To mark the centennial of Vaslav Nijinsky’s Afternoon of a Faun, the Oakland-based dance theater group ‘this sweet nothing’ presents an evening-length performance inspired by the seminal ballet. Since its controversial premiere by Les Ballets Russes in Paris in 1912, during which outraged patrons caused a near riot, Afternoon of a Faun has been revisited by artists ranging from Jerome Robbins and Mikhail Baryshnikov to Freddie Mercury and Queen.
For this re-imagined fantasy, choreographer Sonsherée Giles, composer Caroline Penwarden, and visual artist Heike Liss create an erotic and teasing dreamscape, charged with sexual ambiguity and undermining our sense of what is “real”. Giles draws on her daily observations of downtown Oakland and uses art history to inform her choreographic work and artistic voice. Penwarden’s live score mixes voice, wood-based percussion, electric guitar, accordion and more to create soundscapes informed by liturgy, ecology, African music, and rock. The proliferating images created by Liss, composed in real time and digitally “painted” on the dance and music, complement and question the sound and movement to complete the high voltage interplay.
Advance tickets recommended: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/214818
