The city of Chicago is an intersection of multiple systems – the organizational orders of its modernist buildings; the presence of the federal government; the negotiations and orders of the lives of its marginalized communities. “We Know How to Order”, conceived by Bryony Roberts, choreographed by Asher Waldron and performed by the South Shore Drill Team, brings these intersections to life in a vibrant street performance for the first ever Chicago Architecture Biennial. A series of drill routines with influences from street choreography, the project explicitly "super-imposes" its system of movement onto the organization of Mies van der Rohe’s Federal Center, calling "attention to the accessibility of public space in the US" and "how architectural systems alongside social expectations influence the occupation of common space," according to the Chicago Architecture Biennial guidebook.
The South Shore Drill Team, founded in 1980 by Arthur Robertson, offers positive, creative outlets for over 300 young people annually, with performances at over 125 events. Their system of dynamic physical movement encourages its youth to focus on their education. In this piece, their unique choreography, inspired by military drills combined with expressive flag tossing and rifle spinning, "inverts the expected power dynamic, with young people from the South Side taking over a space of federal government and an architectural landmark with an electrifying system of movement," writes Bryony Roberts on her website.
If you missed the performance at the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the official video is now up for viewing. The Biennial will also remain open until January 3, 2016 and is free to the public.
News via Bryony Roberts Studio and the official Chicago Architecture Biennial guidebook.
