The Pilot Dance Project Presents Aureate

The Pilot Dance Project Presents Aureate
A New Evening-Length Dance Work By Adam Castan͂eda and Ashley Horn

HOUSTON (May 1, 2024) – The Pilot Dance Project is excited to present its latest evening-length work, Aureate, on June 22 and 23 at the Deluxe Theater (3303 Lyons Avenue). Aureate is the latest collaboration between Executive and Artistic Director Adam Castan͂eda and Houston-based choreographer, designer, and filmmaker Ashley Horn. Their latest project is supported by a City’s Initiative Grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and an Arts Respond Grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Aureate – “denoting, made of, or having the color of gold.” In their most decadent and lush work to date, Castan͂eda and Horn delve into the imagination to mine the possibilities of gold matter. With an inclination toward the Feminine Divine and the sanctity of human ritual and ceremony, both choreographers create dances inspired by nature, womanhood, and mythology.

Horn will work toward stripping away the heavy veil of expectations, valuations, and roles of the women in her life, culture, and mythos to find an inner feminine light that is at once quiet, strong, glittering, and brilliant.  She will attempt to approach herself, a mother who is entering middle age, to find the value in lived experience and learned wisdom rather than measured caretaking and appraisal tied to physical beauty. 

Castan͂eda’s new works include a suite of dances devoted to the six Marys of the New Testament; the dance follows the emotional and psychological trajectory of each woman, including Mary, Mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Mary of Clopas; Mary of Bethany; Mary, Sister of Martha; and Mary of Rome. Another section is a recreation of the fable “The Beauty Contest of the Birds,” in which the jackdaw attempts to adorn himself with the brilliant feathers of the other birds; rather than lead to glory, her deception ends in ruin.

The evening-length work will be accompanied by an original score and live performance by Aurum Son founder and director Sonia Flores. Design elements by Ashley Horn and Edgar Guajardo will evoke the grandeur of Eastern Orthodox architecture and iconography. The project will also incorporate Castan͂eda’s Community Ensemble, featuring movers of all abilities and experiences, as well as projected artwork by members of the Fifth Ward community.

Aureate features performances by company dancers Adam Castan͂eda, Dorianne Castillo, Jade Devault, Carlos Guzman, Stormie Holmes, Ashley Horn, Sierra Johnson, Cloe Leppard, Sarah Leung, Kristina Prats, and Prudence Sun.

Aureate also features performances by its Community Ensemble, including Vanessa Alanis, Aelo Balthrop, Maryam Bagheri, Ashley Boykin, Christopher Buffamante, Abraham Castan͂eda, Raymond Compton, Shatasha Davis, Hannah Dunning, Beatriz “Bea” Gonzalez, Autumn Hayes, Karen Imas, Aaron Le, Hector Martinez, Michael Rodriguez, Julie Rubio, and Shylah Sylas.

ABOUT Adam Castan͂eda

Adam Castan͂eda is a dancer, choreographer, and arts administrator living in Houston, Texas. He is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Pilot Dance Project, a non-profit arts organization that produces the annual Houston Fringe Festival, the Texas Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival, Queer Fringe Houston, as well as a full season of professional Modern dance works. As a company member of the Pilot Dance Project, he has performed in repertory and evening-length work by Ashley Horn, jhon r. stronks, Jennifer Mabus, Lori Yuill, Orlando Hunter (Brooklyn, New York), Erica Gionfriddo (Austin), and Corian Elisor (Atlanta), among others.

ABOUT Ashley Horn

Ashley Horn is a dancer, choreographer, filmmaker, costume designer, and artist from the Houston area.  She has shown choreography and films at ACFD, The University of Houston, Big Range Dance Festival, The Texas Weekend of Contemporary Dance, Third Coast Dance on Film Festival, The Houston Fringe Festival, and Dance Month at the ERJCC among other venues and events.  She has created costumes for FrenetiCore, Frame Dance Productions, Sol Y Luna Dance, and her own works.  Ashley is the co-founder and curator of Motion Captured: An Evening of Dance on Film at the ERJCC as a part of Dance Month.  In 2012, Ashley was a recipient of an individual artist grant from the Houston Arts Alliance to create an evening-length dance film, Wanderland.  Ashley was named one of the 100 Creatives of 2013 by the Houston Press.

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