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Barnard
Dance Professor Mary Cochran Performs New Works to Rave Reviews
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December
11, 2003, New York, NY— Dancer Mary Cochran, incoming
chair of Barnard’s Dance Department, and principal dancer
of the renowned Paul Taylor Dance Company for 12 years, recently
performed two new works to rave reviews in New York and Milwaukee.
Cochran, who joined Barnard’s Dance Department faculty
this fall, performed Sara Hook’s work, "Valeska’s
Vitriol," which portrays the life of the provocative
performer Valeska Gert of the Weimar Period, as part of the
DanceNow Series at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in
Manhattan last month.
The Village Voice dance critic Tobi Tobias declared
the work her "most favorite number by far" of the
evening, describing it as "astutely" performed by
Cochran. The organizers of the festival, now in its ninth
year, were so pleased with the audience’s and critics’
reactions that Cochran was asked to perform a second night.
Cochran’s New York premiere of her new work "Pitiful
Vignette" as part of the LIT series in Soho was followed
by additional performances at the Pitman Theater in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, on November 21-22. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
said Cochran possessed "a firecracker extravagance."
In this innovative piece – a darkly comic narrative collage
- Cochran dances, acts and sings. The Journal Sentinel wrote,
"It looked mad and spontaneous, but virtuosic clarity
informed each word, gesture, thrust, and shape of limb and
body. ‘Pitiful Vignette’ is funny stuff and Cochran
is a compelling presence."
Mary
Cochran performs "Valeska's Vitriol" at Joe's
Pub, Public Theater |
Cochran,
who will chair Barnard’s Dance Program starting in the
fall of 2004, said: "Students here are extremely intelligent,
disciplined, and ripe for innovative and creative stimulation.
I look forward to working with them and the faculty to further
the program."
She said she has taken a new direction in her recent works,
"Valeska’s Vitriol" and "Pitiful Vignette."
"I am more focused on incorporating character, text,
acting, and expressive extremity in motion, and it has been,
much to my surprise, successful," she said.
This type of performance, she said, combines movement with
interdisciplinary exploration. "Creative risk taking
is at the heart of my philosophy. Thinking differently is
the domain of the artist and participating in the creative
process breeds new ideas."
During her career with the Paul Taylor Company, Cochran originated
major roles in such works as Company B, Speaking
in Tongues, Roses, and Funny Papers. She
was the principal dancer in four televised specials including
Roses/Last Look, the Emmy Award-winning Speaking
in Tongues, Syzygy/Spindrift, and The Wrecker’s
Ball. She continues to work with the Company in restaging
Taylor’s master works.
She has worked with many noted choreographers, including Sara
Hook, Alwin Nikolais, Christopher Gillis, Mark Dendy, Kenneth
Tosti, and David Parsons.
Cochran has taught at the University of Michigan and Mills
College, and was a visiting artist at Harvard University,
The Juilliard School, and the University of California at
Berkeley, among other institutions.
Contact:
Petra Tuomi, Barnard Public Affairs, 212-854-7907
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