Ruckus Dance presenting a 'perpetual loneliness' and 'objects lay, people lie'
Perpetual loneliness is developed anew for each iteration; the cast of dancers choreographs in response to a list of words consisting of actions, parts of the body, and qualities. The actions are edited and smoothed in a dialogue between Michael Figueroa and the performers. perpetual loneliness shows disparate and separate actions that seem to affect each other in space, and quietly articulates the peripheral influences human beings can have on each other. The dance is set against music by Beth Anderson.
Objects lay, people lie is a work dedicated to laying a framework for showing rifts in performative affect, while paying attention to responsibly dealing with the physical body. The dancers aim to get outside of the structure of the dance, and are asked to bring in what is not choreographed or set. The dance functions as a physical guide or score for the performer. Objects lay, people lie premiered in Baby's First Show at The Dance Complex this past April and is made possible with the support of the Boston Foundation.
About the Director
Michael Figueroa is a Cambridge based performance maker, teacher, and performer. Dubbed “anti-choreographer” by Marcia Siegel, his dances deal with rulebreaking, rote memory, and improvisational situations. He has premiered three solos in the Greater Boston area, and his work has been commissioned by the Dance Complex, the Mobius Artists Group, Dance Now Boston and Outside the Box Festival. He has taught workshops at College of the Holy Cross, Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, Moving Target (Boston and Portland, ME), and NACHMO Boston. Michael attended The Boston Conservatory and graduated with a BFA in dance.
Michael teaches weekly classes as part of the Midday Movement Series, a class series that provides consistent training for advanced/professional dancers and support to emerging contemporary dance teachers. MMS was founded by Marissa Molinar and takes place at DanceComplex in Cambridge, MA. He has performed projects by/with smolnikova + williams, Yury Yanowsky, Peter Dimuro, Nicole Pierce, Joy Davis, Zoe Dance, Prometheus Dance, Sarah Mae Gibbons, Cathy Young, Dendy/Donovan Projects and Margot Gelber.
The Company
Ruckus Dance works to open up performance spaces that both provoke conversation and bewilder the viewer, driving them to ask questions about the logic of what is happening before them. Through layering improvisation and choreography, Ruckus leads its viewers to analyze what is being generated live. Priorities in performance include but are not limited to clarity, rigor, exhaustion, self-annihilation, self-love, focus, distraction, multi-tasking, and grit. Ruckus Dance is choreographed and directed by Michael Figueroa.
Dancers
perpetual loneliness: Caitlin Canty, Michael Figueroa, Maggie Foster, Sasha Peterson, Sonia Santvoord
objects lay, people lie: Jessica Chang, Michael Figueroa, Marissa Molinar, Sasha Peterson, Sonia Santvoord