We continue our Featured Artist Series here at Bliss Street Studios with Elizabeth Dishman, our artist for the month of June.
Whenever I [Evan] watch Elizabeth’s choreography, I’m consistently struck by the quality, meticulous detail, humor, energy, and depth of soul in her work. Elizabeth and I have collaborated on several occasions, most notably for the score to RIBS. We’re thrilled to know her, and excited to feature her and her work this month.
Below are her answers to our Seven Questions: enjoy!
Q. What has quickened your pulse recently?
A. Driving on the BQE—Leif’s cry in the night—Seeing Pina Bausch’s Vollmond (Full Moon) in the catalog of BAM’s 2010 Next Wave Festival—Answering Question #6, which stirred the hope of postpartum creativity–thanks, Bliss Street!
Q. What are you reading/watching/listening to these days?
A.Let’s see…Here Come the ABC’s, The Jungle Book, Milo and Otis, My Neighbor Totoro, and other 3 year-old delights. Also: Listening to a lot of Bach these days (must be in need of some clarity). And the clever Matt the Electrician…
I recently saw the weird street art documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. It was funny, fascinating and provoking, though all the hand-held footage made me dizzy. My eyes frequently strayed off the screen to, well, the stable red Exit sign above the door.
Just re-read The Phantom Tollbooth, so great. Also started The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. And I keep going back to the luscious King James translation of Psalm 73: “Nevertheless, my feet were almost gone, my treadings had well-nigh slipt.” (v. 2)
Q. What’s one of your guilty pleasures?
A. Just one? Hmmm. This is going to sound lame, but…paying for a babysitter so I can go to Mimi’s Hummus with a book BY MYSELF. I sip fresh mint and sage tea and nibble dark, sweet punchim while the clock ticks at $18/hour. The last time I did this I spent most of my auto-date just staring at the beautifully paneled wall. It was glorious. I guess I really shouldn’t feel guilty, given that such activities prevent me from murdering one or both of my children…I’ll try to convince them of this later, when they’re in therapy.
Q. Whose work do you admire?
A. Susan Marshall, William Forsythe, Stephanie Miracle, Chunky Move, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Nicole Livierotos, Lori Teague…there are so many, for so many reasons.
Q. Where’s your favorite place to do creative work?
A. I’m seldom unselfconscious enough for this, but I love working outside. The wider focus, the movement of the air, the Hasidim playing softball in the adjacent field…
Q. You’ve been given a $5,000 budget for your next project. What would you do?
A. I’d reserve the area under the most beautiful tree in Prospect Park–you know the one, on the peninsula by the lake–and do a picnic show around sunset with commissioned live music…5 dancers or so…and candles.
OR, I’d rent a loft apartment for a week and create a site specific wander-through piece involving commissioned live music…5 dancers or so…and candles.
OR, I’d take my most recent piece, Selvedge, on the road somewhere. With candles.
Q. How can we find out more about your work?
A. coriolisdance.org
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Coriolis Dance Inc. » Blog Archive » The bliss… // Jun 23, 2010 at 2:48 pm
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