Rauschenberg's Historic Roller Rink Dance Returns in Brooklyn After Six Decades

The Trisha Brown Dance Company is reviving Robert Rauschenberg's 1963 choreographic work 'Pelican' for a single performance next month at Brooklyn's vintage Xanadu roller rink. This presentation marks the first time this experimental dance has been staged in 60 years, coinciding with the centennial of Rauschenberg's birth. The event, titled 'Pelican Gala,' will also feature two additional dances by Trisha Brown, one of Rauschenberg's key collaborators. 'Pelican' originally emerged from a scheduling error in the 1963 Pop Festival program in Washington, D.C., which mistakenly listed Rauschenberg as presenting a dance. The artist, who had previously collaborated with Merce Cunningham at Black Mountain College, embraced the opportunity to create this cross-genre work. The original 1963 debut occurred on May 9 at Washington's America on Wheels roller rink as part of a Judson Dance Theater showcase. Rauschenberg performed in the piece alongside Swiss artist Per Olof Ultvedt, both wearing parachutes that reflected Rauschenberg's fascination with flight, while Carolyn Brown of the Cunningham company danced en pointe. The production featured a sound collage incorporating everyday noises like telephone rings and car horns. For the contemporary revival, former Trisha Brown dancer Tara Lorenzen has reconstructed the work after consulting with the Rauschenberg Foundation's archivist Francine Snyder. Performers include former Merce Cunningham dancers Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener on roller skates, with New York City Ballet soloist Ashley Hod dancing en pointe. The program also includes Brown's 'Skunk Cabbage, Salt Grass and Waders' (1967), which hasn't been performed in nearly 60 years, and 'Rulegame 5' (1964), in which Rauschenberg originally appeared. Kirstin Kapustik, executive director of the Trisha Brown Dance Company, noted that only two minutes of original material exists for 'Pelican,' with reconstruction relying on notes and testimonies describing three performers in gray sweatsuits. This revival occurs within broader celebrations of Rauschenberg's centennial, with exhibitions continuing through spring and the company's 'Dancing With Bob' program honoring Rauschenberg, Brown, and Cunningham scheduled through 2027.