Synopsis: Blister is a response to historian Sarah Helm’s text on Ravensbrück, the Nazi concentration camp for women. The dance represents relationships between the women who may have lived and died in the camp. This work was made in consultation with Holocaust scholar Nitzan Lebovich with original music composed by Vernon J. Mobley.

Review: “This piece opened to a stark image of women in grey costumes and head coverings, that neutralize individuality. A sense of mystery and awe is evoked as the dancers face upstage with their torsos swaying piously. Arms flutter up, a strong sense of divide between earth and sky is established with a sense that the upper region is beyond our reason. Falls to the floor and arches and gazes to the ceiling hold metaphorical meanings entangled with a tension between heaven and earth. The music is reminiscent of a Gregorian chant, creating an ascetic world. This searing performance creates a longing and despair in me, achieved by the full commitment of the dancers to the physicality and emotional truth. The group acts as one and breaks apart, dynamic shifts lead to swaths of energy flowing across the stage in a world lit in silvery, cold tones. 

The dancers treated this performance as a ritual. The lighting evoked a solemnity, rays of light on dust and earth, lending a sculptural look to the dancers’ bodies. This piece created a strong cohesive statement with all aspects: music, lighting, costume, and movement composition, adding to the intensity and emotional resonance, changing even the air and temperature in the theater. The ending was piercing, one figure against the huddled masses, with snow falling.” - Heather Harrington