Up-and-coming dance-maker John Jasperse and his company will perform their most recent work “Giant Empty” in the Wexner Center performance space, beginning yesterday through Sunday. Jasperse with the help of three other dancers brings his innovative and sophisticated art to Columbus for the first time.
“Giant Empty” is a piece that describes how people are drawn together and then pushed apart. Soundscape designer Michael Floyd and set designer Matthias Bringmann have collaborated to create a distinct and complex mise en scene, which will help convey to audiences the underlying themes of coexisting within society and the quest for inner growth.
Jasperse is widely known for his witty humor and his ability to incorporate everyday occurrences into his work. His past works have focused on identifying the simple and beautiful moments of life and then picking them apart to reveal the oddities that accompany living.
After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in 1985, Jasperse began his career and worked as a dancer for many distinguished choreographers. Not long after he gained momentum from performing, Jasperse began choreographing his own productions, which have been presented to audiences worldwide. He has received numerous awards and grants including a fellowship with the Baryshnikov Dance Foundation where he has been awarded choreographic commissions.
While in Columbus, Jasperse will spend time working with students enrolled in the Ohio State dance program. He will also conduct a class to address various issues in the performing arts including how to utilize the human body and physical space at the same time. Karen Simonian, spokeswoman for the Wexner Center, stresses how beneficial Jasperse’s lecture will be to performance students.
“When choreographers come to town, very often they will work with students in mass dance classes. John Jasperse will be doing the same thing. This interaction with the university community is one of the real benefits that result from these artists working with the students,” Simonian said.
The Wexner Center has been bringing artists of all kinds to OSU for almost 12 years. Charles Helm, director of performing arts for the Wexner Center, said the city as a whole will benefit from having Jasperse perform here.
“John Jasperse’s company is yet another example of one of the young, acclaimed dance groups that the Wexner Center is introducing to Columbus. These performances put us in good company and rare company. Outside of New York City, there are only a handful of cities where these artists perform,” Helm said.
The performances run yesterday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the Wexner Center or any Ticketmaster outlet and cost $16 for the general public and $14 for Wexner Center members and OSU students.
