Birds on a Wire Presents In the Clearing During Philadelphia Fringe Festival

Birds on a Wire Dance Theatre, Philly’s collaborative dance company dedicated to emerging, female artists returns to the Philadelphia Fringe Festival with In the Clearing.  This contemporary, full-length dance work, directed by Artistic Director Melissa Cameron, embarks on a journey through a fairy-tale forest to uncover the best and worst of humanity.  What do the dancers discover in these woods?  Beauty and nature?  Threats and danger?  Pack a picnic basket in this BYOB (Bring Your Own picnic Blanket) adventure at Christ Church Neighborhood House on Friday, September 9 at 8:00m or Saturday, September 10 at 1pm and 6pm to discover what is In the Clearing.    

Inspired by the literary traditions of fairy tale and coming-of-age stories, In the Clearing brings the audience on a magical exploration on the balancing forces of life. This movement-rich performance immerses the audience into an imaginative world transformed by scenic designer Kevin Jordan. Viewers are invited to find a spot and lay out a picnic blanket as they enjoy the soundscape of lutes, drums, and running water created by sound designer Cory Neale.

Philly’s bright, young performers Kate Abernethy, Crystal Nicole, Vanessa Erin Gross, Kathy Kerner, Claire Lutz, Brianne Scott, and Molly Woytowicz bring to life the magical forces at work deep in the woods. Their character is enriched by costume design by up-and-coming artist Ixchel Mendez.

PERFORMANCES
Friday September 9 at 8pm with craft market at 7pm
Saturday September 10 at 1pm with kid dance session following
Saturday September 10 at 6pm

LOCATION
Christ Church Neighborhood House
20 N American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

TICKETS
$17 General Admission: 
https://www.artful.ly/birds-on-a-wire-dance-theatre

Fringearts.com

PRODUCTION AND CREATIVE TEAM
Produced by Birds on a Wire Dance Theatre
Direction by Melissa Cameron
Sound design by Cory Neale
Scenic design by Kevin Jordan
Costume design by Ixchel Mendez
Production Stage Management by Jessica Wolford
Performers: Kate Abernethy, CrystalNicole, Vanessa Erin GrossKathy Kerner, Claire Lutz, Brianne Scott, Molly Woytowicz.

ABOUT BIRDS ON A WIRE DANCE THEATRE

At Birds on a Wire, we believe really strongly in the power of dance to communicate, to express, and to move people, both literally and figuratively.  We value collaborating with artists of different mediums.  We love being part of the powerful and supportive Philadelphia dance community.  We think it's important for Philadelphia dance artists to learn from each other, work together, and make the dance scene even stronger, and are committed to creating opportunities for artists, particularly emerging artists, to grow, develop, and contribute to the cultural landscape.

We are an entirely volunteer run company that unwraps and dissects palpable female experiences and presents them in thoughtful, curious productions.  We believe that dance is intrinsically - that is, by its very nature - accessible and because of this, we consider artist-audience dialogue an integral part of the creation of new and relevant danceworks.  We seek to cultivate an engaged audience and to create meaningful connections between audience and performer.

ABOUT MELISSA CAMERON

Artistic Director Melissa Cameron has danced and choreographed primarily in Philadelphia, PA, Amherst, MA, and Melbourne, Australia.  While in Melbourne, she produced a season of emerging works at Dancehouse, providing several talented Australian artists the opportunity to showcase their work.  There she discovered a commitment to supporting emerging artistic voices and a belief in the entrepeneurial possibilities of performance art -- an industry in which the goal is not material profit but cultural enlivenment.