Annex Dance Company will debut its new work of performance art Jan. 25 at the Sotille Theatre. A collaboration with former Charleston poet laureate Marcus Amaker and local filmmaker and College of Charleston alumnus Maggie Bailey, 4th Wall combines live dance, film projection, musically poetic soundscapes and audience participation to blur the lines between audience and performer, process and participation.
Pushing boundaries is second-nature to Annex. The experimental dance company, formed in Pennsylvania in 2007, enjoyed three successful seasons in the Keystone State before deciding to pack up shop to take part in Charleston’s ever-expanding arts scene.
The group’s winter performance, 4th Wall, is a reflection of their experience ever since, exploring its emergence and evolution in Charleston’s collaborative, coastal arts scene. In a recent Charleston City Paper interview, Annex Dance Company associate artistic director Julie Clark offered some insight into these themes:
“Annex’s journey to this show can be seen as a metaphor for the city’s evolving arts scene — the collaborations and relationships we have with Marcus, Maggie, the Sottile Theatre and each other span multiple years and are filled with previous projects and shows … 4th Wall is about this creative process, and really embodies what it’s like to be an artist in Charleston and beyond.”
The term “fourth wall” refers to the figurative “wall” that separates performers on stage from audience members. Similar to the function of a two-way mirror — albeit an imaginary one — the boundary is meant to be opaque to performers but invisible to audience members, who can observe all of the action taking place. When either party becomes aware of the veil, this is considered “breaking the fourth wall,” a common artistic ploy used to engage and invite the audience into the highly-crafted world on display.
With artistic process and collaboration at the center of the company’s identity, the show’s blend of poetry, film and dance promises to explore each performance medium, both individually and as a collective.
Charleston’s first poet laureate and the current librettist for the Chicago Opera Theatre, Amaker shared his excitement about this approach.
“Each medium offers something unique. Poetry brings introspection, music adds immediacy, the film provides a sense of narrative and dance adds a physicality that ties it all together. Experiencing all of these in real time allows for layers of interpretation and connection that wouldn’t be possible in a single medium.
“There’s also something deeply powerful about the unpredictability of live performance — it demands presence from both the performers and the audience, which feels especially fitting for a project like this.”
Co-collaborator and College of Charleston graduate Maggie Bailey, who contributed her filmmaking talents, expanded on what it was like crafting this collective narrative.
“The biggest hurdle [was] balance,” she said. “The projection and the live performance need to add different components to the conversation … The film language and mobility of the camera allows us to get close to the dancers and highlight movements, gestures and details in a way that live performance can’t.”
According to Clark, the extra effort required to pull off the ambitious undertaking was more than worth it. “Creating a show that involves so many people and such a high level of technical elements takes time, talent and financing,” she said. “We carved out the time to bring all of the collaborators together inside the Sottile Theatre back in September, which was logistically difficult but crucial to understanding how the technical elements of live music and video projections could work in the space.”
In addition to physical coordination, financing such a complex performance required lengthy rehearsals and extended rentals of theater space. Nevertheless, through patron support and fundraising efforts, Annex forged ahead, creating a show meant to include and inspire both audience and artist.
As a result of continuing community support, Annex and its partners say they hope to bring more innovative exercises of artistry to the public — both in Charleston and beyond.
“We are committed to the arts in our city,” Annex founder and lead choreographer Kristin Alexander said. “We will continue to strive to expand our impact throughout South Carolina and the Southeast with professional modern dance and collaborative art-making that is innovative and accessible.”.
To purchase tickets to this upcoming performance at the Sottile Theatre, visit https://cofc.evenue.net/events/ADC1. Additionally, if you wish to support the efforts of Annex Dance Company, donate at https://fundly.com/2024-2025-season-support.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.