NIC GAREISS & SIMON CHRISMAN

Nic Gareiss & Simon Chrisman

Nic Gareiss (he/they, percussive dance, vocals) and Simon Chrisman (he/him, hammer dulcimer, vocals) met in 2007 at a fiddle festival in the Californian redwoods and have been exploring sound and movement together ever since. Both leading innovators within their practices, Nic and Simon melt their unique approaches, weaving traditional percussive dance, instrumental tunes, improvisations, traditional songs, and new compositions through interlocking rhythms and dynamic textures. Well-known for his work with the groundbreaking new acoustic string bands Kittle & Co. and the Bee Eaters, Simon's music combines "chamber music’s finely calibrated arrangements with bluegrass’s playful virtuosity and pop music’s melodic resourcefulness." (Boston Herald) One of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch," Nic Gareiss has been hailed for his "dexterous melding of Irish and Appalachian dance" (New York Times). Together, Nic and Simon adventure into the world of time and timbre to create a breathtaking evening-length performance of song, instrumental music, and percussive dance.