Alison Chase Artist Statement
Alison Chase on left with Mia Kanazawa at the quarry.
Q2: Habitat excites me in the interplay of location, community and a dynamic collaborative team. My major artistic interests and challenges at this point in my career have to do with creating new landscapes and incorporating differences in media, performer, and story into my work. The monumental nature of the quarry geography - its man made yet rough-hewn natural setting, able to embrace such a large visual palette - has been my inspiration. One can story board and pre-plan images and events, but only when these are test driven in this large outdoor space does one know if there is sufficient power, scale and emotion to create a transformative art experience for all. This need to experiment is so deeply embedded in this project that it creates a special working bond throughout the entire cast - professionals and community members alike. This sense of experimentation drives our working process and brings to this project an unexpected magic: a magic I hope engages our community participants and audience members, enabling them to feel and to reflect upon the nature and struggles of our common "habitats" in new and meaningful ways.
Alison Chase is a choreographer, director, master-teacher and theatrical artist. Alison founded Apogee Arts to enable her to pursue her passion for multidimensional story telling, fusions of film and dance; site-specific works; and museum installations. Through Apogee Arts Alison pursues her creative vision in bold collaborations with others artists, writers, designers, composers, photographers, filmmakers, projection designers, dancers and musicians.
Alison is well known as a choreographer and as a Founding Artistic Director of Pilobolus Dance Theater. In October 2008 Alison was named the Maine Arts Commission's 2009 Performing Arts Fellow. Until December 2005 Alison was co-artistic director and developer of Pilobolus Dance Theatre's educational programs. Alison's wide range of interest and ability has seen her through everything from replacing a warm-up band for the Frank Zappa Show to collaborating with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall to working with a Dine medicine woman named Walking Thunder. With her husband and their three children she lives on the coast of Maine.