Breakbone DanceCo. proudly presents Visions of Light a world premiere solo performance by Breakbone founder and artistic director Atalee Judy premiering January 11, 2007. Visions invokes images of faith, delirium and truth in an imaginative portrait of a schizophrenic martyr, Jeanne d'Arc.

The year 2007, marks Breakbone's 10th Year celebration culminating all our experience and creative vitality in presenting Atalee Judy in Visions of Light. Visions invokes images of faith, delirium and truth in an imaginative portrait of a schizophrenic martyr, Jeanne d'Arc. This remarkably sophisticated one-hour multimedia work utilizes dance, live vocals, structured improvisation, theatrical elements, and experimental performance videos. Longtime collaborator, Chicago filmmaker Carl Wiedemann (Dental Extraction, Fundamentals of the Stoma) premieres three short films shot on location in Toronto, Canada at the Black Creek Woods and at the abandoned, Brickworks Factory. Visions also features live vocals by chanteuse Berianne Bramman, guest performance by Jesse Coffelt, lighting design by Stephen Arnold, and three multimedia installation sets with projection on the floor, rearscreen, and an angular set. Honoring the music of Ruby, Dead Can Dance, Loscil, A Perfect Circle, s:cage, and The London Session Orchestra, Visions will be an audible feast. With a two-week performance run for dates January 11, 12, 18, 19, 2007, (*Thursday/Friday only) in the Hamlin Park Theater located at 3035 N. Hoyne. All performance times are at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 general admission and $12 for students/seniors. Tickets may be purchased or reserved online at breakbone.com or call 773.841.BONE (2663) for reservations.

"You can breathe easy on this one for those faint of heart or squeamish about Breakbone's aggressive shows", Atalee Judy says, "…though die-hard B-bone fans will be pissed that my violent tendencies and my Bodyslam Technique fleetingly appear in this solo show." But for Visions, Judy pulls out all her skills, leaving her thrills and spills on the sidelines. "What audiences will see is everything I have to offer in a more pure dance and non-linear evening length work that highlights my other talents as a dance artist - the quieter, subtler stuff that people rarely get to see these days." Taking artistic liberties with the well known life story of Jeanne d'Arc, Judy infuses her own personal imagery and calling upon her own experiences (with a father who was diagnosed with schizophrenia) to communicate delusions of grandeur, guilt, and acceptance. Movement styles range from improvised "reactions" to Rorschach test images to an intricate post-modern duet with an imaginary adversary. Judy reflects that "It's an adaptation, not a biography. It's cathartic, not self-indulgent. The intent is to conjure up the iconic figure of Jeanne d'Arc and tell her story using imagery and movement to enhance the visions of a delusional, but beautiful mind."

Judy is no stranger to schizophrenic visions. Her father struggled for over 6 years with the disease that eventually caused his death in 1982. Her father endured a misdiagnosis for many years, had nine electroshock therapy sessions, was institutionalized three times, and mysteriously escaped twice. By the young age of 6, Judy believed that her father heard angel's voices, could walk on water, and could speak directly to God, among other grand revelations. And by the age of 12, her father had died and she then became quite fixated on death - the process, the grief, the emotional charge, the release, and the strength taken to endure the aftermath. As a result, Judy's fascination with Jeanne d'Arc, as a saint and a schizophrenic, spans over two decades. Traveling to France on three separate occasions to see different sites where Jeanne lived and the cities that herald her, Judy has visited Domrémy, Chantilly and to Paris, where Jeanne's statue stands in Notre Dame and where believers wait in line to touch her foot. Judy has also read countless books documenting Jeanne's real life trial and has read about the many versions of her life. Coincidentally, one book claims that Jeanne was born on January 11, 1412 which is the date of the opening night of Visions of Light 2007. Judy smiles and says, "…let the conjuring of her spirit begin".

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