LABYRINTH DANCE THEATERSasha Spielvogel, Artistic Director presents Felicia Norton as
| VIDEO | RADIO INTERVIEW | CREATIVE TEAM | ABOUT NOOR | PHOTO GALLERY | PERFORMANCE HISTORY | CREATIVE TEAMLabyrinth Dance Theater: Producer
NOOR, a highly charged dance theater work, tells the true story of Noor-un-nisa Inayat Khan, daughter of renowned classical Hindustani musician and Sufi Master, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Written and directed by Sasha Spielvogel, with an original score by David Majzlin, co-choreographed with Felicia Norton, this 40 minute solo featuring Ms. Norton as NOOR is based on the incredible journey of a Sufi pacifist, brought up in a house filled with music, art and spirituality who became a courageous spy during WWII. Her intention-to save innocent victims from Nazi oppression.
Code named Madeleine, Noor Inayat Khan, was the first woman Wireless Operator working for Britain's SOE covertly infiltrated into Nazi occupied Paris. As she landed, her spy ring collapsed around her and Noor was ultimately the last communication link between London and Paris. She was betrayed, held prisoner in Gestapo headquarters at 84 Avenue Foch and finally shot at Dachau in 1944. Her last word was LIBERTÉ ! Noor Inayat Khan was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre with Gold Star and the George Cross MBE, France and Britain's highest awards to civilians for acts of bravery during wartime. A memorial bust by sculptor Karen Newman was unveiled by Princess Ann on November 8, 2012 at Gordon Square in London, where Noor's family lived after they fled the Nazi invasion of Paris in 1940. The statue is the first of its kind in England to honor an Asian woman. NOOR has been performed in “ABSORBING…GRIPPING STORY… “AMAZING DANCE THEATER PIECE. DRAMATIC, TOUCHING, HEARTBREAKING. Noor was such a fascinating and warm character, and dance is a great way of celebrating her life and achievements. Felicia danced her beautifully, and the music score was gripping. TRAILER
RADIO INTERVIEWVoice of Noor: Holly Villaire ABOUT NOORNoor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan (1914-1944) was the daughter of an American mother and of renowned spiritual Sufi master, the classically trained Indian musician Hazrat Inayat Khan. She was stunningly beautiful, dreamy, kind and loving, brought up on music, art and passive resistance as a way of life - not the stuff that spies are made of. Yet, compelled by an inner strength to do the right thing, Noor risked her life as the world went mad. Noor, whose undercover name was “Madeleine”, was trained by Britain's SOE and was the first woman Morse code operator in occupied France during WWII. She continued to transmit even as the other spy cells collapsed around her, becoming the last communications link between Paris and London. She was eventually betrayed to the Nazis and was interrogated and executed in 1944. A plaque in her memory at the gates of Dachau is testament to her noble spirit. She was posthumously awarded the George Cross (UK) and the Croix de Guerre (France), their countries' highest honors to a civilian. Britian honours Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan with a stamp as part of the series 10 famous people born in 1914. (see the series on BBC News)
READ ARTICLE ABOUT NOOR at MAIL ONLINE:Tribute to an Indian princess who died for our freedom: Sculpture unveiled of spy tortured and executed by Nazis after refusing to betray Britain. Read online article at Mail Online.
FELICIA NORTON received standing ovations in London, Paris and New York for her performance as NOOR. She has toured internationally with her solo repertory, created for her by several dance luminaries and is featured in the book, DANCERS by Philip Traeger. Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times described her as ‘an extraordinary dancer’ and John Percival in The London Times wrote ‘she was the single best dancer in the festival, performing with a display of extraordinary sensual intensity’ and was deemed the discovery of the evening at the Third International Festival of Dance in Brussels. Felicia’s collaborations with Bessie Award winning violinist Leroy Jenkins were called ‘magical’ by Jack Anderson. She traveled to Finland with Ms. Spielvogel to perform in Sasha’s Sacred & Blue, and appears in her film, Dark Angel. Ms. Norton studied with Noor’s brother, Pir Vilayat Khan who taught Sufism in the West. DAVID MAJZLIN Film credits include Stille, (Winner - Best Score - Avignon Film Festival), the multi-award-winning documentary, Herb and Dorothy, The Loving Story (HBO Films), Youth Knows No Pain (HBO Films), and Sins Of My Father, Emmy nominee (HBO Films). He also wrote additional music for Sunshine Cleaning, starring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Alan Arkin, and source music for The Ghost Writer (dir., Roman Polanski, starring Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor), All Good Things (dir., Andrew Jarecki, starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst), and The Joneses (starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny). In addition to scoring Ms. Spielvogel’s No Way Out But Through and Dark Angel, David has also worked with choreographer, Laura Gorenstein Miller (Helios Dance Company) and artist Lou Reed, composer Paul Cantelon, and violinist Daisy Jopling (Triology). SASHA SPIELVOGEL is the Artistic Director of Labyrinth Dance Theater, a classically trained modern dance company in New York. The company has used puppets, stilt walkers and musicians on stage and often commissions new dance scores. Ms. Spielvogel is pleased to work with artists who possess a seamless blend of dramatic intensity and technical excellence and is deeply gratified when the audience is moved by the company’s work. Critics from the New York Times to Attitude Magazine have described Ms. Spielvogel’s work as, “Totally mesmerizing,” “Striking!,’ “A powerful achievement performed superbly” and “Raises the art form to where it should always be: Towering!” Among her internationally performed repertory, which runs the gamut from the deeply serious to the sexy and comedic are: Waltz for a Shatered World, Goya and The Sleep of Reason, Passing, Les Espaces Du Sommeil, Auditioning for the Celestial Follies and a series of tangos, Entre Nosotros. Dark Angel, a dance film featuring Hannu Hyttinen, was screened in New York City and at the LOIKKA Dance Film Festival in Helsinki in 2009. NOOR, has received standing ovations in London, Paris & New York. Appeared at the International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, at the Rudolf Steiner Theater in London, August 2011, and The Scottish Story Telling Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2013. PHOTO GALLERYPERFORMANCE HISTORYSarah Lawrence College,
Suzanne Werner Wright Theater
at the Performing Arts Center, 2017 NOOR ON DVDNOOR is also available on DVD If you would like to purchase the DVD please
email • PRESS MATERIALS & PHOTOSAll photos are in high resolutiion 8x10 jpegs. Felicia Norton as NOOR. Photo: Eve Cuyen
Felicia Norton as NOOR. Photo: Eve Cuyen
Felicia Norton as NOOR. Photo: Mira Steinzor PRESENTORS & BOOKING INFORMATION:
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
BOOKING INFORMATION BROCHURE: For your consideration Labyrinth Dance Theater presents NOOR NOOR'S Interactive Installation
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