On Sunday, Dec. 20, in a the back suite at 1017 10th Ave., with the music from Neumos–which shares its south wall with the space–thumping dully through the brick, dancer/choreographer Mônica Mata Gilliam brought to fruition a year-long project called You’re Right Here with the last of six live performances.
Conceived more than a year before, You’re Right Here was a web-based experiment that explored space and connectedness. With a friend and fellow dancer moving out of Seattle, Gilliam conceived of a online video project between the two artists. One would make a dance video, post it to the web, and the other would respond, creating a choreographic dialogue, to be posted on the project’s website.
Eventually, Gilliam’s main collaborator became dancer Alice Gosti, and the project was opened up to the rest of Seattle’s dance community as an experiment in dialogue. So far, the project has generated a couple dozen videos and response, all posted blog-style at YoureRightHere.com.
The late-December performance, called Denying the Space Between Us, adapted bits of choreography from the videos submitted over the year (along with an original work by Paige Barnes). The space was divided into multiple settings: a kitchen, a hallway, a bedroom, a closet, and finally a vacant white space where Barnes’ work was performed. The original videos appeared throughout the space, either in small, digital video picture frames or projected on the walls. Adding to the sense of digital dis/connectedness, the live performances were webcast through the project’s website.
Although Gilliam completed her original concept by bringing the idea full-circle, back to a live performance, You’re Right Here is continuing its web existence and a creative dialogue between local artists.
