Doctoral student Nick Zoulek appeared with Wild Space Dance Company at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory Annex in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 22-24, 2015. His saxophone duo provided music for Luminous, part of Wild Space’s Neighborhood Sites initiative. Mr. Zoulek is a student of Distinguished Artist Professor John Sampen.
Reviews of the performances highlighted the musical contribution to the dance piece:
Milwaukee magazine writes— “At times, the musicians take center stage, and they are extraordinary players. They use overblowing to create symphonic textures from only two instruments, and they used the vast volume of the space to create unearthly echos. Nick Zoulek’s alto saxophone solo in the middle of the dance was a tour de force, and the pair’s use of odd instruments like found-object percussion and horns made of long tubes (was that an elephant, or a speeding Maserati in full Doppler Shift) took you to other worlds.”
The Shepherd Express adds— “In moments of silence, you heard the rain. Otherwise, you heard the lush saxophone playing of Duo d’Entre-Deux (Tommy Davis and Nick Zoulek)—saw them, too, since they played live, interacting with the dancers and drawing ambient sound from the room itself. A playful episode in which they improvised in sound and movement with dancer Dan Schuchart was a delight; overall, their contribution to Luminous was profound. Beautiful harmonies sang in contrast to mysterious knockings and hums, and finally to ungodly, soul-shattering blasts.”
