Amber Barton

by Rod Drown

 

A young dancer of vivid, intricate, quick, powerful and even violent movement, Amber Barton is a dynamo. Her late October performance in Ruckus Company’s Blue at Burnaby’s Shadbolt Centre was reminiscent, to a degree, of Margie Gillis who first came to prominence in the late 1970’s. Barton’s movements, however, are less smooth than Gillis’; are in fact a kind of spasmodic Morse code. Metaphorically speaking, her movements are like highly descriptive paragraphs of searingly cut sentences, composed of broken words and fractured phrases adding up to and all carried out in some quite astounding scenes featuring a high level of technical virtuosity.

The only problem I had with the Shadbolt performance was that it went on too long. But that was not really Barton’s fault; after all, she was confined to a script created by singer-songwriter Brock Jellison. In time Barton will learn and demonstrate that, often, less is more.

Barton’s movements in Blue were a kind of mime. At the same time she was technically very proficient, powerful and risk-taking. Blue featured some astounding falls to the floor. Yet, seemingly, she sustained no injuries. One wonders: how often does she hurt herself?

After interviewing her at The End Café on The Drive and hearing her future dance plans, it occurs to me that I should add a fourth name to the three that this very active Vancouver dancer and choreographer already has – Chutzpah! Her energy is pretty astounding. Presently she is preparing for the 2008 Festival. She is also working on an update of Risk, her work in development that was first presented earlier this past summer.

For the Chutzpah Festival, Barton is creating a contemporary duet for herself and Ballet BC’s James Gnam. Bittersweet is co-presented by Chutzpah!, The Lisa Nemetz Showcase of Jewish Performing Arts and Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad The duet will be based on four songs by Montreal-based folk musician Mark Berube (also part of the group The Fugitives). According to Barton, Bittersweet is the story of two people (former lovers?) who have not seen each other for some time.

“These two have unresolved feelings and issues with each other.  The dance deals with hurt, clumsiness, longing and unrequited love,” she explained, adding that, “Structurally, I want to create Bittersweet with the same narrative format as a traditional pas de Deux -- duet, man's variation, woman's variation and coda.”

Barton will be opening for the well-regarded New York-based dance company Aszure & Artists.

The second piece Barton will be presenting in 2008 is Risk. She explained its next incarnation:

“I [will be finishing] developing my first full length work, Risk -- a 60 minute work for four men and myself.  For me, [the dance is] not only about creating physical risks through repetition, speed and combining contemporary technique with an urban look, but as an abstract narrative it also deals with the emotional risks that we are afraid to take or give in to.”

In her works, Barton says, she is, to some degree, always aiming to connect with those in the audience who are not familiar with the usual forms of dance whether they are classical, jazz or the usual modern.

So far as her commission work, she told me that she has been so pleased to have been able to hire dancers, to pay them, to have skilled people who can dance to give expression to her vision.

Barton gave me the impression that, in some aspects of her dance, she is seeking to present an “everyday-ness” kind of movement. Although some might see her work as containing some elements of hip-hop, Barton is quick to add that, “ I don’t necessarily aim each piece of my work to the hip-hop culture/community because I would never classify myself to be a hip-hop dancer. I would say that there are extremely vague references of that culture in my work and I am inspired by that particular style of movement to further develop and articulate my own vocabulary to reach out to audiences”


Amber Barton wants to see dance – or her performances at least – as shared experiences. As an intelligent layperson might say, the audience has to find her work accessible.

Summing up she asks, “If I was an audience member, what would I want?” This is a question foremost in her mind when she works toward her performances. One might say she aims for a root of commonality between performer and audience. She aims for balance between what emotional, even spiritual realities the performer can demonstrate from within herself and which of them will resonate with the audience.

For herself, Barton believes that, in order to succeed, creative people -- artists, dancers etc -- have to know exactly what it is that they are aiming for, what it is that they want to achieve. In dance they need to know what resonating reality they are seeking to present and what movements, motions, gestures, walks, leaps, falls etc convey that meaning -- that shared resonating meaning.

In classical forms of dance, such as ballet, realism is not always apparent. For herself and in her creative endeavours, Barton tells me, she hopes for that moment of presence, that moment of magic time in the studio, when she achieves within herself and in a way that shimmers around her what might be called the time of a clear picture. A bell clear picture.

“I would say I don’t necessarily aim for it…sometimes it just kind of evolves and your job is to be there ready to catch it, to be present. I would say that when “it” happens it is exciting and I know I am “on track” whether I am performing or creating. When it happens in creation, it is like everything, all the steps, the motivation just finally makes sense and the structure begins to solidify and fall into place,” she summarized.

Sometimes I, the writer of this article, am more interested in the interior creative process than the ultimate stage presentation. More interested in what is going on in ideal terms than in real terms. In what is going on in Amber Barton’s mind and psyche. And so, I wanted to know if she ever dreams of dance pieces that she later does or sees someone else do. Her reply was interesting.

“Sometimes I dream I can do endless pirouettes!  It's the strangest thing really...I don't think this qualifies as a dream but usually after I perform I end up re-playing the whole performance again in my mind, remembering the good parts, thinking about what I would like to change and/or improve, etc.  In regard to my own work I do a lot of daydreaming.  Endless amounts! ...usually on the bus while listening to my ipod...Sometimes, when I listen to music, I can virtually see the dance I want to create.”

Barton told me that she is seeking honesty from within the Self; a clarity and a clarion call from within herself: these are things she aims for in her dance creations. I wanted to know if her dance pieces – those that she personally endorses or that she personally creates – are a kind of personal shamanism?

I wondered if, in the same way that some painters can be art therapists, if she thought that dancers could be dance therapists? Was there such a thing as dance therapy where she or another teacher could guide someone to toward some sort of emotional catharthis?

Her reply: “Hm...that's a really good question.  I do believe that our society does not encourage enough self-expression or, maybe I should say, creativity in terms of physical movement.  I think a lot of people feel there is something creative missing from their lives.  In that regard, I feel that dance is a celebration and is an art form that confirms our humanity.  We dance when we celebrate and in some cultures dance is also used when mourning; therefore, I think yes, dance could be a way of helping people deal with emotions in a mild form of therapy.  I know myself, sometimes if I am really upset or frustrated I will just go to class and pour all my frustration into the movement.  Or, if I am angry or upset, sometimes this results in my creating some of my strongest work.  I believe as creators, there is always a hint of art imitating life, whether literally or sub-consciously”


Amber Barton has always had the long-term goal of wanting to choreograph. Yet she has not always been confident in her role as a dancer.

Earlier this year, she told a local reviewer that "I personally didn't think dance was an option for me because I was told I didn't have the right body type for dance and that I wasn't good enough." I thought if I wasn't a prima ballerina by 18 on stage in New York I didn't make it."

In fact, said the reviewer, Barton thought she might be headed for a career as a coffee barista. That changed when she met Artemis Gordon, Director of the arts program at Arts Umbrella.

"Artemis believed in me and urged me to continue in dance. It takes only one person to believe in you and she did ... because of her belief in me I rediscovered why I love to dance,” recalled Barton.

When I asked Barton who were some of her favorite dancers or choreographers in Vancouver, she replied, ““I’m a big fan of Crystal Pite’s work and recently have become quite infatuated with Battery Opera. I’ve always been inspired by Joe Laughlin.  It was actually Joe who inspired me to be a choreographer.  And at present, I'm really digging the 605 collective. A particular work that has really inspired me in regards to the relationship between movement and music is Jerome Bel’s ‘The Show Must Go On.’ It’s so simple, yet so clever.”

Like others in Vancouver dance world, Barton believes there is a paucity of audience for dance in Vancouver. She felt that sometimes the same people seem to come to watch. Most dance audiences are the same, at least for any genre of dance – i.e. hip-hop, modern, ballet, jazz. She told me that sometimes it is nice to see an audience where one doesn’t recognize its individual members.

For herself, Barton likes to try lots of different forms of movement: lots of hip hop, lots of jazz, lots of modern – and to try to incorporate these elements into one dance.

There is probably a lot of this creative foment and mixing going on because, in her words, there is a generation of Vancouver dancers who have studied and taken classes from studios that are, in their presentation of classes and styles, multifaceted. Hers is a generation of hybrid dancers.

Barton also teaches a regular class, Friday nights, at the Drive Dance Centre. 

“I will hopefully be teaching some more workshops throughout the year as part of some projects I am creating.  I teach a fusion of movement, basically all my favourite elements of dance fused together, such as ballet, modern, jazz and improv games.  You could call it contemporary but it really is a mixture of everything!” she added.

In the summer of 2006, Barton went to Vienna to train at the Impulstanz Vienna International Dance Festival. She was there on scholarship for five weeks and found it to be “mind-blowing and it made her change how she saw dance.” She found it made her more aware of the possibilities in dance, not to be so narrow-minded and to realize that dance knows no boundaries. Thus far in her dance career Barton has performed for leading companies such as Mascall Dance, Judith Marcuse Projects, Lola Dance, Joe Ink, MovEnt and most recently Karen Jamieson (Sisyphus). The multi-talented and diverse artist has showcased her choreography at Dancing on the Edge, 12 Minutes Max, and Dances for a Small Stage, and in Victoria, Saskatoon, Toronto, and in Cardiff, Wales. She was honoured with the inaugural Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award in 2005.

Amber Barton lives in Richmond. From December 5 to December 31, Amber and her husband were out of town – in Thailand. They went backpacking. One wonders what dances may arise from her experiences there. Will there be a piece called Angkor Wat?

Amber Barton can be seen on the Internet at:
http://www.chapter.org/5944.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCPr-zJkkiA

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