Monte/Buglisi/Muller LIVE! Set for New York Live Arts, Now thru 6/20

Elisa Monte, Jacqulyn Buglisi and Jennifer Muller, three acclaimed contemporary dance choreographers whose careers span between two to four decades, will again join forces to present Monte/Buglisi/Muller LIVE! at New York Live Arts, tonight, June 16 through June 20.

This year's collaboration, Reflections on Water, comes on the heels of last year's successful Monte/Buglisi/Muller co-production at New York Live Arts (June, 2014). The upcoming performances will be the second time the three are presenting together on one stage. (Two of the companies, Elisa Monte Dance and Jennifer Muller/The Works, performed together at New York Live Arts in 2013.)

Reflections on Water will include four diverse works portraying water as, "the source of life/the destruction of life." Two of this year's dance works are premieres, with twenty-six dancers participating in five-shared performances.

As choreographers, Elisa Monte, Jacqulyn Buglisi and Jennifer Muller create work from unique points of view, yet share a sensibility that combines virtuosic movement with an expressive edge that moves minds and hearts. Their work dances "full out" yet speaks of both individual experiences and shared humanity. Their dancers push physical capability and stand out as individuals, while working in cohesive ensembles.

Each night, Monte/Buglisi/Muller LIVE! at New York Live Arts will present:

Alchemy (Muller/World Premiere), a piece about the crucible of change. Originally a forerunner of chemistry, alchemy concerned itself with transformation. The physical transmutation of matter became an analogy for the internal alchemy of spiritual revelation. Just as new growth forests are created by controlled burning, personal evolution often needs a violent catalyst to create a glimmer of enlightenment. Alchemy is a cutting-edge collaboration with immersive projection designer Mark Bolotin of Hyphen-Hub and Tony award-winning lighting designer Jeff Croiter; innovative costume design will enhance the work's visual impact.

Hurricane Deck (Monte) is, according to Elisa Monte, "a piece on conflict and turmoil, emotional upheaval and love gone wrong. The four couples embrace and combat simultaneously, seeking the truth and trying to regain trust. Alternative endings have been created; the performers choose the ending at the conclusion of the piece, unique to each performance. Will trust and love, or doubt and enmity be that evenings outcome?" Music by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lang, one of the most highly-esteemed and performed American composers writing today. His works have been performed around the world and in many of the great concert halls.

Sand (Buglisi) is the first work of Jacqulyn Buglisi's environmental trilogy. Set to Philip Glass' brilliant and beautiful string quartet, the ballet is inspired by the beauty of the desert and the soil of the earth, both of which we cherish for our existence.

Sacred Landscapes 5 (Buglisi/World Premiere) - In a world in upheaval by climate change and economic turmoil, where the teachings of religion and science collide, we seek to rediscover and restore our ancient connection to the sacred landscapes that have grounded and inspired us. Set to a commissioned score by the visionary composer Paola Prestini performed live, and with set design by Jack Mehler, this new work, dedicated to the boundless flow of our planet's water, explores the belief that sacred landscapes are passageways that facilitate access to a higher realm.