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2011–2012 · Dance – stage work

RED SHIFT

Aleta Hayes · Stanford University

An evening-length Chocolate Heads Movement Band piece directed by Aleta Hayes and inspired by Nobel Prize-winning research on dark matter and dark energy: part astrophysics lecture, part dance show, part poetry slam, with a live electronic score performed alongside the dancers. It premiered in Roble Gym on February 3–4, 2012, and a shorter version was performed at the first TEDxStanford on May 19, 2012, after Hayes's talk.

Recollections

“Aleta Hayes is one of a kind. She comes from the Robert Wilson avant-garde theatre lineage, and she brings a wildness and clarity to her work that is pretty amazing.

It was also cool to go down to the exotic land of Stanford and hang out with all those smart and beautiful people there. I wish I could have had more connections with them.

I remember when I was nine I had some sort of scientific theory about dark matter. I should try to remember what that was…”

Ben
Premiere
2012-02-03
Venue
Roble Gym, Studio 38, Stanford (premiere, Feb 3–4, 2012); TEDxStanford, CEMEX Auditorium, Knight Management Center (May 19, 2012)
Where
Stanford, CA
Credits
Choreography/direction: Aleta Hayes. Performed by: The Chocolate Heads Movement Band (Stanford student group). Music: Ben Juodvalkis (original score, performed live on laptop and controller).

Ephemera

A young boy in an oversized black tuxedo and bow tie speaks into a handheld microphone on a bare studio floor, tall windows behind him.

Stills from the Roble Gym performance video

Low-angle view of dancers in white crawling on all fours across a pale-blue lit floor, a blurred leg striding through the foreground and bright stage lights above.
Wide view of a dark stage washed in red light: a line of dancers in white stands facing out while a small group bends low at the left, under a projection of colored waves.
Close view of dancers in red light: a woman in a white leotard and silver leggings walks forward while a dancer in white bends over beside her.
Wide view of the company in white scattered across a dark stage mid-movement, some leaping and some crouching, under a pink and green wave projection.
First page of a two-staff piano score titled Inst 1, bars 1 to 26, with syncopated right-hand melody over a tied, rolling left-hand line.

My score of “piano moola,” made for the ending

The full performance at Roble Gym

  • “piano moola,” an old piano improvisation of mine

My cue notes to myself for TEDxStanford.

Ben: Hip Hop: End first beat and start cracks when ian and kareem get up end hip hop with big wash when selena puts her leg up, fade to selena's gaze when the group forms REVERB SECTION: Don't change to anything else until REVERB IS DONE! Turn UP DELAY AT VERY END OF PERFECT STORM end is 2 times through progression MAKE SURE AUDIO IS SET TO MACKIE!

The Stanford Daily's preview of the premiere.

Holly: …the dancers move on and off stage from all angles, the musician creates his tunes alongside the performers and a multicolored mobile spins just outside the traditional borders of the stage.

Press

“Freelance musician Ben Juodvalkis provides a live electronic score that is an exact reflection of the dancers' versatility. He and the performers effortlessly glide between bass-thumping hip-hop beats and ethereal synthetic strings.”

“the Chocolate Heads were selected to perform, 'Red Shift', based on the Nobel prize research on dark matter and dark energy”

“She Introduces a student group known as The Chocolate Heads Movement Band that performs a visually stunning dance piece entitled Red Shift.”

Elsewhere

Research status: researched – partial. Details on this piece are still being confirmed — corrections are welcome.

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