Return Flights on the River

Fly-by-Night Dance Theater is happy to announce its return to Pier 63 on the Hudson River for its 6th annual Free-for-Kids Project, Return Flights on the River. Performances feature favorite dance repertory from previous Free-for-Kids Projects. These low-flying trapeze-dance works include numerous collaborations between choreographer Julie Ludwick and composer Ken Pierson. The project also includes live music interludes by Pierson during performances and a free movement workshop. The movement workshop is offered at noon on Monday, Memorial Day, and is open to all ages.

The repertory showcases the long-standing collaborative relationship between Fly-by-Night’s Artistic Director, Julie Ludwick and composer Ken Pierson including:

Autumn (an excerpt of Seasoned Women) captures the essence of a young girl playing on her favorite tree only to be surprised by the spirit of a girl from the past. It includes Pierson’s piano arrangement of the standard Autumn Leaves.

A Little Closer portrays two dancers reluctantly sharing one trapeze (accompanied by Pierson on accordion, percussion and bubble wrap).

By Chance for which Pierson created a fugue in the spirit of Terry Riley’s Classic New Music composition, In C. This innovative live-music-and-dance collaboration involves 2 quintets; one quintet of dancers following a quintet of musicians’ randomly improvised changes.

Toward Lightness with original piano score by Pierson showcases dancers dragging, pulling, and lifting themselves and one another until they become as light as feathers and

Paper and crayons are handed out to audience members of the matinee shows. Prior to the show audiences are briefly led through different ways of quickly drawing dance or music impressions. After the show, these drawings are used as a basis for informal discussions between audience members and performers.