Two: duets

curated and produced by Nicki Marshall & Helen Styring Tocci

Who: Charles Vincent Burwell, Elena Demianenko, Ganessa James, Ana Keilson, Amii LeGendre, Lenora Lee, Nicki Marshall, Anne Mulvaney, Kwame Ross, Chaney Sims, Helen Styring Tocci, Elaine Wang

When: Thursday-Saturday, January 25-27, 8pm
Question & Answer directly following performance on Friday 26th, moderated by Marya Wethers

Tickets: $15 ($12 students/artists). Cash only at the door. For reservations, call 212-777-4280.

What happens when two energies collide on stage? In Two, Helen Styring Tocci and Nicki Marshall have chosen five pairs of artists to join them on the historic WOW Cafheater stage to explore intimacy through the duet form. These performers approach the territory of intimacy fiercely, gently, with ravenous abandon and with calm remove, creating a rich visual and auditory buffet. This multi-disciplinary show includes post-modern, African, and improvisational dance forms, plus live singing, percussion, and musical instrumentation p erformed by internationally touring artists who have worked with such companies as Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Stephen Petronio Company, Urban Bush Women, and Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.

====================================================

Through a process that is rooted in improvisation, Nicki Marshall and Helen Styring Tocci have developed a unique aesthetic- a blend of vibrant, melodic vocal scoring and purposeful movement, which is at once quirky, fierce, tender and emotive. The sung score for their duet blends effortlessly with the movement, the voices both clashing and coming together in aching harmony. Their work becomes a tangible environment that invites the audience members to become more than mere observers.

Ganessa James and guests harmonize and philosophize in this collaboration between voice and guitar. Drawing on urban, Caribbean, Latin, blues, folk and jazz influences, these soulful songstresses create poetry with their voices as they swap original songs and old favorites.

Ana Keilson and Elena Demianenko will present two original collaborative works. "Oct 24, 2006" is a duet between a dancer and a figure projected on a screen. This piece emotes a charged atmosphere of surveillance, of watching and being watched. "All About Running, Dancing and Talking", performed by Ana and Paul Singh, comments on the process of two people collaborating to make a dance. Warm-Blooded, a tightly structured improvisation by Amii LeGendre and Anne Mulvaney, explores the territory of motherhood by way of trust and provocation. It evokes needing and owning, the engagement with body as home, and the search for deep rest.

Longtime collaborators, Kwame A. Ross and Charles Vincent Burwell explore the non-verbal nuance and conversation between creative artists. Operating in extremes, these two accomplished musicians use their exploration of African rhythm and dance to uncover as many contrasting emotions so possible before finding a place of balance and harmony.

Created by Elaine Wang and Lenora Lee, "You Quietly" is based on the inter-weaving of memories of loved ones. What is seemingly the innocence of childhood unfolds into a much darker, multi-layed experience. What is seemingly a fixation on altering the interior of a home opens the floodgates of grief and abandonment.

Choreographer and performer BIOS

Nicki Marshall and Helen Styring Tocci have previously self-produced two evenings of work together at WOW Cafheater. Their innovative works have also been presented at various venues throughout NYC including Dance Theater Workshop, BRIC Studio, BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, and University Settlement. Helen is co-founder of the VAROOM Group Dance Collective and has worked with Shannon Hummel/CORA, Red Dive Theater and Cline/Daniel Dance. Nicki has recently been a member of CompanyAmyCox, Movement for the Urban Village Dance Company, Magbana Drum & Dance, and InMixedCompany/Maura Nyugen Donahue.

Charles Vincent Burwell has worked with the Lincoln Center Institute, City Center, the Katherine Dunham Institute, Urban Bush Women, Festival del Caribe (Santiago do Cuba), Ile Aiye (Salvador de Bahia, Brazil), and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. He is co-founder of the Prophecy Arts Collective.

Elena Demianenko is a Russian-born graduate of the Academy of Theatrical Arts (Moscow). She has performed internationally with Nikolai Androsov's Russian Seasons Dance Company and as guest artist with the Moscow Ballet in Riverdance: The Show. After studying with Trisha Brown and Bill T. Jones and working with several choreographers including Henning R'bsam, Nathan Trice, Andrew Marcus and Susan Dodge. Elena joined the Stephen Petronio Company in 2003.

Ganessa James is a baseist, guitarist and songwriter. In her song-writing she explores her own life experience and ponders concepts that tug at her brain. She went on tour with poet Saul Williams in 2002 and founded a band with her twin Tiffany called Onliest. Her work with Onliest will soon be available on cd.

Ana Keilson is currently appearing as a guest artist/understudy with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and has also worked with Jennifer Nugent and Paul Matteson, Lila York, David Dorfman Dance and PEARSONWIDRIG DANCETHEATER.

Amii LeGendre has choreographed over 30 works for both her company, which was based in Seattle, and other groups and communities. She teaches independently at Bard College, just completed a guest residency at Weslyan University, and is a member of an ongoing dance lab group in the Hudson Valley Area.

Lenora Lee has directed, choreographed, and produced her own works performing nationally and internationally. She co-directed the Red Jade Collective and SambAsia from 2001-2004 with percussionist/composer Jimmy Biala and has collaborated with former Meet the Composer New Resident/saxophonist Francis Wong, Sensei Melody Takata of Gen Taiko, and cellist/composer Loren Kiyoshi Dempster.

Anne Mulvaney has performed with Sondra Loring & Company and with the Hudson Valley Dance Collective. Her own work has been shown in upstate NY and in the city, specializing in dance integrated with nature, art, and music.

Kwame Ross is a faculty member at Lincoln Center Institute and is Associate Professor at Long Island University. He is founder and artistic director of Prophecy Dance Company and is former associate artistic director of Urban Bush Women.

Chaney Sims is a singer and poet who performs with her father, blues singer and musician Bill Sims, Jr., at clubs around the city.

Elaine Wang's work has been presented at Jacob's Pillow, Mulberry Street Theater, John Ryan Theater, Chez Bushwick, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, the Bric Studio, and various Los Angeles venues. She has had the pleasure of working with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Zvi Gotheiner, Stephan Koplowitz, Yin Mei, and Satoshi Haga.