Stilllife: SOMETHING NEW AT OLD TOWN SCHOOL ...

Stilllife: SOMETHING NEW AT OLD TOWN SCHOOL

                ...: SOMETHING NEW AT OLD TOWN SCHOOL                                     Image by Sue Demel FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY May 15-...

SOMETHING NEW AT OLD TOWN SCHOOL

                                   Image by Sue Demel

FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY May 15-17

A DANCE THEATER PROJECT FROM BRUCE ROPER AND VISCERAL DANCE

A PREVIEW:

Put this image somewhere in your head for a minute:

You can't tell what it is, and I am not sure how much to say about it. Call it a magic chair (and that's a magic hat beside it.) It is a central prop in a new production that will play out May 15 through 17 at the Old Town School of Folk Music's Myron Szold Hall.

It's about something that is going to happen to every one of us in due time, that sense of loss that pushes its way into our hearts and our heads when we realize it's too late to do something.

 But what?

 Fall in love?

Sing like a choirboy?

Run like a sprinter?

Dance like everyone is watching?

Yes in all cases, of course.

But "Dance like everyone is watching" is the right answer.

This is a play about someone remembering what it was like to dance like a fool and love every second of it. That would be Bruce Roper, the musician and writer and one third of Sons of the Never Wrong. "Still Life with Drumming" is the story he has been thinking about for decades. It has come to life with the help of choreographer Monique Haley from River North and director Sean Kelly of New Colony and a handful of amazing dancers from Visceral Dance.

Stephanie Martinez dances the lead role. Way back when this was a concept in Bruce's head, that would have been a man. But Monique and Sean talked it out with Bruce and the trio settled on Martinez for the lead.

I have seen a piece of this show. Martinez was a spectacular call.

There are nine dancers in all, about as fluid, talented and attractive a group of people as anyone has ever seen. To watch them dance and act out Bruce's story about memories of great times is as delightful as it is thought provoking.

Roper is no stranger at Old Town. He is the music shop's guitar repair guy. He also builds fine guitars at his studio down on School Street. He lives in a small apartment that includes the recording studio he built, a lovely grand piano, a case full of his guitars, some beloved art, and a lot of unending thought about writing music.

Here is a man who has produced maybe 11 albums, written hundreds of songs and harmonized with two of the grandest trio singers of them all, Sue Demel and Deb Maris Lader.

What made him think he could create a dance piece?

Way down in a pretty distant part of Illinois where he grew up, the kids would go to dance once a week at a little hall that had a hot band and all the standards anyone could want to crank up. Bruce doesn't actually get misty when he talks about it, but it is very clear he had a great time. He stopped dancing at age 21, when he got married. (Isn't THAT just like life!)

Back to the question: What made him think he could create a dance piece? I don't know. Probably the same thing that made him think he could write music, fix guitars, build them, do whatever comes to mind. Whatever regulator it is in our heads that says, "Don't go there, you could fail!" Bruce doesn't have one, which is a great thing for all of us.

It took hard work and patience to build this dance story. Visceral, with its thoughtful and muscular collection of young artists, is at the heart of it, with Monique guiding the group and Sean staging the story.

Monique Haley and the Visceral dancers in preparation

You have no idea what goes into one of these efforts. Pam Crutchfield stepped up to help with the financing. Old Town graciously provided the performance space. Bruce started out with one score and revised and revised and revised until he ended up with what you will hear. Sue Demel and Deb Lader completed the vocals. Steve Dawson sang the lead male role, with Gerald Dowd on the drums, John Abbey on the bass and Bob Long on keyboards and piano.

Counting out the sound

All that music and all that dance and all that thought runs about 55 minutes and takes you from a woman sad about her age to a miraculous transformation that carries her to a club and on to...well, you just have to see that for yourself. I have been watching these people work on this since February, back when everything was frozen solid and there was nothing to look forward to but winter.
Now it's spring and the dance is ready.

Visceral dancers in a club scene

Of course, a still photo doesn't give you much of anything to actually look at. You have to show up for that. Tickets are on sale at the box office at Old Town School. Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday at 3 p.m. Old Town School phone: 773-728-6000

Charlie Madigan