(NEWARK, NJ) -- Nimbus Dance returns to New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Saturday, November 6 at 7:00pm with the World Premiere of Raucous Caucus Tango. This was created via a collaboration with GRAMMY® Award-winning tango virtuoso Pedro Giraudo. This creative mash-up of bawdy storytelling, slapstick humor, and exquisite choreography pokes fun at our electoral process, set to the passionate, dramatic rhythms of Argentine tango.
In an email sent out to the Nimbus subscriber base, Samuel Pott wrote, "Three years ago I had an idea for a dance piece about an imagined election. Two years ago Tango composer Pedro Giraudo and I sat down and talked about a collaboration. One year ago Alysia Souder, Rashad Wright and I began conversations about working together on the story. Six months ago we had some concepts and the outline of a storyline, and the Nimbus dancers and I began experimenting with choreography. Three months ago we had a script. Two months ago we had constructed our sets and had begun rehearsals in earnest. One week ago we performed a preview of the show in Vermont. This Saturday we will present the World Premiere of Raucous Caucus Tango at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. We still don’t know how the piece ends...
"The idea was worthy; the challenge was immense. How to talk about the state of our democracy, our electoral process, in the current context: rife with conflict, divisiveness, opinions, loud voices, apathy, and critically important issues? But, what could we possibly add that has not already been said? Could we extend a message that would reach beyond the silos of our own worldviews – a message that will draw in broadly rather than filter selectively? The work is an allegory - an imagined election - performed by 9 dancers, Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet, Rashad Wright as actor, and..myself as myself! In presenting this fictional election, would our creative imagination match up against the sheer extremity to which the American electoral process has devolved? Reality has in some ways become fiction – strange mythologies of lizard politicians and cults abound; facts, data, and science have become circumspect; news, entertainment, ratings, and social media are collapsed.
"Amidst this mayhem, the extraordinary creative team of Ms. Souder, Mr. Wright, and Mr. Giraudo, along with Nimbus’ immeasurably committed dance artists, brought clarity, focus, and voice to the new work. Yes: something really miraculous has emerged – a dance and theater work that is direct and powerful, poetic and beautiful, and with zaniness and absurdity to match the nuttiness of our times. I am proud to call these fantastic people team members and friends. What we have collectively created feels like a departure to a new level for Nimbus as an organization, and for me as a choreographer/director. I truly hope you will join us Saturday evening."
Raucous Caucus Tango was supposed to premiere in November 2020, but was postponed one year due to Covid. Theis was created from a concept by Samuel Pott, Alysia Souder, Rashad Wright; Choreography by Samuel Pott; Writing by Alysia Souder and Rashad Wright; Composed by Pedro Giraudo; Lighting by Haejin Han; Costumes by Mark Eric; and Set design by Samuel Pott.
The piece will be performed by Rashad Wright and Nimbus Dance: Xavier Alexander, Vernon Brooks III, Jonathan Colafrancesco, LeighAnn Curd, Donterreo Culp, Mika Greene, Shayla Hutton, Aanyse Pettiford-Chandler, Victoria Santaguida & Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet: Sami Merdinian (violin), Rodolfo Zanetti(bandoneon), Ahmed Alom (piano), Pedro Giraudo (bass and compositions).
Also featured: People Place Disruption, a one-of-a-kind collaboration where Nimbus' dance artists teamed with Jersey City visual arists to examine the past year through the lens of: people, place and disruption. Choreographers: Aanyse Pettiford-Chandler, Donterreo Culp, LeighAnn Curd, Derick McKoy Jr, Justin Cosme-Perez, & Isabele Rosso; Artist Collaborators: Laia Cabrera & Isabelle Duverger (Video Projection), Jennifer Brown, Isabelle Duverger, Myssi Robinson, Melida Rodas, Theda Sandiford, William Stamos, Rachel Therres, Joe Velez.
And: False Free, created by young dancers from five Hudson County high schools, with guidance from Sara Erickson, using dance to explore relevant social and political topics. Featuring: Destiny Figueroa, Chelsea Mugambe, Alissa Colon, Janelle Acosta, Breeze Jackson-Mboya, Ysabelle Bacolod, Samara Lee, Nicole Valero, and Michael Fuks.
Tickets are $59 and available for purchase online. New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is located at One Center Street in Newark, New Jersey. Click here for the latest covid updates at NJPAC.
Photo by Megan Maloy
