Ecstasy Revisited
New work, now playing, earns critical acclaim
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
A new work by Sarah Skaggs, director of dance, is attracting glowing reviews. Running Feb. 18-21, “The New Ecstatic 2.0” is a bold exploration of the layers of trauma and its effects. It was recently named a New York Times “Critics Pick.”
Presented at the Abrons Arts Center in New York City, the program stems from Skaggs’ decade-long examination of dance in post-9/11 society, depicting how the body navigates everyday experiences of grief, joy, boredom, rage and freedom in a world defined by extremes. It is an expansion of Skaggs’ also-lauded “The New Ecstatic,” which premiered in October 2013 and was created in collaboration with dancer Cori Kresge.
“It’s very athletic; you will see us dance almost to the point of exhaustion,” Skaggs said of the origin work in 2013. “It’s also poignant, harsh and beautiful—and as in all of the work I do, there’s a hopeful message rising out of the ashes.”
Learn more
- “A New Palette: Skaggs Breaks Ground in ‘The New Ecstatic’ ”
- Sarah Skaggs: Focus on Faculty
- Department of Theatre & Dance
- Latest News
Published February 19, 2016