Studio Series: Walter Dundervill

Walter Dundervill’s LITTER consists of two primary layers of choreographic investigation: ARENA and AMERICAN SILVER. The explorations in both themes draw from aesthetic information prevalent during his childhood and adolescence. The first layer, ARENA, explores fictional representations of ancient Rome from the 1970s, specifically referencing the BBC miniseries I, Claudius and the 1969 film Fellini Satyricon. In ARENA Dundervill focuses on interpretations of historical imagery that were rooted in the conflict between traditional codes of morality and the 70s culture of burgeoning sexual independence and fluidity. The second layer, AMERICAN SILVER, uses Sam Wagstaff’s seminal Black, White and Gray exhibition and the emergence of minimalism in the 1960s. Here, Dundervill explores themes of purity and asceticism in American culture; in particular, the conflict between the act of distilling inchoate forces of nature to a pure essence and the presence of chaos and entropy within human experience.

The Studio Series offers an opportunity for research and development in a creative residency format, providing resources of time, space and a commission. The Studio Series is a research laboratory for physical explorations and new movement investigations with a focus on process, not final performance/product. The “performances” are intended to be informal public showings to share ideas with an audience in the intimate working space of the studio. Studio Series artists are curated internally by the Artistic Director in conjunction with Programming staff and guest curators from Urban Word NYC.

Studio Series receives generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Foundation For Contemporary Arts, and The Puffin Foundation.