Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue

Crystal Pite

Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue is an acclaimed work that examines rescue and human connection through sensitive duets, carried by the humor, theatricality, and choreographic language of Crystal Pite.

In Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue, Crystal Pite offers a highly personal take on the theme of rescue between two people. In these ten duets, each of which highlights a particular aspect of "rescue," Crystal Pite approaches the human body from a poetic perspective. Her work is characterized by inventive theatricality, humor, and a lively movement vocabulary.

This critically acclaimed piece for five dancers features ten combinations of duets that examine the stories that connect individuals. Through a series of intimate duets, the audience decides for themselves who is rescuing whom and from what.

“I like the word ‘rescue.’ It captures a whole story in a single word. In the same way, the body can convey a narrative through the simplest of actions. For me, this work for Cedar Lake was an act of excavation. After creating the choreography, I searched within it for images that specifically evoked rescue. There are many. They exist within the dance like fragments of an untold story. I suppose the presence of rescue in this work is twofold, because I tried to liberate and expose these images for brief contemplation before releasing them into the dance: to rescue and to preserve an image of rescue in each of the ten duets.”

— Crystal Pite

“This critically acclaimed work for five performers pivots each performer in ten combinations of intimate duets, each highlighting a particular aspect of the rescue and examining the emblematic stories that connect the individuals.”

— Who does what

“This work explores the role of the rescuer and the rescued. The movement vocabulary mixes urban styles with ballet technique and features five dancers performing multiple roles. Ten Duets challenges both the viewer and performers to create their own interpretation.”

— Anne-Marie Mulgrew, Penn Live Arts