Spinning

Projection Art and Stage Design by Laurie Olinder
Conceived by Maya Beiser and Julia Wolfe
Music and text by Julia Wolfe
Performed by Maya Beiser
with cellists Melody Giron and Lavena Johanson
Netta Yerushalmy, choreographer


Inspired by the beautiful simplicity of a lone spider spinning a web at night to the elemental craft of hand spinning wool into thread and then to  the driving intensity of  industrial spinning machinery the  films of Laurie Olinder  were  projected on 13 vertical  projection scrims staggered throughout the stage.
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe (“Anthracite Fields,” 2015) and “cello goddess” (The New Yorker) Maya Beiser “Spinning”  Music has long been a vital part of the craft — both as a propelling force and as a distraction. To pay homage to the human dignity of this work, Wolfe and Beiser create a sonic universe for three cellos and voice performed by Beiser with Melody Giron and Lavena Johanson featuring multimedia projections imagined by the innovative artist Laurie Olinder. In Beiser’s words, “I found in Julia’s music a rare quality — combining folk, rock and classical elements in a distinct and relentless energy. This collaboration is one that has been in our minds for many years, and we are thrilled to now embark on this journey together.”