Originally announced in their Fall 2024 press release, Annex Dance Company will debut a new work at the Sottile Theatre on January 25, 2025. Created in collaboration with composer Marcus Amaker and filmmaker Maggie M. Bailey, The 4th Wall is an evening-length work that breaks the fourth wall of a traditional theater space. A first for the company, the collaboration of live dance, film projection, specifically composed soundscape, and audience participation will blur the lines between performer and audience. Ticket prices for the 7:30 pm event are $40 (general admission); $25 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge. Tickets can be purchased at the George Street Box Office: https://cofc.evenue.net/
Conversations and grant writing for The 4th Wall began last Spring. The company has been in rehearsals building this new work since the start of Season 18, including a week-long residency with their collaborators in September. With collaboration as an important component of the Annex Dance Company identity, Amaker and Bailey are integral to the realization of the new dance project because the choreography, music, and media projections will all share the space in real time. Artistic directors Kristin Alexander and Julie Clark are especially cherishing the creative process for The 4th Wall because the audience experience is at the forefront in a new way for this work. “When creating new choreography, we always consider the audience. Beyond clarity of concept told through movement, we think about where the work is being presented, who might be viewing it, and how they might receive it,” shares Alexander. “Many times those considerations are coming midway or closer to the end of our process, but since we are transforming the entire Sottile Theatre into the stage space, the audience experience during The 4th Wall has been part of almost every conversation.” The audience will be invited to use their cell phones, verbally respond to questions, and share performance space with the dancers in their seats.
Alexander and Clark have collaborated with Amaker and Bailey in past projects, but never sharing the live performance space in this way. “What excites me most is the potential for surprise. Each medium offers something unique: poetry brings introspection, music adds immediacy, 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,” shares Amaker. Bailey, a former Annex Dance Company apprentice and company member, has created projections for other pieces in the company repertory that are more of a backdrop for live performances. "The 4th Wall is integrated,” says Bailey. “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. Our projection design is shaping the space and adding texture to the stage.”
The 4th Wall will also feature student dancers from the College of Charleston and the Dance Moves Youth Company who have been rehearsing with the company since the beginning of November. “Each season the company creates opportunities to share the stage with pre-professional dancers,” says Alexander, who is also an Associate Professor of Dance at the College of Charleston.. “As an educator I want my students to be exposed to as many perspectives in the field as possible, with equal amounts of challenge and support from me and my colleagues. I feel fortunate that most company members not only teach for Annex, but for many schools and studios in the Lowcountry. Because of that, they understand the value of time as a company in the studio and on stage with these young dancers on multiple levels.” Inviting students into this project is unique to every other Annex Dance Company experience because the design of The 4th Wall has their voices (figuratively and literally) part of the creative process and performance. Clark shares, “Myself, Kristin, Marcus, Maggie, the company members, and students are making something magical happen, where creativity, humor, and honesty are connected beautifully in the show.”
The biggest question the collaborators keep asking themselves is why break the fourth wall? “Building this work around transparency, connection, and collective experience feels both familiar and foreign,” shares Clark. She continues, “It’s familiar because we are pulling from our everyday, rehearsal experiences as creators. But it’s also foreign because we’ve never attempted to share this much of our process with an audience by creating in the moment with their input. While it’s ambitious to present this work for only one show this season, we know it’s going to be a magical, memorable experience for the performers and audience members.” Amaker adds, “I hope audiences leave feeling inspired and more connected — not just to the art but to each other. Art has the power to challenge perspectives and spark emotions, and when multiple forms come together like this, the potential for those moments is amplified. More than anything, I want people to walk away with a sense of curiosity, whether that’s about a new art form, an idea sparked during the performance, or even just a deeper appreciation for how collaboration can create something truly unique.”
To continue to build excitement for The 4th Wall, the company is capturing and sharing the rehearsal and creative process through social media. Most recently, Bailey compiled footage from the company’s week-long residency in September to create a behind-the-scenes look for Giving Tuesday, a nationally-recognized initiative to support nonprofit organizations. As a nonprofit arts organization, Annex Dance Company relies heavily on donations, sponsorship, and grants for funding projects. The 4th Wall is generously supported in part by a grant from the Post and Courier Foundation and a South Carolina Arts Commission Arts Project Grant. Opportunities for individuals and corporations to support the company are available on the website: www.annexdancecompany.org.
The 4th Wall will be presented at the Sottile Theatre (44 George Street) on January 25, 2025 at 7:30pm. Tickets will be available through the George Street Box Office: $40 (general admission); $25 (students and seniors) plus ticket surcharge.
