Inspired by the music of Rachmaninoff's 'All-Night Vigil', comes this decade-long dream of push/FOLD's composer-choreograher Samuel Hobbs. Staged, lit, and choreographed as a true interdisciplinary work, 'Vespers' merges the rich harmonic tapestry of 100 live vocalists with the power of push/FOLD’s athletic contemporary dance performed by five dancers.
Counter to the traditional division of choir and dance, where one performs to the other, 'Vespers' interweaves the movement through the corridors of singers' bodies as a living stage. The concept: to reframe the historic connotations of the All-Night Vigil away from the secular and towards the contemporary lens of artistic and personal reflection left by Sergei Rachmaninoff in his pivotal work.
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"I realized the beauty of the dance lay in its constant unfolding within the music, not on the black dots and measure lines. Now that was a blessing."
(Daryl Browne, Oregon ArtsWatch)
"push/FOLD's characteristic smooth flow permeated the evening and highlighted the athleticism each dancer possessed."
(Lindsay Dreyer, Oregon ArtsWatch)
Press
Review: Still gestures: harmonized distinct disciplines for Rachmaninoff's 'Vespers'
Daryl Browne - (Oregon ArtsWatch)
Review: The world premiere of 'Vespers,' a collaboration between push/FOLD Dance Company and Portland Symphonic Choir
Lindsay Dreyer - (Oregon ArtsWatch)
Length
65 minutes
Look & Feel
Ethereal, Powerful
Movement Style
Post-Contemporary Movement & Partnering
Music Style
A Capella, Slavonic, Kiev Chants
Costumes
Contemporary Minmalistic Dresses, Contemporary Leotards
Venues
Proscenium Theatre, Non-Traditional Spaces