The Quarry Project Update
October 10, 2019

We have completed our last Development summer; a deeply challenging and rewarding time. Thanks to all those who helped with design, fabrication and site preparation in early August:

Woody Anderson
Nick Bennett
Bill Boedecker
Luke Carrier
Zack Durbin
Harry Georgaklis
Willa Harris
Stefan Jacobs
Andreas John
Henry John
Joe John

Patrick Kelly
Zack King
Cyd Knight
George Little
Emmett Lynch
Brad Morse
Jay Southgate
Mathew Stackhouse
Kate Voorhees
Winterwood Timber Frame

Here is a glimpse of one day of the three-day weekend constructing the stages.

Arriving on Sunday August 18, the ensemble got right to work adapting to the watery world and rock walls of the quarry. They practiced moving the stages with the ropes that were strung across the quarry, moving through the water, pushing each stage apart and re-connecting them. They worked on spacing of both individual and ensemble dances as the band familiarized themselves with the sonic environment of the quarry. We finished that first day with each group running around their stage and “falling” into the water as a way to be comfortable with this ever-present element and make that “mistake” part of the scene.

From then on, we took the opportunity to experiment with the whole piece and learned just what we needed to. Each late afternoon of the last week of August, we shared the setting with a small number of invited guests who watched from the “audience platform” on the water and from the Observation Area up above.
Here is a sampling of their responses:

"The image of the dancers standing on the platform, the reflections, in that sumptuous theater, brought me to tears it was so gorgeous."

"The subtlety of the musical score as it rose from the natural stillness
of the quarry was wonderful."
"It’s just such a spectacular place, but we never thought
we’d see a dance performance there."

Elizabeth Seyler wrote this article for Seven Days after watching the piece on Friday of that week. Leslie Anderson and Ian Post got behind the film cameras and Julia Barstow photographed. Here is an unedited taste of the moving images. More to come in the next few months. We have launched The Quarry Project website which will be the project’s digital home for life of the project. It will grow as the project does. Take a look.If what you see delights you as much as it does us, please help fund this final year of The Quarry Project. Your support helps pay for this amazing ensemble. Here is the link for a tax-deductible donation. Thank you.Let me leave you with two photos of Julia’s from the end of one of our days, showing how comfortable we had grown with this amazing site and this superb ensemble.

With enthusiasm,