Spark Movement Collective Presents 1984

Dance company Spark Movement Collective is updating another classic for today's times with 1984, a debut production based on the novel by George Orwell. Spark dancers bring this dystopian novel to life through movement choreographed by Artistic Director Chelsea Koenig and Assistant Artistic Director Matt Dittes in collaboration with the dancers. Featuring a transporting original score by composer Justin Reardon, 1984 explores the nature of truth and forbidden love in a world of fear. Custom projections enhance the world-building as protagonist Winston battles the psychological manipulation and physical threats of a totalitarian regime. Audiences will encounter a world of ideas as chilling as they are timely, urging us to question our relationship to language, power and control.

1984 will be performed at the Secret Theatre in Long Island City, premiering on Thursday, November 8 at 8:00pm and running through Saturday, November 10. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $20 at sparkmovementcollective.org. Remaining tickets, if any, will be available the day of each performance, 30 minutes prior to showtime, for $25.

For more information on the production and Spark Movement Collective, please visit sparkmovementcollective.org.

About Spark Movement Collective

Since its inception in 2009, Spark Movement Collective ("Spark") has flourished into a force on the independent and contemporary dance scene with Artistic Director and Founder Chelsea Koenig at the helm. Spark's mission is to create an accessible dance experience for audience members, dancers, and choreographers alike. Spark's approach to family-friendly performances is unique and blends together classic stories, masterful dance, whimsical projections and narration, coupled with audience participation. Jessica Ruhlin of Bodies Never Lie writes, "It takes a surprising amount of knowledge and sophistication to craft work that both engages children and maintains a level of artistry."

Spark captures the discrete elements of dance to deliver performances comprised of athletic yet fluid choreography and a brand of signature honesty intrinsic in the execution of pieces. This approach is bound together with a narrative that results in fresh, innovative, and meaningful pieces that uniquely connect with both audience members and the community at large.

Since its inception in 2009, Spark has produced a number of highly acclaimed performances for adults and families including most recently, The Velveteen Rabbit at The Town School and Collections of Change at the Actors Fund Arts Center in Downtown Brooklyn.

ABOUT CHELSEA KOENIG, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Chelsea Koenig, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Spark Movement Collective, founded the company in 2009. Koenig strives to create dance pieces that resonate with the human experience while challenging the limitations of the body in collaboration with dancers, musicians, and visual artists. Koenig's growing body of repertoire includes pieces such as The Velveteen Rabbit (2017), 21 Dates (2016), Alice in Wonderland (2016), Finding New York (2015), The Golden Shoe (2015), Impact (2014), Eavesdropped (2013), Rules of the Game (2012), Eyes Down/Headphones In (2011), Status Update (2011), and Timing (2010). As a choreographer, Koenig seamlessly draws on her experience as a Dance Educator to engage children of all ages to tell character-driven stories through dance. Her work has been presented throughout New York, Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas.

ABOUT MATT DITTES, ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Matt Dittes was born and raised in Minnesota, where he began dancing at the age of eight. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College with a degree in dance, Dittes traveled the world as a performer onboard Holland America Cruise Lines. A member of Spark since 2010, Dittes is currently the Assistant Artistic Director. As a dance maker, Dittes aims to create works that engage audiences on a visceral level. He draws inspiration from film, music, and everyday human gestures to expand upon a specific theme or topic. His work for Spark has included the pieces Antigen (2017), The Commute (2016), Progression (2015), Masculinity (2015), Ascend/Descend/Plateau (2015), Passage (2014), Tide (2014), Disaster (2014), Foundations (2013), Best I Can (2012), and Fates (2011). He also is an ex officio member on the company's Board of Directors.

ABOUT JUSTIN REARDON, COMPOSER
Justin Reardon (b. 1985) is a New York-based composer. Born in Columbus, Ohio, he was raised in the Minneapolis area and moved to New York to attend Columbia University, where he received his Bachelor's degree in music (2008). He went on to obtain a Masters of Music in composition from the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College (2014). Reardon first got the opportunity to compose for a choreographer during his Master's program, and has become increasingly interested in composing music for dance since then. He has previously collaborated with Spark Movement Collective, lending them his orchestral thesis work as the music for The Golden Shoe (2015). He is excited to join forces again with the group by creating the original compositions for their 1984 (2018), and hopes to help further their mission to provide accessible dance experiences by complementing their choreography with accessible music.