Created with the support of a 2023-24 CUNY Dance Initiative Residency at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Habit Formed is an evening-length work that premiered on March 1-2, 2024. The piece explores how habits are created and broken in our lives. These habits can manifest strength, ease, and freedom and also create limits, boundaries, and affliction. The piece is set in a world of shifting physical structures (cages, netting, rocks) embodying the delicate balance between the growth potential and entrapment of habitual action. The piece lingers between the comfort of routine and the desire for change, as dancers break away from established patterns and embark on solo journeys of self-discovery.
Habit Formed weaves fluid, sensuous movements with sharp, distinctive gestures. The ensemble of ten dancers move from moments of synchrony to disruption, illustrating the tension between conformity, individuality, and the struggle to break free from ingrained patterns. The piece traverses a spectrum of emotions associated with habits, from euphoria to restlessness to liberation. From the shackles of habit to symphonic moments of self-awareness and agency, the dancers face personal change and the potential for transformation. The ultimate journey of the work is a story of discernment, unpacking how we can be empowered by intentional habits and not impaired by them. Habit Formed includes Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre’s company of 10 dancers, scenic design by Rob Dutiel and Anna-Alisa Belous, costume design by Anna-Alisa Belous, Lighting Design by Dan Ozminkowski, and Sound Design by Joel Wilhelmi.
“Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. Research shows that about forty percent of daily life is shaped by habit, so when we follow good habits, it’s much easier to be happier, healthier, productive, and creative.” — Gretchen Rubin
