Alannah Martin’s choreography is a sensory experience. Martin dilutes contemporary modern movement with abstracted gesture, metaphor, and oddity. Her choreographic research stems from ideas of accessibility in relation to performer experience, neurodiversity in dance performance, and the relationship of identity to creative output. She prioritizes collaboration with other artists and each piece centers the collective community experience as primary inspiration and fuel for the presented work.

Videos of pieces are linked to title text.

go yonder (2024)

Photos by Whitney Browne

A year long creative dance project exploring neurodivergence in dance performance. This work centers around sensory play, oddity, metaphor, abstracted gesture, and iconography as driving choreographic tools. The piece was presented in two performances, one being a selected showing of the work and the final cumulative presentation of the 30 minute piece. Consisting of original music by Brigid Martin and developed in collaboration with the ten performers, go yonder is the staged experience of the choreographer’s neurodivergence.

This piece is a wandering ode to the icons of modern dance and the internal conflict of their work in current day. Ponderosa presents the questions “how much investment in dance tropes is too much?” and “can modern dance be set to Yodeling?”. This piece was a challenge to be messy with play and create something entirely individual while recognizing the inspirations of dance lineage.

A duet derived from the levity of battle in ping pong.

Petrichor is a dance ritual to the falling rain. A trio of dancers being enlivened to celebrate the life that comes before, during, and after a heavy rainfall. The piece was presented on a proscenium stage, but is envisioned in the round and choreographed to make the audience feel like they are privy to an experience that is not to be viewed.