yon.nahui.vier.apat

School of Dance MFA candidates invite you to a transformative experience with yon.nahui.vier.apat

The School of Dance at the University of Utah presents a dance concert of thesis works from MFA candidates Stephanie García, Joshua Yago Mora, Kellie St. Pierre and Tyler Schnese.

yon.nahui.vier.apat is an evening celebrating dance from dynamic and diverse perspectives. The title references the word “four” in the languages that represent the choreographers’ various lineages across the globe. 

Abrirse el Cuerpo, choreographed by Stephanie García in collaboration with the dancers, is inspired by María Lugones’ concept of a “plurality of selves” that coexist within an individual, alongside a deep reflection on gender violence towards women and all beings not aligned with the colonial project. Plastic drop cloths, projections, and props are utilized as mediums to create metaphors where irony and empathy guide the audience to witness three women coming to terms with themselves, claiming their right to own and rule their bodies.

Stephanie García’s Abrirse el Cuerpo is inspired by María Lugones’ concept of a “plurality of selves” that coexist within an individual alongside a deeper reflection on continued creative research on gender violence towards women and identities not aligned with the colonial project. Plastic drop cloths, projections, and props are the mediums to create metaphors where irony and empathy guide the audience to witness three women coming to terms with themselves and claiming their right to own and rule their lives through a loving and supportive environment among themselves.

In Joshua Yago Mora’s Sa Huli, Tayo’y Iisa, the performers share stories of love as power through patient softness. Finding impetus from the intersection of being a queer Filipino-American, Mora plays with a mix of movement styles from these communities, finding the joy of becoming one in the end. 

The Rate We Change is a collaborative work of dance and art directed by Kellie St. Pierre. This work stems from the concept of managing ongoing-ness and finding ways of rest, recovery, and retreat in the midst of repeatable cycles in our lives. Physics and improvisation physically and conceptually structure the piece, inviting us to question the balance between ease and effort, alongside manageable risk.

Tyler Schnese’s Afternoon of a F*g is a queer reimaging of the 1912 ballet Afternoon of a Faun. Set to a score by Claude Debussy, this reimagined ballet grapples with themes of shame, transformation, binary structures, and radical self-acceptance.

yon.nahui.vier.apat takes the stage Dec. 1st at 5:30pm, Dec. 2nd & 3rd at 7:30pm

See it in-person at the Marriott Center for Dance, Hayes Christensen Theater
330 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 
Free admission at the door with limited seating

Stream all three live performances at dance.utah.edu/virtualshows