An avid connoisseur of dance and the avant-garde performer Loie Fuller, Jody Sperling gave a keen lecture on October 4^th at Baruch College’s building on 17 Lexington Avenue.

Sperling has been the artistic director of Time Lapse Dance since its start in 2000. She attended Wesleyan University, where she earned a BA in dance and Italian, and holds an MA in performance studies in NYU, according to her website, TimeLapseDance.com. She opened the 2 hour-long lecture with images and video clips from her company’s past performances, whose style is heavily influenced by Loie Fuller. Via her iPad, the multimedia presented beautiful modern dance categorized by ethereal, fluent movement that is sculpted and manipulated by light. Sperling explains the extent to which the transformation of light projections and color plays an important role in creating the illusion of abstract objects like flowers, water, fire, patterns, and animals like the snake in the famous “snake dance” by Fuller. The stage is a canvas in which she fully utilizes the light projections and sweeping spinning movements to “sculpt” a perpetually moving piece of art.

In one video clip shown, she twirls, arms creating grand sweeping movements, on a box that projects red, orange and yellow lights. Superfluous, lush fabric creates an environment around the dancer that envelops her, making the shape of the body nondescript, she says. Sometimes, there may be bilateral lights of two different colors that play with each other on the abundant ripples of the fabric, which is often white. Green and blue lights combined with fluent movement might mock the essence of an ocean, for instance. Sperling explains how sticks, used as invisible extensions of the arms, are responsible for creating the grand movements, which can be attributed to Fuller. The use of mirrors is sometimes incorporated into the performance, as the running dancers disappear and then instantly reappear. It gives off a kaleidoscopic, transcendental experience.

Sperling allotted a significant part of her lecture to describing the heavy influence of Fuller’s signature “Snake Dance.” It is created by waving the stick extensions, attached to the thick layers of fabric, in a cycle of oscillations. The trail of fabric in motion creates the illusion of a slithering snake. This is one of the factors that caused Fuller’s fame to escalate, which also spurred the rise of impersonators. According to Sperling, the Snake Dance was actually first performed in front of a live audience in France by an impersonator. Sperling showed students old art deco posters advertising the dance, explaining that there are no actual images or video of the real Loie Fuller performing.

Sperling is the definition of a visual artist, just as she is the definition of a dancer. She embraces every facet of visual art, while drawing inspiration from history, to create an impressionable work. Aside from blood, sweat and tears, donations are what keep the company alive, she explains. Visit her website TimeLapseDance.com to buy tickets or to donate.

http://www.jjtiziou.net/jj/wp-content/gallery/dance/20050909a_festival_1091.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QTRFSDIcLo/Tq85zv0JzeI/AAAAAAAAArg/a2mF-ShjA2E/s1600/La-Loie-Fuller_Posters.jpg

Two weeks ago, my classmates and I went to the 17 Lexington Ave building for a class by a guest speaker. Thinking that I am going to hear a boring speech on how someone named Jody Sperling succeed in life, I was surprised to find the lesson focused majorly on another person and how that person had influenced her. Ms. Jody Sperling gave us a small but very interesting lecture on Loie Fuller, a great dancer, in which she told us the life story of Ms. Fuller and the reasons for her to go into this business she had started.

Of course, as an introduction, she told us a little bit about herself. Jody was a student at NYU, where she began her career as a dancer (majored in Performance Studies). Ever since she fell in love with the Fuller style dancing when she was performing the Butterfly Dance (one of the symbolic dance of Loie Fuller) in the Library of Congress, she continued to invest in her interest by starting her own company. As the lesson went on, I noticed that, as a dancer, an entrepreneur and a choreographer, Jody Sperling is similar in many ways comparing to Loie Fuller. Perhaps that is why Jody had decided to focus on Ms. Fuller’s dancing styles when she founded her company—Time Lapse Dance.

Loie Fuller is the mother of modern dance, who actually invented the idea of abstract dancing. She was influenced by her father, who was in a business closely connected to music, and thus began her career as a very young dancer during the temperance movement. From how Ms. Sperling talked about this woman, I could tell that Ms. Fuller was her model. She told us that Fuller was very innovative and almost daring in a way, even from today’s point of view. Inspired by Skirt Dancing, a very popular dance during the period, Loie Fuller took the idea of “moving with the skirt” to a whole new level. She added light effects into the performance, which was never done before, and changed the complex clothing into a simple, long, white and silky costume. When she danced, as Jody described, “her body disappeared into the fabric”. Lights shined on her clothes, and because of the fabric, the different colors were displayed on the dress that Fuller wore. The whole dance became a live movie.

Jody Sperling, on the other hand, also wanted to do something different, added new elements into the “Loie Fuller Style”. Instead of following the “traditional” classical music trend, Jody used different music styles. In addition, she put in many different instruments from a variety of cultures to reflect the diverse pool of themes she wanted to show. For example, in a recent piece, Jody brought in a different theme by adding the turbulence into her background music, which immediately changed the entire mood of the performance along with the change of colors in lighting.

Loie Fuller was the creator of many symbolic dances, such as the Serpentine and the Butterfly. Although not recognized as an individual artist at first, Fuller worked toward her goals, despite all the obstacles, and eventually debuted in Paris with her name on the billboard—Loie Fuller. Jody also experienced many problems when she first started the company. With all the fundraising and dancing, she had to work as a businesswoman in addition to a dancer. However, like Loie Fuller, Jody Sperling is now well known for her achievements in Fuller style dance. She even invented her own spinning techniques along with her co-workers. She described it as a “meditation”, in which you would find “the new center of yourself and the world around you”.

The dance, as Jody told us, was a completely new experience every time. “When you dance”, she said passionately, “it’s amazing how a person can occupy such an amount of space with all the fabric.” If possible, I would definitely like to try this dance, for a feeling of “extending beyond ourselves” is not easily found in today’s world.

From http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/students/features/understanding-art/~/media/ArtsEdge/Images/Articles/Students/features/rebellious_streak/rebellious_key.jpg?as=1&dmc=0&w=610

A woman of passion, Jody Sperling spoke graciously with a bright smile as she talked to us about her works and, even more notably, about Loie Fuller. Her love and style sprung not from a childhood idol but from an accident in 1997 when she was working as the Illustrations Editor for the International Encyclopedia of Dance. Together with Elizabeth Aldrich, Sperling choreographed a modern interpretation of Fuller’s The Butterfly Dance. She was initially against performing it at the Library of Congress but yielded to Aldrich’s persuasion. Experiencing the Fuller’s unique dance style first-hand, she became spellbound by its movements that utilized the entire body, which demanded her body to move in sync with the costume.

Sperling’s eyes seemed to sparkle when she formally introduced us to Loie Fuller. Fuller was a pioneer in dance, costume motion and lighting in the 19^th century. Her career, however, did not begin in success; others stole and imitated her style but she was unable to win the copyright case. Her dance was judged as “no story, no character, no emotion” by the court. Fuller was not dishearten and became even more determined. She struggled to find a sponsor in France. But when she found one, her astonishing and flamboyant dance singlehandedly stunned France. Her style and techniques, as Sperling put it, “spawn modern dance.” The dance was all about the dramatic transformation and motion of the fabric, thus creating a vortex of shapes. Its effects were further enhanced by projecting vibrant lights onto Fuller’s white costume – each revolving light was human operated. Using such a technique, Fuller became more than just a dancer, she was the scenery.

(Poster credits to Jean de Paléologue)

As Sperling enthusiastically talked and showed us more of Fuller, through pictures and video clips of Fuller imitators, I was taken in by Sperling’s knowledge, eloquence and passion. I soon found myself mesmerized by the eccentric yet elegant dance style. Although Fuller’s dance style was visually appealing, a few photographs that Sperling showed gave us a fair idea of how extraordinary and difficult it was to perform dances in. It seemed impractical to perform a dance in a dress that was over ten feet long while holding two equally long flexible sticks on both hands. Just holding out our arms for more than two minutes would be exhausting; now, imagine Sperling doing it for an entire show. But with effort, dedication and determination, it was possible. In the clips that Sperling showed us on her and her Time-Lapse Dance Company for the dances, “Dance of the Elements” and “Clair de Lune,” we could see that natural and graceful movements that the dancers made. At one point they appeared to be butterflies flapping their wings and the next as whirlpools swirling in an ocean of blue. They seemed to move almost effortlessly despite the challenges in terms of stamina and the complexity of the dance. Together with the continuous changing of lighting colors, Sperling and her dancers were dazzling.

By: Ryan Bayona

Modernizing and interpreting Fuller’s dance style with contemporary technologies and dance style was daring. Despite her struggles in fundraising for her company’s dance performances, which typically cost about $40,000 a show, she persisted in her efforts to outreach to sponsors, individuals and friends for fundraising. Sperling and her company were able to rise to the challenge and prevail spectacularly. They were able to perform in the Fall for Dance, Tripeca and SoHo stage, and other countries. As a person with so much success, forming and sustaining a dance company for ten years and dancing and choreographing thirty five dances in twelve years, Sperling was very humble when she came in to speak to us. Her firm demeanor revealed strong hopes for the future as she showed us her modern interpretations of Fuller’s dance style.

Without a doubt, Jody Sperling will capture the hearts of even more people through her passion, determination, efforts, and dances. And in doing so, she will surely revitalize the essences of Fuller’s stunning dance style and inspire others to contribute through their own creativity.

(Photo copyright by Hans Gerritsen)

Before entering the room, I thought to myself, “How is someone going to talk about dance to us?” Dancing is something you would have to experience, not just something to be told about. This presentation, was surely more of an experience than I had anticipated.

Jody Sperling is a dancer, choreographer, dance scholar, and founder and director of Time Lapse Dance. As she progresses into her presentation, her love and passion for dance became readily apparent. She used her iPad to help her with her presentation which started 0ff with a little background of herself. Then, to give the audience who seemed a little distant something to connect to, she asks, “How many of you watch Friends?” This caught the audience’s attention, and she proudly tells them that there is a Loie Fuller poster used as a prop.

Who is Loie Fuller? Jody Sperling’s inspiration from the 19th century. Fuller created an adopted version of the skirt dance called the serpentine dance, which involved motion and light; with an elaborate costume with extended sleeves. The extension of sleeves gives more room for more fabric, which creates the beautiful patterns and colors when light was projected on the dancer. The depths of the costume would create depth in colors, which dance across the blank canvas. The costume, props, light, and movement of the dancers are what creates a new genre of dance and modernizes dance.

Notice the dimension and depth of the colors

Sperling plays a few videos for the audience to see the dancer dancing without sleeves as well as elegant dancing colors. The video of the dancer without a costume on served to be significantly less interesting. However, when the costume is put on with the projected lights, the dance is given life. She also presents the difficulties of the dance, such as syncing with all other dancers on stage. Spinning and dancing isn’t hard and is more like second nature for them. Once the dancers find a common pace, the rest of the dance will be magnificently sewn together.

Without the costume

Of course, creating your own company would cost a lot of money to get it started. Her passion for dance drove her to find the ability to start her own company. She provides a feeling of drive and perseverance. Ms. Jody Sperling tells her audience about fundraising ideas and asking for donations; she also explained some events that she held such as a little thrift sale and wine-tasting event. To surprise us a little, Sperling ends with a note that New York City Department of Cultural Affairs gives out millions of dollars more than the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jody Sperling has become an inspiration. She encourages others to do what they love to do. She is an excellent example that with time and dedication, you can really become whatever it is you want to be and fulfill your dreams.

I was on the elevator and the woman across from me politely commented “you went to Stuyvesant” and chuckled. We got out and went our separate ways. As I entered the classroom, there was the same woman again. Apparently, the woman I just met was Jody Sperling, our guest speaker for today’s class.

She was gave us an interesting view on her life and how she went on to become a dancer. However, before jumping directly into the details of her own life she whipped out her iPad and her presentation began. She wasn’t just a dancer, she has an amazing knowledge for dance and credibility can be found in her writing as she told us she has written for various publications including the Village Voice. Her presentation really began by introducing Loie Fuller. She was Jody’s inspiration when it came to dancing. Fuller’s technique can be found in the Serpentine dance. A new type of dance was born. It was no longer the dancer moving around anymore. Instead, Fuller created a new experience that was exhilarating and intricate with the many various props, lights, and movements to create special image and picture for the audience. It is this aspect that the dance becomes surprisingly modern. The use of technology has modernized the dance world and created the new genre of modern dance.

Sperling showed us videos and it becomes obvious that Fuller has left her mark. From personal experience, she explained the difficult and tiring mechanics necessary perform routines. There was definitely something different about Sperling’s dance and Fuller’s. It seemed that as a modern dance, evolution is important. Sperling emphasized how she incoporates Fuller’s technique by using the sheets of fabric in her dances. As we watch, we can see familiarity in the lighting and its effect on the dancer as it enshrouds her completely. But dedication and hard work pulled through to recreate the Serpentine dance literally in new light. With the advancement in technology, the creation of different types of light and light angles along with smoke machines can do wonders.

By: Ryan Bayona

Sperling showed us how added props can do so much to imagery. She did this by showing us a video of a dance without the large amounts of fabric and then another video with the fabric on. Without the fabric, the stage became empty whereas the incorporation of fabric filled up the stage like a peacock showing off its colorful tail feathers. The dance was imbued with life.

By: Ryan Bayona

Her work as a dancer has led her to the creation of Time Lapse Dance. She expressed passion for dancing and explained how managing a company can be difficult, especially when it first starts up. She explained to us how funding is difficult and a lot of it in the beginning is out of pocket. She works closely with other dancers who do a variety of dances and acrobatics.

Jody Sperling is definitely a great role model. Her numerous achievements and experiences have left an amazing impression on me. Seeing her follow her passion for dancing to the fullest extent showed me how living your life while doing what you love is quite possible as long as you put the time into it.

…Her Managing Editor, Elizabeth Aldrich, had wrote across a post-it note stuck onto a picture of Loie Fuller, all atop Jody Sperling’s desktop when she was working as the Illustrations Editor for the International Encyclopedia of Dance. Loie Fuller was a free-dance practitioner and became famous for her choreography with significantly outsized silk costumes illuminated by her unique use of the vibrant colors of theatrical lighting, Sperling introduces with a slideshow of Loie Fuller. She adds, at first she relented, but was encouraged that it would be a fun and unforgettable gig to choreograph and perform Loie Fuller’s butterfly dance in a “15-feet pink wings”.

Jody Sperling elegantly slicing the air with her 15-feet pink wings http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rfTHfsLr5BI/TVIhxyZj7PI/AAAAAAAAAls/pw-sGvTD4jI/s1600/GhostsParadeDavidGonsier.jpg

In her presentation of how and why she became the founder of a modern dance company in New York City, Jody Sperling explains that it was Loie Fuller’s confidence and passion for dancing and her unique use of theatrical lighting in the 19th century that deeply inspired Sperling to follow her own dreams as a dancer and choreographer to start her own dance company, Time Lapse Dance. (http://www.timelapsedance.com/) Heavily influenced by Fuller’s colorful swirls, Sperling’s choreographed performances at Time Lapse Dance mesmerized a great number of friends, family and dance lovers to help keep the twelve-year-old non-profit company running and well-funded. Jody Sperling’s slideshow transitions over to show photographs and videos of herself and her dance group performing a “re-imagined” Fuller’s Serpentine Dance by smoothly blending colors with graceful movements of silk and using mirrors to challenge the idea of symmetry. One does not have to see the dance in action to witness the flow in her choreography and her effective manipulation of the space around her, but the photographs clearly show the elegance with her every step.

Elegance, Symmetry, Balance http://www.timelapsedance.com/files/images/Elements_Web_txt.header.jpg

Usage of Mirrors
http://www.timelapsedance.com/files/images/about.header.jpg

One might assume it is simply a dance of waving fabric around, but Jody Sperling explains it is in actuality a difficult form and requires a lot of patience, coordination and practice. Although it is of silk material, the costume is heavy, especially to be propped up at 5-feet further from her regular wingspan, Sperling continues, backing up with physics concepts of torque. It is a beautiful concept of dance form, integrating all principles of visual art: movement, unity, harmony, variety, balance, contrast, proportion, and rhythm/pattern. To create a harmonious colorful-themed Loie Fuller inspired choreography for numerous dancers on stage to be performed to music is a talent Jody Sperling has, and she shared with us a glimpse of exactly that.

Look what I found at the 23rd St R/N/Q Train Station later that day!

Many choreographers look at the past when they are searching for inspiration; Loie Fuller became Jody Sperling’s inspiration. This was surprising because the Serpentine Dance, developed by Loie Fuller, is a very modern form of dance. This was a learning experience for me because I have never heard of this form of dance. She had presented Fuller’s background and the development of the dance with a sense of excitement and familiarity.

She was able to describe various aspects of Fuller’s performance, from costume to effects. It turns out that the skirts worn by Fuller were made from layers upon layers of silk. Though burdened by the weight of the cloth, she was able to move swiftly to the rhythm of the music. Not only is the Serpentine Dance innovative, the colors projected onto her skirt were constantly changing. This creates an additional effect on top of the spiraling patterns from the movement of the skirt. Sperling explained that filmmakers had to paint each shot when they broadcasted Fuller’s performances during the black-and-white film era.

Jody Sperling

Sperling’s passion for dancing the Serpentine Dance was even more evident when she played recordings of her performances. Her explanations of each setting proved that she is experienced in this field. In one of her videos, she explained that she had to stand on a platform with various-colored light inside, so that the same effect can be replicated. From her videos, one can observe that Sperling has incorporated the basic elements of Fuller’s Serpentine Dance into her own, creating a new style. In the video’s shown, Fuller’s original version of the dance was paced quicker, while Sperling’s choreography were more elegant. Nonetheless, this presentation has taught me that it can be difficult for this form of dancing to gain the audience’s approval.

Not only is Sperling a choreographer and dancer, but she is also an entrepreneur. As the owner of Time Lapse Dance, she has various fundraising plans to earn money for performances of this form of dance, such as wine-tasting events. As she explained during her presentation, many dancers want to own a company and perform, but it is difficult to maintain and continuously apply for dance funds. From Jody Sperling, I learned that with passion came dedication and determination.

Jody Sperling’s time-lapse dance is sensationally redolent of the golden age of dance. With costumes that extend the physiological boundaries of a human body, time-lapse dancers create the illusion of incessant metamorphosis in imitation of nature’s ever changing forces. Just as passionate and remarkable as her choreography, Jody Sperling stands out as a unique artist in New York City.

My Arts in New York class recently had the pleasure of meeting Jody Sperling. With a humble air, she presented the origins of her creative art form.  Standing before the classroom, Sperling looked no different from us, with the exception of maturity. We could not have imagined just how brilliant this woman was, yet it was evident that she was someone special. Her quick body moved about the room with a confidence and satisfaction that can only be derived from the fulfillment of a life-long passion.

As Sperling began to speak, her love for dance became more and more apparent. With gleaming eyes, she informed us that time-lapse dance grew from the seeds of serpentine dance, which were sowed by Loie Fuller in the late 19^th century. Taking ideas from skirt dancing, Loie Fuller made her costumes more elaborate by adding hundreds of feet of white fabric. In dance, her body would become completely enshrouded by her moving dress. According to Sperling, Fuller’s costume would become a blank canvas onto which vibrant colors and patterns were projected with a magic lantern. These colors would become alive upon Fuller’s dancing body. Still amazed at this concept, Sperling described how Fuller would contort her long sleeved dress to resemble the fluttering wings of a butterfly. Besides admiring Fuller’s ingenuity, Sperling commented on the pure nature of the dance. Unlike the popular Vaudeville performances of the time, serpentine dance was acceptable for all age groups to enjoy. First achieving fame in France, Loie Fuller mesmerized her Parisian audience with her angelic form of dance. Her ideas have spun, leaped, and twirled through the century, finding a home today within the work of Jody Sperling.

Enthralled by the impact of the serpentine dance in the past, Jody Sperling has revitalized this dance form by fitting it into a modern context. Writing in the Dance Magazine to describe Fuller’s work and compare it to her own, Sperling states “In a full circle of technology, my recreation of Ballet of Light uses projections to simulate the effects that Fuller created, more magically, with lanterns. If you look between the pixels, maybe you’ll find Fuller’s ghost”. It was essential for Sperling to keep Fuller’s technique. Adding elements of experimental dance and modern technology, Sperling created her own form of art that appeals to the present-day audience.

To describe the dance is one thing, but to witness it is another. Jody Sperling and her dancers beautifully spin, with their arms in motion, creating marvelous patterns of fabric in the air.  Keen on perfecting her work, Sperling admits that the hardest part of dance is for the dancers to synchronize their movements. However, once the dancers all establish pace, they gain a uniform elegance. Spinning for minutes on end isn’t difficult, she says, because it’s a natural movement.  Just as we feel still on the revolving Earth, the dancers find balance in their spinning.

Jody Sperling has a contagious enthusiasm for her work. Not only does the harmonizing of music, dance, fabrics, and lighting all create an ethereal spectacle for her audience, it also creates a sense of balance within herself. Sperling is an artist, but more importantly, a revivalist of history.

Jody Sperling in time-lapse dance. Photograph provided by www.theconstructioncompany.org

Jody Sperling is a dancer, choreographer, and historian. She attended the renowned Joffery Ballet School in New York as a child. She went on to receive her Bachelors from Wesleyan College in ’92 and her Masters in Performance Studies from New York University in ’96. She was fascinated with avant-garde style as well as the social history of dance.

Loie Fuller and skirt dancing is Jody Sperling’s source of inspiration. She describes Fuller as a “fearless innovator, both technological and scientific”. She is “one of the mother’s of modern dance”. She goes on to explain how Fuller was born next to the fire in a tavern and how as a child, she ironically gave talks in the Temperance movement.

Kate Vaugn developed the concept of “skirt dancing” in London. Loie Fuller, according to most historians, learned the “skirt dance” in London at the Gaiety Theater. Fuller adapted the generic “skirt dance” into her own form called the “serpentine dance”. Unlike the 1880’s Burlesque style, the serpentine dance focused on the shape of the movement, not the body. In skirt dancing, the body was obscured by the ruffles and folds of the fabric. Loie Fuller had her 1st success performing her “serpentine dance” in New York. Unfortunately her art had no legal protection and therefore many imitators began to copy her unique style. Fuller left the United States for Paris, where her performance was viewed as revolutionary. She used cutouts within the stage to allow light from below to illuminate the stage and the dancer. She was the first to project images on herself and her costume. She also made her own set and scenery. Unfortunately, the photography of the time was unable to capture Fuller’s innovations.
Jody Sperling took much of her inspiration from Loie Fuller, herself. She employs the mixing of colors and shades to create something new. She describes using a green light from the west and a blue light from the east to create a blending of color on the skirt’s fabric. The folds are illuminated in blends of blue and green. In describing her use of Loie Fuller as a model, Sperling states, “People sometimes say what I do is “reconstruction” and that is wrong. I use the word “re-imagination”

One of Sperling’s dances, she named, “Turbulence”. She explains how the fabric shows the movement and body’s wake. More specifically, she tells of how as we move we displace the air around us just as we would if we were in water. The fabric captures the displacement of the air that our movement creates.
Just as in Sufism, Sperling explains how in spinning we find a calmness and stillness. The constant movement becomes a “new normal” for us, and we learn to take comfort in its steadfastness.
Sperling’s newest piece is called “Ghost”. In one of the sections she recounts, “I wear a bodysuit with LEDs on it that I can trigger manually in performance. It was quite a feat to rig this up, but it’s fun to improvise the lights in relation to the pauses in the music. This concept was inspired by an act from 1893.”
In summary, Jody Sperling, as a multi-faceted artist and historian, continues to innovate in the fields of dance, lighting, technology, and costumes.

Sources: (Youtube & http://www.foxresidential.com/img/agents/264.jpg)