You’ll have to think outside the box (figuratively) and step outside of a normal performance space (literally) to experience Wild Space Dance Co. I saw Wild Space for the fist time last September at the Lynden Sculpture Garden. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but frankly, there was no way I could have imagined how it would go down. It’s like a journey through stories, emotions and consciousness with dancers as the conduit.
This time around, Wild Space takes audiences to one of Milwaukee’s most famous historic places, and not just because Johnny Depp filmed a movie there. In honor of the Milwaukee County Historical Society’s 75th anniversary, Wild Space dancers will sashay throughout the newly renovated historic bank building to tell real-life historical accounts.
The Milwaukee County Historical Center, a neoclassical revival structure completed in 1913, began as a financial institution but was later reorganized. It is a City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County landmark, and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Through a series of vignettes, the dancers and the audience will uncover the building’s past life and present beauty. “The craftsmanship of work, the design of the chandeliers and light fixtures, the polished brass of the huge bank vault are a labor of love for this city and a muse for our work,” says Artistic Director Debra Loewen.
Loewen interviewed elderly people and extracted beautifully rich stories of love, loss, work, family and home as a script for the choreography. Before constructing the dances, Loewen first took into account the distinctive elements of the space and then the audience’s point of view. “Sometimes you have to just stop thinking about it, and then it happens,” she says.
The audience will exchange plac
es with the performers and view dances from both the balcony and the ground floor, providing a different perspective. Next, the two-story floor-to-ceiling windows will frame a dance in Pere Marquette Park, with the lights of Downtown Milwaukee as a backdrop, all with audio from the original storytellers layered on top.
Love it or hate it, I (and you should too) always walk away from an artistic experience enriched or inspired. Although contemporary dance might be not be everyone’s cup of tea, the way these dancers can tell a story from a fluid series of movements is remarkable, and it’s a pretty interesting way to take in your surroundings, too. Loewen founded Wild Space 24 years ago but candidly reveals, “It’s still an experiment each time.”
Here’s a little taste of what you can expect from Wild Space:
Past/Present runs Jan. 27-29, 8 p.m., at the Historical Center/Bank Building (910 N. Old World Third St.). For tickets, click here or call 414-271-0712. Milwaukee’s favorite historian John Gurda will pontificate on the significance of the space beginning at 7:15 p.m.
