Novel Dance Co. considers truth and lies Bold Title, Bold Concepts

Its all a F*kn Lie.” It’s a bold title for a performance, admits Lyle Oberman, founder of Novel Dance Company, which started in Nashville, Tenn., and relocated to Northwest Arkansas in 2022. “It helps keep out the faint of heart.”

She’s joking — and not. “Frankly, this performance is not for everybody,” she says. “This performance is for those who have been through some sh*t, who have lived the lie, and continue to comb through the depths of existence.

“Thoughts make up our reality, with each human being existing within their own context,” Oberman elaborates. “We all develop an individualized idea of the truth. Based on the concept of duality, if we all have our own truth, we also have our own lie — thus ‘Its all a F*kn Lie’ is born.”

Oberman grew up in New York and has been dancing since she took her first ballet class at age 2.

“I have had an immense privilege in having access to dance training at a young age and throughout my adult career,” she says. “Understanding my vantage point, I am creating a door to opportunities for other artists to train, learn, perform and observe dance.”

This season, that means each of the dancers in the performance gets not only “extensive rehearsals,” but also “each artist is given one-on-one time to work on logistics such as resume building, future planning, and personal artistic exploration,” Oberman explains. “Each performing artist in this production is in their early career and thus is using this performance as a springboard to further develop their professional endeavors.

“This ‘inside out’ approach takes emerging artists out of the classroom and into the professional world seamlessly.”

According to Oberman, the production features five dancers, Zoe Cordasco, Garrett McCarty, Hai Lam Kylie Huynh, Jazz Spradlin and Allison Wheeler; one performance artist, Marissa Culbreath; and three members of the technical design team, Dana Doughty, RumWolf, and Derek Weiand aka Sunthroo; along with photography by Cynthia D Tran.

“The production runs like a book of short stories, with each story shedding light on a different ‘lie,’” Oberman continues. “Pieces presented range from literal representations of human interactions to more abstract variations of cosmic consciousness and energetic patternings; in other words, we explore the expansive space between truth and lie from different entry points. Some stories are funny, some dark, some soft, each with their own messaging.”

Each performer has been charged with creating their own costume design, set design and sound design, Oberman adds.

“Like the chaoticness of the performance, the sound design follows suit,” she says. “Ranging from dark moody undertones into techno beats followed by a soft landing on strings, the music design supports the present moment by allowing the work to live inside its vibration.”

There’s also visual design by RumWolf based on a previously presented work titled “The Big Free Picture.”

“This art installation ties together photography, projection, and a theme of ‘Its all a F*kn Lie’ in a more intimate and humanistic way,” Oberman says.

(Courtesy Photo/Novel Dance Co.) “If we all have our own truth, we also have our own lie,” says Lyle Oberman, founder of Novel Dance Co., about the performance March 9. She says “Its all a F*kn Lie” is for an audience “who have lived the lie, and continue to comb through the depths of existence.”