by Martin Wechsler, Director of Programming at The Joyce

As the Director of Programming at The Joyce, I travel around quite a bit to see performances. Last weekend, I headed off to Seattle to see Donald Byrd’s The Theater of Needless Talents that he made for the studio series of Spectrum Dance Theatre, where he is the Artistic Director.

Booking my ticket at the last minute using The Joyce’s American Express miles, I was able to leave New York early on Saturday morning, get to Seattle around lunch time, see the show that night, and head straight back to the airport for the red-eye home, via Cleveland.

I had a few hours to spend in Seattle before the show, so I took the opportunity to walk through the central branch of the Seattle Public Library designed by Rem Koolhaas which was stunning.

Joyce Programming Associate Jonathan Krebs, who comes to New York from Portland, where he worked at the dance presenting organization White Bird recommended a stop in Queen Anne neighborhood, where I re-energized with a cup of Café con Leche at the El Diablo Coffee Company before heading off the find the Madrona Studios where the performance was to be held.

I went down a very long and very winding road along Lake Washington, and found the company’s two beautiful studios to be house in a repurposed old bathing facility, owned by the city. Although they’re right on the side of the lake, they had no windows from which to see the magnificent view of the Lake and Mt. Rainer. While waiting for the performance, I chatted with Anna Thompson, the Director of Performing Arts at the University of Notre Dame who was one of the commissioning partners who provided money for the creation of this work. We shared some future programming ideas, and discussed our respective commissioning programs, including The Joyce’s recent awarding of 25 commissions of $25,000 to 25 dance companies in celebration of The Joyce’s 25th Anniversary.

In The Theater of Needless Talents, Donald takes on the subject of the holocaust. The full evening work is set to a score composed by Erwin Schulhoff before he was imprisoned and died in a Nazi concentration camp. The music was performed live by the Northwest Sinfonietta Trio. A painted curtain was pulled back to reveal the dancers on a grid marked on the floor. Recitations of statistics about the number of people killed in the holocaust were accompanied by slicing arm and leg gestures. Prisoners stories, as told by the dancers introduced exaggerated cabaret-like solos and duets. It was a very moving piece, and well performed by the company.

Donald conducted a Q&A with the audience following the performance, but I had to run back to the airport to catch my flight. Fortunately, the plane was fairly empty, and I was able to stretch out and get some sleep

Next stop: Australia

Photo: Spectrum Dance Theatre