A premiere, a highly anticipated event, represents the moment in which artworks, often created, conceived and rehearsed in private spaces, are presented to the public for the first time, the first meeting with the audience: the viewer and critic. Maria Hassabi’s newest dance performance PREMIERE takes its time to explore the notion of the ‘premiere’ itself.

Directed by: Maria Hassabi
Performers: Biba Bell, Hristoula Harakas, Robert Steijn, Andros Zins-Browne, and Hassabi
Sound Design: Alex Waterman
Lighting Design: Zack Tinkelman and Maria Hassabi
Styling: threeASFOUR
Dramaturgy: Scott Lyall
Production Assistants: Meghan Finn and Kate Ryan

SHOWS

2015
– Het Veem Theater, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (April 10, 11)

2014
– Festival für Aktionskunst, Bern, Switzerland (December 3)
– steirischer herbst, Graz, Austria (September 27, 28)
– River to River Festival, New York, US (June 27, 28)
– NEAT festival, Nottingham, UK (May 23)
– Göteborgs Dans & Teater Festival, Göteborg, Sweden (May 20)
– Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels, Belgium (May 3,4,5)
– XING, Bologna, Italy (April 10)

2013
– Premiere: The Kitchen, NYC, as part of Performa 13 (November 6, 7, 8, 9)

PRESS

‘You watch for something-anything-to break loose. You feel relief and triumph to notice even just the flow of breath ruffling through a dancer’s back, and you search for more of the same. Your outer and inner senses reach out. Despite yourself, you have already begun to live in this dance… The work-an endurance trial for performers and audience alike-is a knockout.’
Infinite Body, Eva Yaa Asantewaa, November 7, 2013

CREDITS

Co-presented by The Kitchen and Performa as part of Performa 13. PREMIERE is also a co-production of Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels, Belgium), Kaaitheater (Brussels, Belgium), steirischer herbst (Graz, Austria), Dance4 (Nottingham, UK) and is produced with the support of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Extended Life Program. The work has received additional funding from the MAP Fund, the Jerome Foundation, LMCC Manhattan Community Arts Fund and Mertz Gilmore Foundation’s Late-Stage Production Stipends. PREMIERE was developed through residencies at Kaaitheater (Brussels, Belgium), Pa-f (St Erme, France) and Mount Tremper Arts (New York).