Name: Aureate
Start: 2024-06-22T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2024-06-23T21:00:00-05:00
Location: The DeLUXE Theater

The Pilot Dance Project is excited to present its latest-evening length work, Aureate, on June 22 and 23 at the Deluxe Theater (3303 Lyons Avenue). Aureate is the latest collaboration between Executive and Artistic Director Adam Castan͂eda and Houston-
based choreographer, designer, and filmmaker Ashley Horn. Their latest project is supported by a City’s Initiative Grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and an Arts
Respond Grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
Aureate - “denoting, made of, or having the color of gold.” In their most decadent and lush work to date, Castan͂eda and Horn delve into the imagination to mine the possibilities of gold matter. With an inclination toward the Feminine Divine and the sanctity of human ritual and ceremony, both choreographers create dances inspired by nature, womanhood, and mythology.
Horn will work toward stripping away the heavy veil of expectations, valuations, and roles of the women in her life, culture, and mythos to find an inner feminine light that is at once quiet, strong, glittering, and brilliant. She will attempt to approach herself, a mother who is entering middle age, to find the value in lived experience and learned wisdom rather than measured
caretaking and appraisal tied to physical beauty.
Castan͂eda’s new works include a suite of dances devoted to the six Marys of the New Testament; the dance follows the emotional and psychological trajectory of each woman, including Mary, Mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Mary of Clopas; Mary of Bethany; Mary,
Sister of Martha; and Mary of Rome.
Another section is a recreation of the fable “The Beauty
Contest of the Birds,” in which the jackdaw attempts to adorn herself with the brilliant feathers of the other birds; rather than lead to glory, her deception ends in ruin.
The evening-length work will be accompanied by an original score and live performance by Aurum Son founder and director Sonia Flores. Design elements by Ashley Horn and Edgar Guajardo will evoke the grandeur of Eastern Orthodox architecture and iconography.
The project will also incorporate Castan͂eda’s Community Ensemble, featuring movers of all abilities and experiences, as well as projected artwork by members of the Fifth Ward community.
Aureate features performances by company dancers Adam Castan͂eda, Dorianne Castillo, Jade Devault, Carlos Guzman, Stormie Holmes, Ashley Horn, Sierra Johnson, Cloe Leppard, Sarah
Leung, Kristina Prats, and Prudence Sun.
Aureate also features performances by its Community Ensemble, including Vanessa Alanis, Aelo Balthrop, Maryam Bagheri, Ashley Boykin, Christopher Buffamante, Abraham Castan͂eda, Raymond Compton, Shatasha Davis, Hannah Dunning, Beatriz “Bea” Gonzalez, Autumn Hayes, Karen Imas, Aaron Le, Hector Martinez, Michael Rodriguez, Julie Rubio, and Shylah Sylas.