"as one moves, something is lost and something else is claimed"

Bird of Passage refers to a transient, one who is here today and gone tomorrow; for example, the migration of birds in winter or scattering of seeds across countryside in spring. The phrase transfers the literal meaning of a migrating bird to human behavior. I was particularly interested in surprises that are an inevitable part of a moving from one place to another, a transient journey; as one moves, something is lost and something else is claimed. The result of migration can bring one to being at the center of community life (affecting the group), and also produce community change as the journey continues.The choreography in this dance is comprised of quick direction changes, off-balance movements following by successive elevations in the air. In 1999, I performed Bird of Passage at Oldenburg University in Germany, the Barbican Center in London, England and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam in Holland.

See the performance web album for images and more details about this project.