Piece for a Northern Sky (2016)
“a compelling piece, brilliantly executed.” —Critical Dance
5 minutes
CHOROEGRAPHY/PERFORMANCE: Jody Sperling
MUSIC: Matthew Burtner
In this stunning solo, Sperling extends a single whirl into a transcendent meditation on planetary motion. The simplicity of the motion belies the unfolding complexity of celestial imagery evoked. Burtner’s score creates vortices of sound with vibraphone rhythms based on Fibonacci sequence patterns.
This piece is one of Sperling’s signature solos inspired by the style of Loie Fuller (1862–1928). Considered one of the “mothers” of modern dance, Fuller was a visionary and Queer artist with an expansive legacy. Her innovative performances conjured mesmerizing, multimedia spectacles out of fabric, motion, light and image.
“[N]othing can match the pure spectacle of whirling silk that is Sperling’s solo, “Piece for a Northern Sky” . . . The rippling fabric floated up in a column to form the bugle of a cala lily, while stage lights beamed a glimmer of green onto the folds. Then in a psychedelic transformation, a giant peony opened in full circular bloom, with overlapping layers of silk highlighted in a pink glow—a dazzling representation of the Northern Lights. Burtner’s music became meditative and Sperling twirled and twirled like a Sufi dancer in a trance, then stopped on a dime”