Trisha Brown Dance Company to Perform at the 2022 Tephra ICA Festival

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) and Reston Community Center (RCC) announce the critically-acclaimed Trisha Brown Dance Company (TBDC) as the headlining performers at the Tephra ICA Festival, formerly the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. TBDC will present a series of performances on May 21 and 22, 2022 in Reston Town Square Park. 

TBDC is a contemporary dance company dedicated to the performance and preservation of the work of Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer, Trisha Brown. Brown is a founding figure of the American dance movement who challenged the status quo idea of performance, and her work has inspired generations of dance creators. Throughout her career, she collaborated with leaders in music, theatre, and the visual arts – including visual artists Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd, and Elizabeth Murray, and musicians Laurie Anderson, John Cage, and Alvin Curran, among others. 

“I believe this to be a major moment for the arts community in this region – visual, performing, and interdisciplinary arts; and we are grateful to have Reston Community Center as our partner in bringing this all to life,” says Tephra ICA’s Executive Director and Curator, Jaynelle Hazard. “The dancers will perform in the heart of the Festival – on Market Street and in Reston Town Square Park. So as the audience, we will watch their movements in shared space, not separated by a stage or proscenium. This invites us to see to the dancers as fellow human beings as they fully embody the choreography.” 

“It’s going to be a lovely experience” adds Hannah Barco, Associate Curator and Festival Director at Tephra ICA. 

TBDC will present Trisha Brown: In Plain Site, a site-specific performance that places special focus on audience engagement, breaks down access barriers, and provides an intimate experience for families and those less familiar with contemporary dance. This program will restage early works from Brown’s repertoire, situating the movement dynamically within the architecture and landscape of Reston Town Center. For Leaning Duets (1970), pairs of performers, linked by holding hands, will proceed down Market Street through Festival crowds. In Reston Town Square Park, company members will lie down on the amphitheater risers, with the audience looking on from around the park, as they perform the ensemble work Group Primary Accumulation (1973). Sticks (1973) is a highlight of this program, with dancers accomplishing tasks using sticks for balancing or making contact, that are as simple and legible as they are difficult. The program will end with the light-hearted and humorous Spanish Dance (1973). 

“”Reston Community Center is so pleased with this tradition of providing beautiful and thought-provoking performances to complement the artistic bounty of the Festival each year,” said RCC Board Chair Bev Cosham. “Our talented Arts and Events team connects with the world’s most acclaimed artists and companies to share them with our community. It’s just one of reasons the Festival is such a great experience for artists and arts lovers alike.” 

Tephra ICA will also present Trisha Brown’s Sky Map, an immersive performance work taking place at their main gallery. As audience members lie down on the floor, a recording of Trisha Brown’s voice will inform the audience “how to mentally construct an overhead map.” 

Performance Times and Locations

Pictured at top: Image courtesy of Trisha Brown Dance Company (TBDC) 

About the Tephra ICA Festival

Now in its 31st year, the Tephra ICA Festival (formerly Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival) will take place on May 20–22, 2022 and will highlight more than 200 artists who are creating unique, handmade works in the fields of fine art and craft. Drawing upon a robust exhibitor and collector base coupled with Tephra ICA’s contemporary art foundation, the Festival has become one of the region’s most anticipated events, attracting approximately 30,000 people to the unique, outdoor environment of Reston Town Center. To learn more please visit tephraica.org/festival. 

About Reston Community Center 

Each year RCC offers more than 2,000 positive, self-development experiences that enhance the quality of life for all people living and working in Reston. RCC provides a wide range of programs in arts, aquatics, enrichment and lifelong learning. We also create and sustain community traditions through special events, outreach activities and facility rentals. To find the programs or events that are right for you, visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com or call 703-476-4500.