HOW MANY PRESENTS/BALLS/CHIPS/SCARVES/BOOKS/HEARTS/CIRCLES CAN YOU WRAP/CATCH/WIN/THROW/READ/CUT-OUT/MAKE IN FOUR MINUTES THIRTY-TWO SECONDS?
PREMIERED AT WEST WAVE DANCE FESTIVAL, YBCA THEATER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA (2008)
DIRECTION:
Amy Lewis
ORIGINAL/TRADITIONAL MUSIC:
Andy Eggleston, Fay Ferency, and Matthew Herz
PERFORMERS:
Rodney Bell, Jody Christian, Andre Cunha, Kelly Dalyrmple, Janet Das, Ed Dorrington, Kelly Defayette, Lisa Foster, Holly Furgason, Christine Germaine, Emily Goodwin, Genevieve Griesau, Sonsherée Giles, lola a. katie, Michelle Kui, Annamarie MacLeod, Corey March, Christopher Mentzel, Jennie Mollica, Annika Nonhebel, Bonner Odell, Doyle Ott, John Pemberton, Slater Penney, Marcia Scott, Alice Sheppard, Colin Sjostedt, Andrew Wass, Claire Willey, Nicole Zvarik, Savannah Zvarik
ABOUT
For West Wave Dance Festival, 2008, Dancers’ Group and DanceArt put out an RFP asking for pieces that would fit into a 4’32” timeframe. Lewis placed thirty performances on stage, asking each person to carry out a task that could be repeated several times within 4’32”. The tasks were categorized as visual, physical, and aural, and consisted of such things as wrapping presents, jumping, or reading children’s books. Most tasks related to the giving of a gift to the audience; for example, artist Kelly Defayette painted five to six paintings during the time frame that were wrapped and delivered. How Many…? brought attention to the relativity of time while celebrating every day tasks and gift-giving.