75 years ago T.S. Eliot published Four Quartets, a poetic meditation on time and memory that is widely regarded as his crowning achievement. To celebrate this milestone anniversary, Bard SummerScape 2018 presented the world premiere of Four Quartets, the first authorized dance performance ever to be based on Eliot’s modernist masterpiece. A SummerScape commission, the work is an interdisciplinary collaboration that draws on the talents of three of today’s most potent artistic voices—choreographer Pam Tanowitz, composer Kaija Saariaho, and modernist painter Brice Marden.

Credits

Text T. S. Eliot
Choreography Pam Tanowitz
Music Kaija Saariaho
Images Brice Marden

Musicians The Knights
Narration Kathleen Chalfant

Scenic and Lighting Design Clifton Taylor
Costume Design Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung
Sound Design Jean-Baptiste Barrière
Dramaturgy Gideon Lester
Stage Management Betsy Ayer
Producer Caleb Hammons, Fisher Center at Bard

Company
Kara Chan
Jason Collins
Dylan Crossman
Christine Flores
Zachary Gonder
Lindsey Jones
Victor Lozano
Maile Okamura
Melissa Toogood

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Nicholas Cords, viola
Hannah Collins, cello
Bridget Kibbey, harp

Assistants to Brice Marden Tyler Drosdeck and Noah Dillon
Assistant Lighting Design Conor Mulligan

Read the Full Program

Trailers

The following trailer was edited and released in July 2018, at the time of Four Quartets‘ premiere:

The following trailer was edited and released in October 2020, when Four Quartets was available on UPSTREAMING:

Production Photography

Lindsey Jones, Christine Flores, and Jason Collins. Photo by Maria Baranova.

Lindsey Jones (foreground); Maile Okamura, Jason Collins, and Christine Flores. Photo by Maria Baranova.

Christine Flores, Victor Lozano, Kara Chan, and Jason Collins. Photo by Maria Baranova.

Jason Collins and Victor Lozano. Photo by Maria Baranova.

Christine Flores, Jason Collins, and Lindsey Jones. Photo by Maria Baranova.

Christine Flores, Jason Collins, and Lindsey Jones (foreground); Kara Chan, Maile Okamura, and Victor Lozano (background). Photo by Maria Baranova.

Christine Flores, Victor Lozano, Maile Okamura, and Lindsey Jones; Jason Collins (behind scrim). Photo by Maria Baranova.

Kara Chan, Maile Okamura, Victor Lozano, Christine Flores, Jason Collins, and Lindsey Jones. Photo by Maria Baranova.

Kathleen Chalfant (foreground); Pam Tanowitz, Victor Lozano, Maile Okamura, Melissa Toogood, Zachary Gonder, and Jason Collins (background). Photo by Maria Baranova.

Kathleen Chalfant and Melissa Toogood. Photo by Maria Baranova.

Zachary Gonder (center); Jason Collins, Dylan Corssman, Kara Chan, Christine Flores, Melissa Toogood, Maile Okamura, and Victor Lozano (left); Lindsey Jones (right). Photo by Maria Baranova.

Jason Collins, Dylan Corssman, Kara Chan, Christine Flores, Melissa Toogood, and Victor Lozano (left); Maile Okamira and Lindsey Jones (right). Photo by Maria Baranova.

There the Dance Is

What is it like to dance Four Quartets? Experience this epic performance from the other side of the curtain—through conversations with Kathleen Chalfant, Pam Tanowitz, and the dancers of the company. Filmed remotely over the summer of 2020, There the Dance Is, leads us on a journey of reflection and revelation.

Making-Of

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’s BLOG

Read a series of twelve blog posts about the evolution of Four Quartets, written by Artistic Director Gideon Lester.

Read the Blog

VIDEO

Gideon Lester talks about the world premiere of Four Quartets (released May 24, 2018):

Pam Tanowitz and former New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay discuss the making of Four Quartets (recorded and premiered live on October 30, 2020):