Illuminating Hidden Histories: Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Company

by Patricia Graham

Dear Ann, 

I finally arrived from the Wilds back to civilization. What I do miss most of all….girls like you, wine, laughter and music. See you shortly, (maybe). Say hello to your family. As they say in Deutsch, auf Wiedersehen. 

Love, Bob  

This is an excerpt from a letter written by choreographer Anne-Marie Mulgrew’s father to her mother in 1944, now a part of her latest dance theater work The Keepers. His participation and the discovery of thirty letters he wrote from Europe is just one of the surprising results of a two-year line of inquiry into personal storytelling. The process began with Mulgrew’s 2012 work Dig and grew to include a monthly workshop Mulgrew held for the past year with seniors. She helped them to explore their memories- through movement, words and sound. Reflecting on the experience, she remarked, “I’ve never been a big story person. This is a departure for me. The workshops provided a platform, an opportunity for others to think about their lives, what kind of memories they keep and how important it is to share them.”  Fascinated by the living history each person embodied, she worked with her dancers to create the emotional atmosphere of their stories. The resulting evening-length piece, The Keepers, features a collaboration with video artist Carmella Vassar-Johnson.

Photo: Bill Hebert

Photo: Anne-Marie Mulgrew (still from video by Carmella Vassar-Johnson)

  Photo: Bill Hebert

Photo: Bill Hebert

Photo: Bill Hebert

Photo: Bill Hebert

Photo: Bill Hebert

Photo: Anne-Marie Mulgrew (still from video by Carmella Vassar-Johnson)

The Keepers, Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Company, Friday, May 31 at 7:30, Saturday, June 1 at 7:30, Sunday, June 2 at 3:00, Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American Street,  215-462-7720, www.annemariemulgrewdancersco.org, tickets:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/363208

By Patricia Graham
May 30, 2013