HQ Review: RESILIENCE hosts local arts’ new works at Seen: STL
This past weekend, I stepped foot into Intersect Arts Center to watch a showing of Seen: STL. The semi-annual viewing is both financially accessible and ruleless, with dancers signing up to show pieces that they have been working on. No rules, no time limit, just pure artistic movement made accessible for the Saint Louis community.
A mix of friends, family, and peers came out on this frosty winter night to support the talented dancers and their ideas. The floor-to-ceiling windows and beautiful wooden flooring set the atmosphere for a unique and thrilling night of dance. As the show began and chatter from the excited audience slowed down, artistic and executive director Emily Haussler took a moment to explain the creative thought process behind both Seen: STL and RESILIENCE Dance Company. Seen is designed for artists to present an unfinished creative process, take bold risks, and challenge themselves with their work. However, it is only one small snippet of what RESILIENCE Dance Company is doing for the Saint Louis arts scene. Haussler highlighted that the company aims to promote the wellbeing of dancers above all else. Benefits such as physical and mental health therapy are options provided for all of the dancers. Haussler explained that the exhaustion constantly faced by overworked and underpaid dancers is something RESILIENCE aims to correct. By prioritizing dancers, the flourishing of art can continue in our communities.
From solos to duets and group dances, all of the dancers had created thought-provoking pieces accompanied by a range of technique and styles. Each piece was so vastly different from the next that I sat in anticipation, waiting for the next work to pull me in a new direction. It was evident that these pieces stemmed from personal values and inspirations, making them all the more beautiful to watch. Passion, anger, sadness and longing—it was all visible in the movement quality and facial expressions despite the lack of words spoken. The ruleless guidelines of Seen fostered an environment of risk taking, captivating both myself and those around me. While the works are still in progress, some notable key details are what the dancers decided to include as props or costuming design. The opening piece had dancers cover their eyes with ties, relying solely on the breath patterns and familiarity of the dancers around them. The level of trust and commitment the dancers had with their peers must not go unrecognized.
Other pieces utilized projections alongside movement. A quiet moving video of a forest complemented the dancer as they graced the floor with modern dance technique. Other pieces included duets and group works with complex partnering sequences and lifts that I myself had never seen before. The smiles of the dancers were equally reflected by the audience members, who were both awed and impressed at works that were still undergoing change. What struck me as unique tonight was how refreshing it was to witness pieces in different phases of creation. As an audience member, I felt invited into the creative process of breathing life into dance. Oftentimes we only get to see the polished versions of dances that have been rerun numerous times. By getting a glimpse into the artists’ creative processes, the night had an extra layer of vulnerability and liveliness. Seen serves as a reminder that dance is not just about producing one final version but rather a conversation between meaningful ideas, the dancers, and movement.
As the night began to conclude, I could not help but appreciate the sense of support from staff, other dancers, and audience members. Dancers proudly smiled at their friends on the floor, and hugs soon ensued after the final dance. The space transformed from that of a place to be entertained by excellent dancers to that which uplifts and celebrates hardworking and passionate individuals. I left the performance feeling both fulfilled and eager to see future works.