Audience Reviews

AUDIENCE REVIEW: Dance blooms in unexpected places...

Company:
Body Artifacts

Performance Date:
June 18, 2026

Freeform Review:

Hereafter, the second show produced by the nascent production company and dance incubator Body Artifacts illuminated that dance can exist everywhere. This is the mission of founder and producer Chloe Sonnet Brown, which is apparent in Body Artifacts’ first two productions. This show was quite a contrast from their opening production in the Cathedral of St John the Divine; we went from glittering marble floors to a grungy scuffed up and graffitied half pipe at Substance Skate Park. Although the settings were in stark contrast the vision was the same: dance is everywhere and for everyone, you just need to create environments for people to see it and for the artists to flourish.

This is exactly what Brown achieved, curating an evening of three works that follow one narrative arc split into three parts: ‘Death’ by Raymond Pinto, ‘Riot’ by mik phillips, and ‘Rebirth’ by Rachel Halmrast. Hereafter “confronts the fall” by asking how we rebuild in this time of political/social/environmental upheaval. Unlike most programs that bring together disparate works under a same theme, Body Artifacts facilitated the creation of these three works; rehearsals were held at the skatepark, and each choreographer was assigned a section of the story to tell. This allowed for the choreographers to have creative freedom while being folded into one cohesive site-specific show. The choreographers each found innovative ways to make use of the halfpipe and its architectural suggestion of movement. It was especially refreshing to see an independent production that was able to host large ensemble works. I was reminded of the raw power that a large group of dancers in unison can have, something you rarely get to experience outside of a big-budget theatre or opera house.

All three parts of Hereafter were tied together by an original score by musician and composer SQORE. The music was a major highlight, SQORE fused together live instrumentations, soundscapes, vocals, and electronics that seamlessly transitioned through each section of the narrative arc.

Despite the bleak themes of the show and the grungy setting of the skatepark Hereafter left audiences feeling hopeful, there is a possibility of ‘Rebirth’ if we come together, if we make art, if we find beauty and ways to build it. In both its thematic threads and production approach Body Artifacts upheld this message. A big bravo to Brown and the entire team that made this production come to life, I look forward to seeing where Body Artifacts takes us next.

Author:
Sarah Yasmine Marazzi-Sassoon

Website:
https://www.sarahyasminemarazzi-sassoon.com/