Karole Armitage is an artist and a collaborator who creates ballets that are luminous and audacious. In the late 70s to the early 80s, she danced with the Merce Cunningham Company. She then had her own ballet company called Armitage Ballet throughout the 80s in NYC.
Some could say her work is inspired by his because in some pieces she allows the dancers no direction. Karole has her own vision that represents the vision of someone unabashed, brave, and unique. Karole was quoted as saying, “It takes enormous generosity of spirit—it's not about one’s own ego. It’s about giving something wonderful to the audience.” As a performance artist myself, I relate to this sentiment. When I read poetry or perform, it is for the people, not for me. It is a sharing, a form of communication, an invitation to come in, to witness, to experience, to become. Although I have never been lucky enough to see one of her ballets, I think my favorite documentation is from the Guggenheim 1986 Works & Process. It begins by showing Karole working with the dancers, and the dancers performing on stage in front of a big painted all-seeing eye behind them. It then jumps to 2006 with Karole speaking about her work, followed by an incredible documentation of the ballet of gyrating dancers and continues on this way, giving brief introductions to some of her work. Karole’s work takes risks, is instinctive to the soul, and arouses all the senses of the audience. I hope that one day I can be so lucky as to experience one of her ballets.
-Jen Fisher