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RAREdancework is a dance collective that creates conversations about the world we live in, relying upon physical movement to sustain a dialogue about how we understand human experiences individually, collectively, and historically through performances, collaboration and educational programming. Based in New York City, the collective has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Barnes Foundation, Dixon Place, The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Constellation-Chicago. Working with text, mixed media, live music and abstract narratives, RAREdancework creates unique, textured performance experiences.

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PROHAIRESIS

SHORT DANCE FILM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our short dance film, Prohairesis, has grown out of the ideas of Stoic philosopher Epictetus’ term of the same name surrounding the faculty of choice. Imogen Holsts Phantasy Quartet, brought to life by the musicians of Red Riding Hood String Quartet, supports the dancers of RAREdancework located in the United States, Canada, Germany and Greece. 

 

The film captures the varied perspectives of the artists, commenting on notions of space, time, direction, environment, and connection. Prohairesis demonstrates that our destinies and futures are not fixed, and that choice is not an illusion. Reason, beauty, and love make us irrefutably human, and reminds us that the cosmos is pregnant with possibilities awaiting our decisions. 

 

Rebecca Arends is the director and choreographer, as well as a dancer and producer. Nora Williams is the executive producer and a musician.​ We are honored to be the recipients of grants from both the Musicians Club of Women (MCW) and The Cliff Dwellers Foundation in addition to being recipients of generous donations from private contributors. The finished film will be distributed globally to educational institutions, museums, galleries, and short film festivals, as well as to MCW and Cliff Dwellers members.

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Prohairesis (Ancient Greek: προαίρεσις; variously translated as "moral character", "will", "volition", "choice", "intention", or "moral choice") is a fundamental concept in the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus. It represents the choice involved in giving or withholding assent to impressions (phantasiai). The use of this Greek word was first introduced into philosophy by Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics. To Epictetus, it is the faculty that distinguishes human beings from all other creatures. Read more on Wikipedia.

 

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Epictetus born c. AD 50; died c. AD 135
Imogen Holst b. April 12, 1907, d. March 9, 1984

DANCERS

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Merryn Kritzinger
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Mary Kate Sheehan
Carson Reiners
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Rebecca Arends

MUSICIANS

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Edith Yokley
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Nora Williams
Songhea Sackrider
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Erica Lessie

Director of Photography/Cinematographer (NJ)  JULIA LIU
Cinematographer (NJ) KEITH HEYWARD
Cinematographer (Berlin) PETER REINBOTHE
Cinematographer (Athens)  CHRYSANTHI BADEKA
Cinematographer (Montréal)  JONATHAN BRISEBOIS
Cinematographer (Chicago) ALEX BRESCANU
Editing KEITH HEYWARDMARK WEATHERS, JULIA LIU
Music Publisher (London) FABER MUSIC

MANY THANKS TO OUR PROHAIRESIS DONORS:

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RENEE TYPALDOS

MARGARET SHEEHAN

KATHRYN TYPALDOS

MARIANNE CARUANA

SUSAN BERGGREN
CAROL KYROS-WALKER

ANGELIQUE DORCHIES

MATTHEW SMITH

LOUIS CHESNEY

DENISE SABALA

MONTE COLE

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ELISABETH FLORES

DON & ANN JENKINS

HARRY & GWEN MIRIJANIAN

MARTHA ARENDS

DOMINIC LEDESMA

LARRY SIMON

LARRY K. SNIDER

JAMES SULLIVAN

MOLLY & TARRE HAYES

THERESA O'CONNOR

ERIK WANGER

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DAVID SPEER

CAITLIN TRAINOR

CAROLINE O'BRIEN

PAUL SALDANA

BRANDON WILLIAMS

DONNA STEPHANO

VANESSA RUOTOLO

FIONA BARRETT

D.R. ARENDS FAMILY

KATIE & KEVIN BENNETT

MARY ANN CARLSON

ROBERT W. ARENDS

WILLIAM TAYLOR

CHESNEY SNOW

DR. STEPHEN MALAMUD

AMY CHEN

SEÁN CURRAN

VALERIE BERTERMANN

GABRIELA WHITE

GINA ELLISON

JAMES SULLIVAN

GIFTS IN MEMORIUM:

KAY and TOM WILLIAMS
SHAWN QUAID

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PAST PROJECTS

THE UNWRITTEN LAW

"The pure pleasure of the language, the dancing, and the music add up to 65 minutes of the most powerful theater I've ever witnessed."  -BROADWAY WORLD

"Passionate, difficult and engrossing, The Unwritten Law is a searing depiction of triumph over adversity."  -THEATER SCENE

Peter Yesley ©
Peter Yesley ©
Peter Yesley ©

Daily Constitution of an Invisible (Wo)man (2009)
Performed/Choreographed/Filmed by: Rebecca Arends
Text Written by Brian Kay with Rebecca Arends
Video/Sound Editing by  Shane Rutkowski

 

Colored Girl(s)
Choreographed & Performed by Rebecca Arends
UnderExposed (2015)
Dixon Place
NYC

 

Quicksand Confessions/Nella  (2015)

Performed/Filmed/Created by Rebecca Arends

Cortege
Composed by Lili Boulanger (1914)
Choreography/Performance by Rebecca Arends, Carson Reiners & Aaron R. White
Music Performed by Red Riding Hood String Quartet
Produced by RAredancework & Ossia Musical Forum
Constellation Chicago (2016)
Et Aeterna Gaudia
Composed by Robert Arends (2007)
Choreography/Performance by Aaron R. White
Music Performed by Red Riding Hood String Quartet
Produced by RAredancework & Ossia Musical Forum
Constellation Chicago (2016)
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