2024 PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
Photo by Whitney Browne 2024
JAN 31- FEB 3 PERFORMANCE: NYC
Molissa Fenley - From the Light, Between the Lamps at Roulette Intermedium
A program of short works in including the premiere of From the Light, Between the Lamps set to New Chaconne (world premiere) a piano piece written by Philip Glass for Molissa Fenley played live by Michael Ferrara. This new work features dancers Christiana Axelsen, Justin Lynch and Tim Ward.
2023 PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
OCT 12-15 PERFORMANCE: NYC
Christopher Williams - Jeux and A Child’s Tale (world premieres) at Baryshnikov Arts Center
Believing that myths (the poetic media through which we humans have long mused about our origins) must evolve as the societies they serve reform over time, Christopher Williams has long dreamt of reimagining a series of mythic-themed ballets originally premiered by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in order to make his own queer-inclusive cultural contribution to help further this evolution. Inaugurating this “Queering the Canon: Reimagining the Ballets Russes” series in 2021, the award-winning choreographer now offers two new works: an original queer reimagining of Vaslav Nijinsky's 1913 ballet Jeux set to the eponymous poème dansé by Claude Debussy, and A Child's Tale, reimagining Léonide Massine's 1917 ballet Contes Russes, set to music by Anatoly Lyadov. The works feature original costume designs by Reid & Harriet Design and longtime collaborator Andrew Jordan, lighting design by Joe Levasseur, and additional sound design by Tei Blow. Performance by Caitlin Scranton, Carlo Antonio Villanueva, Carol Teitelbaum, Cemiyon Barber, Christiana Axelsen, Dominica Green, Elise Knudsen, Kyle Gerry, Janet Charleston, Mac Twining, Mariah Anton Arters, Paul Singh.
Role: Player in Jeux, Baba Yaga in A Child’s Tale
Press: NYTimes Review, Brian Siebert
Press: Fjord Review, Marina Harss “One of the women, Christiana Axelsen, is especially lovely. With her pixie haircut, gentle musicality, and smiling demeanor, she adds a layer of warmth to the proceedings.”
APR 15-16 PERFORMANCE: BOSTON
Molissa Fenley - Cosmati Variations, Lava Field, Current Piece at the Dance Complex
Molissa Fenley presents three dances: Cosmati Variations, Variation 5, music by John Cage, Third Construction. Molissa began choreographing Cosmati Variations while a fellow at the American Academy in Rome in 2008, added other variations other the years, and just completed the series in May 2022. The 12th century Cosmatesque mosaic floors existent in many of the cathedrals and churches of Rome are of a non-iconographic design, breaking from the preceding Byzantine tradition and influences. The design of squares, parallelograms and circles of dark marble are often contained by ribbons of mosaic composed of lighter colored glass. The serpentine patterning creates a sense of beauty and inspires movement material structured within a time frame; a system of patterns made. Lava Field, music by John Bischoff, Piano 7hz. The great lava fields of Hawaii expand across the landscape. The Night Marchers, Huaka’I po in the Hawaiian language, are frequently seen, especially on nights when the moon is full. On the nights of Kane, Lono, Akua, and Ku, the Night Marchers proceed in a single file, venturing forth from their burial mounds at sunset to march in proud unison to revisit sacred sites or the locations of past battles, returning to their graves the following sunrise. Current Piece, music by Vijay Iyer, Crown Thy Good, commissioned and performed by Min Kwon as part of her America/Beautiful Project – Premiere Performed by Christiana Axelsen, Molissa Fenley, Timothy Ward.
2022 PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
DEC 3 PERFORMANCE: WHITMAN COLLEGE, WA
Christopher Williams - Studio Series at Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA
Drawing from his fantastical repertoire, Christopher Williams offers a program of excerpts from select pivotal works. Excerpts from works including his New York Dance & Performance “Bessie” Award winning Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins (2005), The Portuguese Suite (2006), Il Giardino d’Amore (2017), Les Sylphides (2022), Daphnis & Chloé (work-in-progress), and A Child’s Tale (work-in-progress) form a both retrospective and forward looking program replete with dances embodying a host of supernatural and legendary figures including goddesses, witches, saints, and lovers. Performers: Renée Archibald, Carlo Antonio Villanueva and Christiana Axelsen.
Roles: Venus in Il Giardino d’Amore, Baba Yaga in A Child’s Tale
JUL 23-25 PERFORMANCE: AGROPOLI, ITALY
Molissa Fenley - Cosmati Variations at the Agropoli Danza Festival
Agropoli Danza Festival is a three day festival dedicated to supporting gender equality through dance performances by internationally recognized artists, conversations and master classes open to the public. This project is aimed at elevating the voices of women artists and approaches the topic of gender-based violence from a global and inclusive perspective. The Agropoli Danza Festival takes place in Agropoli, Italy at the Castello Angioino Aragonese, a breathtaking performance venue in a UNESCO site.
2021 PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
OCT 27-30 PERFORMANCE: NYC
Christopher Williams - Narcissus at New York Live Arts
Narcissus is an original, evening-length ballet set to Nikolai Tcherepnin's score Narcisse et Echo composed in 1911 for the Ballets Russes. The work, featuring costume and set designs by Andrew Jordan as well as lighting by Joe Levasseur, incorporates themes of the eponymous Greek myth on which it is based to re-envision the original ballet through a contemporary queer lens. The work was commissioned by New York Live Arts where it premièred from October 27th-30th, 2021, and the work's designers were nominated for a 2022 New York Dance & Performance “Bessie" Award in the category of Outstanding Visual Design.
Role: Bacchante (priestess of Bacchus)
2020 PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
DEC 16 FILM FESTIVAL: SEATTLE, WA
zoe|juniper - ordinary grief / the people to come (2020, 18 min)
Zoe Scofield and Juniper Shuey (zoe | juniper) created their first dance film in dialogue with Beethoven’s handwritten scores for his late quartets. The screening of this new work is presented in collaboration with Northwest Film Forum’s virtual cinema. Co- directed and edited by Zoe Scofield and Juniper Shuey, cinematography by Juniper Shuey, choreography by Zoe Scofield, sound design by Max Bernstein, costumes by Zoe Scofield, dancers: Christiana Axelsen, Shane Donohue, Michele Dooley, marco farroni, Nia-Amina Minor, Stefan Richmond, Symone Sanz, David Rue, assistant to the director: Elise Beers AachixQaguug
2019 PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
NOV 8-9 PERFORMANCE: NYC
Molissa Fenley - Cosmati Variations at New York University
Jack Cole Theater, NYU at 8pm
JUL 21-AUG 3 DANCE FILM
Christopher Williams & Bryce Brown
This project was a collaboration between visual artist Bryce Brown and choreographer Christopher Williams who came together to create a dance film work for installation in the Evergreen Museum in Baltimore.
JUN 14-15 PERFORMANCE: SEATTLE
Molissa Fenley’s Cosmati Variations at the Seattle International Dance Festival
Broadway Performance Hall June 14-15 at 8pm
APR 28-29 PERFORMANCE: NYC
Christopher William’s Daphnis & Chloe at the Guggenheim Works-in-Process Series
Guggenheim Museum April 28 and 29th at 7pm
Role: Pirate
2018 PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
DEC 14-16 PERFORMANCE: SEATTLE
Personal Life MinEvent - a new work created for Merce 100 at Velocity Dance Center - Dec 14-16 at 8pm
I created and performed a new work for Seattle’s first installment of the international year-long Merce Cunningham Centennial. From Dec 14 -16, Velocity was a hub of performance, workshops and conversations curated around the ideas and influence of Merce Cunningham. As a Washington native and former student at Cornish, Cunningham is one the most influential artists ever to come out of the city of Seattle. Velocity highlighted his impact on leading Seattle artists working today in an evening of new work created especially for this event.
OCT 20 PERFORMANCE: SEATTLE
Victoria Haven & Heather Kravas - solid objects, presentation A at Oxbow - Oct 20 open doors 2-7pm
solid objects, presentation A is a shared vision between visual artist Victoria Haven and choreographer Heather Kravas. Born from their long-standing friendship, Haven and Kravas come together to investigate something acutely personal while discovering ways to complete and complicate the action of another. By illuminating forces such as listening, presence and attention, solid objects, presentation A proposes a challenge to traditional distinctions between visual and performing art; questioning artistic tropes like the “vision” of the director, the commodity of visual objects, the dancer as “tool” and the neutrality of abstraction. Fundamentally feminist, this project will create new frames within existing ones, repositioning assumed relationships between objects, performances, audiences and people.
solid objects, presentation A at Oxbow, marks the first in a series of encounters which will take Haven and Kravas to a variety of institutions and cities over the course of several years. On October 20th, the artists opened the doors of Oxbow two weeks into their process, inviting an audience to witness their work underway. For this 'afternoon-into-evening' singular event, the public was invited to come and go/stay as they please while the artists rehearsed, rendered, cooked, rested and observed.
MAY 14 PERFORMANCE: NYC
Courtney Krantz - Rhapsody XYZ - Movement Research at Judson Church - May 14 at 8pm
Movement Research at Judson Church is a free, high visibility low-tech forum for experimentation, emerging ideas and works-in-progress held in the Fall and Spring seasons. Artists are selected by a rotating committee of peer artists, and join Movement Research Artists-In-Residence and international guests each season in performing at the historic Judson Memorial Church. Rhapsody XYZ was developed as part of Lower Manhattan Council's Workspace Program (2015-2016).
JAN 30 PERFORMANCE: NYC
Molissa Fenley and Company - Geologic Moments at The Kitchen as part of the Julius Eastman Festival - Jan 30 at 8pm
Molissa Fenley returned to The Kitchen to perform her work Geologic Moments, which she developed with a new score commissioned from Eastman as part of Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival in 1986. Accompanied by a remastered recording of the performance by Eastman and Joyce Solomon, this dance for six (including Fenley) begins in a slow tempo and dynamically accelerates, concluding in a solo for Eastman's baritone titled “One God.” Together, they explored the rhythmic interplay that epitomized Eastman's collaborative work in dance. Anna Kisselgoff described the work in the New York Times writing “this viewer was reminded of Kandinsky, of the idea that apparent abstraction contains a metaphysical point of view.” Dancers in this work include: Christiana Axelsen, Jared Brown, Molissa Fenley, Ananda González, India González, and Peter Kyle. Lighting design after Gary Mintz by David Moodey.
2017 PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
NOV 29-30 PERFORMANCE: PHILADELPHIA
Christopher Williams Dance - Wolf in Skins - Kimmel Center for the Arts - Nov 29 & 30 at 8pm
Philadelphia Dance Projects in partnership with American Opera Projects presented this “Informance” with Choreographer, Christopher Williams and Composer, Gregory Spears as the culmination of a creative artist residency to further develop their original dance opera, WOLF-IN-SKINS. An “Informance” is a work-in-progress showing, where the artists are in conversation with the audience about the content of the work, their ideas and inspiration. Dancers, singers and musicians performed select sections from the work. Wolves, hounds, fay milkmaids and other mythical characters fill this dance opera that draws inspiration from a cycle of Welsh romance tales that preserve pre-Celtic and pre-Christian elements. It views marginalized or outmoded cultural relics, celebrating the “otherness” inherent in early Welsh literature, through a contemporary lens. Press: Broad Street Review
SEP 29 PERFORMANCE: CARMEL
Molissa Fenley and Company - The Days & Nights Festival - Sept 29 at 7:30pm
Molissa and I performed excerpts from Water Table (2016) at Philip Glass’s Days and Nights Festival in Carmel, California. This version of Water Table was performed with live percussion/viola accompaniment by Frank Cassara and David Harding.
JUL 15 PERFORMANCE: FLORENCE
Molissa Fenley and Company - The Florence Dance Festival - July 15 at 8pm
Molissa and I perfomred excerpts from Water Table (2016) and Mix (1978) at the Florence Dance Festival. This version of Water Table will be an excerpt from our performance last year at Vassar College that replaced the original music with percussion/viola accompaniment by Frank Cassara and Ralph Ferris. This past fall we reconstructed Mix from a VHS tape of the premiere performance at the Kitchen in 1978. For the reconstruction, I learned the role of a very young Elizabeth Streb. Mix is built with intricate layers of clapping, stomping and movement rhythms by four dancers rotating in an ever evolving square.
JUN 20 CHOREOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE: ISTANBUL
Trip Spill - Karma Series at Moda Sahnesi, Istanbul Turkey - June 20 at 8pm
"Trip Spill" is a new solo I created during a two-week creative residency in Istanbul presented as part of the Karma Series: Vol 1 "Lucid" curated by choreographer Korhan Basaran at the Moda Sahnesi Theater in Istanbul, Turkey. In addition to the better known Hindu and Buddhist meaning of the word karma, karma means mixed in Turkish. With this series Korhan will bring together (mix together) artists from Turkey and abroad to present short dance works with the intention of touring the platform to additional Turkish cities and communities.
Trip Spill is a section from a larger work in development entitled Fall Lower that addresses questions I think relevant to the moment: what drives people to choose to be dominated in unequal power dynamics? What is the role of dance in a time of political oppression? What is the cathartic possibilities of inhabiting fully the physicality of disorientation?
Fall Lower has been created during residencies at Akbank Sanat in Istanbul and the Dance Initiative in Carbondale, Colorado.
MAY 21 PERFORMANCE: NEW YORK
Christopher Williams' Hora - Buttenweiser Hall at the 92nd Street Y, New York NY - May 21 at 3pm
Première of a new dance by Christopher Williams entitled Hora featuring Christiana Axelsen, Janet Charleston, and Sydney Henson. Created specifically for this unique cast of women (each of whom are roughly two decades apart in age and at three distinctly different points in their dance careers) the work references numerous ancient goddess triads composed of maiden, mother, and crone figures symbolizing the three stages of a woman’s life.
Come witness the "short form" as described by Doris Humphrey in her pithy quote: "All choreography is too long!" as the Harkness Dance Center celebrates the Fridays at Noon series (1986-2016) with a string of short choreographies by Fridays at Noon artists seen over the decades.
May 20 SHOWING & FUNDRAISER: NEW YORK
Molissa Fenley Fundraiser - NYU Tisch School of the Arts, 111 Second Ave, New York - May 20 at 7pm
An event to raise money for our upcoming tour to Italy. I will perform in an excerpt of Mix at 7pm. The fundraiser will include a workshop with Giada Ferrone from 3:30-5:00 and a workshop with Molissa Fenley from 5:15-6:45. For more information and to reserve a spot in the workshops: RSVP gferrone74@gmail.com
May 4-6 PERFORMANCE: NEW YORK
Christopher Williams' Il Giardino d’Amore - Danspace at St. Marks Church, 31 E 10th Street, New York - May 4-6 at 8pm
Il Giardino d’Amore a new work by choreographer Christopher Williams set to Alessandro Scarlatti's early 18th century serenata Il Giardino di Amore inspired by the mythic lovers Venus and Adonis. The work features dancers Christiana Axelsen, Andrew Champlin, Gentry George, Kyle Gerry, Justin Lynch, Caitlin Scranton, Paul Singh, and Melissa Toogood; visual designs by Andrew Jordan, and lighting by Kathy Kaufman. Role: Venus
JAN 28-FEB 5 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: COLORADO
PERFORMANCE - Feb 4 at 5pm
COMMUNITY WORKSHOP - Feb 4 at 3pm
COMPANY CLASS- Jan 29 & Feb 5 at 4pm
Fall Lower - Dance Initiative at the Launchpad, Carbondale, CO
During a week-long Creative Residency at the Launchpad, supported by the Dance Initiative, I worked with Denver based-dancers Meg Medorin and Sumi Clements on a new section of Fall Lower. This section of the work investigated dynamics of devoted groups of followers, phasing of movement patterns, and simple task based power dynamics. During the week I also taught a couple of company classes for the Carbondale based dance company Co-Motion, led a community workshop for all levels of movers, and presented a work-progress-showing of what we had created over the course of the residency.
Press: Interview with Carla Jean Whitley from the Post Independent
Video: Dance Initiative Presents Artist in Residence Christiana Axelsen
2016 Performances and Events
NOV 1-14 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: ISTANBUL
My new work Fall Lower - Akbank Sanat, Istanbul, Turkey - Showing Nov 11 at 5pm
Video of Fall Lower at Akbank Sanat performed by Deniz Sancak and Umut Sevgül
OCT 27 PERFORMANCE: VASSAR COLLEGE
Molissa Fenley's Duet Program with Frank Cassara and Ralph Harris - Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY - Oct 27 at 8pm
OCT 7 PERFORMANCE: NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Molissa Fenley's Duet Program - Tisch School of the Arts, New York University - Oct 7 at 3pm
AUG 29-SEP 2 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: KAATSBAAN
Christopher Williams' Il Giardino d’Amore - Kaatsbaan Arts Center in Tivoli, NY - Aug 29-Sept 2
JUL 18-26 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: SANTA FE
Molissa Fenley with visual artist Robert Gaylord - National Dance Institute, Santa Fe, NM
JUL 17 PERFORMANCE: SANTA FE
Molissa Fenley's Duet Program - The Railyard Performance Center, Santa Fe, NM - Jul 17 at 8pm
JUN 14-18 PERFORMANCE: NEW YORK
Molissa Fenley's Water Table - New York Live Arts, New York - Jun 14-18 at 7:30pm
JUN 11 PERFORMANCE: KAATSBAAN
Christopher Williams' Il Giardino d’Amore & Dardanus - Kaatsbaan Arts Center in Tivoli, NY - Jun 11 at 8pm
JUN 6-11 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: KAATSBAAN
Christopher Williams' Il Giardino d’Amore - Kaatsbaan Arts Center in Tivoli, NY
APR 30 PERFORMANCE: NEW YORK
Courtney Krantz' Rhapsody xyz - LMCC Workspace Residency Open Studio Performances - Apr 30 at 2:45 & 4pm
Video of Rhapsody xyz by Courtney Krantz featuring Christiana Axelsen
APR 18-29 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: LMCC
Courtney Krantz' Rhapsody xyz - LMCC Workspace Residency in the Chase Manhattan Building, New York
APR 16 PERFORMANCE: STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Molissa Fenley's Water Table - The Anderson Collection, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA - Apr 16 at 2pm
APR 14 PERFORMANCE: MILLS COLLEGE
Molissa Fenley's Water Table - Mills Art Museum, Mills College, Oakland, CA - Apr 14 at 7pm
APR 1-2 PERFORMANCE: AMERICAN DANCE INSTITUTE
Pam Tanowitz's the story progresses as if in a dream of glittering surfaces - American Dance Institute, Rockville, MD - Apr 1-2 at 8pm
MAR 1-26 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: CAPTIVA ISLAND
Christopher Williams' Il Giardino d’Amore - Rauschenberg Foundation Residency on Captiva Island, FL
FEB 15-26 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: GOVERNOR'S ISLAND
Courtney Krantz' Rhapsody xyz - LMCC Process Space Residency on Governor's Island, New York
FEB 9 PERFORMANCE: NEW YORK
My work Contemporary Dance Solo #1 with Duet - DanceRoulette Festival at Roulette, Brooklyn - Feb 9 at 8pm
JAN 30 PERFORMANCE: PITTSBURGH
My work Contemporary Dance Solo #1 - Second Saturday Performance Series, The Space Upstairs, Pittsburgh, PA - Jan 30 at 8pm
JAN 24-30 CREATIVE RESIDENCY: PITTSBURGH
My work Contemporary Dance Solo #1 - The Space Upstairs, Pittsburgh, PA
JAN 9 PERFORMANCE: SANTA BARBARA
Molissa Fenley - Salon Series curated by Diane Vapnek, Santa Barbara, CA - Jan 9 at 5:30pm