Sight Scene: Jane Jerardi's Last 'Chance'

Map It:  Clarendon   Columbia Heights 

Express contributor Kriston Capps steps out of the galleries and examines some moving images displayed outdoors.

GIVEN THAT THE TITLE of Jane Jerardi's latest work is "Chance," you might not expect so much repetition throughout the piece — but in fact, she's given to performing the same set of gestures over and over. In the latest video and dance project by the artist, sponsored by Transformer Gallery, Jerardi is preoccupied with the sort of everyday, happenstance movements that serve as background noise to our physical lives.

Jerardi, along with dancers Brian Buck and Ginger Wagg, take the commonplace as their repertoire. A casual shoulder brush, a soft collapse against the back of a park bench, a nervous fluttering of hands, a lean — these actions are more innocuous gestures than intentional movement. They suggest the sounds that people make between words, the ahs and ums that don't have any meaning in the strict sense of the word but nevertheless give crucial context to words, sentences, pauses and even body language.

Typically our idle, nervous gestures would be the stuff of cringe comedy if presented on film. But Jerardi incorporates these moves into a broader dance scheme to suggest chance encounters. The artist, who directed and dances in the video, teamed up with videographers Fernando Ortega and Michael Wichita to shoot at fountains, park benches, a park and an empty ballroom; the filmmakers use modest pans and shoot scenes from a variety of angles. Roxann Morgan's costuming is visually engaging, featuring bright and bold colors in simple sleeveless vests and blouses paired with skirts and pants.

Critically, the interactions between Buck, Jerardi and Wagg are never duets or trios. Each dancer operates independently, rarely making eye contact with the others, which signals people making their way through the day in public space. But by some token, the three are incidentally brought together: They make the same gesture while sitting on a bench, or they turn and look up at the same off-camera distraction.

It's these moments that give the gestures (and by extension, our daily lives) a measure of incidental grace and connectivity. Jerardi and Wagg have, by this point, worked together on so many projects that they are natural complements to one another. Scenes in which the two perform chance motions, then freeze and turn slowly and look toward the sky have a rhythm that is the fruit of such a strong collaboration.

By projecting the video onto walls visible from the street, pictured below, Jerardi has imbued the film with some aspect of its subject matter. It will be, for many viewers, a chance encounter in and of itself. Jerardi's talent is well established within dance circle; her perfectly capable video installation proves her merits in other genres as well.

» "Chance Dance" [Official Site]

» SEE IT: The next two viewings of "Chance" will be Friday at the Dance Institute of Washington in Columbia Heights, 3400 14th St. NW, 8-9:30 p.m.; and on Saturday as part of Clarendon Day in Arlington, 2925 Wilson Blvd., next to Mexicali Blues

Photos by Michael Wichita