Polly Motley
Contact: mmotleypolly@gmail.com
Polly Motley dances, choreographs, sings and collaborates. Since 1985 she has worked with the interactive relationships of video and performance. She collaborates with video-artist Molly Davies to create large scale environments of multiple projections, light and performance. With Motley's performance, Davies mixes live-feed and pre-recorded images to change our perceptions of scale and time. Motley has made performances with dancers, including Barbara Dilley, Diane Madden, Steve Paxton, John Jasperse, Dana Reitz, and Simone Forti; with poets Anne Carson and Jack Collom, with composers Charles Amirkhanian, Takehisa Kosugi, Fred Frith, Sean Clute, John King and DJ M. Singe, and with visual artists Siobhan Liddell and Anna Craycroft.
Motley’s work has been presented in New York by the Asia Society, the Baryshnikov Art Center, Danspace Project, The Kitchen, Dance Theatre Workshop, Movement Research, The New York Improvisation Festival, The Jack Tilton Gallery and Zone Chelsea. It has been presented at the Hammer Museum, ICA Boston, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, DIVA/Paris, the Contemporary Arts Museum/ Houston, Colorado Dance Festival, The Indonesian Dance Festival, Morishita Studios/ Tokyo, Ballet Freiburg/ Pretty Ugly, Mouson Turm Frankfurt, the Flynn Theatre and the Fleming Museum/Burlington, Bates College Museum of Art, and The Edge Festival/ San Francisco.
Motley's keen interest and expertise is in encouraging other people's singing, dancing and making. She teaches What do you want to do? Where do you want to do it? For how long do you want to do it?, Dance Party!!, Performance and Media (with Molly Davies), and Singing: Body and Voice. Her extensive experience gives her multiple reference points for promoting others’ creativity. She was trained in post-modern and modern dance, traditional and experimental vocal techniques, classical ballet, improvisation, contemplative dance practice and composition. Her teaching also draws from her studies in dance ethnology, body-mind centering, dance therapy, Feldencrais and the Alexander Technique.
She has taught at Middlebury College, Bennington College, University of Vermont, the Vermont Studio Center, and Johnson State College. She was a faculty member at the University of Houston, Naropa Institute, and Loretto Heights College/ Regis University in Denver. She was Associate Director of James Clouser's Space/ Dance/ Theater in Houston, and was Clouser's choreographic assistant for the Houston Ballet Company, the Pittsburgh Ballet, and the Dallas Ballet. Her duties at the university level included teaching, advising graduate and undergraduate students, choreographing and directing student and faculty concerts, directing graduate and undergraduate creative projects, initiating and evaluating new courses, inter-departmental committee work, recruitment and fund-raising.
She lives and works in Vermont and Eleuthera with video-artist, Molly Davies.
Education
Master of Fine Arts in Choreography, 1992
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
Bachelor of Science in Religious Education, 1974
University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas
Museum & Gallery Performances
2023-2020
The Studio, Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, The Bahamas
Improvisational Scores within Video environments
2022
Black Mountain College and Art Center, Ashville, North Carolina
The Glyph, choreographed by Katherine Litz, directed by Richard Colton
2022-2020
The Studio, Stowe, VT
Intermedia Collaborations: Sound, Video, Movement and Spoken Word, with Shelby Gaines, Molly Davies and Mathew Clouser
2018-2017
University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Night of 100 Solos, solos for and by Merce Cunningham
2016
The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
The Glyph, choreographed by Katherine Litz, in the exhibit Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1934-1957
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
The Glyph, choreographed by Katherine Litz, in the exhibit Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1934-1957
Johnson State College, Johnson, VT
Video-Performance residency with Molly Davies
2015
Dia Beacon, Beacon, NY
FLAT, in Selected Works of Steve Paxton
Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, VT
In No Time, A retrospective of ideas in the work of Polly Motley, with John Jasperse, Shelley Senter, Lisa Nelson; video by Molly Davies, sound by John King and Sean Klute
2014
Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, VT
Exposed
2013
Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, VT
She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain
2012
Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, VT
There Was An Old Woman Who Swallowed A Fly, performance and lecture demonstrations
2011
River Arts Center, Morrisville, VT
Critical State, two week installation/performances using entire Grange Hall, with Steve Paxton and Diane Madden
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts/Downstreet Art, North Adams, MA
Drawing From the Body, a performance/installation with video by Molly Davies, sound by Paul Geluso
2011
Diva/Paris
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie and Dressing
River Arts Center, Morrisville, VT
Critical State, two week installation/performances using entire Grange Hall
Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, VT
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie
Alliance for the Visual Arts, Lebanon, NH
Falling Downstairs, with video by Molly Davies
2009
Baryshnikov Art Center, New York, NY
Go Tell Aunt Rhode
Flynn Center for the Arts, Burlington, VT
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie, with Diane Madden
River Arts, Morrisville, VT
3 works in progress with NYC and Malaysian guest artists
Alliance for the Visual Arts, Lebanon, NH
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie
2008
MassMoCA/ Regional Dance Development Initiative
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie
2007
DIVA/ Paris
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie
Bedford-Stuyvesent Event Center, Bronx, NY
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie
2006
Asia Society, New York, NY
Traditions, Inventions and Exchange, a collaboration with Mugiyono, Kota Yamazaki, Molly Davies
2005
Zone Chelsea, New York, NY
Drawing From the Body, a performance/installation with video by Molly Davies and sound by DJ M. Singe
2004
Smith College Fine Arts Department, Northampton, MA
Drawing From the Body
2002
The Kitchen, New York, NY
The Mirror of Simple Souls, an intermedia installation with images by Molly Davies, text by Anne Carson and sound by Fred Frith
2001
Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Drawing From the Body
2000
Yummi Dance Co., Matsuyama, Japan
The Kitchen, New York, New York
Ballet Freiburg/Pretty Ugly, Freiburg, Germany
SNDD, Amsterdam
1999
MousomTurm, Frankfurt, GR
Drawing From the Body
1998
Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, NY
Drawing From the Body
1995
The Kitchen, New York, NY
You Can Sing Anytime, multimedia collaboration with Molly Davies and Charles Amirkhanian
1990
Boulder Center for the Arts, Boulder, CO
The Bale Light Stories, with installation/performance with architect, Vaida Daukantas
1989
University of Colorado Art Gallery, Boulder, CO
Ladder, with installation by Vaida Daukantas, video by Janice Tanaka
1988
Spark Gallery, Denver, CO
Articulating the Spark Space, with installation by Vaida Daukantas
1978
Contemporary Art Museum, Houston, TX
My Fair Lady, performance/installation
Stage Performances
2016
The Yard, Chilmark, MA
Island/Chilmark 2016 with David Brick/Headlong
Danspace Project at St. Mark's Church, NYC
Precarious, a 3-hr solo, included in Eiko Otake's platform: A Body in Places
2013
Danspace Project at St. Mark's Church, NYC
Video Portrait, collaboration with Molly Davies and Cori Olinghouse
2009
Atlanta, Georgia
Charmed Romantics, quintet for CORE Performance Company
2007
Canaldanse, Paris
Large Open House, with Olivier Besson and Mike Vargas
2004
Danspace Project, NYC
Dancing the Numbers, solo evening
2003
Flynn Theatre, Burlington, VT
Vermont Iconoclasts, with Simone Forti
2002
Indonesian Dance Festival, Jakarta
Field, solo
Ballet Freiburg/ Pretty Ugly, Freiburg, Germany
Director, The Dancer’s Mind
1997
The Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church, NYC
evening of new works
Flynn Center for the Arts, Burlington, VT
Apple, with Simone Forti
1995
Indonesian Dance Festival, Jakarta
set by Molly Davies, sound by Charles Amirkhanian
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Lee, MA
Folk Dance; Stand By Your Man
Morishita Studios, Tokyo
Waiting: Walking and Standing
1993
Dance Theater Workshop, NYC
Indigenous Culture, solo evening
Edge Festival San Francisco, San Francisco
Stand By Your Man and Point of Rescue
1992
The University of Colorado, Boulder
DeChirico’s Daughter, with Molly Davies and Takehisa Kosugi
1991
Justus Liebig Universitat, Giessen, Germany
Night of the Senses, directed by Molly Davies
1989
Pepsico Summerfare, SUNY Purchase
Suspect Terrain with Dana Reitz, Steve Paxton, Laurie Booth, Jennifer Tipton, and Hans Peter Kuhn
1986
Loretto Heights College, Denver, Colorado
DUET, The White Dance, Taiko
Teaching
2016
Bennington College
VermontCollegeDanceFestival/MiddleburyCollege
University of Vermont
Johnson State College
University of Houston
Open Dance Project/Hunter Dance Center, Houston
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
2015
University of Vermont
VermontCollegeDanceFestival, UVM
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
2014
Helen Day Art Center
CDFS, Montpelier, Vermont
2010-13
CDFS, Montpelier, Vermont
Shaw Hill, Stowe, Vermont
2009
Bailando Dance Festival, Corpus Christi, Texas
CDFS, Montpelier, Vermont
River Arts Center, Morrisville, Vermont
2007
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
Shaw Hill, Stowe, VT
2006
Berkshire Ballet, Johnson, Vermont
Barnevelder Center for the Arts, Houston, Texas
2005
Movement Research, NYC
Stephen F. Austin University, Nacogdoches, TX
2004
Barnevelder Center for the Arts, Houston
Movement Research, NYC
Danspace Project at St. Mark's Church, NYC
2003
University of Colorado, Boulder
Texas Commision on the Arts, Calhoun County, TX
2002
Indonesian Dance Festival, Jakarta, Indonesia
Morishita Studios, Matsuyama, Japan
2001
Tulane University Dance Dept., New Orleans
Ballet Freiburg/Pretty Ugly, Freiburg, Germany
Amsterdam Theatre School, Amsterdam
2000
Amsterdam Theatre School, Amsterdam
Matsuyama Prefect: Yummi Dance Co., Matsuyama, Japan
The Kitchen, NYC
Ballet Freiburg/Pretty Ugly, Freiburg, Germany
1999
MousonTurm, Frankfurt, Germany
Ballet Freiburg/Pretty Ugly, Freiburg, Germany
Amsterdam Theatre School, Amsterdam
1998
Dancespace Project at St. Mark's Church, NYC
1997
Movement Research, NYC
1996
University of Houston, Houston
1995
Flynn Theatre, Burlington, VT
University of Houston, Houston, TX
Naropa University, Boulder, CO
Colorado Dance Festival, Boulder, CO
Glenwood Springs Dance Festival, Glenwood Springs, CO
1994
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Lee, MA
Morishita Studios, Tokyo, Japan
Taman Ismael Masurki, Jakarta, Indonesia
1989-94
Naropa Institute, Boulder, CO
1991
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Justus Liebig Universitat, Giessen, Germany
1988-90
Regis University, Denver
1986
Colorado Council for Arts and Humanities/ Artist-in-the-Schools
1982-87
Loretto Heights College, Denver
1980-81
Space/Dance/Theater School, Houston
Dallas Ballet Company
Pitsburgh Ballet Company
1979
University of Houston, Clear Lake City