Phantasies at Speyer Hall

"Phantasies"
choreographed and performed by Ainesh Madan

Performance Dates:
May 24 @ 8pm
May 25 @ 8pm
Tickets:$15 general admission, $10 seniors and students

A pledge of allegiance to the eternal pursuit of happiness, "Phantasies" questions our understanding of “the underdog” and his/her/their role in accepting, or refusing, the struggles that define our daily existence.

Inspired by the Sigmund Freud text ‘The Poet and Daydreaming’, "Phantasies" provides a complex, non-linear, excavation of the potential that lies embedded within every living being. Artistic expression, Freud argues, can provide a judicious method for expressing often socially frowned upon phantasies.

“The play of children is determined by their wishes – really by the child’s ONE wish, which is to be grown-up... He always plays at being grown-up; in play he imitates what is known to him of the lives of adults.” ~ Signmund Freud – The Poet and Daydreaming

With "Phantasies", Madan teams up with world-renowned designer Agyesh Madan (founder of neo-luxury brand Stòffa), and long-time collaborator Stephanie Saywell.

Phantasies was developed with the help of Gibney Dance’s Work Up Residency, as well as The Performance Project @ University Settlement.

Presented as part of the Guest Artist Series at The Performance Project @ University Settlement.

(image courtesy Scott Shaw)

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Ainesh Madan is a dance based artist, native of India. Madan began performing at the Shiamak Davars Insitute of the Performing Arts as a member of the Special Potential Batch. He attended Bard College on a full-tuition scholarship, attaining a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Economics. Madan is a recipient of a Gibneys Work Up Residency, and Brooklyn Arts Exchange(BAX)s Upstart Residency. His work was selected as an Official Live Performance Selection for the Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival (RADFEST). Madan has presented his own work at various venues in the U.S. and internationally in Austria and India. As a performer, he has worked with Nakula Somana, Deirdre Towers, Bill T. Jones, RoseAnne Spradlin, Preeti Vasudevan, Hanna Q Dance Company, Pramila Vasudevan, Bryce Dance Company, Abha Roy, Talli Jackson, Megan Bascom, KT Niehoff, Heidi Latsky, and Wally Cardona, amongst others. Madan is also a self-taught electronic musician and multi-instrumentalist. www.aineshmadan.com/

Since 2007, The Performance Project has been offering local young artists and professional emerging artists opportunities to connect, create and publicly present new work. We support artists who are interested in how live art can heal, empower and activate. The artists we work with commit to organizational and creative practices that promote trust, imagination and power-sharing. Our incubator for the next generation of citizen artists is fueled by our distinct, yet connected, cohorts: the Artist-in-Residence Program for Social Practice Artists, The Performance Project Fellowship Program for Early Emerging Artists, our Community Arts and Culture Councils for Public Housing Residents and our annual Performance-Making Intensive for Young Artists & Leaders. We also host other community programs and dynamic guest artists seeking an affordable and supportive opportunity to self-produce their work.
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