Atleta_O is a solo dance piece choreographed by Oscar “Ojkr” Rodriguez with music composed by me. This was created through the Creative Dialogues dance lab course we were enrolled in; every spring semester, NYU Tisch Dance offers this lab for choreographers and composers, which is taught by Andy Teirstein and Jeremy Nelson. This past semester, the class conveniently had 7 choreographers and 7 composers, which culminated in a concert featuring 7 dance pieces. It was refreshing to see the varying styles amongst everyone involved, and it led to a successful performance all around.
Atleta_O is inspired by the sculpture titled, “Olympic Champion (Waiting Athlete)” by Lucio Fontana, made in 1932. It is currently on view at the Met Breuer. The artwork features a chiseled man, in a bluish hue, waiting in a sitting position. What we found unique is the depiction of an olympic athlete in this particular pose…normally one would expect to see an athlete doing something more physical. Therefore, our concept explored the introspective nature of the athlete as he mentally prepares for the sport.
In the music, you can hear 3 sections. The 1st section is meant to be reflective and meditative, which I achieved through a soft pad and drones. The 2nd section features preparation. There is a heart-beat like groove, which is meant to hint towards some physical activity, like warning up. The music ramps up with percussive hits, climaxes to a slight pause, then the 3rd section arrives. The last section features the competition. A crowd chants in the background, and the drum hits are even louder and boomier. The music ends with the crowd fading into the background, leaving the outcome of the games open-ended. The drone at the beginning returns as it comes to full-circle.
This was a really fun piece to write, and I hope I get to write more dance pieces in the future!