A contemporary dance company comprising disabled and non-disabled dancers, internationally renowned Candoco explores what dance can be. In its New York and BAM debuts, Candoco presents a program of two works: a restaging of Trisha Brown's iconic Set and Reset, first reworked in 2011 by Candoco in collaboration with Brown's company; and Face In (2017), a commissioned work by Israeli-American choreographer Yasmeen Godder.
Trisha Brown Dance Company (currently celebrating its 50th anniversary season) premiered the signature work Set and Reset at BAM (which commissioned it) in 1983. For the 2011 creation of Set and Reset/Reset, Candoco was an integral part of the creative process. Former Trisha Brown Dance Company member Abigail Yager first taught the dancers exact sequences from the original choreography. She later guided them in an extensive improvisation process wherein they used the same set of instructions that Brown gave her company in 1983: keep it simple, act on instinct, stay on the edge, work with visibility and invisibility, and get in line. Set and Reset/Reset features the original piece's music by Laurie Anderson and set and costume designs based on Robert Rauschenberg's original work.
Described as "a leading choreographer of the Israeli new wave" (The Guardian), Yasmeen Godder's work has been presented at venues and festivals worldwide, including Lincoln Center Festival, Tokyo International Festival, Sydney Opera House, and Montpellier Dance Festival. Face In is a sensual and disturbing ode to intimacy and imagination, expressed through striking images interwoven with uninhibited dance.
Founded in 1991, Candoco is led by Artistic Director Charlotte Darbyshire. The company's national and international productions are commissioned from world-class choreographers including Jérôme Bel, Sarah Michelson, Hofesh Shechter, Stephen Petronio, and Arlene Phillips, among others. Candoco chooses artists with a variety of approaches to choreography, who engage with pushing the boundaries of the art form. The company is guided by an understanding that diversity is inherently exciting, and ensures that dance makes room for different bodies, perspectives, and experiences. In addition to a professional and youth company, Candoco also provides robust learning projects and activities for developing dancers and those participating in dance for pure enjoyment.
Candoco Dance Company
Choreography by Trisha Brown; Yasmeen Godder
Face In
NY Premiere
Concept, choreography, and direction by Yasmeen Godder
Dramaturgy by Itzik Giuli
Set design by Gareth Green
Lighting design by Seth Rook Williams
Costume design by Adam Kalderon
Set and Reset/Reset
Choreography by Trisha Brown
Directed by Abigail Yager
Set design by David Lock (based on the original design by Robert Rauschenberg)
Lighting design by Chahine Yavroyan
Costume design by Celeste Dandeker-Arnold OBE (based on the original design by Robert Rauschenberg)
Music by Laurie Anderson
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave)
April 10 & 11 at 7:30pm
Tickets start at $25
Photo Credit: Chantal Guevara
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