The choreographer's new work 'The Invitation Situation' transforms local spaces into hubs of experimental movement.
In the vibrant and often fragmented landscape of Southern California dance, Katherine Helen Fisher is carving out a distinct space for collaborative contemporary work. Her latest project, 'The Invitation Situation,' has begun a multi-city debut that spans the diverse neighborhoods of Frogtown, El Sereno, and Santa Monica. This rollout represents a significant moment for Fisher, who has spent the year utilizing residency space to refine a style that prioritizes collective input over traditional top-down direction.
Fisher’s approach is part of a broader wave of 'incubationary' art taking hold in the region. By moving her work through different communities rather than sticking to a single downtown venue, she is challenging the accessibility barriers often associated with contemporary dance. The creative process behind 'The Invitation Situation' is rooted in the specificities of these locations, allowing the environment to influence the movement and the dancers to engage in a dialogue with their surroundings.
This production is not an isolated experiment. It sits alongside a surge of grassroots performance art in the area, ranging from South Asian stories told through dance in Sierra Madre to new puppetry innovations in Eagle Rock. For Fisher, the focus remains on the 'invitation'—a conceptual framework that asks the audience and the performers to co-create the energy of the room. Since being selected for recent residency opportunities, Fisher has leveraged the time and space to move beyond mere rehearsal, treating each performance as a live research project into how bodies interact with the urban fabric of Los Angeles. The result is a work that feels less like a static presentation and more like a living, breathing extension of the local creative community.
Fisher's work demonstrates how residency-supported artists can use hyper-local touring to build community and bypass traditional gatekeepers. It highlights the importance of 'space and time' grants in allowing choreographers to develop complex, collaborative languages.
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