Motion State Arts is thrilled to present Amherst-based dance artist Jenna Riegel’s Varvara.

Varvara is an original evening-length solo choreographed and performed by Jenna Riegel. A response to the life and art of Varvara Stepanova, the piece weaves together Riegel's world with Stepanova’s through an interplay of what is real and what is imagined. One of the prominent Russian Constructivist artists, Stepanova’s mediums include textiles, visual poetry, and costume and scenic designs.

Konstantin Rudnitsky wrote, “The human body was perceived as a machine: man had to learn to control that machine. It was the theatre’s function to demonstrate the fine-tuning of the human ‘mechanisms.’” Varvara tests this Constructivist theory of theatre’s function by observing the body’s reaction to considering it as mechanized and efficient versus allowing it to be chaotic and unpredictable.

Jenna will be teaching a dance workshop on Sunday, November 8, 10am–noon; stay tuned for details and registration.