Choreographer Adriana Pierce and dancers Remy Young and Sierra Armstrong, both from American Ballet Theatre, have joined the six previously-announced projects as part of a Dance Residency initiative at Hudson Valley's Bridge Street Theatre. Developmental work on #QueertheBallet will take place at the theatre, located in Catskill, NY, from February 14 - 26, 2021, during which time the artists will have exclusive access to all the theatre's resources, including its Mainstage, technical facilities, and on-site housing, as well as stipends to support their creative process - precious commodities during the current health crisis.
During the residency Adriana Pierce will start to create a non-traditional pas de deux on pointe that will serve as a loving testament to the unique and varied ways in which two women communicate and connect. For Pierce, LGBTQ+ women and their stories are egregiously missing from the ballet sphere, both onstage and off. "When I speak to queer women ballet dancers," she says, "the number one dream they (we) all have is to do pas de deux work with other women. This is simply not a common practice in ballet choreography, and, when it does occur, it's generally accomplished merely by using the physical partnering codes which already exist within ballet's binary gendered movement system. I want to create a duet for two women which honors their movement styles, physique, emotionality, and connection in a way that is not harnessed or codified by ballet's traditional technical ideals. I also feel it's imperative that audiences get to see genuine and thoughtful queer stories and relationships."
As the residency draws to a close, a free video excerpt of the work-in-progress will be streamed to the public beginning at 7:00pm February 25 on Bridge Street Theatre's web site (BridgeStreetTheatre.org), Facebook page, and YouTube channel.
Underwritten by Bridge Street Theatre fans and local community members Duke Dang and Charles Rosen, the entire Bridge Street Theatre Dance Residency initiative is dedicated to the memory of their friend and mentor Anh-Tuyet "AT" Nguyen.
#QueertheBallet by choreographer Adriana Pierce, featuring Remy Young and Sierra Armstrong is in residence at Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, NY, February 14 - 26, 2021. Digital work in process performance viewing on February 25, 7:00pm
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