Touch Theory Dance Presents PANDEMONIUM, 2/14-15

Touch Theory Dance is motivated by the foundation of energy, motion, and emotion. In our new work, "Pandemonium," we feed energy to our emotions through the use of contact movement. In this work, we use organic contact to create the architecture of our world. There is no set design but there is a sense of construction, the dancers are both the boundaries and the characters. "Pandemonium," premieres Feb. 14th and 15th at the Hartley House Theater, tickets are $15. Buy them here.

Choreographer, Jennifer Montoya, formed Touch Theory Dance and uses her background in improvisational dance to create movement which caters specifically to the strengths of the dancers. I often ask the dancers to "see each other," in rehearsal because there is a lot happening in the dance musically, technically, spatially and it can frazzle a performer. It takes focus to create great dance and when the dancers take the time to see each other it has an instant calming effect on the whole piece. This is why we are able to give a tender quality to movement which delivered in any other context would be considered hyper aggressive.

Every form of dance has it's own hazards but with contact dance it is especially one of our concerns. The danger is everywhere if we rush the movement or if someone fails to land on their mark it can lead to an injury. We have become hyper aware of the risks which is why we look for qualified and sometimes super human individuals to be part of Touch Theory Dance. ??

What it takes to be a Touch Theorian. The profile of a Touch Theory Dancer starts with discipline, motivation and passion. Each member must have achieved their college degree in dance or a related field. Since we meet only once a week, Touch Theory Dancers must be able to absorb a lot of material in a short amount of time. It is not unusual to choreograph an entire 5 minute dance and have it running by the end of one 4 hour rehearsal. Touch Theory Dancers have incredible stamina and often come to rehearsal from auditions, class, or work it is normalcy for some of them to dance seven hours in a day. Most of the company is composed of emerging professionals with backgrounds in pilates, yoga, and personal training. This group is unified by their commitment and natural ability which makes each member unique and important.

Support Touch Theory Dance: We are currently just $332 dollars away from affording our venue at the Hartley House Theater in New York City, please support us by going online and making a contribution to our
Non-profit profile. All donations are tax deductible and no donation is too small.
https://www.thefield.org/ContributionToSA.aspx?

"Pandemonium": "Pandemonium," is a work over two years in the making. It is a reflection of the growth of the Touch Theory Dance, a non-profit dance company. "From the very beginning of our inception we knew we wanted to tell this story..." - Jen Montoya, choreographer. The thematic inspiration for the work is loosely based on John Milton's Paradise Lost. Pandemonium itself is the name of the home the demon Mulciber constructed for Lucifer and his followers.

In our version of the tale we borrow mythos from the story of Narcissus and Echo. We have God and the Devil in a very passionate relationship until one day God realizes that his truest love is himself so he creates man in his image. A love triangle evolves between the Devil, God, and man, which sends their home into a state of chaos. The work is a study of relationships; the way they can be put on a pedestal and the way they sometimes fail. In this work, we use organic contact to create the architecture of our world.

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