In The Fall | Working Title

A pioneer of postmodern dance, Trisha Brown’s work forever changed the landscape of contemporary performance. Trisha Brown Dance Company continues to expand its creative vision with its second ever commission, a new work by French choreographer Noé Soulier, titled In the Fall (2023). The program is followed by one of Brown’s iconic works, Working Title (1985), characterized by her ability to push the limits of her dancers’ athleticism and stamina. Elevating abstract dance to theatrical proportions, Brown’s timeless works solidify her place as one of the most influential choreographers of her time. 

In the Fall captures the physical act of falling, connecting to themes in Brown’s choreographies. Soulier’s interested in the moments of falling where the body has a certain level of control, yet remains inevitable when paired with momentum. In this piece, the falls are stretched in time to the point where they become something else. Dancers slowly extend a body part in space, transforming their body until they reach a position where they cannot go any further. They pass this tipping point and fall. 

A precursor to Lateral Pass (1985), Working Title was originally presented as a work-in-progress, with different units of the choreography combined and rearranged for each new performance. Newly commissioned costumes by Elizabeth Cannon resonate with Nancy Graves’ original designs and focus attention on the dance’s collage of asymmetrical and unpredictable traveling patterns. 

© Delphine Perrin