Movement & Sound

Alison Chase
no photo credit

Sound is a dynamic partner in the choreographic process. Learning how to pair movement with sound effectively expands one’s choreographic voice. Through structured improvs and short set phrases we will explore a variety of musical/sound options. New technologies and software advances now offer an even wider field of selection. We will explore and discuss how an audio line amplifies, supports, destroys, counterpoints, or interfaces with the movement. We will investigate the pros and cons of: starting with the audio line, adding the audio after the choreographic process, using an improvised accompaniment, having an original score, or engineering sound montages. Please bring three pre-recorded audio files that are as different as possible from each other and that you think have choreographic potential to jump-start this loud, lively, or silent discussion.


Alison Chase is a choreographer, director, performance and installation artist. She is best known as co-founder and artistic director of the movement collective, Pilobolus (1973-2005), where she won international acclaim for her unique ability to blend narrative, kinetics, and visuals into rich metaphoric worlds. In her years with Pilobolus, she created more than 50 works for the stage, frequently choreographing individually for the ensemble. In 2009, she founded Alison Chase/Performance as a vehicle to explore new aspects of interdisciplinary work, including large-scale site-specific creations, museum installations and fusions of film and movement. Her many honors include: a Guggenheim Fellowship (1980); a Laurel Award for Life Time Achievement (1992); American Dance Festival’s Scripps Award (2000);); Cine Golden Eagle Award, 2002 (with filmmaker Mirra Bank); and Maine Arts Commission’s 2009 Performing Arts Fellow. Teaching credits include Assistant Professor of Dance and choreographer-in-residence at Dartmouth College (70-73) and Yale Theater Studies Department (1991-1997). Chase holds a BA in History and Philosophy from Washington University and an MA in dance from UCLA.