Undulation
Conceived and continuously guided by artist Kaitlyn Tucek, Undulation is an evolving, collaborative dance performance that rejects artistic finality to explore themes of human change, memory, and time. Originally premiering in Denver, the piece shapes Tucek's foundational poetic script into intuitive, shifting choreography set to an original atmospheric score by Arminda Klier.
Origin
Undulation is an exercise in surrender- a work that exists not as a fixed destination, but as a continuous state of becoming. It is an intentional rejection of artistic finality, designed to live, breathe, and mutate across timelines, geographies and bodies.
Born from a written script of poetry and creative direction by Kaitlyn Tucek, the work premiered at Understudy in May 2026 as part of Tucek’s solo exhibition, “Rainbow (Desperate),” featuring choreography created in collaboration with Breegan Kearney, Gillian Beauchamp, Deeta Jain, and Jalaina Felker. It was never intended to remain static, but instead to absorb the passage of time.
This evolution is grounded by the original musical score, “Las Canarias”, composed specifically for this exhibition by London based experimental pop artist Arminda Klier (Arminda K). Built in direct dialogue with the rhythm and cadence of Tucek’s original text, the score serves as an auditory expansion of the poetry. This sonic landscape acts as the atmospheric current guiding the performance through its physical transformations- yet another conversation unfolding across time and space.
Second Iteration
Upon opening the exhibition “Mise en Abyme” in France, Tucek made small edits to the foundational script, reflecting new understandings of place, memory, and time. In this second iteration at La Napoule Foundation, directed and choreographed by Ella Birkner and performed by Marie Raynaud, Caroline Marchand Gauze and Karine Gerard, the piece undergoes another translation. A new team of dancers took this evolved script and the video archive of the original choreography to reimagine this piece. By making intuitive modifications that resonated with their own bodies and experiences, they brought a fresh iteration of Undulation to life, which debuted on September 20th, 2026.
What remains is an ongoing game of telephone- a living collection gathered over time, filtered through various voices, bodies and shifting environments. The performance is a holdover from a previous now, acting as a lingering thread to the current moment. By honoring the nature of human change, Undulation proves that a work can live on across timelines, blurring the boundaries between past creators and present performers into a continuous, shared history.
Credits & Acknowledgments
Creative Direction & Concept: Kaitlyn Tucek
Original Choreographic Collaboration (May 2026): Breegan Kearney, Gillian Beauchamp, Deeta Jain, and Jalaina Felker
Direction (September 2026): Ella Birkner
Performance & Reinterpretation: Ella Birkner, Marie Raynaud, Caroline Marchand Gauze and Karine Gerard.
Musical Score: "Las Canarias" by Arminda Klier (Arminda K)Arminda Klier is a London-based American experimental pop artist whose work blends synth textures, layered vocals, and atmospheric pop.
Iterations of Undulation were made possible through the generous support and residency provided by the La Napoule Foundation and The Denver Theater District, through Understudy (Denver, CO) in May 2026 as part of the solo exhibition, "Rainbow (desperate)."
Photos by: Patrick Massabo, Laurent Barnavon and Collin Sanders Video
