ARTHUR AVILES

"...one of the great modern dancers of the last 15 years."
- Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times

"Arthur Aviles has developed an individual voice and style that might be compared to bold street theater and poster art, communicating his truths about life as seen by a gay male Puerto Rican through simple narratives that are always colorful and often poignant and amusing."
- Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times

Arthur Aviles, a New York-Rican, dancer/choreographer, was born in Queens and raised in Long Island and the Bronx.  In '87, Mr. Aviles became a member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and toured internationally with the company for eight years. Aviles was honored with a New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) Award for his outstanding creative achievement during the Jones/Zane seasons in '88 and '89.  In 1998, Arthur and his partner Charles Rice-Gonzalez inaugurated a new performance space in the Hunts Points section of the Bronx- BAAD! - The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance. His company, Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre (AATT), is the centerpiece of this new space.

Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre (AATT)
In 1996, Mr. Aviles began Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre (AATT). The company has performed at the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture, the Live From the Edge Theatre at the Point CDC, the Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College, Bronx River Arts Center and Gallery, Drew Garden, all along the Bronx River during the annual Goldenball event, Queens Theatre in the Park, Celebrate Brooklyn, the Hunts Point Summer Dance Festival, Here, Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center at Long Island University in Brooklyn, Central Park Summerstage and Lincoln Center Out of Doors and recently at DTW's inaugural season (New York Magazine on DTW performances: "....his stocky, muscular body radiates pleasure with every buoyant turn, and whenever he sprints through the air, he looks like Nyjinsky.")

This past year, AATT completed the second part of a 3-year project with Dance Theater Workshop¹s Public Imaginations program.  "History Dances" is an AATT project that explores stories told by the Bronx LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender) Community through an "initial response" method which moves these stories into dance performed for and with the community.

REPERTORY

DOROTHURS JOURNEY (1997) - "A hip re-telling of the Oz tale" - Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times.  3 dancers. Music by Meco.   RT:13min

CUBAN NIGHTMARE  (2003) ­ using AATT¹s Swift/Flow technique this energetic dance piece takes its inspiration from the Afro Caribbean sounds of timbale master Tito Puente.    This formal and contemporary dance attempts to answer the question: is it possible to create a dance which takes inspiration from music as it constantly attempts to match the music¹s energy while challenging the traditional vantage point?  6 dancers. Music by Tito Puente. 3 minutes.

SONG ISLAND (2003) - using AATT¹s "Swift Flow" technique, this formal dance develops into a quasi-narrative about a farmer and his animals as they dance to the 70¹s sound of Heat Waves¹ "Always and Forever." 7 dancers   Music: Always & Forever by Heat Wave.  RT: 7 minutes

EMPIEZA EL REVELU  (2001) ­ "a dance for four jiving, funky young urbanites." - The New York Times.  Dancers are propelled from floor to sky in this abstracted realization of structured chaos. 7 dancers. Music by C and C Music Factory and Mandoley.  RT: 20min

SPEED OF SIGHT  (2001) ­ a ritual dance where community comes together in peace in the midst of war. 8 dancers. Music by Leroy Jenkins sound track to A Thin Red Line.  RT: 20min

MAEVA: A NEW YORK-RICANS ENSALADA (1990) - Ma is Mother and Eva is Eve. MAEVA is a Puerto Rican ghetto matriach who delivers non-stop and show-stopping  patter as she declares her grounded position in the world. She is confronted, knocked down and embarrassed by her swarming children.  5 dancers.  Music by: compilation of music which ranges from dvork to Celia Cruz . RT: 15 minutes.

This project could work with a community and culminate in performances. AATT dance company could arrange movement workshop or classes which stress parent and child physical play. The workshop could culminate in a performance which would mix AATT company dancers  with workshop members.

RESIDENCY ACTIVITY

SPECIAL PROJECT: "Swift/Flow"
Imagine experiencing a body as flowing water. Arthur Aviles' movement background comes out of his study of Limon, gymnastics and swimming. "Swift Flow" is a technique that explores the body's ability to use flow as a primary source of propulsion. This technique was first developed with AATT¹s core company (Jule Jo Ramirez, Monica Figueroa, Alethea Pace and Pedro Jimenez) and they have taught and further developed the technique at Wesleyan University. Mr. Aviles will also be teaching this technique for a second year at Pro Danza Italia/USA Summer Dance Workshop in Tuscany, Italy (July 3 ­ August 3, 2004). To date, two of AATT¹s works have utilized this method in their creation: "SONG ISLAND" and "CUBAN NIGHTMARE."  AATT offers dance classes using "Swift Flow" and composition through the "Initial Response" method.

TEACHING "Swift Flow"
Class begins with a warmup that focuses on the joints, starting with the arms and hands and working down to the legs and feet. Dancers are taken through a series of exercises that emphasize how different parts of the body initiate movement through the use and exploration of succession through energy transference.  Class ends with energetic combinations that move across the floor and derive from the creation of circles, exercising the right and left sides of the body equally.

TEACHING Composition through the "Initial Response" method: The study of composition focuses on and works through the "Initial Response" method.  Student dancers will be asked to engage their own genius.  It was said that when writing musical composition, Mozart did not use an eraser. Every note of music he created was from his very first thought.  We will be exploring this truth, and what the process might mean when applied to dance making.

LINKS
Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!)
Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre (AATT)

Copyright © 2003 Pepatián. All rights reserved.