Morgan Teel - PREVIEW

revision COMPLETE scheduled for publication

Morgan Teel

Morgan Teel

A still from Sloth (2012)

Suanne Messer, a still from Epicenter (Photography by Kate Dearman)

Suanne Messer, Matumbe Himmons, a still from Epicenter (Photography by Kate Dearman)

An interview with

Morgan Teel How did you come up with the idea for Epicenter?

In my first dance film, Dalet, I noticed that my relationship as a choreographer was different with my dancers during a filmmaking process than it was in a concert dance process. I felt more involved with them—yet they felt less involved with me. I invaded their personal space as I filmed their faces up close gathering the tears of sweat impacted by the setting sun.

Because filming a dance involves constant motion, I was always in constant motion— almost a part of their dance in the film process.

Even through the editing process, I felt engaged with my dancers, as the artistic vision became 3D. However, their relationship with me as a director had stopped. In fact, they never saw the dance film until the night it was premiered. This relationship in my artistic process was intriguing and I desired to delve into it more.

I received a research grant to study this relationship further. The idea for Epicenter stemmed from my desire to simply create a work of art with two dancers, and specifically, Suanne Messer and Matumbe Himmons. I feel like one could find Messer and Himmons standing side by side in an elevator, not saying a word, and it would be a work of art.

I knew I was interested in a space that was raw.

Dalet was filmed in an abandoned high school covered with graffiti printed walls and dirt and ash on the ground. I wanted Epicenter to be clean, almost sanitized, and definite—but still have the feeling of abandonment. While I believe my choreography and the space played a great deal in achieving this, the film itself sealed the matter of fact state of being.

A critical component to Epicenter was the sound. The second and third section was created entirely using star sesmoidology, the sound frequency recordings of stars in space.

Morgan Teel, photo by Kate Dearman Most people never know that unless I tell them or unless they study stars. But having these sounds for Epicenter was a ground work for the choices I made cinematically, such as the heavy use of repetition in images. I found repetition important in Epicenter to create revolution and a sense of circularity.

Let's speak of the empty location where Epicenter takes place: we have been impressed by the balance between absence and presence in your video, which is not conceived as a classical balance, as the relationships between solids and voids in architecture for example, but a sort of coexistence between past and present in imagination and perception. We find that this aspect of you art is evident in Epicenter. How do you achieve this balance?

I discovered the space for Epicenter through Kate Dearman, my photographer for the project.

It is truly a random boxed shape covering in the

Suanne Messer, Justin Jackson, Jessica Puckett, Monique Brogan, Ericka Stieber, a still from Dalet

alleyway of downtown Hattiesburg in Mississippi. I was immediately drawn to the raw beauty that needed its use to be recycled for Epicenter. The walls were a texturized blend of blue, white, and tan. Messer and Himmons were physically connected or at least side by side for the entire dance. This movement in the empty space paired with the physically intimate, emotionally unattached atmosphere only enhanced the metaphor.

Artistically, I have found through the past years that my work blurs the lines between what appears to be present and past. I found this evident while reading R.K. Elliot’s Aesthetic Theory and Experiencing From Within. Elliot’s theory suggests that a reader experiencing within feels as though they are there coexisting with the poet, or even taking the place of him.

With dance film, I think the principle is similar. I often hear from viewers of Epicenter that they feel as though they are in a state of trance. I feel like this trance-like state of mind corresponds

with the repetition and circularity of movement motifs within the film.

What stands out as most obvious in Epicenter is the continuity of black-outs throughout the entire film. I believe these black-outs served two purposes—one being a direct representation of Elliot’s theory by providing the opportunity to step away from experiencing within and be present, as a viewer, in real world time. As an artist, this is a risky challenge because it is a balancing act to create a dance film that asks the viewer to be both engaged in the work but present and aware of themselves in the process.

Secondly, the black-outs serve as a platform between imagination and perception. In the beginning, the black-outs happen frequently with small dissolves, almost as though the moving images are through the eyes of someone who is drifting off to sleep. One of the last images in the film consists of Messer closing her eyes. It is about a millisecond long and could easily be missed but if noticed, one will question if the entire film is through Messer’s perception.

Matumbe Himmons, Suanne Messer, a still from Epicenter

To be honest, I still question it myself. I am still learning nuances about my dance film work all the time and that is the beauty of creating choreography that is timeless and archived.

The collaboration with Matumbe Himmons and Suanne Messer has been fundamental for this project. Could you introduce this aspect of your project?

The collaboration with Himmons and Messer was fundamental to my initial ideas. The two dancers created meaning and life to Epicenter because of their willingness to spontaneously create an atmosphere relying on minimal direction. Before I cast them, I had seen the two in “Known Conundrum” choreographed by Tyler McCants. There were seven dancers and Messer and Himmons barely interacted, but I somehow saw raw chemistry between the two.

Though I shared my images of inspiration with the pair, I never verbally shared my motivation behind Epicenter. I have found it most effective in my work to disclose this information so that my dancers are more likely to create an atmosphere that is organic and natural verses forced. Himmons and Messer took ownership of the work in this process which created meaning and atmosphere.

The collaboration was also rich in choreographic input from the dancers. I often acted as an instigator with tasks in the rehearsal process.

For example, I felt that Epicenter was tied to a short poem I found about the letters X and Y. I would read each line of the poem as Messer and Himmons would describe these variables through movement.

In the film, the couple is physically intimate in nature. The intricate gestures are almost always in reference towards one another. Yet, the pair is desensitized. They look at each other, or even the camera, and seems as though they are looking at a wall. The complexity of the relationship creates an atmosphere that is uncomfortable but intriguing.

We find that your art is rich of multidisciplinary references. In Epicenter, the act of pushing the limits in dance reminds us of Carmelo Bene's theatre. Can you tell us your biggest influences in art and how they have affected your work?

In 2012, I read Walking On Water: Reflections of Faith and Art by Madeline L’Engle. It is about the creative process of artists and attempts to describe the link between faith and art through

a unique and thorough approach. Before I made Dalet, I spent two months fasting in order for me to clear my head, focus, and listen to what the Lord wanted me to create. Each of my works of art has a biblical reference, but is not shown in a literal way. I like to think of it as the belly of a boat. You never see the bottom of a boat but you know it is there or else the boat would sink.

Scripture fueling my creative process helps my work of art not sink. These two influences are a constant in all of my works.

When I flip through my journal, photography and other forms of visual art make it apparent to me that they are a huge influence as well. For example, when I was creating Dalet, I kept looking at this image of a woman covering a majority of her face with hands that were covered in what looked like charcoal. She was elderly and the wrinkles in her hands were more apparent because of how deep the black charcoal went into her skin. I felt as though she was grieving. I showed this image to Ericka Stieber, one of my cast members for Dalet, and we worked together to recreate this image of grief through movement.

Currently, I am influenced by the artwork of Andrew Wyeth. I went to Washington, D.C. last month and saw the Looking Out, Looking In exhibit at the National Museum of Art. The entire exhibit is comprised of Wyeth’s paintings of windows. He was my grandmother’s neighbor when she was growing up in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and I feel as though I am “looking in” to her life when I am reading his biography about growing up in Chadds Ford. I feel as though Andrew Wyeth’s paintings could very well influence a future dance film project of mine.

What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

As much as I love the final product of my artwork, the creative process and how the work came to be is of great interest to me. Building relationships with my cast and seeing them bond with each other has so much value. I love it when mistakes that are made become a part of the art made. For example, when I was editing the first section of Dalet I was experimenting with sound. I paired underwater sounds with radio static to create juxtaposition against the scenery that was earthly dry and architecturally engaging. The dance film, at that point in time, was focused on the movement accentuating the space. The underwater sounds dissolved and as soon as the static grew to pure noise, it dissipated abruptly and the image of ten hands appeared wrapped

Captions 3, details

Suanne Messer, Ericka Stieber, on the set of Dalet

Justin Jackson, Jessica Puckett, Monique Brogan, Suanne Messer, Ericka Stieber, a still from Dalet

around a pole. The image stayed for a second longer than what is comfortable. The image is so strong that it almost appears to be a still shot except a slight breeze causes Messer’s skirt to brush against the wind signifying the power dance film can bring through the simplicity of moments such as this. That breathtaking, uncomfortably engaging mistake that I made in Dalet became a catalyst for the video art.

Moments where mistakes become art in my

creative process are the moments that bring me the biggest satisfaction.

Thanks for sharing your time and thoughts with us, Morgan. What's next for Morgan Teel? Have you a particular collaboration in mind?

In August, I have a Choreographic Fellowship with Vitacca Productions & Company working with

Revolve Dance Company in Houston, Texas. I am excited to work and learn from other choreographers and dancers. I have also recently moved to Austin, Texas. Right now, I am spending time meeting people and connecting with other artists in the area. I have no doubts that a new dance film will emerge in short time. A few locations to film have already caught my eye. As I am writing this I am expecting several emails back about acceptance for a few dance film festivals, creative

residencies, and grants. Though I was born and raised in Florida, my artistic roots are in Mississippi. Because of this, I feel like I need to create a work of art in and for Florida. I am hoping this will take place in the spring of 2014.