c. 2014 · Dance – stage work

Scene in Action

Aleta Hayes · Stanford University

A site-specific dance installation by Aleta Hayes and Stanford students, moving through two museums in response to the Cantor's 'Robert Frank in America' exhibition and the Anderson Collection's mid-century art. Ben Juodvalkis composed the score and sound design for the Cantor Arts Center portion.

Recollections

“This piece was cool. Another one where I came in once the wheels were well in motion. We were responding to a beautiful exhibit of Robert Frank's photographs of The Americans, which I had never looked closely at before.
The sound was extremely chaotic due to gigantic marble foyers and entryways, etc. It was a lot of creating ambience and atmospheric sounds.
I also think it might've been the grand opening of the Anderson modern art museum at Stanford, which is unbelievable.”

Ben

Premiere: 2014-10-29
Venue: Cantor Arts Center and the Anderson Collection at Stanford University
Where: Stanford, CA
Performances: October 29, 2014 (6:30 pm) and October 30, 2014 (8:30 pm).
Credits: Direction/choreography: Aleta Hayes. Assistant choreographer: Cuauhtemoc Peranda. Composer/sound design (Cantor portion): Ben Juodvalkis. Musical director and arranger (Anderson portion): Tammy Hall; assistant musical director: David Grunzweig. Costumes: Alexis Lucio. Production supervisor: Tony Kramer. Catalog design: Thomas Both. Stage manager: Ari Echt-Wilson. About 16 Stanford student dancers, plus jazz musicians.

Photographs

A dancer in a black dress seen from behind, jumping with arms spread wide against a white gallery wall. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

Two dancers on a wide stone staircase seen from directly above, one crouched low and one reaching toward the steps. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

A dancer leaping in front of a large orange-and-red colour-field painting. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

A dancer in a green-and-white striped sweater in a deep, wide lunge, one hand raised flat beside her face. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

Three dancers low on a wooden gallery floor, faces close together, one man and two women propped on their hands. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

Three dancers in bent-kneed poses on a museum staircase with glass railings. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

A dancer in black stretching one arm up and one back in front of a dense, brightly coloured Frank Stella relief. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

A dancer seen from behind, standing with fingers spread in front of a black painting speckled with white points like stars. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

A dancer seen from behind with arms curved overhead, framed by a target painting of yellow and orange rings on pink. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

A group of students crowded together, looking up with startled, delighted expressions, hands raised to their faces. — Nick Salazar, Xxavier Carter or Clayborne Carson

Ephemera

Poster for Scene in Action: the title in red and yellow capitals over a dancer in a green-and-white striped sweater crouching in front of a bright abstract painting, with a side panel giving the what, where and when — Wednesday October 29 at 6:30 pm and Thursday October 30 at 8:30 pm, starting at the Cantor Arts Center. — Krystina Tran's poster for the two nights

A hand holding a museum card printed with a red rectangle, the title 'White over Red' and the words 'Anderson Collection at Stanford University'. — A card from the Anderson Collection, the day I met Aleta

Catalog cover: a dancer in a black dress seen from behind, jumping with arms spread against a white gallery wall, beside the vertical title 'Scene in Action — a dance and performance installation'. — Cover of Stanford's catalog for the show

Catalog credits page listing the dates, October 29 and 30, 2014, and the creative team, including 'Music Score Composer (Cantor): Ben Juodvalkis'. — The catalog's credits page

Catalog page of team biographies beginning with Ben Juodvalkis, Composer/Sound Design (Cantor), above a photo of a dancer with arms raised in front of a large green veil painting. — My bio in the catalog

Aleta asking Hope for a sound artist, which is how I got the job

Aleta: Hope HELP! looking for a sound artist …for a performance at the end of the month. Aaagh.

Hope: I recommend Ben Juodvalkis. In the city. Very good.

Aleta: Ben, I need a sound score for museum installtion at the end of month. How great to see you pop up again! Thanks hip hop Hope!

Aleta: Btw, this is not Chocolate Heads. It's another project called Scene in Action. Look that up on Stanford events!

Aleta's email calling me down to Stanford

Aleta: The music did not work. You have to come down.

Aleta in the show's catalog

Aleta: Somebody put their whole being into these things. We need to put our whole being into the movement, make people feel it, not just look at it.

Press

“dance, fashion and visual art converge in a choreographed synergy of artistic expression.”

The Stanford Daily · Jenna Shapiro · 2014-10-30

“the dancers and musicians were not there to enliven the gallery space; rather, the character and essence of our performance was being transformed by the power of the work.”

Stanford Arts · Aleta Hayes · 2014-10-31

Elsewhere

Scene in Action (catalog) — Stanford Arts, 2014-10
"Scene in Action" brings dance, art and fashion to a new stage — The Stanford Daily, 2014-10-30
Scene in Action — Director's Notes — Stanford Arts, 2014-10-31

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