Press

Click here for Press Quotes about "The Match," 2004

"There are aspects of dance performance that I had always accepted as a given. Working with Deborah Hay has deepened my understanding of what we do as dancers. She has helped bring a greater vitality to the stage.
Mikhail Baryshnikov, 2001

"A master performer sensitive to the slightest shift of imagery and tone, Deborah Hay has continued in the postmodern tradition of the Judson Dance Theater, which she helped to found, for more than four decades now."
New York Times, 2001

"I marvel at her high-wire walk between clarity and enigma. She transforms in seconds from shaman to trickster to bawdy comedian to grave adventurer. You don't so much read her gestures or decipher her whispers as inhale them."
Village Voice, 2001

" It's a simple act made glorious by a consuming dance intelligence."
The San Diego Union Tribune, 2001

"FIRE examines the visceral experience of the performer faced with spectators... Boom Boom Boom represents both an ideal introduction and a distillation of Hay's utterly inimitable art."
Austin American-Statesman, 2000

"...she charged the room with receptivity... what endured was a sense of the elusive mutability of fire, much like her moment-to-moment process of creating movement."
The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2000

"The spell was cast by Texas' grand dame of modern dance... she proved that one doesn't have to leap around the stage to bristle with energy."
Houston Chronicle, 1999

"Hay's magnificent presence - is invested with newfound dramatic meaning..while her comic timing was never more precisely calibrated. It's a performance to remember."
Austin American-Statesman, 1999

"...the best work I saw: dance so physical that it becomes metaphysical -- without gimmicks, hype, or spin."
The Drama Review, 1998

An experimentalist in soul and body
New York Times, 3/30/97

" her imagination has always been marked by playfulness in seriousness, by a blend of sophistication, thoughtfulness, and seeming naivete."
Village Voice, 1996

"... Hay plumbs the tragic in the humorous, and vice versa, keeping us emotionally mobile and receptive. The condition of watching, and of being, becomes perpetually transformational, without continuity or closure. It's an experience of constant deferment."
Texas Observer, 1995

"For 40 minutes, we were alive. Voilá proved to be the most concentrated 40 minutes of performance in this critic's recent memory."
Austin American-Statesman, 1995

"Only one strongly centered can be this eccentric. The entire community lives in her."
Village Voice, 1994

"...a revelatory, sometimes maddening experiment in elemental movement. [She is] a choreographer of exceptional vision."
Chicago Sun-Times 1994

"The room remained charged with our attention... It's a testament to her personal magnetism that we left with new energy, reflecting on how remarkable human beings are."
The Village Voice 1992

"...a dance of adjustments wrought with delicate precision, following the guidance of the body as opposed to the mind."
The Village Voice 1990

"Hay is such a strong, sure and seasoned artist that one is willing, as always, to follow her fearlessly into her luminous world. The effort of attention is repaid."
The New York Times 1990

"...she purges the viewer's perception by disallowing both the superfluous and the superficial."
Dance Magazine, 1989

"Hay's work remains unrepentantly bizarre, partially because of its insistent simplicity, also from the choice and juxtaposition of movements, but more from the way it defies intellectual analysis and forces strong reactions."
Oasis, The Magazine of Texas Arts 1988

"...an artist who has steadily forged an unmistakable style and esthetic."
The New York Times 1987

"One tends to study Hay closely, because her metier is transformation of movement so expertly achieved, it's difficult to tell how it is done."
Dance Magazine 1986

"Hay's work appears to be meticulously conceived, recalling Noh drama in its concision and compactness."
Express/News, San Antonio 1985

"...she had a presence that would have done credit to Isadora and the concentration of a Balanchine ballerina."
The Weekly, Seattle,1984

"She makes dances of uncanny beauty...Everything counts in her mysteriously evocative dance edifices."
Artlines, Taos, NM 1983

"No one else in the world would do these things!"
Dance Magazine 1981

Click here for Press Quotes about "The Match," 2004 "There are aspects of dance performance that I had always accepted as a given. Working with Deborah Hay has deepened my understanding of what we do as dancers. She has helped bring a greater vitality to the stage. Mikhail Baryshnikov, 2001 "A master performer sensitive to the slightest shift of imagery and tone, Deborah Hay has continued in the postmodern tradition of the Judson Dance Theater, which she helped to found, for more than four decades now." New York Times, 2001 "I marvel at her high-wire walk between clarity and enigma. She transforms in seconds from shaman to trickster to bawdy comedian to grave adventurer. You don't so much read her gestures or decipher her whispers as inhale them." Village Voice, 2001 " It's a simple act made glorious by a consuming dance intelligence." The San Diego Union Tribune, 2001 "FIRE examines the visceral experience of the performer faced with spectators... Boom Boom Boom represents both an ideal introduction and a distillation of Hay's utterly inimitable art." Austin American-Statesman, 2000 "...she charged the room with receptivity... what endured was a sense of the elusive mutability of fire, much like her moment-to-moment process of creating movement." The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2000 "The spell was cast by Texas' grand dame of modern dance... she proved that one doesn't have to leap around the stage to bristle with energy." Houston Chronicle, 1999 "Hay's magnificent presence - is invested with newfound dramatic meaning..while her comic timing was never more precisely calibrated. It's a performance to remember." Austin American-Statesman, 1999 "...the best work I saw: dance so physical that it becomes metaphysical -- without gimmicks, hype, or spin." The Drama Review, 1998 An experimentalist in soul and body New York Times, 3/30/97 " her imagination has always been marked by playfulness in seriousness, by a blend of sophistication, thoughtfulness, and seeming naivete." Village Voice, 1996 "... Hay plumbs the tragic in the humorous, and vice versa, keeping us emotionally mobile and receptive. The condition of watching, and of being, becomes perpetually transformational, without continuity or closure. It's an experience of constant deferment." Texas Observer, 1995 "For 40 minutes, we were alive. Voilá proved to be the most concentrated 40 minutes of performance in this critic's recent memory." Austin American-Statesman, 1995 "Only one strongly centered can be this eccentric. The entire community lives in her." Village Voice, 1994 "...a revelatory, sometimes maddening experiment in elemental movement. [She is] a choreographer of exceptional vision." Chicago Sun-Times 1994 "The room remained charged with our attention... It's a testament to her personal magnetism that we left with new energy, reflecting on how remarkable human beings are." The Village Voice 1992 "...a dance of adjustments wrought with delicate precision, following the guidance of the body as opposed to the mind." The Village Voice 1990 "Hay is such a strong, sure and seasoned artist that one is willing, as always, to follow her fearlessly into her luminous world. The effort of attention is repaid." The New York Times 1990 "...she purges the viewer's perception by disallowing both the superfluous and the superficial." Dance Magazine, 1989 "Hay's work remains unrepentantly bizarre, partially because of its insistent simplicity, also from the choice and juxtaposition of movements, but more from the way it defies intellectual analysis and forces strong reactions." Oasis, The Magazine of Texas Arts 1988 "...an artist who has steadily forged an unmistakable style and esthetic." The New York Times 1987 "One tends to study Hay closely, because her metier is transformation of movement so expertly achieved, it's difficult to tell how it is done." Dance Magazine 1986 "Hay's work appears to be meticulously conceived, recalling Noh drama in its concision and compactness." Express/News, San Antonio 1985 "...she had a presence that would have done credit to Isadora and the concentration of a Balanchine ballerina." The Weekly, Seattle,1984 "She makes dances of uncanny beauty...Everything counts in her mysteriously evocative dance edifices." Artlines, Taos, NM 1983 "No one else in the world would do these things!" Dance Magazine 1981
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		Details on the Bessie Award winning *"The Match"* *at www.thematch.info*