Sharleen Chidiac, a choreographer, dancer, and musician based in Brooklyn, is presenting a new hybrid musical titled “All the Rage” at Kaje in the Gowanus neighborhood through Friday. The show blends elements of dance, music, theater, and fashion into a compact and immersive performance that challenges traditional boundaries between these art forms.
At 35, Chidiac describes “All the Rage” as her attempt to merge her dual identities as a musician and dancer, creating a work that is both personal and experimental. The production makes full use of the intimate space, with the stage covered in red Marley flooring and seating arranged to eliminate any extraneous empty areas. This design fosters a “complete world” where the audience is physically close to the performers, allowing their movements and voices to resonate intensely.
The work, Chidiac’s first in two years, reflects a period marked by personal loss and hardship, including the illness of her parents, the death of an uncle in a car accident, and the passing of Billy Jones, an indie music impresario and close friend. Jones also had ties to Chidiac’s partner, Jake Lazovick, who contributes to “All the Rage” as the music director and dramaturg. Lazovick is also a member of Voyeur, the post-punk band of which Chidiac is the lead singer.
“All the Rage” does not follow a linear narrative but explores themes of desire, ambition, and personal freedom through stylized characters and intense physicality. The show features exaggerated figures in an over-the-top, camp-inflected environment, with references that evoke 1950s Americana musicals like “Grease.” Chidiac herself cites the male performer Owen Prum as “Mr. Freedom,” likening him to a Danny Zuko-type figure within the production’s dynamic.
The staging includes notable moments such as a middle section where letters spelling “catastrophe” descend from the ceiling during a tableau in which dancers gradually sink to the floor, visually expressing underlying themes of turmoil. The choreography often embraces a raw and punk-inflected aesthetic, with Chidiac drawing inspiration from figures like Scottish choreographer Michael Clark and entertainer Ann-Margret to infuse the performance with a mix of precision and wildness.
Chidiac’s background includes classical piano training and competitive cheerleading, but she came to dance comparatively late, which has informed her approach and occasional insecurities about technique. Performing and creating music videos with her band Voyeur has expanded her expressive range, encouraging a more instinctual, “hypnotic” mode of movement that she now shares with her cast. This approach manifests in moments of repetition and physical intensity, such as Clara Kim’s repeated arabesque penchées, which symbolize persistence and the courage to be seen.
The production’s integration of narrative, music, dance, and fashion reflects Chidiac’s ambition to push beyond the traditional limits of dance performance. She describes her work as a “D.I.Y. version” of a spectacle, embracing excess and camp without sacrificing control or subtlety. “All the Rage” stands as an exploration of how creativity can navigate personal adversity while continuing to reach outward with energy and defiance.