Ananya Chatterjea: Difference/Desire (U.S. Premiere), Pallavi
“[Chatterjea is] pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a woman and a dancer.”–Ms. Magazine
Chatterjea melds the artistry of classical Indian and contemporary dance with the urgency of street theater in two powerful new works. Inspired by Tantric wisdom, Difference/Desire explores the unity that arises from our individual understandings of sexual and gender identity. An international collaboration with fellow dancer/choreographer Hari Krishnan, the work features set designs by Cylla Von Tiedemann and Pattie Walker. Pallavi (“blossoming”) reinvents the central piece of Odissi dance as an explosion, an unleashing of women’s energy. Both works are directed by Pangea World Theater’s Dipankar Mukerjee.
Jason Noer: Abomination
“Rare among breakers for his training in other forms of dance–tap, modern, Latin.”–Pioneer Press
In Abomination, a young man discovers a pair of shoes that were forged by demons. Unable to remove them and unaware of their evil origins, he is transformed into the most extraordinary dancer. Weaving tap, ballroom, boogaloo, breaking, hip-hop, and pop-and-lock styles, Noer creates a playful allegory that culminates in a final confrontation with the Fallen Angel. DJ Bill Hebel spins live on stage with a crew of dancers that ranges from adult to age five: Samantha Morgan, Aneka McMullen, David Marcotte, Junna Sakamoto, and Elijah Smith.
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