Monsters of Grace
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Monsters of Grace (2019) - Work in progress Cherylyn Lavagnino’s most recent work, Monsters of Grace, questions how strength, grace, and femininity can co- exist in a single body using the percussive and ethereal qualities of the pointe shoe. Through a non-traditional application of pointe work, this piece celebrates the strength and ability of the women on stage without losing touch with their intrinsic femininity. We see a band of women reminiscent of Amazonian Warriors who are self-sufficient in and of themselves. They prepare for combat, honing attentive stillness, tension, and calculated release through archery, thrusting themselves into the air with a quiet, earthbound power. Monsters of Grace puts forward a vision of full-bodied, qualified women whose varied inner lives and ways of occupying space lend strength and poignancy to their performance, defying stereotypes around what bodies are suited to ballet. Music: Monsters of Grace in the Arc of Your Mallet by Philip Glass, sung by Anthony Roth Costanzo Performers: Dervla Carey-Jones, Dorthea Garland, Corinne Hart, Lila Simmons, Kaitlyn Yiu
About
Monsters of Grace questions how strength, grace, and femininity can co-exist in a single body using the percussive and ethereal qualities of the pointe shoe. Through a non-traditional application of pointe work, this piece celebrates the strength and ability of the women on stage without losing touch with their intrinsic femininity. We see a band of women reminiscent of Amazonian Warriors who are self-sufficient in and of themselves. They prepare for combat, honing attentive stillness, tension, and calculated release through archery, thrusting themselves into the air with a quiet, earthbound power. Monsters of Grace puts forward a vision of full-bodied, qualified women whose varied inner lives and ways of occupying space lend strength and poignancy to their performance, defying stereotypes around what bodies are suited to ballet.
Mythologies (2021) is an expansion on this work. Inspired by the stories of Ancient Greece in and around the time of the Trojan War, Mythologies includes sensual sirens and the devoted Band of Thebes in addition to the ferocious Amazonian warriors. Monsters of Grace can be performed alone or as one of four sections of Mythologies.
Press
“The choreography . . . is spectacularly vivid and comprehensive in its depiction of beauty, seduction, power, and evil. . . . Based on what I’ve seen, Lavagnino is a master not just of choreography, but of storytelling. But unlike storytellers who often bite off more than they can chew, the stories she weaves are limited in terms of scenic time and apparent scope, like a collection of independent but related short stories.”
—Critical Dance, Jerry Hochman
Gallery
Photo Credit(s): Charles Roussel
