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By Sabrina Petrelli;@sabrinapetrelli on Instagram
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Published on November 19, 2025
Photo by Steven Pisano
Artistic Director: Zvi Gotheiner
Music: Original Score by Scott Killian
Lighting Design: Mark London
Costume Design: Joe Tennis
Dancers: Chelsea Ainsworth, Colin Heininger, Mizuho Kappa, Erin Maher, Tessa Russ, and Joe Tennis
November 15, 2025
ZviDance's world premiere Dandelion, choreographed by Zvi Gotheiner in collaboration with his dancers, is described in its press release as an exploration of society's senseless perception of normalcy and beauty, and the impulse to eradicate "imperfections."
While this idea remains elusive, the piece unfolds as a series of finely sculpted duets interpreting an eclectic score by Scott Killian, Gotheiner’s musical collaborator on over 20 works.
Chelsea Ainsworth. Photo by Steven Pisano
One moment features a dancer gently placing her hand on another’s chest. They meet each other’s gaze before melting into an embrace that seamlessly shifts into organic, intuitive partnering — a moment of human connection emerging within the work’s ethereal landscape.
A shift in texture and percussive tone arrives with Colin Heininger, whose movement marries raw, kinetic attack with control. As he concludes his movement phrase, he turns toward the audience, slowly drawing his arms inward as if pulling his energy back into himself. This creates a moment of quiet tension and introspection.
Mizuho Kappa, captivating under a square of light, falls, recovers, and halts with razor-sharp articulation and impeccable timing. She settles into a wide-legged position, then gently melts toward the floor, initiating the descent with her head — a subtle but mesmerizing detail.
As the piece nears its conclusion, the dancers traverse the stage in a single line, each embodying the shared movement vocabulary through their individual physical and emotional lenses. One dancer places her hands on her ribcage, her breath audible as she inhales and exhales — a gesture that closes the performance with a sense of vulnerability and release.
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