“Reckless Abandonment” explores the concept of “abandon” in all senses of the word. Delving into our body’s living memories of abandon, abandoning, abandonment, and being unbound—we acknowledge the duality that freedom and joy can co-exist with grief, pain, and loss inside our bodies. We explore what it means to move with abandon, without actually abandoning ourselves.

In our culture the word “abandon” has both negative and positive connotations. Having abandonment issues is generally viewed as negative, whereas moving with abandon is something we aspire to. We yearn for this feeling. This dance-theatre work explores both connotations of the word “abandon”, and the explores the relationships between them.

What is the physicality of “leaving” or “being left”, and what are we left with, after the leaving happens?How can we alchemize this unique energetic quality of “abandon” and use it as fuel? There is an emptiness and a fearlessness inside abandon—a strange combination of lightness and gravity that is raw,vulnerable, and full of potential.

Dancers swing, spin, slide, fall, and curve through space in imperfect unisons and bursts of solo. They embody a chaotic musicality—alternating between fast, rhythmic movements and moments of slowness,stillness, and non-doing. They engage with momentum and centrifugal force, exploring the dynamic of the floor dropping out from under, unexpected transitions, sudden shifts. Their movements are direct,disheveled, and— at times, dreamlike—suspending time and sometimes attempting to move backwards in time—collectively searching for release, and leaning into the freedom that comes with a loss.