Manhattan contemporary ballet company Neville Dance Theatre takes on legendary composer Terry Riley's musical masterpiece 'In C' in a bold and innovative work entitled '53 Movements' set to the 2011 live performance recording by Bang On a Can All-Stars.
Often referred to as the founding work of music minimalism, Terry Riley's pioneering 1964 composition 'In C' consists of 53 short, set musical phrases played with improvisational aspects. In the same vein, director and choreographer Brenda R. Neville, known for her compositional intelligence and musicality, and the company dancers, have created corresponding movement phrases originating from and incorporating improvisational liberties. The culmination is a non-stop, 45-minute intricately layered feast of movement and music that is unique with each and every performance.
“Beautiful and engaging”
Composer Terry Riley
“Exceptional”
Dixon Place, NYC work-in-progress showing patron
“Unique choreography and a great visual experience”
Dixon Place, NYC work-in-progress showing patron
Remarked choreographer Neville: "From the first time I heard Terry Riley's score In C, which was in 2017 of a performance recording by Bang on a Can All-Stars, I was instantly inspired and fell in love with it. The vibrant orchestral layerings, the driving underlying pulse, and the ever-changing uniqueness of the musical scoring caused movement phrases to instantly play across my mind's eye (a choreographer's dream!). I knew immediately that I wanted to choreograph to it at some point. I found my anchor the following year when I attended a live performance of the piece at Carnegie Hall. It was there I first learned of the improvisational components of the piece which is, while being comprised of 53 distinct, set musical phrases, the musicians are allowed certain liberties as they play, causing each and every performance to be unique. Amazing! Ingenious! And I thought, what would happen if the same thing was tried with movement, while performing to the musical score? Hence the concept for 53 Movements was born."
Composer Terry Riley, upon seeing the video of the first 8 minutes of Neville's work, which was presented in November 2018 at Dixon Place in New York City with the Paul Taylor II company, enthusiastically responded: "I enjoyed watching the video and think you have taken a very integrated and interesting approach to modeling dance moves on the interactive patterning of the music. I think your work is quite beautiful and engaging."
While based in classical ballet, artistic director and resident choreographer Brenda Neville’s works have a definite contemporary edge with a street style flavoring and theatrical flare. Many of her works are on pointe and incorporate vibrant back wall slide projections that further the works thematic subjects. Her choreography has been described as remarkably musical, bold and delightfully unpredictable, though she is just as comfortable and capable producing a classically traditional ballet as she is at evoking provocative sensuality.
Neville Dance Theatre has been invited to perform in countless festivals and shared bill evenings in the New York area and at venues including the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, Kumble Theatre for the Performing Arts, Hudson Theatre Guild and the 92nd Street Y, plus annual self-produced seasons.
The company fulfills its mission by offering compelling repertory of innovative and exciting works and serves as a professional platform for versatile and talented dancers to perform and share their artistry and significance of dance with audiences of all ages.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
The company’s 2021 summer season is sponsored by PhysioWellness and Art for Life & Education.