LIVING/EDGE
Company:
Adam Kerbel
LIVING/EDGE Contemplates Living Fully After Loss
Solo work collides dance and the grotesque at Daredevil Arts Festival
Choreographer and performer Adam Kerbel premieres LIVING/EDGE, a new solo dance-theater work, at Daredevil Arts Festival on July 11 and 12, 2026. Presented at Wanda's, a storefront venue operated by Pacific Resident Theatre, the 50-minute world premiere blends dance, the grotesque, and storytelling to examine what it means to remain fully alive after profound loss.
Following the sudden and unexpected death of Kerbel's mother from pancreatic cancer, LIVING/EDGE looks beyond illness toward the experiences that remain: horrific images, lingering memories, play, and the ongoing practice of living. The title reflects two intertwined experiences: witnessing unexpected morbidity and vitality during his mother's final days in the hospital (LIVING), and navigating the uncertainty that follows a loss (EDGE).
Kerbel describes the work as a "playscape." Improvisation, physical risk, and discovery serve as major structural forces throughout the work, creating an unexpected entry into the subject of grief which is typically approached with solemnity. Verbalized recollections from the hospital, quick pivots, and movements which range from soft to explosive create the impression of a body in disorientation, as if hit by a wave and methodically regaining his ground.
A memorable image from the work is a figure audiences have nicknamed "the grief monster": a haunched, wobbling body crawling slowly across the floor as if hanging onto the surface of the planet. This haunting image exists within an atmosphere of sensuality and wonder, suggesting that the feelings which move through us may not be as isolating as they may seem.
"What if I stop resisting my emotions and let them move all the way through me," asks Kerbel. "Terror, desire, humor, pleasure—any of these can be overwhelming but what interests me isn’t any single one. It's the experience of living with all of them. That's what being alive feels like now."
Influenced by Jewish approaches to mourning that emphasize collective action over isolation, LIVING/EDGE is presented at Wanda's, a space typically associated with music and comedy. The performance embraces the unpolished setting through an interest in removing layers of separation. In Jewish practice, the deceased are interred quickly, naked and unadorned. Though the performance contains full nudity, audiences who have experienced developmental showings remark on how naturally the nudity emerges within the work. By the time physical exposure occurs, many viewers report feeling they have already witnessed the performer's deepest vulnerability.
Kerbel returns to Daredevil Arts Festival after appearing in its inaugural 2025 season. Known for championing adventurous performance, the festival provides an ideal home for the world premiere of LIVING/EDGE.
About the Artist
Adam Kerbel is a choreographer based in Los Angeles and Philadelphia using dance, improvisation, and social space as tools for reflection. Grounded in post-modernism, Kerbel creates off-the-wall performances that blend participation and mercurial movement. Presentations include: Bates Dance Festival, Music Center, Skirball LA, WIP-LA, Philadelphia Dance Projects, New York Live Arts, Jacob's Pillow, Cannonball, Breaking Walls, and The Shalom Center. Visit Performachoreo.com
About Daredevil Arts Festival
The second annual Daredevil Arts Festival is a multidisciplinary arts festival showcasing the most unique, diverse, and boundary-pushing performing artists that Venice Beach has to offer—from theater and dance, to comedy and cabaret, to music, multimedia, and more! From July 11-19, 2026, enjoy the nearly 50 unique shows offered between Electric Lodge and Pacific Resident Theatre.
