What Big Ideas You Have! Why, Mr. Peugh!


Dark CirclesDance Company creates an innovativework based on beloved fable, LittleRedRidingHood


point that leaves the audiencewondering, “Whatwill they think of next?”


D


Most recently, I sawDCDCperformtheir newestworks, BigBadWolf and Le Fairies as part ofATTPac’s elevator project series. To give a lit- tle background on these pieces, BigBadWolf is inspired by caution- ary tales peopleworldwide use to frighten naughty children. Influenced by characters described in stories byHeinrichHoffmann, theGrimmBrothers, andCharles Perrault (among others), the workwill be grandly theatrical andwill also drawfromvaudeville.


The secondwork is aworld premieremodern reimagining of the classic ballet Les Sylphides titled Les Fairies.With music by FrédéricChopin performed live by Meadows School of theArts StaffMusician RichardAbrahamson, the newcreationwill fea- ture the brilliant dancers ofDarkCircles in a romantic style balletwith a twist. The production will feature a lighting design byRoma Flowers, whose credits includework forAlvinAiley AmericanDance Theater,DonaldBird,Doug ElkinsDanceCompany,UrbanBushWomen, DougVarone,Dance Theatre ofHarlemand many other distinguished dance companies and artists. SusanAustinwill provide the costume design.


These two pieces have everything you could want in a performance: drama, humor, excellent technique, innovative choreography and a brand-newscore, commissioned fromcomposer and SMUMeadows School of theArts alumnus BrandonCarson. These two pieces are extremely etherealwith a dark dramatic cloud looming above.When asked about his inspiration for such imaginativework, Josh Peugh responded that, “When Iwas young, Iwas terrified of the BigBadWolf fromthe story of “LittleRedRiding Hood”—one ofmany,many versions of the boogeyman.All anyone had to dowasmention his name and Iwas in hysterics. To this day I live in fear of imaginary evils.


My captivationwith the character of The Tailor fromHeinrichHoffmann’s children’s book<Der


page 12 November-January 2018 www.thedancecouncil.org


Pictured:Dark CirclesDance Company. Photo: SharenBradford/TheDancing Image DANCE!NORTHTEXAS


arkCirclesDanceCompany (DCDC) is a company that I’ve always followed and admired. They’re edgywithout being pre- tentious, daringwithout being reckless and creative to the


Struwwelpeter>began thiswhole project. The book tells the story of ‘Little Suck-a-Thumb’, a boywhowill not stop sucking his thumbs. After the boy disobeys hismother’swarning, the ‘great, long, red- legged’ tailor appears and cuts themoffwith a pair of big scissors.


Researching The Tailor ledme to another boogeyman: The Sack Man,who collects disobedient children in a big bag. This character appears in tales fromGermany to Lebanon, crossingmany interna- tional borders. I amfascinated by the fact that thesemalevolent characters are universal; they transcend language, class, and bor- ders. Themythical character takes different forms in different regions, but peopleworldwide use it to frighten naughty children. I thought itmight be fun to twist some of these tales into one the- atrical dance thatmight entertain and say something about the way humanity uses fear to illicit ‘good conduct’.”


a publication of the dance council of north texas vol. 20 • no. 4


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