DEVIATED THEATRE, whose mesmerizing dance operas are heralded for their spellbindingly compelling choreography, presents 'creature comfort' at the National Gallery of Art on November 5-6, 2016.
DEVIATED will transform the East Building into an out-of-the-ordinary and family-friendly exploration with a 30- minute fusion of contemporary dance, stilt walking, and playful character work. The premiere, features an exclusive reimagining of beloved four-legged beings from DEVIATED's evening-length fantasy, 'creature'.
DEVIATED will also perform 'creature comfort' for the National Gallery of Art's event Evening at the Edge on December 8, 2016.
"It's an honor to be a part of the celebrations of this historic event and bring our work to this space," says Kimmie Dobbs Chan, choreographer and artistic director of Deviated Theatre. "creature and our tagline, 'depart from the norm,' take on a new shape and existence in the East Building, as it connects with the beauty of the art it holds, and transforms the space into a new existential world for a moment in time."
The characters in 'creature comfort' originally appeared-and survived-in DEVIATED's evening length production of creature, which exposed humanity's simultaneous identity as a creature of the natural world and as a departure from it. The production highlighted humanity's struggle to cope with the effects of its own industrial and technological creative power. A post-apocalyptic story by choreographer Kimmie Dobbs Chan and director Enoch Chan, 'creature comfort' features four-legged survivors in a bare bones environment overcoming fear and rebuilding a sense of home to include an interconnectedness with others. At times graceful and awkward, the creatures suggest an inherent potential to remain hopeful with limitless creativity of the human legacy.
National Gallery of Art's Community Weekend will be a time to celebrate art in all forms; Deviated Theatre's performance of 'creature comfort' will feature seven dancers including two stilt performers. DEVIATED will also perform, 'creature comfort' at the Gallery's nighttime events, Evenings at the Edge, a fun after hours event exploring art of all mediums.
Community Weekend Celebration - DEVIATED will perform: November 5 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. November 6 at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Evening at the Edge - DEVIATED will perform: December 8 at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Tickets are not required for the Community Weekend Celebration. Tickets for Evenings at the Edge are also FREE, but must be reserved by visiting www.nga.gov/adults--tickets become available on the Friday one month before each Thursday event date. Auditorium programs are on a first-come, first-seated basis.
The National Gallery of Art East Building is located at Fourth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. DEVIATED THEATRE's Community Weekend performance will take place in the East Building, Ground Level.
REPERTORY DETAILS:
'creature comfort'
Director: Enoch Chan
Choreographer: Kimmie Dobbs Chan
Costume Design: Kimmie Dobbs Chan; with select pieces by Andy Christ
In 'creature comfort', post-apocalyptic creatures show an ability to overcome fear, expand a sense of home, and discover interconnectedness with others. 'creature comfort' reveals humanity in these four-legged creature characters through rhythmic play, awkward exploration, and curiosity for something new.
Husband and wife team, Kimmie Dobbs Chan and Enoch Chan, founded DEVIATED THEATRE in 2008. The pair utilizes a mix of dance, acting, and aerials to tell fantastical stories of other worlds in order to shed light on the human condition. Choreographer Kimmie Dobbs Chan's movement, at times pedestrian and precise, resonates with Director Enoch Chan's enigmatic aesthetic to evoke powerful and even haunting imagery. The pair tours with a dozen performers for each original production and has performed nationally at venues including The Kennedy Center in D.C. and Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York. The company has been awarded the Individual Artists Award for Choreography from the Maryland State Arts Council (2014, 2011), Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant (2012), and the John F. Kennedy Center Local Dance Commission (2011). Choreographer Kimmie Dobbs Chan was voted Audience Favorite at the 2013 Breaking Glass Project in New York, and the company named Best Dance Company by the Washington City Paper in 2012. DEVIATED THEATRE is based in the Washington D.C./Baltimore Metro area.
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