Kinetic truth, spanning time: Abilities Dance Boston’s ‘Firebird 2’
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The world of dance continues to evolve, and Abilities Dance Boston’s “Firebird 2,” presented virtually from Boston University Booth Theatre on Juneteenth, is a powerful testament to that evolution. It’s truly inspiring to see dance used as a vehicle for social change, particularly when interwoven with such a significant cultural celebration. The performance’s connection to Juneteenth, acknowledging both freedom achieved and the ongoing struggle for equity, resonates deeply. It's beautiful to see how dance, as highlighted in [New research associates dance and positive affect in children and adolescents], can positively influence emotions and well-being, and this production seems to harness that power to address crucial societal issues. Furthermore, the outreach programs Abilities Dance Boston conducts, alongside their performance work, exemplify a holistic approach to community engagement, a model that many organizations would benefit from emulating. The energy and passion evident in their work reminds me of the vibrant scene building up in Southeast Texas, showcased in [Southeast Texas is heating up with Aimed Dance Summer Fest this July] – a clear indication that dance communities are thriving and expanding across the nation.
What truly sets Abilities Dance Boston apart is their commitment to propelling social change *through* dance. It’s not simply about beautiful movement; it’s about using the body as a tool for communication, for challenging perspectives, and for fostering understanding. The fact that Courtney White, from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement, highlighted the show’s honesty in relation to Juneteenth speaks volumes about the piece's impact. As a dancer myself, I know the power of vulnerability and expression that movement allows. I’ve found that the discipline of the pole, the strength it builds, both physically and mentally, translates into every aspect of my life. It's not just about aesthetics, though feeling confident and radiant in my own skin is a beautiful bonus. It’s about the unwavering belief in my own capabilities, a feeling I pour into caring for my husband and raising my family. Similarly, the dedication and artistry displayed in “Firebird 2” demonstrate the transformative potential of dance to inspire and empower.
The broader significance of this performance lies within the ongoing shift in how dance is perceived and utilized. We’re moving beyond traditional definitions of dance as purely entertainment; it's becoming a vital tool for social commentary, activism, and community building. The artistic choices made by Revolve Dance Project, as seen in [Pushing forward: Revolve Dance Project’s ‘Revolutions’], further underscore this trend, demonstrating how contemporary dance can engage audiences in meaningful conversations about complex issues. The virtual presentation of “Firebird 2” also expands accessibility, allowing audiences far beyond Boston to experience this important work. As a stay-at-home mom, I know how precious time is, and the ability to experience world-class performances from the comfort of my own home is invaluable. It’s about breaking down barriers and making art accessible to everyone, regardless of location or circumstance.
Ultimately, Abilities Dance Boston’s “Firebird 2” offers a compelling vision of the future of dance – a future where artistry and activism intertwine, where movement serves as a catalyst for change, and where every individual, regardless of background or ability, feels empowered to express themselves. It’s a future I am incredibly excited to witness and be a part of. The question now is: how can we, as individuals and organizations, continue to support and amplify these voices, ensuring that dance continues to be a force for good in the world? Let's all strive to find our own "firebird" within – whatever that looks like for us – and use it to ignite positive change.
Boston University Booth Theatre, Boston, MA [viewed virtually].
June 19, 2026.
“Juneteenth is the most honest holiday,” noted Courtney White, Interim Executive Director of the (Boston) Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement – celebrating freedom, yet also acknowledging what has not been free. White works with Abilities Dance Boston through their outreach programs, a branch additional to their performance work in which they propel social change through dance. She noted that in her curtain speech for Firebird 2 (the first installment presented in April of 2021).
This idea of freedom and its lack co-existing: it struck me as a poignant theme in the program. White’s invoking of history, as well as the current work towards greater justice as a future goal, began another theme humming through the program: past, present, and future interlaced and interdependent.
Lights came up on Janie Howland’s memorable set design (built by Wooden Kiwi) of large red feathers, relaying and strengthening the connection to history; these feathers had small statements such as “if you get there before I do” – echoing a line from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Then, through video, we entered a futuristic setting. Past, present, and future were interwoven.
In that future setting, with a news program (delivered by Dara Capley and Claire Lane) it seemed the strides we’ve made in more universal justice had been erased – patriarchy and capitalism ruling, unchecked and unabated. The firebird fell through this universe to encounter a trio of dancers (Amaal Ladha, Claire Lane and Madison Sweeney): moving from grounded stances but with flourishing gestures, floral and delicate, embodying femininity.
Yet, the approach – both with narrative turns and audio description – complicated traditional views of such “femininity.” The audio description, always included in Abilities’ programs, of course served its purpose towards accessibility. It alsooffered a poetic layer to the movement that anyone could savor – as well as affirmed a high level of moral imagination, that in which this organization is grounded and resonates through all they do.
Animation (by Will Machado, Aimee Ham and Hanah Cincotta) was also fresh, expressive, and smoothly blended with real video for a memorable visual effect. We saw Ellice Patterson, the Firebird, dancing with high intention and expressiveness. She was not rushed, thus embodying the belief that taking up space matters more than the pressure of “doing” in set time.
The video shifted to stage view, with musicians onstage and the “princex trio” having returned. They brought back movement signatures, the clear balletic grounding and soft flourishing gestures – building consistency and continuance of characterization (character development support from Johnny Blazes).
The trio executed crisp ballet technique, but also the juicy spinal release and softening breath of more contemporary styling. These qualities served the vocabulary of these varied influences well. Solos – one for each of the dancers in the trio – added layers of curvilinear pathways, new ways of expanding and moving through space, and subtle nuances of gaze and working joints.
These short sections were visually entrancing as well as carefully shaped to express the characters’ mental and emotional journeys – those of grappling with ideas of justice and freedom, in various domains. They came back together at the end, now a new trio because each individual had gone through their own journeys: of mind, body, and heart.
Following that was a duet with dancers (Simon Montalvo and Trinity Stevens) wearing black (costume design by Laura Brody) under black-and-white striated lighting (technical and lighting design by Matt Breton): certainly a shift of aesthetic. Beyond that, they brought something more challenging, harder to the heart – once again, both in movement and what the audio description added to it.
Their energy was more weighted, timing more staccato, and their gestures reached with more yearning. Yet there were also high leaps; there is hope so long as there is the courage and daring to rise. Indeed, honesty is celebrating the freedom that is while also not shying from the freedom that is not yet…yet. The connection towards the end, dancers moving around and towards each other, facing each other, also felt poignant; in each other might be that hope as well.
The narrative then brought us into a universe required to toil to power the other universes: clear from the audio description, but also movement vocabulary both staccato and heavy. These personas were tired but forced to keep moving, producing.
Just as with leaps in the past piece, moments of more easeful movement and greater expansiveness felt like mini-rebellions, like finding authenticity and freedom despite it all. Greater connection dancers – in timing and space – once again resonated as glimmers of hope.
Throughout, movement was beautifully unforced and unassuming – fluid and without extraneous effort or anything “showy” – which felt perfectly aligned with the beliefs from which it seemed the work came.
After intermission, the newscasters from the earlier video were at a desk. Inventive gestures such as spidery fingers conveyed the work of writing, typing, creating narratives. They rose to dance together: working as a pair, giving and taking weight. They created opposing shapes and those working in conjunction. Audio description contributed meaning as always – interrogating those who build and amplify the narratives: media figures.
The dancers’ silky strength and keen attunement to each other allowed these complexities to kinetically and energetically translate. Solos underscored the personal toll of being at the center of such competing pulls and priorities, those always at play in media operations. Once again, coming back together towards the end seemed to bring hope.
Yet they challenged the freedom-seeking Firebird – who shared her story from spotlight. The magic to which she kept referring came through her movement: grounded and fluid, yet also with the weight and pressure of uniqueness unseen, unpraised. Quick, yet aqueous gestures of clapping games and being read to by a beloved elder sprinkled in a more youthful innocence.
Calls to “Elder Firebird” echoed the past, present, and future theme woven throughout the program. Aerial work of climbing up silks portrayed the freedom of the Firebird’s flight, if only through the tenacious persistence and pure grace she brought to it. Foot by foot she rose higher, finding shapes from splits to backbending to sitting, resting, finally (aerial choreography coach: Mandy Hackman.
The audio discussed ancestors and “future Firebirds”: the past, present, and future still interwoven. Then, ending with Elder Firebird’s voice, the work concluded with knotting off the thread of the past supporting the enacious work of the present and future.
Thus, Firebird 2 had keen potential to have audience members deeply reflect – on how we can be part of liberation not reached in the past and still not yet in the present. Powerful embodiment, poetic audio description, and inspired design allowed these ideas to translate in a highly visceral, sensory way, and therein be all the more impactful.
Honesty – a first step to change – can begin with art, with embodiment. The work, and the dance, continues. Thank you for helping to lead the way, Abilities Dance Boston!
By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.
The post Kinetic truth, spanning time: Abilities Dance Boston’s ‘Firebird 2’ appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.
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