Elaine Summers on a ladder in her work "Theater Piece for Chairs and Ladders", 1965.
Photo © by Dan Budnik. All rights reserved.
Still from "Absence & Presence", film © by Elaine Summers, 1968-1984.
All rights reserved
Memorial for Elaine Summers
Judson Memorial Church
28 February 2015
Doors open 6pm
Prelude music: Excerpts from Illuminations from Fantastic Gardens (1964)
by Malcolm Goldstein (voices: Beth Cuje, Norma Marder, Robert Ranieri, and John Wilson)
Opening Films: Two Girls Downtown Iowa (1973), Absence & Presence (1968-1984) directed by Elaine Summers
Welcome: Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper from Judson Memorial Church,
Juliette Mapp, Thomas Körtvélyessy
Invocation: Ione
Family members: Kyle Summers, Murphy and Walker Gigliotti
Film from Experimental Intermedia Foundation (1971)
Associate artist and board member Kinetic Awareness Center: Pearl Bowser
Film: Windows in the Kitchen (1977), directed by Elaine Summers, live performances by Douglas Dunn (dance), Jon Gibson (flute)
Working with Elaine, reflections from three generations:
Thomas Körtvélyessy, Amy Guggenheim, Michelle Berne
Collaborating with Elaine: Pauline Oliveros
Tuning Meditation 2015 - for Elaine composed by Pauline Oliveros - to be sung by all ...
Film: Crow's Nest (1979), choreography and film by Elaine Summers, live performances by Laura Quatrocchi, Alissa Cardone, Gabriella Hiatt
On Kinetic Awareness: Jill Green, Robin Powell, Ellen Saltonstall
Gardens for Elaine:
An open invitation to join Alexandra Ogsbury and Roberta Escamilla Garrison, as well as Kiori Kawai and company members, to share words and movements for or about Elaine.
Includes excerpts from Zen Om (1972) by Philip Corner, Pié Jesu by Gabriel Fauré, sung by Anne Hurley, and performance by by Eva Tremel and Eva Karczag via live-stream from Arnhem, The Netherlands
Invitation to Secret Dancers (1971) choreographed by Elaine Summers
Dance-captain: Harriet Bograd; Music: Raindance for Elaine by Carman Moore and Skymusic Ensemble.
Coda: Growth video by Kiori Kawai, with Elaine Summers, music by Carman Moore
After this dance we invite you to PARTY!
Elaine loved parties and celebrations
and made many occasions possible
for people to get together and have a good time.
We welcome you to join us
To close, please send a special thought to Elaine's brother John Lane Smithers who unexpectedly passed away February 16th, 2015 and to the family and friends he left behind
Program Curated by: Juliette Mapp and Thomas Körtvélyessy
Musical Directors: Pauline Oliveros, Carman Moore
Director of Choreography and Dancers: Kiori Kawai
Technical Director: Murphy Gigliotti
Lights: Brian Aldiss
Video and Film Director: Taketo Shimada
Streaming: Lindsay Karty, Brian Cook
Sound: Senem Pirler
Booklet Design: Sara Seagull
Documentation: Paula Court, photography and Vincent Mineo, video
We would like to thank the following people and institutions for their generous support
towards this memorial:
Judson Memorial Church for their longstanding support of the arts and especially Reverend Dr. Donna Schaper and Micah Bucey, Melissa Jameson, and Zac Mosely
Emily Harvey Foundation, Christian Xatrec, Agustin Schang
Movement Research and especially Rebecca Wender, Catherine Galasso, Anna Adams Stark and Kay Ottinger
The Archives of Elaine Summers / Michael von Üchtrup
Tanisha Jones and Danielle Castronovo, Jerome Robbins Division/New York Public Library
Kinetic Awareness Center (President: Charles Rosenberg)
Special thanks to Tyler Paxton Fairbanks of The Upper Crust for his generous work on the catering, and to Sarah Ibrahams at World Stage for their generous donation which made the rental of the big projector possible.
Floral arrangements : Jon Smithers and Marianne Goldberg
The list of thank-yous would be incomplete without the following:
Davidson Gigliotti, Meg Chang, Deborah Goldberg, Harriet Bograd, Ann Law, Jean-Ulrick D´sert, as well as all additional volunteers.
This memorial was made possible thanks to a generous donation by Cast Iron Court Corporation: Davidson Gigliotti (President), Jenny Chen, Mary Beth Edelson, Jamil Ezra,
the Estate of Emily Harvey, Stella Ishii and Jerry Kamitaki, Shigeko Kubota, Francesca Rheannon, and Cathy Weis. Elaine was President of the Cast Iron Court Corporation from
1975-1987. At the suggestion of Divya Rashad the building manager, the co-op voted to donate $1,000 for every year she served as president towards this memorial.
We would like to thank all the people who so kindly contributed their time and energy in making this evening happen.
We know you did it for Elaine and her wonderful ever self!
Thank you!
To see Elaine and her work, as well as all updates, go to
www.elainesummersdance.com
www.skytime.org
merrydancing.tumblr.com
www.kineticawarenesscenter.org
see her collection at the Jerome Robbins Division / New York Public Library
http://bit.ly/hGFZ3C