John Scott Dance's THE WHITE PIECE Receives U.S. Premiere at La MaMa, Now thru 3/24

John Scott's 2005 production "The White Piece" receives its American premiere at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre, tonight, March 14-24. "The White Piece" is presented by La MaMa in association with Irish Arts Center.

Evolving from the Irish choreographer's passionate and mesmerizing 2004 dance "Fall and Recover," which focused on the remarkable ability of 11 African survivors of torture to transcend circumstance, "The White Piece" incorporates seven trained dancers, including three former performers from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, with cast members from "Fall and Recover" to explore new and related themes.

"The White Piece" merges a dance Scott had begun with the Cunningham performers and a second work he had simultaneously began to make with the torture survivors. The resulting 55-minute dance was inspired by Scott's personal experience with the coldly-cruel and dehumanizing treatment that many of the "Fall and Recover" performers received from the Irish government. Endless miles of red tape, dark suspicion and racism challenged their remaining in the country that had originally offered them sanctuary. Transforming Scott's exposure to the pain endured by the survivors into a dance filled with athletic and virtuosic movement, "The White Piece" explores the forms of concealment and confinement demanded for the refugees' survival. While dark in places, the dance also radiates with love, wry humor, and communal support that provide spiritual relief, inspire resilience, hope and laughter.

The dance features Joanna Banks, Crinela Oiplea, Philip Connaughton, Ashley Chen, Patience Nahme, Rebecca Reilly, Cheryl Therrien, Immaculate Akello, James Hosty, Haile Takabo, Daniel Squire, Hugo Da Silva and Poudima Florcence Welalo, as well as John Scott. The music is by Ivan Birthistle.

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Thursday, March 14 at 7:30pm
Friday, March 15 at 7:30pm
Saturday, March 16 at 7:30pm
Sunday, March 17 at 2:30pm

Thursday, March 21 at 7:30pm
Friday, March 22 at 7:30pm
Saturday, March 23 at 7:30pm
Sunday, March 24 at 2:30pm

WHERE TO GO

La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre is located at 66 East 4th Street, on the second floor. Tickets are available by calling the La MaMa box office at 212-475-7710 or online atlamama.org.

Tickets are $25. Senior and student tickets are $20 each.