Press
People Watching in Washington City Paper.
The unconventional location was heavily tied to the show’s themes of change and being in between, says Ben Levine, producing director of Extreme Lengths Productions. “We were asking ourselves who or where or what was I before and really thinking about change as it pertains to gentrification and construction, the development of the city, as well as in a very abstract way, this emergence from the pandemic,” Levine says.
SOURCE: JULIE GALLAGHER, WASHINGTON CITY PAPER
People Watching in Metro Weekly.
Thoroughly living up to its name, the D.C.-based collaborative dance and installation outfit Extreme Lengths Productions has devised an ingenious way to bring audiences and live performers together after months of pandemic separation.
SOURCE: ANDRE HEREFORD, METRO WEEKLY
Filament in Georgetown GLOW.
Spectators are lining up around the block in Georgetown to view a live dance performance and art installation through a peephole.
SOURCE: JENNIFER ANNE MITCHELL, WASHINGTON CITY PAPER
Review of I made this dance and nobody cares but you.
[Filament] was an utterly magical world of blinking lights.... I wanted to rub my eyes in disbelief. A dancer floated between panels of lights, and then another dancer, and then another, in mind-blowing mirror-like layers.
...
Overall, traveling as an audience member and being treated to separate performances for me alone was interesting. The breadth of ideas was impressive, and yet there were plenty of common ties.... I also luxuriated in the rare experience of receiving a performance alone.
SOURCE: CARMEL MORGAN, CRITICAL DANCE
Best of DC
Best Up-for-Anything Technical Director
"Before one of choreographer Tzveta Kassabova’s performances, Ben Levine and a tech crew worked for days constructing a wooden funnel-shaped set that transformed Dance Place’s stage. For another, Levine rigged up a contraption of wire and plastic sheeting that gave the impression of a rising tidal wave. And for Erica Rebollar’s February show, he and 15 helpers spent two months—much of that time off the clock—sewing 115 king-sized sheets to approximate old-fashioned theater curtains, lending a vaudeville vibe to the piece. As Dance Place’s technical director, Levine doesn’t have to go over and above the requirements of his job, which are largely grounded in nuts-and-bolts tasks like acquiring equipment for upcoming shows. But with a passion for theater’s technical possibilities and a desire to share them with dancers—who often, he says, underestimate lighting, scenic elements, and projection’s potential to transform a performance—Levine can’t help himself. Plus, he says, helping choreographers achieve their creative visions is his shot at a little artistic fulfillment, too.”
SOURCE: AMANDA ABRAMS, WASHINGTON CITY PAPER
Dancing In One Language
“[Ben] wants to try something different every time, and is willing to explore all the possibilities before saying anything is impossible. With him, options and ideas are expansive and his philosophy is similar to mine: ‘Why not? We can make it work.”
SOURCE: ERICA REBOLLAR, DANCING IN ONE LANGUAGE BLOG
In the Moment: “Kitchen Sink Fest”
SOURCE: DAVID SIEGEL, DC METRO THEATER ARTS — PART 1 / PART 2