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Li Chiao-Ping in "Venous Flow: States of
Grace"
(Photograph by Craig Schreiner) |
Venous Flow — “Momentous ingenious enigmatic"
—New York Times
Venous Flow: States of Grace was premiered April 6, 2001,
in Madison, Wisconsin.
Video clips:
Grafting solo
1.48MB| Excerpt
1.32MB
Venous Flow: States of Grace was an evening-length multimedia
production created by choreographer Li Chiao-Ping and visual artist
Douglas Rosenberg with original music by New York composer Stephen Vitiello.
On January 11, 1999, Li and Rosenberg were involved in a near-fatal
auto accident that threatened to end her dance career. This accident,
combined with the subsequent healing process, served as a catalyst for
this piece.
Li Chiao-Ping, as she retrains her body subsequent to her near-fatal
auto accident, has been exploring alternate ways of moving through space
that allow for her injury and compensate for the state of her physical
body, expanding on her movement vocabulary. This group work refers to
a test administered to Li in the hospital that measured the flow of
blood through the veins in the damaged area of her leg. The device used
amplified the venous flow and made it audible to both the nurse and
to Li and Rosenberg as well. The act of listening to one’s blood flowing
through the traumatized area of Li’s body created a sense of well being
for the collaborators that was directly related to the healing of Li’s
injury. Venous Flow: States of Grace used Li’s athletic and demanding
choreographic process and Rosenberg’s direction/video imagery to address
the physical nature of hope and renewal in the face of great adversity.
Themes such as ability/disability, mind/body/spirit, and eastern/western
approaches to healing the body helped to shape what has ultimately been
a life-affirming work. The piece featured both professional dancers
and people from the community in which the work was performed. Venous
Flow: States of Grace also featured additional music by Vincenzo
Bellini and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as well as Matthew Antaky's lighting
design. Costumes were developed and coordinated by Li Chiao-Ping herself.
Li was aided by Andrea Harris in the rehearsal process of this piece.
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