HYBRID Dance Project: Zafira Studio’s new creation, premiers at Atlanta’s TribalCon Dance Confrence Feb. 2010

HYBRID: Dance is a budding young project inspired by the cross-pollination of dance styles co-mingling at Zafira Studios in Pittsburgh, PA.

Studio owner, Olivia Kissel has teamed up with regional artists: Patrice Langford, Kari Merlina, and Joanna Abel to explore the boundaries of urban, folk and classical dance forms; creating a hybrid language that emerges between the worlds.

In the premier, HYBRID performs to Maduro’s Poison Drop. Measures of lyrical violin compete with broken metal and junkyard sounds.  Choreographer, Olivia Kissel uses this sonic landscape to explore conflicting artistic desires: to honor classic traditions, yet create something new, living and relevant that represents an artist’s vision.

HYBRID uses the expressive potential of Tango, Jazz, Hip Hop, contemporary movement and Belly Dance to convey the contained ferocity and lyrical weightlessness inherent in these desires and this piece of music.

Photo: August Hoerr