momix in wonderland

Conn.-based dance company to premiere latest work, ‘Alice,’ at Torrington’s Warner Theatre

TORRINGTON — Travel down the rabbit hole MOMIX-style with the internationally acclaimed, Connecticut-based company of dancer-illusionists founded and directed by Moses Pendleton, when they premiere Pendleton’s newest work, inspired by “Alice in Wonderland.” “Alice” will be performed on the Warner Theatre’s Main Stage on Saturday and Sunday.

In 1865, when she was 10 years old, the “real Alice” moved Oxford mathematics don Lewis Carroll to write his fantastic tale of underground adventures for her. More than 150 years later, that little tale, starring Alice herself as a

sensible child in an absurd universe, is now familiar to most of the world for its fantasy and fun as well as for its cast of supporting characters, from the White Rabbit to the Mad Hatter and the implacable Queen of Hearts. No wonder it is the inspiration for Pendleton’s newest work, for he, too, is the creator of worlds that resemble dreams and are often populated with strange and whimsical presences.

In MOMIX, as in Alice, the human body is subject to change and nothing is what it seems. “I don’t intend to retell the story, but to use it as a taking off point for invention,” Pendleton said. “Alice is a natural fit for MOMIX and an opportunity for us to extend our range. I want to take this show into places we haven’t been before in terms of the fusion of dancing, lighting, music, costumes, and projected imagery.”

MOMIX is based in Washington, Conn., under the artistic direction of Pendleton, one of America’s most innovative and widely performed choreographers. A co-founder of the ground-breaking Pilobolus Dance Theater in 1971, he formed MOMIX in 1980. Mr. Pendleton has also worked extensively in film, TV and opera and as a choreographer for ballet companies and special events, including Winter Olympics ceremonies in 1980 and 2014.

Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and beauty, MOMIX has appeared in film, television and national commercials.

With nothing more than light, shadow, props and the human body, MOMIX has astonished audiences on five continents for 38 years.

Performances are Saturday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 13 at 2 p.m.

To purchase tickets, call the Warner Box Office at 860-489-7180 or visit warnertheatre.org.

Contributed photos MOMIX will present its new production, “Alice,” Saturday and Sunday at the Warner Theatre in Torrington.