SFR Picks—Week of Jan. 30

Complexities of Life

The eloquent communication of dance

Los Angeles-based contemporary dance company BODYTRAFFIC is back in Santa Fe for the first time since 2014 for an evening of exquisitely choreographed dance.

Artistic directors Lillian Rose Barbeito and Tina Finkelman Berkett often take risks in their choreography, stepping outside the bounds of specific dance genres to create movement sequences that are painstakingly timed to coincide with the music. Sometimes this means syncopated, staccato body isolations that can melt gracefully into fluid, sinewy shapes. The company also frequently performs work by other well-known choreographers such as Sidra Bell, whose piece "Beyond the Edge of the Frame" is on the program for the Santa Fe show.

The musical and emotional scope of the pieces in the company's repertoire range from lighthearted, fun and jazzy numbers danced to the music of icon Peggy Lee, to others that are much darker or emotionally intense, set to contemporary electronic soundscapes. The company has been known to commission musical scores in the past, though none will be performed at the Santa Fe event. However, this level of involvement in the production makes us intrigued to find out what other creative surprises BODYTRAFFIC might have in store.

The dance troupe's company manager Dora Quintanilla tells SFR the local show will be versatile and will feature pieces that showcase the breadth of their performance style. (Leah Cantor)

BODYTRAFFIC: 
7:30 pm Tuesday Feb. 5. $14.50-$110.
Lensic Performing Arts Center,
211 W San Francisco St.,
988-1234

The Mysteries of Histories

"Thomas De Quincey was the person who invented the word 'subconscious,' who anticipated Freud's theories by more than half a century. … He invented the modern memoir, and he inspired Edgar Allen Poe, who in turn inspired Arthur Conan Doyle. … I could go on. He was fascinating!" says acclaimed writer David Morrell, whose three historical fiction mystery novels feature the dark and strange Victorian-era intellectual. In a lecture presented by the Renesan Institute, Morrell speaks about the ample research that went into his fiction, including a presentation of photos and illustrations to show the fascinating real world of De Quincey. "He changed the course of literature, and I feel thrilled to be able to write about him." (Charlotte Jusinski)

David Morrell: Thomas De Quincey:
1 pm Thursday Jan. 31. $10.
St. John's United Methodist Church,
1200 Old Pecos Trail,
982-9274

Graphic Novella

We've long been proponents of the comic or graphic novel, particularly as an educational tool—so when an artist like Turner Mark-Jacobs (once an SFR cover artist!) sets out to depict a historical epoch in his signature comic book style, we take notice. Mark-Jacobs worked with the New Mexico History Museum to capture Don Pedro Villasur's ill-fated expedition-turned-massacre of 1720, a bloody but fascinating chapter in our state history shown accessibly through more than 20 original artworks. While based on hide paintings from unknown artists from the region that date back to the era, this particular story does have historians at an impasse. Mark-Jacobs' dramatic retelling culls from both sides, as well as from letters between Mexico and New Mexico sent in the aftermath, and from the narrative structure of Kurosawa's Rashomon. (Alex De Vore)

Turner Mark-Jacobs: The Massacre of Don Pedro Villasur: 
5 pm Friday Feb. 1. Free.
New Mexico History Museum,
113 Lincoln Ave.,
476-5100.

That’ll Be the Day

A long, long time ago—we can still remember how the music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper made us smile. But February makes us shiver with every paper we deliver bad news from those old days, there's really only one way to describe the day … the music … a'died. Local musicians Greg Butera and Ry Warner join forces to mark 60 years since the infamous day in American rock history when three of our most enduring artists died in a plane crash while on tour. Covers will be played, movies will be shown and we can only assume people will make "Ritchiiiieeeeeeee!" jokes. Still, it all boils down to one important question: Do you believe in rock and roll? (ADV)

The Day the Music Died: 
5 pm Sunday Feb. 3. Free.
Zephyr Community Art Studio,
1520 Center Drive, Ste. 2.