Northrop Presents Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre and Malandain Ballet Biarritz

Canada's Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre and southern France's Malandain Ballet Biarritz make their debuts on the Carlson Family Stage presenting the gripping Betroffenheit and the classic La Belle et la Bête, respectively.

Northrop Presents
Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre
Tue, Mar 21 & Wed, Mar 22, 7:30 pm
Carlson Family Stage

Betroffenheit

Choreographer Crystal Pite and her contemporary Dance Company Kidd Pivot, along with actor Jonathon Young's Electric Company Theatre bring Betroffenheit, a dramatic, unforgettable theater-dance hybrid, to Northrop March 21 and 22. The show that was awarded five stars by The Evening Standard and named a "must-see" dance event of 2017 by The Guardian will play two nights at Northrop as part of its much-anticipated national tour.

The German word "betroffenheit" roughly translates to "consternation," "dismay," and "shock." Yet according to creators Pite and Young, it means so much more. Combining brilliant contemporary dance, stunning costumes, and effective theatrical effects, the award-winning Betroffenheit is the result of a personal tragedy Young experienced. Through glimpses of comedy, drama, poetry, and movement, the piece delves into themes of addiction, grief, recovery, and trauma.

In combining their respective talents, Canadians Pite-whose touching Solo/Echo was performed by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago during Northrop's 2015//16 season-and Young, a Vancouver-based playwright and stage/screen actor- have created a dark, thrilling piece unlike anything being performed today. In talking about their collaboration, Pite said, "It took us about five minutes to figure out we should collaborate. Jonathon's a huge talent and as I listened to him I knew this was the moment for a true co-creation."

Each performance will be followed by a post-show panel discussion. The University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing will host the conversation on March 21. Moderated by Kate Moos, MFA - Director of News Content Development, American Public Media, the conversation will focus on resiliency and wellbeing in the face of addiction and trauma. Panelists include Amy Krentzman, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work; Ann Becher Ingwalson , Lecturer, College of Continuing Education Addiction Studies and Integrative Behavioral Health programs; and Alex Haley, Assistant Professor, Center for Spirituality & Healing Mindfulness Programs, along with members of the production's creative team.

University Relations will host the post-performance discussion on March 22. Moderated by Andy Steiner, mental health and addiction columnist for MinnPost, the conversation will focus on the U of M's work to end addiction. Panelists include Kelvin Lim, U of M Department of Psychiatry, and Mark Thomas , U of M Department of Neuroscience and interim director of the University of Minnesota's Minnesota Center of Addiction, along with members the production's creative team. Learn more about Kelvin's work to predict relapse and Mark's work to prevent relapse.

Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre is presented in partnership with University Relations, University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality & Healing, and the University of Minnesota Department of Theater Arts and Dance, with additional support from the Consulate General of Canada in Minneapolis.

A sneak peek of the evening's performance can be found here. For more context, view this post-performance discussion video that dives into the issue of PTSD as it relates to the performance.

Related Events:

Northrop Presents
Dark Matters
2016//17 Northrop Film Series
Tue, Mar 7, 6:30 pm
Best Buy Theater
FREE and open to the public

An angry puppet propels the action in this Frankenstein-esque tale from choreographer Crystal Pite. Pite's most ambitious work of the time features a heightened set, theatrical tricks, and seven talented dancers hand selected from around the world. Dark Matters has toured widely across Europe, including the prestigious Venice Biennale.

Northrop Presents
Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre Performance Preview
Tue Mar 21 & Wed, Mar 22, 6:15 pm
Best Buy Theater
FREE and open to the public

Gain insight into the performance at an in-depth conversation about the company and the evening's program.

Northrop Presents
Malandain Ballet Biarritz
Sat, Mar 25, 8:00pm
Carlson Family Stage

La Belle et la Bête

Malandain Ballet Biarritz makes its Minnesota debut on Mar 25 in an elegant and contemporary rendition of the classic tale Beauty and the Beast. Founded in 1998, the National Choreographic Center Malandain Ballet Biarritz was entrusted to Thierry Malandain, an exquisite choreographer with an extensive background in rigorous ballet training. With an undying passion for harmony between classic and contemporary, Malandain draws inspiration from timeless classics and human values to bring stories to life in a contemporary form.

Malandain's 70-minute La Belle et la Bête, tells the tale of human duality - with Belle symbolizing the human soul and the Beast embodying life's instincts and forces. Drawing inspirations from Jean Cocteau's version of Beauty and the Beast, Malandain's piece recreates the transformative love story with rich costumes, stark physicality, and conflicting conditions of the human spirit. When recreating the fairytale, Malandain cited humanity as the core of the piece saying, "I am searching for a dance that not only leaves traces of pleasure, but also revives the essence of the sacred as an answer to the difficulty of being."

Set to a romantic score of Tchaikovsky's symphonies, the work explores darkness and seduction in a twisted love story.

A sneak peek of the evening's performance can be found here.

Related Events:

Northrop Presents
Film Screening: Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast
Tue, Mar 14, 6:30pm
Best Buy Theater
Free and open to the public

Jean Cocteau reinvented the fairy tale for the cinema with Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête), an enchanting, exquisitely realized vision of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's fantasy romance. With all manner of unparalleled visual effects and tricks, Cocteau makes the spellbinding tale of transformative love both ethereal and tangible, and his indelible images haunt the cinema like no others.

Language: French with English subtitles.

Northrop Presents
Malandain Ballet Biarritz Performance Preview
Sat, Mar 25, 6:45pm
Best Buy Theater
Free and open to the public

Gain insight into the performance at an in-depth conversation with members of the company's artistic team.

TICKETS
Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre: $50, $40, $30
Malandain Ballet Biarritz: $74, $64, $54

Season packages: Offer deeper discounts, best seats, and subscriber perks. More information and ordering is available here or by calling 612-624-2345.

New discounts this year!

Northrop 2016//17 Discover Pack: The newest, the brightest, and the best in contemporary dancE. Northrop's new Discover Pack brings guests two ground-breaking companies making their Twin Cities debuts with unique, diverse, and unforgettable performances.

The Discover Pack includes tickets to Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre (Mar 21 & 22), and Brian Brooks (Apr 22) for only $50.

$30 Under 30: Guests aged 18-30 can purchase up to two $30 tickets to any 2016//17 Northrop Season performance 30 days prior to the show date. Each ticket comes with a drink ticket redeemable at Surdyk's Café or concessions and is good for any beverage up to $8 in value.

Tickets can be purchased in person, by phone, or online, and can be picked up at Will Call the night of the show. Bring a guest of any age, but the person buying the tickets must be 30 or under.

Group sales: Groups of 10+ save 15 - 25% off original ticket prices. To purchase tickets as a group, email nropgrps@umn.edu or call Bridget Reddan at 612-625-1578.

Discounted Rush Tickets
$10 for U of M Students
$20 U of M Faculty/Staff, students/educators from other schools

Rush tickets can be purchased online, over the phone, or in-person at the Northrop box offices beginning at 10:00 am the morning of the performance. Receive two discounted tickets per qualifying person with appropriate I.D. Rush tickets are based on availability.

NORTHROP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

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Artists and programs subject to change.

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