This December, La MaMa Presents Birth + Carnage — a new choreographic work by Marla Phelan.
“Birth + Carnage moves between the macro and the micro — from the infinite churn of the cosmos to the trembling pulse of a single body."
—Marla Phelan
Birth + Carnage is a dance work fusing choreography, astrophysics, and video installation. Born from the collaboration between choreographer Marla Phelan and astrophysicist Dr. Blakesley Burkhart, the piece is inspired by the astrophysical phenomenon of stellar birth as both visceral metaphor and choreographic framework.
In collaboration with director Tim Richardson and video artists KLSR and REINFECTED.ME, astrophysical data is abstracted into shifting visual fields that echo cycles of creation. An ensemble of dancers perform against the backdrop of a monolithic digital installation, creating a feedback loop of allegory and sensation. The original score by James Newberry deepens the emotional terrain through epic sonic landscapes.
Birth + Carnage invites audiences into a theatrical abyss where cosmic and human systems mirror one another—bridging the vastness of the universe and the depths of human connection.
A MOVEMENT MUSEUM Production in association with THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE and POLYMATH
This program is supported by the SIMONS FOUNDATION
WORLD PREMIERE: DECEMBER 19-21, 2025 LA MAMA'S ELLEN STEWART THEATER IN NYC