NOCTURNE

Originally commissioned in 2021 by acclaimed composer and pianist INESSA ZARETSKY and heavily influenced by the narrative genius work of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, NOCTURNE is the story of a chance encounter, and its lifelong consequences. It was designed to be performed by two dancers with live solo-piano accompaniment. Created as a part of a site-specific evening-length collaboration between LEGGYBONES, ZARETSKY, and the world-music phenom group DUOJALAL, NOCTURNE premiered in the cavernous Hempstead House, one of the Tudor-style castles on the Guggenheim estate. Like much of LEGGYBONES work, NOCTURNE seeks to expose the infinite complexities and dualities inherent in a seemingly innocent relationship: Discovery and play, emotional baggage, companionship and codependency, trust and manipulation, and common ground in the face of adversity. The musical accompaniment, Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2, plays on similar themes. Simple and playful at first, minor tonal shifts inevitably reveal dark and mysterious depths. In alignment with LEGGYBONES' mission, NOCTURNE’s imagery endeavors to undermine traditional convictions of Dance and Theater, and tell a tale that exists in the mythical, liminal land between forms. It is a Shakespearean melo-drama and a Saturday morning cartoon at the same time.