - Power Center for the Performing Arts - Ann Arbor, MI
March 28 - 29, 2014 - Shubert Theatre - Boston, MA
April 1 - 6, 2014 - The Joyce Theatre - New York, NY
April 9, 2014 - Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts - Louisville, KY
April 11, 2014 - Carolina Performing Arts - Chapel Hill, NC
July 22 - 26, 2014 - Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House - London, UK

 

 

Restless Creature: Brian

The fourth and final video featurette in the series by Nel Shelby, 

featuring choreographer Brian Brooks! 

"Choreography in Focus" with Wendy + Wendy

Wendy Perron interviews Wendy Whelan for
Dance Magazine's "Choreography in Focus": 

Restless Creature: Kyle

Wendy and her collaborators have been working hard in the studio,  and the world premiere of Restless Creature at Jacob's Pillow is quickly approaching!
 
Enjoy this third video featurette of four, featuring choreographer Kyle Abraham:

Restless Creature: Alejandro

 Another fantastic video featurette created by Nel Shelby.  

This time, featuring choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo!

 

Restless Creature: Joshua

Restless Creature has been quite an adventure for me as both artist and person. As my first major project since arriving in New York, Restless Creature has enabled a number of exciting firsts for my career, namely my first presentations at Jacob's Pillow, The Joyce and the Royal Opera House. After a year of creation, I am eager to share the language that I have created for Wendy with audiences throughout America and the globe. In recent months she has uncovered so many new and intriguing facets of her incredible self. To have witnessed the evolution of one of our greatest artists first-hand has been a most immeasurable gift.
- Josh 

Wendy W. and Wendy P.

I recently met with Wendy Perron to discuss Restless Creature for her Choreography in Focus web interview series at Dance Magazine.

I got to know Wendy P. about 10 years ago when I worked with Peter Boal on his own project, Peter Boal and Co. (He chose me to be part of his 3 member group).  Wendy P. was not only the editor of Dance Magazine back then but still choreographing dances of her own, and she created a beautiful solo for Peter for his show. 

Over the past 10 years, she has become a mentor and a trusted guide for my own exploration into contemporary dance.  She has incredible wisdom and an amazing eye.  She's one of my go-to people for advice on all new ideas. 

So grateful she's in my life and supportive of my new endeavors. She's one of a kind ...Love you Wendy P. !

- Ww

Wendy with Karen Young, Costume Designer for Restless Creature

Working these days with the amazing Karen Young on our costume ideas ... Feeling very lucky to have one of the best of the best designing my evening !

- Ww

Photographer Christopher Duggan writes about his experience working with the Restless Creature team.

"She is captivating, enthralling, alluring -- I just can't describe how I feel when I watch her dance. It's simply incredible."

"There's just something about Wendy."

Read it all and discover Christopher's work on www.huffingtonpost.com.

Sneak a peek into last week's rehearsal with Wendy and Alejandro. 

If there is one event you can't miss, it's this weekend's Guggenheim Works and Process live streaming of Restless Creature. 

Watch it in the comfort of your home, this Sunday April 14, at 3pm EDT.

Guggenheim Works and Process

Margaret Fuhrer from Dance Spirit Magazine shares her passion and admiration for Wendy Whelan.

"It’s time for another round of How Awesome Is Wendy Whelan ? Let Us Count the Ways!"

Read the full article here.

The New Yorker talks about Restless Creature's special event: Guggenheim's Works and Process". 

Read it here.

Last week, I had an amazing experience working with Kyle Abraham during our first week of residency at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. We spent more than 3 hours together every day building material for what I would say is, after 6 days now, the bulk our piece.

I wasn't sure what to expect on our first day, since I barely knew Kyle. I didn't know what music Kyle would choose, and I had very little understanding of his unique movement vocabulary or choreographic style. I felt very slow to pick up the material, and I have to say I left the first rehearsal feeling extremely frustrated and nervous that I would never be able to "get" this piece together in my body or mind.

I usually film the material we make each day and resign myself to doing homework, studying the videos, each evening after rehearsal. I would find myself awake at 4am processing sequences of steps in my head.  So far, I have done this for each of the four choreographers I am working with, and it has really helped me to keep up with them and not waste valuable studio time.

Unlike the other choreographers,  Kyle brought in two of his own dancers (Chalvar Monteiro and Rena Butler) to assist him so he could step back and see the work he was creating.  He and his dancers are absolutely breathtaking to watch. ( I think the first couple of days I was probably SO transfixed and in awe watching them, that I couldn't pick up the steps.)

But by day four, Kyle and I were doing run-thrus on our own, which started to build my confidence. Kyle, Rena and Chalvar fed me lots of descriptive imagery in order to explain the movement and soon their imagery began to navigate it's way into my own body, I could feel myself growing into the work, and things started to make sense for me. The piece began to develop beyond Kyle and I, stirring up it's own dramatic intensity and identity by way of the music and steps the more we danced together.  This is the kind of chemistry that will define a work and a partnership.... and with luck it will surface at some point during the creative process.

It's something I always hope for,  but never expect. It's my favorite part of developing a new work, and it's the the whole reason why I have taken on this project, for the simple hope of experiencing this glimmer of profound human connection through creativity.

The unexpected gift of a finding piece designing itself, on the deepest of levels ...  all on its own.

- Ww

It's been eight years since Shen Wei and I made Body Study lll. I only decided a year ago, with great hesitation to look at the performance video from 2005 ... I am so glad that I finally got the courage to watch myself tackle this beast of a piece. 

My first thought was,  "what am I  waiting for?  I NEED to dig into this choreography again."

I could so clearly see all the work I had put into the challenge of becoming a "Shen Wei dancer" for that moment, and I was happy to feel such pride in my work. 

I remember how much Shen Wei and I loved working together, all those years ago. We each brought the other out of a comfort zone during the creation of this solo. It was the first and only time he has ever created for a dancer wearing pointe shoes, and the challenge and coordination of his movement was completely new territory for me to try and embody.  

That said, we have always greatly admired one another.  I think we get inspired by each other's energy and artistry, and we each have quite a perfectionistic streak. 

 I'll never forget him telling me that I blink too much while dancing ... And that his dancers don't blink!  :))) 

Today was our first day back in the studio together to work on shaping Body Study lll for our Guggenheim Works and Process performances which take place April 14 and 15. 

Shen Wei hadn't seen the piece in 8 years so it was a real surprise for him that I could show him the whole 6 minute solo.  Afterwards he said, " Soooooo good! ...Now we make even better! " 

It's nice to know that some things will never change.., we picked up right where we left off,  all those years ago. 

WW 

Sneak a peak into last week's rehearsal with Wendy and Josh Beamish.