”There are some choreographers who work very quickly; I happen not to be one of those,” Karen Stokes tells us. ”I build works over a long period of time. It sometimes takes me five years to produce an evening-length work. As I’m working, I’m actually creating shorter works.” And it’s four of those works that we’ll see during Vine Leaf Dances, a two-act program. Vine Leaf takes its name from the word ”vignette,” which is defined, according to press materials, as ”stories that are so small they can be written on a vine leaf.” The second half of the program features Stokes’s new one-act, Distreston & Balia. Distreston, as its name implies, explores a world filled with residents who are in distress. Zombie-like characters whip themselves into a frenzy and eventually collapse into a disordered mound. In Balia, the characters live in a tranquil and calm world, sweeping gracefully across the stage. Stokes says both pieces reflect states of mind, confusion and serenity.
Nov. 15-17, 8 p.m., 2012
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2012.