Stefanie Nelson adds up

Stefanie Nelson's Proximity Spiral is one of those dances where you just want to run grab somebody and say, So you think you don't grok dance?, and then basically push them in the direction of someone like the fantastic Matthew Oaks and say, Just sit quietly and watch for a while. And, later, they thank you.

Oaks and seven other dazzling performers from Stefanie Nelson Dancegroup
presented the U.S. premiere of Proximity Spiral last evening at Joyce SoHo. This evening-length work turns the space into a red-hot pressure cooker. Nelson sidesteps any sense of normalcy or polite limits in her depiction of the human body and the proximity of bodies to one another. These bodies seem instinctual, untamed and edgy. The spiral in question is the Fibonacci sequence--0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34...--and there's nothing like a spiral, beauty and all, for conveying that feeling of unrelenting, tightening intensity. That's certainly what goes on when the strong, fluid and exuberant Ali Schecter and Ariana Siegel bust out all around a creepily dangerous-looking Oaks.

Nelson's inventiveness steadily builds and never seems gratuitous. Explore the mysterious terrain she has created, with a stellar collaborative team, at Joyce SoHo, now through Sunday. Post-performance discussion tonight.

Schedule and ticketing information