Work Samples

altared

Altared was inspired by the tangos of Argentina and Finland, the concept of alter egos, Finnish mythology, and the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Co-created with Elizabeth Barton, this multimedia work explores the notion: “We are all capable of unimaginable violence and unimaginable good.” Music by Astor Piazzolla.

Video credits: Cast –  Jonathan Cain (cello) and Yee Von Ng (piano); Shannon Dooling-Cain and Elizabeth Barton (dancers; Projections byRobin Neveu Brown with Brittany Shemuga; Lighting: Brittany Shemuga

10-57

Inspired by the 2300 Americans that are reported missing each day, 10-57 uses movement and design to shed light on this staggering statistic and the struggle of families to bring their missing loved ones home. In this collaboration with soloist Lauren Benner, we researched real-life missing persons cases, from which we created a series of vignettes that explores what may have happened to these missing individuals, and how people cope with the mysterious loss of a loved one. Music by Alexandra T Bryant

Video credits: Created in collaboration with the cast – Lauren Benner, Lauren Fanslau, Catherine Fischer, MaryKate Selby, Jackie McCreavy; Music performed by Jessica Albrecht, Paul Bagley, Kristin Bakkegard, Alexa Cantalupo, Jon Clancy, Nora Lee, Troy Pryor, Shabria Ray, Jonathan Cain; Set Design: Mike Armbruster

Moieties

  1. pl. moi·e·ties
  2. A half.
  3. A part, portion, or share.
  4. Anthropology Either of two kinship groups based on unilateral descent that together make up a tribe or society.
  5. Chemistry A well-defined part of a larger molecule.

Music by Alexandra T Bryant

Video credits: Created in collaboration with the cast – Lauren Benner, Mary Wayock, Alexandra Cantalupo, Troy Pryor; Set Design: Mike Armbruster

Superluminous

Superluminous explore ties that bind and tangles that entrap as the dancers twist one another up in kinesthetic and emotional webs, but just as quickly they release, recoil and rebound into new relationships or solo explorations. Music by Jon Adams. Choreography by Shannon Dooling and Krista Armbruster with the cast. Commissioned by DeSales University for the 2013 Dance Ensemble Concert.

The Title Keeps Changing

A dance-theatre duet originally devised and choreographed by Shannon Dooling-Cain and Lauren Fanslau; later revised with creative input from Emilie Davignon and Elizabeth Barton. The video clip below is excerpted from performance at Dance Place (Washington, D.C.). Music by Natalie Spehar.