Rebecca Davis Dance Co.

by Nadia Stadnycki

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Published: Apr 17, 2008

Wed.-Thu., April 23-24, 8 p.m., $20-$30, Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St., 215-922-1122, rebeccadavisdance.com

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Genocide is a heavy theme for a ballet. Instead of a show about love or fairy tales, Rebecca Davis Dance Co. chose a true, tragic story: Darfur chronicles the life and experiences of U.S. Marine Brian Steidle during his six-month stay in the war-ravaged country, which he recently turned into a book and documentary film, both titled The Devil Came on Horseback.

"I developed the choreography through the character's emotions, by thinking of what those people would be feeling at that moment in time and translating that into movement," says director and choreographer Rebecca Davis. "It goes from subtle emotional moments to high-impact attack scenes in modern dance vocabulary."

The routine is set to modern rock music, including songs by A Perfect Circle, Apocalyptica, Damien Rice and The White Stripes, while a multimedia projection of American streets juxtaposed with Sudanese desert terrain serves as the background. The show doubles as a fundraiser, with 25 percent of each ticket sold going to nonprofit organization Global Grassroots, which aids communities struck by genocide and gender crimes, particularly Sudan.

"I think sometimes it's difficult to look at photography and watch documentaries and read tough accounts of what's going on [in Africa]." says Davis. "Sometimes an emotional experience like this can change a person's outlook on it in a much less direct way."

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