Envision yourself viewing a dance performance with your vision obstructed by an opaque eye covering. Rather than relying on your sense of sight, the dance will be observed through sound, touch, vibration, air currents, movement, temperature and spatial relationships.
It's unorthodox, edgy and experimental, and it will be performed in Long Island City this Saturday. At 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, Unseen Dance will be presented to a blindfolded audience at the Green Space Studio.
Green Space Executive Director Valerie Green said the show, performed by the No-See-Ums and put on by choreographer Dana Salisbury, is one of 10 performances in the Take Root series, which is meant to serve as an opportunity for artists to share an evening of work with viewers.
"It's a perspective that's a unique idea on using the senses to experience dance," she said. "I thought it was an interesting compliment to the season."
Green said the venue is open to different aesthetics and sharing and presenting them with the public. She added that Unseen Dance is the most experimental performance of the season.
Patrons seem to be intrigued by the idea of observing dance in such a new and different way.
"They seem to notice and say, 'Oh, that's interesting, because it's something a little bit unknown," Green said. "I like to give artists a place to take a risk, experiment and explore something new."
Choreographer Dana Salisbury, who also started Dark Dining, a blindfolded culinary experience, said the performance attempts to channel senses that are often trounced by vision.
"The Unseen dancers are about trying to tap into the resources we have but barely use," she said. "We're such a visually-dominated culture. We forget how many other senses we have at our disposal."
Salisbury said, without vision, all the other senses are heightened and viewers often report a greater awareness for the body and the three-dimensionality of the world.
Since viewers can't see, they are more vulnerable, which allows them to more open to things they wouldn't normally appreciate, she said.
Salisbury said the viewer's initial responses vary between being uneasy or very excited about being challenged. Eventually, most viewers become comfortable and the experience opens their minds and evokes "an enormous amount of imagination."
"My experience is that very few people remain uncomfortable," she said. "Mostly, my experience is that people are ecstatic afterward because their minds are racing."
Tickets for Unseen Dance are $15 and can be purchased at the door.
For more information about Dana Salisbury and the No-See-Ums, visit danasalisbury.com. For more information about the venue and the Take Root series, visit greenspacestudio.org or call (718) 956-3037. Reach Reporter Kaitlyn Kilmetis at kkilmetis@queenstribune.com, or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.
It's unorthodox, edgy and experimental, and it will be performed in Long Island City this Saturday. At 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, Unseen Dance will be presented to a blindfolded audience at the Green Space Studio.
Green Space Executive Director Valerie Green said the show, performed by the No-See-Ums and put on by choreographer Dana Salisbury, is one of 10 performances in the Take Root series, which is meant to serve as an opportunity for artists to share an evening of work with viewers.
"It's a perspective that's a unique idea on using the senses to experience dance," she said. "I thought it was an interesting compliment to the season."
Green said the venue is open to different aesthetics and sharing and presenting them with the public. She added that Unseen Dance is the most experimental performance of the season.
Patrons seem to be intrigued by the idea of observing dance in such a new and different way.
"They seem to notice and say, 'Oh, that's interesting, because it's something a little bit unknown," Green said. "I like to give artists a place to take a risk, experiment and explore something new."
Choreographer Dana Salisbury, who also started Dark Dining, a blindfolded culinary experience, said the performance attempts to channel senses that are often trounced by vision.
"The Unseen dancers are about trying to tap into the resources we have but barely use," she said. "We're such a visually-dominated culture. We forget how many other senses we have at our disposal."
Salisbury said, without vision, all the other senses are heightened and viewers often report a greater awareness for the body and the three-dimensionality of the world.
Since viewers can't see, they are more vulnerable, which allows them to more open to things they wouldn't normally appreciate, she said.
Salisbury said the viewer's initial responses vary between being uneasy or very excited about being challenged. Eventually, most viewers become comfortable and the experience opens their minds and evokes "an enormous amount of imagination."
"My experience is that very few people remain uncomfortable," she said. "Mostly, my experience is that people are ecstatic afterward because their minds are racing."
Tickets for Unseen Dance are $15 and can be purchased at the door.
For more information about Dana Salisbury and the No-See-Ums, visit danasalisbury.com. For more information about the venue and the Take Root series, visit greenspacestudio.org or call (718) 956-3037. Reach Reporter Kaitlyn Kilmetis at kkilmetis@queenstribune.com, or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.