Created and performed by members of the company with special guest artists from New York City’s underground scene, Asherie’s newest work is inspired by the intergenerational memories of club dancers. EAD invites audiences to join them on an exhilarating journey through the ever-changing physical landscape of New York City’s underground dance community.
UnderScored is a recipient of a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation and Development Fund and is commissioned by: Works and Process, Inc., Guggenheim New York, NY, ArtPower at UC San Diego San Diego, CA; The Momentary Benton, AR and The Yard, Chilmark, MA.
UnderScored is commissioned by and will premiere at Works & Process at the Guggenheim in winter 2021.
CHOREOGRAPHER’S NOTE
I have so much to say about this piece, the inspiration behind it, the process, but no time to sit and formulate my thoughts this week as we have been deep in it and too busy dancing-ha. It is an honor to be sharing the dance floor with Archie, Loose and Michele, three legendary club heads who have inspired countless dancers, artists and free thinkers. I’ve had the great fortune to have danced at the club with Archie and Loose for more than fifteen years and although I just recently met Michele, we are kindred spirits and I know we’ll have many more years of shared dance floors to come. In the 90s, I was lucky to have been exposed to a great deal of dance, music and culture of the African diaspora first through hip hop, jazz and then house. The house dance community in NYC represents the beauty and strength that emerges when the collective consciousness celebrates each individual as their own special creation. This community inspired me to live my life as an artist; for this I am forever grateful.
About Ephrat Asherie Dance
Ephrat Asherie Dance (EAD) is a dance company rooted in street and social dance. Dedicated to revealing the inherent complexities of these forms, EAD explores the expansive narrative qualities of various street and club styles including breaking, hip hop, house and vogue, as a means to tell stories, develop innovative imagery, and find new modes of expression. EAD’s first evening-length work, A Single Ride, earned two Bessie nominations in 2013 for Outstanding Emerging Choreographer and Outstanding Sound Design by Marty Beller. The company has presented work at Art Power San Diego, The Apollo Theater, Columbia College, Dixon Place, FiraTarrega, Guggenheim Works & Process, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, La MaMa, the Rialto Center, River to River Festival, New York Live Arts, Summerstage and The Yard, among others. For more information, please visit ephratasheriedance.com or @ephratasheriedance.
