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A group of dancers in minimal, neutral-toned costumes perform in a line formation on stage, holding hands. They are illuminated by stage lights against a smoky, dark background, creating a dramatic atmosphere.

Repertory

Hissy Fits

COMPANIES

CHOREOGRAPHER

AILEY II PREMIERE

The Dana Center, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH, 2014

WORLD PREMIERE

New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 2006

RESTAGING

Clifford Williams

MUSIC

Music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi / Music performed by Eroica Trio and Glenn Gould

COSTUMES

DM Design

LIGHTING

Michael Korsch

RUN TIME

  • 24 minutes

Dwight Rhoden, the former Ailey star turned renowned choreographer, "knows how to dazzle our eyes and quicken our pulses” (Village Voice). In this 2006 contemporary ballet, he went beyond mere virtuosic movement to depict the sometimes tumultuous and ambivalent nature of human relationships. Johann Sebastian Bach’s piano music provides a powerful backdrop to the high-voltage interplay of five couples, each of which feels the ripple effect of a series of "hissy fits," or uncontrollable emotional impulses, that reverberate in this work. 

Ailey II in Hissy Fits

Two male dancers performing on stage, one leaning back while the other supports him. The background is dark, highlighting their muscular forms and intense expressions. One dancer wears grey shorts, the other wears beige shorts. They both wear black socks.

Ailey II in Dwight Rhoden's Hissy Fits Photo by Eduardo Patino

A dancer lifts another dancer in a graceful pose on a stage with a smoky background. Both dancers are in minimal light-colored costumes. The male dancer supports the female dancer by holding her hips as she extends her arms and leg elegantly.

Ailey II in Dwight Rhoden's Hissy Fits Photo by Eduardo Patino

A group of dancers in minimal, neutral-toned costumes perform in a line formation on stage, holding hands. They are illuminated by stage lights against a smoky, dark background, creating a dramatic atmosphere.

Ailey II in Dwight Rhoden's Hissy Fits Photo by Eduardo Patino

Hero Credit: Photo by Eduardo Patino