Artist's Statement
My work is not universal. It is not self-expression. Making dances, for me, is fundamentally about engaging ideas by setting them in motion, organizing them as a set of experiences; about inspiring thought and conversation, which sometimes arises from the slippery state of uncertainty and the fleeting nature of the work. And it is about physical connection—that magnetic pull of another body, not only as a collection of skin, muscle, and bone, but also as moving viscera and individual history. In the making, doing, and seeing of dance, our own experiences shape action, perception, drama, breath, separation, frustration, fear, and, yes, connection. I want to provoke, invoke, and evoke, to invigorate, challenge, and engage. I want to disturb and lull, perturb and satisfy. I understand that attention is a ride, and I like the ride. I understand that intention is pliable, and I work to mold it differently for each project.
“The action is sharp and attention grabbing…[Then] the gestures are slow and soft—making them seem individually important, like a poem comprised of a list of slowly spoken nouns. Action seems inevitable, but absent. All actions have consequences... the lines between image, act, and intention are distinct.”
- Ashely Thorndike, Dance Scholar and Executive Director, Now & Next Dance Mentoring Project
“Annie Kloppenberg is a choreographer of nuances. She takes provocative gestures… and hones them to the point of idiosyncrasy… those gestures highlight the architecture of her compositions like headlights on an oncoming train. By punctuating precise traffic patterns with minute peculiarities, Kloppenberg gives the dance its meaning: Rigor can order chaos if you’re vigilant enough.” - Thea Singer, The Boston Globe
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Banner Photo: Jennifer Mazza