Missy Pfohl Smith discusses her inspiration for environmental choreography

Last week in addition to interviewing Hilary Lake from Earthdance, I also had the opportunity to interview Missy Pfohl Smith, artistic director of the company BIODANCE, which is based in Rochester, NY. I had met Missy in 2010 when she was teaching at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and I have since had the opportunity to see her company perform several times.

Before continuing to read, you might be interested in checking out the BIODANCE website:

 http://biodance.org/

BIODANCE facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/BIODANCE/268495226558

During our conversation Missy identified three specific choreographed works that she considers closely to be based on environmental issues: Guzzle! EXCESS, and I.T. (as in Information Technology). All three of these works are usually performed on a traditional stage, as opposed to in an outside space or a different, more casual performance space.

Missy stated that EXCESS is based off the ideas of over-consumption, accumulation, and clutter. EXCESS included projected images of garbage onto the stage, most of which could have been recycled but was not. Missy stated “In EXCESS it wasn’t about pointing fingers for who’s to blame—it was more about taking responsibility, and that we all need to take responsibility. Look what we have all done.”

Although the starting point of Guzzle! was looking specifically at oil consumption, the theme of that piece transformed to encompass the idea of our culture’s obsession with mass consumption. Missy used different metaphors in Guzzle! to portray her ideas; one example was a scene with a horse race, where the 5 competitors are representing the 5 big oil companies.

 EXCESS and Guzzle! both focused on the general theme of consumption of resources, but addressed the issue in different ways. However, I.T. is based around a very different theme: the ideas of technology and society. Missy described to me her inspiration for creating the work I.T.:

“Technology is slowly and surely separating us from nature. So for me it’s very environmental because it’s bringing us physically inside; we focus on screens as opposed to being in parks... We have lost awareness, whereas in the past people were much more connected with each other and with the environment. Now we are completely disconnected in every way; even though it wasn’t overtly related to the environment, it actually really was. Did everyone in the audience connect with that? No, I don’t think so, but that’s ok.”

Missy hopes that by creating environmentally based works she is promoting an increased level of awareness, but she informed me that she isn’t trying to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do. She stated, “the point is when we can, we make choices that are local, and when we can make choices that require less energy, and that’s good. I’m not trying to reprimand people. I just like the conversation to be alive.”

I realized that in all of my interviews to date each artist has mentioned that they are consciously making an effort not to reprimand people, or tell their audience what is right and wrong (although of course each interviewee has phrased this slightly differently). Environmental issues are extremely interdisciplinary and complex, and all of the choreographers and dancers I have talked to realize this complexity. In my experience so far, none of the environmental dance I have encountered is portraying a black and white image—which would inevitably result in an uncomfortable and unsupportive portion of the audience—but rather the work is about instigating awareness and conversation.

I also think that making environmental art in any medium is valuable because it can bring emotion and passion to information that would otherwise be viewed only as cold, factual data. Although environmental data and statistics are invaluable, most people have a difficult time connecting to this data on a personal level. That is where dance comes in!