Kennedy Center Presents THE ANALOGY TRILOGY

Revered choreographer and Kennedy Center Honoree Bill T. Jones and his company return to the Kennedy Center, March 28-30, with the D.C. premiere of three separate, evening-length works collectively titled The Analogy Trilogy. The company was last seen at the Kennedy Center in 2011. Each performance will be followed by a post-performance discussion with Artistic Director and choreographer Bill T. Jones.

Choreographed by Jones and Associate Artistic Director Janet Wong, The Analogy Trilogy is inspired by oral histories from Jones's family members and by the writings of W.G. Sebald's The Emigrants, a 1992 fictional work by German writer W.G. Sebald, which traces the stories of four immigrant men as an unnamed narrator encounters them during his travels. Each Analogy delves into the voice of the marginalized in our society, exploring identity, migration, survival, and family, while incorporating text and song by the dancers onstage. The work brings into light the different types of war we fight and, in particular, the war within ourselves. It searches for the connection between three varying stories; focusing on memory and the effect of powerful events on the actions of individuals and, more importantly, on their often unexpressed inner life. Through this trilogy, Jones continues his exploration of how text, storytelling, and movement pull and push against each other and how another experience can be had through the combination and recombination of these elements.

An original score composed and performed by Nick Hallett takes inspiration from German Romantic Lieder, French chanson and 1990s club music, and includes songs written by Jones' nephew Lance T. Briggs (Analogy/Lance) himself. Hallett is joined by pianist Emily Manzo in the performances of Analogy/Dora and Analogy/Ambros, and by baritone Matthew Gamble in Analogy/Lance. The dancers become singers in both Analogy/Lance and Analogy/Ambros.

The Analogy Trilogy is part of DIRECT CURRENT, the Kennedy Center's two-week celebration of contemporary culture. DIRECT CURRENT showcases potent, provocative, and original work by some of today's foremost cultural risk-takers. The Analogy Trilogy is also part of The Human Journey, a collaboration between the Kennedy Center, National Geographic Society, and the National Gallery of Art. The Human Journey invites audiences to investigate the powerful experiences of migration, exploration, identity, and resilience through the lenses of the performing arts, science, and visual art.

Analogy/Dora: Tramontane (March 28)

As the first installment in the trilogy, Analogy/Dora: Tramontane is based on an oral history that Jones conducted with his mother-in-law, Dora Amelan, a French Jewish nurse and social worker. Her harrowing, touching, and inspirational story of survival during World War II become the basis for songs and choreography in this work, a portrait of the ability to persevere.

Analogy/Lance: Pretty aka The Escape Artist (March 29)

Analogy/Lance: Pretty aka The Escape Artist draws on conversations between Jones and his nephew, Lance T. Briggs, about the hardships Briggs faced in the underworld of club culture and sex trade in the late 80's and early 90's. Tragic yet humorous, this work is a journey through Lance's life and his struggle through addiction and recovery.

Analogy/Ambros: The Emigrant (March 30)

Inspired by W.G. Sebald's celebrated historical novel The Emigrants,Analogy/Ambros: The Emigrant is Jones's reaction to the central character Ambros Adelwarth, a Jewish German émigré traveling through Europe and the Middle East in the years before World War I. Through a fictionalized narrative for the character, Jones explores the impact of trauma on the psyche.

Tickets start at $29. Tickets can be purchased at the Kennedy Center box office or by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600. Patrons living outside the Washington metropolitan area may dial toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

Photo by Paul B Goode

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