From Leonard Pronko, Professor of Theatre, Pomona College:

August 20, 2013

To Whom It May Concern:

It is a pleasure to write about a sensitive artist who has explored new areas of dance in original and profound ways, and brought treasures back to her audiences. I first met Patricia Bulitt in Los Angeles in 1984 at the Japan America Theatre where we were attending a performance. A mutual friend introduced us when I learned Patricia had attended my Lecture Demonstration of Japanese Kabuki Theatre at the University of Arizona in 1972.

Patricia invited me to her presentation of GUTSONGS, a solo performance, at the Los Angeles Women’s Building. I saw a depth and beauty to her dances, and extended an invitation for her to perform at Pomona College. It was apparent from the start that this extraordinary artist was capable of opening windows on new worlds for all of us. Since one of my areas of specialization at Pomona College is Asian theatre, I was immediately moved and impressed by Patricia Bulitt’s sensitivity and her ability to explore the dance of cultural traditions very different from our own and then create something entirely original that respected the spirit of the tradition.

Several years later, Patricia returned to Pomona College as a guest artist to share more of her riches with us. She presented slides showing her experiences over many years as a guest artist in Alaska, and performed her mysterious and suggestive MOTHER OF MUKLUK SEAL MASK DANCE. Her portrayal of a mother seal and her child is memorable to this day. In this dance and many others, we are aware of her sensitivity to culture and imagination. It was clear that Patricia had become a trusted friend and documenter in the far northern communities of her residencies.   While living with an elder in the village of Hooper Bay, and after years of annual visits, she built an exhibition in association with the Traditional Council honoring elder dancers and drummers. She included excerpts from field recordings and photographs by James Barker, replacing memories from a 1981 dance Patricia organized with a community elder drummer.

Patricia is an interdisciplinary artist who blends the learning of an ethnologist with the poetry of a dancer. Another example of this poetic creativity is Patricia’s interaction with the Japanese. Even before visiting Japan she had seen beautiful white egrets in California and was inspired to make a first Egret dance ( 1977). When she discovered the Sagi Mai egret dance of Japan in a gift book, she dreamed of going to Japan and witnessing it. On her first visit (1984) she studied Noh in Kyoto with masters of that ancient dance theatre. Years later, (2010) returning to Japan, she performed her dance, EGRETFULLY, for the community of Tsuwano, then witnessed and documented their performance of Sagi Mai. EGRETFULLY is performed in a beautiful white costume evoking the form and spirit of the elegant birds.  

In her dances, Patricia combines choreographed movement with improvisational dance, responding in each performance to the context and meaning created by the setting and the circumstances--such as her dances in the waters of Berkeley’s creeks, for a tree at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, an historic bridge, ANZAC Bridge, in New Zealand, and a drying marshland in the regional park of Coyote Hills. All these she embellished with her original sound/text poetry sung by collaborating instrumentalists and vocalists and imaginative sculptural costumes.

Recently in several cities in Japan, Alaska and elsewhere in US, she created a community event: A ROCK GARDEN FOR PEACE. This has stirred educators, parents, and children, college students and general audiences to reflect on an inquiry that builds thoughtful responses to the nature of peace.

Her dances are evocative, suggesting other worlds than the one we inhabit every day. She draws on a highly disciplined technique combined with inspiration and improvisation, enriched by impressive sculptural costumes co-designed with fellow artists. Endlessly creative, deeply intuitive, Patricia Bulitt offers rich possibilities as choreographer, performer and teacher, bringing the abundance of a long experience of dance, performance and ethnography. She will add depth and breadth to any experience in which she participates.

Sincerely,

Leonard C. Pronko

Professor of Theatre, Pomona College

From Rita Felciano, Dance Critic, The Guardian, San Francisco, CA.

June 18, 2011

DANCE:  Patricia Bulitt

Patricia Bulitt is for the birds. Literally.she has been making dances about them for more than 30 years. First in Alaska, most recently in New Zealand and Japan. To her they are harbingers of peace and beauty, qualities she finds woefully absent in our humdrum existence, and her dances honor them.

One piece was dedicated to the native birds of Lake Merritt in an Oakland refuge, another to a blackbird residing ˆn a grove on the UC Berkeley campus. But her biggest love is the majestic, egret. Her EGRETFULLY, performed on the lawn below the nesting couples at the Audubon Canyon Ranch, has become an annual event.

Audubon Canyon Ranch

4900 Shoreline Hwy

Stinson Beach, CA

From: Tara Rivera, Supervising Librarian, North Berkeley Library, CA.

June 23, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

Patricia Bulitt and I organized "Remembering My Grandmother's Honey Cake:  A Paper Dress Making Workshop" which also included a lecture and exhibition of her paper dresses.  The series of events were given at the Berkeley Public Library, North Branch.

The workshops for this event occurred in two weekends. The North Branch does not a have a community meeting room so using a space for a large group of people to lay out dresses, supplies, etc. was not feasible in a single day. By having the workshops in two parts, participants were able to have more space in which to work. The room was filled with materials to the brim; there was barely a surface that wasn’t covered with materials or dresses.

The room was pleasantly decorated and the paper dresses seemed at home in our quaint 72 year-old children’s room by the fireplace. And while we did have sign-ups in advance, there were people who were walking about the library the first day and saw our program. They were so interested that several signed up on the spot for the next day.

The workshops were successful in that they touched all who participated. There were several mother and daughter duos and even a grandbaby, mother, and grandmother-in-law paper dress tribute. A father and daughter duo was very moving; the father made a paper purse to accompany his daughter's designer looking paper dress.

What made this program truly unique was its multidimensional richness; it was not just a mere library program. Patricia, using her grandmother’s cake recipe as a seed, carefully researched storytelling through recipes (she used a book from the South Branch library!). Patricia studied this book, Eat My Words, and drew our audience into a thoughtful conversation as she lectured from the book. She beautifully illustrated her lecture with her own grandmother’s hand written cookbook as she discussed how recipes might be considered a form of autobiography with the folkloric aspects of women’s culture and literacy. To top it off, she brought a paper dress commemorating her nana and her recipes.

Participants were deeply inspired by Patricia and her art form. Many brought historic photos and personal items to be embellished onto their paper dresses! The program impressed the idea that there are stories everywhere. Whether it was told through the paper dress or the yummy baked cakes from Patricia’s grandmother’s recipe, participants embarked on the process of telling stories through art, craft, and sharing. Libraries are not just repositories for books, but community gather places for the public to share history and life. I was very pleased to have Patricia and her program contribute to our collection of stories at North Branch.

Sincerely,

Tara Rivera

Branch Supervisor

North Branch