Ruby & Bo

An instrumentalist, a speaker/singer, and two dancers improvise a story based on the audience-supplied theme of “challenge.” Anyone can lead; we inspire each other as we go.

Peter Chwazik, Amber Espar, Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Ruby & Bo Talk Back

Cast and audience talk about "Ruby & Bo" and how an improvised ensemble works together to create a piece in the moment.

Connective Conversation

Based on a theme from the audience (“connective conversation”), three performers create a piece from Contact Improv trios and duos randomly interrupted by spoken word solos.

Amber Espar, Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Connective Conversation Talk Back

Cast and audience talk about "Connective Conversation" and the surprising risks the audience takes watching a Contact Improvisation performance.

Two x Two x Two

Two duets create two-minute improvised compositions, featuring Peter Chwazik on upright bass and Amber Espar and Sean Lukasik dancing. The audience supplies “warm duddles” and “dance music” as the themes.

Peter Chwazik, Amber Espar, Sean Lukasik

Two x Two x Two Talk Back

Cast and audience talk about "Two x Two x Two" and the "interpretation" of audience-supplied theme words.

Free at Last

At our Performance Deli, a patron orders "Solos Over a Groove" and chooses "free at last" as the theme. An instrumentalist sets up a groove on his nine-string bass, two singers vocalize the groove, then all three take turns soloing.

Peter Chwazik, Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Trash Loop

At our Performance Deli, Dan Morton introduces an on-line order for "Loop Soup" from Shawn in NJ, who chooses "trash" as his theme word. An instrumentalist sets up a loop to play over and three performers create a movement, vocal, and spoken word piece.

Peter Chwazik, Amber Espar, Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Sometimes You Dream

At our Performance Deli, someone orders "Duotones" and gives us the theme word of "deli" for creating this duet together in the moment.

Peter Chwazik, Rhonda Morton

Mask Platter

At our Performance Deli, a patron orders "Mask Platter," chooses a mask, and tells Laurie McDowell, our assistant, that her greatest passion is singing. A performer dons the mask and creates a piece inspired by the customer's passion.

Amber Espar

Riding the Edge of the Present

For one minute each, a speaker, dancer, and sounder, follow the unraveling ball of pure impulse as it occurs.

Amber Espar, Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Big Sur Elephant

A video inspires a musician to compose an improvised score; the score inspires three overlapping improvised dance solos; and the audience sees all five perspectives. This excerpt shows just one of the dances.

Peter Chwazik, Rhonda Morton

Big Sur Improvisation

Here's the full Big Sur video and score. The video was created as a compilation of improvised movement on the beach at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park on the Big Sur coastline in California.

Peter Chwazik, Rhonda Morton

Navy Dad, Air Drum, Sure is Windy

In this piece, there's One Rule: every time you move the chair, you become someone new.

Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Words You Love and the Places They Take Me

Words are contributed by the audience in secret before the performance, and when they are randomly called out, the performer goes wherever they take her.

Rhonda Morton

Verbosity

At our Performance Deli, we offer specials that change daily, like "Verbosity." A patron gives us the theme word "friend," and three performers create a simple yet memorable piece

Amber Espar, Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Risking Reciprocity

In this playful Contact Improvisation dance of giving and receiving, two people ask, "Does trust come from me, from you, or from us?"

Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Three Face Front

A vocal soundscape is created with students from Corning-Painted Post East High School. No eye contact, all listening, on the theme of "food."

Kelsey Kingsbury, Rhonda Morton, Maggie Wayne

Sleeplessness

At a "Living with Mental Illness" symposium, we asked the audience to give us words on that theme. An instrumental loop created in the moment provides the foundation.

Peter Chwazik, Jaydn McCune, Rhonda Morton

Propsibilities

Given props they've never seen before, and moving from circle to circle, two performers improvise scenes, sometimes in duets, sometimes in simultaneous solos.

Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Bellicosity

At our Performance Deli, a patron orders "Dream Weaver" and provides the theme word of "bellicosity." One person, the dreamer, never leaves the stage while two others come and go and an instrumentalist creates a percussive soundscape.

Peter Chwazik, Amber Espar, Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Opening the Suitcase

"Opening the Suitcase" is an appetizer on the Performance Deli menu. A performer opens an imaginery suitcase over and over, finding new worlds each time.

Sean Lukasik

Lime

Two performers create an improvised shared monologue from the audience-supplied theme of "lime." Can you tell who is leading and who is following at any given moment?

Amber Espar, Rhonda Morton

Hat

Open score solo -- just see what comes from the audience-supplied word "hat."

Rhonda Morton

Alternative Medicine

In "Alternative Medicine," a patron tells us she wants us to dance for her injured heel. Three dancers create overlapping two-minute solo dances while an insturmentalist plays a nine-string bass.

Peter Chwazik, Amber Espar, Sean Lukasik, Rhonda Morton

Moving Possibilities

Back and forth for an hour, never moving the same way twice. Improvised music. Perplexed/intrigued audience. And a video compilation of three sidewalk performances and the poem that inspired it all.

Peter Chwazik, Rhonda Morton