Heidi Duckler Dance Will Premiere Work In Livestreamed Program On April 30

Heidi Duckler Dance, noted for presenting site-specific work in extraordinary locations, continues that trajectory while addressing the current health crisis with the premiere of Illuminating The Chandelier, livestreaming on Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 5 pm (PST), and subsequently available on demand. The streamed work is a precursor to and shortened version of the dance company's live performance titled The Chandelier, originally slated to be premiered at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts spring 2020, but postponed due to the pandemic. Adapted to address social distancing circumstances during the dire Covid-19 situation, Illuminating The Chandelier explores a new language of intimacy as people rely on technology to connect to the arts and each other. Using innovative ways to piece together fragmented movement phrases executed by the Duckler dancers in their own homes into one cohesive performance, it features dancers, musicians, composers and designers working collaboratively from afar to create a fully immersive show that audiences around the world can enjoy via streaming. The livestreamed performance is free ($15 suggested donation benefits Heidi Duckler Dance); registration is required.

Both Illuminating the Chandelier and The Chandelier are based on the novel The Chandelier by Brazilian author Clarice Lispector, which was hailed by The New York Times for its "undeniable quantity of genius (and) heart-stopping payoff." The tragic coming-of-age story told from a young girl's perspective was recently translated into English from Portuguese.

"While following a similar narrative as the longer live dance piece, Illuminating The Chandelier focuses specifically on the interior monologue of a woman in isolation who experiences dissociated, dreamlike feelings and has trouble connecting to the world around her," states Artistic Director Heidi Duckler. "Through layers of imagery and acts of repetition, the work explores the contrasting ideas of impermanence and the irrevocable, especially in the context of what we as a society are all going through in this moment."

The Wallis' Artistic Director Paul Crewes says, "Heidi Duckler Dance's powerful and thought-provoking piece Illuminating The Chandelier addresses very real issues brought on by the pandemic while magnifying the company's legacy of doing site-specific work as it takes audiences into the homes of its dancers. It also illustrates the company's nimbleness and keen ability to react to cultural shifts, quickly pivoting and adapting its work and creative process to produce performances that unite diverse communities in unexpected ways."

Internationally acclaimed Heidi Duckler Dance, founded in 1985 by Duckler, has created memorable and captivating dance experiences in surprising locations for over three decades. Building communities and cultivating partnerships through the performing arts, Heidi Duckler Dance produces immersive art experiences in nontraditional places - from laundromats and abandoned warehouses to subway terminals and the Los Angeles Police Academy. The company's performances and outreach programs provide creative learning opportunities in diverse neighborhoods that redefine the relationship between audience and art.

To register for Heidi Duckler Dance's free livestreamed performance ($15 suggested donation benefits Heidi Ducker Dance), visit https://illuminatingthechandelier.eventbrite.com. The on-demand program will have a separate link to be announced at a later time.

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