Woodshop Films produced a brief documentary about our 2011 Philadelphia Fringe Festival show, Ampersand, as part of their Art Phag (Art in Philadelphia) series:
TinyCircus not a sign of the forthcoming clownpocalypse / Leah Etling for RentCafe Philadelphia, April 2012. Tangle Movement Arts provides the talent— they do lots of cool Cirque du Soleil kinda stuff and they do it very well. … It’s fun, informal, hip, and you get to look at young, attractive, exceptionally flexible people doing their things. ♦ article
The Critical Circus / Karen Rile for the Penn Gazette, Jan/Feb 2012. It’s an anti-striptease, a circus act that subverts the visual tradition of women’s bodies in burlesque. … “Acrobatics is a radical way to feel free and strong in your own body; we want everyone to know they have that chance,” says Smith, whose goal is to entertain and educate. ♦ article
Tangle acrobats mix realism and whimsy with “Ampersand” / Lewis Whittington for EDGE Philadelphia, September 2011. Tangle explores role diversity and gender identity as part of their choreographic template. … The troupe also uses humor, live music, and text to make it more than feats of daring. ♦ article
ON THE FRINGE: Ampersand / Meg Augustin for Philadelphia City Paper, September 2011. Tangle’s Ampersand is more than just a trapeze act. … There is a wisdom and elegance here, showing us that circus arts are much more than girls on ponies. ♦ article
Ampersand blends circus with story / Amanda Rossetti for The Temple News, September 2011. Ampersand weaves traditional circus moves with a strong narrative. … “For me, aerials are about strangeness and impossibility,” said Sarah Nicolazzo, a Tangle founding member. “I think there’s something really utopian about an art that’s all about pushing the boundaries of what bodies naturally do, how they move, how they relate to gravity and each other.” ♦ article
Ampersand swings at Philly Fringe / Nathan Lerner for Montgomery News, September 2011. Tangle’s innovative piece involves an amalgam of traditional circus arts, such as trapeze, acrobatics and aerial rope, with narrative concerning the themes of memory and belonging in an urban milieu. … Smith recalled, “I chose the name ‘Tangle’ for our acrobatic performance company because we are all about the possibilities that arise when things get complicated.” ♦ article
One ring and a tree: The tiny circus at Clark Park / West Philly Local, August 2011. The tiny circus came to Clark Park this morning. Performers from the movement arts group Tangle strung a trapeze, hoop and long pieces of fabric called “silks” from a large tree between the bowl and playground and entertained dozens of people young and old. ♦ article
