The festival fosters artistic dialogue, connects artists throughout the country, and provides a platform to support groundbreaking contemporary dance-making. The event includes dance jams, classes, and resource sharing throughout the day, culminating in an evening performance, post show talk balk, and networking reception. Pruitt’s work was selected from a competitive pool of 60 applicants to be one of nine choreographers curated in the festival.
“Of Nearness” explores the embodiment of power dynamics and psychophysical connection between two people. The work probes the relationship between movement and time, as it molds the audience witnessing as a catalyst for empathy. Bringing the audience into the dancers’ experience both mentally and physically, a sound score of recorded narration functions to offer an unknown witness’s inner monologue of personal reflection about the relationship as the work unfolds. The piece encourages a psychological connection between audience and dancers in addition to the kinetic connection to explore new ways of watching and engaging with dance.