a dance-theater work, a relationship work
About Take on Me
Take on Me is an exploration, a curiosity, and a commitment. It is both: will you take me on, the mountain & valleys of me? & will I choose to take on you? Every interaction that falls as a repercussion to that make up this story, shared between two people, maybe more. It is the negotiation of needs in close relationship. Your burden is now mine.
DZ Maciel’s inaugural evening length Take on Me is a dance-theater work of art. At 45 minutes, it is a raw play of non-stop negotiation, as DZ & Justine address each other in tender glances, in brutal words, and in rigorous dance.
Together with the audience they create a world of desire & expectation, in the the staging of a raw relationship in progress. Somewhere between reading someone’s diary & witnessing the car crash at the side of the road. Take on Me is what it claims to be: alive.
“This entire performance... holy moly, wow.”
Take on Me | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
An inspired water color series from Kening Zhu
Take on Me premiered May 18th, 2019 at Trinity Grace Church Williamsburg after excerpt performances at the Creative Cultural Center and Theater Lab NYC.
Artist’s Market
The sold out event included a local Artist’s Market, food and drink benefitting Provisions NYC x City Meals, Q&A post show, and live durational instillation performance also by DZ. program notes.
Featured artists:
Super Duper Supply
Kenning Zhu
Audicia
Neon Nectarine
Freedom Fibers
Richard Garrett Smith
DZ Maciel also commissions artists to develop new pieces inspired by the performance & ethos of Take on Me
An inspired poem from Denver-based poet
Erika Oakvik:
nevertheless
sometimes you will miss october
and you won’t know why.
the edges begin whispering promises
sleeping through the night
the patch of sunlight
on your lover’s neck
the sin of small-heartedness
it all begins to mean something.
sometimes feelings are meant
to be milked. get mad at god
curse the falling plane and the lizard
and your bloody nose.
you may unhold hands
eat quiet dinners for a time
scream-sing what the fuck
does belonging mean?
sometimes you may protest resilience.
we can be such tiny trees
stubborn and growing at the same time.
but, glory, here we are
left foot right foot
the aching of movement
the gift of nevertheless.
The Team
Choreographer & Director:
DZ Maciel
Dancer:
Justine Lee
Production design:
Carlisle Peloquin
Production assistant:
Sara Price
Lights & sound:
Carlos Feitoza
Tiffany Wilson
Marketing director:
Megan Wicks
Videography:
Mariya Abdulkaf
Bram Vandermark
Photography:
Tess Pereyo
Promo material:
Terry Matthis
Albert Tong
Artist’s Market coordinator:
Jayme Markus
Take on Me | Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Take on Me was re-imagined for Mi Casita on Aug 24th 2019.
The Team
Choreographer & Director:
DZ Maciel
Dancer:
Justine Lee
Lighting Designer:
Amanda Stambrosky
Acting Consultant/Stage Manger
Megan Wicks
Photography:
Tess Pereyo
Promo material:
Carlisle Peloquin
Artist’s Market coordinator:
Jayme Markus
The Take on Me Artist’s Market
hosted 8 visual artists & vendors, 1 live musician, empanadas from Colador Cafe, and drinks sponsored by UFO- proceeds benefitting Mi Casita!
Featured artists:
Kenning Zhu
Audicia
Neon Nectarine
Freedom Fibers
Chef Lemons
Orginally Ashly
Grace Ann Leadbeater
The Artful Hands
Ansley Pentz
The week preceding week Take on Me DZ Maciel hosted Mi Casita’s inaugural cultural residency hosting a list of community classes for students of all ages and experience levels in dance and theater!
all proceeds benefited
Mi Casita Pre-school & Cultural Center!
take on me | les, NYC
Take on Me was commissioned by the Gotham Fellowship program for an event on Arts & the Imagination hosted at LaMaMa Galleria in Manhattan.
For this performance of Take on Me audiences walked in on a sculpture of chairs and the infamous ladder. They were invited to take a seat from the heap and create the container we would eventually perform inside of. They made the stage.
As with all performances of Take on Me, we ended our session with a lengthy Q&A.