For Fledge, cormorant researcher Colin Grubel and choreographer Theresa Duhon engaged in each other’s work as observers and active participants. Duhon assisted Grubel in studying the diet of Double-crested Cormorants, work that involves the collection and identification of fish as well as pellets containing identifiable parts of past meals regurgitated by the birds. Samples were collected at several colonies in the NYC area and identified in the lab at Queens College. The work also included monitoring nests and banding birds. Grubel participated in Duhon’s choreographic process as a dancer, learning dance material and contributing to improvisational exercises as well as to the discussion of the results. Despite their complete lack of training in one another’s fields, the collaborators contributed in meaningful ways to each other’s work, while also developing a deeper understanding of both fields and identifying similarities and differences between their scientific and artistic approaches.
Collaborators: Choreographer Theresa Duhon and Biologist Colin Grubel
Additional dancers participating in this project will include Cristina Jesurun, Johannah-Joy Magyawe, Uta Takemura, and others.
During June and July 2008, cormorant researcher Colin Grubel and choreographer Theresa Duhon will engage in one another’s work as observers and active participants. Duhon will be assisting Grubel in studying the diet of Double-crested Cormorants, work that involves the collection and identification of fish as well as pellets containing identifiable parts of past meals, regurgitated by the birds. Samples will be collected at several colonies in the NYC area and identified in the lab at Queens College. The work also includes monitoring nests and banding birds. Grubel will participate in Theresa’s choreographic process as a dancer, learning dance material and contributing to improvisational exercises as well as to the discussion of their results. Despite their complete lack of training in one another’s fields, the collaborators hope to contribute in a meaningful way to the work, while also developing a deeper understanding of both fields and identifying similarities and differences between the scientific and artistic approaches.
Get up to date information on the Fledge project at duhondance.com/fledge.
http://birdbraindance.org/ilandarchive/iLand_Mary.swf
Collaborator Biographies:
Theresa Duhon is originally from Austin, TX, where she danced with the Austin Contemporary Ballet. Since receiving her BFA in Dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she has danced with many New York choreographers, including JoAnna Mendl Shaw, Sean Curran, Kathleen Dyer (KDNY), Guta Hedewig, and Karl Anderson. Her own choreography has been shown at Hatch, Red Shoes, Oasis, New Choreographers on Point Previews, and Dancenow RAW showcase. She has also created two full-evening concerts: “A Sampling for a Small Space”, which was presented by TIXE (a chashama theater) in 2004, and of “Sand and Sea”, a self-produced concert at New Dance Group in 2007. She has received choreographic commissions from Middle Church and elsewhere, and has taught modern dance classes and workshops in New York, Texas, and Utah.
Colin Grubel is a Brooklyn native studying the city’s Double-crested Cormorant population. He received a BA in Biology from Alfred University and went on to be a zookeeper in Binghamton, NY and Atlanta, GA before returning to NY where he has been pursuing his education in ecology. He has recently been accepted into the PhD program of the CUNY Graduate Center. His previous graduate work was done through Queens College where he will keep his base of operations.