Niv Sheinfeld/Oren Laor and Same Planet Different World

About

Pairing the two innovative Israeli choreographers/dancers and the Chicago dance repertory company, this program exposes the politics of personal experience and is performed in an intimate setting where the audience surrounds the dancers. Both companies are making their MCA Stage debuts. As a highlight, SPDW performs the world premiere of Vanishing Point, created collaboratively with Sheinfeld and Laor.

SPDW's Stripped explores how technology affects our lived experience. Through the ritualized movements of six dancers but devoid of visible technologies, this 2015 work by SPDW artistic director Joanna Rosenthal Read reveals what is at stake when objects replace human connection.

Using music by Janis Joplin, Vanishing Point is an intricate series of energetic, physical eruptions. The 30-minute piece explores the tension of conventionalism and the need to detach from the status quo. As the structure begins to take shape, the dancers are forced to negotiate each scenario by blending original choreography with improvisation, creating an entirely original voice as the piece progresses.

The concluding piece is created and performed by Sheinfeld and Laor. Two Room Apartment is a playful and gripping duet that reflects upon their relationship as partners in life and dance, and tests boundaries in various contexts: physical borders between territories, emblematic divides between life and performance, and the limits people set for themselves. The duet by Sheinfeld and Laor suggests a new and contemporary interpretation to the original performance created 26 years ago by Liat Dror and Nir Ben Gal, whose original Two Room Apartment is considered a milestone in the development of independent Israeli choreography.

NOTE: This program includes male nudity. Mature audiences recommended.

This performance is designed for a small audience: capacity is limited.

Running time: 2 hours (approx.) with one intermission

About the Artists

Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor have been creating art together for over 10 years. They combine contemporary dance with performance art and physical theater, reflecting their distinct artistic backgrounds: Niv danced in the Liat Dror & Nir Ben-Gal Dance Company for five years and has developed choreography for Kibbutz Dance Company, Bat Sheva ensemble, and others. Oren Laor studied theater and performance at Tel Aviv University and has worked with directors Yvgeny Arye, Edna Shavit, Nola Chilton, and others. They have received national and international acclaim for their works, including Best Performance of the Year by the Israeli Dance Critics' Circle in 2013 for Two Room Apartment. For more information, visit.

Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre (SPDW) is a contemporary dance company that features works by artistic director Joanna Rosenthal Read as well as other choreographers, both established and emerging. SPDW develops works with a humanistic voice that also shape a physical world where dance is primary, and the full moving body is used for expression. The company has worked with such choreographers as David Dorfman, Faye Driscoll, and Carrie Hanson and maintains an ever-evolving body of work driven by theatricality, athleticism, tenacity, and accessibility for their audiences. This is their first MCA Stage project. For more information, visit.