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Poking Fun at U.S. Hypocrisy on Stage: Dayna Hanson's Election Year Dance Theater Arrives @ REDCAT
photo from Dayna Hanson's "Gloria's Cause" by Benjamin Kasulke
A few years back, there was a Seattle-based modern dance company called 33 Fainting Spells (yes, that’s right) that presented surprising, clever, witty and engaging dances that toured internationally. After eight years, the company shut its doors, leaving co-founder Dayna Hanson the opportunity to go her own way.
Well, that she has, and she is bringing her latest dance theater creation, "Gloria's Cause," to REDCAT for its Los Angeles premiere in four performances this week.
Described in promotional materials as a ”re-imagining of the American Revolution,” the nine multi-talented performers present “warped replays of iconic moments . . . in a layered, colorful and gritty look at the roots of America's inequities and ironies.” Sounds like a terrific opportunity to poke fun at US hypocrisy in the guise of contemporary performance!
Appropriately funded by our very own National Endowment for the Arts as well as other supporters, this “irreverent, funny and provocative” evening length work mixes rock music from the eight-piece band TODAY! with “incisive theatrical elements and virtuosic dancing.”
Having seen some of the former company’s touring work and enthralled by their inventive use of theatrical tools, this new piece sounds like a great reminder of performance ingenuity within a socio-politically charged environment. Who could argue about the events of 1776? Well, perhaps Guggenheim and United Artists Oliver Fellow Hanson can.
Check out the video below and ride your steed to REDCAT this week!
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