Love, guts, brain and brawn are the stuffs of blackandblue dance projects. Born out of Artistic Director Sasha Ivanochko’s insistence on getting to the heart of the matter, the work is body centric, economical, dramatic and candid. Working from the belief that the body’s range of physical coordination has unlimited communicative potential, her artistic discourse is informed by rigorous and playful in-studio investigation of the psyche/somatic connection, movement exploration and character study. Marked by an unusual sense of beauty and an intuitive musicality, Ivanochko’s work explores aspects of human nature with an unflinching eye, challenging audiences with her candid and intimate work. The art of blackandblue, and the artist, are driven by a great longing, a love of the under-dog, and a sense of inner flight.

blackandblue strives to deepen our own understanding of the local and global communities we are part of, push the boundaries of the contemporary dance form, and create peaceful, positive social impact with beautiful and provocative art. Our creative process, educational programming and mentorship values experimentation, deep investigation, open dialogue and sharing of knowledge and resources. Via rigorous in-studio exploration of the body and its themes, we create and perform uncompromising, highly original work that intelligently engages our audience and participants on current socio/political/personal themes. Through mentorship and high level, educational programming that is community responsive, we aim to support our peers and contribute to the vibrancy of the milieu. Our vision is inspired by Artistic Director Sasha Ivanochko, supported by the administration and Board of Directors, and shared with our community.