NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The debut of Little Island's 700-seat amphitheater in June not only marked a much-awaited addition to the three-year-old, 2.4-acre artificial island and public park on the Hudson River, but it also was a significant theatrical moment: it opened with Twyla Tharp's "How Long Blues," the choreographer's first full-length work in a decade.
The atmosphere of Little Island and the dancers brought a sense of calm to the audience, who watched the Hudson River waters slowly flow, accompanied by the performance. The river, with its boats and the distant New Jersey skyline, served as a backdrop.
Tharp’s choreography, with music arranged in collaboration with T Bone Burnett and David Mansfield, was inspired by a mix of sources, including the writings of Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and the silent film movements of Buster Keaton.
In an interview provided by Little Island, Tharp mentioned the thematic nature of her work, describing it as episodic storytelling inspired by Camus and Sartre but rooted in her and the dancers' creative vision. “It’s my idea of Paris within this period but made in New York in 2024; it’s my fantasy of Camus and Sartre. They’re the inspiration for it, but not the story of it, per se. It’s much more about a style – and the style is an expression of what I make of the time and place, how I present it. It’s a kind of 'Hellzapoppin’ in Paris'; nobody should think this is hagiography. It’s more of a vaudeville, or a revue,” Tharp said.
The performance combined choreographic acrobatics, elements of ballet and acting, featuring John Selya as Camus and Michael Cerveris as either the central character of "The Stranger" or Sartre.
In a dramatic twist, the scene shifts to the mesmerizing whirl of dervishes mid-performance. The song "Hallelujah" accompany the dance, culminating in the evocative sounds of ululation towards the end. The dancers, with their stunning grace, revolve in rhythmic harmony.
While it was mesmerizing, the program and press materials did not mention the influence of Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi, the Sufi mystic and poet whose teachings are central to the tradition of the whirling dervishes featured in the performance.
Some reviews from major publications, including the New York Times , which used the photo of the whirling dervishes as the lead for their articles, did not acknowledge it.
When an artist does not mention such a breathtaking moment in the performance, it becomes harder for media outlets to highlight it unless they have a well-rounded dance critic like Robert Greskovic. In the Wall Street Journal, Greskovic described it as a "terrific coup de théâtre," and writes how "the stage becomes aswirl with the whirling of 12 dancers dressed like Sufi dervishes, minus the felt hats."
Maybe Tharp saw no need to comment on her adoption of the well-known cliché of “Orientalism.” On the other hand, the dancers were dressed as dervishes (but without the headgear), using the characteristic “alif-lam” arm position, Walter Feldman, author of “From Rumi to the Whirling Dervishes,” explained in an interview with 1010 WINS/WCBS 880.
1010 WINS/WCBS 880 has reached out to Tharp for a comment.
“In her interview Twayla claims to be using jazz, and makes no comment at all on the “dance-language,” Feldman said. “Of course this movement of the Mevlevi sema ceremony had been documented in this form since the 19th century, and in slightly variant forms since the 18th and 17th centuries, mainly by French and Italian travelers."
The Mevlevi Order, founded by Rumi’s followers, is known for its practice of whirling as a form of remembrance of Allah. Participants in this tradition, called semazens, perform the whirling as part of the formal sema ceremony.
“Only a select few musical institutions of the Middle East have acquired a place in the Western cultural imagination sufficiently important to require Western names,” Feldman, wrote in his book. “Among these is the ceremony of the 'Whirling Dervishes or 'Les Derviches Tourneurs.”
According to Feldman’s book, the Mevlevi dervishes' ceremony, known as ayin or mukabele, combines choreographed movement and complex music to achieve a transcendental and artistic result. This ritual, maintained for over six centuries as part of a mystical institution, remains a significant cultural phenomenon.
Rumi, whose lyrical Persian poetry has been central to ayin compositions since the late sixteenth century, is now a widely known and best-selling poet. The ayin's blend of music, poetry, and philosophy highlights human roles in the universe and represents a significant contribution of the Turkish nation to shared civilization.
When asked if there was a story to the performance, Tharp explained, “While there are narrative elements, literal thinking about the story as most people understand it is not helpful here. Literature can be a subject; dance is the theme. Dance is all about observable action, so all the audience needs to do is observe what is happening on stage. In that way, it’s not unlike silent films, which is what inspired much of the style of movement in this piece – specifically, Buster Keaton, because he was constantly taking it on the chin and persevering, which is very much how I see Camus. And there are elements of Jacques Tati, too, and probably even Jacques Lecoq. The piece has what I would call an organizing idea, or shape, but I try generally to bury the structure, so it is only there for me to rely on. It’s there if you want it and not if you don’t.”
The park opened in 2021 in west Chelsea, and the amphitheater will be the third new major performing space in Manhattan to launch in a five-year span.
Little Island’s flowers, trees and performance spaces rest on 132 concrete pots that the park’s creators call tulip pots. The pots are set on pilings of different heights, so that paths wind through the park at a gentle, rolling grade.
The park is reachable by two bridges.
Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo will sing all the major roles in a 90-minute remix of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)” running from Aug. 30 to Sept. 22. The works are part of a summer schedule that includes nine world premieres.
Zack Winokur, announced as producing artistic director, expressed excitement for the season. “The 2024 summer season at Little Island is a celebration and a commitment to new work by New York’s most exciting and vital artists across all disciplines,” Winokur said. “Audiences all summer long should expect the unexpected and come see what happens; a nightly party that marries art and nature on the river and under the stars.”
Ticket prices are capped at $25. A second space, a 200-seat venue called The Glade, will include free programming from Wednesdays through Sundays in July and August and utilize different curators each week. Those include Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright, Suzan-Lori Parks, Grammy Award-winning artist Cécile McLorin Salvant and Justin Vivian Bond.
There will not be rain dates and it is not yet certain how long start times can be held for bad weather to clear.
Costanzo, who was hired as CEO of Opera Philadelphia, will take on “Figaro” in a staging directed by Dustin Wills with new arrangements by Dan Schlosberg and costumes designed by Emily Bode.
Winokur will direct “Robeson,” with music by John Bitoy and Khari Lucas that stars bass-baritone Davóne Tines and rearranges music of Paul Robeson while telling his life story.
Henry Hoke’s “Open Throat,” playing this month, is a mostly spoken work with shadow puppets based on the novella about a queer mountain lion living beneath the Hollywood sign.
“Mama” will be written and performed by Britton Smith, along with The Sting, his funk liberation band, and choreography by Ebony Williams.
“Day For Night,” a dance choreographed by Pam Tanowitz, will take place around sunset.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.