bio dynamic Through motion and emotion, Capacitor’s cosmic circus fuses art, science

The Earth spins. The Sun rises and sets. Gravity keeps us glued to the ground. The oceans rise and fall in a continuous love affair with the moon. A body’s cells regenerate, imperceptibly dividing and re-dividing.

Science gives rational means of understanding these processes and their effects – precise names, charts, tables, diagrams. But how can one hope to grasp these natural phenomena emotionally, as well as myriad issues that arise from humankind’s interaction with the universe, technology and itself?

Through its multisensory shows, the San Francisco-based performance group Capacitor seeks to bridge this gap between reason and emotion by fusing science and art together. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, Capacitor will bring its innovative show “Within Outer Spaces” to the Maine Center for the Arts stage in Orono.

Combining elements of modern dance, acrobatics, martial arts and the circus with intense visual and aural effects, Capacitor creates thematic performances based around scientific concepts and the human experience. A vibrant rumination of the Earth and the universe, “Within Outer Spaces,” was the group’s first show to be constructed by using the Capacitor Lab, a process fostering a creative, collaborative dialogue between the directors, choreographers, performers and scientists.

“I think that the open forum process utilized by the Capacitor Lab is one of the most revolutionary and exciting aspects of the work that we do,” says Capacitor performer Alexaner Zendzian. “As we begin a new project we send out invitations to specialists in the fields that we are exploring. In the case of ‘Within Outer Spaces,’ we worked with astronomers and philosophers. For our current work-in-progress ‘Digging in the Dark,’ which is exploring the layers of the Earth and the layers of the human mind, we called upon the talents of geologists, geophysicists, and psychoanalysts.”

Zendzian, a 1994 graduate of Bangor High School, began his career as a performing artist here in Bangor, receiving his primary dance training at The Thomas School of Dance and at The River City Dance Center and performing in the Robinson Ballet’s seasonal productions of “The Nutcracker.”

After leaving Maine in 1999, the 27-year-old Bangor native says he decided to take a hiatus from his dance training to travel, in doing so his passion for the art form was renewed by his life experiences on the West Coast. And while finishing a degree in dance and cultural anthropology at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., he began to explore a career as a performing artist.

“During my research I came across Capacitor’s Web site and was immediately attracted to their multi-faceted approach to creating modern dance works,” says Zendzian. “Their circus flair with aerial acts, fire performance, and the concept of using scientific thought as a base for creating artistic works were really appealing to me.”

In 2001, when the group announced auditions in preparation for an upcoming tour on its Web site, Zendzian packed a backpack and traveled down the coast to San Francisco to try out.

He has been performing with Capacitor for the past two years and also works as prop designer and set builder for the group as well as helping to develop and teach in Capacitor’s educational program.

During the group’s stay in Maine, Zendzian and other Capacitor performers will teach an extended master-class workshop in modern dance, contact improvisation, juggling and an Introduction to Brazilian dance at the Thomas School of Dance Sunday, Nov. 16 through Tuesday, Nov. 18.

“Creating this workshop has been a very special experience for me, as being able to bring new types of performance and dance resources to the community, which gave me so much as a young dancer, is truly a gift,” says Zendzian.

“Within Outer Spaces” debuted in 2000 and in the past three years Capacitor has taken it to cities all over the world, including New York City, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Edinburgh.

“When I first saw the show I was struck by the work’s ability to touch on vast topics such as molecular interaction, gravitational attraction, and cellular development without being strictly narrative,” explains Zendzian. “As an assemblage of pieces drawn upon the textures, relationships and images we encounter in our universe, the show has many interpretations and each unique experience of the audience is fully valid, so the show is open to infinite potential realities … much like the universe itself.”

For tickets to Capacitor’s performance, call 581-1755, or visit www.MaineCenterfortheArts.org. For information on the group’s master classes at the Thomas School of Dance, contact the school at 945-3457.