David Roussève / REALITY
Written, choreographed, and directed by David Roussève
Moving fluidly between past, present, and fantasy, Halfway to Dawn is a jubilant dance-theater celebration of the openly gay, intensely private, and fiercely political jazz composer and arranger Billy Strayhorn, perhaps best known for the inimitable standard “Take the ‘A’ Train” and as Duke Ellington’s main collaborator. Los Angeles-based choreographer David Roussève sets nine dancers to various movement styles—from modern to postmodern, from jazz to social dance—with a lively score that includes selections from Strayhorn’s oeuvre of the 1940s and 50s. Layered with video projections of text and historical footage, Roussève’s homage expands on the political urgency of Strayhorn’s narrative while channeling the spirit of the virtuoso himself.
Music by Billy Strayhorn
Video design by Cari Ann Shim Sham
Dramaturgy by Lucy Burns
Lighting design by Chris Kuhl
Costume design by Leah Pieh
Sound design by d. Sabela Grimes
Commissioned by ArtPower, University of California San Diego; Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans; Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh; Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of IL Urbana-Champaign; REDCAT, Los Angeles


