Deep Blue Sea
Bill T. Jones
Elizabeth Diller
Peter Nigrini
Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company
September 28, 2021 - October 9, 2021
Wade Thompson Drill Hall
Following the sold-out run of Afterwardsness, renowned director, choreographer, and dancer Bill T. Jones returns to Park Avenue Armory to present and perform in the world premiere of his massive new work, Deep Blue Sea, which revolves around the interplay of single and group identities. Jones, Janet Wong, and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company conceived this highly personal work in pursuit of the elusive “we” during these fractious times through a cast of 100 dancers/community members, and a deconstructed text from Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” and Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
Conceived for the Wade Thompson Drill Hall, Deep Blue Sea magnifies the vast space through a visual environment by Elizabeth Diller of the architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Tony Award-nominated projection designer Peter Nigrini. Diller’s design utilizes dynamic projections, supported by theatrical lighting. This non-traditional relationship between video and theatrical lighting transforms the entire stage into a large scale, immersive screen. The production creative team also includes lighting designer Robert Wierzel and costume designer Liz Prince. An original vocal score by composer Nick Hallett and electronic soundscape by Hprizm aka High Priest, Rena Anakwe, and Holland Andrews echoes the words of King and Melville. In addition to choreographing and directing, for the first time in over 15 years, Jones himself performs.
Performances
Monday–Thursday at 7:30pm
Friday–Saturday at 8:00pm
Sunday at 3:00pm
Run Time
This performance is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.
ASL Interpretation
An ASL interpreter will be available for all performances. When purchasing a ticket, please select American Sign Language Zone to be seated in the designated viewing section. View a Message in ASL.
“[Bill T. Jones is] the most written-about figure in the dance world of the last quarter-century”
The New York Times
“Elizabeth Diller is a visionary…She can turn a metaphor into brick and mortar.”
TIME Magazine
Gallery
Artists & Creatives
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Creator & Director
Bill T. Jones
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Associate Director
Janet Wong
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Choreography
Bill T. Jones, Janet Wong, and the Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company
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Visual Environment, Video Projection & Lighting Design
Elizabeth Diller - DS+R and Peter Nigrini
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Composer and Music Director
Nick Hallett
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Electronic Score
Hprizm, Rena Anakwe, and Holland Andrews
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Lighting Design
Robert Wierzel
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Sound Design
Mark Grey
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Costume Design
Liz Prince
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Dramaturg
Mark Hairston
Production Credits
Commissioned by Park Avenue Armory, Manchester International Festival
In Association with Holland Festival
Produced and Developed by Park Avenue Armory in Collaboration with New York Live Arts
Related Events
Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 6:00 pm
Artist Talk: Deep Blue Sea
Barrington Hinds, Elizabeth Diller, and Peter Nigrini discuss the creative process behind their collaboration with moderator Helga Davis.
Wade Thompson Drill Hall
Afterwardsness
This hypnotic new Armory commission by choreographer, director, and dancer Bill T. Jones and performed by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company addresses the isolation and trauma of the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and on-going violence against Black bodies for an audience of 100 within the expansive Wade Thompson Drill Hall.
Support
Deep Blue Sea is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council. The production is also supported in part by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.
