Star Tribune review of Thrive!

 

A night of memories unpacked


 

DANCE REVIEW Dancer and storyteller Patrick Scully charts public and private events of the past 25 years.


 

Some people are natural storytellers. They skillfully weave personal experiences with universal themes to create meaningful connections. Performance artist and choreographer Patrick Scully has such a gift. His latest project, "Thrive!", is an emotionally rich journey through the 25 years he has spent living with HIV. Examples of survival, loss, hope and time's passage are drawn from Scully's life, yet as we reflect upon his milestones it becomes clear that the dramatic changes of the past quarter century have profoundly influenced us all.

Scully begins in the Patrick's Cabaret lobby with a youthful recollection. At age 15 he broke his leg and while convalescing he saw a televised retrospective of the year's events. In 1968 there was no shortage of news, and Scully learned he was growing up in "a world turned upside down."

The world hasn't righted itself yet, but upon entering the performance space we see a semblance of order within the chaos. Scully's life! from 1985 to 2010 is presented on a timeline spanning three walls. Each year lists personal, political and historic highlights including the number of AIDS deaths, Scully's creative projects and his relationships. Hanging T-shirts bear the names of friends lost to AIDS. The audience sits anywhere while Scully roams from year to year, recounting stories, accompanied by music of the era.

This methodical unpacking of memory could become a tedious autobiographical exercise, but Scully carefully selects his defining moments. He develops a narrative continuum that shows personal growth as well as links between past and present. He marks significant cultural shifts ranging from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the expansion of same-sex marriage.

Scully often employs humor but he also unleashes his activist's soul to rage against homophobia. And at times he dances in quiet meditation, slowly pouring his body into the floor. His feet are numb from neuropathy but still Scully uses them to support the soft, swaying movements of his long limbs that echo the poignant resonance of his words.

Midway though the evening, Scully marvels at the heart's capacity to simultaneously hold joy and sadness. Scully's willingness to share all he has learned along the way ultimately exemplifies what it means to truly thrive in this life.

Caroline Palmer writes frequently about dance.

October 30, 2010
Edition: METRO
Section: VARIETY

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Patrick Scully's Thrive


 

 

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