(de)classified & Still Life No. 8

Still Life No. 8 is a dance for three performers. The eighth work in their Still Life series, it explores ideas of ephemerality and permanence, stillness and action. It features an original set, music and costume design. Still Life Dances is a series of detailed and intimate movement studies based on early American still life paintings from the de Young Museum’s permanent collection. Using speed, precision, and extreme unison, the dances compel the viewer to pay deep attention to fleeting action. This has resulted in a unique movement vocabulary. Virtuosity is not found in big kicks or sweeping movement, but rather it is present in detailed gestures, complex rhythms, and a deep connection between performers. Simpson/Stulburg Collaborations’ process hinges on strict adherence to compositional rules as well as relying on intuition.