Balance of Power, the title of a choreography characterizing the new 2024 tour, emphasizes the importance of the power of balance, in life and on stage. All of David Parsons’ creations—first and foremost the iconic Caught (a choreography Parsons created for himself in 1982)—bear the mark of extraordinary theatricality and a physicality that transforms into virtuosity and lightness.
The role of multi-award-winning lighting designer Howell Binkley (winner of a Tony Award, among others, for the Broadway musical Hamilton) has been fundamental in the company’s history. With the simplicity and effectiveness of his scenic solutions, achieved through his mastery of light, he has always elevated David Parsons’ choreographic creations. The program for Balance of Power – Tour 2024 includes six choreographic pieces—beloved classics from the Parsons Dance repertoire and two new works—in a mix that highlights the entire company and its individual members.
Among the landmarks of their repertoire is the aforementioned Caught, defined by critics as “one of the greatest choreographies of recent times”: a breathtaking solo to Let The Power Fall by Robert Fripp, in which the dancer appears suspended in the air thanks to strobe light effects. Another classic in the program is Takademe (1996), a solo created by Robert Battle when he was a dancer with the company, which combines humor and acrobatic movement in a skilled deconstruction of Indian Kathak dance rhythms; clear forms and propulsive jumps mimic the vocalized rhythmic syllables of Sheila Chandra’s syncopated score.
At the heart of the program, two new productions from 2024 will be presented in Europe for the first time: Juke and The Shape of Us. Juke, commissioned from Jamar Roberts, former dancer and resident choreographer at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is an homage to Spanish Key, from the legendary jazz musician Miles Davis’ 1970 album Bitches Brew, and to the ‘70s, with psychedelic forms creating a frame to highlight the talents of individual dancers. Music is also central to The Shape of Us, David Parsons’ latest creation: a journey from alienation to connection with music by the experimental electronic group Son Lux, led by Ryan Lott, who received an Oscar nomination for the soundtrack of the 2023 Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All At Once. The dancers explore and discover each other’s beauty and their communal bonds.
Choreography by David Parsons
Lighting Designer Howell Binkley
Dancers: Zoey Anderson, Megan Garcia, Téa Pérez, Luke Romanzi, Joseph Cyranski, Justine Delius, Joanne Hwang, Luke Biddinger, Emerson Earnshaw
Production Art Works Production – Antonio Gnecchi Ruscone
In collaboration with Alveare Produzioni
Distribution in Italy Sava’ Produzioni Creative
