I Promise (2017)
Durham Fruit Co.
Durham, NC
I Promise was the first work of ShaLeigh Dance Works in which Proxemic Media assisted as a consultant. The company self-produced this work at the Durham Fruit Co., an alternative performance venue in downtown Durham, NC. Weise and ShaLeigh met on a monthly basis on fundraising strategies, marketing efforts and venue management. For those of you familiar with the seating configuration in the black box theater space of The Fruit, the risers and railings were built and installed by venue owner, Tim Walter, and the production crew from this work! Sweat equity comes in many forms in the dance world!
“The title of the work is a response to Martin Luther King’s iconic 1963 speech, ‘I Have a Dream.’ I Promise is the sentiment of remembering to carry the dream forward. The evening length piece is presented in four sections, interweaving solos, duets and large ensemble work. The physicality of I Promise is driven by the desire to rebel and fueled by my vision to transform unspoken emotions into physical sensations. Although individuals momentarily emerge through solos, and relationships emerge through duets, the ensemble work dominates, revealing a tribal force pointing at humanity.”
-ShaLeigh Comerford
