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Transcending Form, In More Ways Than One
Choreographer John Byrne’s Transcending World Premiere
Photo: David LaChapelle
Opening in New York City this summer is Transcending Form, a 70 minute “dance fable” in which eight dancers probe the essence of life through a physical and emotional narrative.
Choreographer John Byrne blends the “old” and the “new” by adapting traditional dance forms to more contemporary themes and concepts. Further enhancing the fusion of “old” and “new” is Transcending Form‘s soundscape–the music ranges from classical Mozart and Tchaikovsky to gospel, and live performances by artists such as Gina Figueroa mix in with the musical recordings.
In a way, the title Transcending Form addresses the union between the work’s form and content–the traditional forms of dance and music themselves transcend, and in turn they mirror the work’s exploration of the transcendence of the soul.
To say that Transcending Form is a “dance performance” is, perhaps, to insufficiently grasp just what it is. Dance is transformed into a highly theatrical work, uniting physical modes of expression with audiovisual art forms. Artist David LaChapelle, also the producer of Transcending Form, contributes to the work’s overall visual aesthetics by complementing Byrne’s choreography with his own figurative photography. This is their latest collaboration, having previously collaborated on various works over the past decade.
John Byrne currently teaches and choreographs in New York City, and has been developing his choreography since 2004. He is inspired by modern dancers such as José Limón and Eliot Field, and was trained in prestigious dance and performing arts schools (The North Carolina School of the Arts, The Juilliard School, and The School of American Ballet). And thus, with his own background being a mixture of the classical and modern, art imitates life.
Dancers Debra Zalkind, Soetkin Jacobs, Ryan Braun, Vincent Marra, Lior Shneior, Rob Laqui, Farrah Olieri, and Kimberly Mhoon perform in Transcending Form.
Opens June 3 at 8 p.m. at Theatre 80, New York City. Tickets are online at http://www.theatre80.net/, and at the box office for $15.