The Shell and the Soft Inside, 2019
The Shell and the Soft Inside, excerpts from dress rehearsal of 15 minute work Performance was done shirtless and is only shared in specific cases with the permission of the dancers.
Choreography by Toni Craige and Dancers
Performance by Toni Craige, Em Papineau, Demi Pritchard, and Laura Upham
Music: “Prizewinning” by Juliana Barwick
Toni has been researching the embodiment of the upper extremity for several years, most recently with the support of a hawk wing given to her by a mentor Before the dance, she showed the audience the wing, described her research, and invited them to pass the wing around throughout the piece. The introduction gave the audience a framework for witnessing, a way to connect with each other, and the experience of caring for the wing together, which elicited the sensation of caring for the dancers. The dance is performed without shirts on, partly as a political act - men do it all the time, why can’t we? - and also because it’s simply beautiful to see both the musculature of the back and the softness of breasts.
Becoming Home, 2018
Becoming Home, excerpts from 14 minute work
Premiered in 2018 at Smith College
Choreography by Toni Craige
Performance by Adam Brady, Aaron Brando, and Sarah Lass
Music by John Osburn
Becoming Home explores the razor edge of agony and ecstasy and the unseen presences and supports in our lives. The work begins with a 7 minute improvised trio that embodies collaboration and listening. Toni directed the trio and used the practice of contact and ensemble improvisation to develop the material for the 7 minute solo.
Blindfolded Duet, 2016
Blindfolded Duet, excerpt from 10 minute work
Premiered in 2016 at Burning Coal Theater in Raleigh, NC
Choreography and Performance by Toni Craige and Adam Dipert
Directed by Sara Phoenix
Text by Brian Cooper
In this intimate, interactive performance, Toni and Adam ask the audience to help them orient in space by engaging with sound. Viewers snap, clap and vocalize as the blindfolded dancers approach the edges of the space. Protected and contained by the community, Toni and Adam share a practice of trust and risk.
Cat Lady, 2015
Cat Lady, complete work
Premiered in 2015 Burning Coal Theater in Raleigh, NC
Direction and Dramaturgy by Sara Phoenix
Choreography by Toni Craige
Performance by Toni Craige and Adam Dipert
Music by Brian Shaw
Cat Lady first came to Sara Phoenix in a dream, then she asked Toni Craige to help her bring the vision to life on the stage. After an otherworldly solo, Cat Lady connects with the human realm in an absurd duet.
Fancy Ponies, 2014
Fancy Ponies, excerpts from 50 minute work
Premiered 2014 at Cirque de Vol Studios in Raleigh, NC
Direction and Dramaturgy by Toni Craige
Choreography and Performance by Toni Craige, Anna Maynard and Renee Ohe
The Fancy Ponies are a dance crew à la Spice Girls - each “pony” has a special name and individualized persona. Exploring themes of adolescent female development and friendships through camp, cowboys, and inflatable bananas, the piece makes complex, tongue-in-cheek commentary on gender, sexuality, and desire. Fancy Ponies is a whole lot of fun!