A Length of Rope

Schmidtke will be presenting her solo contemporary circus show A Length of Rope at the Muse on
May 5th 2017. The show explores the significant choices we come to in life, with a rope and trapeze
suspended on opposing sides of each intersection. These two circus apparatuses represent the
struggle of choosing between different directions—be it a choice of place, identity, friendship, or love.
There is no fourth wall in this show, spectators can see Schmidtke's hands tremble from physical
exhaustion and some portions are performed among the audience members. The show’s relatability
and vulnerability invite spectators to project their own choices on the performance and explore for
themselves their lost possibilities. In this way, the work is innovative; it pushes beyond circus, beyond
drama, to a place of intimate connection.

Joining Schmidtke on tour will be Bellingham, Washington based performer Strangely. From emceeing
to performing his own full-length show, Strangely will be joining the tour as a multifaceted performer.
Strangely has thrice circled the globe with his award winning, “rollicking, sing-along, one-man, cabaret
riot” (Broadway Baby, Edinburgh) show Roaring Accordion. Never failing to impress, Strangely draws
audiences into an epic world where anything can--and often does--happen.

New York performers Ed Toney and Chriselle Tidrick of Above and Beyond Dance will also be part of
the show, presenting their most recent creation Our Breath. The performance pairs the company's
signature blend of aerial artistry and dance theater choreography with the live recitation of original
poetry by accomplished poet Ed Toney. Both artists are propelled forward by the language of
movement and the language of poetry. Dance theater choreography on the floor is intensified by the
incorporation of choreography for aerial silk, which expands the dimensionality of the space. With his
imposing height, Toney can tower over Tidrick while negotiating space on the floor, but Tidrick looms
above Toney once she has ascended the fabric. Using relationships such as these, the pair explores
the question of who threatens whom and explores racial dynamics, revealing underlying fears and
prejudice present in race relations today.