Ain’t Done Bad is a remarkable dance theater production about growing up, coming out, and finding love. Set within a claustrophobic small town where religion and convention limit all attempts at self-expression, this story of a young man finding his way to love and acceptance is boldly and beautifully told.
Jakob Karr is the creator, choreographer, and leading dancer, and he brings a highly charged emotional energy to the performance. From a cast of eight exceedingly talented dancers, a series of relationship dynamics sweep across the stage. There is the son struggling with the conflict between the truth of his sexuality and the expectations of his father; the parents who fight as they grapple with how they can help their child; the best-friends who draw out his confidence; the lover who slowly brings him to a greater understanding of himself. The narrative is expressed through beautiful choreography, a creative and powerful combination of contemporary and classical dance.
This is a visually striking performance, the neutral tones of a conservative home blending with the wooden beams of the set. A sparkling night sky illuminates the backdrop, flashes of romance and desire among the quiet convention of the home. There is a set of large mirrors that glide over the stage, reflecting and highlighting the son’s struggles to find his path. Orville Peck’s music brings a sensual emotional landscape to the dancing, big ballads that add drama to this universal story of a young person desperately trying to find a way to exist in a place that doesn’t accept him.
Ain’t Done Bad is exciting, sensual, and relentlessly physical. This is a show for everyone who loves to lose themselves in the energy of powerful dancing, while falling inside a compelling love story.
Conceived, directed and choreographed by Jakob Karr
Featuring the music of Orville Peck
Cast includes: Jakob Karr, Adrian Lee, Megumi Iwama, Ian Spring, Luke Qualls, Jordan Lombardi, Yusaku Komori, Joshua Escover
The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street, Jim Houghton Way).
Running time: 90 minutes including a 10-minute intermission
Showing until August 31st