BLUSH
by Andrea Miller
at Chelsea Factory
April 26-30, 2022
BLUSH pulses with persistent visceral theatricality and physical virtuosity. Human emotion — loneliness, anguish, love, support, joy, dependency — all expressed through impassioned and fearless performers. 60-minutes of uninhibited energy, spreading like the warm heat of blood that defines a human blush…
Sun-struck, rage-struck, pain-struck, love-struck… the involuntary reddening of faces for reasons — sometimes obvious, sometimes mysterious — to human physiology and psyche. This is a work that keeps growing and keeps revealing that our bodies and existence are too complex, deep and unfathomable for words and reason alone to solve.
PRESS
“Sometimes people blush with intense exertion or unchecked joy. They do so when called upon to act with courage by drawing upon an unknown power from within. Miller and her dancers show what is possible when humans push themselves to an emotional and kinetic brink. They dare to be brave and we all watch with wonder.” - Caroline Palmer, Star Tribune
“BLUSH is a raw and earnest work that does not shy from extremes — and the dancers boldly follow.” … “Tender and violent, supportive and hostile, fragile and strong, BLUSH is a reverent ode to the humanity that unfolds between these extremes.
Dance has the special distinction of being both the pinnacle and precursor of society. Long before there were pointe shoes, galas and gilded theaters, dance bridged the gap between animals and early humans, in many cultures playing a critical role in the formation of a collective identity”. … “Gallim Dance embodied this duality in Blush, a work by Andrea Miller named for the sanguine rush that accompanies a wide range of human activity and emotion. Sophisticated as it was in structure, style and technique, it was its underlying primitive impulse that spoke most truthfully to the heart of dance.” - Dance Pulp
Andrea Miller
Choreographer
Andrea Miller is a choreographer, creative director and artistic director of the internationally renowned multi-disciplinary production company GALLIM, working in live and digital movement expression and education. Miller's works for theater, film, fashion, and dance have been described as “as ancient as they are ultra modern.” A Guggenheim, Sadler’s Wells, and Princess Grace Fellow, Miller is the first-ever choreographer to be named Artist in Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in 2017 she was featured in Forbes magazine for entrepreneurial leadership in the arts.
Miller is currently working deeply in film and site-specific work, and recently conceived of You Are Here, a sound, sculpture, and performance installation for Lincoln Center with 25 community members processing the pandemic through breath, music, theater and dance. Her films and dance works have been screened/performed worldwide at venues including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, Art Basel, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, The Joyce, Jacob’s Pillow, BAM, Royal Albert Hall, Sadlers Wells, Chaillot de Paris, and more. Recent commissions include New York City Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Pennsylvania Ballet, Rambert 2, Alvin Ailey 2, and The Juilliard School.
Miller is an adjunct professor at Marymount Manhattan College and guest faculty at The Juilliard School. Her repertory, creative methodology, and dance training are taught across the country.
Full bio here.
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India Hobbs
India Hobbs is a Chicago Native who is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Hobbs studied dance at The Chicago Academy for the Arts ‘17, and has also received her BFA in contemporary dance from The Boston Conservatory Berklee School of Music ‘21. India has performed works by Brian Brooks, Catherine Coury, Mark Morris, Martha Nichols, Avery Gerhardt, as well as Haus of PVMNT; a NY based company directed by Christopher Kinsey and Maggie Costales. Hobbs has recently performed at The 2021 Krakow Dance Festival in Poland, as well as the 2021 Open Call Exhibition at The Shed in NYC. India is excited to continue evolving as a performing artist through collaboration and exploration.
Christopher Kinsey
Christopher Kinsey received his BFA in contemporary performance with an emphasis in creating performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Before joining Gallim in 2019, Christopher danced for madboots dance & Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern, under the direction of James Sutherland. Christopher creates his own work alongside Maggie Costales for Haus of PVMNT. Their work has been performed at the ICA Boston, The Joyce Theater, Triskelion Arts & Arts On Site. Their most recent film “Cantati Li Me Canti” will be released December 2021. hausofpvmnt.com
Prince Lyons
Prince Lyons is a St. Louis based professional choreographer, performing artist and creative director. He is the founder and executive of producer of PRNZ Productions.
Prince has danced for Visceral Dance Chicago, The Cambrians, Owen/ Cox Dance Group, and Rambert II. Throughout his performance career, Prince has performed works by Diane McIntyre, Kevin O'Day, Andrea Miller, Benoit Swan-Pouffer, Jermaine Spivey, Ohad Naharin, Sidi Larbi, Damien Jalet and worked with recording artists like Jessie Ware.
Prince has choreographed on Visceral Dance Chicago, Big Muddy Dance Company, is the 2018-2019 winner of Western Michigan University's Department of Dance National Choreography Competition, and is the Co-Founded and premiered The K/P Project St. Louis in June of 2021. Additionally, Prince is Jaquel Knight Foundation Grant Recipient and a published model working with Nike, Kohls, JD Sports/Finishline, and Dicks Sporting Goods. His more artistic portraits have premiered in art galleries worldwide from Montreal, Canada, to Melbourne, Australia.
Oscar Ramos
Oscar Ramos is an internationally celebrated dancer, choreographer and director with a distinguished career spanning decades and continents.
Ramos discovered his passion for dance at a young age, dancing with the local dance group at his hometown of Cidra, Puerto Rico - Grupo Pitri - led by Victor Torres and Damaris Ortiz, and attending classes at Dancers Factory under the direction of Erniz Quiles, later continuing his training at the School of Performing Arts under the direction of Waldo Gonzales. As a teenager, Ramos also spent some time training in New York City at the Alvin Ailey Dance School and Broadway Dance Center, and performing in the musical production "Questionable Quest" at the Beacon Theater.
Ramos debuted his professional career dancing for Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, directed by Carlota Carrera and Lolita San Miguel, from 2000-2003. During that time in 2002, he was recognized by "La Comisión Puertorriqueña de la Juventud" as Ballet Dancer of the Year for his outstanding accomplishments with the company.
Swept back to the Big Apple in 2003 by the Ailey School Fellowship Program, Ramos continued his training in New York with Denise Jefferson and Francisco Martinez. In 2004, he moved to Chicago to dance at Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company. Directed by Julie Nakagawa, Ramos danced works by esteemed creators such as Robert Battle, Edwaard Liang, Christian Spuck and Alex Ketley. In 2007, charting a familiar path back to New York, Ramos was invited to join the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, creating original works with internationally acclaimed choreographers including Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Jacopo Godani, Alexander Ekman and Stijn Celis, also appearing in the 2011 Hollywood motion picture The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.
In 2012, Ramos was awarded the unique opportunity to join the world renowned Batsheva Dance Company, where he became versed in the art of Gaga, a dance movement created by Ohad Naharin that has swept the dance world by storm and left a lasting imprint on the art of contemporary dance. Under the direction of Naharin and Adi Salant, Ramos performed in masterful creations such as The Hole and Last Work, and in a career highlight was featured in the work Three at the Paris Opera.
After five years at the Batsheva Dance Company, the next stage of Ramos' dance career would bring him for the first time in 2017 to live in Europe. Since, Ramos has performed all across Europe and the world, been featured in works by Robyn Mineko and Aszure Barton & Artists, and has danced, directed and choreographed for the Royal Ballet of Flanders and Eastman in Antwerp, Belgium, alongside Creative Director Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Some of Ramos' credited work with Cherkaoui includes the feature film GIRL directed by Lucas Dhont; original cast member in the opera Pelléas et Mélisande directed by Cherkaoui, Damien Jalet and Marina Abramovic; rehearsal director and dancer in the pieces 4D+ and Nomad; assistant choreographer in the short film Machine directed by Daniel Askill; assistant choreographer and dancer in Mento Morí, Mea Culpa, The Walk, and Amal; staging director for In Memoriam at Coda 21 in Puerto Rico; and as a dancer in the movie Rebel directed by Adil el Arbi and Bilall Fallah and in the movie Cyrano starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Peter Dinklage and directed by Joe Wright.
In 2021, Ramos brought his own vision to life, creating, directing and performing his first solo piece "Solo One" at the Blikfabric in Antwerp, with originally composed music by Adam V Clarke, visual art by Matti Degueldre, and produced by Amok/Amok and Atelier 03. Ramos is grateful and excited to join Gallim family this season.
Evan Sagadencky
LA native Evan Sagadencky (he/him) attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) where he trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Horton and Hip Hop. During his time at LACHSA, Evan was named a YoungArts Winner in Choreography in 2017. Upon graduating, he earned his BFA in Dance from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance where he performed works by Alejandro Cerrudo, Ohad Naharin, Barak Marshall, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Andrew Winghart, Sonya Tayeh, Rauf Rubberlegz Yasit among others. In his professional pursuits, Evan has danced for choreographers including but not limited to Yin Yue, Loni Landon, Teresa (Toogie) Barcelo, Thomas McManus, Zak Ryan Schlegel and Jasmine Albuquerque. He has attended some of the most innovative summer courses internationally including Nederlands Dans Theatre (NDT), Jacob's Pillow, Henny Jurriens Stichting and Chuthis. Evan is regularly collaborating every moment he can — this takes form in films, music videos, performances and events. Most recently Evan was a company member with Ate9 Dance Company under the direction of Danielle Agami, where he performed for the stage, taught repertoire and danced for film.
Georgia Usborne (Rehearsal Director)
Georgia Usborne is a performer, choreographer, teacher and curator/producer based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from the UK, she graduated from Central School of Ballet in 2010 and danced with Bern Ballet in Switzerland under the direction of Cathy Marston. In Bern Georgia worked with choreographers including Orjan Andersson, Alexander Ekman, Adonis Foniadakis, Johan Inger, Didy Veldman and Noa Zuk, and completed her MA in Contemporary Dance. Georgia joined Andrea Miller’s Gallim Dance in 2014, creating, performing and teaching internationally, and working as Gallim’s Studio programming coordinator from 2018-2019. She continues to work with the company as a guest artist, teacher and rehearsal Director, and as a freelance dancer. Georgia choreographs for film, video and live performance, recently receiving the award for Best Experimental Film for her short piece Villa dei Misteri at Revolution Me Film Festival. She teaches Improvisation to all ages and levels. Georgia is the Founding Creative Director of CreateART, interdisciplinary performance and residency platform for emerging art, and Community Organizer for Arts On Site. More at georgiausborne.com // IG @georgiausborne
Marc Anthony Gutierrez (Apprentice)
Marc Anthony Gutierrez (he/him) is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, where he began his dance training with DACPAC under the direction of Cheryl Copeland and Dominique Lomuljo. In San Francisco, Marc had the opportunity to work with well-renowned artists at a young age allowing him to further discover his admiration for dance. He is formally continuing his dance training at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance as a scholarship recipient. Over the years, he has had the privilege of performing works by Sidra Bell, Dexandro Montalvo, Doug Varone, Cindy Salgado, and Norbert De La Cruz III. He is looking forward to graduating in May 2022 with a B.F.A. in dance.
Naoki Yogi (Apprentice)
Naoki Yogi was born and raised in Redondo Beach, CA. She attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Performing Arts. In May 2022 she will be graduating from the Conservatory of Dance program at SUNY Purchase college. During her time at Purchase she has worked with many choreographers including Annie Rigney, Spenser Theberge, Doug Varone, and Connie Shiau.
GALLIM ARTISTS:
India Hobbs
Christopher Kinsey
Prince Lyons
Oscar Ramos
Evan Sagadencky
Georgia Usborne Rehearsal Director
Marc Anthony Gutierrez Apprentice
Naoki Yogi Apprentice
Production Manager:
2022, Olivia Brown
Running Time:
60 minutes, no intermission
Premiere:
2009, Joyce SoHo. Redeveloped: 2009, Jacob’s Pillow.
Lighting Design:
Vincent Vigilante
Costume Design:
Jose Solis
Music:
Mannyfingers, Andrej Przybytkowski, Chopin, Kap Bambino, Arvo Part, Wolf Parade
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BLUSH premiered at Joyce SoHo in 2009 and was redeveloped at Jacob’s Pillow in 2009.
This presentation of BLUSH is made possible by a Chelsea Factory artist residency.
This presentation of BLUSH is generously supported by First Republic Bank.
Additional support provided by Bronze Sponsors Mary Cusano Amsterdam and Edward A. Brill, and Friend of GALLIM Sponsor Gerald Appelstein, in honor of Arthur Appelstein.
Support for GALLIM is provided by our Generous Supporters
Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 Franziska Strauss 4, 5 Simon Wachter, 8 Anne Michele Mallory