Kickstarter

"Every now and then, I see a production that makes me clasp my hands with delight and I want to send everyone to experience it for themselves.”- Amy Lee Pearsall, NYtheater.com

The Project:

Mandorla is a multi-media performance of dance theater, music, video and visual design, choreographed and directed by Jenny Rocha. Using wit as a weapon, this satire creates a provoking commentary on the plight of the "struggling artist."  Desperation, ambition and passion drive the dancers, “like a swarm of music box ballerinas who have been working for too long in back rooms” (NYtheater.com). Rocha’s mixed styles of modern, stomping, hip hop & jazz create a rich movement spectrum and are accentuated with music by Brooklyn's One Ring Zero, which sounds like “…gypsy-klezmer circus-flea-cartoon- music you mainly hear in your dreams.” (The Forward).  The movement, music and humorous silent film-style video by Joseph Rivas combine to create a truly powerful spectacle.

History:

Mandorla first premiered at La Mama ETC in NYC as part of their La Mama Moves Festival 2011.  The company worked on this project for 10 months and got to perform a very short run of two days.  While we were grateful for the experience in the great Ellen Stewart Theater, this project deserved  another season.  The show required a large venue and a large budget to happen again....so Jenny decided to revise and create an intimate and powerful new version of Mandorla that could adapt to theaters of all sizes.

Future:

With a cast of eight, Rocha will present Mandorla at The Dorothy Williams Theater at HERE, April 11th-15th.  This new version will be created for venues of any size!   Hopes of further presentation and touring is our goal.  We have something that is truly special and it should be shared with audiences in NYC and beyond.

Support:

PLEASE SUPPORT MANDORLA'S FUTURE!!!  Every dollar will be used towards performance fees and production costs.  Keep in mind, that this show is being revised in order for it to sustain as a continuous performance project, and that your support will help this endeavor as well!

Spread the word:

If you can, please share this page with others. Social media such e-mail, Facebook and Twitter are great ways of creating a buzz for us!

 “Mandorla is a masterpiece in which she brings together complementary opposites- collaboration and competition, creativity and commerce. It is a pastiche of irreverent, edgy, assertive, estrogen-promoting dance-drama...” – Sue Salko, theater critic

Credits:

Choreographer/Director/Costume Design: Jenny Rocha

Video Production/Music Director: Joseph Rivas

Cast: Jenny Rocha, Jillian Hollis, Molly Merkler, Karina Mudd, Sarah Walkowicz, Katherine Moore, Darlisa G. Wajid-Ali, Stephanie Lane Understudy: Stephanie Franck

Music: One Ring Zero

Additional Costume Design: Sandra Rocha

Original Set Design: David Bengali, Mikaela Liakata