Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tucker
Modern 2B
18 April 2016
The literal and physical interpretations within Sybil Huskeys One Hundred Random
Specific Points captured my attention due to its distinctive movement style. A short clip of an
artist, Sol LeWitt, creating a wall drawing with numerous lines was shown in silence. Although
the video was sped up and fast paced, a couple of dancers slowly emerged from each corner at
different times. Forwards and backwards, they walked along a diagonal strip of white light with a
steady step and tap until they were all spaced evenly across the stage. Once the dancers stopped
at a point on stage, they curved one arm laterally. The first part of an a cappella score titled Partita
broke the intense silence and initiated sharp and quick movement. Multiple sequences were
translated physically from the literal instructions of the lyrics, and the performers walked off the
stage in the same manner they walked on when the music ended.
The costumes were black and gray, like the artists graphite and ink, and had black lines
on the tops. The use of a few strands of black cloth as props added to the main concept of the piece,
and the performers danced with them, bringing the wall drawing alive. One dancer, for example,
executed a penche on one of the 3D lines as if moving through the space the lines have created or
Similar to the Horton technique, the movement was quite sharp and linear. The sharpness
could be seen in the middle of the piece as the voices within the song overlapped. Not all dancers
were moving to the same sequence, but the quality was similar. One could perhaps compare it to
the precise motion in the percussive stroke study or the contraction series. Horton connects both
ends of the body through fortifications, preludes, and movements such as laterals, contractions,
and flat backs. The head and tail connection sculpts the body into various lines horizontal,
vertical, diagonal, elongated, etc. Huskeys choreography demonstrated linear elements with
pointing, moving along lines instead of in a circle, and moving the appendicular skeleton in
specific directions that correlated with the song. These movements support the title of the piece,
placing several random points onto the stage with each gesticulation; the points were specific to
each phrase said, including the detail of the pattern is movement and through the middle.
The song was made purely with voices and was not one that I was expecting. The lyrics
were written instructions inspired by LeWitt, and, often, chaotic ahs were sung in unison. The
musical choice was not pleasant in my experience, but I became rather attentive. I wanted to look
closely at each movement because the voices were intense, loud, and irksome. The piece evoked
untypical emotions unlike the others; I was not happy, sad, or excited, but anxious, tense, and
hurried. The moments of silence at the beginning and end made for an intimate atmosphere because
the audiences eyes automatically fixated on the performers instead of wandering whilst listening
The program notes were as straightforward as the choreography, stating that the
interpretations were inspired by LeWitts artwork. Perhaps they helped me better understand that
all of the art involved within One Hundred Random Specific Points had a structured relationship.
They noted that the dancers interpreted the textual and musical images, not only Huskey, the
facilitator and director. The sequences I looked upon were various interpretations of simple
phrases, and that makes me realize that every person holds unique thoughts and perceptions that
are still widely understood. I discovered that choreography does not always have to have a hidden
meaning or story; series of movements and pedestrian movement can be literal and hold just as