Dance Nation
Peter Jay Sharp Theater
Written by Clare Barron
Directed and Choreographed by Lee Sunday Evans
World premiere
2017 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize winner
Dance Teacher Pat
I want you to think about all the people in the world who are suffering…And I want you to go out there…And I want you to dance for them.
Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they’ll claw their way to the top at the Boogie Down Grand Prix in Tampa Bay. But in Clare Barron’s raucous pageant of ambition and ferocity, these young dancers have more than choreography on their minds, because every plié and jeté is a step toward finding themselves, and a fight to unleash their power.
We recommend this show for ages 15 and up due to strong language and locker room nudity.
“Critic’s Pick! A blazingly original play from the insanely talented Clare Barron. Directed and choreographed with gloriously rough magic by Lee Sunday Evans, marvel at how close what you see cuts to the bone.”
— Ben Brantley, The New York Times“I have seen the future, and it is Dance Nation.”
— Peter Marks, The Washington Post