How to read a broken novel
Atlanta takes a peek at Doug Varone's new work before its New York premiere
Choreographer Doug Varone's new work Chapters from a Broken Novel is an evening-length dance piece that will have its New York premiere in mid-March. It's comprised of 20 short dances that together make up the full “novel,” but are also individual stories which can be pulled out and shown in different ways and in different order. Atlanta will be lucky enough to take a peek at six of the chapters when Varone's company performs at Ferst Center on Saturday, March 5, in advance of the full work's New York premiere. We caught up with Varone to discuss the new work.
What was the inspiration behind Chapters from a Broken Novel?
I collect a lot of quotes: from novels, from films, from listening to people on their cell phones on the subway. I remember them, I write them down. They're things that are evocative, that make me want to make dance to them. The essence of Chapters was taking quotes that attracted me and moving into the studio with them and creating dances. Each of the dances are chapter titles. The chapters we're bringing to Atlanta include names like “The Ghosts of Insects” and “Erased by Degrees.” “égalité” “Ruby-Throated Sparrows,” “Glass.”