Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done - (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Using "ordinary" movements, the Judson Dance Theater stripped dance of its theatrical conventions

A New York Times Book Review 2019 holiday gift guide pick

Taking its name from the Judson Memorial Church, a socially engaged Protestant congregation in New York's Greenwich Village, Judson Dance Theater was organized as a series of open workshops from which its participants developed performances. Redefining the kinds of movement that could count as dance, the Judson participants--Trisha Brown, Lucinda Childs, Philip Corner, Bill Dixon, Judith Dunn, David Gordon, Alex Hay, Deborah Hay, Fred Herko, Robert Morris, Steve Paxton, Rudy Perez, Yvonne Rainer, Robert Rauschenberg, Carolee Schneemann and Elaine Summers, among others--would go on to profoundly shape all fields of art in the second half of the 20th century. They employed new compositional methods to strip dance of its theatrical conventions, incorporating "ordinary" movements--gestures typical of the street or home, for example, rather than a stage--into their work, along with games, simple tasks, and social dances to infuse their pieces with a sense of spontaneity.

Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done highlights the workshop's ongoing significance. The catalog charts the development of Judson, beginning with the workshops and classes led by Anna Halprin, Robert Ellis Dunn and James Waring, and exploring the influence of other figures working downtown such as Simone Forti and Andy Warhol, as well as venues for collective action like Judson Gallery and the Living Theatre. Lushly illustrated with film stills, photographic documentation, reproductions of sculptural objects, scores, music, poetry, architectural drawings and archival material, the publication celebrates the group's multidisciplinary and collaborative ethos as well as the range of its participants.

Review Quotes

Looks at how the theater challenged traditional ideas of choreography, stripping dance of its theatrical conventions, employing "ordinary" movements such as gestures used at home or on the streets and made-up games.--Sahar Khan "Modern Luxury Manhattan"

...revolutionized dance and performance.--Gia Kourlas "New York Times"

A different level of recognition, and an introduction to a wider public.--Brian Seibert "New Yorker"

Both the exhibition and the book compose a portrait of a place and time from the scattershot shards the artists left behind.--Jennifer Krasinski "Bookforum"

Documents their boundary-breaking work, with archival footage of past performances on hand to add context, as well as props originally used in these works.-- "Art News"

Gorgeously heterogeneous, Judson, when given the opportunity, reveals exceptions to every rule.--Catherine Damman "Artforum"

I am so grateful to this exhibition for reminding us how radical it was for the artists associated with Judson Dance Theater to focus on quotidian gestures and temporalities- and for proving just how grand the movements of daily life continue to be.-- "Artforum"

Judson Dance Theatre legitimized ordinary movement as a dance movement.-- "New Yorker"

There are young and youngish choreographers today who seem inhibited by the Judson legacy, eager to keep earning their Judson qualifications.--Alastair Macaulay "New York Times"

Through archival materials, film screenings, discussions and live performance, the show explores the history and impact of Judson Dance Theater.--Siobhan Burke "New York Times"

Using primary source reproductions as front matter prepares readers for the catalogue's heavily archival contents, but above all points to how such material is paramount to piecing together Judson's history.--Nicole Meily "Brooklyn Rail"