About a month into this spring’s quarantine, dancer/choreographer Shana Simmons was itching to create something new. But funding was scarce, and COVID-19 restrictions meant traditional rehearsals and performances were impossible.
Ms. Simmons, who heads her own dance company, teamed with co-collaborators Jamie Erin Murphy and Brady Sanders to brainstorm choreography in a pandemic. Their response is “Constructed Sight,” a dance-for-film series that partners dancers with public works of art across Pittsburgh.
Shana Simmons Dance will unveil the first of its dance films at watch parties set for 8 p.m. Saturday, followed by more on Sept. 19 and 26. A new batch will be screened each week.
“It all just came out of this organic discussion about COVID-19, the future, producing art and what’s outside,” says Ms. Simmons, who choreographed three of the works.
The idea to build the series around nine public works of art was inspired by the desire to get outside after being cooped up indoors during quarantine. She also liked the idea of highlighting others’ art while creating her own.
“We just Googled different works of art around Pittsburgh and kind of gravitated to our top favorites,” she explains.
One of Ms. Simmons’ picks is “Untitled” by James Myford, a vertical metal sculpture in Mount Washington’s Grandview Park. Ms. Murphy chose John Henry’s “Pittsburgh” sculpture in Frank Curto Park near Bigelow Boulevard. It’s nicknamed “the french fry sculpture” for its golden beams jutting in different directions.
“They’re all over the place — Mount Washington, North Side, Oakland, Downtown,” Ms. Simmons says.
Rather than prepping in a studio, the choreographic process unfolded remotely via recorded videos. Ms. Simmons, Ms. Murphy and Mr. Sanders filmed movement phrases and shared them with dancers, who then recorded themselves practicing for feedback. Tweaks were made on the spot the day of filming. The Shana Simmons Dance dancers featured in the series are Joanna Dehler, Emily Jaikaran and Allegra Golembiewski.
Some of the works in the program aren’t connected to public artworks. In these cases, Ms. Simmons invited guest artists to use dance and film to express themselves in other ways. For example, this summer’s Black Lives Matter movement inspired her to approach as featured guest artists Theodore Alexander, Michael Caye, Jessica Marino Mitcham, Joy Marie Thompson, Sherah Shipman and intern Erin Skiff.
Ms. Simmons says the weekly watch parties will probably last 30-40 minutes. There will be a host and introductions to give context to the works. She also plans to roll out the film series on YouTube’s streaming platform so viewers can talk about works in real time in the chat feature.
“Everything Shana Simmons Dance has done in the last eight to 10 years has been interactive in nature. How do you still get that feedback from the audience while you’re performing, even if it’s online?” Ms. Simmons says. “That’s why I’m looking at platforms that have that element of interaction.”
“Constructed Sight” has no sponsors or foundation support, making it a labor of love. Watch parties are free, but a $5 or $10 donation is suggested. All proceeds will go toward paying artist fees and guest artists.
While Ms. Simmons is looking forward to the day she can perform again before a live audience, she believes there are nuggets of creativity to be unlocked during challenging times like these.
“We’ve been discussing potentially how we can develop this into a dance-for-film festival that occurs once a year. Maybe we could gain a little traction and funding for it to be a fun experience for people,” she says. “That is what feeds our soul.... We are breaking out of our preferred medium, what we’re used to and trying something new.”
Sara Bauknecht: sbauknecht@post-gazette.com or on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG.
First Published: September 7, 2020, 10:30 a.m.