One of the benefits of tackling this project myself was choosing my own designer to ensure that something interesting resulted.

Marlyn Veenstra, an experienced, sensitive designer, understood what was possible better than I did. Through her research, she found her way to Labanotation, an elegant documentation system developed in the 1920’s as modern dance was emerging (think shorthand, or even hieroglyphics, yet depicting direction and movement).

I’ve always admired notators and what they do, creating something permanent from something ephemeral that is itself a stunning, human-made object.  Many thanks to the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation and its incomparable archives team for lending us this seminal score.

The illustrations are by another favorite designer, Parrish André. It was exciting to echo Never Ready’s mother-daughter element in this not-particularly-direct, but very fun way.

I hope you spend some time imagining what the rectangles and colors means to Henri, the story, and you. Let me know!