Thea Little and seven distinctive dancers in Extraordinarily Inverse explore the boundaries of dance, theater and opera by overlapping exquisite movement, learned atonal songs, a secret language of 300 physical-vocal gestures accumulated over time, and text from the assertive to the absurd. The performers use these four elements to communicate while maneuvering through community and individualism, harmony and dissonance, and understanding and confusion while assessing decisions around their goals and ambitions. The surrounding questions remain: Does their coded language unite them or cause more chaos? When and how do they choose ambitious actions that are thoughtful and not hurting others or do they satisfy their egos and selfishness to satisfy themselves only? Are the latter actions, a reflection of themselves or rather a comment on our corrupt society? The characters of Extraordinarily Inverse navigate what it means to communicate from contrasting points of view, with many various harmonious and conflicting intentions, and through calling upon the knowledge of what it means to be a being voyaging the terrain of listening, being heard, and creating together through communal conversation.
Choreographed by Thea Little in collaboration with the dancers
Performed by Thea Little, Emily Aiken, Dot Armstrong, Sayoko Kojima, Lindsey (Lou) Mandolini, Katie Norton-Bliss, Christiana Roberts, Lea Torelli
Music Compositions by Thea Little
Dramaturgy and Sculpture by Niki Singleton
Poem by Julie Bentsen
Text by Thea Little and the dancers
Costumes by: Sayoko Kojima
Rehearsal Assistant: Katie Norton-Bliss
Understudy: Meredith Mulligan
photo credit: Quentin Burley @thefleetnyc