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Drastic Action in "Just Stand By"

Queensborough Performing Arts Center
New York, NY

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This darkly funny dance/theater work is rooted in the rise of anti-democratic leaders and in artistic director Aviva Geismars history as the child of a Holocaust survivor. The piece explores the human capacity to stand by or stand up when threatened or challenged. Dancers struggle with the pressure to conform until it becomes a painful ordeal of self manipulation. In satirical contrast, a duo breaks the fourth wall, asking viewers what did I do when followed by an increasingly familiar series of injustices, eventually inciting the audience to chant along I did nothing. I did nothing. 1920s photos of Hitler posing while listening to recordings of his own speeches form the foundation of a solo section, a portrait of a leader self-consciously crafting a shape shifting persona. A closing duet explores intergenerational trauma. One dancer demonstrates how to wear an absurdly long scarf. As her mentee tries to comply, the scarf transforms from accessory to gas mask, to noose.

As a curtain opener, a group of QCC students will perform an original dance exploring their own relationship to injustice, inclusion/exclusion and the pressure to confirm.

Aviva Geismars Drastic Action is a NYC-based contemporary dance company that uses dance to create connections across lines of difference, offering individuals opportunities for serious reflection, self-expression, and empowerment. Geismar collaborates with a diverse group of performers to create thought-provoking dances, often around issues of social justice.

Tom Strini (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ) wrote, Geismar's dead-on understanding of social realities is like a poke in the ribs. In life and in Geismar's dances, tragedy and comedy can be hard to sort out.

With Dances for the Blue House and Dancing to Connect (2006-2010), DA performed and taught in numerous cities across Germany. Dis/Location (2016, Fort Tryon Park) explored the immigrant experience in immigrant-rich Washington Heights with creation of a site-specific dance and workshops with local middle school students. Dis Place: Paper and Word (2024, Arts on Site) was a multi-media exploration of the American legacy of displacement under the banner of urban renewal.

DA has an extensive performance history throughout North America and Germany and has been supported by numerous organizations including the Harkness Foundation for Dance, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Mary Duke Biddle Foundation and Bay and Paul Foundation. Geismar has been a guest or adjunct at several colleges and is an Associate Professor/Director of the Dance Program at Queensborough Community College.

The company includes collaborating performers: Kelsey Burns, Janee Murray Wegman, and Nadia Simmons, Dramaturg/Director: Jodi Van der Horn-Gibson, Composer: Taiwan Green, and Costume Designer, Emily Hsieh.

Location

Queensborough Performing Arts Center
222-05 56th Avenue
New York, NY 10025
United States

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