Series: New Television Workshop
Program: Making of Severe Clear, The
Date: 1986-01-01
Duration: 00:01:05

Subject: Documentary films; Modern dance; Dance production; Improvisation in dance
People: Reitz, Dana; Scaggs, Sarah
Copyright Holder: WGBH Educational Foundation

Clip Description
This short segment from "The Making of Severe Clear" shows dancers, Sarah Scaggs and Dana Reitz, during a rehearsal for the work.

Program Description
"The Making of Severe Clear," 1986, is a documentary-style work that traces the creation of choreographer Dana Reitz' and light-and-space designer James Turrell's work, "Severe Clear."
During the work, "The Making of Severe Clear," rehersals with Reitz and dancer Sarah Skaggs are featured, revealing Reitz' use of drawing and movement improvisation as choreographic tools. James Turrell's stage design is seen as it is being constructed. The video ends with the final performance of "Severe Clear" at Radcliffe College in the summer of 1985. A slow, contemplative duet, "Severe Clear" is set in a boxed area. The dancers move in and out of both the enclosed portion of the set and lit areas. Produced by Susan Dowling. Directed by Ellen Sebring.

The "Television Workshop" created several shows that were broadcast on WGBH without being a part of a series sponsored specifically by the Workshop. Additionally, they were commissioned to create shows showcasing video art for national broadcast and created several shows in collaboration with existing series at other stations, such as WNET's "American Playhouse."

Series Description
The New Television Workshop originated at WGBH, a public broadcasting station in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1974 to support the creation and development of experimental video art. This experimental programming included dance, drama, music, performance and visual arts on video and film. As early as 1968, WGBH was committed to the development of video art through residency programs, with artists such as Nam June Paik, and the "Rockefeller Artists-in-Television" project. Many of these early works (pre-1974) were broadcast both locally and nationally.

As an umbrella for arts related programming, the Workshop included "Artist's Showcase, " "Frames of Reference, " "Dance for Camera, " "Poetry Breaks," and "New Television," as well as acquired arts programming. Individual works were created for "Visions," a series produced by WNET (New York), and "Alive From Off Center," a series produced by KTCA (St. Paul - Minneapolis). The Contemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund was co-founded by the Workshop and Boston's Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) in the 1980's, to commission works by video artists. In 1993 the Workshop ceased production at WGBH.

See also: http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/NTW/FA/TITLES/Making39.HTML