Under the artistic leadership of “innovator in disability arts” (The New York Times), Alice Sheppard’s Kinetic Light enables new understandings of the moving world. Dancers Laurel Lawson (ATL-based) and Alice Sheppard perch, swoop, and soar on a striking custom-built ramp of curves and peaks in DESCENT in this recorded version making its online premiere. This visually stunning imagining of a queer, interracial love story of mythical figures Venus and Andromeda is a transformative ride testing the limits of what dance, beauty, and disability appear to be. Lighting Design by Michael Maag.

“Sheppard and her collaborators are reimagining how we experience the form, and at the same time, making striking new shapes that challenge our limited ideas of what dance—and dancers—look like.” (Albany Times Union)

Official premiere launches Dec. 3 at 9ET/6PT, followed by a live Artist Talk via Zoom. The film will be accessible through midnight CST on Dec. 5th. Tickets are per household; student tickets available.

Access: Audio Description of the film ASL and captioning for the Artist Talk on Dec. 3.

Image Description for promo image: Alice Sheppard, a light-skinned Black woman with a crown of short curly hair, is crawling on her hands with her knees in Laurel Lawson’s footplate. Laurel, a white woman, is arching her back on the ground as she is dragged along the floor. A sunset appears behind them. Photo by MANCC / Chris Cameron