By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
March 19, 2004
David Parsons is just a nice Midwestern boy who happens to have his own dance company. Founded in 1987, the Parsons Dance Company will present five world premieres: “Too Many Cooks!” “Rise and Fall,” “Slow Dance, “Swing Shift” and “Takademe” at the Centre East Theatre in Skokie on Saturday night. Parsons, who grew up in Rockford, also will perform his solo piece, “Caught.”
Hailed for his high energy and eclectic choreography, Parsons — who some critics have dubbed the master of modern dance — took a breather from rehearsals in New York to chat about mentoring, Charlie Chaplin and how he deals with idea thieves.
HERE’S WHAT PARSONS HAD TO SAY:
The beauty of dance: We just returned from Italy, did seven weeks at the Sydney Opera House, have been to Taiwan, will be going to South Korea. . . .And we can communicate with strangers through the language of dance. It’s the universal language.
How you deal with so much traveling: Working out all the time, lots of ibuprofen and keeping your feet as high as you can when you fly.
On passing on what you know: At this point in my career, I feel very fortunate that I can help younger artists.
On your biggest mentor: Paul Taylor. He’s like my dance dad. He’s a very talented and giving person and he taught me the ropes, which is why I can do what I do.
A moment that changed your life: We were supposed to perform on 9/11 at the World Trade Center and we obviously didn’t. We were so distraught I decided to push myself into a comedy. That’s how I came up with “Too Many Cooks!” — which starts the program.
What you’re tired of: The notion that ballet companies are the only ones with classics. We have to make people realize that young people who’re still alive also have classics.
When music and dance beautifully collide: The music is by Juan Garcia Esquivel. He’s known for his wacky arrangements and bringing a sense of a whole new level of comedy to music.
Hardest dance genre: Doing a comedy piece is the most difficult to do because you can’t speak. That’s why Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are my heroes. It’s almost funnier when you can achieve laughs without the aid of a voice.
Dance’s bad rap: Dance is a pretty elitist art form and people tend to get really serious about it. We try to dispel that image. I don’t just do choreography. We call it cornography. [Laughs]
How you deal with people who “borrow” your ideas: I have a lot of people who take little things from me. People steal things because they want to be successful. The ones who do it for the money are greedy and shouldn’t be in the arts. You have to grow old gracefully and learn that you can’t let these people take advantage of you. I usually give them a second chance and if they screw you again, you just get them out of your lives.
Favorite dance piece: The starvation scene in the mountain cabin in [Chaplin’s classic film] “The Gold Rush.”
Last good film you saw: It’s a Chinese movie [“The King of Masks”] about a man who is a master maskmaker who can only pass down the art to a boy. He thinks he’s found that boy, but the little boy actually turns out to be a little girl. It’s a fabulous little thing that stole my heart.
CD you’re listening to: I’ve been listening to Earth Wind & Fire like crazy. I’ve been asked to do a new piece for Alvin Ailey and I want to use them.
Foreign language you wish you could speak: Italian. I do my TV interviews in Italian when I’m in Italy, but I don’t speak it well enough.
Your goal for the Parsons Dance Company: I would like us to be the first dance company to perform in space. The earth would be the backdrop. We’d have compressed things in our hands that would enable us to fly here or there.
Best advice you ever got: Before I left [his] company, Paul Taylor told me, “Just remember that there is no justice.”
