Bringing his company of eleven unparalleled and exacting dancers to the Barclay Theater in Irvine for a single performance this Wednesday night, globally-acclaimed contemporary choreographer Stephen Petronio returns to the southland with two performance collages of new ideas.
Deepening his palette with new original music, decor and innovative costuming, the man and his highly respected collaborators will present the West Coast premiere of the 2012 "Architecture of Loss" and the 2011 American Masterpiece, "Underland." Musical colleagues for this program are Nick Cave and Valgeir Sigurðsson (from Iceland), with video by Mike Daly, projections by Ravi Rajan, artwork by Rannvá Kunoy (from the Faroe Islands), costumes by Tara Subkoff and Guðrun & Guðrun (also from the Faroe Islands) and visual design by Ken Tabachnick.
Noting the ephemeral nature of dance as one of his ongoing inspirations, the artistic director unleashes his quiver of what promotional materials describe as a "signature style of fast, daring movement - dancers hurling through space with razor sharp precision; fiercely energized one moment, sensually lyrical the next" in his non-literal, non-linear creations.
Having see his work many times since the company's founding in 1984, this viewer can attest to the rapid, visceral and abstractly emotional power of his choreography. Often appearing in larger venues in LA (i.e. Royce Hall), this opportunity should allow the energy to be palpable throughout the theater.
Take a drive south and reward yourself with the experience. Buy Tickets online.
