GLENDALE, CA: Museum of Neon Art (MONA) Presents Volta Collective’s Site-Specific Dance Performance
Company:
MUSEUM OF NEON ART / MONA
“In Liquid Light” Embodies the History of LA’s Neon Signs
The Museum of Neon Art presents the world premiere of Volta Collective’s immersive, site-specific dance performance
Glendale, CA The Museum of Neon Art and dance company Volta Collective will present the world premiere of “In Liquid Light.” Created by Mamie Green and Megan Paradowski, this site specific immersive dance performance that travels through MONA’s galleries examines the nature of space and memory through movement, sound, and historic neon signs of Los Angeles.
The dance collective collaborated with Sound Architect Nicolas Snyder who gathered recordings in the MONA galleries and electric lab. The soundscape for the performance will amplify the clicks from the signs’ mechanical animators and the distinct hum of electricity running through vintage neon signs. The soundscape will also harness oral histories related to the signs in the museum’s collection. These recordings are deeply connected to objects in the MONA galleries, and convey personal, historic, and embodied experiences related to these iconic signs. Artist and Director Rachel Mason, discuses the neon sign that guided a generation of gay men to her parents’ bookstore Circus of Books. Los Angeles Conservationist Celeste Hong, granddaughter of trailblazer and co-founder of LA’s Chinatown, YC Hong shares the history of exclusion that led to the formation of New Chinatown, the only planned Chinatown in the USA. Sign historians Dydia Delyser and Eric Lynxwiler discuss the meaning of the technology of neon, and what preservationists risk to save these treasures. Mia Kuwada, longtime patron of Billy's Deli, shares about her favorite waitress, and Maryam Hosseinzadeh speaks about the way a sign advertising The Pasadena Rug Mart, draws a thread from her Iranian American Family to survivors of the Armenian genocide.
A group of six dancers will move through the MONA galleries in conversation with recordings, amplified sound, and the glow of community history.The evening performances will offer 3 different entry times where the performers will guide audiences of 20 people through the MONA galleries for the approximately 25 minute performance cycle. At the performance’s conclusion, audiences will be invited to MONA’s Sign Garden for drinks and dancing to DJ Teh Raptor.
“Volta Collective is passionate about presenting dance in nontraditional spaces, so having the privilege to work in the Museum of Neon Art is rich with possibility,” state Mamie Green and Megan Paradowski, founders and directors of Volta Collective. “Within the signs’ vibrating gasses we saw parallels with a dancer’s moving body, while the neon’s clicking and buzzing creates a built-in soundtrack for a performance. Moreover, MONA is not only a home to neon signs but also to the important, untold stories behind the signs. As you walk through the galleries of MONA, you also walk through Los Angeles’ unique history. Volta is thrilled to add our voice to the many voices at MONA and create an immersive chorus of dance, Neon Art, and the stories that live behind the light.”
Green and Paradowski will be joined by dancers Allie Milks, Melody Morrow, Win McCain, and Ashley Kayombo.
“We are honored to present this work by Volta, their sensitivity to space, history and community has anchored this project, and the stories contributed by community members provide new context for our collection. This performance brings a new level of embodiment to the stories signs and our bodies can tell,” states MONA Executive Director Corrie Siegel.
On Saturday, March 5 Volta will give a performance specifically for family audiences. Ben Weber, MONA’s Director of Education says, “For me, experiencing art alongside young people magnifies its impact. Young audiences bring a unique honesty and wisdom to any performance, and grown-ups can discover a lot from a kid’s interpretation of creative work. The inspiring artists of Volta Collective will offer a morning performance complete with a talk-back and hands-on activities, which signals the beginning of MONA’s long-term commitment to programming that appeals to curious people of all ages. ”
About Volta Collective:
Directed by Mamie Green and Megan Paradowski, Volta fuses physicality, theatricality and multidisciplinary approaches to performance. Volta is passionate about presenting dance in accessible, nontraditional spaces, often collaborating with artists across mediums. Volta's work expresses the communal rage, wonder, and love that connect us all.
Performance Schedule:
Thursday, March 3, 2022 - Invited Dress
Performance Time: 6:00pm
Ticket Price: $10
Friday, March 4, 2022
Performance Times: 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Ticket Price: $20 General, $15 Members
Saturday, March 5, 2022 - Family Show
Performance Times: 10:00am, 10:30pm
Hands-on activities will be available.
Talkback / Q&A will be held at the conclusion of both performance cycles
Saturday, March 5, 2022
Performance Times: 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm
Ticket Price: $20 General, $15 Members
Sunday, March 6, 2022
Performance Times: 6:00pm, 6:30pm, 7:00pm
Ticket Price: $20 General, $15 Members
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