Partnership Project: McKnight Artist Fellow | May 6 - 19, 2012
Slippery Fish
The residency of 2010 McKnight Choreographic Fellow Penelope Freeh was her first in exploring the creation of a work with original composition. The residency provided an opportunity for this exploration and collaborative endeavor with Jocelyn Hagen, a 2010 McKnight Composer Fellow. Envisioning the work as an evening-length duet, Freeh generated movement for herself and collaborator Patrick Corbin.
Much of the conceptual framework and underpinnings of the piece evolved through acts of collaboration. Freeh framed the exploration of her creative process by examining how a choreographer creates new material while simultaneously acting as a repository of another’s work. To facilitate this research both Freeh and Corbin met with Patty Phillips, Co-Chair of the FSU Department of Dance. In addition, Freeh kept a blog documenting milestones in the residency, introducing the use of words and the act of writing into her choreographic process. Text and improvisation provided Freeh with her initial method of generating material. Moreover, she, along with Corbin, conducted a trip to Wakulla Springs where the lush environment and abundant wildlife provided rich imagery that shaped the work.
Slippery Fish premiered at The Southern Theater September 28-30, 2012.
This residency was supported in part by The McKnight Foundation in partnership with Springboard for the Arts.
Maggie Allesee
