“You are the one in the way of yourself. Can you get out of your own way?”
Choreographer Valerie Green has a new work to debut this season: “RITE” is a healing ceremony, a meditative ritual, and an exorcism of the ego.
This 36-minute dance work performed by six men is a physical invocation of our internal struggle with self-image and societal pressure, and the vulnerable journey from Form to Clarity. Inspired by shamanic journeying and altered states of consciousness, “RITE” invites us to contemplate our individual struggles and release our attachments to Body and Thought.
In June, groups from Ravenswood and Rego Park Senior Centers came to Green Space for a private showing of “RITE” and a talkback with Green and dancers. These community members participated in Dance Entropy’s residencies, and relished the opportunity to visit our artistic home!
Our conversations ranged from dynamic discussions on the themes of brotherhood, masculinity, and community care within the piece, to learning about the dancers themselves-- this fascinating, multicultural cast is predominantly comprised of immigrants to the United States.
We hope “RITE” will make an impact on whoever witnesses it, carving a path through human pain, to show what’s waiting for us when we release that which weighs us down.
