Helen Simoneau Danse to Present New York Premiere of LAND BRIDGE in Brooklyn

Helen Simoneau Danse (HSDanse), a modern Dance Company sharing a rich connection between genuine curiosity and intimacy, will present the New York premiere of Land Bridge, October 14-15, 2016, at GK ArtsCenter, Brooklyn, New York.

Award-winning choreographer Helen Simoneau investigates heritage, identity, and assimilation in this evening-length work, which premiered in Winston-Salem March 2016. Featuring eight performers and an original score by Nathalie Joachim, Land Bridge reveals how erasure of the self can serve as means of renewal and redirection.

Abstractly examined through the lens of caribou, the iconic animal from Simoneau's native Canada, Land Bridge marks Helen Simoneau's first evening-length piece and collaboration with highly acclaimed composer and flutist Nathalie Joachim. Made possible by a grant from New Music USA, Joachim's electroacoustic score captures an intrinsic human quality paired with unapologetically synthetic sound.

"As a Québécoise living in the US, Land Bridge has given me the opportunity to work with themes of identity, drawing upon the duality of living between two languages to explore both immigrating and migrating forms," said Helen Simoneau.

Nathalie Joachim adds, "I drew from my experiences of blending Haitian and American backgrounds, which aligned with Helen's duality, to create a score that is a testament to standing softly yet with conviction in all that you are through the varying stages of life."

The company will also present Land Bridge October 6-8 at the Black Mountain College Festival, in NC, and an excerpt of the work November 18 at Lafayette College in Easton, PA.

During the 2016-2017 Season, Helen Simoneau has been commissioned to work with The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pointe Park University in Pittsburgh, and Attack Theatre, also in Pittsburgh. Additionally, as part of Oregon Ballet's new Choreography XX residency, Simoneau will create an original work for the ballet company in June 2017.

HSDanse will celebrate it's 7th annual season March 16-18, 2017 at Hanesbrands Theatre in Winston-Salem. There, Simoneau will present the premiere of a new work in collaboration with indie band Must Be The Holy Ghost, also based in WS, and Weapons of Mass Projection, who will create a live light projection experience.

REPERTORY DETAILS:

Land Bridge

Choreography: Helen Simoneau in collaboration with the performers

Performers: Hannah Darrah, Kayla Farrish, Jasmine Hearn, Jordan Isadore, Burr Johnson, Catherine Kirk, Nik Owens, and Connie Shiau

Composer: Nathalie Joachim

Lighting: Carrie Wood

Costumes: Reid Bartelme

Dramaturg: Steven Cook

Additional Contributors: David Ferguson and Ariel Freedman

Land Bridge investigates heritage, assimilation and identity, examined abstractly through the lens of caribou, the iconic and threatened species from Simoneau's native Canada. The piece features an original score by Nathalie Joachim, known for her "unique blend of classical music, hip-hop, and electronic programming" (Wall Street Journal).

"The music, movement and skillful dancers blend seamlessly in an extraordinary evening of performance-eloquent, primal, memorable" (Lynn Felder, Winston-Salem Journal).

Tickets purchased online range from $20-$45, tickets purchased at the door will range from $25-$50. A $15 student rush will be available for each night of the performance. The VIP ticket option includes a premiere seat location and champagne toast. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at purplepass.com.

Gelsey Kirkland ArtsCenter is located in Brooklyn at 29 jay St, Brooklyn, NY, 11201. The venue is accessible by the F train to York St and the C train to High St-Brooklyn Bridge.

A native of Québec, Canada, Helen SimonEAU, has been commissioned by The Juilliard School, the American Dance Festival, the Bessie Schönberg Residency at The Yard, Springboard Danse Montréal, and the Swiss International Coaching Project (SiWiC) in Zurich. She was a resident artist at Baryshnikov Arts Center, Bates Dance Festival and has received fellowships from Bogliasco Foundation and North Carolina Arts Council. Simoneau took first place for choreography at the Internationales Solo-Tanz-Theatre Festival in Stuttgart, Germany in 2009. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally at notable venues such as The Guggenheim (NYC), Dance Place (DC), Joyce SoHo (NYC), Tangente (Montréal), The Aoyama Round Theatre (Tokyo), the L.I.G. Art Hall Busan (South Korea), Jacob's Pillow Inside/Out Stage (MA), and Athens International Dance Festival (Greece).

Helen Simoneau Danse, a North Carolina-based Dance Company with strong New York City ties and acclaimed international presence has been described as vibrant, intricate, rich in connection and constantly curious. The company premieres original works by founder Helen Simoneau in collaboration with the dancers. In addition to an annual company season in Winston-Salem, NC, the company has been presented in Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and has toured throughout Germany, Asia, and the United States.

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