3) “Ode to Linus Pauling.” (1997). Angela Ignacio Reval. Of course the piece bears no discernible relation to Pauling, two-time Nobel laureate, whose research explored the structure of chemical bonds. Reval’s first specification: the piece is only to be performed in Chicago. Six dancers, one for each El line. Red, blue, brown, orange, green, purple. Starting at the stop furthest from downtown, and beginning in the rearmost car of the train, dancers repeat certain actions in each car for five minutes until they reach the front. Once they reach the front car, they repeat these actions in reverse, five minutes per car, back where they came from. Once the trains reach the Loop, each dancer sings a song of their own making. Jolly, sad, no matter. When the trains reach Clark & Lake, at the Thompson Center, they set off, follow the crowd. In the main plaza the dancers take their bow. Applause from the audience, confused or not, is welcome.

 

 

 

4) “Foot Vox.” (2003). Groupa Etna. Technically, a “ballet of dirt.” Several floor fans are positioned around a large room. The room’s walls are lined with aluminum bleachers, where the audience is invited to sit. A dance in three acts: Low, Medium, & High, according to the settings of the fans. Begins at “Low”, dirt skitters across the floor. At “Medium” dust begins to billow. At “High”, the room is fully clouded. The audience is invited to wear goggles and dust masks issued to them in the lobby. Five minutes into “High” two tall men dressed in burlap overalls shuffle into view carrying feed shovels. Scoop, toss into the air, dance into the drop of it which plumes up as smoke. After ten minutes they lean the shovels against each other in the middle of the room and, back to back, walk away. The fans are unplugged. The men lay down. The piece: settled.