Whitney on Site: Ascension
Aug 17, 2011
A lone dancer begins the performance in front of crowds in Manhattan’s historic Meatpacking District, July 2011. Photograph by Geetha Pedapati
On July 7, 8, and 9, noted choreographer, Elizabeth Streb transformed a quiet plaza in the Meatpacking District into a fantastic exploration of acrobatics, dance, and performance. The work, titled Ascension, involved nine dancers from the Streb Extreme Action Company, interacting with a twenty-one foot spinning ladder. Ascension was commissioned as part of the ongoing series Whitney on Site: New Commissions Downtown. This series activates the urban space near the future museum site with unique cultural and artistic endeavors. It continues the Whitney Museum’s long tradition of supporting artists and their audiences.
Streb’s piece showcased both the physical and mental strength of the dancers who jumped on and flipped off the ladder in singles, pairs, and groups. Though the audience could feel their exertion, the dancers worked in perfect harmony, gliding past each other in this vertical performance. Notions of up, down, forwards, and backwards quickly became blurred and for a few minutes, New York seemed mesmerized by this precarious dance. A dramatic musical score by composer David Van Tieghem heightened the atmosphere pervading the streets.
Dancers in an afternoon performance of Elizabeth Streb’s Ascension, July 2011. Photograph by Geetha Pedapati
Ascension is characteristic of Streb’s unique style, combining dance and stunt work for which she has become well known. It also continues a history of collaboration between Streb and the Whitney. Her recent works include a 2010 performance of Trisha Brown’s iconic Walking Down the Side of the Building (1970), and Breaking Ground, performed this May at the Whitney’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Museum’s future building in the Meatpacking District.
By Geetha Pedapati, Interpretation Intern