South Philly Review

Under the direction of artistic director Amanda Miller, dancers, with the Miro Dance Theatre perform "Pitch Black," a collaborative effort with the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, which includes Matt Levy. Staff photos by John Taggart

It might be the last place one would expect to find forms of artistic expression. Then again, Amanda Miller and Tobin Rothlein have a knack for shattering convention.

Within a no-frills warehouse on the Girard College campus exists a room the couple lovingly has called their workspace since October. Now, the founders of Miro Dance Theatre have a place to devise and showcase creations like no other.

Last week during an open-studio series for their newest production "Pitch Black," a video created by Rothlein was displayed on stacked, white boxes individually 3-by-3 feet. The visual showed a continuous stream of people passing by a busy street corner, though shot on a low speed. The faster they moved, the more transparent they became.

Accentuating the images was a saxophonist from the PRISM Saxophone Quartet. His notes, complemented by snippets of interviews with prison inmates, turned into pop-like music emitting from a boombox.

Against this backdrop, Miller and three other dancers mimicked the anonymous people on screen at certain points, even a person doing something as typical as fixing his tie. Through Miller's movements and Rothlein's images, they attempted to seek refuge within chaos -- find the human within the crowd.

And that's what "Pitch Black" is trying to accomplish: "The idea of finding solace and find some sanctuary in this sort of endless cycle of life, especially urban life," Rothlein, of 13th and Dickinson streets, said.

This married couple's ability to fuse their interests is responsible for their one-of-a-kind experiences. Through "Pitch Black," the team is showcasing this unique blend at New York City's Whitney Museum May 2, the Philadelphia Museum of Art May 4 and Montgomery County Community College May 5.

The production is a collaboration with PRISM and includes music by Dutch composer Jacob ter Veldhuis (aka JACOBTV), who is known to be heavily influenced by American pop culture. The quartet approached the couple about creating a production that included the composer's music.

"PRISM had premiered the work before as a music performance, and they thought it would really benefit by having a live-dance element," Miller said. "They thought it would be a good match."

The South Philly duo began brainstorming sessions on how to create a dance piece to unconventional music, as JACOBTV's tunes include eclectic samples ranging from jazz singer Billie Holiday to religious preachers in Times Square.

Along with having numerous discussions with the composer about his work, the couple spoke to mentors and utilized the "dramaturgy board" at their studio.

Miller, Miro's artistic director, said people-watching and monitoring both patterns and human interaction on the street provided inspiration. "Every time I went out in public, I would take the chance to make a mental note of what was going on," she said.

Video adds another element to the artist's choreographed moves and it better incorporates the four dancers into the production's themes, since it's not being displayed on a massive screen behind them, but within their proximity, Rothlein, the company's producing artistic director, said.

It's evident both artists are unique in their own right. Rothlein, a graduate from the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, began with a background in theater and film. Working with MTV Asia, he produced and directed the documentary "Eyes of the Storm" in 1997. For the past 10 years, he started integrating visual arts into dance and theater performances and last year was named a Pew Fellow in performance art.

"I'm not just making a film to play behind the performance," he said. "If I'm successful, part of what I'm creating" relates to the people on stage.

Miller danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet for 10 years before undertaking choreographic studies in Europe. Both she and her counterpart were members of the Phrenic Ballet for five years before starting up their new venture in 2004.

And Miro's style (the company name is a combination of the artists' last names) seems to be catching on. Girard College asked the artists to become residents and they have been working with students in an after-school program since January in exchange for studio and office space.

"They're such great characters, and really fun -- kind of inspirational, actually," Miller said of the students.