Stacy Alley, assistant professor of musical theatre and dance, and husband Rob Alley will be performing for the first time collaboratively in the upcoming Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre fall showcase. The piece, titled “Tap Trumpet: A Conversation,” is an interactive performance using two jazz standards as the driving force for the piece.
“The purpose of this research is to expand the boundaries of uncommon territory between live jazz trumpet and tap dance by exploring improvisation as a driving force in creative exchange, and how this relationship between the two informs both artist’s interpretation of the music,” Stacy Alley, choreographer and dancer in the piece, said. “From my perspective, the most compelling aspect of this piece is improvisatory nature where the tap dancing provides the rhythmic foundation similar to a drummer in a small jazz band.”
Rob Alley, trumpeter for the piece, said this project was conceptually different for the two of them than anything they have done in the past.
“It’s just the two of us, for eight minutes,” he said. “Maintaining development, tension and release and just general interest with only two voices, one solely rhythmic and the other purely melodic and rhythmic, with only implied harmonic capability, has been a real challenge.”
The piece was originally performed in New York City this summer as a part of “The Darkroom” series, a series of shows produced by New Light Theatre Project in support of emerging artists and companies. The event is produced bi-monthly by New Light Theater Project, and four to five companies and/or artists are invited to present material currently in progress. Sarah Norris, UA theatre department alumna, extended the invitation to the Alleys to make the trip to New York over the summer for the performance.
“I thought of Stacy and Rob because their piece is something I have never seen done in the improvisational sense, not between a trumpet and a tapper,” Norris said. “Every person I spoke to about the piece admired the uniqueness of the collaboration.”
Stacy Alley said it was an opportunity for artists to share their latest work, connecting “artists from all disciplines and serving as a force for unlikely theatrical collaborations.”
“It was the perfect opportunity to perform in a national venue and to receive feedback from our peers and colleagues,” she said. “The performance was well received and sold out both nights.”
Following the production’s debut at UA in ARDT, the Alleys will take the production to The International Choreographer’s Showcase in Chile. The performance was one of five pieces selected for performance.
“It offers a thrilling chance to benefit from global exposure, to perform for my peers, to see what other artists are creating and to be part of a cultural event that takes me beyond our campus,” Stacy Alley said.
Stacy Alley said the preparation for the performance in New York was much more difficult than it will be for ARDT because the piece had to be created from the ground up, which required a lot of trial and error.
“It was frustrating, but also extremely rewarding when we found those gems that worked,” she said. “This type of piece requires that you constantly rehearse, however, and the preparation for ARDT has just been to keep working and throwing out ideas.”
Rob Alley said because ARDT is a dance concert and the NYC New Light Theatre is more of a theatrical production overall, the audiences for the two shows are completely different.
“The pressure’s much greater at ARDT, performing in a concert with other great dancers and for a dance-savvy audience,” Rob Alley said.
The ARDT fall concert will run Oct. 1-4. Tickets can be purchased at Rowand-Johnson Hall or at www.ua.tix.com.
