Dartmouth Events

a Hop co-commission and partnership with the Montgomery Fellows program

The groundbreaking dance theater work returns 30 years following its premiere during the AIDS epidemic.

This powerful work continues to resonate today, evoking a spirit of survival. Created during the contentious and terrifying AIDS epidemic in the US, Still/Here broke boundaries between the personal and the political and exemplifies a form of dance theater that is uniquely American, vital and timely.

Raw, poetic and deeply human, Still/Here confronts mortality while celebrating resilience. The movement in Still/Here is deeply expressive, combining fluid gestures, arresting stillness and sudden shifts in dynamics to embody the emotional complexity of survival and vulnerability. The work is simple and sophisticated, interweaving spoken text, video portraits, dance and the abstract nature of gesture into a powerful meditation on living with terminal illness and facing the unknown. Gretchen Bender's visual concept and multimedia environment is joined by music from Kenneth Frazelle (sung by Odetta) and Vernon Reid. Long-time collaborators include Liz Prince (costumes) and Robert Wierzel (lighting).

At the heart of Still/Here are the "Survival Workshops: Talking and Moving about Life and Death," interviews conducted in the early 1990s with people grappling with life-threatening conditions. Their gestures inform the choreography, their words the lyrics, their images the stage. They will always be Still/Here. This work is dedicated to them.

Bill T. Jones is a Hop resident artist and former Montgomery Fellow. During his time on campus, he will take part in discussions about the work, visit classes and meet with students and faculty. 

Stay tuned for information on a Big Move workshop and panel discussion.

Get more info and tickets here.