Wallis Knot
video
home
Wallis Knot's original theater production Between Two Worlds was written and directed by Eileen Connolly, choreographed by Sean Roschman, with lighting design by Jamien Lundy Forrest, and stage managed by Danny Bradbury. The production starred: Andhy Mendez, Annalisa Chamberlin, Joseph Goodrich, Connie Rotunda, Kyle Quiring, Sarah Carradine, Dannie Flanagan, Sean Roschman, Sophia Parra, Amy Bettina, Chad Walters, and Bradley Rose.
Film clips of the production can be seen on YouTube:
Click Here for: Heaven Montage
Click Here for: The Reprimand Scene
Click Here for: The "Cyrano" Scene
Click Here for: The Final Scene
Wallis Knot company members train in a variety of dance styles with Sean Roschman, and in Viewpoints, Feldenkriais and other movement impulse improvisations with Connie Rotunda. Under the direction of Eileen Connolly, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS was performed at SoHo's prestigious HERE space, and this version of the show added dancing angels as scenic transitions and as a thematic device.
In this video clip, the company does a little movement improvisation:
Click here for: Rehearsal Improv
And, this clip shows a brief montage of moments from rehearsal:
These clips are from a workshop production of Eileen Connolly's modernized update of this Shakespearean classic. The production wove together the traditional plot and dialogue of Hamlet with a contemporary modern day Crime Scene Investigation plot. As the CSI agents attempt to piece together the mystery of the finale murders, characters come to life re-enacting their drama and dancing with the CSI agents. A live folk band accompanied the action of the Hamlet characters, while a rock music sound track provided backup to the CSI plot. As with many Wallis Knot producitons, the production included a blending of genres, musical underscoring, a variety of dances, video projections from the "Hamlet surveillance cam," angels watching and narrating the action, and even a miniature Ophelia puppet haunting the stage after her tragic drowning.
Click here for: Hamlet promo montage
Stay tuned ...more clips are on their way!
NON-WALLIS productions: Artistic Director Eileen Connolly frequently directs and choreographs outside of Wallis Knot. Last year she adapted Webster's The Duchess of Malfi to include movement and dance sequences that developed the plot. Below are a few video samples of her work from that production.
Eileen Connolly created this movement/dance sequence for a production of The Duchess of Malfi. This moment from her modern reinterpretation of the Webster classic shows the death of the Duchess. In this finale, Ferdinand himself kills his sister. After the death of the Duchess' husband and children she offers herself to Ferdinand, wishing for death. In his anger and turmoil he accidentally snaps her neck, and then dances with her dead body in his grief.
The dance was choreographed by Eileen Connolly and features Andhy Mendez (as Ferdinand), and Sophia Parra (as the Duchess).
Click here for: Duchess Finale
Or watch this longer montage of the show, focused on the character of Ferdinand (Andhy Mendez).
In Eileen's new updated version of The Duchess of Malfi, the Lunatics from the asylum where Ferdinand imprisons his sister, the Duchess, are featured throughout the play as a Greek Chorus. The plot unfolds as a story told to the Lunatic Ensemble by the Narrator.
Eileen Connolly created this dance for her modern reinterpretation of The Duchess of Malfi. The sequence portrays the death of one of Ferdinand's victims while under the influence of the moon. His brutal werewolf tendencies lead him to kill Sweet Jane and then wrap her body in plastic in order to dispose of it.
The dance was choreographed by Eileen Connolly and Dannie Flanagan. It features Andhy Mendez (as Ferdinand), Zade O'Blenes. (as Sweet Jane), and Dannie Flanagan (as the Zeitgeist Narrator/Watcher).
Eileen Connolly's experimental new adaptation of The Duchess of Malfi introduced the three siblings via a waltzing sequence. The shameless references to couples figure skating is entirely due to an infatuation with the winter Olympics at the time.