Norton 1 Lacie Norton Senior Capstone C.

Prohosky 12 December 2013 Missa Brevis: Nexus of Faith, Art and War The performance of Miss Brevis did not start in Salt Lake City with Repertory Dance Theater although they, with the guest of BYU and UVU students, produced a great resetting of the original Missa Brevis performed by the Jos Limn Company in 1958. Missa Brevis was described as the nexus of faith, art and war as it portrayed faith and art amongst the local people in the heat of World War II. Without the knowledge and passion of Jos Limns choreography and the magnificence of Zoltan Kodly religious score Missa Brevis would not be considered the nexus of faith, art and war (15 bytes). Jos Limn was the first American Modern choreographer to combine faith, art, and war. Limn cast himself as a man torn between opposing forcesin this case, the characters lonely, privileged agnosticism and the apt faith of people in a war-ravaged community. Jos Limn grew up the oldest of thirteen children in Mexico. After his mother died from childbirth complications he grew apart from his father and the Catholic Church relating his father, you killed her and God permitted you. (Hering 124) With the loss of his mother his feelings toward the church became bitter and he became distanced from God. His family soon moved to Los Angeles where he desired to become a painter until he attended a concert by Viennese dancer Harald Kreutxberg which altered his passions away from painting and toward dance. He dropped his ambition for painting and put all his efforts into dancing. Limn became an apprentice to Doris Humphrey from whom he learned all his technique as well as choreographic abilities.

Norton 2 Choreographically Jos Limn always had creativity bursting out of his soul. He spent his evenings in the basement of an apartment, where he ran the elevator, and when all the tenants were home he would clear the floor in front of the furnace and create, create, create. Jos Limn says this about his quest in choreographing, the weapons you have brought to this duel are your body, which has been disciplined to be strong, supple, and resilient, to move beyond ordinary human capacities and limitations; your total sensibility; an idea; and above all, an indomitable determination (Hering 125). Joss passion for choreographing was evident through Nina Watt, a cast member from an earlier resetting of Missa Brevis and the Jos Limn Company. According to Nina Watt Jos Limn used literature and art as his inspiration; it was his inner life and emotionality. He was a riveting performer as well as an excellent choreographer in sculpture and gestures. Toward the end of his life Jos Limn suffered from cancer which killed him too early says Nina, he used movement as a metaphor which is why Nina was so specific and required so much of the RDT dancers. She pushed the dancers as close to perfection as possible because the movement was so meaningful to Limon and she wanted to respect that for he was meaningful to her. One of Limns big masterpieces, Missa Brevis, was inspired from an experience he had while touring Poland during the postwar of World War II. This was a moment that reversed some of his bitter emotions toward the Catholic Church, God, and rekindled a spirituality hid deep for years. However, he was not the only one affected by the courage of the people coming out of war, in fact the man, Kodly, who produced the music score that added to the connection of faith, art and war was impacted by the scene of postwar in a similar manner. Zoltan Kodly, Hungarian writer and creator of the Missa Brevis score, endured the raid of the Russian troops that came through Buda and destroyed his home. He found refuge in the cellar of the Opera House where he completed the score Missa Brevis. This score was an

Norton 3 extension of Organ-mass which was originally only an instrumental piece composed in 1942. However, there is evidence he was preparing from the beginning to put voice in the score which he did with the 1945 completion of Missa Brevis. Missa Brevis was performed for the first time in late 1945. (Seiber 3) Seiber explained Kodlys art springs mainly from a religious and humanistic attitude which is why he finds the human voice the noblest vehicle for his ideas. Many of his pieces including Psalmus Hungaricus are religious vocal arrangements, and throughout his life he composed more and more religious works. Kodlys score of Missa Brevis was dedicated to his wife Emma Kodly for their thirty-fifth anniversary. The Missa Brevis score includes all the traditional six parts: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei which was translated by Limn into choreography and gestures to create a Missa Brevis added to the existing music score (Seiber, 3) Limns sectioned choreographed piece of Missa Brevis followed the six part musical mass in energy and intent. The intent of the movement in the beginning of Missa Brevis parallels the musical part Kyrie with the group, mass, gathered together petitioning the Lord, have mercy. As the section goes on there was petition and response evident in the gestures describing a prayer from humble hearts. There was a transition of silence from prayer unto the most high to Gloria, Glory be to Thee, Oh Lord, praising His name and glory. After praising the Lord there was a mens quartet who gave a creed unto the people declaring doctrine and bearing testimony of their belief, Credo, as gestured in the movement, giving. After the Credo was the Sanctus, the Whirling Dance in Limons choreography where prayer was given of thanksgiving and celebration was made. This transitioned into the Benedictus, a trio of dancers, both the music and choreography exclaiming blessed be the Lord (Watt). The piece concludes

Norton 4 before the finale with the Agnus Dei, prayer unto Christ or an emblem of Christ, where in the piece all the were people present in a half circle around one man, a symbol of Christ, moving in one accord in prayer unto him (Watt). This man at the end, emblematic of Christ, was also a connection of faith, art and war within just the piece itself, a man weighed down with sin, curious about faith, torn between privileged agnosticism and the apt faith of people in a warravaged community (Hering 124). The Missa Brevis piece performed by the Repertory Dance Theater with BYU guest dancers was originally performed for the first time by the Jos Limn Company in 1958. However, this latest performance of Missa Brevis was one of the best, according to Nina, due to her idea of Utah having a deep spirituality. The performance of Missa Brevis choreographed by the legendary Jos Limn set to the music score by Zoltan Kodly and performed by Repertory Dance Theater was truly the nexus of faith, art, and war (Watt). Personal Response/Experience The overall experience of the Missa Brevis project blessed my soul immensely. I loved every minute of it. I am anticipating the day I get to work with Nina Watt again and I pray one day I will have the opportunity to work with and learn from Jos Limn sometime in the eternities. Jos had a strength and passion in his choreography that Nina portrayed and strove to extract from each of us as dancers. I want to feel that strength and passion again as I did preparing for the performance with Nina. Preparation for Missa Brevis started rough and it was not easy to give my full self and accomplish everything required by Nina. Nina presented herself sometimes rude and difficult to work for. I noticed many people had harsh feelings or thoughts against her. Until I truly understood her feelings behind the piece and her background it was impossible to give my full

Norton 5 soul and ability to the movement. The movement was difficult to put into my body, not only because it was never perfect enough for Nina, but also I felt as if I was not really dancing, the choreography seemed more pedestrian rather than body movement. I realize now, after performing, how all of Jos Limns decisions for chorography, music gestures, dancers, and space usage was all for the benefit of the audience. His piece was intended to leave an impression of courage, as was evident in the Polish people rising from the ashes of World War II, on the audience and even the dancers (Missa Brevis, daily bites). As a dancer and watching some of the old films of Missa Brevis I was flabbergasted at how he moved so many dancers around the stage with ease beauty and almost perfectness to a T. That perfection had to be by some divine intervention. Divine intervention may not have been something Limn believed in before his experience in Poland, however I sense he was a religious man at heart believing in divinity even though the history describes him as distanced from the Catholic Church. I think my favorite part of the entire experience was having the opportunity to work with a professional company such as RDT. They were not a company I was really interested in last year, until I found my love of working with Susan Hadley from last years RDT workshop. I loved the atmosphere and maybe it was that way because they treated us nice as guests and tried to make us feel welcome. However, if they treat each other as a company that way all the time I want to be a part of that company. I discussed with Caroline about possibly dancing with them, because I am interested in having the opportunity to work with and learn from as many classical and professional choreographers as I can. My desire is to work professionally, I am ready to move on and gain the experience my soul is aching for. I feel an emptiness, a lack of progression, without the opportunity to learn from experienced people and professionals. My work with Missa Brevis gave me a glimpse into

Norton 6 how wonderful that world be and how I would love it all. I need that experience, I need to move on. I want to soar, fly, dream! I feel RDT or some company similar would be able to provide me with this opportunity I need that is fulfilling emotionally, spiritually, socially, as well as challenging physically, technically, and performance wise. Having a chance to observe the professionals, interact with them, dance with them and watch how choreographers work with them allowed me to see how fulfilling it would be. One thing I wish I had experienced better is Nina treating us BYU and UVU students the same as the professionals, with more strict attention and push us for more perfection, because I know we were capable of it. I fell into a slight depressed when we finished with the performance of Missa Brevis. I think I suffer from post-performance depression, because this happens to me after every performance. I am addicted to performing and there is some sort of chemical that my body that produces all the happiness and joy I get from performing. I am able to express a part of me not otherwise seen by the world on a normal basis. Missa Brevis allowed me to access that feeling inside of performance as well as the spiritual life brought on by the movement and intention of the piece. One of my most awe inspiring moments was in the beginning when we shifted and raised our bosoms to the heavens, I always thought of my grandma, Nan, because I know she loved to see me dance and I know that what I am doing is called of God and is a good thing in his eyes. I loved every moment of this experience, I would do anything like it again, and I love how it challenges me as well as allows me to find myself and purpose as I strive to fulfill my plan on earth. Thank you to RDT, Nina Watt, Linda Smith, and Caroline Prohosky who aided me in this great opportunity and experience!

Norton 7 Works Cited Garafola, Lynn. Jos Limn: An Unfinished Memoir. University Press of New England/Wesleyan University Press, 1999. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. Jowitt, Deborah. Time and the Dancing Image. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1988. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. Seiber, Matys. Kodly: Missa Brevis. Tempo, New Series, No.4. Cambridge University Press, 1947. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. Watt, Nina. Personal interview. 21 June 2013. 15 Bytes. Missa Brevis: Nexus of Faith, Art and War at RDT and UMOCA. Utahs Art Magazine. Artists of Utah, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.