JOANNA KOTZE

New York Live Arts presents Joanna Kotze’s “this is the beginning, this is the end.” Kotze is a choreographer, dancer, and educator who has been a pillar of the New York dance community for nearly 30 years. Alongside an impressive ensemble featuring Lena Engelstein, Wendell Gray II, Molly Heller, Symara Sarai, and Hsiao-Jou Tang, Kotze delivers a multidisciplinary presentation combining live music, experimental sound, and dance.

“this is the beginning, this is the end” begins with mind melting experimental vocals and music by Maralie Armstrong-Rial and Ryan Seaton against a dimly lit, minimalist stage. The music builds toward a climax before abruptly giving way to silence. A lone dancer stands onstage, holding her arms outward as though projecting energy into the audience. She runs forward with an airy lightness, hopping into place, as another dancer enters and repeats the same pattern, with others gradually following suit.

The movement vocabulary remains consistent, with each dancer seemingly performing the same phrase at different intervals. This repetition creates an intriguing visual rhythm, as familiar gestures overlap, diverge, and occasionally fall into unison. What initially appears simple becomes increasingly complex as the dancers navigate the space, each maintaining an individual sense of timing within the larger ensemble.

Near the end of the piece, the dancers explode into the audience, running up and down the aisles and even climbing over seats. This unexpected disruption of the traditional performance space brings a welcome sense of unpredictability and humor to the work. Returning to the stage, the dancers form a line, moving horizontally one after another while their bodies remain facing forward. In the final moments, we reunite with the experimental music as the dancers gyrate, their movements becoming increasingly uninhibited.

Joanna Kotze showcases unexpected choreography with a refreshing sense of humor and finesse. Her ability to transform seemingly ordinary movements into intricate choreographic patterns is particularly compelling. While the work occasionally leans heavily on repetition, its playful shifts in energy and unconventional use of space keep the audience engaged, offering a fascinating exploration of movement, individuality, and collective experience.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Frankie Lehr

*Photos by Maria Baranova