Avant/Aprés le Dèluge

Avant/Aprés le Dèluge is an intellectually engaging evening of 18th century dance with a contemporary twist. Inventive baroque-modern dance hybrids alternate with sensuous reconstructions of period choreography. This program is curated by Sarah Edgar of the world-renowned New York Baroque Dance Company, and many of the artists participating are also members of NYBDC. Choreographers include Patricia Beaman, Caroline Copeland, Marcea Daiter, Sarah Edgar, Joy Havens, Rachel List, Seth Williams, & Tim Wilson.

“…Sarah Edgar brought winsome ingénue charm to the animated statue; her pleasure in coming to life was radiant.” — John Rockwell, New York Times

The driving force behind this project is the desire to highlight Baroque dance’s relevance to modern audiences. Vigorously musical, with fleet footwork, florid accents of the arms, elaborate vocabulary, and a dramatic system of gesture, dance from the Baroque period is the forerunner of western theatrical dance and classical ballet as we know it today, but Baroque also looks forward to postmodernism. Like today’s hip-hop artists, artists in the 18th century delighted in the grafting of natural and artificial elements and the mixing of styles and content. As will be evident from this program, Baroque dance can absorb a striking range of material.

Sarah Edgar’s “The Tragedy of Echo and Narcissus” mixes rock music with baroque and contemporary movement to tell the story of the boy who loved only himself. In “Venus de Mylar,” Patricia Beaman performs a reverse striptease that reveals the layers of the baroque costume. Marcea Daiter channels the gods, goddesses and social dances of French-colonial Haiti. Joy Havens explores the similarities between Bharatanatyam and baroque gesture in her new work, “For the Sake of an Orange.” These curious dances are juxtaposed with sexy and virtuosic reconstructions of the “Passacaille d’Armide” (1713, chor. Louis Pécour) by Rachel List, the “Chaccone d’Amadis” (chor. L’Abbè) by Seth Williams, and other gems from the 18th century.

Box Office Hours: starting 30 minutes before each performance

Group Sales Number (10+): 212-677-8621

Appropriate for all ages.