The air is describing us / lining our bodies / squeezing us gently / inside and out is an evening of dance, installation, and sound composition being presented at Mascher Space May 10-11. This is the third interdisciplinary project created by collaborators Paige Phillips (choreographer / Philadelphia), Evan Dawson (sculptor / Philadelphia), and Liam Ze’ev O’Connor (sound artist / Chicago), who have previously shown work together in Bangkok, Thailand, and Philadelphia. For this project, they will be engaging performances by six local dancers and two guests from Columbus, OH.
The evening will consist of two works: The air is describing us and It’s just easier this way. The former began by asking six dancers to explore the physicality of falling. Its intensity spirals the group into a dichotomous community: the dancers experience a sense of isolation from their exhaustion, yet require the full support from others to get through laborious tasks. It acts as a metaphor for contemporary life, as we propel ourselves forward together despite ceaseless crashes around us. Phillips, Dawson, and Ze’ev O’Connor’s contributions create a seamless environment of movement, materials, and sound that explore this sentiment. This will be the project’s premiere.
It’s just easier this way is a continuation of Phillips’ durational performance presented last spring at High Tide Gallery. Guest performers from Columbus, OH, Josh Hines and Kelly Hurlburt, are partners in life, which allows the dynamics of the duet to be intimate. It is at times sexy, funny, uncomfortable, and intense. Moving from the personal to the public, the work grapples with the tired, gendering tropes that our culture often places upon heteronormative relationships. Mature content.
The works are being presented at Mascher Space’s 52 seat theatre, with the audience seated across from one another and performances happening in the middle. “I’m excited to present these works in an intimate venue. The close proximity allows people to have a visceral reaction. We experience the detailed emotions the performers move through, and can hear how the manipulation of installation materials becomes part of the sound score. This would not be possible at other venues.” said Paige Phillips.
The air is describing us
Friday, May 10, 2019 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 11, 2019 @ 8:00 PM
155 Cecil B Moore Ave | Philadelphia, PA 19122 – 2nd floor, not ADA accessible
Tickets $15-$30, Sliding Scale – Purchase tickets: www.danceboxoffice.com
Photo by Stephen Takacs
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