At dusk, while pedestrians, bikers and dogs alike are rushing home to beat the cold, an unusual scene is taking place at Alton Baker Park. Along the Peter DeFazio pedestrian and bicycle bridge, a band of brass and a solo percussionist march across the bridge, playing tranquil, sobering music while young women glide behind.
Bikers ride by with a quizzical look. Other passers-by glance for a minute and then continue on their way. The bridge shakes a little when the dancers gracefully leap through the air and the tuba blows a low vibrato. With all the varying elements around them, the
performers never break character.
Since August, the dancers of the University’s modern dance program have been practicing at Alton Baker Park for their outdoor performance, “Merge: Bridging Dance and the Community.” The performance drew its inspiration from the location, namely the connection it has to the city of Eugene.
Choreographer Erinn Ernst, a graduate teaching fellow in the dance department,
organized the show as her Master of Fine Arts choreographic thesis project. Ernst said dancing in the theater is not always accessible to the community around them, so the dancers are bringing the performance to the community.
“We’re sharing it as much as we can,” Ernst said, “and here, people can choose their perspective, watch from different angles.”
Ernst collaborated with three composers from the School of Music, Simon Hutchinson, Mark Knippel and David Horton, to create music to fit the scene, the elements and their visions. Each composer created separate pieces for the different parts of the performance. For instance, when the dancers perform underneath the stairs on the bridge, a beautiful cello and flute duet play right beside.
“Everyone has a voice,” Horton said of the performance.
The dance begins on the footbridge. The dancers slowly dance their way down the stairs, underneath the
staircase, to the grass, then to the pond. Each part has a different meaning, a different song and a different dance. On the bridge, for example, the inspiration is transportation.
When a bike passes by, the biker performs a certain movement. The point is to move with the traffic of those passing by — to work with the community.
The dancers work seemingly well with the elements. Dancer Alyssa Gentry, a University student, said working in the park has had its ups and downs.
“In a studio, we have a springy floor, shelter from the elements,” she said. “[Outside] we have to be more careful and wary of our surroundings, even as we enjoy our movement in the space.”
University student Jenell Davis, a dance major, loves working with the space and the beautiful surroundings that inspire her dance movements and improvisation. She also loves the space because it gives her and the dancers a chance to share their love of dance directly with the community.
The performance “is a precious gift to be given by all and received,” Davis said.
“Merge: Bridging Dance and the Community” is this Saturday, Oct. 9, at 4 p.m. at the Peter DeFazio pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Alton Baker Park, rain or shine. There will be a Q-and-A session after the performance at the information table near the pond at the north end of Alton Baker Park.
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