Christina Olson: American Model

Claire Danes performs in Christina Olson: American Model, with choreography by Tamar Rogoff.

Christina Olson is best known as the woman in the pink dress depicted in Andrew Wyeth’s iconic painting, “Christina’s World.” What is less known is that she suffered from a never-diagnosed muscular deterioration that left her arms weak and her lower body paralyzed. Fueled by both pride and denial, Christina rejected wheelchairs and found ways to move relying only on her own strength. In this full length solo danced by Claire Danes (who first performed at P.S. 122 at the age of six), choreographer Tamar Rogoff uses her unique body-centric methodology to explore the ideas, spirit, and physicality of a woman both rejected and revered. Christina Olson: American Model features music by Rachel’s, video by Harvey Wang and Andrew Baker, costume by Liz Prince, and lighting by David Ferri.