[Artspace] is proud to partner with OSU & 21c Museum Hotel to present Unfamiliar Butterfly, a performance by dancer & choreographer Wendy Jehlen at 21c Hotel on Saturday, September 23rd at 7PM. This performance is in conjunction with OSU's presentaton of Jehlen's Lilith, which is named after Kiki Smith's 1994 artwork of the same name.

"Unfamiliar Butterfly - a performance of fragility

Beginning in darkness, percussive sound builds slowly revealing an initially imperceptible rhythm. Thin beams of light from above, from below, from all sides illuminating her body, one part at a time, occasionally revealing more of her.  She is quivering, breaking.  She is enveloped in un-place-able sound. Unfamiliar Butterfly is an extended study of vulnerability. 

The dance is an embodiment of constant change, of travel.  The structure of the work is loosely based on the life-cycle of a butterfly, and is intended to change in each rendition. 

Unfamiliar Butterfly began as a collaboration with lighting designer/theater direction Jose Koshy in Kerala, India as part of an International Theater Artist Incubation residency. Iterations of Unfamiliar Butterfly have been performed at SomDance, Somerville, MA June 2017; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Dec 2016; and Aksanat!, Istanbul, Turkey April 2016."

- Wendy Jehlen

Wendy Jehlen’s career has been marked by international explorations, study and creative collaboration. Her unique approach to choreography incorporates elements of Bharata Natyam; Odissi; Capoeira, Kalaripayattu, West African dance, Butoh, and a wide-range of Contemporary movement forms. Her emotionally powerful choreography has been created and performed in the US, Canada, Italy, India, Japan, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Mali and Turkey. 

This event is free & open to the public. Learn more about Jehlen here.