August 7-13, 2003

artpicks

Phrenic New Ballet

Dance

Come summertime members of Pennsylvania Ballet enjoy resting their well-worn tootsies. But for Christine Cox, Amanda Miller and Matthew Neenan, there's no rest for the weary, because these dancers, with filmmaker Tobin Rothlein, keep busy with the ensemble they all co-direct, Phrenic New Ballet. Rothlein says, "This is a pretty big show for us. There's live music -- we've never been able to do that before and we're trying to continually push the envelope in the way video is mixed with dance, and with the light and the sets."

The four are excited at having commissioned a work by Thaddeus Davis, who was a creative assistant to choreographer Donald Byrd. Miller's contribution, Pursuit, is an abstract contemplation on American consumer culture based on the best-selling book Fast Food Nation, and is performed to live music by experimental vocal composer Toby Twining. Neenan chimes in with a pas-de-deux with his longtime pal and fellow PABer Jennifer Smith. Cox's Tabula Rasa includes a section where she dances with her physically challenged sister, Barbara. The two siblings have been diligently practicing, and though the segment is short, it promises to be an emotional highlight.

Phrenic New Ballet, Wed.-Sat., Aug. 13-16, 8 p.m., $25, Mandell Theater, 33rd and Chestnut sts., 215-569-9700.

—Deni Kasrel

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