“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 8 dancers performs 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.
CREDITS
Choreographer + Director Marla Phelan
Director: Tim Richardson
Video Artist: klsr
Video Artist: reinfected.me
Composer: James Newberry
Astrophysicist: Dr. Blakesley Burkhart
Lighting Designer: Devin Cameron
Assistant Director: Kelly Ashton Todd
Dramaturg: Catherine Correa
Stage Manager: Emily Pathman
Choreographed in collaboration with the Dancers:
Damontae Hack, Sydney Hirai, Mizuho Kappa, Eleni Loving, Sayer Mansfield, Meenah Nehme, Marla Phelan, Wyeth Walker, Paul Zivkovich
Producer: Yazmany Arboleda, The People’s Creative Institute
Producer: Cameron Sczempka, Polymath Production
Producer: Lisa Kjerulff
Producer: Movement Museum
Birth + Carnage is supported by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division. World Premiere Presented by La MaMa Experimental Theater. Developed with residency support from La MaMa, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), New Directions Choreography Lab (NDCL) at The Ailey School, and Simons Foundation & Gibney’s Open Interval Residency Program.