The Natural History of the American Dancer

Carment Beuchat
Suzanne Harris
Cynthia Hedstrom
Rachel Lew
Barbara Llyod
Judith Padow
Richard Landry (music)
Richard Peck (music)

Originally formed by Barbara Lloyd (Dilley) in February, 1972, to perform at the Whitney Museum in April, 1972, this group created an anarchic, leaderless form of pure dance improvisation. A vital part of the 112 community, they rehearsed and performed often at 112. No accurate documentation remains of many of these events. A company brochure, compiled in 1975, includes the following comments about the group’s improvisational approach: “It is the creative process best suited to their demands for artistic freedom. This (approach) allows them to develop a working vocabulary based on sensitivity to each other, to timing, to the flow and phrasing of movement, and to total spatial awareness, without squelching anyone’s individual artistic style. Their source material develops from the combination of kinesthetic familiarity with each other’s bodies and energies, a deep appreciation of each dancer’s style and an allegiance to each individual’s creative imagination.”

Critic Rosemary Mayer noted: “They are involved not only with bodies in motion but with the spaces between: at one point a dancer walked across the floor; a second crawled after her carefully inserting one hand into the space between the walking dancer’s foot and the floor.” Concerning this particular performance in Richard Mock’s installation, Suzanne Harris recalls, “The audience sat wherever they wanted and we danced wherever there was space, which created difficulties in what we could do. Although it controlled the performance, it was interesting.

Excerpted from Brentano, R., & Savitt, M. (1981). 112 Workshop, 112 Greene Street: History, artists & artworks. New York: New York University Press.