ticktock: New Experiments in Aerial Dance

Formed in summer of 2009, ticktock is an experimental dance company that produces the collaborative work of Elizabeth Rose (the Aerialistas), Jill Schaffner (DASS Dance), and Bridget Gunning (Manifold Motion).

Three modern-dancers-turned-aerialists, we met in Seattle in 2008. All of us were mid-career performers and all found we were drawn to aerial and circus because of its extreme physicality (Jill and I are both former gymnasts, Bridget a former competitive swimmer), but had a hard time finding most contemporary circus artistically satisfying because it lacked choreographic depth and seemed to be an art form based on "tricks" and archetypal character portrayals. 

At the same time, in most contemporary "aerial dance," the apparatus and the performers are sadly underutilized, and much of the work relies on its "Look! We're off the ground!" effect to impress audiences, but is ultimately unimaginative.

After a series of initial conversations and small collaborations, we went into the studio with an intention to deconstruct the language of aerial and rework our circus skills from a modern dancer's perspective. Using Mary Overlie's Viewpoints, dance composition exercises, and lots of improvisation, we began with a concept and started choreographing aerial dances, instead of making "aerial dance." 

The result is a hybrid performance medium that is more textured and contemplative than typical circus, and more sensational and extreme than typical dance. The goal is to continue refining this process of deconstruction and integration while continually pushing the edge of our physical possibilities into a realm of "expressive athleticism." We hope that with the development of this process, a choreographic style will emerge--one that inspires audiences with undeniably real surreality and fantastically literal flights of fancy.

Since the company’s inception, we have shown our work in "Circus of Dreams" at ACT Theatre, Manifold Motion's "Miscellanea II" at Canoe Social Club, and "Bedlam!" at the Emerald City Aerialdrome, where we were offered a six-month residency to produce our first show, glibly titled "No.1."

Our show premieres on January 29 and runs three performances: January 29 and 30 at 8 p.m., and January 31 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available on Brown Paper Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/93280