JACKSON, Wyo. — Dancers’ Workshop is delighted to welcome Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Company back to Jackson Hole in March. After a week of rehearsals in residence at Dancers’ Workshop, Jones will present his latest work: “What Problem?”
Jones, in addition to recognition as a Macarthur Genius Fellow, has won two Tony awards during his distinguished New York City-based career and received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama in 2013.
This performance — cultivated from a concept originally born on one of Jones’ previous visits to Jackson Hole — provokes the tension between belonging to a community and feelings of isolation that many feel during these divisive and tumultuous times. Jones conceived of this highly personal work in pursuit of the elusive “we,” including a cast of local community members, a deconstructed text from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, and Herman Melville’s enduring classic Moby Dick.
During the week preceding the March 18 and 19 performances, Jones and the company will be working alongside twenty-five Jackson community members — who are not trained dancers — to develop unique, personal, and locally-inspired content to weave throughout the performance. The overall concept reflects on Dr. King’s immortal words, “We shall overcome…” mixed with the scripture of democracy as formed and shaped by the nation’s founding documents.
“Our tradition is body-based expression,” Jones explained in a recent interview with Time Magazine. “So you do not have to know how to tendu or turn, but you have to be able to understand physical problems and solve them. You have to be able to get up and in and out of the floor, you have to be able to change modalities of emotional expression. How does anger work? How does pure shape work? There’s a profound meaning in people lowering each other to the ground and helping each other up. The metaphors are there. But they’ve got to understand the technique from inside. Even when it’s not perfect, it is something. We call it milling. And it’s a profound thing to see.”
“We’re so thrilled to present this thought-provoking and profoundly creative project,” said Babs Case, Artistic Director of Dancers’ Workshop. “Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company is celebrated around the world for the voice they bring to the current times. It’s priceless that they’re able to work with our students and dancers here in Jackson Hole and incorporate inspiration from members of our community. In such dynamic and challenging times, this is a welcome opportunity to explore the genuine value and impact of connecting and expressing our experiences through movement.”
“As we embark on our 50th Anniversary Season and celebrate this incredible milestone, What Problem? is a perfect way to reflect on the ways in which our community is enriched by art and dance,” said Erin Roy, Executive Director of Dancers’ Workshop. “We’re looking back on half a century of infusing our community with movement and beauty, and opportunities like this remind us that this kind of exploration and communication is more important than ever. For people of all ages, abilities, and exposure to dance, Dancers’ Workshop adds depth to so many lives.”
Tickets for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company performance of “What Problem?” will be on sale beginning Feb. 17. The performances will be at 6 p.m. on March 18 and 19, 2022, at Center for the Arts (240 S. Glenwood) in downtown Jackson Hole.
