Ten Tiny Dances Explores the Pacing (and Spacing) of the Heart

Give a choreographer a space constraint, and they'll find a different way to move.

Paige Barnes explored this concept late last year, creating an evening-length show around an invented term called Ayudapii, "the specific species of movement artist whose expressive language relies on an intimate physical relationship with the space on or just above the floor."

A few weeks ago, A.W.A.R.D. Show! contestant Zoe Schofield, the casualty of a freshly broken toe, had to rework her piece ... and was still voted through to the final round.

The Ten Tiny Dances format (founded in Portland by Mike Barber) limits choreographers to the space on and around a 4' by 4' raised platform. More of a challenge than a gimmick, the spacial constraint forces seasoned dance-makers to rethink their approach; in this case, it made for a great show.

The Ten Tiny Dances hosted last weekend at Velocity Dance Center was a Valentine's edition as well, and much of the material (not surprisingly) seemed to focus on interpreting the activity of the heart. Other choreographers flirted with pain, pining and the comic tragedy of a tiny stage, with an actual proposal thrown in as well (congrats to Ellie and Chad!)

Alia Swersky, in collaboration with Kristen Hapke, presented a strong piece about weakness. The long-limbed Swersky toyed with the floor like a limber game of Twister --- yet as she held firm, the rest of her gleamed exposed, vulnerable. Haruko Nishimura's piece embodied healing: it was unclear if she was sticking in or taking out invisible pins. Was she zipping or unzipping? Michael Rioux's Goodbye/You'reForgiven/I'mPretendingToBeYou, an expert exercise in movement minutiae, was danced superbly by Danielle Hammer, her bobbing head recreating the current of an EKG.

Founder Mike Barber, unequivocally the king in this format, explored his "relationship with the 4x4" --- a love-hate relationship, to be sure. Barber clambered in, on, around, underneath the platform. The platform climbed over him. In closing, Barber was symbolically crushed by the stage, his legs sticking out like the Wicked Witch of the East.

The next iteration of Ten Tiny Dances will return "July-ish" (as producer Crispin Spaeth says). This first taste of this performance series has certainly encouraged me to come back for more.