Photos by Xiao Ma
beach piece
7 dancers; 35 minutes
Music: The Beach Boys
beach piece is an exploration in formalism: the structure is simple, the movement is precise, choreography crashes like waves to the shore. An exploration of nostalgia and deferred desires, beach piece juxtaposes the warmth and wilderment of reflecting on the past, in conjunction with the omnipotent pressure of the inevitable aging and decay of the human brain, body, and spirit. All while set to music by The Beach Boys amidst a sea of manually inflated balloons, evoking a longing and lucid dreaming.
Furthermore, beach piece reflects on the dreary hollowness of escapism. When we experience deep emotional pain, where do we run to? Can physical departure result in healing, or is merely a temporary bandage? beach piece draws inspiration from long car rides through the plains of Ohio, yearly trips to the Cape Cod seashore, and fleeing the urban metropolis of New York City for reprieve in neighboring vacation spots.
The dance posits: how do we rationalize and negotiate the passage of time? Is it possible to be truly present in the moment, when the ghosts of what has been, and what will be, constantly haunt us? Is there a way to permeate the liminal space bridging the gap between past and present to find some semblance of peace? Like Jay Gatsby striving for the green light across the water, beach piece recognizes the inevitability of time elapsing, while still grasping at the glimmer of fulfillment that still exists.
Performance History:
Barn Dances // Garrison, NY // July 2019
Fertile Ground at Green Space // Queens, NY // September 2019
Movement Research // New York, NY // November 2019
WAXworks // Brooklyn, NY // November 2019
Complex @ Canal // Cambridge, MA // October 2021
Art House Productions // Jersey City, NJ // October 2025
Judson Church // New York. NY // November 2025 (Premiere)
Original Cast: Tor Breen, Grant Jacoby, Sarah Liebau, Audrey MacLean, Arielle Ridley, Anne Tantuicco, and Elena Yasin
This work was made possible with support from Dance Local, Center for Dance Arts, Princeton Ballet School, and The Dance Complex via their Complex @ Canal residency program, and their DIY Performance & Platform series.
Music: The Beach Boys
beach piece is an exploration in formalism: the structure is simple, the movement is precise, choreography crashes like waves to the shore. An exploration of nostalgia and deferred desires, beach piece juxtaposes the warmth and wilderment of reflecting on the past, in conjunction with the omnipotent pressure of the inevitable aging and decay of the human brain, body, and spirit. All while set to music by The Beach Boys amidst a sea of manually inflated balloons, evoking a longing and lucid dreaming.
Furthermore, beach piece reflects on the dreary hollowness of escapism. When we experience deep emotional pain, where do we run to? Can physical departure result in healing, or is merely a temporary bandage? beach piece draws inspiration from long car rides through the plains of Ohio, yearly trips to the Cape Cod seashore, and fleeing the urban metropolis of New York City for reprieve in neighboring vacation spots.
The dance posits: how do we rationalize and negotiate the passage of time? Is it possible to be truly present in the moment, when the ghosts of what has been, and what will be, constantly haunt us? Is there a way to permeate the liminal space bridging the gap between past and present to find some semblance of peace? Like Jay Gatsby striving for the green light across the water, beach piece recognizes the inevitability of time elapsing, while still grasping at the glimmer of fulfillment that still exists.
Performance History:
Barn Dances // Garrison, NY // July 2019
Fertile Ground at Green Space // Queens, NY // September 2019
Movement Research // New York, NY // November 2019
WAXworks // Brooklyn, NY // November 2019
Complex @ Canal // Cambridge, MA // October 2021
Art House Productions // Jersey City, NJ // October 2025
Judson Church // New York. NY // November 2025 (Premiere)
Original Cast: Tor Breen, Grant Jacoby, Sarah Liebau, Audrey MacLean, Arielle Ridley, Anne Tantuicco, and Elena Yasin
This work was made possible with support from Dance Local, Center for Dance Arts, Princeton Ballet School, and The Dance Complex via their Complex @ Canal residency program, and their DIY Performance & Platform series.