As part of the 2013 Fringe Festival presented by FringeArts, Nichole Canuso Dance Company (NCDC) invites audiences to preview The Garden: an experiential journey designed to illuminate the peculiar beauty of being alone in our bodies through moments of solitude, observation and immersion. These full-length performances (75 minutes) for only four audience members at a time will take place September 13–21 in the sprawling basement of Old City’s Power Plant Productions, with a full premiere running November 1–17.
Inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities and Jorge Luis Borges short story “The Garden of Forking Paths“, The Garden gently guides participants on an intimate yet expansive journey as they navigate the shifting terrain of the performance. Every engagement – including sound via headphones – will respond specifically to the pace and movements of the participant.
One of only four dance projects awarded a Knight Arts Challenge grant through the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation during the contest’s inaugural year, The Garden is NCDC’s most logistically ambitious work to date. It incorporates a maze-like installation set by Anna Kiraly; conceptual lighting by New York-based Yi Zhao; an original sound score by Fringe favorites James Sugg and Michael Kiley; and performances by NCDC artists John Luna, Scott McPheeters, Les Rivera, Eun Jung Choi and Annie Wilson.
Canuso says of the project: “This is really a labyrinth about movement and the choreography of the every day. People move through the experience in isolation with headphones on, but ideally they’re able to come out of the other side feeling a little more open, more connected to their surroundings and their bodies.”
Preview performances of The Garden will run during the 2013 Fringe Festival, September 13–21, 2013 at The Power Plant Basement, 233 North Bread Street in Philadelphia (access off of New Street, between 2nd and 3rd). Tickets are $20 and are now available through FringeArts.com.
The Garden will premiere November 1 and run through November 17. Tickets will be available beginning October 7. More information is available by calling 215-413-9083 or visiting nicholecanusodance.org.
ABOUT NICHOLE CANUSO DANCE COMPANY
Nichole Canuso Dance Company (NCDC) creates dance-based projects exploring the complexity of human experience. Founded in 2004 by performer and choreographer Nichole Canuso, NCDC makes original work, performs, tours, and teaches. Projects are developed through collaboration across disciplines with dancers, designers, and musicians. NCDC has been presented by Dance Theatre Workshop (NYC), Judson Church Movement Research Exchange (NYC, Philadelphia), Links Hall (Chicago), Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival (NYC), the International Festival of Art and Ideas (CT), HERE Arts Center (NYC), The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, among others, as well as several colleges and universities nationwide. Recent works include Wandering Alice (2008) and TAKES (2010).