Reframing "Frames"
Preview of one of the videos featured in "Frames."
When Boulder audiences hear the name David Korevaar, they probably think of classical piano, Bach and Hindemithānot concepts like āphysical theater,ā ātechno popā and āart punk.ā
But thatās about to change. With Danelle Helander and Boulderās, theĢżpiano professorĢżis cooking up a revival of last springās popular multimedia show, āFrames.ā
Even for Korevaar and Helander, itās hard to describe what audiences will see and hear at the show. āItās an experience,ā says Helander. āDance and music donāt even encompass it. And weāre adding video into the mix.ā
āF°ł²¹³¾±š²õā was first presented to audiences last spring, billed as a āmusical fusion of jazz, classical, art punk and techno pop.ā Artistic Director Helander says the program explores different perspectivesāthose of the audience and the performersāand portrays the many ways music, art, even life are interpreted differently.
āWhen David and I first started talking about this collaboration, we focused on how interesting it is to see yourself perform. The faces you makeāthe things you arenāt even aware of. The idea grew from there,ā says Helander.
The team has been expanding and perfecting the idea after the showās spring run at theĢżand the, excited to bring new videos to the show. They say the venue for this iterationātheāallows them to stretch their legs.
āThis is the most appropriate venue weāve been in,ā says Helander. āIt allows us to add the final piece of the puzzle.ā
āThey help explain the idea of āperspectiveā as weāre dealing with it in the music and dance,ā says Executive Director Sean Owens. āIn one video, we focus on three parts of the bodyāshoulders, torso and legsāall moving independently of one another.ā
āThe videos sum up and clarify a lot of what happens in the show up until that point. Theyāre a recapitulation, which is what weāre doing musically, too,ā says Korevaar.
For Korevaar, āF°ł²¹³¾±š²õā offers a chance to step out of his comfort zone. āThe musical component is interesting,ā he says. āIām up there with a bass player and a percussionist. Jazz is their thing. And Iām not a jazz artist.
āWeāre doing intentional improvisation, whichāoutside a short passage in a Mozart piece or suchāisnāt something I do very often.ā
Helander says a goal of the collaboration is for the performers themselves to explore new sides of their respective arts. āI love collaborating with different kinds of artists,ā she says. āItās been really fun to watch David and the other musicians open up more and more.ā
āItās a completely new experience,ā Korevaar adds. āWeāre such a diverse group, and the different backgrounds we bring to the stage are really what make this show unique.ā
Indeed, each of the performers brings something different to the table: Helander is an elder caregiver, Owens is an attorney. Bassist and musical director Matt Powelson is a cabinet maker, and drummer Mearl Thompson is a tai chi master.
Owens says for him and Helander, working with different kinds of artists keeps them on their toes. āWeāve been working together for about a decade, so we really understand each other and our art. Itās helpful to bring other people in, to make sure what weāre doing makes sense to someone besides us.
āWorking with someone like David is really fun because weāre getting him out from behind his instrument and doing something thatās really novel.ā
āItās liberating, and to some extent itās scary,ā says Korevaar. āWeāre working as an ensemble in the moment ⦠while the framework is there, itās different every time.ā
āF°ł²¹³¾±š²õā
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 4-5, 8 p.m.
Black Box Theater
2nd basement, ATLAS building, ¶¶ŅõĀĆŠŠÉä-Boulder campus
Free and open to the public