Lunch Dances NYPL Soul Via Unique Library Shows

Rhythms in the Reading Room: Dance Awakens Library Lore

A fresh current of artistic engagement is transforming public institutions. The esteemed New York Public Library, a stronghold of learning, recently became the backdrop for an inventive dance theatre work titled "Lunch Dances." This creation by Monica Bill Barnes and Company offered attendees a novel way to perceive the library, not merely as a book collection, but as a dynamic arena of human interaction and undiscovered narratives. The piece defied expectations, introducing expressive choreography into the traditionally quiet halls, thereby uncovering the soulful core of the library's own holdings.

An Unconventional Performance Arena

Monica Bill Barnes and Company has established a unique presence within the contemporary performance world. Their operational ethos involves situating dance in unexpected environments. This artistic approach has led them to present creations in varied settings, including retail centres, art institutions, and digital spaces. The New York Public Library, particularly its renowned Stephen A. Schwarzman Building located on Fifth Avenue, offered a distinct and significant undertaking. Libraries are inherently places dedicated to quietude and intellectual pursuit. Placing dance within this setting constituted a gentle but profound form of creative interruption. The troupe, jointly steered by choreographer Monica Bill Barnes alongside writer-performer Robbie Saenz de Viteri, embraces this inventive tension, viewing it as a method for inspiring fresh insights in well-known locations. Their creations frequently delve into the touching and amusing facets of daily existence, searching for the extraordinary in common experiences.

Forging Connection in Shared Spaces

The essence of Monica Bill Barnes and Company's work is the development of experiential art that cultivates a profound feeling of closeness. This method seeks to evoke feelings in locations typically unaccustomed to direct emotional expression. "Lunch Dances" powerfully demonstrated this. Participants used individual audio devices. These headsets relayed Robbie Saenz de Viteri’s spoken words, fashioning a private, inner experience for every audience member, much like the deep engagement one feels when absorbed in a compelling novel.

Monica Bill Barnes, in the role of a library assistant, expertly ushered small clusters of people throughout the structure. Her act of furnishing fictional library users with their specific items evolved into choreographed segments, set against melodies audible solely via the headsets. This ingenious setup maintained the library’s necessary calm while providing an abundant, multi-faceted artistic event. The public environment was thus reshaped into a progression of personal, unfolding stories, emphasising the often concealed individual pathways that converge inside the library’s domain.

A Nod to O'Hara, A Look at the Everyday

The name "Lunch Dances" acknowledges "Lunch Poems," the celebrated compilation by Frank O'Hara. A prominent personality within the New York School of poets, O'Hara possessed a renowned talent for seizing the lively, sometimes tumultuous, pulse of urban existence and the directness of individual encounters in his literary output. This link to O'Hara subtly reinforced the performance's concentration on common life and private experiences. The imagined figures given life within "Lunch Dances" represented typical individuals. These characters undertook personal lines of inquiry, looking for bonds and significance among the library's extensive holdings. The artistic endeavour aimed to be a compassionate presentation, a choreographic piece exploring people discovering comfort and insight within an unusual, yet deeply communal, setting. It functioned as a quiet signal about the value of courteous behaviour and mutual ties in an increasingly disconnected society.

Image Credit - NY Times

The Library's Vision and Open Arms

The proposal for "Lunch Dances" originated with Brent Reidy. As the Andrew W. Mellon Director responsible for the Research Libraries at the New York Public Library, Reidy saw the undertaking as an opportunity to present the renowned establishment from a novel viewpoint. He aimed to uncover the countless narratives of the varied people who access its extensive holdings. Reidy articulated that library visitors are not a uniform assembly of scholars; instead, they represent a wide array of individuals on unique informational journeys.

This viewpoint aligns with a wider movement where libraries are transforming into active cultural centres that provide more than just access to literature. They increasingly function as venues for communal activities, hands-on education, and diverse cultural programming. Reidy lauded "Lunch Dances" as a "poignant" and "genuinely touching" portrayal of a research library's capacity. His stewardship indicates a dedication to embracing technological advancements and widening the availability of historical collections.

Early Challenges and Inspired Solutions

Despite keen interest from both the artistic group and the institution, the venture faced some initial difficulties. A crucial condition set by Brent Reidy stipulated that the performance needed a substantive connection to the library's own archival materials. This requirement initially perplexed Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri. Saenz de Viteri immersed himself in the Berg Collection, studying his literary idol, Frank O’Hara. Barnes, meanwhile, concentrated on comprehending the library's physical layout and prevailing atmosphere. She investigated numerous rooms, striving to imagine the sensation of moving and performing within such a distinctive environment. For a considerable duration, she later revealed, the idea felt daunting, weighed down by the assumption that library attendees were not anticipating a dance show. This internal struggle, this feeling of presenting an "unsolicited" art form, evolved into a vital emotional theme in the work’s creation.

The Expressive Power of Fleeting Items

A crucial moment of insight arrived when Monica Bill Barnes, needing to formally seek access to specific areas, came across a simple container. This folder, labelled "ephemera," originated from the personal documents of the poet Donald Hall. It held apparently ordinary objects: a voided bank draft, old festive cards, and a brief message scribbled on an adhesive note attached to a utility statement.

These items, small remnants of a human existence, struck a deep chord with Barnes. She experienced a powerful surge of feeling while reflecting on these intimate, daily fragments. This reaction paralleled the quiet fervour of individual research within the library's confines – the profound personal realisations sparked by seemingly commonplace archived pieces. The contrast between the library's tranquil dignity and the intensely emotional yet contained quality of these personal effects became a central source of inspiration for the dance movements. Creative individuals frequently discover abundant substance in archives, employing them not merely for scholarly investigation but as immediate inspiration for entirely new artistic endeavours.

Shifting Focus: From Artefacts to People

The creators understood they did not wish to produce a performance entirely centred on miscellaneous collected items. They also keenly wanted to avoid disturbing the typical library environment for its usual visitors. A fundamental change in their artistic approach involved redirecting attention from the archival pieces themselves – such as an old chart or sketches of avifauna – towards the individual who was actually requesting such an item. This human-focused method facilitated more profound story development. It allowed for an examination of the personal narratives and driving forces that compel people to pursue knowledge and human bonds within the library’s extensive resources. This choice altered the performance from a potential study of objects into a collection of deeply resonant human encounters. The library itself became an arena for the quiet, personal dramas of its patrons.

Image Credit - NY Times

Narrative Snippets: Nell's Cartographic Journey

One compelling segment highlighted Nell, a familiar figure in the library's map section. The audience learned that a virus had impaired her ability to use her legs. As her fingertips gently traced over a 1961 chart of Greenwich Village, the narration by Robbie Saenz de Viteri amplified her internal reflections. In her thoughts, she could journey anywhere; she possessed unrestricted movement, feeling "alone, yet with all the city's people." This part captured the library as a domain where imaginative power overcomes bodily constraints. The dancers accompanying her, moving to the strains of "Rhinestone Cowboy," encircled Nell. Their actions – emphatic steps, leaps, and broad arm movements – conveyed both happiness and limitation. The choreography incorporated a sharp allusion: "Raise your hand if you comprehend your life being split." This vignette underscored the library’s function in offering intellectual and emotional sanctuary and strength.

Tales of Sorrow and Insight: Patsy's Lepidoptera

Another profoundly affecting narrative was that of Patsy. She was mourning the passing of her spouse, sifting through photographs to find a visual she could permanently etch into her recollection. Her quest brought her to Vladimir Nabokov’s beautiful renderings of butterflies. Within these fine illustrations, her sorrow discovered a point of focus, a concrete manifestation. The subsequent dance, appropriately performed to "If I Can’t Have You" by the Bee Gees, was simultaneously mournful and emotionally cleansing.

Performers moved around Patsy, their actions at first controlled, hands held behind them, before they broke out into light skips and turns. Eventually, Patsy herself participated in the dance. A scene of quiet study transformed into an invigorating, collective sequence, demonstrating how interacting with art and learning can offer a path through grief, providing comfort and a mutual sense of liberation. The selection of music, often from earlier periods, contributed additional layers of wistfulness and deep feeling.

O'Hara's Enduring Echoes

The spirit of Frank O’Hara was subtly woven through "Lunch Dances." While investigating O’Hara alongside the New York School of Poets, Robbie Saenz de Viteri started to reflect on the individuals within O’Hara’s milieu. He pictured how personalities like the artist Nell Blaine or the writer Kenneth Koch might have engaged with the library's resources. This inventive jump, as Saenz de Viteri termed it, meant conceiving their "experiences within the library." This conceptual underpinning clarifies why numerous objects and cultural touchstones in "Lunch Dances" originate from the 1960s, O’Hara’s active period. That era was marked by dynamic artistic synergy and creative exchange in New York. O’Hara himself stood as a pivotal, unifying presence. His poetry frequently chronicled his daily routines, friendships, and involvement with the art scene, making his influence a suitable guide for a work delving into personal inquiry and human bonds.

A Collective Experience in the Great Hall

The concluding part of "Lunch Dances" escalated the performance to a dramatic peak within the library’s principal reading area. As "People," a song from the 1964 stage show "Funny Girl," resonated, a character named John, previously on the periphery, moved to the forefront. Unaware library visitors, not among the event's ticket-holders, continued their regular activities. Following directions, the "Lunch Dances" attendees removed their audio devices. John then sang "People" with feeling. Dancers performed behind him, their movements apparent to everyone in the expansive chamber. For this distinct, fleeting interlude, the artistic presentation became accessible to all, dissolving the separation between performers, the designated audience, and the library's everyday occupants. This action converted the usual solitary library experience into a brief, communal public happening.

Fostering Understanding: The Central Aim

Robbie Saenz de Viteri described a primary goal of the work as "ideally nurturing this fellow-feeling for unknown individuals." He pictured the best result of that final scene as an instant where people halt their tasks and simply observe. This creates a "peculiar sensation, as if we are all by ourselves… Then you remove the headphones, and you remain somewhat solitary, yet you experience that aloneness together." This idea captures the significant ability of public art to encourage connection, even amidst anonymity. Monica Bill Barnes shared this view, remarking that it felt "challenging to conceive it focusing on any other theme." The performance, in essence, was an inquiry into shared humanity, discovered in the quiet quest for knowledge and unforeseen artistic encounters. This emphasis on empathy aligns with current discussions about the function of cultural bodies in promoting social unity.

Image Credit - NY Times

The Advance of Site-Responsive Performance

"Lunch Dances" is part of an expanding trend in site-responsive and immersive theatrical productions. These presentations shift art from conventional stages into common environments, prompting audiences to interact with their surroundings in fresh manners. Such works frequently dissolve the distinctions between artist and observer, fostering more participatory and individualised encounters. Monica Bill Barnes and Company has consistently explored these frontiers. Their projects include "The Museum Workout," a choreographed fitness activity in art institutions, and "Days Go By," an extensive piece set within a vibrant New York City retail complex. This methodology encourages audiences to re-evaluate their connection with public areas and the art that can occupy them. The utilisation of headphones in "Lunch Dances" represents a standard practice in immersive creations, enabling personalised audio environments that enrich the singular experience while moving through a group setting.

Libraries: Shifting Cultural Terrains

The New York Public Library’s involvement with "Lunch Dances" signals a wider change in how libraries view their societal function. No longer merely quiet storehouses for literature, contemporary libraries increasingly define themselves as energetic community focal points and cultural destinations. They offer workshops, displays, author discussions, and varied public events for all age groups. This evolution acknowledges the transforming requirements of communities. It also recognises the library's capacity to support lifelong education, artistic expression, and social engagement. Programs such as the NYPL’s Teen Civics Ambassadors illustrate a dedication to involving youth and encouraging civic awareness. By welcoming pioneering artistic ventures like "Lunch Dances," libraries tap into their capacity as lively arenas where learning, art, and human stories converge.

The Lasting Resonance of Common Narratives

Ultimately, "Lunch Dances" resonated with the basic human desire for stories and fellowship. By giving life to the imagined experiences of library patrons, Monica Bill Barnes and Company reshaped the New York Public Library. It became an arena for the understated courage and touching frailties of daily existence. The performance highlighted that every research question and every volume taken from a shelf conceals a human narrative, a personal exploration. The brief encounters with imagined figures and their scholarly pursuits mirrored the genuine, often unnoticed, emotional pathways that occur each day within the library’s confines. The production’s popular success, evidenced by its completely booked showings, points to a public enthusiasm for experiences that are both mentally engaging and emotionally stirring, especially those that uncover the remarkable within the commonplace.

The Horizon for Immersive Art within Public Institutions

The partnership between Monica Bill Barnes and Company and the New York Public Library stands as an encouraging illustration of how cultural bodies can collaborate with contemporary artists. Such collaborations can animate institutional spaces and collections in inventive fashions. As museums, galleries, and libraries persist in examining their 21st-century roles, immersive and site-specific art provides a potent means for drawing new attendees and cultivating more profound involvement. These encounters can render collections more approachable, uncover forgotten histories, and initiate fresh dialogues. By adopting such forward-thinking alliances, institutions akin to the NYPL not only enhance their own programs but also foster a more energetic and welcoming cultural sphere. In this sphere, art can genuinely be discovered – and can affect us – in any location. The enduring impression of "Lunch Dances" attests to the deep influence of art that connects with individuals in their own environments, transforming the familiar into something magical.