The Helander Dance Theater Peforms High Octane

The Helander Dance Theater performs High Octane – Friday April 3rd - Sunday April 5th

High Octane, a multimedia modern dance theater performance fueled by the shock of life's changes...


Boulder, Colo.— Sometimes life gives you a shock! Sometimes change is not an option. People have referred to this time in our lives as a nervous breakdown or as an identity crisis. Danelle Helander refers to these transitions as High Octane. From Friday, April 3rd thru Sunday, April 5th (Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.), the Helander Dance Theater presents a multimedia performance, High Octane, at the Dairy Center for the Arts (2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO), where modern dance theater demonstrates these uncomfortable, unwarrented, and sometimes unwelcomed life changes.High Octane takes off from last season's investigations of the dramatic changes occurring in the world around us and the world within us. Drawing from ten interviews with Boulder residents, performers recreate how we as a community deal with these bumps in the road and how raw the accompanying emotions are that we feel.

Founder and artistic director, Danelle Helander, creates modern dance theater that is powerful and experimental. Helander's choreography is edgy, whimsical, athletic, abstract yet descriptive with a touch of humor. There are flowing moments with controlled technique; the dance represents the confusion and fascination that we all have in life. In some of High Octane's movements, the animal nature of our humanity presents itself. The lizards from last year's Petrol are back! Combined with the emotional charge of the dance are elements of monologues, theatrical scenes, and visual film backgrounds. Helander is joined by Boulder musician Michael Zekonis who composed an electronic, atmospheric musical backdrop for the performance.

“It just goes to show you, you never know how you'll react to life's changes. And change doesn’t happen over night. You have the loss of something familiar, the hazy period of limbo, and then, finally, you move on to something new,” Helander contemplates during her monologue moment, “ When you're in transition, you find yourself coming back in new ways to old activities, but it doesn't always work. Some things change your life forever, like being left at a gas station, having a baby, wiping the slate clean, finding the white page of your life. Getting married. Getting divorced.”

Petrol took us through the situations that change our lives; High Octane, delves into the psychological breakdowns that occur. Questions of “who am I?” and “why change now?” are the backbone of this production, questions that most of us have had along the road of life. After the journey comes a bit of a release. “My options are no longer paralyzed,” explained Helander, “With High Octane, I wish to share the greater understanding that through the breakdowns are breakthroughs of becoming open to the universe. This is when true healing can begin.”

For tickets to see High Octane, $20 GA, $15 Seniors/Children, call the Dairy Center for the Arts Box Office at 303.444.7328 (SEAT), visit the Dairy Community Box Office, Tuesday - Friday, 1 - 5 pm, and one hour prior to curtain (2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO) or purchase online at http://thedairy.frontgatetickets.com/. For more information about The Helander Dance Theater call Danelle Helander at (303) 589-2048 or email Danelle@peakpeak.com or visit the website at
www.helanderdance.org.


HIGH OCTANE High Octane - Event Details

What: High Octane - a multi-media dance theater performance fueled by shock of life's changes

When: Friday, April 3rd and Saturday, April 4th at 8 p.m.; Sunday, April 5th at 2 p.m.

Where: The Dairy Center for the Arts (2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO)

General Admission Information: $20 GA, $15 Seniors/Students

Purchase Tickets: Call the Dairy Center for the Arts Box Office at 303.444.7328 (SEAT), visit the Dairy Community Box Office, Tuesday - Friday, 1 - 5 pm, and one hour prior to curtain (2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO) or purchase online at
http://thedairy.frontgatetickets.com/.


Artistic Director and Choreographer: Danelle Helander Performed by: Shana Cordon, Danelle Helander, Rita Jenkins – Gayens, Emily Lawrence, Sean Owens, Lucia Rich Music Composed by: Michael Zekonis Light Design by: Craig Bushman Visuals by: Patrick Swinea Wedding Video by: Emily Lawrence Costume Design by: Susan Perry

About The Helander Dance Theater

Colorado-based Helander Dance Theater was founded by Danelle Helander, Artistic Director & Choreographer in 1980. With a reputation for multi-faceted artistry and striking choreography, HDT's mission is to make a vital contribution to our global community using dance as a vehicle for creating greater understanding, sharing & healing. Danelle was given the role of Ambassador during HDT’s Sister Cities tour within Tajikistan, Nicaragua, Japan and Tibet collaboration with the University of Colorado and the Mali Assistance Project allowed HDT to use performance as a vehicle for providing needed supplies to Mali villages. The company has also partnered with Global Response to resolve an oil drilling issue in Costa Rica. In performance, HDT is eclectic, dramatic, sometimes whimsical & always thought provoking.