In Emelie Mahdavian’s After the Curtain, four female dancers battle shifting cultural norms and face increasing disfavor in the Post-Soviet, predominantly Muslim nation of Tajikistan. The women weigh their love of art against economic hardship, loneliness, and social reproach in this intimate portrait, which also celebrates the rich dance and music culture of a Central Asian country largely unknown in the West.

Screening with:

Plow Plant Reap
Marta Renzi, USA, 2015, digital projection, 13m
Against a majestic landscape of rolling farmlands, an all-female community comes together to join in a baptism and a roundelay. With hints of Appalachian Spring and Amish customs, the piece is performed by members of the Slippery Rock University dance department. New York Premiere