A special opening night reception Thursday, October 16, will usher in the Walton Arts Center's Slow Dancing art installation. The installation will feature more than forty movie vignettes of world-renowned dancers and choreographers. The subjects were filmed in ultra high speeds of 1,000 frames per second. Filmmaker David Michalek then slowed down each of the films, approximately five-seconds in length, to equal ten minutes of screen time. The movies will rotate on three large outdoor screens affixed to the Walton Arts Center.
Barely perceptible gestures by the subjects reveal a motion portrait that at first appears to be still photography. Because of the film's slow motion, viewers can study the complexities of choreographed dance movements not evident when performed in real time. Performers from several styles of dance were selected for the project and the variety showcases cultural and genre variations of the art form.
In his director's comments, photographer/filmmaker David Michalek says, "I love dance. I love watching it. I love what dancers do, who they are, and what they stand for. Dance is an under appreciated art form. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) tells us that only eight percent of the U.S. population will ever see a live dance performance. This led me to the idea of making a visual statement centered on celebrating dance - but not limited to any one kind of dance - to try to capture the 'essence' of dance in a different medium."
Walton Arts Center is a co-commissioner of the work, contributing funds to the project's development along with The Music Center in Los Angeles; Sadler's Wells in London; and Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity.
"It is vital to our community to present projects that provide access to current and contemporary public art," says Jenni Taylor Swain, Walton Arts Center's Vice President of Programming. "Walton Arts Center seeks out projects like Slow Dancing that are fresh and new in the industry and that speak to the dynamics of Northwest Arkansas."
The special opening night reception will feature food and drink and will include a special presentation by the artist, David Michalek, before the unveiling of Slow Dancing on Walton Arts Center's Tyson Plaza. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Tickets are required for this reception; however, the exhibition is free. Visit waltonartscenter.org or call 479.443.5600 for tickets or more information.
"Slow Dancing" will be on view Sundays through Wednesdays from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m., and Thursdays through Saturdays from 7 p.m. until 12 a.m. at the Walton Art Center from October 16 through November 13.
