Paul Singh answers 9 questions. Here is what he had to say.
well, this piece is not meant to be a performance. it is an experiment. it is an investigation into how you cultivate vulnerability in a performance environment. it's about stopping the selfish act of the artist having the experience on stage and instead letting the viewers have it with you.
What inspired you to create this piece?
i got very tired of the idea of people sitting in a theater and watching art in a box. i just think that if we are asking ourselves to be so damned physical on the stage, then we must demand as much from the people watching.
Where does this piece fit into your overall body of work? Is it more similar or dissimilar to the rest of your work? How?
it's funny. i just said the other day that this is nothing like the work i thought i'd ever be making. and i like that. this particular piece is very different for me because it started as a trio of men, then moved down to a solo, but i ended up keeping it a "trio" by trippling my presence on stage with a pre-recorded voice and the audience's imagination. it is very similar to the idea of involving the audience that i work with, but very different from all the group work i've done so far. in this piece. the dancing (which i still believe is important to dance work...) was the least important element. still necessary, but not the focus.
What significant shifts in your work or creative process have you seen over time? Why do you think those shifts occurred?
the shifting happened when i became dissatisfied. dissatisfaction usually drives a choreographer to keep asking and then keep finding. it only made me feel more and more like a failure. and then i would go watch dance that would just compound that feeling because none of what i was seeing was telling me that dance was necessary. eventually i got to the point where i was in the studio and told myself that every single action i was about to do have to mean everything - i told myself to important with every single movement, or go home. that definitely made me buckle down, make, edit, destroy, and then make again.
Why do you choose to express yourself with dance?
i know i'm a natural mover. however, i don't feel that i am such a great dancer. i'd rather be the choreographer who watches his ideas unfold. i can't think of another medium that demands more from the artist on all aspects - knowledge of the current world, total physicality, constant financial struggle, etc. it's the strongest challenge there is.
What about today's environment feeds your work? What is your favorite thing about dancing now? What do you find the most challenging?
today's environment requires more patience and understanding that we've seen necessary in a long time. my work is fed from the people watching. and people discussing. if that doesn't happen, there is no art. as far as tangible things go, there are a few concrete things that get me going. it's usually a good book by anne bogart, a good article in the new yorker, and any conversation about my current work that anyone is willing to have with me. talking and thinking out loud is what stirs my pot. my favorite things about dance right now is seeing an artist reaffirm my faith in dance. (jodi melnick, francis bacon, john jasperse, etc.) unfortunately, and this is just my opinion, there is a lot of work being made that isn't asking dance to be necessary. we don't have time for that any more....which brings me to what's most challenging right now. you would think it would be scheduling or renting rehearsal space. nope - it's watching work that isn't demanding enough from me.
What is your happiest dance memory?
the happiest is actually pretty recent. i was auditioning for doug varone and when daniel charon was showing the phrase material one last time, i accidentally started doing it with him across the floor. i didn't care about the audition, or the other dancers watching. for just a few moments i was flying around the room confidently and so fully connected to someone else, albeit for 30 seconds.
What do you do on a daily basis to support your choreography?
i write backwards, work on learning a different language and stare at an empty space for at least 10 minutes just visualizing
If you were interviewing yourself, what would you ask?
i'd ask myself what trajel harrell asked at a recent Q & A: when you're in rehearsal experimenting, when you get caught by the surprise moment, what does it feel like? is it a sensation, a thought, a stopping? and how do you hold it, mold it and then work with it? the surprise is the opening for all new things to fall in.
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