PHOTO BY
CHRISTOPHER
PEDDECORD.
Q+A
even say co-founded “a company,” that’s
putting the cart before the horse ... we just
wanted to play. A fellow dancer's neighbor had a big warehouse space he said we
could use, and we went in and hung up
some ropes and started experimenting
with aerial stuff. We’d go in three times a
week, and we called it “playing.”
ES: Developing a vocabulary.
DK: Suddenly, the vocabulary would start
taking on a musical shape. We’d put a
couple of phrases together, and then after
a while, like after a year’s time, we thought,
“You know ... this would be interesting
for people to watch.” We did a show out
at Portland Shipyards, where we were
rehearsing, but it’s a high-security space.
Every single person who comes out to
that space has to put his or her name on
the list at the security kiosk. You can’t just
show up. So you’re driving all the way out
there —
ES: It was an adventure!
DK: You had to have your name checked off,
and then drive through huge hangars with
doors open and sparks flying out because
they’re welding 24/7, and giant ship parts
are moving, and you have to go all the way
to the end of the yard. Then you walk into
this dirty room with 100 seats, one row
around the walls, and two trapezes hung ...
and ... we did this show. That was in maybe
‘96, and people are still talking about it.
ES: There was such rawness to it.
DK: But that was part of the adventure.
ON COLLABORATION
AND BEING SURPRISED
Pas de Deux
Skinner/Kirk, Partners Onstage and Off.
Their first joint show was in
a shipyard warehouse, t