In Darling, choreographer Helen Simoneau will be working collaboratively with composer, Mary Kouyoumdjian, and dancers, Marielis Garcia, Donovan Reed, Gianna Theodore, Carlo Antonio Villanueva, and Claire Westby to construct an evening-length piece to premiere at the Hanesbrands Theatre, March 5 & 6, 2020.

DARLING, the title of this work, is a term of endearment on its face, but like honey, doll-face, sweetheart, and the purposefully double-edged “bless your heart” it can be wielded for other purposes.  Out of the wrong mouth, babe and similar words can warp from endearment to  terms of bondage. This space between intent and impact is at the heart of DARLING. In spite of the connotation of the title, tonight’s work has no sweetness. Any lightness in the piece is purely physical, derived the virtuosity of the dancers’ bodies encounters with space.

Simoneau’s choreography imbues the spaces between movements with a tension that revels in the proposition that the end is prologue for the next moment. This is not a work of impulse. There are choices being made by the choreographer and dancers at every turn, tilt, and balance.