Title: Quickenings
Premiere: October 15-20, 1985, Ann Arbor Dance Works, Studio A Theater, Dance Building, University of Michigan. Subsequently performed in NYC November 2, 1985 at MarymountManhattan Theater, NYC; at the Cunningham Studio in April, 1987; and on April 30 & May 1, 1988 Ann Arbor Dance Works season.
Performers at premiere in order of appearance: Gay Delanghe, Bill DeYoung, Linda Spriggs, Steven Mann, Marsha Pabalis, Henry Van Kuiken. In subsequent performances, the cast included Victoria Lundell, Jessica Fogel, James Moreno, Marsha Pabalis, Linda Spriggs
Duration: 14 minutes
Music: The Continuing Story of Counterpoint Part Two, by David Borden
Costumes: Henry Van Kuiken for premiere. Subsequent costumes by Patricia Plasko
Lighting Design: Mary Cole
Description: This work was set closely to the complex contrapuntal Borden score, which shifts meters from 5s to 6s to 7s throughout the work. It was a serpentine dance featuring three male/female couples, a bit of a war between the sexes, full of chases and changes of direction. Borden played the work live with his band and at some of the performances, and at one, the musicians got lost in the score, which made it very hard for the dancers to carry on, since the movement was so tightly choreographed to the densely shifting rhythms. The initial costumes were changed for subsequent performances of the work.
Preview article Ann Arbor News 1985