This year marks the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics — a milestone that might seem far removed from music and dance. But chamber ensemble fivebyfive and University of Rochester dance faculty members see a natural link between science and art.
Their upcoming collaboration, “Subatomic Mysteries,” which premieres at Sloan Performing Arts Center on October 18 and 19, brings together four choreographers and four composers to create new works inspired by key concepts in quantum mechanics.
The performance will feature live music by fivebyfive musicians (flutist Laura Lentz, clarinetist Marcy Bacon, pianist Haeyeun Jeun, bassist Eric J. Polenik and percussionist Tateo Nakajima) and original compositions by Sean William Calhoun, Steve Danyew, Amy Nam and Felipe Perez. Dancers will accompany the musicians onstage, performing new works by choreographers Mariah Steele, Missy Pfohl Smith, Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp and Ripp Greatbatch. Select pieces will include visuals from media artist W. Michele Harris.
Now in its tenth season, fivebyfive continues to use contemporary chamber music to spark curiosity in its audiences. The carefully curated composers worked on the four new pieces for the performance over the last year, and then the choreographers chose the music that resonated with them most. This process — rooted in creative exchange and exploration — is central to the ensemble’s mission.
“There’s a lot of disconnect and division between us at this moment in time, and we want to remind ourselves that we’re interconnected,” said artistic director and flutist Laura Lentz. “Quantum mechanics demonstrates that down to the tiniest building blocks of our universe.”
In “Bifurcaciones (Bifurcations),” choreographer Mariah Steele uses a rope connecting two dancers to explore the tension within the music and represent the concept of quantum entanglement. The dancers symbolize electrons or photons while also examining human relationships through their shared physical connection.
For Steele, bridging dance and science together is a familiar process. Alongside her husband, dancer and physicist Hans Rinderknecht, and several scientists from the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, she teaches a University of Rochester course titled “Choreographic Dance, Voice and Physics Frontiers.” The class draws students with extensive dance experience as well as those with a scientific background. Each learns from the others’ studies. While the different approaches are clear, there’s also unexpected overlap.
“We see the ways in which scientists work creatively, and how artists have to be rigorous in our approaches to choreography,” Steele said. “It also shows that the body can do some thinking for you.”
By embodying scientific ideas through choreography, students gain a better understanding of the complex topics of physics. “Subatomic Mysteries” builds on this idea, inviting audiences to witness the emotional and human side of quantum mechanics.
Rinderknecht, whose work spans both dance and physics, believes dance is a valuable tool for understanding the intricacies of the universe. In addition to the observations of Rochester students, he has seen this proven through audience feedback.
“When I created a dance based on my PhD research, someone told me they didn’t understand it, but they got it,” Rinderknecht said. “That comment stuck with me. Quantum physics might be hard to understand, but hopefully you get something from it.”
“Subatomic Mysteries” premieres at Sloan Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. Saturday, October 18 and 3 p.m. Sunday, October 19, with pre-concert chats held 30 minutes before show. More info and tickets here.
