Paul Taylor calls her “my bug.” For the rest of us, Eran Bugge is a strong, sumptuous dancer who has transformed from an ingenue into a performer of radiant depth during her time as a member of Taylor’s company (with TONY favorite Michael Apuzzo). She was one of the lucky ones: In 2005, the same year she graduated from the Hartt School with a degree in ballet pedagogy, she was offered a contract. “I auditioned on a Sunday and started on Monday,” she recalls. “It was crazy. It’s been more than nine years, and in a weird way I finally feel like I’m not new anymore.” Bugge, 32, who appears with the troupe at the David H. Koch Theater for the inaugural show American Modern Dance, talks about her favorite dances of the season, including Sunset, a haunting portrayal of soldiers and women.
What new dances are you a part of this season?
I’m not in Death and the Damsel, but I am in Sea Lark. I understudy Death and the Damsel, so I got to watch the whole process. Sitting on the outside is super informative, because sometimes when you’re in it, and Paul’s being, “Not here, but here.” You’re kind of like, Seriously? But then when you’re watching from the outside, you see that he’s right. Those tiny little details make such a difference. And his gestures—it’s amazing when you’re watching him trying to get somebody to do something gesturally, more than almost choreographically. He’s just nitpicking it; when it’s happening to you, you’re like, I swear I’m doing exactly what you’re doing, but when you watch it from the outside he’s totally right.
Of the dances this season, what are you really excited about?
[Whispers] So many. It’s a really good season. Two are Sunset and Eventide.
Why?
I love Sunset. I loved it when I wasn’t in it. I would always sit and watch it. It would make me cry in rehearsal every time. And then when [Paul] cast me in the Kate Johnson role—it’s one of those roles you don’t dare to dream to be able to do. For me, at least. It’s such a treasure.
Could you describe it?
It was one of the first roles where I felt like I wasn’t the young sweet ingenue. There was more depth and maturity to it. I can go to so many places with it; each performance is a little different—sometimes more tragic, sometimes more hopeful. There have been one or two times where I’ve felt, Okay, I could die after this performance. That was it. And then you’re in this place of, can I ever do that again? And because Alex Katz just did [designs for] Sea Lark, we went to his studio for some of the fittings. He also designed Sunset and we started talking. He asked, “Who picks up the hat?” I said, “That’s me.” He said that he would never forget when Kate went to pick up the hat. He said she stopped time. How can I capture that? I think the live music will give me so much more freedom there. It’s scary and exciting at the same time.
Sunset looks like a painting. What does it feel like to live inside of it?
There’s a long moment in the loons section where I sit holding Sean Mahoney’s head. I create little stories. Am I a nurse? An angel? Is this soldier dying? Does he have somebody at home? The male duet, to me, is perfection. It’s one of those where you’re like, If only I could be a man for a day to feel that duet.
What fascinates you about Eventide?
I’m not a religious person, but dancing Eventide is the closest to God I feel I’ll ever get. There’s something very sacred about that dance, especially the walking in the circle at the end. There’s nothing extra. It’s like, how little can you do? We’re performing Diggity, which is so fun. My husband still remembers the first time the curtain came up and I was standing onstage by myself. He was like, Holy shit, this is real! [Laughs] And then there’s Brandenburgs. It’s the opposite: pure and glorious—everything that made me fall in love with the way that a Taylor dance moves.
What else?
There’s also Piazzolla [Caldera], which is a challenge for me because of the clarity and the sharpness. Paul is constantly asking me to be angrier in it. He’s always wanting me to be meaner and meaner. Like I’m just going to eat Rob [Kleinendorst]. I always find it easier to go there once we’re in costumes and lights. That’s a challenge in the studio with the sun shining at 11am. Esplanade is always amazing to do. Big Bertha!
How do you approach that dance, which explores incest?
It is hard, because it goes so fast. I watched Annmaria [Mazzini] and Carolyn [Adams] in particular on tape. When you’re sitting there and the dad’s doing his solo…You know where it’s going, right? But it’s really hard to balance staying in the innocent part of it long enough as it’s starting to decline. It’s easy to get horrified too fast.
Does Paul give you many notes on that?
Not a ton. The most notes he’s ever given me was for 3 Epitaphs.
Why?
I don’t know! It was a really fun day actually. He stopped the music and just started workshopping it with us. We get the dances to a point where all they need are the very finishing touches and he hardly ever stops in the middle of a dance. It was so physical. My back was killing me the next day from trying to create the shape that he wanted. When I look at pictures of it, it still doesn’t look the way that it feels. I know what he wants, and I’m trying so hard: contracting your back and lifting your chin, contracting your back and lifting your chin… [Laughs]
You’ve been here for nine years and you don’t have plans to leave. Why not?
It was my dream to dance for Paul and I’m not even close to done. There are so many dances that I still want to try. There are dances that I’ve done a few times that I’m still not done with.
When are you ever done with a dance?
Yeah. Even dances like Esplanade that we do over and over and over again. The curtain comes up, and you’re standing onstage. You know how you’re going to feel at the end. My part in particular is very cardiovascularly challenging. Some days you don’t even want to bow, but it’s a dance that you’re proud to do and proud to show to people. You know that it’s going to be spectacular even though it’s just walking, running and falling.
