Xan Burley and Alex Springer: make. destroy.

Raven Crosby, Office Assistant 

make. destroy. is the new piece that Donna and Marvin Schwartz Artists-in-Residence Xan Burley and Alex Springer set on the Emory Dance Company. This piece examines a long-form destruction as the genesis of movements both collective and individual. “From climate catastrophe to evolving pandemics, we continue to confront disaster in our radically changing world. What emerges from crumbling structures?”

Burley and Springer’s choreographic process is extremely collaborative and generated through both movement inquiry and deep group dialogue. “The dancers in our cast were vital contributors to the work’s gestation - their movement choices, thoughtful discoveries, and responses to our questions are the foundation that this work was built upon.” The piece itself is a structured work but contains improvised elements. “The majority of make. destroy. is improvised movement material that arises out of devised and meticulously developed scores, prompts, and events. The structure of the piece is very precise, as is the movement vocabulary, but the dancers are making different decisions each time they inhabit the work. Their power of choice influences what unfolds on the stage every night.” 

The inspirations that the duo have drawn from include Jeanine Durning, Chris Aiken, and Angie Hauser, as well as the dancers themselves. Their music choices range from sound scores from Anna Meredith’s driving 80’s pop-esque ballads to more experimental soundscapes by Langham Research Institute. “Playing with different music has been an exciting way to generate new scenarios and auralities for the dancers to work with and against. Together, the music and the dance form a relationship that thrives in difference and alignment.”

Since this is the first piece that Burley and Springer have created since the start of the pandemic, the duo wanted to create a work that centered on the liveness and embodiment of dance performance for the stage. “This piece would not be possible without the generosity, support, and creative prowess that each dancer manifests. And, as much as we and the dancers co-create make. destroy., the presence of a witnessing audience further choreographs the work.”