Pioneer Winter Collective debuts "Apollo" at Miami Theater Center
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Photo: Passion Ward, courtesy Pioneer Winter Collective
A new dance-theater work by Pioneer Winter Collective is premiering next week at the Miami Theater Center.
Why it matters: The show, which brings together intergenerational queer dynamics, reimagines a classic Balanchine ballet to underscore topics of mentorship, legacy, HIV/AIDS and connection, among others.
- The four-person cast, three of whom are in their 60s, also highlights the collective's ethos that everybody can perform.
What they're saying: "Performances like this are needed now more than ever because it asks the question of who gets to be on stage and whose story gets to be told," Pioneer Winter, the Miami-based choreographer and artistic director of their namesake collective, told Axios.
- "It's very rare seeing dancers of this age celebrate their bodies on stage."
Behind the scenes: The show, which took two years to produce, draws on the 1920s ballet "Apollo," Greek mythology, and Winter and the cast's lived experience.
- In this interpretation, the main character, played by Winter, encounters three queer elders who teach preservation and resilience.
- The new take, according to Winter, speaks to how mentorship isn't uni-directional, but a two-way relationship.
The biggest difference between the myth and their piece, Winter said, is that the former "glorifies youthful potential, [whereas] I think potential and emergence can happen at any age, at multiple times in our lives."
The intrigue: "Apollo" is a "live piece," integrating projection, video, live filming, music and archival photos. The live feed camera was incorporated to help create a sense of intimacy for such a large venue.
Between the lines: The Collective is intergenerational and physically integrated, or mixed-ability, meaning in most works there are performers both with and without disabilities on stage.
- Winter also choreographs for the dancer specifically; there are no understudies, which gives "a lot of agency to the performers," they said.
Zoom out: The collective also offers programming to serve the community, including Recovery in Motion, a once-weekly workshop for people in recovery "who want to be in a sober space and move," Winter said.
Bottom line: Winter says they believe this show will be the collective's "strongest work yet."
- "This piece really stretched what we thought were our boundaries and showed us that we're a lot more expansive than I even thought."
If you go: "Apollo" premiers April 25-26 at 8pm. Tickets $20+