Artist’s statement: In 2010-11 I began a new direction in the Reality Series called the “Baggage Project”. In 2007 my husband and partner of 39 years Alfred Desio passed away. Even though Alfred is no longer here, I believe his nurturing spirit still remains with me. While no two people grieve identically, one commonality of grief is this lingering “baggage” carried after losing a loved one. Although the word “baggage” often carries a negative connotation, the works in my series redefine the term as a continuation of life and a feeling of comfort from this energy and influence. In June 2012, I was one of 7 national artists selected by Marc Bamuthy Joseph, Director of Performing Arts at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, to present my creative impulse behind this work for the closing portion of the Dance USA conference called Vision 20/20. That current creative work was Tap Dance Widows Club, drawing from the 50′ film and live presentation from The Baggage Project, a series on how we are affected by those who are no longer with us because of the strong connection when alive. Since the loss of my husband, I have become aware that half of our culture shares this kind of presence after personal losses. The works inspired by this have met with wonderful audience reaction and many requests for more works in the Project.
– Louise Reichlin, Creator of work
Spectacular, moving, uplifting!” Past & present meet for an eclectic celebration of life in Tap Dance Widows Club, a 50′ film / live production that tells a story of the love of three performers for their late husbands and the bond it created between them. The work brings together multiple dance forms in a unique multimedia piece using the power of Dance; an inside story from 30’s Hollywood to now. The widow’s conversations about moving forward without their husbands’ physical presence are both hilarious and moving; this became the audio for the transformative work. After grieving for the loss of a loved one, we accept the richness that person has brought to our lives. The work is part of The Baggage Project suite that includes live dance combined with user and artist-generated multimedia that explores our changing perception of death, and the positive baggage we carry with us when a loved one is no longer corporal but still present. Louise was inspired to create the work after the death of her husband Alfred Desio.
Choreography & concept by Louise Reichlin
Tap choreography from “Caution, Men At Work: TAP”
by Alfred Desio
Visual art by Audri Phillips
Music by Bach and traditional
Video editing by Andrew Zutta
Press Quotes
"Louise Reichlin/L.A. Choreographers and Dancers' multimedia work the "Tap Dance Widows Club" told the story, in both video and movement, of the love of three performers for their late husbands and the bond it created between them. The piece opened with a video of Louise Reichlin (widow of John Alfred Desio), Loretta Zerby (widow of Jon Zerby) and Katherine Hopkins-Nicholas (widow of Fayard Nicholas)catching up in a living room setting, laughing and chatting about their late husbands who were all renowned tap dancers. Video clips such as one of Desio rigging a machine designed to electrify tap dance sounds and of the brilliant Fayard Nicholas in a virtuosic performance with his brother Harold are interwoven with the company's dancers interpreting the three departed tapper's work. A piece featuring three dancers tap-dancing to Black Violin brought the work of all three tap legends into a contemporary focus, particularly since the dancers were wearing sneakers and the tapping was part of the audio. An ensemble piece paid homage to the top-hat-and-tails showmanship of the Nicholas Brothers, once again in a Twenty-First Century context. The interweaving of past and present, of distinctly different worlds through both video and dance, made this piece not only unique, but deeply touching."
"The crowning piece, Tap Dance Widows Club, was a video conversation of three women, all widows of well-known tap dancers, reminiscing about earlier times and the lives of their husbands – Alfred Desio, Jon Zerby and Fayard Nicholas. The video intersected the conversation with videos of each of the men dancing, and was complimented itself by live dancers reflecting themes shown within the presentation. ....I did find the insight into the history of these tap legends educational and entertaining. Too often dancers of the past get forgotten by younger generations, who miss the history of where the dance styles they learn now have come from. I would love to see greater exposure for that past come into the present and to the newer generations who take the dance torch forward."
From Our Audiences
From our audiences at The Baggage Project, Tap Dance Widows Club. These are from the recorded Dialogue with the Audience and Artists that closed each of the programs, unless otherwise marked and documented by the video date/time and time code numbers unless otherwise marked.
11/17/2012 4pm
“Beautiful integration of the different genres together; really worked in sync for me. Did a great job combining tap as well as modern.”
22:47:23
11/17/2013 7:30pm
“It was amazing; such a creative effort on everyone’s part; how it came together was just so beautiful and so moving; all of you should be congratulated.”
19:15:35
“I loved the idea of commemorating your losses.”
19:19:38
“Really enjoyed working with Louise because I really like the way she tried to construct this whole montage… this whole collage; like a big poem; somehow all the pieces go together and make one whole and the pieces comment on the other pieces, and to do that is very difficult, and it is something she did very successfully. “
-Audri Phillips, digital artist for the project
19:19:52
“I enjoyed the program so much… I can’t tell you. I loved every dancer! (Was particularly impressed with the barefoot tapping) Always wanted to see that… you’ve made my dreams come true!”
19:37:32
11/18/12 4pm
“The dancers are beautiful; thank you for giving so much of yourself to this performance”
-Francis Welter
18:24:19
