For many people, the problem with modern dance is that it’s so … modern. There seems to be no method to its madness. Despite the skill it obviously requires, it appears to contain odd, frenetic moves laden with symbolism that seem unreadable by all but a select few.
If that’s how you feel, casebolt & smith, appearing this weekend during the University of Nevada’s Spring Dance Concert, might be for you.
Best friends Liz Casebolt and Joel Smith, both college dance instructors in Southern California, formed their modern dance duo casebolt & smith in 2006 as a way to explore their shared commitment to the artistry and experimentation of modern dance, in a way that’s accessible to all.
“We reveal the creative process as well as expose some of the tropes of dance making, and even occasionally poke fun at how overly serious modern dance can be,” they commented in an email interview. “We have a great love for the art form, but are sometimes bothered by its need to take itself so seriously and its tendency to alienate a non-dance audience.”
Describing their work is tough: They talk and dance, often ironically, riffing off each other and occasionally improvising, and the audience is invited to laugh at their self-awareness. For instance, in their latest show, O(h), as Smith circles the stage making exaggerated, flamboyant gestures, Casebolt sings into the mic, “Every dance show needs a gay break, watch the gay boy dancin’ all around the stage.”
“We often use speaking and dancing as a way of revealing our process—sometimes telling the audience what we are doing as we do it, sometimes questioning our choices in the dance—as part of the dance,” they explain. “We spend a lot of time in rehearsal discussing what is possible, and how different ways of moving or interacting read to an audience, and the conversation often finds its way into the work.”
Challenging conventional notions of gender, the two dress in a gender-neutral way, in matching pin-stripe suits or shirts, for example.
“We aren’t interested in showing a ’traditional’ male/female duet—one that normally places the man in a position of power, while the woman’s role is to be lifted and manipulated. We work to find democracy in our partnership.”
Rosie Trump, assistant professor of dance in UNR’s Department of Theater and Dance, was instrumental in bringing them to Reno, not only to perform but to work in residence with dance students this semester.
She says the approachability of casebolt & smith for any audience member is exciting.
“Sometimes modern dance can be seen as almost self-indulgent, and they poke fun at that,” says Trump. “They can be political a bit, too, dealing with issues like being a woman or gay man in dance, or the politics of the dance community, but in a light way. … It doesn’t hit you over the head. It’s smart, but you don’t have to have a lot of knowledge about dance to enjoy it.”
The duo choreographed a student performance of approximately 10 minutes, which, along with pieces by Trump and other dance faculty and their own 60-minute performance of O(h), will comprise the full Spring Dance Concert.
The key tenet of comedic improv—the principle of always answering “yes, and …” when provided with a cue—became a focal point of casebolt & smith’s choreography process.
“’Yes, and’ is about agreement, about furthering the scene by not denying the moment,” they explain. “As we worked with the students, we gave each other permission to insert our ideas and opinions wherever we were inspired to, and set up the challenge for ourselves of always saying ’yes’ to the other person’s input.”
The Spring Dance Concert is also an opportunity for a sneak peek at the newly renovated Proscenium Theatre at UNR’s Church Fine Arts Building, which officially will be unveiled in fall.