Dance(A)cution

 

DanceAcution is a class in performance practice taught by Alex Ketley in collaboration with artist and death-row inmate Bill Clark.

Danceacution:

Performance Practice, Death Row, and the Evolution of Cultural Reform

DanceAcution is a unique course in performance practice taught by nationally recognized choreographer Alex Ketley. Creative expression does not exist in a vacuum but is deeply influenced by the societal contexts surrounding it. The class will use the vast breadth of Bill Clark's life experience as the platform to develop their own artwork. Bill Clark is an artist and writer incarcerated on Death Row. This can take the form of writing, film making, dance, music, or theater. Bill is offering some of his most inspiring writing to the class as a foundation for research and will call into the class each week from the prison phone so the students can interact with him directly. Alex Ketley has built theater pieces from numerous creative vantage points and will guide the students in the development of their work. At the end of the quarter there will be a performance that Bill will attend via San Quentin's video conference system where he and Alex will offer feedback to each student. Danceacution is an opportunity for students to engage their creative impulses through the lens of two artists deeply committed to the idea that art has the ability to affect meaningful change in our society.

Published Reflections from Alex Ketley:

“In all my years teaching I have rarely had an opportunity to engage in a process that was so steeped in weight, social relevance, joy, and the sense that all the participants were being deeply impacted. DanceAcution was a class taught by me in collaboration with the prolific artist and Death Row inmate Bill Clark. Bill has been incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison for the past 30 years yet exhibits a depth of spirit and near relentless positive outlook that stands in stark contrast to his abhorrent incarceration. Bill called into the class every Tuesday from his cell to share his artwork and what his experience is like being an incarcerated artist. Bill’s family watched these classes online and the students were enthralled by his warmth, generosity, and brilliance. The class was then guided by my ideas around how to use the information gathered from Bill towards the development of their new artwork. This was not relegated to just dance. The students harnessed the full force of their talents to pursue projects that involved poetry, film making, music creation, and movement. As these multimedia pieces came together Bill thoughtfully offered his feedback and guidance even though he could not see these pieces from his prison cell. His interaction with the students were completely auditory and even within this limitation he contributed to the class beautifully. It is from the collision of seemingly disparate populations that we find common ground and slowly change perspectives. My group of Stanford students were brilliant, brave, and live in the free world. Bill said often that the state has incarcerated his body in a 4x12 foot cage, but his mind and spirit will always be free. To see these two worlds come together has profoundly impacted me. The artwork we make and the ways we teach can have profound reverberations. Already the class has garnered the interest of the national press which in turn has made more people aware of Bill and his extraordinary gifts. This type of visibility is exactly what could lead to Bill’s eventual release. At the conclusion to the class San Quentin allowed Bill to watch a performance of the students' new works via the prison’s video conference system. Bill is normally not one to be at a loss for words, but all he could say is “I’m astonished, moved, and filled with gratitude.”

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