“Fire met Ice Saturday night as Groundworks Dancetheatre
shared its portable stage with Marronprater Dance & Music
Company.... The program sandwiched Marronprater’s explosive new
ensemble piece.... In the strange but stimulating juxtaposition,
the athletic work created by composer James Marron and choreographer
Bethany Prater erupted like a tiger let loose in a contemporary
art gallery....
‘The Call’ by Marronprater broke the introspective mood
with loud fast rips from Marron’s electric guitar. As he played,
he was attacked by four women in black leather who jumped him
only to be violently pushed away and used as human footstools.
At the height of the fray, Prater suddenly appeared, a silver
modanna moving gracefully to the accompaniment of quiet guitar
music. When the black leather troupe returned with renewed vigor,
Prater climbed on Marron’s shoulders and protected him like a
guardian angel. The performance clearly projected the image of
a modern man confronting his demons with the aid of music and
the guidance of a female presence.”
—Wilma Salisbury, The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Ohio)
In 1995 Bethany Prater and James Marron
were introduced to each other by a fellow artist. Since then Bethany
and James have collaborated as choreographer and composer to produce
a distinct language of their own that combines original dance
and music. With each new work their collaboration has intensified,
and the line has blurred between the individual roles: choreographer
has become composer and composer choreographer.
Marronprater approaches modern dance and music in a completely original way. Intensely collaborative, each new work is assembled using different creative processes which has allowed for the wide variety of styles within their works. Their work has been performed throughout Akron and Cleveland including the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Ohio Theater at Playhouse Square, Cleveland Public Theater, Case Western Reserve University, The University of Akron, and Firestone High School. They have travelled there work to the Colorado Dance Festival; the American College Dance Festival and the Appalachian Guitar Festival (both in North Carolina); and William Patterson University Guitarfest in New Jersey where they were featured as guest artists. Marronprater have been commissioned by Groundworks Dance Theatre of Cleveland Ohio and The University if Akron Dance Department.
Before JaneBefore Jane is a duet between Bethany and James that eliminates the boundaries of dancer and musician. The piece begins with Bethany perched on top of James’ shoulder’s as he slowly rotates on a high swivel stool. The pair slowly evolve into one being as Bethany glides down and slithers around his body, as he continues to rotate, playing the guitar in various positions to accommodate her body. The descent ends when the pair speed up their rotation and Bethany is flung out onto the floor leaving James behind, alone on the stool, causing all movement to cease.
The piece was inspired by a Greek Myth about how man and woman used to be one being with one head, two faces, joined at the waist, four arms, and four legs. Zeus thought that the being was too powerful so he split them in half. One half was born into the earthly world as a human and the other one remained the soul.
“The couple blended gentle tone pictures with evocative movement images.... [Before Jane is] a mesmerizing work... building on a foundation of talent, teamwork, and taste.”
—Wilma Salisbury, The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Ohio)