Ocean's Motion
The company during a promotional photo shoot for the 1982 revival of Ocean’s Motion. Photo by Herbert Migdoll.
Company dancers perform in the 1982 revival.
Anthony Ferro, Shelley Washington, Jennifer Way, Sara Rudner and John Carrafa in a studio shot of Ocean’s Motion in 1982. Photo by Herbert Migdoll.
Way and Rawe in costume on “El Bruto”, a motorcycle that Rawe had rented for the company’s stay in Spoleto, Italy in 1975.
Premiere
Production
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Choreographer
Twyla Tharp
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Composer
Chuck Berry
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Lighting Designer
Jennifer Tipton
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Costume Designer
Santo Loquasto
Dancers
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Number of Dancers
5
Dance Sections
I. Too Pooped to Pop
Way
II. Memphis
Way, Wright
III. Deep Feelin’
Way, Wright, Nilson
IV. School Days
Way, Wright, Rinker, Rawe
V. Nadine
Way, Wright, Rinker, Rawe, Nilson
VI. Havana Moon
Wright, Rinker, Rawe, Way, Nilson
VII. Almost Grown
Way, Wright, Rinker, Rawe, Nilson
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Runtime
00:16:10
Description
Tharp’s style of technically demanding yet nonchalant choreography is expanded in Ocean’s Motion. The dance depicts a day in the life of a group of Fonzie-era teenagers. The dancers, dressed in letterman jackets, smack bubblegum as they whiz through the exacting steps with cool, laid-back precision. The pop-culture veneer and the lighthearted characterizations make the work entertaining and approachable while the choreography tests the dancers’ speed and accuracy.
This piece premiered during the Spoleto Festival XVIII, 1975.
Past Performances
Twyla Tharp Dance
Sue's Leg – The One Hundreds – Bach Duet – Ocean's Motion (premiere} | Twyla Tharp Dance
Spoleto, Italy
June 22 1975 Premiere
Twyla Tharp Dance
Sue's Leg – The One Hundreds – Bach Duet – Ocean's Motion | Twyla Tharp Dance
New London, CT
July 11 1975 TTD Performance
Twyla Tharp Dance
Sue's Leg – Bach Duet – The Rags Suite (premiere) – Ocean's Motion | Twyla Tharp Dance
Municipal Auditorium
Austin, TX
September 10 1975 Premiere
Twyla Tharp Dance
Sues Leg – Bach Duet – The Rags Suite – Ocean's Motion – The Fugue | Twyla Tharp Dance
Fort Worth Art Museum
Fort Worth, TX
September 13 1975 TTD Performance
Twyla Tharp Dance
Sues Leg – Bach Duet – The Rags Suite – Ocean's Motion – The Fugue | Twyla Tharp Dance
San Antonio Ballet Society
San Antonio, TX
September 20 1975 TTD Performance
Twyla Tharp Dance
Ocean's Motion – Brahms Paganini (premiere) – Deuce Coupe III (premiere) | Twyla Tharp Dance
Dayton, OH
February 8 1980 Premiere
Twyla Tharp Dance
Oceans Motion – Brahms Paganini – Baker's Dozen | Twyla Tharp Dance
New York, NY
March 25 1980 TTD Performance
Twyla Tharp Dance
The Rags Suite – Assorted Quartets (premiere) – The Fugue – Oceans Motion | Twyla Tharp Dance
Saratoga Springs, NY
July 29 1980 Premiere
Twyla Tharp Dance
Ocean's Motion – Third Suite (premiere) – Baker's Dozen | Twyla Tharp Dnace
Highland Park, IL
August 26 1980 Premiere
Twyla Tharp Dance
Brahms Paganini – Uncle Edgar (premiere) – The Fugue – Ocean's Motion | Twyla Tharp Dance
Dayton, OH
February 28 1981 Premiere
Twyla Tharp Dance
Octet – Grand Pas: Rhythm of the Saints – Men's Piece – Ocean's Motion | Twyla Tharp Dance
New York, NY
January 28 1992 TTD Performance
Twyla Tharp and Dancers
Ocean's Motion – The Little Ballet – Grand Pas: Rhythm of the Saints – Nine Sinatra Songs | Twyla Tharp and Dancers
Tokyo, Japan
February 18 1992 Repertory
Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation
Ocean's Motion – Brel (premiere) – The Ballet Master (premiere) | Joyce Theatre
New York, NY
February 13 2024 Premiere
- 1975
- 1980
- 1981
- 1992
- 2024