Infinity Dance Theater presents "Frida Kahlo and the Dance with Death"
Company:
Infinity Dance Theater (Kitty Lunn, Artistic Director)
Join Infinity Dance Theater in September for the world premiere of Kitty Lunn’s Frida Kahlo and the Dance with Death performed by Artistic Director Kitty Lunn, who choreographed the work, and Artistic Associate and company member Luísa Righeto, with narration by Jim Trainor. The piece, about one-hour in length without an intermission, features an original score composed by Music Director William Catanzaro. A talkback with the artists will follow each performance.
Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a woman of extreme magnetism and originality. Her sensual vibrancy grew from her own personal history and experiences: her childhood near Mexico City during the Mexican Revolution; a devastating accident at age 18 that left her disabled, in terrible life-long pain, and unable to bear children; and her tempestuous marriage to Diego Rivera, the famous muralist. Frida Kahlo knew intense passion and loss throughout her life.
Through Frida Kahlo and the Dance with Death, Kitty Lunn will explore the latter part of the artist’s life, and four movements comprise the work. At first blush, one would think that Frida Kahlo and Kitty Lunn, a Scottish-American born in New Orleans, have nothing in common. Lunn was just four years old when the artist died in 1954; however, they have more in common than meets the eye. Both suffered life-altering spinal cord injuries from accidents that rendered them unable to bear children. Both endured years of painful treatments with very little result. Above all, they share resilience and a dedication to the art that kept them going – Kahlo through painting and Lunn through dance. Through their art, they have thrived.
William Catanzaro has collaborated with Kitty Lunn for years by composing scores for several of her dance works over Infinity’s history, with themes as varied as Stardust and Ghosts in the Machine. For the creation of this new score, the affinity between Kitty Lunn and Frida Kahlo became a source of inspiration, yet also an immense challenge.
Catanzaro shares, “Months of research and several sketches later, I was able to move the choreography musically in the direction Kitty envisions. Of all the scores I’ve created for Kitty, this has proven to be one of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming of all.”
This engagement at Theater for the New City is Infinity’s first major concert presentation at the East Village venue since 2013. Infinity’s performances will debut a new dance floor by Showfab that strengthens the accessibility of Theater for the New City, making the venue a much-needed new resource for the New York City dance community – especially for small-to-midsize dance companies and performing artists with disabilities.
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