Artist Statement
I like to ask questions, to be bold, to be adventurous. I like to take risks. I think art should do the same and by doing so, offer up new perspectives, create an impact, and ask us to travel into unknown spaces, both as an artist and a viewer. This is where I create from. I begin by asking questions about things that resonate with me; questions like, “What does it mean to be a woman?” or “What truths and lies have shaped who we are today?” Through research and conversation, I attempt to expand my perspective of these questions beyond the limits of my own experiences in order to engage in a larger dialogue with the world around me.
I am often interested in uncovering the humor, sensuality, and unrefined beauty that lay within each new work. These are qualities that I seek in life, so I seek them in my art. For me, these qualities help me find a new way to listen to the seriousness of life around me. It is not an attempt to ignore that which is serious; in fact sometimes it brings out an intensity that is unexpected, yet utterly satisfying and beautiful.
Through questioning and examining my process as an artist, the hope is to bring into fruition art that is not just a statement, but a space to engage in more questions. It hopes to expose the sometimes hidden layers of life and ask life to be viewed from a different lens.
Reviews
"The Dying Swan: Revisited/Re-envisioned is a compelling new version, a breathy holding on to life drama..."
sandiegostory.com, June 11, 2016, Kris Eitland
The Dying Swan: Revisited/Re-envisioned by Erica Buechner
"...an impeccably focused solo...the clarity of her onstage presence made for an engaging performance."
sandiegostory.com, April 9, 2014, Janice Steinberg
Between my fist and my Pollyanna by Erica Buechner
"...'Four Yellow Roses' inflicted a gossamer cloud moment of irritation." Translated from German
Sudkurier, November 23, 2012, Aurelia Scherrer
Four Yellow Roses: Standing and Falling by Erica Buechner
“Buechner's choreography was quite witty, and the dancers were terrific.”
Sandiego.com, April 5, 2011, Kris Eitland
youTurn Contemporary Arts Exhibition 2011 - The Red Shoes by Erica Buechner
“I was suitably impressed with Buechner, her dancing, her personality and her setting of ‘(Love) and Regret’…, which she danced along with Keely Campbell and Katie Griffin.”
Sdtheatrescene.com, November 11, 2009, Charlene Baldridge
San Diego Dances – Love and Regret by Erica Buechner
“The brawny ‘And Away They Go,’ with its male-oriented working-stiff theme, was a total hoot.”
San Diego City Beat, November 28, 2007, Martin Jones Westlin
d’shire dance collective – And Away They Go by Erica Buechner
Sound Dance Company
I created the name Sound Dance Company in 2011 when I desired to have a more formal "company" name for the work I share with the community. I was creating and presenting work consistently and often working with the same group of performers, so it seemed like an obvious step to call it a company. To be honest, I have never desired to have a traditional company, and to this day, Sound Dance Company is still a name that I use some of the time when I produce work. Perhaps it will form into a more concrete "company" at some point but I am also interested in being seen as an independent artist separate from a company name.