In News, Performances, Urban Culture Project

Charlotte Street Foundation is pleased to present the world premiere of STRANGER FRIEND. This multi-media production weaves together choreography and video by Leralee Whittle, music compositions by Paul Sprawl, and performance by Whittle, Sprawl and Stephanie Fellner, all currently based in Minneapolis.

Performance Dates: November 10, 11, 12, and 13
Curtain: 8 pm
Tickets: $15 at the door or $12 in advance through http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/203510
Venue: La Esquina, 1000 W. 25th St KCMO 64108

“In our dreams we are free to befriend strangers in a kaleidoscopic fantasy world, while in our waking lives we keep most strangers at a distance,” writes Whittle. “There are exceptions. The troubadour, the messenger, the bard, the lone cowboy or the outsider may be allowed to inspire our everyday lives with stories of the great beyond, whether distant land, or psychic depth. These iconic strangers inadvertently disrupt the status quo, causing us to think in new ways and broaden our horizons. This kind of stranger is, in fact, a friend. On the other hand, a person we regard as a friend may be excessively self important and obsessed with the task of belonging. She is actually a stranger.”

In STRANGER FRIEND, dancers, activated by music, excavate memories about union and separation, and re-contextualize standards of friendship and intimacy. The piece includes dances about female identity and the social dynamics between two “friends,” in which a female subconscious is contrasted with superficial identity induced by mass marketing’s homogenizing influence.  The ultra-material world here exists as a force of modern animism, revealing its power through trappings in “dances of possession.”

Ultimately, STRANGER FRIEND challenges imposed standards for intimacy by activating and entering a world of strangers, where truth is told and the imagination thrives.

Read all the details!

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