Art

A tale of three cities: Imagined Realities

The Travesty Dance Group (TDG) is based in three separate cities simultaneously – Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Houston. It would seem to be no small feat to get anything together, much less such a blend of artistry as is headed to Philadelphia when Imagined Realities hit the stage at the Plays & Players Theater October 31 and November 1 at 8 PM, and November 2 at 2 PM.

TDG is the creative collaboration of the three founding members, who seek to bring truly original dance work to a variety of communities on an annual basis. For this show, Cleveland choreographer Kimberly Karpanty brings Straight Forward and Slightly Off-Kilter, a romp laced with images from the classic tale of the Tortoise and the Hare.

The second part of the trifecta is from Rebecca Malcolm-Naib, who performs Masquerade, an intense solo work that delves into peeling back the psychological layers driving the political elite. The Malcolm-Naib is joined onstage by dancer Katharine Livingston for a lighter piece called Call Waiting, a humorous tangle of phone calls, relationships, and incredibly long phone cords. The last group piece from Ms. Malcolm-Naib is Falling, which explores that notion in a variety of permutations…asleep, apart, and more.

Then Houston choreographer Karen Stokes takes over, drawing inspiration from the cool jazz sounds of Bill Ryan. Along with her mesmerizing group Raw Silk, Stokes combines intricate gestures with explosive trajectories. She then takes to the stage herself with song and dance in Interlude 1. Stokes finale swirls eight dancers into a light-hearted feast for the eyes.

Click here to learn more about the Travesty Dance Group. Plays & Players Theater is located at 1714 Delancey Place in Philadelphia.

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