On Wednesday, Feb. 20, Assistant Professor of Dance Catherine Cabeen discussed her newest work, Fire! It is the second evening-length piece in her trilogy inspired by New Realists Artists. The dance is based on the life and art of Niki de Sain Phalle (1930-2002). It explores themes of violence and femininity, based on Sain Phalle's years of sexual abuse. Cabeen's first piece in the series, Into the Void, debuted in April 2011 and it explored the life of fellow New Realist Yves Klein.
Cabeen, the 2009 founder of Catherine Cabeen and Company, performed Fire! in Seattle, Washington from Jan. 17-20. It featured ten interdisciplinary collaborators, including fashion designers and visual artists, and four dancers, including Cabeen, who directed the performance. Her work inspires the company's mission "to explore how interdisciplinary research and collaboration can be used to build new movement vocabularies."
Cabeen's final work, MetaKinetic, will be performed in 2015. It explores the life of New Realist Jean Tinguely, and his self-destructive kinetic structures.
