TNC's Dream Up Fest To Introduce FOR (GIVE) ME A New Work Of Ensemble Aerial Dance From Circus Solaris

"For (give) me" is a new work of ensemble aerial dance from Circus Solaris. It is an exploration of storytelling in movement that comments on the effects of emotional trauma, the damaged psyche, long term stresses, coping mechanisms, and how these sources of stress and agitation manifest in the body over time. The world premiere of the piece will be presented by Theater for the New City's Dream Up Festival September 5 to 9.

"For (give) Me" offers an abstracted perspective into emotional trauma and mental illness, confronting its audience with facts on how people handle emotional trauma. The piece's movement is rooted in aerial contact improvisation unique to Circus Solaris (www.circussolaris.com), leading to dynamic and novel interactions between the performers. Aerial acrobatics will portray the stages of anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance as they interact with lust, loathing, anxiety, and sadness. The process of grieving and healing from emotional trauma will be shown both through choreography and on-the-spot improvisation from the aerialists and the musicians.

"For (give) Me" gently offers the opportunity to believe that we are not completely alone in our suffering, and that there is always hope.

The cast will be comprised of performers from Circus Solaris: Gabriela Alvarado, Rachel Boyadjis, Joyce Lai, Joshua Oates, Alexandra Peter, and Sara Zepezauer.

Circus Solaris is a company founded by aerialists Sara Zepezauer and Rachel Boyadjis focused on presenting new works of contemporary circus. They specialize in collaborative aerial dance theater, bringing together different media of performance art (aerial, dance, acrobatics, hand balancing, improvisation, and more) to create a hybrid performance that can evoke emotion, tell stories, and create atmospheres. They believe in listening to the individual voice of each performer to create one dynamic vision, and maintain that the future of performance lies in this collaborative spirit. They strive to open the minds of their audiences as to what circus can be while expanding and developing the talent and vision of their performers.

The original soundtrack will be created by composer Charley Layton and by new media artist and experience designer Julian Sharifi. Music director Charley Layton is a composer and multi-instrumentalist in NYC. He has composed music for dozens of shows all over the city and this is his fourth production with Circus Solaris. He teaches accordion in his spare time. Daniel Loveridge will be the lighting designer.

Director Sara Zepezauer is a visual and movement artist transplanted from the west coast. Zepezauer is honored to premiere new work at the Dream Up Festival and is grateful to Theater for the New City for the opportunity to do so for the second time.

The ninth annual Dream Up Festival (www.dreamupfestival.org) is being presented by Theater for the New City from August 26 to September 16. An ultimate new work festival, it is dedicated to the joy of discovering new authors and edgy, innovative performances. Audiences savor the excitement, awe, passion, challenge and intrigue of new plays from around the country and around the world.

The festival does not seek out traditional scripts that are presented in a traditional way. It selects works that push new ideas to the forefront, challenge audience expectations and make us question our understanding of how art illuminates the world around us.

In addition to traditional plays, a unique and varied selection of productions will again be offered, drawing upon a variety of performance genres including musicals, puppetry and movement theater. The Festival's founders, Crystal Field and Michael Scott-Price, feel this is especially needed in our present time of declining donations to the arts, grants not being awarded due to market conditions, and arts funding cuts on almost every level across the country and abroad.