Proximity Spiral has received financial support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s 2010 Fund for Creative Communities, Fullsail University (FL), and Dance New Amsterdam (NYC), and has been supported with space grants from the The Field, the New 42^nd Street studios, and The Harkness Dance Program at the 92^nd Street Y.

“...In 'Venn duet', danced by Benjamin Asriel and Bergan Wheeler, choreographer Stefanie Nelson used earthquake-like moves to give birth to her work. The duet had several segments and the dancers seemed at times playful and argumentative. Their bodies melted into one, changing shape and meaning, a tribute to the dancers' ability and the choreographer's vision. This piece was always interesting and challenging for the audience.”
MVTimes: Sensual and sensational By Anna Marie D'Addarie - September 20, 2007

Out of Wonderland is a physically powerful, emotionally poignant work inspired by speculation about Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) and his relationship to his real life Alice. Nelson and Breyer create a fantastical world where dancers immerse themselves in full-scale video projections and time-based technologies, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Based on raw, explosive solo performances, Out of Wonderland investigates feelings of fragmentation and dislocation.

Choreography: Stefanie Nelson in collaboration with the dancers
Music: Excerpts from Trentullo (composed, mixed and performed by Andrea Ferrara)
White Rabbit (written by Grace Slick, performed by Jefferson Airplane)
La Soledad (written by Pink Martini, performed by Pink Martini)
Ar Aare & Ur Ur Lauter Georg (written by Mathias Kunzli, performed by Rashanim - Jon Madof,
Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, & Mathias Kunzli)
Que Sera Sera (written by Pink Martini, performed by Pink Martini)
Excerpts from Trentullo (composed, mixed and performed by Andrea Ferrara)
Help Yourself (written and performed by Death in Vegas)
Video / Interactive Gallery Installation: Nell Breyer
Lights: Amanda K. Ringger
Costumes: Jennifer Greeke
Performers: Benjamin Asriel, Dominique Bulgin, Cara Liguori, Stefanie Nelson, Jennifer Sydor

Excerpts of Out of Wonderland have been presented at:

-ABC-TV’s Live morning show
-The Boston Cyber Arts Festival
-DancenOw at Dance Theatre Workshop
-The Downtown Dance Festival
-The Fieldston Repertory Project
-La Mama Moves
-Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors
-Mamapalooza
-Solar One

Out of Wonderland was made possible by the support of:

-The Massachusetts Cultural Council
-The Harkness Dance Center @ the 92^nd Street Y
-Dance New Amsterdam’s Artist in Residence Program

REVIEWS

"…the program cruised through a series of solid solos, beginning with Stefanie Nelson's ‘Oh Alice’ for Saar Harari. Nelson matched Jefferson Airplane's acid rock anthem "White Rabbit" with movement as ragged and disturbing as Grace Slick's voice. Harari executed a continuous cycle of jerks and spasms with a kind of iron-clad abandon always just on the verge of falling over the edge, or in this case into someone's Chardonnay. Harari performed as if the song was coursing through his veins and taking him for a wild and bumpy trip."
Dance Insider, Maura Nguyen Donohue, June 3, 2006

"...Anyone who wanted a crash course in downtown dance currents could have spent several profitable evenings attending the recent “La MaMa Moves!” festival, where some 50 companies and choreographers have been presented over the last two weeks. Narrative — not usually a popular downtown inclination — was surprisingly alive on the final program of “Motion Makers,” on May 6. Zach Morris and Tom Pearson’s enigmatically titled “Rub the Sleep” and Stefanie Nelson’s “Out of Wonderland” both had stories of a kind, even if neither was entirely clear. Both had their moments of loopy charm: “Rub the Sleep” had a 1950s look with oppressed housewives, face cream, lipstick, a sharp knife and a dreaming prom queen; “Out of Wonderland” featured a tortured Lewis Carroll and (perhaps) his real-life Alice..."
New York Times, Roslyn Sulcas, May 14, 2007

“Stefanie Nelson's "Out of Wonderland (excerpt)" is a strong duet danced mainly in solos by Saar Harari and Cara Liguori, possibly exploring the unspoken desperation or passions of each partner in a couple. The duo are well-matched, and he, dressed in a suit, has a wonderful Ray Bolger as the Wizard of Oz scarecrow quality...”
Offoffoff.com, QUINN BATSON, July 29, 2007

This work was commissioned and presented by Dance New Amsterdam in June 2007.

In the musical score, the raw material is represented by the sounds produced by dancers’ bodies, captured live by a stage microphone; they are divided in 7 categories, broadly ordered by timber from steps/rollings/screechings on the wooden stage to proper body sounds as hits/whistles/voice clacks/breathing. The performers provide the audio material and control the musical rhythmic flow.

Structurally, the dance evolves from quick motion based movements with high kinetic energy, to fragmentation, to the cessation of movement altogether, stasis. The descent is non- linear, characterized by dips of kinetic energy during the quick motion based movement, and peaks of energy during the movement fragmentation (see diagram). The character of the sonic gestures follows a similar path, climbing from quick, impulsive, low-frequency dominated timbers to texture-like, lighter sounds, leading to the eventual elimination of sound altogether. The live performance is crucial to provide a constant feedback between the dance and the digital elaboration of sound.