A quartet featuring performances by myself, Sam Hanson, Kitty Sailer and Katie Meehan. Set to two songs, each by Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond and Neil Young, the dance explores the improvisational dynamics of a soloist within a group. While a trio engages in rhythmic, repetitious unison to the melody of each song, a soloist performs (and attempts to mentally catalogue) an improvisation that responds to his or her relationship with both the trio and the audience. This structure repeats with the dancers alternating the role of soloist.

As the dance progresses, the “catalogued” sections of the improvisation are recreated and reimagined to new songs culminating in a larger improvisation among the full cast. “Neils.” is a playful look at the musical nature of some choreography; the audience experiences dancing layered upon music but also improvisation layered upon (and in the process of becoming) choreography.