On Wednesday, July 8 at 8:00PM, Pony Box Dance Theatre, an all-male contemporary dance company will present The Line at the University Art Museum inside the Permanent Collection Gallery.
The event is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required.
According to a statement, The Line, a new work choreographed by director Jamie Carbetta, “explores the phenomenon of conformity and the eternal tension between the demands of the collective and the needs of the individual in human relations. The Line is a dance for seven men that examines the wellspring of self expression as the vital tangent of group endeavor.”
“What is most exciting about performing at UAM is the amount of space available for movement,” Carbetta told the Post. “Also, I like my work to be viewed from a 360 vantage point, which the audience will be able to do in this setting. It is inspiring to create a work of dance surrounded by visually compelling works of art.”
On gathering inspiration for The Line, Carbetta explained that when she first saw the Peckenpaugh collection of photography in the Permanent Collection Gallery, the compositional element that struck her most was line, hence the name of the performance.
Lost in Time, an exhibition featuring photographs from the Peckenpaugh collection on view until December 13, displays works that have to do with the sublime. The UAM announcement describes the sublime as “a notion understood to inspire awe, most often in relation to the natural landscape and our place within it.”
“The Line is a dance for seven men that examines the wellspring of self-expression as the vital tangent of Group endeavor,” Carbetta said. “Featuring an original score by Douglas Hammond, whose compositions have been featured in film, television and commercials and a unique weaving of Annette Heully, a recent MFA grad of CSULB, that floats above the dancers, representing the consciousness of the group.”
Dancer Christopher Charles McDaniel, former company dancer for the Los Angeles Ballet and former ballet teacher at Lula Washington Dance Theatre, said what intrigued him about Pony Box Dance Theatre was the company’s commitment to making dance that has meaning.
“Granting a space for artists to have cathartic breakthroughs,” said McDaniel. “I’ve been craving that challenge to be vulnerable onstage, beyond my technical ability.”
In terms of performing outside of a traditional theater setting, McDaniel said he was excited to dance in a place that will allow spectators to view performances up close.
“And most of all I’m looking forward to dancing a work that gives me a chance to show a different side of my artistry,” he said.
For more information, visit the UAM’s website here.
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