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Arch Contemporary Ballet presents World Premiere of Château, Nov 7

by Sheena Annalise
October 20, 2015
Manhattan Movement and Arts Center
248 West 60th Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 787 1178
Arch Contemporary Ballet, in its mission to create an artistic process that enhances the connection between ballet and music, presents an alluring and emblematic world premiere Château by Artistic Director Sheena Annalise at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center on Saturday, November 7th at 7:00 p.m.

A rising pioneer for ballet and music, Annalise’s bold and distinct style unveils unconventional lines of a dancer’s body. This new work exposes and is inspired by Château de Fontainebleau’s dark history and architectural intricacy, home to French ruling dynasties for eight centuries. Arch Sound Ensemble's string quartet plays a prominent role as they share the stage, moving among the dancers to represent the corridors and seemingly endless chambers of Château for the dancers as they play their commissioned and rich score. The evening length work will feature an ensemble of 12 dancers, 4 musicians, 100+ yards of fabric and a music score by Concetta Abbate.

“Arch Contemporary Ballet (ACB) challenges the past and launches into the future with new pointe work, new music, and new ideas about what ballet can be,” remarks Annalise. “The choreography tests the framework of what a body can do, questioning classicism with partnering and pointe work, and explores the creative process by setting the dance before the music.”

Conceived in February, the entire piece, like many of Annalise’s works, was finished in silence before commissioning its original score. With the Arch Sound Ensemble sharing the stage with the dancers, they are essential to the ballets setting, spotlighting female partnering, and forming metaphorical walls of the Château. As movement progresses, the quartet establishes different chambers for the dancers to explore creating powerful symmetry and visual lines. Additionally, the work is embellished with lavish fabrics, draped from the rafters to the skirts of the dancers. This creates an additional dimension to the Parisian and historical backdrop layering the audience experience and the overall temperature and setting of the work.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Château will be performed one night only, Saturday, November 7th at 7:00 p.m.

General admission tickets are $25. Reserved patron seats are $35. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketfly.com/event/977185.

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ARCHBALLET.COM

DIRECTIONS

Manhattan Movement & Arts Center is located at 248W 60th Street in Manhattan and is accessible by Subway 1, A, B, C or D trains.

ABOUT ARCH CONTEMPORARY BALLET

Founded in 2013, New York City's Arch Contemporary Ballet was established with a bold spirit and innovative vision to create an artistic process that enhances the connection between ballet and music. All of ACB’s works are choreographed and completed in silence. Commissioned artists then create original music scores specifically for each repertoire program. In addition to her innovative way of joining movement and music, Artistic Director and choreographer, Sheena Annalise, challenges classicism with a cutting-edge approach to partnering, pairing women on pointe together as partners. ACB has performed across the country including the Paramount Theatre in Boston, Tempe Center for the Arts in Tempe, AZ, Marlene Boll Theatre in Detroit, New York City's Sheen Center, and more. Learn more at www.ArchBallet.com.

SHEENA ANNALISE, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Artistic Director and choreographer, Sheena Annalise, at age 14, was honored to work with Wayne McGregor | Random Dance in “ Equator Project”, nurturing her choreographic talent. She quickly found a distinct voice by creating innovative body lines and exploring her fascination with the connection between movement and music. In her early work she began to play with creating her own tempos, accents, and pauses in her ballets without the limitations of existing music. Looking to accentuate her silent yet rhythmic choreography, she developed her artistic process of commissioning artists to create music specifically to each repertoire program. Annalise spent 2012 mentoring with the Mark Morris Dance Group, when she then founded Arch Contemporary Ballet the following year. Through ACB she has received residencies and space grants throughout NYC and has been named a “Prodigy” by The Women’s Project.

CONCETTA ABBATE, COMPOSER

The talented Concetta Abbate is a NYC based composer, violinist, violist, and vocalist. She began studying classical violin and ear training at age 4, with Irene Lawton. After a childhood dedicated to classical training, Concetta became interested in folk tales, natural science, poetry in Spanish, and everyday objects and sounds. She has been described as a "badass violinist" by Garret Bryant (HINGED) and “Eerie, haunting ‘Chamber Pop” by the German music blog Kulterwelt. Her diverse performance venues include The East Indian Music Academy, the Rubin Art Museum, The Eastman School of Music, The Tilles Center, Cornelia Street Cafe, Columbia University, the Jazz Gallery and The Stone. She was recently a visiting composer in residence at TAKT gallery in Berlin in 2014 and will be returning to teach a workshop on music composition in 2016. This is Concetta’s second commission by Arch Contemporary Ballet.

ARCH SOUND ENSEMBLE

Arch Sound Ensemble is dedicated to carrying out Arch Contemporary Ballet's mission to enhance the connection between ballet and music. Resident musicians hail from all musical backgrounds spanning an unlimited range of instruments and merit.
Sheena Annalise

Sheena Annalise

Photo © & courtesy of Luis Pons Photography

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