KDNY Dance Presents Presents GOING, 3/18
by BWW News Desk

New York-based contemporary dance company KDNY Dance is pleased to announce their 2011 Season, an evening of World Premieres choreographed by Kathleen Dyer and set to original music by Cristina Spinei and Zoe Keating, lighting design by Dans Maree Sheehan, and video projection by Heather Kemp. Going will play four performances only at The Ailey Citigroup Theater, The Joan Weill Center for Dance (405 West 55th Street at Ninth Avenue, NYC). Performances begin Friday, March 18 and continue through Sunday, March 20.

The examined journey is as important as the destination; changing even the view of the destination. KDNY's Going is an evening of traveling encounters, which encourage us to embrace both the light and dark aspects of our true nature. In KDNY's three premieres, Vinegar Hill, Formula and Going, choreographer Kathleen Dyer uses oscillating environments, tensions in camaraderie, and honest anticipation of the journey to uncover powerful realizations about oneself as a part of a whole and as whole, apart.

Vinegar Hill (Premiere) mysterious and aggressive, set against a mountainous backdrop, a quartet of women wrestle and clamor over each other in a competitive bid for control. Vinegar Hill glimpses the souring of camaraderie as the desire for autonomy erodes the relationships that once bound them together.

Going (Premiere) While traveling along a bucolic road, created through projected video, we meet a series of individuals, each with a story to tell. How did they come to be on this road at this moment? Where do they hope to end up? Amidst the twists and turns of the road ahead, the intimate details of their stories are revealed.

Formula (Premiere) is an escalating layering of duets set to Zoe Keating's optimistic looping cello composition "Sun will Set." Insistent melodies and inventive links reinforce the necessity of allies as the best medicine for progress.

Evergreen (2009) Inspired by a painting of a violent storm brewing over a single blade of grass, Evergreen considers the potent resiliency in nature and pursues this elusive quality, harnessing the power that it can bring to one's life.

Going plays the following schedule through Sunday, March 20:

Friday at 8 p.m. 
Saturday at 8 p.m. 
Sunday at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $20 ($15 students and seniors) and are now available online at www.kdnydance.com or by calling 866-811-4111. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater 1 hour prior to performance.

Running Time: 90 minutes

Website: www.kdnydance.com

A Fable to Reflect On

“A Wonderfully Flat Thing"
Directed by David Winitsky
14th Street Y LABA Theatre
344 East 14th Street between 1st and 2nd avenues
Tickets: $15; (646) 395-4322 or www.14StreetY.org
Closes Jan. 16, 2011
Reviewed by Paulanne Simmons Jan. 9, 2011

Mark Twain, best known for his twin novels of childhood, Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was also a writer of fables. One of his fables, “A Wonderfully Flat Thing," has been adapted for children’s theater by Valerie Work, Manju Shandler and Basmat Hazan, and is currently playing a return engagement at 14th Street Y LABA theatre.

The show, created by Shandler and Hazan, directed by David Winitsky and choreographed by Jesse Zaritt, features a talented group of actor/puppeteers who tell the story of self-discovery through music, dance, spoken word, and video projections.

The “wonderfully flat thing" of the title is, of course, a mirror, which reveals our image in unexpected ways. In “A Wonderfully Flat Thing," the Ostrich Sarae Garcia), the Cat Emily Hartford), the Donkey (Jake Goodman), the Elephant (Shawn Shafner) and the Snake (Sarah Painter) all see the image of themselves in the mirror and come to the conclusion that their image is an intrinsic part of the mirror. They may be pleased or alarmed by what they see.

This egocentric interpretation is one that is quite understandable to the innocent minds of children. But whether or not children get Twain’s moral and philosophical message, they will be intrigued and delighted by the wonderful costumes and masks worn by the actors and the spirited antics of the animals.

Shandler’s set, which includes Twain’s bedroom and the realm of the animals, is also an entertaining adventure into fantasy. And Shandler’s puppets, manipulated both by string and by hand are funny and whimsical.

With its small scale and congenial audience interaction, “A Wonderfully Flat Thing" is a perfect first-time theater experience for very young children and their adult companions. [Simmons]

Events & Happenings in New York City!
A Wonderfully Flat Thing

When:Sunday January 16, 2011
11:30 and 2:30pm
Where:14th Street Y Theater
344 E. 14th Street
New York, NY 10003
Full Venue Info, Map It
Cover:$15

Join Mark Twain and his animal friends on a fun journey of self discovery and magic. With puppets, dance, music, and interactive video projections kids ages 4 & up will be delighted by this visual feast. Based on Mark Twain’s short story, A Fable, our talented cast discovers a mysterious “flat thing,” a mirror, and each sees something different. Is it magic? Only Mark Twain has the answer! A Wonderfully Flat Thing is a innovative children’s theater production your kids will love!