Reviews:
2022
Jerry Hochman in Critical Dance about our program UNBEKNOWNST:
“[The Subject is] far more noteworthy as a dance for Katz’s piano composition that itself directs (or reflects) Zachariogiou’s choreography, and even more so by the extraordinary movement images that Zacharioglou has created and for the control and precision-timing required for her to make the dance look as unusual as it does. . . . [I]t’s great fun, and Zachariogiou’s inventiveness and top-flight execution makes it continuously interesting to watch.”
“And there are moments of movement gems—one split-second action, like the tug of one’s foot or hand on the other’s leg that triggers a reaction in the other—that take Unbeknownst beyond simple entanglement into something that’s visually profound.”
“Attempting to break down SPLIT’s movement qualities into component parts would be useless (if it could be doable at all) because it would effectively minimize SPLIT’s overall impact. Suffice it to say that notwithstanding my inability to satisfactorily describe it, it’s a strangely powerful dance.”
About What Kind of Land: “But Doane and these dancers, together with Nikunen’s marvelous score, succeed because the movement . . . is varied enough to maintain interest throughout. Much of it is tandem movement – but even so, the variety of movement reflects a variety of emotions, certainly enough to avoid appearing repetitious or overly emotional.”
Mary Seidman in Eye on Dance about SPLIT:
“Geometric floor patterns and shifting geometric shapes, in unison and oppositional duet configurations, explored the musical dynamics impeccably.”
2021
James Farmingdale in SoundWordSight about our program TO TAKE YOU THERE:
“All of the performers bring a full-bodied, full-blooded approach, as well as obvious mastery of their art to the performances and a bit of wit.”
“[S]ome of the pieces call for the performers to do a bit more than the usual, such as on the other side of silence, in which Annie Nikunen dances and also plays the flute, both at a very high level. . . . [T]he fact that Ms. Nikunen also wrote the music and created the choreography sets this performance on a somewhat higher plane. The piece also asks pianist Jonathan Howard Katz to perform an almost bunraku puppeteer function in support of the dancer. Altogether, an elegant creation.”
“Equipoise features the marvelous, substantial music and pianism of Jonathan Howard Katz in support of dancers Erin Dillon and Evita Zacharioglou. The interweaving movements of the two dancers have a lovely sense of flow and line that meshes seamlessly with the music.”
Paul Berss in New York Theatre Wire:
“Periapsis stays true to its vision of integrating original music and choreography, and they do so with taste, intelligence, and total commitment.”
2019
Glenna Yu in Dance Enthusiast about our program ORACLE:
“[T]he dancers bring a depth of character and intention to the choreography that is missing from many dance pieces today . . . . While the mission of Periapsis is to foster collaboration between music and dance, all four pieces also expertly blended elements of dance and theater to create a rich experience.”
“In [Oracle], the dancers exhilarate in the movement, each bringing their unique approach to Norbert De La Cruz III’s choreography while staying connected to and relating with each other.”
“Erin Dillon leans into the drama of the role [in Elle ne m’aime pas] beautifully . . . giving a drunken bravura performance, at times even stepping up to the microphone to sing. . . . As the focus of the piece transitions from the relationship between Dillon and the wine to the relationship between Dillon and Katz, the tone shifts from being humorous to finding the intimacy and vulnerability between these two characters. The performative aspect of Dillon’s character is stripped away. Her movement becomes quieter and we zero in on small details—her fingers walking down her leg, her toe slowly curving towards the floor in the moment right before it makes contact.”
“Encaged . . . draws us deep into the dancer’s psyche through the repetition, transformation and fragmentation of specific movements. . . . With each repetition, not only the orientation of the movement but also the performance changes, reflecting how even as these default patterns stay the same, the character and her relationship to them changes.”
2016
Cecly Placenti in Critical Dance about The Portrait Project:
“Katz has a distinct and fascinating vision, and one that I think is very important and exciting in the NYC dance community.”
“Like the other pieces on the program, yet completely unique to Vignoulle’s vision, Twine plays with the music, speaks to it, in lush suspensions and ultra quick, cat-like movements. The fluid quality of both the music and the dance is especially pleasing . . .”
“In Reflection by Katarzyna Skarpetowska, . . . [d]ancer and musician seamlessly switch roles and use the bench and each other as supports. McGowan is an intense and magnetic dancer. Technically strong and expressive, my eye is drawn to her over and over . . .”
“Dancer Erin Dillon embodies the quirky intricacies of Curran’s choreography beautifully, at times sinuous and fluid, at others percussive and staccato.”
2013
Sofia Stempek in informal floor about our inaugural concert:
“From the last, Periapsis is urgent and wonderfully greedy with time and space. . . . Dance and music are often linked, and in Periapsis neither art form upstages the other . . . making no part of the evening unsatisfying.”