UNORTHODOX

Track Two

An original score inspired by the drive and tradition of Klezmer music, Stefania de Kenessey’s Unorthodox was commissioned by Ariel Grossman, the founder and artistic director of the all-female Ariel Rivka Dance company (ARD).  

Thematically, the piece explores the emotional distance between our raw, grungy real selves and the simple, polite version that we generally show the world. More metaphorically: what happens when a woman unzips her dress in order to breathe? The title is inspired by the book by Deborah Feldman (and the Emmy-nominated Netflix show starring Shira Haas) about a young woman who leaves a very strict Hasidic sect.

Unorthodox premiered in a video version at the Gershman Jewish Film Festival on November 17, 2020 in Philadelphia; it was subsequently screened at both Detroit Dance and the Istanbul Fringe Festival.  Following the lifting of pandemic restrictions, Unorthodox also returned as a centerpiece of ARD’s fourteenth season of live performances.

Unorthodox Redux, an abbreviated transcription for pre-recorded tape and live strings, was commissioned by the Portland-based Orchid Trio (SiYing Ge, violin; Deborah Shuster, viola; Quinn Kun Liu, cello) and had its broadcast premiere on NPR in March 2021.