Are you looking for a Christmas diversion that’s a little bit modern and a little bit traditional? Project: Motion directors Rebecca Cochran and Louisa Koeppel have curated “House Happening 2: All Through the House,” which sounds a little like a holiday-themed scary movie, but is, in fact, an evening of site-specific dance works including a twist on The Nutcracker and additional performances inspired by various rooms in the sprawling Woodruff-Fontaine House.
“It’s really more like an art installation than a concert,” Koeppel explains. “It’s choose your own adventure.” Following a brief orientation, audiences are set free to tour the beautifully preserved Victorian home at their own pace, as if they were walking around a gallery. Along the way, they will discover various dance pieces that are being performed simultaneously. Halfway through the evening, all but two of the performances will reset and begin again, allowing everybody an opportunity to have a completely different experience.
“Mollie Woodruff had a Christmas wedding in the 1800s,” Koeppel says, describing one way the modern troupe has used the house and its history as a creative touchstone. “She wrestles with the veil, and the veil takes control. So you get to see this dancer struggling and being controlled by this wedding veil against the backdrop of this beautiful bedroom.”
Other performances will reflect Victorian holiday traditions and solstice themes. “We’re hoping to bring the house to life and just make this gem really sparkle,” Koeppel says.
The event benefits both Project: Motion and the Woodruff-Fontaine House. Choreographers include Wayne M. Smith, Erin Walter, Louisa Koeppel, and Bethany Wells.
