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Reframing "Frames"

Preview of one of the videos featured in "Frames."

When Boulder audiences hear the name David Korevaar, they probably think of classical piano, Bach and Hindemith鈥攏ot concepts like 鈥減hysical theater,鈥 鈥渢echno pop鈥 and 鈥渁rt punk.鈥

But that鈥檚 about to change. With Danelle Helander and Boulder鈥檚, the piano professor is cooking up a revival of last spring鈥檚 popular multimedia show, 鈥淔rames.鈥

Even for Korevaar and Helander, it鈥檚 hard to describe what audiences will see and hear at the show. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an experience,鈥 says Helander. 鈥淒ance and music don鈥檛 even encompass it. And we鈥檙e adding video into the mix.鈥

鈥淔谤补尘别蝉鈥 was first presented to audiences last spring, billed as a 鈥渕usical fusion of jazz, classical, art punk and techno pop.鈥 Artistic Director Helander says the program explores different perspectives鈥攖hose of the audience and the performers鈥攁nd portrays the many ways music, art, even life are interpreted differently.

鈥淲hen David and I first started talking about this collaboration, we focused on how interesting it is to see yourself perform. The faces you make鈥攖he things you aren鈥檛 even aware of. The idea grew from there,鈥 says Helander.

The team has been expanding and perfecting the idea after the show鈥檚 spring run at the and the, excited to bring new videos to the show. They say the venue for this iteration鈥攖he鈥攁llows them to stretch their legs.

鈥淭his is the most appropriate venue we鈥檝e been in,鈥 says Helander. 鈥淚t allows us to add the final piece of the puzzle.鈥

鈥淭hey help explain the idea of 鈥榩erspective鈥 as we鈥檙e dealing with it in the music and dance,鈥 says Executive Director Sean Owens. 鈥淚n one video, we focus on three parts of the body鈥攕houlders, torso and legs鈥攁ll moving independently of one another.鈥

鈥淭he videos sum up and clarify a lot of what happens in the show up until that point. They鈥檙e a recapitulation, which is what we鈥檙e doing musically, too,鈥 says Korevaar.

For Korevaar, 鈥淔谤补尘别蝉鈥 offers a chance to step out of his comfort zone. 鈥淭he musical component is interesting,鈥 he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 up there with a bass player and a percussionist. Jazz is their thing. And I鈥檓 not a jazz artist.

鈥淲e鈥檙e doing intentional improvisation, which鈥攐utside a short passage in a Mozart piece or such鈥攊sn鈥檛 something I do very often.鈥

Helander says a goal of the collaboration is for the performers themselves to explore new sides of their respective arts. 鈥淚 love collaborating with different kinds of artists,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really fun to watch David and the other musicians open up more and more.鈥

鈥淚t鈥檚 a completely new experience,鈥 Korevaar adds. 鈥淲e鈥檙e such a diverse group, and the different backgrounds we bring to the stage are really what make this show unique.鈥

Indeed, each of the performers brings something different to the table: Helander is an elder caregiver, Owens is an attorney. Bassist and musical director Matt Powelson is a cabinet maker, and drummer Mearl Thompson is a tai chi master.

Owens says for him and Helander, working with different kinds of artists keeps them on their toes. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been working together for about a decade, so we really understand each other and our art. It鈥檚 helpful to bring other people in, to make sure what we鈥檙e doing makes sense to someone besides us.

鈥淲orking with someone like David is really fun because we鈥檙e getting him out from behind his instrument and doing something that鈥檚 really novel.鈥

鈥淚t鈥檚 liberating, and to some extent it鈥檚 scary,鈥 says Korevaar. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working as an ensemble in the moment 鈥 while the framework is there, it鈥檚 different every time.鈥

鈥淔谤补尘别蝉鈥

Friday-Saturday, Dec. 4-5, 8 p.m.
Black Box Theater
2nd basement, ATLAS building, CU-Boulder campus
Free and open to the public