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A letter from Susan Cashion
May 1, 2004
Dear David,
I am so impressed with your
theater piece "Barred from Life".
My preference in contemporary dance has always been a narrative or a
strong statement embedded in the societal issues of the present.
Your work is a critical piece of commentary that ignites empathy and
outrage in the viewer. It is a visceral experience that unmasks
the perpetrators.
Perhaps the most poignant
moment was at the end of the
evening when each man who had been wrongly incarcerated rose up from
the audience and reclaimed their dignity. It was a perfect climax.
You skillfully led the audience on a winding path of artistic
abstraction that snapped into reality at that moment. It sent chills
through us all. Very seldom have I experienced the same intensity of
revelation as I did at that moment. I shall never forget it, and will
use it as a model for many of my dance students in the future.
You integrated theater, film,
music, and dance into a
powerful art piece that revealed and inspired. Despite the time and
budget limitations you had, the production was a unified whole that
hit many levels of intellectual and emotional response. I thought
the music was especially outstanding, which reflects on your ability
to communicate your vision to the composer.
As to the dance, I thought
the Prison section was one of the
strongest moments. The ritual of routine that you created is still vividly
planted
in my memory. After the dancer repeated the material several times, he
adds a small variation. It allowed us to feel the relief to the
tedium of sameness, much as the inmates must feel with any small
change in routine.
The other most striking movement
section was the Exoneration.
Your choice of movement and clarity of execution radiated the
uncomfortablness of the situation: physical pain with the light,
cramped muscles slowly coming back into use, confusion and hesitation
as to where to go. The long walk you took as the actors are reading
the names of the exonerees was compelling. Your face was detached
from the sound and motion of your body. It was as if you were
walking through a fog and that you did not have a direction. And
here you leave us suspended. We share your disbelief of what you
have just been through, of what we have just been through.
The "creator's statement"
in the program was brought to
reality by your performance. You did indeed broaden our awareness of
a most grievous problem within our society. To see the video of
these men and to hear their stories was a gift you brought to all of
us. I was surprised at how eloquent the exonrerees were in talking
about their experiences. Your choice of using the footage of them
speaking was so much more powerful than having actors interpret the
roles. Presenting so many subjects was also a wise choice. We needed
to see different ages, races, backgrounds, and geographical settings.
The piece needed this validation of diversity to ground the integrity
of the message.
I took my next door neighbor
with me to see the production. Margit
is a social worker for Santa Clara County. She was greatly moved by
the production and passed the message of your work along to all of
your colleagues. You have given us a treasure. David, I want to
congratulate you and thank you for making our lives richer.
Sincerely yours,
Susan Cashion, PhD
Stanford Dance Division
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