A.Barton's BUSK 1.jpg

BUSK

”Celebrated virtuosity is unleashed in full force in Barton’s BUSK, which has surely never been more brilliantly manifested… pure energy expelled fearlessly through every atom of the flesh, without a molecule of oxygen held in reserve for the future, marvelous and marvelously unselfconscious in pure movement.” - Chicago Reader.

The English verb "to busk" means to perform on the street or in other public areas in the form of music, song, juggling or magic to collect money from passersby; it also refers to the word's Spanish root, "buscar," which means "to seek." This Bessie Award winning work was created together with Aszure Barton & Artists | AB&A in Santa Barbara, California in 2009.

Video (above) courtesy of Grand Théâtre de Genève. Photos (below) courtesy of Aszure Barton & Artists, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet British Columbia.

  • Choreography: Aszure Barton

    Music: Moondog, August Soderman, Camille Saint-Saëns, Daniel Belanger, Slava Grigoryan, Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin

    Lighting Design: Nicole Pearce

    Costume Design: Michelle Jank

    Originally danced by: Aszure Barton & Artists

    Premiere: 2009

  • Premiered on October 8, 2009 by Aszure Barton & Artists at the Ringling International Arts Festival, Sarasota, Florida, United States BUSK was created at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, California, United States of a residency organized by Dianne Vapnek's DANCEworks. The work was then developed in residence at the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta, Canada. BUSK, in its original version, is a work long term. BUSK was made possible thanks to the generous support from Dianne and Daniel Vapnek, DANCEworks, Banff Center for Arts and Creativity and Ringling International Arts Festival, with the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in association with the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Additional support was also brought by the White Oak Conservation Center, the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Council of the Arts of Canada.

  • Coming soon

"otherworldly”
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New York Times

"intensity and originality”
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The Observer