BACKHAUSDANCE / NOW: AN EVENING OF NEW CONTEMPORARY CHOREOGRAPHY

Experience the thrill of contemporary dance with Backhausdance / NOW. Orange County’s premier professional company, Backhausdance was founded in 2003 by award-winning choreographer Jennifer Backhaus and is celebrated for bold, original works and dynamic collaborations. This season features the premiere of Multitudes by Jennifer Backhaus and Amanda Kay White, alongside pieces created especially for the Barclay stage by innovative guest artists and composers.

Backhausdance will be joined by two-time Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, featuring their signature work, Partita for 8 Voices, composed by founding member and Pulitzer Prize winner, Caroline Shaw. This groundbreaking four-movement composition blends Baroque-inspired forms with extended vocal techniques to create a richly textured and deeply expressive soundscape.

Also on the program is a new work by choreographer Hélène Simoneau.

Backhausdance’s talented dancers bring athletic, nuanced movement and sweeping physicality to life, radiating energy beyond the stage to engage and inspire audiences of all ages. Each piece is a vibrant celebration of collaboration, blending movement and music with a deeply human, emotional approach—and often a touch of humor and theatricality.

Join us for an unforgettable evening where the artistry and joy of Backhausdance will move you, connect our community, and invite you to experience the transformative power of dance.

ABOUT ROOMFUL OF TEETH

Roomful of Teeth is a Grammy-winning vocal ensemble dedicated to expanding the expressive possibilities of the human voice. Founded in 2009 by Brad Wells and incubated at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the group collaborates with artists and composers across disciplines to create adventurous, genre-defying music. Known for experimentation and innovation, Roomful of Teeth blends global vocal traditions with contemporary techniques, continually exploring new ways to connect voice, technology, and storytelling.

ABOUT CAROLINE SHAW

Caroline Shaw is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, vocalist, violinist, and producer known for genre-defying collaborations across music, dance, film, and theater. Recipient of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music and multiple Grammy Awards, she has created acclaimed works for artists and institutions including Yo-Yo Ma, New York Philharmonic, and New York City Ballet. Shaw’s innovative work spans concert music, film scores, television, and contemporary performance, continually reimagining the expressive possibilities of sound and the human voice.

ABOUT HÉLÈNE SIMONEAU

Hélène Simoneau is a Guggenheim Fellow and New York City Center Choreography Fellow known for emotionally rich, contemporary dance works. Her choreography has been commissioned by companies including Oregon Ballet Theatre, Charlotte Ballet, and BalletX. A frequent resident artist and international award winner, Simoneau has developed work at leading institutions including Jacob's Pillow and Baryshnikov Arts Center. Originally from eastern Québec, her work is celebrated for its physical intensity and poetic depth.

This concert is part of Community Connections , a new series from Irvine Barclay Theatre spotlighting the extraordinary talent of artists from our own backyard. Designed to celebrate the creative voices shaping Southern California, this series features vibrant and artist-driven performances. With Community Connections , the Barclay continues its commitment to presenting diverse and exceptional artists while expanding access to the performing arts throughout Orange County—because great art begins at home.