What is Quartz Inversion?
No, it’s not a quart of milk standing on its head. It’s the point at which silica crystals in clay change their molecular structure during the rise and fall of temperatures in the kiln. Heat serves as a catalyst for permanent change. Very cool idea. I think of it as a metaphor for most things in life. The transformational power of art can change us at the very core. Our actions change the earth every day, for better or worse. The choices we make, the thoughts we have, and the words we say change us in every way at every moment--from the inside out. I like to think that I go through a quartz inversion on a regular basis....and once quartz inversion occurs, there is no going back.
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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

"146"

I recently spent several days in Greensboro, North Carolina where my dear friend Denise Murphy-Rohr presented her MFA thesis choreography to full houses and standing ovations. Her piece, entitled '146' is based on the 1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York. I was honored to design the costumes for her 11 powerful and enthusiastic dancers.


The costumes were based on women's work clothes from the Edwardian Era, but abstracted and somewhat deconstructed, as Denise didn't want anything too literal or "dancey" looking. The result was spot on perfect and both Denise and I couldn't have been happier with the two performances. The dancers adapted to working in the cumbersome costumes with ease even having had only a week to work with them in rehearsal.