An Evening of New Work from Choreographer Ali Kenner Brodsky

Thursday, August 18, 2022

7:30 - 8:30 pm

Get tickets

moments is a dance-theater work which explores memory, loss and love. The work unfolds through subtle, gestural movement set to a score by MorganEve Swain and includes artwork by Cyrus Highsmith.

Through a collection of embodied vignettes, moments breaks the stigma around grief by giving audiences a moment to be present to their individual experiences of loss. Artists involved in the performance include dancers: Ali Kenner Brodsky, Maine based dance artist Scott McPheeter, Boston based dance artists Jessi Stegall and Ilya Vidrin; musician MorganEve Swain; graphic artist Cyrus Highsmith, costumes by Hertling.

The evening includes a 30 minute live performance followed by an artist talk and Q&A, surrounded by artwork by graphic artist Cyrus Highsmith. Full program is below.

New England States Touring (NEST)

Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

From the Program

akb & co. presents a first look at 

moments 

Thursday August 18, 2022 at 7:30pm 

at Jamestown Arts Center, RI 

Choreography by Ali Kenner Brodsky 

in collaboration with performers Scott McPheeters, Jessi Stegall & Ilya Vidrin Graphics by Cyrus Highsmith 

Music by MorganEve Swain 

Costumes by Hertling 

This work-in-progress showing of moments will flow through seven sections 

and conclude with a Q&A with the performers. 

moments will have its evening-length premiere at SPACE Gallery in Portland, Maine on November 19, 2022. For more information about the full production, please visit www.alikennerbrodsky.com. 

moments was funded, in part, by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies. The creation of moments was made possible through: a Catalysts residency at The Dance Complex (MA), the Croft Residency (MI), and a space residency at The Heron (MA). 

moments would only be ideas in my head if it were not for the beautiful artistry of Scott McPheeters, Jessi Stegall, Ilya Vidrin, MorganEve Swain, and Cyrus Highsmith. Thank you for your powerful collaboration! 

Many, many THANKS! to the following: The wonderful team at the Jamestown Arts Center: Maureen, Karen, Lucy & Jeff for working to bring this piece; Justin Christensen, Jessica Howard and The Heron Studio (www.theheronstudio.com); Lori Jones, Megan Kendzior, Marty Kenner, Keri King, Andy Russ; the stellar Regional Dance Development team at NEFA: Indira, Cheri and Kristen, as well as Adrienne, Fayln and Daniella; and as always my rock-star family Sam, Sloane & Ian Brodsky - I couldn’t do this without you

In memory of my mom, Liz

Ali Kenner Brodsky (she/her) makes gesturally rich and emotionally driven dance-theater works and dance films that ask the viewer to indulge in a world of reflection, remembering, and connection. Ali recently received Massachusetts Cultural Council Choreography Fellowship and was thrilled to be included in NEFA’S New England Regional Dance Development Initiative. She was a 2019 artist-in-residence (Croft: Ground for Art), 2018/19 Catalysts artist (Dance Complex), 2016 Emerging Choreographer in Residence (Bates Dance Festival), 2014 recipient of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Choreography Fellowship, and a 2003/04 artist-in-residence at Joyce SoHo. She has received support from NEFA’s New England States Touring and Dance Fund, and from the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County. With David Henry, Lila Hurwitz and Andy Russ, Ali co-founded Motion State Arts, which presents innovative dance-films and live performances from local, national and international artists. She is on the Board of New England Presenters, works as a dance advisor/curator to the Zeiterion Theater (New Bedford), and choreographs for The Wilbury Theater Group (Providence). She graduated with honors in dance from Skidmore College. A Rhode Island native, AKB makes home in Dartmouth, MA with her husband, two children and five chickens. www.alikennerbrodsky.com 

MorganEve Swain (she/her) is an independent musician living in a barn in the woods of New England. A violinist since the age of three, she uses strings primarily to compose original music for dance, story, film, and her band The Huntress and Holder of Hands. When she’s not playing them, MorganEve repairs violins and bows at her home-shop and teaches violin to children using the Suzuki methodology. MorganEve also works as a freelance studio and touring musician and manages the affairs of her late-band Brown Bird. She can be found on Instagram @swain.morganeve and on the web at morganeveswain.com 

Justin Christensen / Hertling In 1925, Hertling Industries was founded in Brooklyn, New York. Today, we pursue the same quality we have since the beginning, but seek new ways to innovate and provide the most value for our customers. Our vision is to elevate style through beautifully handcrafted products. https://www.hertlingusa.com 

Cyrus Highsmith (he/him) is a letter drawer, teacher, author, and graphic artist. He teaches type design at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He wrote and illustrated the acclaimed primer Inside Paragraphs: Typographic Fundamentals. In 2015, he received the Gerrit Noordzij Prize for extraordinary contributions to the fields of type design, typography, and type education. In 2017, he became Creative Director for Latin Type Development at Morisawa USA. www.occupantfonts.com 

Scott McPheeters (he/him) is a queer, interdisciplinary dance artist and educator currently based in Maine. He co-directs dance and video installation company, Subcircle (www.subcircle.org), and is a co-founder of Subcircle Residency (www.subcircleresidency.org - @subcircleresidency) located on a farm in Biddeford, ME. He worked as a professional dancer in Philadelphia for fifteen years where he performed regularly with companies including Nichole Canuso Dance Company, Kun-Yang Lin / Dancers, Enchantment Theatre Company, and Subcircle. He is committed to an artistic practice that is constantly evolving to accommodate, reflect and comment on site, situation, and collaborative influences. McPheeters holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Sierra Nevada University. www.scottmcpheeters.com 

Jessi Stegall (she/her) is a Boston-based dance-theatre artist, applied ethicist, and educator. She has performed works by Jill Johnson, Ilya Vidrin, Ali Kenner Brodsky, LROD, and Jamila Glass. She was recently featured as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” (2022) alongside her close collaborator, Ilya Vidrin. She is currently the resident artist for the Boston Dancemakers Residency at Boston Center for the Arts (2022-2023). In addition to her work in dance, Jessi holds an M.S. in Bioethics from Harvard University and a B.S. in Expressive Art Therapy from Lesley University. www.jessistegall.com 

Dr. Ilya Vidrin (he/they) is a performer, educator, and researcher at the intersection of performing arts, philosophy, and interactive media. Born into a refugee family, Dr. Vidrin’s research and artistic practice engages with the complex ethics of human interaction, including the embodiment of care, cultural competence, and social responsibility. Most recently, Ilya was featured as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” (2022), and invited as a guest artist at L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, North Atlantic Ballet, Ballet Des Moines, Jacob’s Pillow, Boston Center for the Arts, and the New Museum (NYC). www.ilyavidrin.com