Alma Dance Theater's "Rebel in Venus" by Marissa Alma Nick with three performances beginning Saturday, Nov. 23.
Marissa Alma Nick, founder and artistic director of Alma Dance Theater, is a nonconformist . Who else would have nine women driven into the performance space in a convertible? “Rebel in Venus” is Nick’s evolving piece which is being performed at the The Black Box for three performances beginning Saturday, Nov. 23. There are also performances planned for Dec. 14 and Dec. 21.
“Rebel in Venus “is a sexy punk dance-opera that shines a light on the powerful voice of the millennia generation and their response to the current #metoo and #timesup movements,” explains Nick, the choreographer of the piece. The work examines the role of women in society and their need to tell their own story. In this respect it is like the "Vagina Monologues." Each time "Rebel" is performed a new story is added. In spite of the gravitas of the subject matter, Nick says the performance is “ unapologetic and playful.”
Nick pushes the boundaries in "Rebel." The all female cast is bold and demands to be seen and heard, hence the arrival in the convertible. Nick refers to the dancers as a “cool, girl, gang.”
The venue, The Black Box, is an open warehouse, ” a very Miami art space,” says Nick. The show itself is all Nick and the nine dancers; Nick handles the lights and sound, which is an original soundtrack by Hope Littwin with conversation within the music.
"Rebel in Venus" was created in 2017 as a live show and has grown into an entire movement. It includes a three week workshop, which was held in October, where the participants took part in dance, conversations and writing to learn how to heal. It was an in-depth workshop which encouraged women to reclaim their bodies. The workshops were intense and focused on “learning to heal thru unity,” explains Nick.
Nick is not afraid of looking at problems in our society, In the past, she has presented works such as “Flowers,” which was inspired by her grandmother and deals with aging and dying. Her piece “Cast” is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Cask of Amontillado,” a macabre tale of a man taking fatal revenge on his friend; Nick used an all female cast in this usually male dominated story. "Rebel in Venus" feels right and that the work is just beginning. The content of the show is relevant to our society today. “It’s a good time to be out loud, to be heard. So often we are heard but not listened to,” says Nick.
In this rendition of "Rebel in Venus," the dancing is raw and unfiltered . The dancers never leave the stage, even to change, and there is full nudity in the performance. Nick says the piece is not "photoshopped." “It’s so many things, just like a woman.”
Saturdays: 11/23, 12/14 and 12/21 at 10 p.m.
Pop up bar provided by The Corner Miami from 9 to 10 p.m.
The Black Box, 1036 North Miami Avenue, Miami
More info at www.almadancetheater.com.
