Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #20

posted by Third Rail Projects

Above is an excerpt from Performance #20 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts World Financial Center, Friday, February 27 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #20 is created by Zach Morris & Tom Pearson and performed by Zach Morris, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Tara O'Con, Mayuna Shimizu, Nikki Berger, J Day, Arianne Gallagher, Zoe Scheiber, and Matthew Wagner. Music by Kris Bauman.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit: thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #19

posted by Third Rail Projects

Above is an excerpt from Performance #19 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Thursday, February 26 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #19 is created by Tara O'Con and performed by Zach Morris and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus with Nikki Berger, Arianne Gallagher, and Matthew Wagner.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit: thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #18

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #18 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Wednesday, February 25 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #18 is created by Tom Pearson and performed by Zach Morris, Mayuna Shimizu, Tara O'Con, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, April Biggs, J Day, Tori Sparks, and Matthew Wagner. Music is by Mark DeNardo: markdenardo.com.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit: thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents Video Shorts Set #2

posted by Third Rail Projects



In addition to three evolving art installations and short (5-10 min) live performances each work day of February 2009 at the World Financial Winter Garden, these video shorts are also featured for the entire month on WFC plasma screens located throughout the Winter Garden. These short videos add another layer of meaning and tie together various elements from the live performances and the installations, furthering narratives and reiterating themes.



This set of video shorts was created by Zach Morris, Elizabeth Carena, and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus.  Part of Undercurrents & Exchange. More info at: thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #17

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #17 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Tuesday, February 24 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #17 is created by Marissa Nielsen-Pincus and performed by Zach Morris and Tara O'Con.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #16

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #16 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Monday, February 23 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #16 is created and performed by Zach Morris and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents: Daily Choices

posted by Tom Pearson

Friday's dance from Undercurrents and Exchange utilized the plasma screen by the North Corridor and linked the video component of our work to the daily live presentations. We discovered that putting a dance near the area of highest traffic (the corridor leads to the food court), but without blocking the way, we forced people to make a choice, to either stop or to keep walking. But, there was no ignoring the fact of the performance you had to walk through.

As you'll see in the video, many folks did continue briskly on, sometimes self-consciously, between the camera and performance. But what you don't see is the large crescent of audience members who formed, at a safe distance, in front of Zach and the screen.

Something about the localized activity near the most interstitial of spaces in the Winter Garden allowed them to hit the pause button on their fast forwards. I would postulate that several other hooks grabbed their attention as well: the use of multi-media, the upbeat and funky electronic score by Kris Bauman, and the hip-hop echoes in the movement. These components are the right combination of the familiar and extraordinary that made some re-negotiate their propensity for dismissive-ness. Though as Marissa said a week or so back, it's nice to figure out all the hooks we can give people for any given piece and then try to get away with using as few as possible.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Week #3 Photos

posted by Third Rail Projects

Week #3 (Feb. 16-20, 2009) photos from Undercurrents & Exchange

Photos courtesy of arts>World Financial Center and Chad Heird.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #15

posted by Third Rail Projects


Above is an excerpt from Performance #15 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Friday, February 20 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #15 is created by Zach Morris with Elizabeth Carena, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, and Tom Pearson. Music is by Kris Bauman.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #14

posted by Third Rail Projects


Above is an excerpt from Performance #14 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Thursday, February 19 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Today's dance was a Flash Mob slow dance, consisting of many couples who arrived just before 1pm, emerged from the crowd, and began to slow dance for one song, then disappeared back into the crowd afterwards. Day #14 is created and performed by Zach Morris with Third Rail Projects' artists and guests.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #13

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #13 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Wednesday, February 18 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #13 is created by Tom Pearson and performed by Zach Morris and Mayuna Shimizu.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit: thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #12

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #12 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Tuesday, February 17 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #12 is created and performed by Zach Morris and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit: thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #11

posted by Zach Morris

Today, President's Day, Monday Feb 16th, the Winter Garden was strangely quiet at lunch time. Gone were the droves of professionals, construction workers, and even the nannies (who've become our stalwart fans). Instead, the garden was sparsely populated. Sure, there were a few die-hard office workers who would walk through on their b-line to Starbucks. But we realized that almost everyone else in the space were "tourists." Some, were obviously tourists, either mulling around in packs led by a tour guide, looking at maps and guide books. Others looked like casual visitors perhaps from out-of-town, or New Yorkers who had ventured down to lower Manhattan on their day off. A totally different crowd then we've become accustomed to here.

And, as President's Day is technically not a work day, we decided to take a "day off" as well and re-stage one of the dances that we'd previously shown. This Monday, instead of creating a new dance, we restaged Tara O'Con's Performance #7 from February 10th. We were particularly interested to find out how the peice would be recieved by a completely different audience. The only thing that changed was Marissa Nielsen-Pincus's role was danced by Tara.

We were suprised by the stark difference in the reaction we got. On normal workdays, we've come to expect only a small portion of the Winter Garden's population to stop and watch. However, today, the entire garden seemed to freeze. Everyone seemed attentive. As opposed to playing to 30% of the Garden, we were suddenly playing to 90%. The end of the piece was met with applause from all sides.

Weird.

The piece didn't change. It was the same work that appeared a week prior. Same site. And, to a certain degree, our audience hadn't changed. Not really. These folks were all still causal passersby. They had no more pre-existing affinity for dance or public work than our normal crowd that inhabits the space. The only thing that truly differed was why these people were there.

For them, the Winter Garden was a destination, not a default. They had come here by choice on a day off. And that seemed to make all the difference. For whatever reason, that distinction changed everything about how the work was received.

On Being Caught in a Daily Routine – A City Within the City

posted by Tara O'Con


We all have daily routines whether we are aware of them or not. Some routines go on for years, some maybe for months, weeks, or perhaps change every couple of days. For me, the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center is a convergence of daily routine rituals; performed by people from all walks of life in one place simultaneously. There are the business folk, staff from multiple cafes and restaurants, the store vendors, the nanny's with their little ones in tow, the construction workers from Ground Zero, the production staff, the security guards, and us–the artists. Within the confines of this vast, marble, and pillared landscape, one can meet so many daily routine criteria while on auto-pilot. I like to think that seeing us in the midst of our own daily routine (performing, rehearsing, running to get coffee or go to the bathroom in our mismatched rehearsal clothes) is a way to snap other people out of theirs. Even if only for a brief moment.

On Being "That Guy You Avoid"

posted by Zach Morris

Everyone in the subway car watched the man sitting next to me. Not a single person looked at him, but you could tell that the entire train was eying him.

In that particular way that New Yorkers have of detaching from everything and yet being keenly aware of our surroundings, we tracked his every move. It’s a strange thing, this peripheral awareness we develop. It’s like radar, or perhaps sonar. We look at no one. We do not make eye contact. We are absorbed in our paper or ipod or video game. But we know the locations, proximity, and activities of everyone around us. And with nearly imperceptible glances, or in our peripheral vision, or by checking reflections in the window, we had collectively clocked this guy. We all knew that he was guy to avoid on this Friday morning commute.

He was an older gentleman, wearing St Louis Cardinals jacket over a lime green hoody. Atop his bright yellow hat, he wore large metal earphones. They were not connected to anything. On his back was a huge, and clearly very heavy, backpack. Over his shoulder was a case that looked like it was for pool cues. He mumbled to himself.

Undercurrents & Exchange Week #2 Photos

posted by Third Rail Projects

Week #2 (Feb. 9-13, 2009) photos from Undercurrents & Exchange
All photos courtesy of arts>World Financial Center.

U&E: First Impressions

posted by Marissa Nielsen-Pincus

The following is from notes written prior to our first performances in the Winter Garden, from research done a few months back:I had two thoughts on entering the Winter Garden for the first time on a Wednesday morning a few months ago:

First- Where is the garden?

And then- Wow! It's a shopping mall!!

I must say that at first I was a little disappointed to find that it isn't much of a garden and that it did have a rather sterile and corporate feel (though the palm trees are gorgeous!).

But, as I sat there that first morning for a few hours, things began to appear that I couldn't see at first. They uncovered themselves, one by one, to help me form a very different impression. We had already come up with the name: Undercurrents & Exchange, and that morning was a good lesson that undercurrents don't show themselves with first impressions.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #10

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #10 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Friday, February 13 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #10 is created by Tom Pearson and performed by Zach Morris, Tara O'Con, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, and Elizabeth Carena.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents Video Shorts - Set #1

posted by Third Rail Projects



In addition to three evolving art installations and short (5-10 min) live performances each work day of February 2009 at the World Financial Winter Garden, these video shorts are also featured for the entire month on WFC plasma screens located throughout the Winter Garden. These short videos add another layer of meaning and tie together various elements from the live performances and the installations, furthering narratives and reiterating themes.







This set of video shorts was created by Zach Morris, Elizabeth Carena, and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus. Part of Undercurrents & Exchange.

More info at: thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #9

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #9 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Thursday, February 12 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #9 is created by Marissa Nielsen-Pincus and performed by Zach Morris, Tara O'Con, Nikki Berger, Arianne Gallagher, Rachel Hardin, and Matthew Wagner. Music Mark DeNardo: markdenardo.com.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #8

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #8 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Wednesday, February 11 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #8 is created by Tom Pearson and performed by Zach Morris and Mayuna Shimizu. Music by Schneider TM Vs Kpt Michigan: www.schneidertm.net or www.mirrorworldmusic.com. Also www.schneidertm.net and www.mirrorworldmusic.com.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #7

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #7 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Tuesday, February 10 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #7 is created by Tara O'Con and performed by Zach Morris and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #6

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #6 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Monday, February 9 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #6 is created by Marissa Nielsen-Pincus and performed by Zach Morris and Tara O'Con to music by The Books: thebooksmusic.com.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange Week #1 Photos

posted by Third Rail Projects

Week #1 (Feb. 2-6, 2009) photos from Undercurrents & Exchange

All photos courtesy of arts>World Financial Center.

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #5

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #5 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Friday, February 6 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. This performance was in conjunction with another event in the space, a musical set performed by Baby Jane Dexter & Her Trio. Day #5 is created and performed by Zach Morris and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus. Live musical performance by Baby Jane Dexter & Her Trio.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #4

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #4 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Thursday, February 5 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #4 is created by Tom Pearson and performed by Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Zach Morris, Mayuna Shimizu, and Tara O'Con. Original music composed by Mark DeNardo. Visit our related blog entry, featuring video footage of the rehearsal for Day #1 and Day #4.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #3

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #3 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Wednesday, February 4 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #3 is created by Tom Pearson and Zach Morris and performed by Tara O'Con and Zach Morris, with live music by Bessie Award-winning composer Kris Bauman and Luca Benedetti of the Dang-It Bobbys.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #2

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #2 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Tuesday, February 3 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #2 is created and performed by Zach Morris and Donna Ahmadi, with live music by Bessie Award-winning composer Kris Bauman and Luca Benedetti of the Dang-It Bobbys.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange: Performance #1

posted by Third Rail Projects



Above is an excerpt from Performance #1 of Undercurrents and Exchange, presented by arts>World Financial Center, Monday, Feb 2 at 1pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Day #1 is created and performed by Zach Morris and Marissa Nielsen-Pincus. Visit our related blog entry, featuring video footage of the rehearsal for Day #1 and Day #4.

Read more about the project in previous blog entries or visit thirdrailprojects.com

Undercurrents & Exchange Schedule for Week

posted by Third Rail Projects

Below is the schedule of performances for Week #1 (Feb 2-6) of Undercurrents & Exchange at the WFC:


Mon, Feb 2 at 1pm

Business man and Mermaid (created and performed by Zach Morris & Marissa Nielsen-Pincus)

A short duet that explores the impossible relationship between a business man and a mermaid that finds her way up from the Hudson River into the Winter Garden.

Tues, Feb 3 at 1pm

Coffee Break Duet (created and performed by Zach Morris & Donna Ahmadi)

An excerpt from the Bessie-Award winning Vanishing Point, which is reconfigured for the WFC Winter Garden. A look at the relationship between two people sharing a break, a cup of coffee, and a dance. Live music by Bessie Award-winning composer Kris Bauman and Luca Benedetti of the Dang-It Bobbys.


Wed, Feb 4 at 1pm

Banjo Love (Tara O'Con & Kris Bauman)

A subsequent excerpt from the Bessie-Award winning Vanishing Point, which explores the developing personal relationship between two people as they begin their courtship amid a busy and very public thoroughfare. Live music by Bessie Award-winning composer Kris Bauman and Luca Benedetti of the Dang-It Bobbys.

Thurs, Feb 5 at 1pm

Bookfair (Created by Tom Pearson and performed by Zach Morris, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Tara O'Con, and Mayuna Shimizu)

A group experience relating to another event in the space, Thursday's book fair. The performers withdraw into their own private, individual experiences of reading while seated on the benches in the palm garden, and then echo the undercurrent of the grid pattern of traffic through the palms.

Fri, Feb 6 at 12:30pm

Duet with Baby Jane Dexter and her Trio (Created by Zach Morris, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, and Tom Pearson)

A second coordinated effort with another event happening in the WFC . A couple arrives via escalator to dance a surprise duet during Baby Jane Dexter's set at the WFC. Live Music!

Exclusive: Undercurrents & Exchange Brings Free Dance to Downtown NYC

Click Through for an Exclusive Interview with Tom Pearson & Zach Morris at FLAVORWIRE
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posted on 11:05 am
Monday Feb 2, 2009
by Caroline Stanley

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