Fall For Dance has been a staple of Texas Theatre and Dance’s season for over a decade. Don’t let that fool you though – Fall For Dance may be a long-standing tradition, but the works presented in this evening of dance performance are dripping with innovation and variety. Six choreographers have entered rehearsal rooms this fall with their own unique movement backgrounds and insightful ideas. We’re digging deeper into the five works they’ve created on stage, which make this a memorable continuation of the Fall For Dance tradition.
Angela Cox and Ava Tran – what we cannot hold
“what we cannot hold is an investigation of how the holding and sharing of one’s emotional weight may portray itself in the physical body. This piece explores the parallels between the emotional and physical realms regarding weight’s portrayal within the body and mind; specifically, how they can both impact and imitate one another.” – Choreographers Angela Cox and Ava Tran
Aysha Upchurch – the inevitability of work (and the joy in it)
“This piece was inspired by countless observations on how “work” is discussed and positioned in various contexts. From causal conversations to examining how dancers and athletes avail themselves to rigorous physical training to how schools talk about getting a job to the very way popular music engages the word and concept of work — it all points to the inevitability that work is unavoidable AND that by embracing it, you get to the state, goal or thing you most wanted. So then, this piece invites us to consider the joy inside the toil.
As an artist, I consider myself to be an embodied storyteller who leans on African diasporic movement to create works of joy, connection and liberation. Accordingly, this piece follows my choreographic process where I co-create the storyworld with movement responses from dancers and incorporate voice, humor and imagination.” – Choreographer Aysha Upchurch
Aída Hernandez-Reyes – tooth fairy
“I came into the process thinking on experiences I’ve had with feeling exposed, having private information I’ve shared in confidence not kept confidential and being enlightened to secrets others were keeping. Throughout this process we’ve been exploring the power of exposure, voyeurism and secrets revealed. I’ve been very inspired by my dancers and designers, each collaborator bringing their viewpoints and ideas to the table, which collectively has helped us create the world our audience will see into.
Stylistically, this piece has been generated mainly through gestural phrases that are derived from text that we wrote in rehearsal, using journaling methods and collaborative choreography.” – Choreographer Aída Hernandez-Reyes
Gesel Mason – Black Angel
“I created Black Angel in 1998 in response to the brutal murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas. Byrd was abducted, beaten, chained to the back of a pickup truck and then dragged down a country road. Byrd’s gruesome slaying led to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed by President Barack Obama in 2009. This work, restaged 25 years after Byrd’s death, grapples with society’s arduous affiliation with violence and hate.” – Choreographer Gesel Mason
Valeria Y. Gonzalez – ETERNAL BONDS .2
“ETERNAL BONDS .2 explores the enigma of time, the potency of memories and the multifaceted emotions surrounding grief. Seven dancers embody fragments of a greater consciousness, navigating audiences through vivid and elusive memories. Despite time’s transience, it’s the shared moments with loved ones that indelibly imprint onto eternity. The performance brings forth hope, suggesting eternal love and connections beyond our worldly existence.” – Choreographer Valeria Y. Gonzalez
Fall For Dance
November 9-17, 2023
Oscar G. Brockett Theatre
TICKETS
Written by Sydney Pattillo.
