S45

Zephyr Dance, an experimental dance company that pushes the art form’s boundaries, presents the world premiere of S45, an unprecedented collaborative choreography project that combines Suite for Five by seminal 20th century American choreographer Merce Cunningham and new choreography that springs from that work created by a diverse group of choreographers.

S45 is curated by Michelle Kranicke, Zephyr artistic director and SITE/less co-director; David Sundry, architect and SITE/less co-director; and Paige Cunningham-Caldarella, a former Cunningham company dancer and independent choreographer. The Merce Cunningham Trust has granted permission for Cunningham-Caldarella to restage the iconic 1956 work and, for the first time, for she and other choreographers to respond to that work and create new choreography that draws inspiration from the original.

Suite for Five has been performed mostly in traditional proscenium theaters for at least the past 40 years. SITE/less, which aims to rethink the connection between movement and architecture and deepen the relationship between the viewer and the venue beyond the typical model, invites viewers within inches of the dancers.

The curators have recruited choreographers with a range of backgrounds and artistic focus, from Butoh to improv, from voguing to modern. In addition to Kranicke and Cunningham-Caldarella, they include Darrell Jones, Roxane D’Orléans Juste and Kota Yamazak