“Once Gone,” a collaboration between choreographer Abigail Levine and composer Erik Deluca, was featured at the Open Grounds Corner study Friday. There, the small scale performance venue set the backdrop for an intimate, interactive work of art.
This “work in progress,” set to be performed at St. Mark’s Church in New York City on Nov. 11, offers an interactive experience in which viewers are invited to stand and change positions — and, thus, perspectives — in the room, emphasizing the performance’s focus on change and disappearance.
While conceptually beautiful, the piece Levine defines as “dance” errs more toward the side of modern performance art and has starkly minimalist visual aesthetics. The performance features Levine as a solo performer, striving to extend the life of her work of art. She repeatedly marks a large piece of paper while simultaneously executing slow methodical choreography focusing on imperfect repetition. Levine enacts her performance with the grace and precision of traditional dance, carefully positioning her form to create the intended visual effect with deliberate positions and physical lines.
Deluca’s musical composition proved an intriguing companion to Levine’s choreography, with Levine queuing the music throughout her performance by clicking various tape players. The music began as a grainy blend of tumultuous sounds ranging from heavy breathing to an Alaskan glacier, gradually moving toward more hauntingly beautiful tones until maturing to a more melodious accompaniment.
Despite Levine’s gradual journey from one end of the room to the other, the repetitive nature of her physical performance was somewhat static. The progression of the music into a euphonious sound, however, added a necessary dynamism to the production. Though Levine’s movements intentionally did not mirror or interpret the accompaniment, the relationship of motion to sound created a greater depth than if one piece of the performance were to have stood alone.
The rejection of performance art in “Once Gone” is somewhat detrimental, however, presenting a jarring deviation from artistic expectations. The piece is initially disorienting. Levine immediately drops to the floor, acting out slow, deliberate motions. Rather than enacting a fluid string of multiple movements, Levine presents something more akin to the gradual progression of a single pose. Though she meticulously creates graceful choreography, citing the influence of Greek sculpture, Levine’s act soon grows rather tedious in its lack of major developments.
Levine and Deluca explained their respective work during the open discussion following the performance. The duo’s desire to prolong the existence of dance — which lacks the immortality of visual art, which can more easily outlive its creator — is touching, though the work itself is aesthetically monotonous.
Aided by sheer unexpectedness, Levine’s slow progression across a room lined with a slew of identical, evenly-spaced tape players is initially engaging. However, once the shock factor diminishes, the glacial pace of the piece does little to contribute to the lack of surprise. Additionally, Levine rarely turns toward her audience, creating a barrier which feels unnatural. If the piece had been tailored more closely to the idea of performance art, this disconnect would be less off-putting.
“Once Gone” is perhaps best reserved for viewers who are extremely well-versed in modern art, as it is a far cry from traditional dance and lacks a wide breadth of visual expression. The piece sets the stage for a thought-provoking display — however, the sudden disconnect prevents any sort of emotional impact.
Of the two components, the audio accompaniment is stronger. DeLuca’s melodies are comparatively more equipped to stand alone without explanation, their metamorphosis throughout the piece offering grounds for interpretation.
“Once Gone,” while intriguing, is heavily reliant on the viewer’s previous knowledge and understanding of its conceptual background. Thus, this piece falls short as a performance for a common audience.
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