The Joyce: "State of Darkness"
Company:
The Joyce: "State of Darkness"
THE JOYCE THEATER FOUNDATION
PRESENTS
STATE OF DARKNESS
By Molissa Fenley
A Collection of Seven Separate Live Solo Performances of
Fenley’s 1988 Tour de Force Work
OCTOBER 24 – NOVEMBER 1
About State of Darkness
Choreographer Molissa Fenley’s celebrated solo work, State of Darkness, finds new life at The Joyce Theater this fall, performed by a new generation of New York’s acclaimed dancers. Our audiences are virtually invited to watch this unique collection of solo performances of Fenley’s tour de force work, broadcast live each weekend from The Joyce stage.
This year, The Joyce Theater’s annual benefit, the popular Choreographers & Cocktails, offers a virtual experience to dance lovers all over the globe. Tickets to Choreographers & Cocktails include all seven live performances of State of Darkness with access to view on-demand through November 7; a special discussion with choreographer Molissa Fenley and dancers moderated by Peter Boal; and a schedule of behind-the-scenes content, silent auction, and more.
Originally commissioned by the American Dance Festival in 1988, State of Darkness challenges Stravinsky’s cacophonous “Le Sacre du Printemps” (The Rite of Spring) with an intense 35-minute solo performance of relentless fervency, technical precision, and fearless abandon. Fenley reimagined the commanding score as the sonic landscape for a solo journey, rather than the usual ensemble interpretations.
Adapting her creative process to our emergent world of social distance, Fenley restaged her solo individually with seven dancers: 2020 Juilliard grad Jared Brown; Lloyd Knight of Martha Graham Dance Company; Sara Mearns of the New York City Ballet; Shamel Pitts, former Batsheva Dance Company member; Annique Roberts of Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE; Cassandra Trenary of American Ballet Theatre; and Michael Trusnovec of Paul Taylor American Dance Company. State of Darkness features original lighting design by David Moodey, and costume design by Marc Happel.
The Joyce Theater Foundation’s presentation of State of Darkness is dedicated to the memory of Joyce Trustees R. Britton Fisher (Trustee: 1999-2020) and Anh-Tuyet Nguyen (Trustee: 2007-2020; Vice Chair: 2018-2020). Brit and AT served The Joyce with wisdom, wit, and tireless dedication to furthering the art of dance.
Tickets start at $12 per household. Livestreamed performances will be available for viewing until November 7, 2020.
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