Cathy Weis talks with Sílvia Pinto Coelho. Sept-Dec 2022, Weis Acres, Broadway SoHo, US

Abstract

This interview was carried out in the context of post-doctoral research centred on attention and choreographic thinking.[1] In this research, the work of US postmodern dance choreographers such as Lisa Nelson and Yvonne Rainer are examples of a type of ethics, aesthetics and even politics that is characteristic of the arts in a particular context and that expands to various other fields, both in terms of approach and focus of interest. Following a stay in New York, another choreographer entered the "collection of US dancers with a camera in their hand", and the use of cinema elements on stage. Cathy Weis's work stands out for its originality in this area, which made me want to interview her in 2022 while staying at her loft. The pretext for my stay in New York was to consult and watch films and videos at the public library (NYPL), visit museums, watch performances, and eventually take dance classes. However, because I was living in the historical terrain of postmodern dance in the United States, I began to see research as "fieldwork" rather than just "archive work". [1] "Attention and Choreographic Thinking" is the title of Sílvia Pinto Coelho's post-doctoral project (ICNOVA, FCSH 2019-2025).